April 9, 2014

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

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Different & Dynamic. Bigga, Brighta, Betta!

VOL. 8, NO. 07 April 9, 2014
Website: www.caribbeangraphic.ca Tel: 905.831-4402 Fax: 416.292.2943 Email: caribbeangraphic@rogers.com

Calling All Bandleaders

Come take Sadvantage of our Carnival Craziness Special Advertising Rates to promote your 2013 Mas Bands Enjoy 50% Discounts off our Regular Community Rates on bookedInvasion from Toronto Setany For ads Caribbean April 12 July 16, 2013.
eventeen time Toronto Caribbean Carnival - formerly Caribana - Band of Year winner Louis Saldenah, officially begins his quest for an eighteenth title with the April 26 Launching of his 2014 Presentation River of Mirrors. The 2014 Saldenah River of Mirrors Band Launch will take place at Torontos Queens Quay located Kool Haus. The ever popular deejay duo, Dr J and Eman will host the evenings activities which will include live presentations of Saldenahs 2014 costumes. Music will be provided by Deejays Dr Jay, Soca Vibes, Court Jester, Wukup Production, Invinceable Intl, Aaron Saldenah and Soca 101. In addition to seeking his eighteenth title overall, Saldenah will also be vying to repeat as Band of the Year Champion. He won last year with his 2013 Presentation Heaven & Earth.

Saldenah Launches River Of Mirrors In Quest For 18th Band Of The Year Title!

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he Caribbean Regions talent, attractiveness, warmth, diversity, colour, energy, food and spirits will again be coming this year to Canadas largest city,Toronto. The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has invited its partners to join in the celebration of Torontos Caribbean Week from 23 26 June, 2014. Caribbean Week in Toronto is a celebration of the sights, sounds, colours, culture and

unique holiday experiences of the Caribbean. It caters to the diverse needs of participating entities and destinations through a combination of events targeting the media, trade, consumers and the Caribbean Diaspora. Moreover,extensive media coverage of the various events and activities of Caribbean Week reaches audiences in the millions. In what is possibly the most dynamic and exciting programme for Caribbean Week

in Toronto in many years, the CTO will introduce a new event and will re-introduce an old favourite. This year will see the introduction of a Caribbean Investment Symposium, aimed at promoting understanding of the Caribbean investment environment, building trust and gaining the confidence of Canadian investors. It will also showcase investment opportunities in the Caribbean and provide a business-to-business environment with open dialogue and networking between participating representatives of Caribbean governments and potential investors. Back this year after a two-year absence is Rum & Rhythm, the ultimate Caribbean epicurean and cultural experience. This chic event

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will be a much more pleasurable one as consumers sampleaward-winning Caribbean rums and delectable cuisine while being entertained by Caribbean performers. The venue for Rum & Rhythm will be Ripleys Aquarium of Canada in the heart of downtownToronto. The brandnew Ripleys Aquarium of Canada, a world class attraction, is an extraordinary destination for millions of Torontonians and visitors. It makes for an exciting and realistic backdrop for this signature Caribbean Week event. CTO member countries and partners are being encouraged to use Caribbean Week as a platform to increase holiday sales; generate positive media attention for major initiatives and events; promote local products and services; engage the Caribbean Diaspora; and stimulate demand for burgeoning tourism niches.

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April 9, 2014

Spotlight On Literacy

During his time in Toronto, Martin drew courage fromThe Sixteenth Round, an autobiography by Rubin Carter, who was wrongfully imprisoned for the 1966 murders of three New Jersey residents. Martin began writing to Carter, which eventually led to a fiveyear fight to help win Carters freedom. The story resulted in the 1992 bookLazarus and The Hurricaneand the 1999 feature filmThe Hurricane. In 1983, Martin graduated as an Ontario Scholar, completing his BA in anthropology at the University of Toronto in 1988. In 1997, he earned his law

degree from Dalhousie Law School and served as Crown Prosecutor in Kamloops, British Columbia. SinceThe Hurricanewas released, Martin has received national attention, inspiring him to embark on a career as a motivational speaker. He has appeared before the United Nations, as well as many national, community and corporate groups and literacy foundations to speak about his experiences and the devastating effects of illiteracy. The evening is free of charge. Registration is athttp://www.readingpartnership.com

ng you a very special Mothers Day

panel discussions, breakout sessions as well as complimentary dinner and child minding. We are expecting up to 160 community parents and service providers in attendance. Lesra Martin, the lawyer who helped free Rubin Hurricane Carter after he wrongfully serving 22 years in prison (movie: The Hurricane), will be the Keynote Speaker for the Evening. Lesra is an advocate for Literacy after overcom-

ow Literacy is a problem in all of Torontos 13 priority areas but Torontos Kingston/Galloway/Orton Park (KGO) community is doing something about it. Spotlight on Literacy - April 10th 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. -isa community forum focusedonhelping the diverse KGO community navigate the communitys literacy programs and services. Itwill be an evening of

ing personal literacy struggles himself. Attorney and motivational speaker Lesra Martin was born in 1963, in Bushwick, New York. Martin was raised in the dangerous ghetto of Bushwick, New York. He was the second eldest son of eight children, and by the age of 10 he was bagging groceries to help support the family. His older brother had been swept up by gang and street life, and despite fierce devotion from his family, Martin was in danger of following the same path. In July 1979, a chance encounter changed the course of Martins life. While taking the subway to Brooklyn for a summer job, he befriended a group of Canadian entrepreneurs who were impressed by the young boys potential. At their behest, the boy arrived in Toronto that fall, and began a journey to fight the illiteracy and self-doubt that were the marks of ghetto life.

HIV-AIDS Book Launched

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committed to finding the most appropriate solution to meet your unique needs. Are you thinking of Are you thinking of Buying or building a home? Buying or building a home? Refinancing your existing mortgage? Refinancing your existing Renovating your home? mortgage? Renovating your home? Consolidating existing debts? Consolidating existing debts?

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oronto, Stigma and lack of knowledge about HIV & AIDS was the topic of a compelling presentation by Pro-Chancellor of the University of Guyana Prem Misir, who launched his first health book in front of expatriates at the Consulate General of Guyana in New York City, recently. The former associate public health epidemiologist of the Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control of NY City was motivated to write HIV&AIDS Knowledge and Stigma in Guyana after conducting interviews with N.Y. residents where discrimination and stigma among all races were evident. Misir, a professor in Public Health at the University of Central Lancaster in England, said his interest in how the disease is transmitted and how stigma impacts awareness, peaked his interest and led him to publish this fundamental tool that will be used by health professionals, educators and policymakers throughout the Caribbean region. An author of eight books, Misir who has written extensively in peer review journals, and was instrumental in gaining a grant from the CDC to study the pandemic, did a cross-sectional look at 379 high school students in urban Guyana and assessed their knowledge of the disease, and stigma related attitudes. What is evident is that 40 percent of the worlds incident rate is among adolescent, said Misir, a former visit-

ing professor of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, His findings show that people graduate from HIV to AIDS status in their twenties and noted that Guyana was not isolated in this regard since studies around the world also show that the incubation period is eight to 10 years. This is the reason why it is very critical for the youth in Guyana to be educated about the disease during their high school years a period when they are sexually active, said Misir. The recently elected Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health in England, named NGOs such as the National AIDS Program Secretariat, and the Global Fund that are working to stem the spread of the disease through education and services. However, Misir, a consultant with PAHO/WHO, pointed to stigma as a contributing factor and said this book aims to give agencies intervention knowledge to reduce the high rate of sexual behaviors among teens.

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April 9, 2014

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

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Celebrity Chefs Serve Delicious Dishes At Annual Event!

25 Celebrity Chefs served up a total of 35 delicious dishes to approximately 220 guests and volunteers dining on an average of 10 samplings at the 18th Annual Celebrity Chef Men Who Cook event held on Saturday, March 29. The venue was Bramptons Century Gardens Recreation Centre. Numerous compliments received attested to the success of the event. Contributing to this success were all the guests and volunteers, Participating Celebrity Chefs included William (Bill) Carter, Patrick Devitt, Philip H. DeWar, Brett Gellert, Gillie Genesis, David Green, Courtney Guy, Noel Hanson, Christopher Hunter, Ryan Jaikumar, Alix Mondesir, Wade Neal, Anthony Plummer, Danny Raposo, Raymond Richards, Hugh Sandiford, MP Kyle Seeback, Marlon Sherland, William Smith, Nicholas Stennett, Carl Thompson, John A. Wilding, Dale Williams and Karlos Witley. Consummate emcee for the evening were Charles Matthews Jr. and DJ Glen C. Celebrity Judges were Dr. Winston Isaac, Althea Coke, LLB, Charles Estridge, Jacquelyn Maylor, Randal Myers, Austin Nurse and

Dr. Matthew Weekes. Delighting attendees were performances by Chantel McKnight ( a Guelph-Humber first-year university student) with a steel-pan music session, James Tulloch of Mayfield Secondary School with two well-received Jazz-inspired song renditions, as well as Nicholas Stennett in the guise of Mr. Fresh, the magician. Among the distinguished guests were Ken Mayhew, President and CEO bringing greetings from the William Osler Health System Foundation, Peel Regional Police Chief Jennifer Evans, Regional Councillor Paul Palleschi and his son Mark, School Board Trustees Meredith Johnson and Suzanne Nurse, representatives from organizations such as Congress of Black Women of Canada (Brampton and Mississauga chapters) and Malton Black Development Association. Dr. Anthony Sterling (2012 Entree winner) and his group from Sterling Dental were also in attendance. The beneficiaries of the funds raised are United Achievers Club scholarship recipients and the Paediatrics Program (Sickle Cell Disease Support) Brampton Civic Hospital.

