2 Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer JAMAICA-BORN NEWYork Police Department (NYPD) officer, Ruel Stephenson, has been promoted to the rank of assistant chief and named the new commanding officer of Patrol Borough Manhattan North. Stephenson previously held the rank of deputy chief and served in Brooklyn before this latest promotion. In his new capacity, Assistant Chief Stephenson will be the commander of Manhattan north, which includes areas such as Harlem, Dyker Heights and other areas touching on the Bronx. Manhattan is split into two separate boroughs, north and south, for policing purposes. Stephenson previously served as precinct commander for the 47th precinct in the Bronx and later headed the housing police division before being promoted to deputy chief. A s s i s t a n t C h i e f Stephenson joined the New York City Police Department in June 1995 and began his career on patrol in the 70th Precinct. He has served in various capacities in the NYPD, including the 28th, 30th, 32nd, 47th, 50th, and 81st precincts, Patrol Borough Manhattan North, the Internal Affairs Bureau, and the Housing Bureau. He has been promoted several times during his illustrious career, rising from sergeant to lieutenant, captain, deputy inspector, inspector, and, most recently, deputy chief. Jamaica’s Consul General to New York, Alsion Wilson, has offered her congratulations to Assistant Chief Stephenson. “ Chief Stephenson’s promotion to this esteemed position is well deserved, and I congratulate him on this milestone achievement,” said Consul General Wilson. “His distinguished career in law enforcement, combined with his leadership, expertise, and unwavering commitment to serving the people of New York, make him an outstanding choice for assistant chief. We are fortunate to have him as a member of the NYPD family.” “As a Jamaican who now serves in the highest ranks of the NYPD, he continues to show the immense possibilities of our people,” added Consul General Wilson. She said, “on behalf of all Jamaicans here in New York and those at home, I extend the heartiest congratulations to Chief Stephenson. Continue to fly the flag high.” Chief Stephenson was born and raised in Race Course Clarendon, Jamaica, where he spent his formative years prior to migrating to the United States. He continues to give back to the school attended in Jamaica, during his regular visits to the island. George Ruddock/Gleaner Writer AS THE countdown to the Coronation of King Charles this Saturday, May 6, gathers pace, three outstanding women from the Caribbean have been given key roles in the ceremony which will be held for the first time since 1953 in Britain. The three women of Caribbean origin who will be given major roles are: Baroness Floella Benjamin from Trinidad, Baroness Valerie Amos, who is originally from Guyana, and Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, who is originally from Jamaica. Baroness Floella Benjamin, the former children’s TV presenter, and now an author and peer, who chaired the Windrush Commemoration Committee, will carry Charles’s sceptre, traditionally known as the Rod Of Equity AndMercy, which represents his spiritual role. Baroness Amos, who was invested into the Order of the Garter last year and is the first black woman to serve as a Cabinet minister, will be joining the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Act of Recognition in the beginning of the Coronation. It will be the Archbishop of Canterbury who will also crown the King with St Edward’s Crown later during the ceremony. Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, who is the Bishop of Dover, will present the Queen Consort’s rod during the early stages of the ceremony. Announcing the full list of roles chosen for the Coronation, Buckingham Palace said: “Those undertaking these historic roles in the service have been chosen to recognise, thank and represent the nation due to their significant service.” According to the Palace, the first processions into Westminster Abbey will be made up of faith leaders, followed by dignitaries fromHis Majesty’s realms. The faith leaders will consist of four peers representing the Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Jewish faiths and they will all present the King with a piece of regalia. Including non-Christian faith leaders in the Coronation of a British King has never been done before. Flags of each realm, including those from the Caribbean, will be carried by national representatives accompanied by the governors general and prime ministers of those countries. As chair of the Windrush Commemoration Committee, Baroness Floella Benjamin led the campaign to erect the NationalWindrushMonument in Waterloo Station last year. She described the permanent monument “as a symbolic link to our past and a permanent reminder of our shared history and of the extraordinary contribution to this country by theWindrush generation”. Baroness Amos was appointed Secretary of State for International Development by Gordon Brown in 2003, becoming the first black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) woman to serve as a Cabinet minister. She was later appointed Under-SecretaryGeneral for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator with the United Nations, and then in 2015, was appointed Director of SOAS, University of London, becoming the first black woman to lead a university school in the United Kingdom. Reverend Prebendary Rose HudsonWilkin, was appointed the Bishop of Dover in June 2019. Before that she was Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons and Priest in Charge of St Mary-at-Hill, London. Revd Rose was born and raised in Jamaica. She was educated at Montego Bay High School for Girls and later at BirminghamUniversity. In 2007 she was appointed as a Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen and in 2010, she became the first female appointed to the position of the 79th Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons. The coronation ceremony of King Charles will take place at Westminster Abbey, London on Saturday and will be viewed by a world-wide television audience. Caribbean