Man gets 15 years for shooting another over TT$10 debt
High Court judge, Geoffrey Henderson has sentenced a 35-year-old man to 15 years in prison after he shot a man over a TT$10 (One TT dollar = US$0.16 cents) debt.
But Jason Braithwaithe will spend seven years in jail as the sentences on the gun-related charges will run concurrently.
Justice Henderson said that firearm offences had become a cancer in the society telling Braithwaithe that his act was “unacceptable in a civilised society. That cannot work”.
The court heard that on October 17, this year Braithwaite approached 36-year-old Leslie Williams, to repay a 10-dollar debt.
Williams told the court that as he walked away, Braithwaithe pulled out a gun and fired at him, shooting him in both feet.
Braithwaithe was found guilty on November 7 for shooting with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of a gun and ammunition.
Justice Henderson said, in considering the sentence, he had to remember the serious injuries Williams had sustained, the prevalence of such crimes in society and Braithwaithe’s previous conviction.
He also said that he had to consider the principles of rehabilitation, deterring the accused from wanting to commit such an offence again, and also deterring others,
Henderson said that Braithwaithe could have faced a murder charge had he shot Williams elsewhere and that from the evidence, the shooting appeared to be an unprovoked attack.
“There are many people who come from difficult childhoods who have gone on to become great men,” the judge said, dismissing a plea from Braithwaite’s attorney Subhas Panday.
The judge told Braithwaithe that he had "a lot of time to reflect" and to be an example to others when he is released.
Source-Jamaica Observer
PNP, JLP Haggle Over Who's At Fault For Crime
The People's National Party (PNP) has branded as blatant opportunism the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) criticism of the Government's response to the recent spate of crime and violence across the island.
The PNP's response in a statement from its deputy general secretary, Raymond Pryce, followed a suggestion by Opposition Leader Andrew Holness on Wednesday that the Government was currently reaping the consequences of not supporting an extension of the 2010 state of emergency.
However, Pryce yesterday argued that if the JLP did not attempt to block the extradition of Coke, there would not have been a need for a state of emergency.
He said the unwarranted delays cemented a view in the criminal underworld that they were beyond the reach of the law.
According to Pryce, this view escalated into the unnecessary loss of lives and significant costs to execute the warrant.
Pryce said while it supported the initial extension of the state of emergency, there was no justification for a second as Coke had been captured.
He claimed the then Bruce Golding administration's request for an extension was not supported by the wider civil society and there was no further need to suppress the rights of Jamaicans.
Pryce said for the JLP to suggest that refusal of the 30-day extension has led to what is happening now is ridiculous.
The PNP deputy general secretary said if Holness has information to support his claim, he should provide it to the security forces and become a part of the real solution.
But in response, the JLP yesterday afternoon said it was an indisputable fact that crime increases whenever the PNP is in power and has decreased during each period of JLP rule.
According to the JLP, the country knows the PNP is soft on crime and no amount of intellectual gymnastics could change that fact.
Derrick Smith, JLP spokes-person on national security said: "I challenge the PNP to talk fair and square to the public in the interest of saving lives and changing the increasingly corrupt perception of our country."
Smith challenged the PNP to focus on creating a safe society in which all could prosper, rather than perform public-relations contortions to try to shift the blame from its failures.
Source-Jamaica Gleaner
InterCaribbean Announces New Schedule to South Caicos
Inter-Caribbean Airways (Inter-Caribbean) formerly Air Turks & Caicos, announces a new schedule between Providenciales and South Caicos, and South Caicos and Grand Turk and Providenciales.
The new schedule takes effect from January 20th 2014 and is already available for booking.
Inter-Caribbean Airways heard from businesses who were prompted by the offices of The Government of the Turks & Caicos, and also in meetings with the Offices of the Turks & Caicos Tourism both seeking the ways in which Inter-Caribbean can help promote easier travel, to facilitate developing tourism visitors to South Caicos.