CARIBBEAN JEWEL

Former MoneyGram Canada Angel Michelle was again at her angelic best on stage modelling this Angel of Bliss costume for Dexter Seusahais Tribal Carnival at the Bands recent Launching. Tribal Carnival will be presenting Secret of the Wingz as its entry to this years Toronto Caribbean Carnival Parade of the Bands.
PhOtO cOUrtesY FeteNet!

TOO SWEEt:

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CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

April 9, 2014

Do onto others as you would have them do unto you was one of our Good Lord and Saviour Jesus many teachings. Would that more of us could strive to be far more vigilant in our actual practice of this preaching as we go about everyday lives. For instance ask yourself this question, in any given interaction with another person, would you prefer that they be always honest and upfront

n her Home Affairs Column for this Caribbean Graphic Issue, Scotia Bank Columnist Bianca Aziz suggests that after such a long and brutal winter it would be a good idea to perform some Spring Cleaning maintenance on our homes. Her always very wise advice left me thinking that as we now enter the Easter Season it might not be as good a time as any for us to do the same type of repair job on the way we live our lives, especially for those of us who are engaged in any form of business.

Easters A Good Time To Spring Clean Our Lives!

with you so that you can have a crystal clear picture of where you stand? Or would you prefer that they engage in the type of BS activities that leaves you being never quite sure as to where you stand and what your best options might be. As unpleasant as it might be for both parties, its always better to tell someone what they need to hear as opposed to what they might want to hear. The former forces them to deal with reality then and there. The latter only temporarily postpones the inevitable, as sooner or later reality will rear its often very unattractive head. Within our Community there are far too many Company owners who arent as upfront as they should be with those they interact with, whether it be their customers or suppliers. Any one for that matter seeking to do business with them. Again, in the same manner that they would want anyone to respect and not waste their time, then they shouldnt ever string others along. If you have no interest in doing

business with someone, for whatever reason, just say so at the very beginning. They will respect you much more for that than they ever will, if you arent completely honest with them from the outset. As incredulous as it may sound, saying please, thank you and Im sorry are also practices that are far too often not as readily engaged in as they should be. Ask and you shall receive! is another of the Good Books many wise teachings. Unless you ask for something thats needed youll never know for sure whether it can be granted, so there should never ever be in any shame or pride in asking. In actual fact many that are known for their wisdom, have often suggested that the bigger the request the bolder you should be in asking. Any request, big or small, should however always be preceeded by the word please. A request not so prefaced can often sound more like an order. Similarly, when someone does something for you, no matter how small and insignificant it may be, simply saying ing 3 million jobs and over 200,000 small and medium sized enterprises as well as contributing 127 billion to the countrys GDP each year. Therefore, the British economy needs tourism and the APD applied to tourists from long-haul destinations was restricting an increase in their numbers. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has publicly stated that tourism is one of the best and fastest ways of generating the jobs we need so badly. So, while Caribbean Tourism bodies are right to have fought as hard as they did for a change in the APD and this will help to ease the strain on British tourists coming to the Caribbean, the region should recognise that the British government was acting in its interest, not theirs. Further, getting a reduction in the APD charged by one of the destinations from which tourists travel to the Caribbean is a mere scratch on the surface of a deeper problem with Caribbean tourism that needs a holistic and urgent approach if the industry is to expand and thrive for the benefit of Caribbean economies. Here is a statement made by a Prime Minister: Were going to be a government that understands the huge potential of our tourism industry, that gets tourism and that gives the industry the backing that it needs. That statement was not made by a Caribbean leader whose country depends on tourism for more than 60 per cent of its GDP as is the case now in most of them. It was made by the British Prime Minister in relation to Britain. In the Caribbean, tourism is increasing to two destinations Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Such growth as the English-speaking CaribPublisher/Editor: Contributors: Legal: Graphic Design:

thanks does wonders to make them feel that their gesture has been appreciated. The gesture itself may be small to you, but to them could very well possibly have been taxing on their available resources. Likewise, none of us are perfect and at some point or the other we will inevitably mess things up for others. A mistake is never such unless it has been repeated. Until then its an experience! If and when you do make a mistake, fess up, readily say sorry, try to learn from the experience and resolve never to repeat the governing activity. Some simple Spring Cleaning Life practices, which if we all engaged in more regularly life in the times ahead would be that much brighter and far more enjoyable. For ourselves as well as others. Happy Easter, May Gods bountiful blessings be forever showered on you and yours. Blessings Tony Mc bean counties has witnessed has been marginal and not sufficient to create the number of jobs or earn the extent of foreign exchange that they require. Realistically, Caribbean tourism is in the doldrums. There is an urgent need for new thinking by all, but especially by planners and decision-makers in Caribbean governments. The tourism plant in the region requires rejuvenation and reinvigoration and this applies not only to large resorts, but also to small and medium-sized hotels; there also has to be a complete re-think of incentives provided by governments to enterprises in all aspects of the industry on a common basis throughout the region in order to achieve the high level of product development that is absolutely necessary; issues such as safety have ratcheted-up the scale for priority attention, and so, too, has the matter of service a deeper, more psychologically educational approach should be adopted; expanded and more comfortable airports are useful, but they will quickly become white elephants if the more important aspects of tourism with which the tourist interacts once in the county do not match or surpass the facilities offered by competing countries. Recognition by Caribbean governments that reduction or elimination of their own myriad taxes imposed on air fares would also boost tourism would be an immediate benefit. The writer is a Consultant, Senior Fellow at London University and former Caribbean diplomat. Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com

Re-thinking Caribbean Tourism again

Essentially, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has eliminated bands C and D from the APD application. There are now only two bands, A and B. Band A covers Europe and Band B now covers all long-haul flights. This new policy will take effect from 15 April 2015. Flights to the Caribbean from Britain will fall into Band B and this means that the level of the APD applied by the British government will be reduced. However, the unfairness of the APD will still apply. The unfairness is that the APD is measured from London to the Capital city of the destination to which an aircraft is flying. Therefore, passengers on flights, for instance, to Jamaica, Barbados or Antigua will pay an APD rate that is higher than passengers flying to more distant destinations such as Vancouver, Los Angeles or Hawaii. The reason is that the APD on all flights to any part of the US or Canada, however distant, is calculated only to Washington or Ottawa. Given that, when the APD was introduced, it was justified as an environ-

ost of the Caribbean tourism organisations and government officials have claimed the recent change in the British Air Passenger Duty (APD) as a complete victory for the Caribbean. The victory is hardly complete, if it is a victory at all.

Sir Ronald Sanders

mental tax, the higher taxes on destinations in the Caribbean that are shorter than longer flights to far points in the US and Canada, reveal its disingenuousness. Pure and simple, the APD was introduced as a revenue measure. In 2012/2013, it brought 2.9 billion into the British Treasury. But the APD has cost the British economy more in lost revenues from tourists to the UK from long-haul destinations such as China and India. Those tourists would have opted to go elsewhere because of the effect on the tax on the cost of their airfares. For instance, Dale Keller, chief executive of the Board of Airline Representatives UK, said The government has finally acknowledged what the industry and business knew all along that the highest rates of aviation tax in the world were a brake on driving the UKs economic growth with emerging markets. In other words, the British governments decision in adjusting the bands was motivated much more by its domestic financial welfare than as a response to lobbying from external interests, including the Caribbean. Britains national Tourism agency, VisitBritain, says that tourism is Britains fifth largest industry, support-

Tony McWatt Sandra Ann Baptiste, Akua Hinds, Christine Reid, Sir Ronald Sanders, Oumarally and Baboolal Adryan Manasan (www.echodesign.ca)

Website: www.caribbeangraphic.ca Tel: 905.831-4402 Fax: 416.292.2943 Email: caribbeangraphic@rogers.com

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April 9, 2014

Call For National Assembly To Be Formed

BRIDGETOWN, A call has been issued for Barbadians to form a national assembly to counter the economic policies being pursued by the Freundel Stuart administration. The suggestion has come from University of the West Indies, Cave Hill lecturer Dr Tennyson Joseph, who insists that the International Monetary Fund (IMF), rather than Government, is behind the fiscal adjustment programme being instituted in the country. Joseph, a political scientist, said social democrats such as political activist David Commissiong needed to present an alternative plan to the people in light of what he viewed as a crisis facing the ruling Democratic Labour Party, the main opposition Barbados Labour Party and trade unions. This group will present an alternative agenda and say how you manage yourselves in an economic crisis and you maintain a social economic agenda, the political scientist said, as he warned of the likely effects of cutting free tertiary education and other social benefits that Barbadians had long enjoyed. The cost of private medical care in Barbados could go up within the next 90 days. Doctors fees could jump by as much as 60 per cent. This will mean that patients who now pay, for example, $150 for a gynaecological consultation would face a fee as high as $210, and a visit to a general practitioner could move from an average of $70 to $100. Dentists fees too from the specialists doing implants and oral maxillofacial surgery to those in general practice could also be subject to a hike. The proposed increases are a result of a move by the Medical Protection Society (MPS) of England, which provides the medical fraternity here with

indemnity insurance, to seek to raise their rates between 40 and 60 per cent depending on the speciality. The increases proposed are proportionate to the risks involved if there is a malpractice suit, so every area of medical practice would be affected, sources explained. MPS has reportedly proposed a 60 per cent insurance hike for those who practise obstetrics while neurosurgery, orthopaedics, plastic surgery, anaesthesia, neonatal intensive care, down the line to general practitioner would carry increases according to the risk assessment.