women named for key roles in Charles’ coronation Baroness Floella Benjamin Baroness Valerie Amos Rev Rose Hudson Wilkin J’can Ruel Stephenson is new assistant chief in NYPD Assistant Chief NYPD - Ruel Stephenson CONTRIBUTED AS NEWS of Harry Belafonte’s death sank in, fans and admirers reacted with glowing tributes to a towering international figure: singer, songwriter, actor, activist, and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Prime Minister Andrew Holness described Belafonte as a true ambassador for Jamaica and Jamaican culture. “Representing the best of our culture and values, his music and activism touched the hearts and mind of people globally,” the prime minister tweeted. The NewYork Times said in part, “he understood how to dedicate his fame to a politics of accountability more tenaciously than any star of the civil rights era or in its wake. He helped underwrite the Civil Rights Movement, paying for freedom rides. He maintained a life insurance policy on the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr with Corretta Scott King as the beneficiary because Dr. King didn’t believe he could afford it.” Tyler Perry, the celebrated American actor posted this tribute on social media, “I’m humbled by how you used your light to help brighten a path for us all. Your soul has returned to the creator but what you’ve left on earth will live with you forever.” Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr, said: “When I was a child, Harry Belafonte showed up for my family in very compassionate ways. In fact, he paid for the babysitter for me and my siblings … . I won’t forget.” The outpouring of sympathy coming from the Jamaican parliament, world leaders, celebrities and activists from all corners of the earth, we interpret as affirmation that efforts to achieve social and racial justice are admired by people everywhere. Indeed, Belafonte had become a global citizen seeking to urge action on a range of humanitarian issues, many of which are still unresolved. And to think this pioneer walked among us. Born in Harlem, New York, at age five, Belafonte’s mother Melvine took himself and his brother to live with her relatives in St Ann. With her job as a household helper and his chef father often absent, the young boys were on the street a lot. Belafonte was knocked unconscious by a car and spent days in a New York hospital. Growing up in Jamaica, he attendedMorris Knibb Preparatory School andWolmer’s Boys’ School. Even though Belafonte returned to New York at age 12, he has always been described as an American-Jamaican. And thus he became a source of pride for this country of his ancestry. He found his acting career path in the most unlikely place. On being honourably discharged from the US Navy, he landed a job as a janitor’s assistant in an apartment building where he met Clarice Taylor, mother of Dr Huxtable of television fame. She gave him two tickets to the theatre. Harry described the moment: “... and when the lights went down and the curtain opened and the players walked on, a whole newworld opened up for me, and I was deeply touched andmoved by it. That’s how I got into theatre.” In 1949, Belafonte launched his singing career after doing gigs in a NewYork nightclub. He acquired lasting fame with the Banana Boat song with its “Day O” refrain. Then he conceived the idea of bringing together a star-studded cast to produce the monster hit We Are The World, which raised $100m for starving families in Ethiopia. Three Grammy Awards, an Emmy and a Tony were some of the trophies this gifted man collected along the way. He has also been honoured variously for his work in the arts and humanitarianism. Naming a section of the North Coast Highway in honour of this transformational figure is a fitting tribute to the superstar who was also bestowed with the Order of Merit in 2018. We salute, Harold Belafonte OM. Walk good! Harry Belafonte – A Jamaican farewell [EDITORIAL] THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MAY 4 - JUNE 7, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
3 Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer JAMAICAN COMMUNITY leaders in Florida are raising the alarm about an immigration bill that was passed in the Sunshine State last Friday, pointing out that it will have a “chilling”effect on immigrants, legal and non-legal alike. Democrats have argued that the bill could lead to racial profiling, arguing that immigration laws are the purview of the federal government, not the state. But Republican supporters say it is aimed at forcing the federal government to address an “invasion” of migrants into the country. The bill, which includes a number of provisions requested by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, bars Florida local governments from spending taxpayer dollars on identification cards for people who cannot provide proof of citizenship. It also invalidates a driver’s licence issued by another state to someone who cannot prove their citizenship; requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to include a question on intake forms about the patient’s citizenship status; removes a provision previously signed into law by former Governor Rick Scott that allows undocumented law school graduates admission to The Florida Bar; increases penalties for human trafficking-related offences; and requires anyone in the custody of law enforcement who is subject to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement immigration retainer to submit a DNA sample to a statewide database. The bill also prohibits counties and municipalities from providing funds to any person, entity, or organisation to issue identification documents to an individual who does not provide proof of lawful presence in the United States. The bill also increases sanctions against businesses that hire undocumented immigrants, allow state law-enforcement officials to conduct random audits of businesses’ compliance with the law, and increase penalties for human smuggling. It also increases the maximum fine for a first violation of specified provisions relating to employing, hiring, recruiting, or referring undocumented immigrants for private or public employment. One of the bill’s more contentious provisions is to require businesses with 25 or more workers to use the federal E-Verify system to check the immigration status of employees. ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR Jamaican immigration attorney Michelle Fanger, who is based in Jacksonville, said the measure will drive people underground and create an atmosphere of fear. “As proposed, you cannot harbour anyone who is out of status and you will be subjected to fine and possible deportation,”she told The Gleaner last week ahead of its passing. She noted that it would also prevent undocumented immigrants from seeking medical treatment. “It means that we will have many sick people unable to seek medical help, and this could result in outbreaks of diseases that could be easily treated,” said Fanger. She said that undocumented people already working would now fear going to work, noting that this could affect the state’s agricultural sector. Dale Holness, the Jamaica-born former mayor of Broward County, also decried the measure, saying that what it is aimed at doing is giving Republicans a chance to win elections. He told The Gleaner that the late George Wallace “tried the same tactics and it backfired, so I am at a loss to understand why the DeSantis government would be attempting this in this day and age”. He said that the measure will have a chilling effect on legal and illegal immigrants and drive people underground at a time when progress is being made to try and bring people out of the shadows. Holness noted that the measures will not only hurt immigrants, but the entire population. “They are being shortsighted, and I believe that it will be challenged in court and overturned,” he said. “What they are seeking to do is makemonsters out of immigrants and create a climate of fear among the white population.” He noted that community-based organisations in Florida, which issue certain IDs to seniors and people coming out of prison and are seeking to restore their identities, could find funding cut off under the bill. Corey Shearer, director of Florida’s Community Partnership Outreach, said that the measure is already having a chilling effect. “It is mean and isolationist. It is trying to play to the fears of the white section of the population and threatens the progress that is being made,” he told The Gleaner. Shearer, who is the son of the late Jamaica-born South Florida activist Jasmin Barnaby, said that community leaders must make people aware of such bills and push back against these types of measures. A similar bill for the House, which is almost identical to the one approved by the Senate, could be on the floor for a vote as soon as this week. If approved, it goes to DeSantis, and once he signs it, the lawwould become effective on July 1. editorial@gleanerjm.com Kimone Francis/Senior Staff Reporter THE MAJORITY of women working on the seasonal farm work programme in Canada have poured scorn on Jamaican liaison officers there, asserting that the group mandated to ensure that they are treated fairly has been unethical and unresponsive to challenges they face. Fifty-two per cent of the 44 women surveyed during a fact-finding mission approved by the Jamaican Government said that they were dissatisfied with the Jamaica Liaison Service. The figure is just above that of their male counterparts, with 44 per cent of 396 surveyed indicating that they, too, were not satisfied. The findings were published in the fact-finding report tabled in the House of Representatives last Tuesday. The issues cited by workers included liaison officers not being easily accessible, responsive, or interactive. Workers also said that they were not ethical in their approach and did not ensure that issues they had were resolved. They noted, too, that liaison officers lacked compassion. Currently, there are only 13 liaison officers for the programme despite farms being far apart. Approximately 10,000 Jamaicans are part of the seasonal programme, which began in 1966, and are spread across 655 farms in 10 provinces. Three former female workers, who spoke to The Gleaner on condition of anonymity, one of whom is still “fighting” for medical treatment from her former employer, called liaison officers “sellouts” and claimed that their loyalty was to supervisors and employers. The women, who were in their 30s at the time they went on the programme roughly a decade ago, said that they were engaged in picking strawberries and apples. One woman told The Gleaner that she fell from a ladder while thinning apples, and suffered a brain and leg injury as a result. She noted that she has remained in the North American country four years later and is fighting to get assistance in accordance with her contract. “The liaison officers are not supposed to be there because they are not doing what they are put there to do,” she said. “It is unfair that CDN$75 is drawn out of your salary every fortnight to pay somebody who is standing in front of your employer telling them that if they have any issues, it’s because of where we come from,” she added. She alleged that after her injuries, a liaison officer submitted a report falsely indicating that she was well. The woman said that this has resulted in her being unable to get treatment. Additionally, she said that a request for the results of her medical done prior to her arriving in Canada, which she said would prove that she was healthy on arrival, was denied. “I was told to get off the phone and that I was bright and out of order and ‘renk’ and that I shouldn’t call back their phone … . These liaison officers have been doing a lot of damage to us as migrant farmworkers. They have been crushing us. They are not for us. They are for the employers,” she claimed. She said also that officers rarely responded to issues they were having, but noted, however, that they would report those who had complained to employers. “There was no confidentiality between you and the liaison. Basically, them sell out,” she charged. She rubbished the mission of the factfinding team, which travelled from Jamaica last September to