Level one Coaching Course ends
The ICC in conjunction with the TCI Cricket Association recently conducted
a level one Coaching Course.
The course was conducted by Regional Development officer foe the Americas,
Mr. Wendell Coppin.
Twelve persons participated in the course, which ran from 9th to 12th
December 2010.
It was a competence-based Course involving both practice and theory.
The class room work was done at the Providenciales Police Canteen and the
practical at the Down Town Ball Park.
The Participants included:-
TERRENCE THOMAS DWIGHT MTYRIE
GAVIN BRUNO RICHARD BOBB
IAN GANESS WINSTON QUELCH
SEAN KHAN KARIM JACK
SONIA RIGBY JOHN DOLPHIN
JESSIE ALEXANDER NICHOLAS WATSON
The TCI Cricket Association will be embarking on a development programme
with the assistance of these coaches to ensure that Cricket is organized
at the grass roots level, so that Cricket can be further developed and
sustained in the TCI.
Forged cheques circulating in Providenciales
The general public of the TCI is being put on the look-out for forged cheques circulating in Providenciales.
The Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police Force issued a brief press release today alerting the public of an apparent upsurge in the presentation of
Forged Cheques to business places in Providenciales for cash or as a form of payment.
The R.T&C.I.P.F is imploring business owners and public in general to first ascertain authorization of any cheque before completing that
transaction of that cheque. While this problem has been identified in Providenciales, the Police is still encouraging persons to be vigilant, especially during this holiday season.
US billionaire threatens to expose Turks and Caicos corruption
US billionaire threatens to expose Turks and Caicos corruption Apparently prompted by efforts by the British-led civil recovery team
(CRT) to recoup unpaid stamp duties, Boston attorney Michael Flynn,speaking on behalf of US billionaire Timothy Blixseth, said he intends to
expose all the corruption in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
This statement and others resulted from allegations that Blixseth sought to escape $1.7 million in stamp duty taxes on an upscale Turks and Caicos property he purchased in 2005, when the Michael Misick-led government was two years into its first term in office.
The CRT is not only attempting to recovery the $1.7 million in unpaid stamp duty owed to the TCI government but is also assessing a penalty of US$7 million for withholding the full amount.
It appears Blixseth's position is that Misick and his government, in league with the seller, somehow manipulated the duty or proceeds to the
seller in their personal favour.
In todays news posted by Caribbean News Now, Attorney Flynn is quoted as saying, 'The corrupt government of Michael Misick and the seller of the property (Gary di Silvestre), appear to have played some role in the original stamp tax transaction.'
The statements attributed to Flynn were reported in a Bloomberg Businessweek article published December 13, 2010.
The property, located on a small cay off the Chalk Sound/Silly Creek area of Providenciales, reportedly sold for $28 million. The documents listing the transaction in 2005 listed the sale at only $10 million. Stamp Tax is assessed at 10 percent of the purchase price. The tax paid was
approximately $1 million but allegedly should have been $2.7 million. A civil action has been filed in the Supreme Court to resolve the matter.
Attorney Flynn is reported to have denied that Blixseth ever saw or signed the original land transfer document.
The property, known as Emerald Cay, includes a 30,000 square foot home with a 3-story great room, 9 bedrooms and 3-story library. An award winning entertainment room, a 6,000 bottle wine cellar, 2 swimming pools, tennis and volleyball courts, a manmade beach and a marble driveway are included. The property is accessed by a remote control swing bridge from Providenciales.
The property was later listed for sale by Blixseth for $75 million then later reduced to $48 million.
Just this week the TCIG noted that it issued civil proceedings against Emerald Cay Limited, Worldwide Commercial Properties Limited, Timothy Blixseth and Andrew Hawes arising out of the substantial under payment of stamp duty owed on the acquisition of land parcel number 60400/219 known as Emerald Cay in Chalk Sound, Providenciales on 3 December and that those
proceedings have now been duly served.
TCIG's claim against the Defendants alleges that by a series of agreements of no or little practical or commercial value they concealed the true
value of the consideration paid for the Land in August 2006 leading to an underpayment of stamp duty owed under the Stamp Duty Ordinance. TCIG alleges that the true consideration paid was $28 million whilst it was recorded on the Land Transfer Certificate as just $10 million and that the Defendants conspired together to enter into a scheme to avoid payment of stamp duty of $2,730,000 properly due, instead paying just $975,000.