BRIDGETOWN, A senior Barbados government official says there have been no layoffs within the public service as the government moves to implement the Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA). In fact, Chief Personnel Officer, Gail Atkins, said the recent reversion of some public officers to their sub stantive posts had nothing to do with the ongoing trimming of the public service by the Freundel Stuart government to revitalise an ailing economy. Atkins acknowledged, however, that the decision of those who make a request to stay in the public service would have an effect on the positions of temporary officers because appointed officers have a preference. The Chief Personnel Officer said that in addition to dealing with the BRA, the Personnel Administration Division was involved in two major exercises including the retrenchment of public servants as well as the appointment on promotion to three posts. She denied media reports that some of those public officers had been demoted, noting demotion in the Civil Service is a penalty arising out of the disciplinary process after a determination has been made by one of the Service Commissions that a person is guilty of a breach of the public service regulations.

NO BRA Layoffs

BIggER REtURN REQUIREd ON LIAT INVEstmENt

BRIDGETOWN, Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy has promised that additional operations of regional airline LIAT will be moved to the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), following upgrades over the coming months. However, he stopped short of saying what operations would relocate here. Sealy suggested that Barbadians were

paying too much for the airline, but getting very little benefit. He said, therefore, following the establishment of a new civil aviation facility as well as other upgrades at the GAIA in the coming months, he would ensure that there was increased activities from the cash-strapped airline in Barbados. We anticipate, given the fact that the Barbadian taxpayers are being asked to shoulder majority of the burden where LIAT is concerned, it is only natural, that as you heard only recently that LIAT is being put on a firmer (and) sounder economic footing, that there are decisions that will have to be taken with respect to LIAT that will result in increased levels of activity at this airport as far as LIAT is concerned, announced Sealy. He made the comments at the April 4 groundbreaking ceremony for the new civil aviation building to be constructed in Charnocks, Christ Church. Sealy said it was not fair to ask the Barbados to shoulder most of the airlines debt and yet we dont enjoy commensurate benefit, adding there was plenty of space at the GAIA. I am very happy to hear that Prime Minister (Baldwin) Spencer doesnt have to lay off anybody in Antigua and he doesnt plan to lay off anyone, but if he can make that brag, certainly we are not going to simply take all the burden for the entire Caribbean and not get some of the benefits, added Sealy. When pressed by reporters, Sealy said there were no immediate plans to move the headquarters of LIAT to Barbados, but he noted there were LIAT departments already here and we have to look to see, going forward, what makes economic sense. . . . We must understand that if Barbados is in a majority position, the larger shareholder, then the largest portion of that debt is over our heads. It is only obvious then, we owe them to make sure that sound economic decisions are made, explained Sealy.

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Bird Scandal
ANTIGUA, St. Johns - Caribarenaantiguas has claimed that its investigative work on the IHI Affair has led to the discovery of yet another major ALP-Era scandal involving Asot Michael, Lester Bird and Robin Yearwood. This scandal is a kickback scheme originally setup by Robin Yearwood and Lester Bird, and later intensified with the introduction of Asot Michael. When Bruce Rappaport took control

over West Indies Oil Company (WIOC), an agreement was established with the help of Ron Sanders in which Robin Yearwood and Lester Bird received a total of $0.05 USD for every gallon of oil-related product purchased from WIOC by APUA. This means that for every gallon of any oil-related product, including fuel for APCL and other active power plants, sold to APUA after 1980 by WIOC, Robin Yearwood and Lester Bird received $0.05 USD. In 1996, with the introduction of the IHI scheme and the involvement of Asot Michael, the kickback was increased to $0.07 USD per gallon. This scheme

St Lucia To Consider Introducing Economic Citizenship

CASTRIES, St.Lucia, In an effort to boost its investment portfolio, the Government is giving consideration to the introduction of economic citizenship . The idea was recently mooted by political leader of the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) Allen Chastanet who said that the initiative could attract the brightest and wealthiest people to a country for the purpose of investment, while at the same time highlighting the need for safeguards.This is a difficult environment perhaps calling for different responses, he said. I think we cannot close our eyes because its an option we may have to consider and in so doing we may have to look at the experiences of other countries, Anthony told reporters. The Prime Minister said St Lucia country has huge problems on our hands, stating that what was rejected previously will now have to be re-examined. But at the same time Anthony made it clear that St Lucias honour and integrity are vital and must not be compromised. We are small societies and cannot

create enclaves in our midst to cause social imbalance and conflict, Anthony said. My understanding is that there may be anywhere from 3000 to 5000 passports that have been issued there, so think for a moment about the demographic imbalance that can create. Anthony said some Caribbean countries are granting economic citizenship to persons out of Asia, but once that happens those persons are ending up in St Lucia and establishing themselves on the island. The question therefore is to what extent should we consider identical rights to those individuals that are conferred on citizens of other Eastern Caribbean countries.He said those were the types of issues that have to be considered and assessed very carefully in dealing with the issue of economic citizenship. Other countries in the region, including Dominica, St.Kitts Nevis and Antigua Barbuda have launched their citizenship by investment programmes, which grants citizenship of a country to individuals who invest money to a countrys development. that you can call on the prime minister to call the election, Jonas told an elderly resident. It doesnt seem like he wants to call it. Local media asked Jonas why he thought this method would work where others have failed to force the prime ministers hand. If he is a prime minister that is worth his salt, he would listen to what the people are saying. This is not a message from Dean Jonas, he said. The partys next move was scheduled to be an April 6 whistle-stop to keep up the pressure and to demand that Spencer call the elections now. The prime minister has so far dismissed calls for the elections saying that it would be irresponsible to hold the poll with two important cases awaiting judgment at the Court of Appeal level.

was in action from 1996 to 2005, when the recently elected UPP Government noticed these irregularities. In a recent speech, Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer said that APUA currently requires 1.5M Imperial Gallons a month. To adjust for increased demand, well estimate that in 1980-2005, APUA required 1.0M Imperial Gallons of fuel a month. For the period of 1980-1996, Lester Bird and Robin Yearwood received $0.05 USD per gallon, or 1,000,000 Gallons * 12 months a year * 16 years * $0.05 per Gallon = $9.6M USD, or $25.6M ECD. For the period of 1997-2005, Lester Bird, and Robin Yearwood received

$0.07 USD per gallon, or 1,000,000 Gallons * 12 months a year * 8 years * $0.07 = $6.7M USD, or $17.9M ECD. This means a grand total of $16.3M USD or $43.5M ECD was paid to Robin Yearwood and Lester Bird as part of this kickback scheme, starting from 1980 and continuing until 2005. This latest discovery illustrates just how much money was lost as a result of corruption during the ALP era. Combined with the IHI scandal and the kickbacks received from various businessmen, the Senior Leadership of the ALP was making hundreds of millions of dollars through various schemes that took advantage of Antigua and Barbudas treasury.

Norman Sue
Bakery
Wishing all our valued customers a Most Blessed Easter. Thanks for your continuing support.
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HOUsE TO HOUsE CampaIgN

ST JOHNS, Antigua, The Antigua Labour Party (ALP) has intensified one of its campaign strategies in its latest bid to force Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer to call an election date. The party has asked its candidates to go from house-to-house and ask constituents to call on the countrys leader to announce a date for the election. Molwyn Joseph kicked off the campaign in St Marys North Constituency, on April 1, with a walk through Brownes Avenue and Cashew Hill. The crusade continued the following day with St George hopeful Dean Jonas and his supporters knocking on doors in Barnes Hill. We are going house-to-house so

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April 9, 2014

irreplaceable. He said the JFAP would remain a member of the APNU coalition. The only JFAP member we have on the list is Mr. (Geoffrey) Sankies so if were not in parliament ... the Partnership is 10 members, five of them are outside so you could say were still in there, Sharma said. However, APNU Chairman David Granger, who joined him outside, said

they were yet to receive a notice of resignation from Sharma who had communicated it directly to Speaker Raphael Trotman. He dubbed Sharmas move as rather precipitate and said they would be speaking to him to navigate the way forward. Granger said Sharma, who was on the anti-money laundering legislation committee, was a valued member of their team.