investigate reports of abuse, calling it a “hoax”. “How will you get the facts by telling people that you are coming and getting them to polish up?” she questioned. She said “threatened” workers will not be honest about their treatment because they do not want to lose the opportunity to earn. KNEE INJURIES Another former worker said she was forced to pay out of pocket to treat a ligament injury to her knee because a liaison officer allegedly downplayed her injury. She told The Gleaner that she picked up the injury while kneeling to pick strawberries. “What I told [the officer] is not what was in the report,” the woman said. She said that as a result, her employer did not pay for her treatment because the report said that she was well. She was sent home at the end of the season, a month after she picked up the injury. The third woman alleged that she had to beg ‘SELLOUTS’ Florida legislature targets immigrants, allies J’CAN ACTIVISTS SOUND ALARM AS ... Dale Holness, the Jamaica-born former mayor of Broward County. FILE Jamaican farmworkers disembark a Government bus at the Norman Manley International airport. RICARDO MAKYN/MULTIMEDIA PHOTO EDITOR Former farmworkers lash liaison service, claim Canadian employers denied liability for injuries PLEASE SEE FARMER, P7 moya.thomas@gleanerjm.com Moya Thomas THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MAY 4 - JUNE 7, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
4 Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer FLORIDA: A JUDGE in Florida has dismissed a charge of perjury brought against the former schools’ superintendent of Broward County, Jamaican, Robert Runcie. CIRCUIT JUDGE Martin Fein dismissed the grand jury’s 2021 indictment against Runcie agreeing with defence attorneys that state law only gives the statewide grand jury jurisdiction over crimes that occurred inmultiple counties. Runcie only testified in one. His attorneys argued that if the statewide grand jury had evidence of Runcie committing perjury it should have turned such evidence over to the Broward County grand jury or the local state attorney’s office for consideration. The judge dismissed the prosecution’s argument that the grand jury could indict for any crime involving the jury’s sanctity and integrity, saying it had no legal support. The office of Florida attorney general said prosecutors are reviewing the judge’s decision and will likely appeal his ruling. Prosecutors had contended that Runcie lied repeatedly to the grand jury when asked about the criminal case against his former technology chief. They said Runcie told the grand jury that he had not contacted anyone about the case and his only knowledge of the contract was from a presentation made earlier. The prosecutors contended that Runcie contacted others only days before he testified. Runcie and the Broward School board negotiated his resignation and a $740,000 severance package shortly after the indictment. The case against Runcie stemmed from questions over the management of a one billion-dollar bond issue and he was charged with lying to a grand jury. In its final report the grand jury had accused him of making misinformed or uninformed statements about plans to use the money for school safety in Broward County. Runcie, who was appointed Broward County schools’ superintendent in 2011, was born in Jamaica and was named superintendent of the year in 2015 by his fellow superintendents. He was arrested and charged with perjury as part of a statewide grand jury spawned by the school massacre in Parkland, more than three years ago. He was indicted on a charge of perjury in an official proceeding, a third degree felony. However, both Runcie and the district’s chief lawyer, who was also arrested on a single perjury charge, say they don’t know why they were arrested. OUTRAGE AMONG SUPPORTERS The surprise indictments just days after the grand jury meeting sparked questions and outrage among supporters of Runcie. The indictment raised claims of political influence but his critics, who have blamed him for the Parkland shooting tragedy, had cheered the indictment. The grand jury was empanelled in 2019 by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, after a teenage gunman with a semi-automatic weapon killed 17 staff and students and wounded 17 others. Agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested the then 59-year old Runcie for testimony he gave to the grand jury on March 31 and April 1. His indictment said he gave untruthful testimony before the grand jury and listed four areas which the panel had directed its focus. The grand jury’s primary focus was to review school safety in the wake of the shooting, but it was expanded to include corruption and mismanagement in school district operations. Florida judge dismisses perjury charge against J’can former school superintendent Livern Barrett/Senior Staff Reporter A BUSINESSMAN who authored a book critical of the Jamaican judicial system that has been widely circulated locally and internationally has been ordered to pay a retired High Court judge over $80 million for defamation. THE ORDER was made in the Supreme Court last month in a lawsuit filed by Justice Roy K. Anderson, a legal scholar and retired Supreme Court judge, against Dwight Clacken over a tome the businessman penned in 2015. The book is based on a legal dispute between Clacken and his business partners, which was presided over, in part, by Justice Anderson. It was written after he waited nearly 13 years for the Supreme Court to adjudicate the dispute, which was filed in the Supreme Court in 2002, Clacken told The Sunday Gleaner. Clacken disclosed, too, that his former business partners have filed a defamation lawsuit against him over the book. That case is set for trial in 2025. StephanieWilliams, the attorney who represented Justice Anderson, called the damages awarded to her client “important”because it again sets the standard for “the contest between free speech and defamation”, which has “become prevalent in our society”. “It should serve as a reminder to the public that there are limits to free speech and that the courts will continue to protect