Flight Depart Time Arrive Time
JY 111 Providenciales 07:30 AM South Caicos 07:55 AM (nonstop)
JY 111 South Caicos 08:05 AM Grand Turk 08:20 AM (nonstop)
JY 114 South Caicos 08:05 AM Providenciales 09:00 AM (1 stop)
JY 153 Providenciales 3:45 PM South Caicos 4:40 PM (1 nonstop)
JY 152 Grand Turk 4:25 PM South Caicos 4:40 PM (nonstop)
JY 152 South Caicos 4:50 PM Providenciales 5:15 PM (nonstop)
Inter-Caribbean Airways (Inter-Caribbean), Executive Trevor Sadler has had direct meeting with business leaders from South Caicos to help increase the easy flight activity to support the greater mission of the Government to support the mission of developing Tourism, but give Citizens and Residents of South Caicos the opportunity to travel to both Grand Turk and to South Caicos and back in a single day. Trevor Sadler said, that we are committed to an effective schedule and to support South Caicos residents make connections across our network. With support we will work towards how we can add additional flight frequency.
Mr. Lyndon Gardiner, the Chairman of the company said he is pleased to have an executive of Mr. Sadler’s experience and background is part of Inter Caribbean bringing new energy, to lead the airline representing our country to a greater recognition of airlines on the global stage. Some time ago the Tourism offices sought to increase connectivity to South America, and thanks to the tireless effort of Mr. Sadler, Inter Caribbean will shortly be signing an interline agreement to facilitate such travel.
These efforts are unprecedented not only for our airline, but the history of Aviation for the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Turks and Caicos Islands Set To Receive A Further $19m From EU
The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) has secured a further $19m in European Union funding the Territory's Deputy Governor announced today, Thursday, 19 December 2013.
This funding from the European development Fund (EDF) 11 follows on from the successful TCI participation in the 12th Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) Forum held in Brussels 2-10 December. TCI signed an agreement last month to receive a further $15m from EDF 10, with this being used over the next three years to improve the TCI government’s business systems and procedures.
The 12th OCT Forum was attended by Deputy Governor Anya Williams, Minister of Finance Washington Misick and Permanent Secretary Athenee Williams and other senior TCIG officials.
In addition to attending the Ministerial Conference, the team held a Tri-lateral Meeting with Director of European Aid Jolita Butkeviche on the current and future EU grant funded programmes that could benefit the Islands. They also signed the Financing Agreement for EDF 10, which will see the TCI receive it's first tranche of $5m in March 2014.
A total of $298m (229 Euro) has been earmarked for EDF 11, with $19m being awarded to the TCI; $24m to Montserrat and $18m to Anguilla, among other UK Overseas Territories. The 11th EDF similar to the 10th will be delivered in the form of Budget support, but will need to be earmarked for a specific sector or purpose.
"The TCI is now set to receive nearly $30m from the European Union, which is testament to our hard work to re-engage with this vital institution over the past year or so," said Anya Williams.
"I am happy that within a relatively short period of time the TCI will benefit from funding to develop and improve another sector of public life here in the islands. Cabinet will now begin its deliberations as to how we can best use these additional funds."
Minister of Finance, Washington Misick, added, "While still in the early stages of its development, I very much welcome the allocation of these substantial sums to the TCI.
"Although no firm decisions have yet been made, we have an aspiration to use these monies to help further build our transport infrastructure. The first drawdown likely to take place in 2016 which is already a critical year for the TCI in terms of its debt refinancing, these funds will be of great importance to our nation."
Crime & Incident Reports for December 17th & 18th, 2013
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force are investigating a number of incidents reported between Tuesday December 17, 2013 and Wednesday December 18, 2013 within the districts of Providenciales, including:
• (5) Burglary: Initial investigations revealed that during the commission of these Burglaries, a sum of cash, one black Samsung TV 32 inch and two suitcases were stolen. Officers were able to recover a quantity of copper wire and other electronic items.
• (1) Robbery: Early investigations revealed that during commission of this crime a quantity of jewelry was stolen from a business place located on Leeward Highway.
• (2) Malicious Damage to Property: Prelimininary investigations revealed that a vehicle right passenger glass window was damaged and the battery was stolen during the commission of this crime. In the other incident, the right driver’s glass window was damaged.
• (1) Making Off Without Payment: Initial investigations revealed that it is alledged that a male entered a business place and ordered a quantity of alcoholic beverages and exited the business place without paying for the alcoholic beverages. Investigations continue in all of these matters.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force are also investigating an incident reported between Tuesday December 17, 2013 and Wednesday December 18, 2013 within the districts of Grand Turk, including:
• (1) Theft: Prelimininary investigations revealed that a red and black bike was stolen during the commission of this crime. Investigations continue.