APNU Jaipaul Sharma

Sharma Resigns
GEORGETOWN, APNU Jaipaul Sharma on April 3 confirmed that he has resigned as a member of parliament. Speaking to reporters outside the Public Buildings as the budget debate continued Sharma said his decision was as a result of thestatementmade by education minister Priya Manickchand about his father. According to Sharma, he believed that the government is looking to use

his fathers legal troubles as a political football which could be detrimental to the APNUs political fortunes. The Justice For All Party (JFAP) member said he did not want to be the cause of APNU misfortune and as such thought resigning was the prudent thing to do. Maybe the PPP/C is using this matter because theres a possibility that they may go for a snap election and they may use this as an opportunity to cause the APNU votes. I dont want to be that individual, I dont want to be a political football. According to Sharma, he believed he did the honourable thing and wanted it to be clear that no one in the House was

G$6 BIllION BaIlOUt FOR AIlINg SKEldON SUgaR FactORY

GEORGETOWN, After relating to the House the success story of the rice industry in 2013, Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy announced that sugar will make a turnaround this year and that some of the $6B bailout being requested for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) will be plugged into the ailing Skeldon Factory. The bailout has generated significant concerns on the part of political opposition, and in seeking to provide answers, Dr. Ramsammy told the House that the $6B will be geared towards the mechanization drive of the industry, a drive that seeks to address the smaller labour pool that the industry now relies on and to improve on cane yields in 2014Land conversion costs will account for $1.1B with 2,500 hectares of land slated to be converted in 2014. According to Dr. Ramsammy, another $1B will be expended on the tillage and replanting programme this year with 9,600 hectares of land to be tilled and 9,224 hectares to be planted. The Minister said too, investments will also be made in all-

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weather roads in all cultivations to improve on accessibility and timeliness of cane delivery to factories. He said that a portion of the $6B will be spent on capital programmes at the various factories, including the replacement of old and outdated pumps, improvement of factory automation at Albion, work on two punt dumpers at Skeldon and the upgrade of boilers at Uitvlugt. As it relates to the Skeldon Factory, the Minister said that despite accusations that no electricity was being generated and supplied to the national grid; this was not the case, as during grinding hours a total of 8MW is produced. The Minister said too that despite the dire performances of sugar in recent years, 2014 will see a recovery. In his report to the House, Dr. Ramsammy said that after three years of failing to reach its targets, GuySuCo is set to meet its target this year. In the first five weeks, Guy SuCo has already reached 45,000 tons or an average of 9,000 tons per week. he Minister was adamant that the sugar industry will not be allowed to fail and will continue as a major pillar of our development. The Minister said this is not the first time that sugar is in distress, but GuySuCo will recover and 2014 will mark a turning point in its performance of GuySuCo.

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April 9, 2014

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PAGE 9

VEtERaN CYclIst KIllEd BY MINIbUs

GEORGETOWN A Minibus driver was in police custody assisting with investigations after he allegedly struck dead 67-year-old pedal cyclist Roy Mendonca on Carifesta Avenue on March 31.Local media were informed that the driver of the minibus hit the cyclist while trying to overtake another vehicle. The pensioner was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Speaking from her lot 218 Forshaw Street, Queenstown residence the dead mans wife Maureen Marks said that her husband was killed while on one of his regular fitness training rides. The woman said that each morning she and her husband would ride from their Queenstown home to the National Park for an early morning workout. She explained that normally she is a slower rider than her husband and she would leave before him and he would catch up with her. However, on March 31 her husband left before her and rather than riding along Thomas

Road he used Irving Street and turned onto Carifesta Avenue. She said that she used Thomas Road and reached the National Park before him. The wife said that at the park she kept waiting for her husband at their usual spot but he did not show. She then decided to call his cell phone and when it was answered, a police officer broke the tragic news to her. The minibus, licence plate BNN 6492, has been detained while the driver remains in custody. The widow related that her husband loved cycling. He was recently awarded for being the top over 60s rider. After the man was struck by the minibus he was placed in another vehicle and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The man leaves to mourn his wife and one child. The two have been married for 14 years now President Donald Ramotar received a courtesy visit on April 2 from former

Canadian Supreme Court Judge Claire LHeureux-Dub as part of her five-day visit to Guyana. Accompanied by Canadian High Commissioner Dr. Nicole Giles, the eminent law official said that her meeting with the president was extraordinary, as they managed to exchange ideas that were interesting for both countries. The official is participating in the Judges Colloquium, organised locally by the Ministry of Legal Affairs. This event seeks to have legal luminaries from various countries exchange ideas and experiences as they examine ways in which to improve the dispensation of justice and the legal system in their respective countries. Ms LHeureux-Dub was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1987, after serving for 14 years as a

trial and appellate court judge. Her 50-year career in law is one marked by many achievements in family law and human rights issues. She has undertaken many roles in the legal profession as an advocate for equality and proponent for the fair administration of justice. The former judge is an executive and trustee member of the Equal Rights Trust, an independent international organisation whose purpose is to combat discrimination and promote equality as a fundamental human right and a basic principle of social justice. Established as an advocacy organisation, resource centre and a think tank, it focuses on the complex relationship among different types of discrimination and developing strategies for translating the principles of equality into practice.
Following last weeks retirement of Assistant Commissioner, George Vyphuis - who was head of A DivisionSuperintendent Clifton Hicken has been brought C Division (West CoastWest Bank Demerara/ East Bank Essequibo) to take over A Division. Moving to C Division is Ian Amsterdam, the second-in-command to Vyphuis. Seelall assumed office as Police Commissioner following the retirement of Leroy Brumell less than one month before Vyphuis also retired.

Police Shakeup

GEORGETOWN, A major shake-up in the command structure of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has begun with the retirement of two top police officers and the assumption of Seelall Persaud as the new Police Commissioner. Replacing Persaud as Chief of Criminal Investigations is Senior Superintendent, Leslie James who was previously the Head of Special Branch. Taking over from James is longtime Deputy Crime Chief, Cosbert.

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April 9, 2014

Death Threats Made Against Kartel Trial Prosecution Team

KINGSTON, The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Paula Llewellyn, has confirmed that deaths threats have been made against her and members of the prosecution following the murder trial of Dance Hall singer Vybz Kartel who was jailed for life. Kartel, whose real name is Adjidja Palmer, along with Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John, were found guilty on March 13 for the murder of Clive Lizard Williams. Kartel is to serve 35 years in jail before he becomes eligible for parole, while Campbell and Jones will serve 25 years, and St John 30. They were sentenced on April 3. Police say Williams was killed over the disappearance of two missing firearms. His body has not been found. Local media reported that the death threats had been made to the DPP and the prosecution team and that security had been beefed up. During the course of this trial we have had threats during the course of our jobs; we have to do our jobs, we have to do it without fear or favour. We suffered threats as well but we have had to ignore it. The police, at every turn, responded immediately. We have had to beef up security around the prosecution, Llewellyn said. I would appeal to the public to appreciate that we have a job to do as professionals. We dont take it personally. We have an obligation as ministers of justice to make sure that everything is fair to the defendant. We cannot be intimidated. We are salaried public servants doing a job that we are committed to doing. If we get a conviction or if someone is acquitted we get the same salary, she added. Meanwhile, the Police has issued a statement outlining a number of threats that were made against prosecution witnesses during the trial. The police said the main prosecution witness, Lamar Chow, is still in protective custody due to several threats against his life and promises that he would be rewarded if he refused to cooperate with the prosecution. Threats have also been issued against the life of the murder victims sister, who gave evidence during the trial, as well as other relatives. Several police officers have received threats and the homes of at least two have been visited by unknown persons who have, in some instances, made enquiries regarding the officers and their families. Actual steps have been made to carry out the threats in relation to one of the officers, the police statement said.

J$539.35 MIllION DOllaR BUdgEt PREsENtEd

The home of Cybercrimes expert Detective Sergeant Patrick Linton was partly damaged after it was firebombed by unidentified persons who threw a Molotov cocktail. Subsequently, unknown persons returned to his house where they left a bag containing photographs of the detective sergeant, a cow eye and a cow tongue with his name written on it. It is to be noted that this ritual is practised in other countries around the world as a warning to witnesses in court cases to keep their silence, the police said, adding threats were also made against the lives of staff members of a telecommunications company. The authorities said that the vandalising of fibre-optic cables on the Mandela Highway was part of a ploy to carry out the threats.