the reputation of those worthy of protection,”Williams said. “It does not diminish the right to free speech. The case affirms the position that has always existed that when exercising our right to free speech, we must be responsible and it must be accurate and fair.” However, Clacken stood by his book, disclosing that he has already filed papers in the Court of Appeal challenging the ruling in the defamation lawsuit. “So, it doesn’t suit me to make any comments at this time,”he said, while insisting that the contents of the book are “100 per cent true”. “The Jamaican public should learn from that book and the people running the country should also pay attention to it,” he added. The book was first published in hardcopy and later distributed by global e-commerce giants Kindle, Amazon and Barnes & Nobles, according to the 46page judgment by Justice Annmarie Nembhard delivered on March 17. ‘TREMENDOUS EMBARRASSMENT AND HUMILIATION’ According to the judgment, Justice Anderson became aware of the book after he received a package from a member of the legal fraternity containing several pages from Clacken’s book. That led him to purchase a copy, he acknowledged. What he found, in complaint in the lawsuit, caused him to suffer “tremendous embarrassment and humiliation”. Citing comments made in at least five pages of the book, he argued, too, that the businessman acted with improper motive and described the publication as “high-handed and contumelious”. Anderson charged that the book was published either with the full knowledge that the disputed statements were libellous of him or with a reckless disregard as to whether they were. He said via a letter dated May 31, 2016, his attorneys wrote to Clacken demanding that he retract the defamatory material cited in the book and/or issue a public apology. But Anderson said the businessman refused both requests. Clacken, in his response to the lawsuit, said the book is a “narrative of his life experiences, including, although not limited to, his experience and encounters with the Jamaican justice system”. He argued that it was done for the“precise”purpose of highlighting the deficiencies in the justice system and inviting scrutiny of those issues. Relying on the defence of fair comment, Clacken asserted the narratives in the book are as result of his first-hand experience with and impressions of the justice system, “which are honest and truthful”. livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com Retired judge awarded $80 million in defamation case WASHINGTON (AP): US AND Mexican officials have agreed on new immigration policies meant to deter illegal border crossings while also opening up other pathways ahead of an expected increase inmigrants following the end of pandemic restrictions next week. Homeland Security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall spent Tuesday meeting with Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and other top officials, emerging with a five-point plan, according to statements from both nations. Under the agreement, Mexico will continue to accept migrants from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua who are turned away at the border, and up to 100,000 individuals from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador who have family in the US will be eligible to live and work there. Despite sharing a 1,951-mile border with the US, Mexico had been notably absent from the rollout last week of a fresh set of efforts, including the creation of hubs outside the United States where migrants could go to apply to legally settle in the US, Spain or Canada. The first centres will open in Guatemala and Colombia. The COVID-19 restrictions have allowed US officials to turn away tens of thousands of migrants crossing the southern border, but those restrictions will lift May 11, and border officials are bracing for a surge. Even with the restrictions, the administration has seen record numbers of people crossing the border, and President Joe Biden has responded by cracking down on those who cross illegally and by creating new avenues meant as alternatives to a dangerous and often deadly journey. Mexico’s support is critical to any push by the US to clamp down at the southern border, particularly as migrants from nations from as far away as Haiti are making the trek on foot up through Mexico, and are not easily returned back to their home countries. WithMexico now behind the US, plus an announcement Tuesday that 1,500 active-duty US troops are deploying south for administrative support, and other crackdown measures in place, border officials believe they may be able to manage overcrowding and other possible issues that might arise once the COVID-19 restrictions end. US, Mexico agree on tighter immigration policies at border U.S. National Customs and Border Protection Port of Brownsville held a full-scale readiness exercise at Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville, Texas Tuesday, May 2, 2023, with Federal and area law enforcement as a large influx of migrants continue to cross the Rio Grande from Matamoros, Mexico into Brownsville, Texas. AP ‘The Jamaican public should learn from that book and the people running the country should also pay attention to it.’ THE WEEKLY GLEANER | MAY 4 - JUNE 7, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