TCIG in its release on Monday of this week, said it is seeking a declaration that adequate stamp duty was not paid and that the Defendants
are liable for the outstanding stamp duty of $1,755,000, as well as a penalty of $7,020,000 under section 8(c) of the Stamp Duty Ordinance, as well as damages, interest and costs. This represents the latest set of proceedings issued by the Civil Recovery team since they began their work at the end of 2009, and the first set of proceedings in connection with the avoidance of stamp duty.
The Civil Recovery team is now involved in a substantial number of active recoveries and further sets of proceedings are expected to be brought.
TCI Community College (Grand Turk) presents Food Chest to Wellness Center
Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (Grand Turk) presents Food Chest to the Wellness Center, Grand Turk The President of the Grand Turk Campus of the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (TCICC) Rev Julia Williams, along with the Student
Services Representative Ms Desire Adams, and the President and Vice President of the Student Guild, Denzel Penn and Adrian Williams, made a special visit to the Wellness Center at the old Grand Turk Hospital.
The Student Guild, as part of their community outreach initiatives for this semester, put on a food drive that began the latter part of November;
and last Wednesday, 8th December, a week ago today, those items were presented to the clients at the Wellness Center.
It was a heart warming experience remarked Denzel Penn, President of the Student Guild of the College. The caretakers do an amazing job of loving and supporting the clients, they must be amazing people to provide such selfless care added Adrian Williams, Vice-President of the Guild.
This project in particular was aimed at enlightening our students to the benefits of volunteer service. It is obvious that those in attendance
were touched to experience life at the Wellness Center and we plan to continue our work with the Center in the upcoming semester remarked
Desiree Adams, Student Services Representative at the College.
In addition to the food chest presentation, the students and Rev. Julia Williams, President of the College, shared Christmas carols and prayers
with the clients and caretakers who sang and danced, and enjoyed the beauty of the moment. It was wonderful to visit with our senior citizens
at the Wellness Center and to provide whatever assistance we can, particularly at this Christmas time, which is usually a time of sharing
gifts. My congratulations to the Caretakers at the Center who it is evident are doing a fantastic job caring for the clients. May they all
have a Merry Christmas and a bright and prosperous New Year, said Mrs. Williams.
Special thanks have been extended to the President, faculty members and students of the TCICC, and members of the community who contributed to this very worthy cause including the staff at Cees Department Store.
Learn & Lead Educational Center hosts book fair for Ona Glinton Primary
Learn & Lead Educational Center hosts book fair fundraiser for Ona Glinton Primary Learn and Lead Educational Center (LLEC) will be hosting a fundraising book fair for the Ona Glinton Primary School in the nations capital next week. Net funds raised at the fair, which is being supported by the Department of Education - will go towards much needed repairs due to last months devastating fire.
On Sunday November 21st, fire ravaged the government primary school taking out nine (9) classrooms, two (2) teacher offices, a computer lab, the tuck shop and many priceless possessions belonging to teachers and students alike.
Next Wednesday, December 22nd - will see Cees Parking in Down Town Grand Turk become a beehive of activity, as the book fair gets on the way from 9am to 6pm. Radio Turks and Caicos has partnered with us for this event in order to help promote literacy in Grand Turk and support the Ona Glinton Primary School rebuilding efforts, said Mrs Yolande Robinson, LLECs Educational Consultant and International Education Distributor for Scholastic. There are a number of other community members and businesses that are lending a hand too and we fully appreciate everyones efforts.
A full list of sponsors and information about the event can be found on Learn and Lead Educations Center webpage:
www.learnandleadec.com/ogps.html.
Learn and Lead Educational Center has recently become an Education Distributor for Scholastic International. Scholastic publishes and
distributes a number of book collections, individual titles, professional development resources, technology products and more for at homes,
classrooms and libraries.
Located in Grand Turk, Learn and Lead Educational Center caters to a variety of educational needs for students, parents and teachers.
For more information about Learn and Lead, please visit the center at www.learnandleadec.com. Or, kindly contact Mrs Yolande Robinson on
yrobinson@learnandleadec.com or (649) 245-3398.
Former Guyana lawmaker sentenced to life for terror plot at JFK airport
Abdul Kadir, a Guyanese who formerly served as a lawmaker in Guyana, was on Wednesday jailed for life by a federal judge in the Southern District of New York in Brooklyn.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Kadir tried to persuade the judge to impose a lighter sentence by stating that he was a peace-loving man who never wanted to harm Americans.