KINGSTON, Jamaica recorded a 12 per cent decline in murders during the first quarter of this year, Governor General Sir Patrick Allen has said. Last year, Jamaica recorded 1,200 murders as compared to 1,097 in 2012. Delivering the traditional Throne Speech at the start of the new Parliament on April 3, Sir Patrick said that there had also been a 13 per cent decline in the overall category of serious crimes. According to the head of state, fatal police shootings for the first quarter of 2014 had dropped by over 50 per cent, reflecting better operational planning and improved community co-operation. Speaking under the theme, Going for Growth: Creating Opportunities, Sir Patrick said that the long contemplated merger of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF)

Murder Rate Down

and the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) had been approved by Cabinet and will be implemented this fiscal year. He said the merger would eliminate duplication in the command structure and release more personnel for operational duty. Additionally, the Governor-General noted that significant capital investment would be made this fiscal year to upgrade the technology available for the investigations and operations of the police. This will include communication, palm and fingerprint identification, and cyber forensic systems. The Governor-General made special mention of the Unite for Change (UFC) initiative, which was implemented in December 2013. It is aimed at building a national movement to encourage positive social behaviour and promote a safer, gentler society. This important prevention initiative was born out of the realisation that violence is the outcome of dysfunction at many different levels in the society, including family, school, community, social services, and popular culture, he told legislators.

$1.7 Billion To Be Spent Infrastructural Development

KINGSTON The Government has unveiled plans to spend approximately $1.7 billion on infrastructural development in rural communities across the parishes of St Ann andStElizabethin this fiscal year. The work, which is to be carried out under theJamaicaEconomical Housing Project, will see major upgrading of roadways, water supplies and sewer systems. The project was outlined in the 201415 Estimates of Expenditure, which was tabled in the House of Representatives by Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips on Thursday. It is being financed by China EXIM Bank and the Government of Jamaica, and will also seek to provide affordable housing solutions in both parishes, primarily for employees in the tourism industry.

KINGSTON, The Jamaica government has presented a J$539.35 billion (One Jamaica dollar =US$0.004 cents) to Parliament with debate on the fiscal package scheduled for April 17. Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips presented the estimates for the 2014-15 fiscal year, with J$404.6 billion earmarked for Recurrent expenses and J$134.6 billion for Capital spending. The figure represents an increase of J$39 billion over the revised Estimates for 2013/14, which were tabled as the First Supplementary Estimates in February. The Ministry of Finance and Planning has been allocated the largest sum, with J$197.6 billion for recurrent expenses and J$102.3 billion for capital expenditure. A large portion of the sum will go towards meeting Jamaicas debt obligations. The Ministry of Education gets the second largest sum with J$78.2 billion for recurrent expenses and J$2.1 billion for capital spending. Ministry of National Security has received J$47.17 billion for recurrent expenditure and $3.20 billion for capital, while the Ministry of Health gets J$35.97 billion for recurrent expenses and $903 million for capital projects. The Standing Finance Committee of the House will consider the Estimates of Expenditure from April 8-10, and Phillips will open the Budget Debate on Thursday, April 17. Meanwhile, Governo0r General Sir Patrick Allen said that said that the local economy was stronger than it was a year ago, evidenced by three consecutive quarters of growth. Sir Patrick, delivering the traditional Throne Speech at the start of the new parliamentary session, said that despite the global economy remaining sluggish, the Government has stayed the course with its economic policies. Sir Patrick said that despite the challenges, the Government is meeting obligations to its international partners, restructuring the economy, and improving the governance system for the benefit of Jamaicans. In March 2014, the Portia Simpson Miller government successfully met the third review of Jamaicas economic performance under the Extended Fund Facility with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) resulting in a further drawdown of US$71.4 million.

April 9, 2014

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Commonwealth Games Baton Received

KINGSTON, Jamaicas Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller received The Queens Baton for this years Commonwealth Games, scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland, following its arrival in Jamaica at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston on April 5. The baton, which arrived from the British Virgin Islands on its Commonwealth world tour, contains The Queens Message for the 20th Games, to be held from for July 23 to August 3. The baton is being taken on a relay

GOVt. TO SpENd LEss ON CRImE FIght

tour of the 71 participating nations and territories of the Commonwealth. It is scheduled to be taken to the Cayman Islands on April 11 after it leaves Jamaica.

Moneybag Fall Out

KINGSTON, The police are carrying out investigations after a bag containing J$10M fell out of an armoured truck on South Camp Road around mid-morning on April 7. Members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force were reportedly on patrol and saw when the bag fell out of the truck. The money has since been returned to

the security company. Deputy Superintendent of Police Hornet Williams, who is in charge of operations in the Kingston Eastern Police Division, says he is happy the officers on patrol were in the right place at the right time.

KINGSTON, The Government is to spend less on criminal investigation, police operations and the control and investigation of drug trafficking in this years budget. Criminal investigation was cut by more than J$145 million, down from about J$2.4 billion in the last fiscal year, while the allocation for police operations has been cut by over J$746. 7 million, to just under J$14 billion. The Government will also spend less on drug trafficking investigation and control, for which the budget was reduced in the 2014/ 2015 Estimates of Expenditure tabled in parliament on April 3. Spending was cut from over J$508 million to just over $499 million. The Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) will also operate on less with budget estimates reduced to just over J$111 million, down from more than $117 million.

PRIsONER REpatRIatION REfUsEd

London, Hundreds of Jamaican prisoners are to stay in British jails at a cost of 27m a year after their government turned down a deal for them to be returned. The Ministry of Justice has been trying to persuade successive Jamaican governments to allow up to 737 prisoners to be returned to the island to serve sentences for crimes committed in the UK. A voluntary agreement to allow prisoner transfers was signed in 2007 but seven years later it has still not been ratified by the Jamaican parliament.And now a proposed compulsory deal to send the prisoners home has been rejected after the Jamaican government claimed it would be unconstitutional. The embarrassing snub is a further blow to British taxpayers, who already pay 400 million a year for the imprisonment of 10,600 foreigners from 157 countries.

Britains Conservative MP Philip Hollobone has expressed anger at the attitude of the Jamaican Government and told local media : Given they are a Commonwealth country and they have the third highest number of foreign nationals in UK prisons, it ought to be a priority of the British Government to negotiate such an agreement as soon as possible. Under the current voluntary deals, both countries, as well as the prisoner, must consent to the transfer, and there are fears that even with a compulsory deal prisoners can claim that being sent home will be a breach to their right to a family life. Jamaicans make up the third largest proportion of nationalities in Britains prisons, after Polish and Irish inmates. Last year Britains Prime Minister David Cameron announced UK taxpayers were to fund a major prison building programme in poor countries such as Nigeria and Jamaica, because no prisoners would choose to go to a foreign prison where conditions are worse than in British ones.

48.5 % FUNdINg INcREasE FOR AUdItOR GENERal

KINGSTON, Having been saddled with the additional responsibility of ensuring the Government sticks to the fiscal rules to which it has agreed with theInternationalMon-

etar yFund (IMF), the Auditor Generals Department is set to receive a 48.5 per cent increase in its allocation to enable it to carry out its functions. The 2014-2015 Estimates of Expenditure, which, as of today, will be subjected to scrutiny by the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives, shows that the Government is proposing to give the department $538.5 million to execute its functions this year, up from $362.5 million last year. The allocation, however, is $24 million less than the amount requested, but Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis said it is unlikely to have a signifi cant impact on activities since the restructuring of the entity may not start until June. Monroe Ellis said the restructuring is being done to allow her department to effectively meet its objectives, particularly in light of increased responsibilities. The restructuring, if approved by the Ministry of Finance, will involve an increase in staff from 194 to 207, and the offering of better salaries to employees, as according to the auditor general, the department is not able to attract certain expertise and skill sets because our salaries are just not competitive. The allocation to salaries, as reflected in the Estimates of Expenditure, is to be increased from $216.7 million to $391.6 million.

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CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

April 9, 2014

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Police are investigating a report by a 47year-old woman alleging that she was made to perform sex acts on fired government minister Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh when she went to him for assistance to fast track a Housing Development Corporation (HDC) application. Local media has learned that the woman, Patricia Singh, accompanied by her attorney Nizam Mohammed, went to the Port of Spain CID office on April 4 and reported the matter. According to the police report, the two sex acts occurred at the Ministry of the People and Social Development at the corner of Independence Square and Abercromby Street, Port of Spain office in 2011 and eight weeks ago. The report, contains explicit details of the sex acts, corroborating an earlier interview Singh had with local media on March 24. Singh told police officers in spite of her objections she was made to perform the sex acts on Ramadharsingh. Inspector Mervyn Edwards and WPC

Fired Minister Under Police Sex Acts Investigation

instead of giving him the boot. However, Cabinet sources said the Prime Minister had a sudden change of mind and opted to fire Ramadharsingh after she learned Singh had been interviewed by media on the sexual allegations. Sources said several Cabinet ministers were also informed of the nature of the sexual allegations against Ramadharsingh

and began lobbying for him to be fired, expressing concern about the negative impact it would have on the Government. Ramadharsingh was summoned to a 4.30 p.m. meeting with the Prime Minister on March 25 and told that his ministerial appointment had been revoked. Ramadharsingh remains the elected Member of Parliament for Caroni Central.