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6 NEW YORK, NY: F ORTY-FIVE YEARS after the concept of a track and field club was realised on the campus of Cornwall College (CC) High School in Montego Bay, Jamaica, the organisation is planning a reception to recognise some of the individuals and businesses that have and continue to support its mission. In October, 1977, senior students at the school who competed successfully at the national ‘Girls and Boys’Champs’, suddenly realised that they would soon ‘age out’ of the system with nowhere to continue doing what they love track and field athletics. They reasoned that a club would be a good option. Individuals including Glen Brown (teacher), Audrey Blake (teacher), Aubrey Campbell, Paul Tomlinson, Clement Bowen, and Paul East, huddled together in one of the dormitories on campus and decided then on the formation of the Montego Bay Comets Athletics Club. Fast-forward to 2023 and some of those individuals who provided the inspiration and the resources will be spotlighted at a reception at the Meet Conference Centre, Gloucester Avenue, Montego Bay, on Saturday, July 15. “We are extending an invitation to all of Montego Bay and Jamaica ..., to come out and celebrate with us our contribution to Jamaica’s track and field development these past four and a half decades,” offered Andrene Thomas-Brutus, chair of the planning committee and a former athlete at St James High School. The club/organisation will celebrate the fact that five months after it was set up, it staged its first development meet at CC, on the second Saturday of February in 1978. That meet would become the Comets Relays, which would become the Coca Cola Comets Relays, which would become the Western Relays – now the MiloWestern Relays, a significant part of the national development initiative. The Catherine Hall stadium would be seen as a validation of the club’s early mission. At the awards reception which will also serve as a reunion, patrons will be treated to an entertainment segment headlined by jazz soloist Myrna Hague and the True Tribute Ensemble, led by LeRoy Graham on saxophone. The presentation of awards will be done by Aubrey Campbell, one of the founders. Tickets for the event will go on sale at selected outlets in Montego Bay as of Monday, May 8. Comets Track Club to mark milestone with reception in MoBay Myrna Hague. Andrene Thomas – Brutus, Committee Chair-Comets Club Anniversary Celebration. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MAY 4 - JUNE 7, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
Mitchell confident he can win Manchester Central for PNP DECLARING HIS intention to represent the People’s National Party (PNP) in the next general election, Mandeville Mayor Donovan Mitchell believes he can return the Manchester Central seat to the party’s winning column. On Sunday, Peter Bunting, who held the seat for three terms before losing to political neophyte Rhoda Crawford in 2020, confirmed at the Bellefield Divisional Conference that he would not be seeking re-election in the constituency. Crawford had secured 8,097 votes to Bunting’s 7,112. Fifth suspect charged in $8m HEART fraud case A KEY suspect in an $8-million fraud case at the HEART/NSTA Trust was on Tuesday nabbed by the police while attempting to board a flight at the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston. The suspect, 36-year-old Ricardo Golden, was arrested and charged by the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA). MOCA Director of Communi-cations Major Basil Jarrett, in a statement late Tuesday, said that Golden is now the fifth person to be charged in connection with the investigation, which began in 2018. The other persons charged to date are AnnaKay Phinn-Tyrell and her husband, Michael Tyrell, former employees at HEART/NSTA Trust, as well as Tasha Bucknor and Shamar Bell – all of whom are presently before the courts. The five are alleged to have been part of a conspiracy to fraudulently move money from the HEART/NSTATrust to the accounts of persons who were neither employees nor contracted workers of the entity. Prison hangs over Brady FCJ wants disbarred attorney locked up for $110m debt Livern Barrett/Senior Staff Reporter THE STATE-OWNED Factories Corporation of Jamaica (FCJ) has filed an application in the Supreme Court to have disbarred attorney Harold Brady sent to prison for a debt that has ballooned to over $110 million. The application is scheduled to be heard on July 20, when a judge is expected to rule whether Brady should be imprisoned. There were no responses to questions emailed to Brady’s attorney, Jerome Spencer, lastWednesday seeking to ascertain whether he would challenge the application and, if so, the grounds on which he intends to rely. “I will respond after I receive instructions [from Brady],” Spencer said. The debt stems from the sale of an FCJ-owned property onMarcus Garvey Drive in the Corporate Area for $140 million, which was handled by Brady, according to a complaint the company filed with the General Legal Council (GLC) in 2015. The GLC regulates the legal profession in Jamaica. According to the complaint, he collected the full purchase price for the property but only accounted for $70 million despite “numerous requests” to hand over the funds. Further, the FCJ complained to the GLC that Brady’s failure to hand over the file relating to the transaction“with due expedition”and to register the sale agreement within 30 days caused the company to incur interest and penalties that pushed the debt to $111 million. After a hearing, the GLC found Brady guilty of professional misconduct and ordered that his name be struck from the list of attorneys authorised to practise in Jamaica and that he should pay FCJ $111 million with interest. Under Jamaican law, a judgment of the GLC can be enforced similarly to a judgment of the Supreme Court. The FCJ’s application to the Supreme Court last Thursday sought to enforce a previous order made by another High Court judge in 2019 that the disbarred attorney be committed to the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre for 30 days, attorneys for the FCJ told The Gleaner on Wednesday. That order was made after Brady failed tomake agreed $1 millionmonthly payments to the FCJ as ordered by the court, according to the attorneys. “The committal proceedings are an enforcement tool provided for in our law for somebody to essentially compel a judgment debtor to pay a debt. So this is what the FCJ is using to kind of force Mr Brady to pay the sums,” one of the attorneys told The Gleaner. $50B ‘DEAD LEF’ DISPUTE Chuck urges AGD to sell estates, distribute proceeds as lengthy wrangling causes depreciation Edmond Campbell/ Senior Parliamentary Reporter JUSTICE MINISTER Delroy Chuck is advising the Administrator General’s Department (AGD) to take steps to sell properties worth tens of billions of dollars tied up with the agency for years, owing to lingering disputes