If you have any information about any criminal activity, please call 911 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1-800-8477. Tips can also be submitted anonymously in English, French or Spanish on either www.crimestoppers.tc or on Facebook as a fan of Crime Stoppers Turks & Caicos. Crime Stoppers tips are received in the USA.
TCIG Appoints New EMS Director
The Ministry of Health and Human Services in a release to RTC News told our reporter that Mr. Patrick Riel is no longer employed of Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) as Director of Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
No reasons were given for the immediate release of Mr.Riel.
In the release, Permanent Secretary Desiree Lewis urged stakeholders and the general public to note, and that effective immediately, Mr. Hugh Green will be acting in that role.
Mr. Green may be contacted via email at: hughmania@yahoo.com or via telephone on (649)347-6818.
Further, TCIG is advising all stakeholders to disregard any correspondence(s) from Mr. Riel, which relate to EMS operations.
All queries should now be directed to Mr. Hugh Green the acting Director of EMS or to Dr. Nadia Astwood – Director of Medical Services, Ministry of Health and Human Services according to the P.S.
Mosquito-borne chikungunya virus detected in the Caribbean island of St Martin
On 12th December 2013, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) received notification of ten confirmed cases of locally acquired chikungunya virus infection on the French side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. Since four additional probable cases and twenty suspected cases have also been identified, it is likely that the number of persons confirmed with chikungunya disease will increase. There is currently no evidence of cases on the Dutch side of the island, or in other parts of the Caribbean.
Chikungunya has infected millions of people in Africa and Asia since the disease was first recorded in 1952; however, this is the first time locally-acquired cases of chikungunya have been detected in the Caribbean. In the Americas, imported cases had previously been reported from Brazil, Canada, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and the United States of America.
The Aedes aegypti Mosquito, which is widely dispersed in the Caribbean region including the Turks and Caicos Islands, is the primary carrier of the chikungunya and dengue viruses. Symptoms of chikungunya are similar to dengue and include a sudden high fever, severe pain in the wrists, ankles or knuckles, muscle pain, headache, nausea, and rash. Joint pain and stiffness are more common with chikungunya than with dengue. The symptoms appear between four to seven days after the bite of an infected mosquito. The majority of clinical signs and symptoms last three to ten days, but joint pain may persist longer. Severe cases requiring hospitalisation are rare. There is no vaccine or treatment for chikungunya.
The Ministry of Health and Human Services along with other Caribbean health authorities are working with CARPHA to implement public health measures. The Ministry has heightened surveillance at all health care facilities, enhanced mosquito control and prevention measures conducted by the Environmental Health Department and increased health communication and education about chikungunya and dengue; including how to recognize it, prevent mosquito breeding and protect yourself from mosquito bites.
Precautions to prevent and control the spread of chikungunya and dengue in TCI
• Avoid mosquito bites here in TCI and when traveling to areas where dengue and chikungunya occur.
• Eliminate mosquito breeding sites (avoid leaving drums/barrels with water uncovered and get rid of stagnant water as water sitting stagnant for 4 days or more will quickly become a breeding ground for mosquitoes).
• Pour small amounts of oil (kerosene, cooking oil, brake fluid oil) in stagnant water near homes to prevent mosquito breeding.
• Fix screens on windows and doors to prevent indoor mosquito invasions.
• Ensure your windows and doors are closed tightly especially at dusk and dawn.
• Stay in air-conditioned or screened areas when indoors.
• Use bed nets if sleeping areas are not screened or air-conditioned.
• Use mosquito repellents on skin and clothing especially when going outdoors.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks when outdoors during times that mosquitoes are biting.
• Report your travel history to your doctor if you have signs and symptoms of dengue fever or chikungunya disease.
• Call Environmental Health Department to treat large bodies of stagnant water on or around your property.
The Ministry is asking all to work together to prevent mosquito borne diseases. Protect yourself, your home and environment today!
US Transfers 2 Guantanamo Detainees to Sudan
The United States has sent two detainees who were held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility back to their native Sudan.
