Constant Louijene Sentenced for Deadly 2008 Accident
Constant Louijene of Providenciales has been found guilty of causing death by Dangerous Driving.
Mr. Louijene appeared before Judge Joyner in the Supreme Court in Providenciales where he was given a three year sentence, to be spent at Her Majesty’s Prison here in Grand Turk.
The offence which occurred on Tuesday April 01st, 2008 involved a vehicular accident which resulted in the death of Israel Dorlus of Providenciales.
In addition to the three year prison term, Louijene will have his driver’s license revoked and suspended from driving for two years after his release.
Health Ministry puts Focus on Substance Abuse
The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Ministry of Health and Human Services is calling attention to the increasing number of Turks Islanders with alcohol and substance use disorders.
The Department reported that in the last two years, the number of individuals presenting with alcohol and substance use disorders have climbed with statics showing that over 50 percent of the people seen between Jan. 2011 and Jan. 2013 met the criteria for an alcohol or substance use disorder.
Dr. Alicia Malcolm noted that problems such as these can have a rippling effect on society at large, impacting both crime rates and death rates, especially in small island nations such as the TCI. This is particularly important she pointed out because increased incidences of crime in many Caribbean countries are being linked to substance abuse.
“Despite their efforts, in our region are seeing an increase in crime, particularly violent crime, which is attributed in part to the use and abuse of alcohol or other drugs,” Dr. Malcolm said.
She noted: “In 2007 the World Health Organization reported that In terms of overall death rates, death by drugs or alcohol is estimated at approximately 1.8 million deaths worldwide each year, and about half of these deaths are the result of injury”.
Alcohol and Illicit drug use can lead to chronic alcohol consumption which negatively affects almost every system in the body and can lead to cancer, liver disease, heart attacks and brain damage among others. Additionally, alcohol use has been found to serve as a gate way to the use of other illicit drugs.
Dr. Malcolm pointed out that one US study showed that 69.9 per cent of heavy alcohol users among those aged 12 to 17 were illicit drug users. This was over 13 times higher than non-alcohol users where 5.2 per cent used illegal substances.
A TCI secondary School Drug Use Survey indicated that about 26 percent of individuals between the ages of 14-18 have reportedly used marijuana during their lifetime and 2.4 percent have used cocaine during their lifetime.
On June 26 this year, the Department marked International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to highlight the harmful effects of alcohol and illicit drug use and to build awareness among residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands, particularly among students. Earlier that week, the Department also launched Alcoholics Anonymous in Grand Turk.
The Department is calling on all residents of the TCI who would like to know more, or who know of someone who needs information about alcohol or drug abuse, to contact the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Department, Ministry of Health and Human Services at: 649-946-2801 Ext 50504 Grand Turk or Providenciales 82500.
Limacol CPL Can Produce New Generation of Players
The man who masterminded West Indies’ triumph at last year’s Twenty20 World Cup says he has high hopes that the Limacol Caribbean Premier League can produce a generation of players ready for the demands of international cricket.
Speaking during a recent media conference in Trinidad for the just concluded Tri-Nation Series, West Indies coach Ottis Gibson lauded the inaugural Twenty20 tournament, noting that it had the potential to develop the type of qualities integral to success at the highest level.
“It will help our T20 cricket because you have seen that about eight or nine of our guys are IPL stars,” Gibson said.
“Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine are all IPL superstars and we hope that the CPL, while producing more superstars, can produce people that can get used to fierce competition.”
The six players identified by Gibson are all regional franchise players for the Limacol CPL, which opens at Kensington Oval in Barbados on 30 July with what is expected to be a spectacular opening ceremony, followed by the first game between Barbados Tridents and St Lucia Zouks.
All told, 24 matches will be played across the six franchise countries of Barbados, Guyana, Antigua, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago, before the tournament winds up at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad with the final on 24 August.
With an impressive array of regional and international stars decorating each side, heated rivalry is expected throughout the Limacol CPL, and Gibson said this type of competition could only serve as a boost for West Indies cricket.
UN Calls for Humanitarian Access in South Sudan
A top United Nations official is voicing alarm over deteriorating humanitarian conditions in South Sudan, where an estimated 100,000 civilians have been cut off in fighting between two ethnic groups in Jonglei state.
U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said the recent resurgence of intercommunal fighting is threatening the lives of "ordinary people" and reducing the ability of humanitarian organizations to provide urgent help.
The international medical charity Doctors Without Borders says its surgical teams have in the past week treated scores of wounded people. A statement said its workers were trying to reach thousands more thought to be hiding in malaria-infested swamps in Jonglei.
There are no official estimates of fatalities in the latest fighting. But authorities say at least 1,000 people were killed last year as fighting escalated between the two groups, the Lou Nuer and the Murle.
In the last major flareup 18 months ago, analysts say some 8,000 Lou Nuer and others attacked Murle villages, looting cattle and attacking women and children.
Integrity Commission investigates the Premier Dr. Rufus Ewing and Minister Don-Hue Gardiner
RTC News received the following report of the Commission’s investigations into allegations of contravention of the Code of Conduct by the Premier Dr. Rufus Ewing and Minister Don-Hue Gardiner
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1. The Integrity Commission wishes to inform the general public that in accordance with section 102(3) of the Constitution and section 58A of the Integrity Commission Ordinance (the Ordinance), it has carried out investigations into allegations of contravention of the Code of Conduct by the Premier Hon. Dr Rufus Ewing and the Minister Don-Hue Gardiner. The following is the summary of the allegations and the Commission’s findings and conclusions in relation to the allegations:
(a) Allegation against the Premier, Hon. Dr Rufus Ewing:
(i) The substance of the allegation was that the Hon. Dr Ewing abused his powers as Premier and broke the laws and airport security regulations in the course of boarding a domestic flight from Providenciales to Grand Turk on 28th of May 2013.