among beneficiaries. IN HIS contribution to the Sectoral Debate on Tuesday, Chuck revealed that up to the end of March this year, the AGD was managing more than $50 billion in properties that belonged to persons who died without making a will. Indicating that the prolonged management of the $50 billion in properties was not sustainable, Chuck said it placed a heavy burden on the AGD. The justice minister urged beneficiaries of these properties to settle their differences and end the protracted dispute over “dead lef”. “And what is important is for the administrator general to get the beneficiaries, using mediation, to agree as to how they will share the properties,” Chuck advised. He said that once the properties remain undistributed, they tend to deteriorate, and a significant amount of their value is lost as the resources are not readily available to maintain and improve them. In a follow-up interview with The Gleaner, Chuck revealed that one estate among the properties being managed by the AGD is valued at $800 million. He said the beneficiaries have not come to an agreement on how this property is to be shared. “If the beneficiaries in each estate agree as to how the estate should be shared, then there is no problem; you just distribute it. But especially with an estate that has real property, my instruction is rather than allowing the real estate to deteriorate, sell the real estate, collect the funds and then distribute it at the end of the day,” he insisted. He said that the administrator and executor have total control over how to determine how properties are sold or exchanged. 7 [ NEWSYOU MAY HAVE MISSED ] Delroy Chuck, justice minister. FILE JAMAICANS IN the diaspora will be able to pre-enrol online for the National Identification System (NIDS), but they will be required to visit an enrolment centre in Jamaica to provide their biometric information. The NIDS pre-enrolment software will allow citizens to log their information into the NIDS database and make an appointment to visit the enrolment site. “For my diaspora family … you can apply for NIDS. You will have to travel to Jamaica to get your picture taken and to give your fingerprints, but what you will be able to do is to pre-enrol, get an appointment date, align that appointment date with your trip, and come in and get it done,” said Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Floyd Green. He was responding to questions from callers during the Nationwide News Network (NNN) radio programme ‘Ask the Minister’ on Tuesday, May 2. He noted that persons who are ordinarily resident in Jamaica, that is, persons who have lived in Jamaica continuously for six months or more, are also eligible for the NIDS. “It doesn’t matter where you live. Once you are a citizen of Jamaica, you qualify for the National Identification System,” he pointed out. Persons must also submit supporting documents such as birth certificate, proof of address or marriage certificate. A reference number will be given for the applicant to track the application online. Once the verification is done, a notification will be sent to the applicant to collect, pin, and activate the national ID card that will be issued. For pre-enrolment and other information, persons can visit https://www. nidsfacts.com. Jamaicans in diaspora can pre-enrol for NIDS repeatedly to be taken to the doctor after she, too, injured her knee while picking strawberries. She said that she was eventually taken to the doctor and underwent 10 sessions of physiotherapy after it was discovered that her kneecap had shifted. “Liaison officers, no matter how much they come to you first and you tell them how you feel, they always take the boss’ side. Themnuh give you encouragement. Them just tell you [to] follow what them say,” she said. Efforts by The Gleaner to reach Chief Liaison Officer Kenneth Phillips for comment on the allegations were unsuccessful. The Gleaner was told that Phillips was in a meeting last Thursday. On Saturday, liaison officer Althea Riley, who shares a telephone number with Phillips, said that they were not in a position to comment. She referred The Gleaner to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security for a response. Of the overall 442 farmworkers surveyed, 55 per cent said that they were satisfied with the liaison service. Still, the majority of farmworkers in British Columbia (50.9 per cent), New Brunswick (56.3 per cent), Newfoundland and Labrador (100 per cent), and Nova Scotia (53.8 per cent) were not satisfied with the liaison service. NOT SATISFIED Forty-three per cent of workers in Ontario, which has the largest number of Jamaican farmworkers, said that they were not satisfied while 57 per cent said they were. Labour Minister Karl Samuda told Parliament on Tuesday that the Jamaican Liaison Service must address the weaknesses reported by farmworkers. “We are, through the ministry, dealing with it and will be making changes where necessary andmaking new additions,” he said. Attempts by The Gleaner to speak with Samuda about the findings were unsuccessful. Calls to his cell phone went unanswered. He did not respond to aWhatsApp message sent on Friday. The ministry’s oversight committee, meanwhile, said it recommended that the liaison service be “reorganised” because since its establishment in 1966, there has been no review of its structure. It said in this regard, a staffing structure has been prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service. The committee said efforts are under way to have the Jamaica Liaison Service established as part of Jamaica’s Foreign Mission in Canada. It said on the matter of allegations and complaints made by various advocacy groups, the liaison service conducts investigations when reports are made directly. “Where the complaints are validated, recommendations may be made to remove the offending farm from among the list of approved farms in the programme. kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com FARMERS Continued from, P3 THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MAY 4 - JUNE 7, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