The JFK cargo handler, who was a People's National Congress parliamentarian in the Co-operative Republic, was found guilty on August 2, along with Russel De Freitas, a co-worker, after a month long trial, for plotting to blow up fuel tanks at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
Federal agents arrested the two men and another after an informant infiltrated the terror plot and recorded them discussing it. Prosecutors contended that the men sought to help militant Muslims.
According to reports from Georgetown on Wednesday night, Kadir’s daughter, Sauda, told newsmen that her father planned to appeal since he did not get a fair trial.
Five candidates for CARICOM secretary general post
According to reliable sources, five prominent regional nationals have applied to fill the vacancy that will be created at year end, when Sir Edwin Carrington demits office after 18 years in office as secretary general of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The five are CARICOM's assistant secretary general for regional trade and economic integration, Irwin La Rocque of Dominica; former CARICOM deputy secretary general, Dr Carla Barnett of Belize; St Vincent and the Grenadines’ ambassador to CARICOM, Elsworth John; Ambassador Edwin Laurent, a former diplomatic representative of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS); and Henry MacDonald, Suriname's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN).
No Guyanese has applied because the late Forbes Burnham, when he lobbied for the CARICOM headquarters to be located in Guyana, gave the undertaking that no Guyanese would serve as secretary general of the 15-nation Community.
It is understood that no Trinidadian has applied because Carrington is a national of the twin island republic and he served for a very lengthy period and it would therefore be unfair for another Trinidad and Tobago national to hold the high office.
Barbados foreign minister, Maxine McLean, has been appointed chairperson of the search committee, and it is not known when the appointment will be made.
UN in talks to set up independent panel to probe origin of cholera in Haiti
The United Nations is exploring the establishment of an international scientific panel to look into the source of the cholera epidemic in Haiti.
“We are calling for an international panel and we are in discussions with WHO [the UN World Health Organization] to find the best experts to be in a panel, completely independent… [and] have the best investigation on the source of the outbreak,” the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), Alain Le Roy, told a press conference at UN Headquarters.
The Department later added that the secretary-general is in discussions with interested stakeholders, including WHO, and that the panel will be completely independent and will have full access to all UN premises and personnel. The specific terms of reference will be established in the coming days and the secretary-general may have more to say on this on Friday.
Haiti’s cholera epidemic, which broke out in October, has already killed more than 2,000 people, according to figures from Haiti’s Ministry of Health, with over 44,000 others hospitalized, even as the country struggles to recover from the January quake, which killed 200,000 people and displaced some 1.3 million others – most of whom are still living in crowded and unsanitary tent camps.
There have been widespread media reports claiming that UN peacekeepers from Nepal, serving with the UN stabilization mission in Haiti, are the likely source of the epidemic, with infected water having spread from their base into a nearby tributary of the Artibonite River.
Le Roy said experts who have studied the epidemic have so far come up with different theories on the origin of the infection.
“There is no consensus among scientists on this issue,” he noted.
The peacekeeping chief added that none of the Nepalese peacekeepers had tested positive for cholera or shown any symptoms of the disease, and that repeated analyses of water from their camp have not detected the strain of the disease blamed for the epidemic.
On the controversy surrounding the provisional results of the general elections in Haiti, Le Roy reiterated the need for all candidates to file any complaints through legal means and to help avoid further violence. Candidates had until 4:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday to lodge complaints with Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council, which has proposed setting up a special verification committee to adjudicate the complaints.
The Caribbean nation, which has been dealing with the aftermath of January’s devastating earthquake and the cholera outbreak, went to the polls on 28 November to elect the president, senators and members of parliaments in constituencies where elections were due. Incidents of violence have been reported amid allegations of ballot rigging by some candidates.
Protesters have accused the ruling government coalition of rigging the results. Provisional tallies put former first lady Mirlande Manigat and the candidate of the outgoing President Rene Préval’s party, Jude Celestin, in first and second place, thus qualifying for January’s run-off.
Popular musician Michel Martelly was less than one percentage point behind in third place, but thus excluded from the run-off, and his supporters have been involved in the burning o timber barricades, boulders and flaming tires.
The UN’s stabilization mission, known as MINUSTAH, with nearly 12,000 military and police personnel currently on the ground, has been in Haiti since mid-2004 after then president Jean-Bertrand Aristide went into exile amid violent unrest.
Trinidad government to take action to recover $13 billion in unpaid taxes
The Trinidad and Tobago government is to take garnishee proceedings and file "distraint actions" against residents who do not pay up their rates and taxes.