(ii) The Commissioners found that the Hon. Premier did not abuse his powers and did not break any laws or Airport security regulations, as alleged, and were accordingly satisfied that the Premier, Hon. Dr Rufus Ewing, did not contravene the Conduct of Conduct.
(b) Allegation against the Hon. Minister, Don-Hue Gardiner:
(i) The substance of the allegation was that his conduct at the incident involving the discharge of firearm at Grace Bay, Providenciales in the early hours of March 31, 2013 fell short of the highest standards of integrity, honesty and pro-pri-ety expected of a Minister of the Government.
(ii) The Commissioners found that there were no reasonable and probable grounds to believe that the alleged conduct of the Hon. Don-Hue Gardiner dero-gated from, or fell short of the highest standards of integrity, honesty and pro-pri-ety expected of a Minister of Government.
(iii) Accordingly, the Commissioners were satisfied that the Hon. Minister Don-Hue Gardiner did not contravene the Code of Conduct.
2. In accordance with the requirement of section 58(C) of the Ordinance, the Commission has prepared written reports of these investigations, containing its findings and conclusions. These reports have been delivered to the relevant statutory recipients, including H.E. the Acting Governor and the Hon. Speaker of the House of Assembly.
Koreas Remain Divided on Reopening Stalled Joint Factory
South Korea says it failed to reach an agreement with North Korea at the latest round of talks aimed at reopening a joint factory complex.
Seoul's Unification Ministry said no compromise was reached during the working-level talks held Wednesday across the North's border at Kaesong, where the complex is located.
As with three previous rounds of talks, little progress appeared to be made on the project, an important symbol of inter-Korean cooperation.
Pyongyang has so far rejected Seoul's demands for assurances the facility will not be closed unilaterally during times of worsened relations.
North Korea removed its workers from Kaesong in April, blaming unspecified "hostile action" by the South, which responded by pulling its workers.
The North was upset with expanded U.N. sanctions against its February nuclear test. It also was angry with annual U.S.-South Korea military drills.
Although work at Kaesong has been suspended before during times of heightened tensions, it had never been shut down completely since it was established in 2004.
Relations with US More Important than Snowden Dispute
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow's relations with the United States are more important than a dispute over fugitive U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.
Putin's comments Wednesday come a day after Snowden applied for temporary asylum in Russia. The former National Security Agency contractor has been holed up in the transit zone of a Moscow airport since June 23.
The U.S. wants Russia to send him home to face charges of espionage related to the release of classified information on U.S. intelligence programs.
Putin did not say whether Russia would grant Snowden's request. But he said bilateral relations are "far more important than squabbles surrounding the work of security services."
He also reiterated his stance that Snowden is welcome to stay in Russia, but only if he stops leaking information that is damaging to the United States.
Mother charged for failing to report her daughter was raped
A 32-year-old woman appeared in court yesterday in San Juan Trinidad, charged with three offences arising out of her daughter’s rape.
The woman, is charged with preventing her daughter from giving a statement to the police in relation to her rape on a date unknown between March 1, 2009 and April 16, 2012.
The mother of four is also charged with failing to report her daughter’s rape to the police. She pleaded not guilty to both offences as they were laid summarily.
If found guilty the mother faces a $20,000 fine and imprisonment for a term of ten years for deterring her daughter from reporting and a fine of $15,000 or imprisonment for a term of seven years or to both such fine and imprisonment for failing to report the rape.
The mother is also charged with unlawfully supplying a pill to her daughter to procure a miscarriage, contrary to Section 57 of the Offences Against the Person Act, on September 7, 2009.
This offence carries a punishment of two years’ imprisonment. The woman, was granted $40,000 bail.
The matter has been adjourned to July 22nd 2013.
Twenty agents fired for failing polygraph test in DR
President of the National Drugs Control Agency (DNCD) in the Dominican Repblic Julio Souffront on Tuesday revealed that 20 agents were fired for failing a polygraph test, and ordered back to their military branches.
He said a lie detector measures physiological responses and changes in blood pressure, heart, and respiratory rates and responses on the skin, which question the veracity of the answers from the subjected to the test.
The head of the DNCD also announced changes in its commands Tuesday afternoon, including division and departmental chiefs, among other units, which Souffront called “routine.”
Opposition walks out of Parliament in Barbados
The Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) walked out of Parliament last night, citing unfair treatment from Speaker of the House, Michael Carrington.
Opposition Leader Mia Mottley packed up her bags at exactly 7:04 p.m., and her 12 colleagues followed in unison and in protest, after an adamant Carrington refused to provide Mottley with a copy of the House’s official record so as to clarify a previous statement.
Moments before, Carrington had told Mottley to take her seat, ruling that her comments be struck off the record in the process. After the walk-out, the 13 Opposition members proceeded to Parliament’s West Wing, where an impromptu special meeting was held in the Opposition’s office.
Minister of Finance Chris Sincker spent the final 29 minutes of the evening session wrapping up the debate on the National Insurance and Social Security Amendment Bill, speaking to his Democratic Labour Party colleagues and a host of empty chairs on the other side.
“We will not literally stand and conspire with the Government to create a circus of distraction from people’s real problems in this country,” Mottley told the MIDWEEK NATION after the half-hour meeting with her BLP colleagues.