BIllIONs SpENt ON CLICO SEttlEmENt

Sandra Phillips David are conducting investigations. Media investigations have revealed that the alleged sex acts were brought to the attention of Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar after midday on March 25 just before her decision to fire Ramadharsingh who was then publicly accused by Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) flight attendant Ronelle Laidlow of disorderly conduct on a flight from Tobago to Trinidad.Up until March 23, Persad-Bissessar had reportedly considered demoting Ramadharsingh

LAWYERS

PORT-OF-SPAIN, The Trinidad and Tobago government has said it spent in excess of TT$20 billion (One TT dollar = US$0.16 cents) in settling the finances of the em battled CL Financial group that led to the near collapse of the regional insurance giant, Colonial Life Insurance Company (CLICO), four years ago. Finance Minister Larry Howai told the Senate that the TT$20.8 billion spent were necessary to deal with the fall-out from the CL Financial crash. He told legislators that the government is now in discussions with CL Financial as to the manner in which the funds expended by the government would be repaid. Howai said that the government was now trying to resolve all the issues surrounding CL Financial very soon, but when pressed by opposition legislator Camille Robinson Regis, noted the settlement could be reached by the end of July. He said the state is expected

to recover a significant amount of the money already spent. Howai said that some of assets of the CL Financial would be disposed off when all processes are completed. Earlier this year, CLICO announced that it had made an aftertax profit of nearly TT$3.8 billion in 2012. CLICOs audited financial results for 2012 were published on its Web site, indicating that the 2012 after tax figure was more than five times greater than the TT$702 million it declared in 2011. CLICO declared profits of TT$6.2 billion from its investing activities for the financial year, which eclipsed the TT$2.2 billion loss from insurance activities. CLICO and its sister company, the British American Insurance Company (BAICO) collapsed in 2009 and the Trinidad and Tobago government signed a shareholders agreement with then CLICO chairman Lawrence Duprey following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between them on January 30, 2009. The MOU gave the government control of 49 per cent of CLICOs shares.

Tightening Gaming Regulations

PORT-OF-SPAIN, The Trinidad and Tobago government has announced plans to strengthen the gaming industry on the island saying it would be guided by three main principles. Finance Minister Larry Howai, tabling the April 4 Finance Bill 2014 in the Senate said that the principles would ensure that the vulnerable would be protected; that gaming should in all respect be fairly and openly conducted and the operations must be within the ambit of the law. Howai told legislators that the gaming industry employs an estimated 35,000 people and that there is a great demand for it in Trinidad and Tobago, indicating that this was all the more reasons for strict regulation. While this growth suggests that there is a public demand for gaming services there are inherent dangers that must be addressed.

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The gaming sector can only be a legitimate source of prosperity and entertainment if it is effectively regulated to deter crime, protect the vulnerable and promote fair treatment for the customer. These provisions are the first step in the implementation of a very strict regime which would ensure that this countrys regulator environment meets acceptable international standards, he said. Howai, also informed legislators of the coalition governments short and long term measures targeting the gaming and private members club. This is a new requirement of a deposit of TT$500,000 (One TT dollar = US$0.16 cents). This deposit will be mandatory for all private members clubs with a certificate for gambling activities on their premises. Howai said that a gaming authority will also be established, responsible for licences and other monitoring initiatives

TWO HEld FOR SmUgglINg COKE IN GOat MEat

April 9, 2014

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

PAGE 13

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Two Trinidad nationals were allegedly held by US Customs officers with close to TT$2 million worth of cocaine, four days apart, on Caribbean Airlines flights entering John F Kennedy Airport in New York. The first Trinidadian was held with cocaine hidden in frozen goat meat in his suitcase while the other had it concealed in his pants crotch. Court documents obtained exclusively by CCN, through the US District Court, Eastern District of New York, outlined in detail the arrest of both men in separate court documents. Trinidadian Yudistir Maharaj, according to the documents, left aboard a Caribbean Airlines flight from Piarco International Airport, destined for JFK International Airport in New York, on March 20, and was caught by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine into that country. Maharaj, according to the complaint, was selected for an examination by US Customs after arriving on Caribbean Airlines flight 520. Special agent Michael Martinez indicated Maharaj presented a checked-in, large black suitcase and a laptop bag for inspection. When the officers examined the suitcase, they found three packages in the suitcase, which Maharaj claimed in sum and substance contained frozen cooked goat meat. The three

packages were X-rayed revealing a square-like object inside of each one. The CBP officers later took Maharaj into a private room and, according to Martinez in the court docket, drilled into the packages and discovered a powdery white substance, which later tested positive for the presence of cocaine. In total, 3,335.2 grammes of cocaine were seized from food containers in Maharajs luggage. This works out to approximately just over three kilogrammes of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $1.2 million to $1.8 million. Four days after that incident, another Trinidadian, Alister King, was also held for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine into New York after leaving Trinidad aboard Caribbean Airlines flight 520. King, who was stopped for a routine search, according to US special agent Derek Bergman, appeared nervous. Kings personal baggage was searched and it was during this search, King appeared nervous, Bergman stated. Bergman revealed in the court document a full-body search was authorised and a bulky item was discovered in the defendants groin area. Officers later found three packages containing a white, powdery substance, which was later tested and found to be cocaine. The three packages weighed some 536.9 grammes, just over a kilogramme with a street value of TT$400,000 to TT$600,000. King told the US authorities he was supposed to be paid 30 per cent of the proceeds after the cocaine was sold.

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CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

April 9, 2014

HOME AFFAIRS

Home Maintenance

fter such a long cold winter, homes may need a bit of ext ra attention this spring. Some suggestions to keep your home in good health:
secure attachment where they enter the house Check for and seal off any holes in exterior cladding that could be an entry point for small pests, such as bats or squirrels Check the foundation walls for any sign of deterioration - cracks, leaks or signs of moisture - and repair as required Check gutters and downspouts for loose joints and secure attachment to the home. Clear any obstructions and ensure water flows away from the foundation Open the valve to the outside hose connection after any danger of frost has passed Have the air conditioning system checked and serviced and clean or replace the filters Check smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms to ensure they are operating properly. Replace batteries Thoroughly clean the bathroom fan grill Disconnect the duct connected to the dryer and ensure there are no blockages Check the security of all guardrails and handrails Inspecting your home on a seasonal basis is a good routine to get into. Investing a little time and effort now could save you money in the long term. *The information in this article is not intended as specific investment, financial, accounting, and legal or tax advice for any individual.

Check the roof, noting any sagging that could indicate structural problems requiring further investigation from inside the attic. Check shingles for any needing repair or replacement Check the chimney cap and caulking Inspect window putty on the outside of glass panes and replace if needed Check and replace damaged caulking and weather stripping around windows and doorways Check exterior wood siding and trim for signs of deterioration; clean, replace or refinish as needed Repair driveway or walkways as needed Inspect electrical service lines for

INCREASED PENALTIES FOR DISTRACTED DRIVING

in the midst of proposed legislation in Ontario whereby drivers convicted of a distracted driving offence would receive three demerit points and be subject to a maximum fine of $1,000.00. Under current legislation, motorists who

ast week a local Toronto radio station reported that in an attempt to curtail distracted driving in Toronto, police officers were dressed as panhandlers and approaching motorists. Apparently the Hobocops as they have been dubbed, approach your vehicle on the pretext of panhandling and motorists found on their cell phones or texting were issued tickets. This blitz was launched

are convicted face fines of $60.00 to $500.00. Obviously driving while distracted by a cell phone or some other electronic device is a big issue. It is dangerous behaviour that should be discouraged. After all it only takes a second for a distracted driver to maim, seriously injure or kill someone. The CBC News reported that the Ontario Provincial Police identified distracted driving as the number one killer on the road in Ontario.