Finance Minister Winston Dookeran said that the unpaid taxes owed to government amount to $13 billion, comprising the principal of $5 billion and penalties and interest of $8 billion.
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Noting that the major portion of the arrears therefore related to penalty and interest charges, the minister said it was expected that a significant portion of the $8 billion penalty and interest component will be cleared automatically as taxpayers take advantage of a tax amnesty being offered until the end of May 2011.
Dookeran said, "After the amnesty period the State will utilise the full extent of its legislative authority to ensure that compliance with relevant taxation acts is followed, as government seeks to make good on its tax receivables, broaden and diversify its tax base. After May 31, 2011, when the amnesty period ends, the Bureau of Inland Revenue (BIR) will aggressively pursue enforcement actions for delinquent accounts. This will involve the use of garnishee orders and distraint actions, that is levying on the assets of taxpayers with delinquent accounts." |
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Gonsalves sworn in as prime minister of St Vincent
Dr Ralph Gonsalves of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) was on Wednesday morning sworn in as prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines for a third consecutive five-year term.
The National Broadcasting Corporation said that about 60 persons, including Governor General Sir Frederick Ballantyne, Gonsalves’ family, the ULP candidates in Monday’s elections, and the nation’s diplomats, were present at Government House where Gonsalves took the Oath of Allegiance, the Oath of Office, and the Oath of Secrecy.
Education Minister Girlyn Miguel, the four-time winner of the Marriaqua constituency, was sworn in as the nation’s first female deputy prime minister, while public servant Judith Jones Morgan was retained as attorney general, also for a third term.
Gonsalves said that the other members of his Cabinet will be sworn on Saturday at the playing field in the Central Leeward town of Layou, where first-time candidate, former teacher turned diplomat, Maxwell Charles, retained the seat for the ULP.
Sir Frederick, in congratulating Gonsalves, said, “Sir, I know you are well aware of the onerous task facing you as you seek to build this nation over the next five years.”
The head of state said that Monday’s general elections, in which the ULP won eight of the 15 parliamentary seats while the New Democratic Party won the other seven, were probably “the most intensely fought election, at least in my memory.”
“Suffice to say, that the elections are now over and our challenge is to unite the country. From the elections, I think we all can say that democracy is alive and well in St Vincent and the Grenadines. There might be election petitions but we are a nation of laws, and, if there are, the court will have to deal with them and we will have to be guided by the orders given from the court of laws,” he said.
Sir Frederick appealed to his “brothers and sisters” from the ULP, the NDP and the Green Party “to all see this nation as our nation.”
“It belongs to all of us and if we work together, we will progress. If we don’t, then it will hamper our progress,” he said.
He noted that Gonsalves is prime minister of the nation’s 106,000 residents, adding, “…we look to you for guidance and look to you to take the initiative to bring this nation together.”
Gonsalves said that the victory, in which his party got 32,200 of the 62,289 votes or 51.25 percent, compared to the NDP’s 30,012 votes -- 48.18 percent -- and the Green Party’s 145 votes -- 0.23 percent -- was the “sweetest” of his three election triumphs.
“It is the narrowest of the three victories but it is the sweetest because of the nature of the campaign waged against my party and against me personally. For ten years, there has been a campaign of personal vilification, of falsehood, of defamation, of innuendo, of scurrility, there have been concocted stories, a bitterness generated, which is unprecedented in our politics,” Gonsalves said.
Gonsalves said he was again extending to the opposition the hand of friendship he offered during his victory speech Monday night.
He noted that election watchers, including the Organisation of American States (OAS) observer mission, had said that the elections were free and fair.
The OAS, in a preliminary statement, said its ten-member delegation visited every polling station in the multi-island nation.
“In every case observed, the polls opened on time and had the requisite materials and polling officials. In the morning, there were long lines of voters who patiently waited to exercise their franchise. The presiding officers, poll clerks, party agents and police worked harmoniously throughout the long day, helping citizens to find their polling stations and ensuring an organized and peaceful environment,” the OAS said.
Gonsalves said his government will focus on the ten policies outlined during the election campaign as well as the rebuilding after Hurricane Tomas, which devastated the northern part of the island at the end of October.
“There will be no discrimination whatsoever on political or any other ground in respect of fixing people’s houses and proving for them in every material way until they get themselves back on their feet, this goes for the farmers also,” he said. 