The U.S. has sped up efforts to transfer detainees out of Guantanamo, roughly half of the remaining 158 detainees have been cleared of charges, but remain in custody.
The Defense Department announced late Wednesday that Noor Uthman Muhammed and Ibrahim Othman Ibrahim Idris have been transferred to the Sudanese government. They had been held at the base in Cuba for more than a decade for suspected terrorist activities.
Muhammed, who admitted to working at an al-Qaida training camp in Afghanistan, was released after serving 34 months of a 14-year sentence handed down in 201.
Idris was released after his lawyers petitioned the court, saying long-term mental and physical illness made it "virtually impossible" for him to engage in hostilities if he were freed.
Earlier this week, the U.S. sent two Guantanamo detainees back to their native Saudi Arabia.
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U.S. Prosecutor Says Indian Diplomat Was Well-Treated in Custody
A U.S. federal prosecutor in the case against an Indian diplomat facing visa fraud charges says the diplomat was well-treated while in detention, contrary to her claims.
Addressing a case that has strained U.S.-Indian relations, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara issued a statement Wednesday saying Devyani Khobragade was given courtesies far beyond what other defendants, most of whom are American citizens, are accorded.
Bharara also questioned why Khobragade's case has garnered more sympathy in India than that of her employee, who was allegedly paid only a third of the amount Khobragade had reported to U.S. officials.
U.S. State Department spokesman Marie Harf said Secretary of State John Kerry called a top Indian official Wednesday to express regret over the incident. She said Kerry, who has daughters near Khobragade's age, empathized with India's sensitivities over the case. Harf said Kerry was concerned that this "unfortunate public issue" not hurt the "close and vital" U.S. relationship with India.
In an email published earlier Wednesday, Khobragade said after her December 12 arrest she faced repeated handcuffing and cavity searches while being held on visa fraud charges. She said she broke down in tears multiple times during the ordeal and was held in a space with common criminals and drug addicts despite her repeated assertions that she has diplomatic immunity.
Supporters of a small opposition party staged an anti-U.S. protest in New Delhi on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Indian authorities asked U.S. consular officers to return their identity cards, rescinded airport passes and removed concrete security barriers from in front of the U.S. embassy in New Delhi.
The 39-year-old Khobragade is accused of making false statements in support of the visa application of an Indian national she brought to the United States to serve as household staff.
Khobragade, who says she is innocent, has been released on $250,000 bail.
In a diplomatic rebuff, Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde cancelled his meeting with a five-member delegation of U.S. Congress members visiting New Delhi. India's ruling Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi and opposition leader Narendra Modi also cancelled meetings with the group.
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Erdogan: Corruption Probe 'Dirty Operation'
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says a corruption probe in which dozens of people have been detained is part of a "dirty operation" against his administration, linking it to a summer of anti-government protests.
Mr. Erdogan's comments come a day after police raided the offices of several prominent businessmen close to his inner circle and detained a number of government officials - including the sons of three Cabinet ministers - in the biggest corruption investigation since he swept to power in 2002.
In a sign that Mr. Erdogan was fighting back, he said Wednesday that five top police officials have been removed from their posts in Istanbul for abuse of office, and that more could follow in other cities.
Turkish media reported that police searching the home of the state-run Halkbank's chief executive, Suleyman Aslan, seized shoeboxes stashed with $4.5 million in cash. The bank's office's were raided and Azerbaijani businessman Reza Zarrab, who is married to a Turkish pop star, also was detained.
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc told reporters that 51 people were being questioned.
Tuesday's raids and detentions are controversial in part because the Istanbul prosecutor said to be leading the investigation is believed to be sympathetic to U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, whose followers are influential in the police and judiciary.
That has raised suspicions among Mr. Erdogan's circle of an anti-government conspiracy.
Tensions have grown in recent months between the Turkish government and Gulen's Hizmet movement over plans to close private test preparation centers, including those run by Hizmet.
Hizmet runs schools in more than 100 countries and owns many of the tutoring centers the government is trying to shut down.
Mr. Erdogan told reporters his government is fighting "to make Turkey in the top ten countries of the world [while] some are engaged in an effort to halt our fast growth. There are those abroad...and there are extensions of them within our country."
Source-BBC