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While I am in full support of the need to curtail this dangerous activity, I question the police methods. The Hobocop disguise is no doubt sneaky and effective but is it morally and ethically acceptable? Can and should police officers be engaging in sneaky behaviour to catch distracted drivers? What about the good Samaritan who happens to be on his or her phone who winds down the window to help a fellow human being and is slapped with a ticket? What would that individuals reaction to panhandlers and needy people be in the future? In one particular instance, it was reported that the Hobocop approached a female motorist banging on her window. The woman indicated that she felt scared and intimidated. She reached across to get her phone to call the police. It was at that point that the undercover officer identified himself and proceeded to issue a ticket. In Toronto I would strongly suggest that we need policies and procedures that boost confidence and trust in the police and unfortunately this type of sneaky behaviour by the police does not do that. In fact it may serve to create mistrust of the police. Perhaps what is required is for panhandlers and homeless people to unite and protest. Maybe they can all gather outside their local Tim Hortens dressed as cops and solicit donuts from passers-by. Okay, I admit, I digress and that I am going a little too far but something does not sit right with the police resorting to this type of sneaky tactic. I agree that distracted driving is a serious problem

which needs to be addressed. Some people such as Toronto Star columnist Norris McDonald have gone so far as to propose that that offence of distracted driving be criminalized. In his article written in the Wheels Section of the Star on March 22, 2014, Norris states: Distracted driving fatalities in Ontario surpassed both impaired and speed related fatalities last year according to the OPP. And more than 80 percent of Canadians surveyed recently by Kanetix.ca believe texting and driving should be a criminal offence. Firstly, I am not thoroughly convinced that that criminalizing of this type of behaviour would be the best way to reduce or eradicate it. In Ontario we have some of the most severe penalties for drinking and driving and yet people still get into their car and drive after consuming alcohol. Secondly, our criminal courts are already back logged and over whelmed with cases and thirdly, we already have the Highway Traffic offence of Careless Driving and a Criminal Code offence of Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle. What I would humbly suggest is needed is a well- planned advertising campaign depicting the dangers of distracted driving. The type of advertising I am suggesting would be akin to the graphic ads used in the drinking and driving ads. In my opinion this would be a much better alternative than Hobocops. The foregoing is intended for information purposes only and you should consult a lawyer if you need legal representation or a legal opinion. Selwyn R. Baboolal is a partner at Oumarally Baboolal practicing in the area of litigation for the past 20 years.

April 9, 2014

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April 9, 2014

CaRIbbEaN KItchEN

Spring is in the Air

o its time to enjoy something fresh and new. We are happy that the cold, snowy days are behind us and even though the rain is not the ideal condition, we are grateful and hopeful, that summer will soon be here. I was thinking of what light and delicious dishes I can recommend for this season. The first is one my sister-in-law,

mozzarella) Salt and black pepper (Please note you can add anything you like, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.) Open the box of puff pastry. You will find 2 packs inside. Butter an 8 pie dish and place the pastry in it. Now use your fingers to press the pastry all around.

Cut off any excess. In a medium size bowl, add the 4 eggs, milk, sausage, 1 cup grated cheese, salt and black pepper. Beat well then add to the pie dish. Add the other cup of grated cheese to the top. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and the mixture firms up. Let cool for about 20 minutes. Cut and serve with a salad. Enjoy anytime.

Marisela gave me years ago and I love it. Its a bean salad and the second is a quiche. These are quick and easy dishes that can be eaten anytime. Try them both and enjoy.

cup olive oil cup white vinegar 2/3 cup white sugar (use brown if you prefer) Drain all the can beans and place in a large bowl. Add the onions, sweet pepper, oil, vinegar and sugar. Toss well, cover and leave in the fridge for about 1 hour before serving. The flavours need time to marinate. Serve as a side dish or enjoy as a snack. This is high in fiber and very nutritious.

Why Is My Mouth Dry?

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Have you ever felt that no matter how much you drink, you just cant produce enough saliva for your mouth not to feel dry? If it happened when you were stressed, nervous, anxious or upset it can be your bodys natural response and no need to be alarmed.
However, if you are feeling that you are experiencing dry mouth all the time, it might be time to let your dentist or family doctor know of your condition. Reduced saliva/dry mouth can cause difficulties in tasting, chewing, swallowing, and speaking. Saliva naturally limits bacterial growth and flushes out food particles left behind after eating. When there is less saliva, there is an increased chance of developing tooth decay and other infections in the mouth. Symptoms of dry mouth include: Increased plaque, tooth decay and gum disease; - Saliva that is thick, creating a sticky feeling in your mouth; - Difficulty speaking, swallowing, chewing, and tasting; - Bad Breath; - Cracked lips, sores or split skin at the corners of your mouth - Dentures wont remain in place as saliva is necessary in creating the suction needed to keep them from moving. Dry mouth can be caused by a number of different variables. Most notable is medications. Approximately 63% of the top 200 most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States have dry mouth as a side effect. Many over the counter drugs produce dry mouth as a side effect such as cold medications,

Bean Salad 1 can red beans 1 can chick peas 1 can whole kernel corn 1 can green beans 1 can yellow beans of a red onion (diced) of a sweet pepper

Quiche 1 box of puff pastry 4 eggs 1 cup evaporated milk cup ham or sausage 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar and

decongestants, antihistamines, muscle relaxants and anti-diarrheal. Although many believe that aging puts you at risk for dry mouth, that is not the case. Elders are more likely to be taking medications that cause dry mouth. Cancer therapy either chemotherapy drugs or radiation treatments to your head and neck can damage salivary glands, creating a reduced saliva production. Dry mouth can also be a result of mouth breathing, smoking and recreational drugs like methamphetamine, cannabis and heroin. There are things that you can change in your lifestyle that can help to alleviate many of the symptoms. Sipping on water, sucking on ice chips throughout the day and drinking water throughout your meals will help with chewing and swallowing and may even improve the taste of your food. Avoid drinking beverages with caffeine and alcohol as it promotes dehydration. Chewing sugar-free gum or sucking on sugar-free candies will stimulate saliva flow; citrus, cinnamon or mint flavoured candies are good choices. Breathing through your nose and using a humidifier at night will add some relief. Brushing with fluoride toothpaste and using a fluoride rinse that does not contain alcohol will help to avoid tooth decay that is prevalent with dry mouth patients. You can also try an over the counter saliva substitute like Biotene Oral Balance. Remember, if you have dry mouth, brushing and flossing your teeth are simple steps in minimizing your risk of tooth decay, as the lack of saliva is not present as a natural controller for bacteria.

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MONEY MattERs

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The once stagnant U.S. economy is now showing signs of life and even continued growth, presenting a timely opportunity for Canadian investors. Gaining access to the worlds largest1 and most diverse financial market offers the potential to both diversify your investments and benefit from significant growth and returns over time. Here are four reasons why many experts are optimistic about investing in the U.S. today. 1. Favourable economic signals Economic indicators in the U.S., including employment, housing and consumer confidence, have shown improvement in 2013. For example, in its second-quarter advanced estimate for 2013, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that real gross domestic product (GDP the output of goods and services produced by labour within a country, minus inflation) in the U.S. increased by 1.7 per cent. This increase in real GDP primarily reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (PCE), exports, non-residential fixed investment, private inventory investment and residential investment. Positive trends were also noted by Investor Economics in its 2013 Household balance sheet report. According to the section U.S versus Canada: an inflection point: For the U.S., the near future looks

utual funds offer easy access to growth potential south of the border

Federal Reserves ongoing policy of low interest rates may help fuel confidence, since it makes it cheaper for businesses to borrow money to either spend or in RESPs ETFs RRSPs vest. By reducing the cost of borrowing INSURANCE MUTUAL FUNDS TFSAs and helping increase demand for goods STOCKs GICs RRIFs and services, low interest rates mean BONDs RDSPs more promising than the recent past and that American companies stand to earn The U.S. is on the mend. House prices higher profits and potentially reward Isa M. Rahamat Financial Advisor are trending higher, as are the employinvestors. Life Insurance Advisor ment rates and the economy itself, helping Its now Autumn for many a time to relax and get away from it U.S. equity markets to new heights. 4. Global diversification all. So while you might take a vacation, your money never should. Were committed to helping you find innovative ways to make These observations suggest that the U.S. Investing in U.S. multinationals has investments work harder for you. benefits for people ineconomy is moving in the right direction some strategic Yorkdaleto Mall Tower terested in diversifying their portfolios for opportunistic investors looking take 1 Yorkdale Road Suite 404, Toronto, ON, M6A 3A1 advantage of a promising situation. globally. Approximately 40 per cent of Telephone: (416) 787-1616 Ext. 230 | Toll-Free: 1-800-361-8726 Ext. 230 Cellular: (416) 346-8883 | Fax: (416) 787-8998 the revenues generated by U.S. corporaE-mail: Isa.Rahamat@manulifesecurities.ca 2. Strong corporate balance sheets tions listed in the S&P 500 Index now Since the market crash of 2008, many come from their overseas operations.3 large U.S. corporations have improved This suggests that U.S. multinationals their balance sheets by reducing their are very successful at capitalizing on borrowing. In addition, they embraced global opportunities. Another signifimore efficient ways of doing business, cant benefit is that investors can access streamlining their operations in rethe growth potential of foreign markets sponse to trends in the U.S. and global while still enjoying the protection of economies. With sustained economic strict U.S. financial accounting stangrowth now returning, leaner comdards. Rigorous accounting standards panies are well positioned to achieve improve transparency and help provide growth and profits. The average debt-toinvestors with a clear picture of a comequity ratio in 2008 was 2.01, compared panys overall financial health. This into an average of 1.05 today.2 That speaks sight allows for more informed decisiondirectly to positive financial health, and making and increases confidence in the lower debt can mean higher profits that investment choices you make. can be passed on to investors. There are a number of ways you can take advantage of the investment op3. Low interest rates portunities the U.S. market has to offer. Economists are optimistic that the U.S. How you decide to invest will depend

Investments, Retirements, Estate and Tax Planning

on your investment goals, as well as your tolerance for risk. For example, you can purchase shares or bonds issued by individual companies, or you can choose a mutual fund that invests in a larger number of businesses. An alternative way to invest in U.S. businesses is through mutual funds that invest in debt-oriented securities issued by corporations. Mutual funds that focus on corporate bonds, highyield bonds and floating rate loans carry less investment risk than equities, and can complement an existing portfolio of fixed-income investments. Lastly, there are balanced funds that combine both equity and fixed income securities within a single investment portfolio. Balanced funds may be an option for those who seek long-term growth potential but are uncomfortable with the short-term volatility that equities can experience during times of economic uncertainty. The economic signals in the U.S. suggest there are significant opportunities if youre looking to grow your portfolio. How you decide to invest will depend on what youre looking to achieve and how much risk youre willing to accept. Contact your advisor to assess your investment options. He or she will review your entire portfolio to help determine an investment approach that works best for you. Isa Rahamat is a Financial Advisor with ManuIife Securities Inc. This content is provided courtesy of Solutions from Manulife Financial.

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April 9, 2014

umar Sangakara guided Sri Lanka to a six-wicket victory over India to win the World Twenty20 in Mirpur and end a run of four defeats in global finals. Sangakara, playing his

Sangakara Guides Sri Lanka To T20 World Cup Champions Title

Victory would have made World Cup and Champions Trophy winners India the first team to hold all three world one-day titles. But their quest was undermined by an underwhelming batting performance that stalled badly after Rohit Sharma drove to short extra cover in the 11th over for 29 to break a partnership of 60 with Kohli. Yuvraj Singh, so often a destructive batsman in the shorter forms of the game, looked horribly out of touch as he scratched around for 11 runs off 21 balls. With Kohli starved of the strike, the innings lost all momentum and even captain Mahendra Dhoni could only add four from seven balls after Yuvrajs tame lob to long off finally brought him to the crease in the penultimate over. of India has agreed to sign a bi-lateral memorandum of understanding with the Government of Jamaica to provide financial support for the installation of the floodlights at Sabina Park. This support is in the form of a grant in the sum of $2.1 million, said Jamaicas Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller as she addressed the media and various stakeholders. Simpson Miller, who spoke feelingly of several landmark occurrences at the historic venue, explained that the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) will grant a further US$600,000 to cover the estimated total project value of US$2.7 million. The months of seemingly painstaking negotiations have also involved two differ-

final Twenty20 international, scored 52 not out as Sri Lanka chased down 131 in 17.5 overs. Some tight Sri Lankan bowling had earlier limited India to 130-4 despite Virat Kohlis sublime 77 off 58 balls. Sri Lanka were beaten in the 2007 and 2011 World Cup finals and also lost the 2009 and 2012 World Twenty20 finals. Sangakkara, and his veteran teammate Mahela Jayawardene were involved in all four of those disappointments, and this was a fitting way for both players to bow out of international Twenty20 cricket. The victory was particularly sweet for Sangakara, who had only scored 19 runs in his previous five innings in the tournament, but oversaw a patient run chase that was finished off in style when Thisara Perera clubbed Ravichandran Ashwin for his third six.

The final four overs, in which Kohli only faced eight balls, yielded just 19 runs before the tournaments leading run-scorer was run out trying to force a second from the final ball of the innings. ent administrations of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), members of the Kingston Cricket Club, and representatives of Sabina Park Holdings, the entity which manages the venue and its facilities. The project, which will be managed by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), has been awarded to the FosRich Group of Companies, which will be working with Philips Lighting, a global firm that has strong ties in Europe, Asia and South America. The UDC and the contractors FosRich also signed an agreement for the project which is expected to be completed in three months. Stakeholders are already eyeing the possibility of having lights in time for the second staging of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 tournament in June. With the expectancy that soon there will be the facility for cricket and other entertainment events at night, the Prime Minister said thanks to the tremendous generosity of the Government and people of India [that] this is now behind us. The gift reflects the emergence of the Asian country, which has a population of over 1.2 billion people, as a rapidly growing economic giant. The Indian High Commissioner to Kingston Shri Pratap Singh said the collaboration is part of a move to further strengthen the economic and commercial co-operation between the two countries for mutual benefit.

Lights Coming To Sabina

After numerous delays and a handful of false starts, the wait appears to be over in the drive to have floodlights installed at Sabina Park. Recently at the worldfamous cricket ground, the governments of India and Jamaica signed a memorandum of under-standing which will see the Asian country providing a grant of US$2.1 million towards the installation of lights at the venue. We are pleased that the Government

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The first instalment of US$0.77 million is being released right away and the balance would be provided later. Im confident that this gesture on the part of the Government of India should pave the way for further enhancement of the relationship between our two countries. I assure you that as high commissioner of India I will do everything possible to consolidate and strengthen our bilateral relations, said the diplomat. The lack of lights at any cricket venue in Jamaica, the only premier Caribbean nation without the facility, has been a vexing topic since the failure to put in the infrastructure for the regions hosting of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. The issue was highlighted during the inaugural CPL competition in 2013. Ahead of that tournament, the then JCA administration announced that Sabina Park Holdings had a partnership with a financier and contractor for the project. However, three weeks later, the deal collapsed after a breakdown in talks between Sabina Park Holdings, its affiliates and the would-be contractor.

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iscarded England superstar Kevin Pietersen will turn out for St Lucia Zouks in the upcoming Caribbean Premier League. The powerful right-hander was selected in the draft held last on April 3 in Jamaica, at Triple Century Sports Bar, owned by West Indies batsman Chris Gayle. Im delighted to have signed for St Lucia Zouks and Im excited to play in the CPL, said Pietersen. The Caribbean is one of my favourite places to play because its a very entertaining, relaxing, enjoyable environment and thats the kind of environment I think I perform best in. He will join Australian Brad Hodge, South African Roelof van der Merwe and Pakistani Sohail Tanvir, as the overseas players at the Castriesbased franchise. Pietersen, Englands all-time runscorer in Tests, was dumped by selectors, following the nightmare, recent Ashes

Zouks Secure Pietersen In CPL Draft

tour, even though he emerged as the leading batsman. The Zouks are led by West Indies Test and Twenty20 captain Darren Sammy. Meanwhile, the Gayle-led Jamaica Tallawahs have secured the services of Australian batsman Adam Voges as they prepare for the defence of their CPL title and the side will also include Jamaican stars all-rounder Andre Russell, Jerome Taylor and Nikita Miller.

They will have to do without the talents of hometown boys Sheldon Cotterell and Krishmar Santokie, however, as they will turn out for Antigua Hawksbills and Guyana Amazon Warriors. Attacking New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill will turn out for the Amazon Warriors in a side that also boasts big-hitting New Zealander Corey Anderson, West Indies off-spinning sensation Sunil Narine and Denesh Ramdin. Barbados Tridents, meanwhile, have been boosted by the drafting of South African Neil McKenzie and Pakistani Imran Nazir, along with West Indies pacer Ravi Rampaul. Six franchise St Lucia Zouks, Antigua Hawksbills, Jamaica Tallawahs, Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors an Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel will contest this years tournament which is expected to bowl off in July. LCPL teams for the 2014 tournaments read (four U-19 players to be added): The Antigua Hawksbills will be made up of Marlon Samuels, Sheldon Cotterell, David Hussey, Thisara Perera, Carlos Braithwaite, Kieron Powell, Devon Thomas, Ben Laughlin, Orlando Peters, Danza Hyatt, Miguel Cummings, Gavin Tonge, Justin Athanaze and Rakheem Cornwall. The Barbados Tridents will come

from Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Smith, Shakib Al Hasan, Ravi Rampaul, Jason Holder, Neil McKenzie, Rayad Emrit, Ashley Nurse, Imran Nazir, Jonathon Carter, Shane Dowrich, Raymond Reifer, Akeal Hossein and Kyle Mayers. Last years runner-up Guyana Amazon Warriors will comprise Sunil Narine, Mohammad Hafeez, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin, Martin Guptill, Krishmar Santokie, Christopher Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul, Ronsford Beaton, Navin Stewart, Steven Jacobs, Leon Johnson, Robin Bacchus, Corey Anderson and Trevon Griffith. Defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs will bank on Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Ahmed Shehzad, Adam Voges, Nikita Miller, Jerome Taylor, Rusty Theron, Chadwick Walton, David Bernard Jr, Andrew Richardson, Carlton Baugh Jr, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner and Odean Brown. The St Lucia Zouks dreams of winning rest on the shoulders of Darren Sammy, Kevin Pietersen, Johnson Charles, Sohail Tanvir, Andre Fletcher, Shane Shillingford, Roelof van der Merwe, Garey Mathurin, Keddy Lesporis, Tino Best, Mervin Matthews, Sunil Ambris, Tonito Willet and Liam Sebastien. The members of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel are Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, Kevon Cooper, Nasir Jamshed, Kevin OBrien, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran, Shannon Gabriel, Fidel Edwards, Jason Mohammed, Kennar Lewis and Delorn Johnson

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April 9, 2014