NEW HAVEN, CT: THE NATIONAL Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) of Jamaica will stage two performances at the Shubert Theatre in Connecticut, USA for the first time since 2004 at the theatre’s International Festival of Arts and Ideas in June. Described as one the most innovative dance companies to have achieved world acclaim in the last half century, the NDTC blends the lore, music and dance traditions of Jamaica, Africa and the American South with both modern and classical ballet forms, dance performances, training and engagement programmes for all people. For Anthony McDonald, Shubert Theatre’s executive director, and a first-generation Jamaican-American, bringing the NDTC to New Haven is relevant. McDonald said, “Shubert Theatre is celebrated for presenting first-rate theatre, but its history includes a more wide-ranging story where renowned dancers and dance companies performed on the legendary Shubert stage.” He added, “Connecticut is home to the fifth largest population of Jamaican ancestry in the US and I am delighted to bring this company to our stage to share their performance and the rich culture of Jamaica with our patrons.” Shelley Quiala is the executive director for international festival of arts and ideas. She said, “Connecticut is a global epicentre for performing arts, and New Haven, particularly, is the perfect location to celebrate this extraordinary international company. We are delighted to join our colleagues at the Shubert in hosting NDTC in the state’s unofficial cultural capital.” The NDTC was co-founded by Rex Nettleford and Eddy Thomas in 1962 when Jamaica gained Independence after 468 years under Spanish and then British rule. Founded as a way to celebrate the island’s culture and the beginnings of Jamaica’s own government, the company is made up of dancers, singers, and musicians, and has a wide-ranging repertoire; some of the dances are dramas and tell a story, some are staged rituals showing religious ceremonies, some are pantomimes and other dances are just to enjoy. Since its formation, the company has achieved a reputation for artistic excellence, developing much of its repertoire from authentic folk material, and they have achieved national prominence and international acclaim. NDTC will perform on June 2 and 3 with performances at 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. The event is sponsored by Liberty Bank, and the International Association of New Haven. Tickets can be purchased online and costs US $29 – $59 at shubert.com, by phone at 203-5625666, and at the Shubert’s Box Office located at 247 College Street in downtown New Haven. 9 Aubrey Campbell/Gleaner Writer CHARLOTTE, NC: ROHAN CLARKE is on a mission to share his spirituality through music with those who will listen at home and here in the diaspora. He gained national recognition in 2004, when his entry Satan’s Kingdom, was adjudged the second best rendition in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) National Gospel Song Competition. He would win the national gospel song competition in 2008, with the judges’ favourite, By Faith. “My talent to sing and perform were honed in the Church of God, where I sang on choirs and preached the word of God. These two seeds have become the fruit, style, and philosophy reflected in my albums,” he shared. The album‘Happy Paradise’, Clarke’s third and latest project, was released by VP Records Distributors of NewYork City last week and features the lead track Thick andThin, a real reggae track with lyrics to inspire. ‘No, I’m not walking around with no stress because I know I’m blessed. Praise to the King, through thick and thin.’ Now residing in the USA, Clarke is busy setting up his KingdomMusic ministry, which he says is essential for listeners to maintain their spiritual integrity as they navigate a world of uncertainty. “I have been blessed to have a laser focus on music with quality, combined with a strong spiritual background that is reflected in the music my team and I create.” For now, the team includes his wife and first love, children, extended family, church family, fans, musicians, engineers, and well-wishers, who he says ‘are all elated for the new partnership with VP Records’. “The message of the Kingdom is in the music and our desire is to evangelise and bless souls all over the world.” HAPPY PARADISE: New Reggae Gospel from VP Records distributors NDTC to perform at Shubert Theatre in June Dance company to stage first performance since 2004 Rohan Clarke. CONTRIBUTED THE WEEKLY GLEANER | MAY 4 - JUNE 7, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
10 Aubrey Campbell/Gleaner Writer NEW YORK, NY: TWO-TIME DEFENDING champions Calabar High School alumni and firsttime champions St George’s College alumni will start as favourites to retain their titles at this year’s staging of the Jamaica Alumni Football Tournament (JAFT), presented by Griffin Football Club, on Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25, at the James L. Fleming Park, Yonkers, NY. This year will mark the first time that the tournament is being played outside the Bronx, and according to tournament director Bob Austin, the management team is making sure that players and supporters will have a satisfying experience. “We strive to run an efficient, fair and quality tournament and because it’s a city-run facility, that muchmore will be expected of us. Therefore, we will be asking all managers, coaches, captains, players and fans to be on their best behaviour while in the public space and to observe all necessary health-related protocols at this time.” In addition to Calabar defending their U-45 crown and STGC trying to make it two in a row in the O-45 division, fans will be treated to a rare sighting of the next generation of Reggae Boyz when an All-Schools Selection (National Juveniles), fresh off the Manning and daCosta Cup campaigns, line up against a Griffin FC U-19 selection, on Saturday afternoon. Added to the excitement this year will be a four-team, U-12 festival with an ‘international flavour’. Confirmed teams are Bronx Albanians, Brooklyn Central Academy, Griffin FC and Ballaz Academy from Kingston, Jamaica, under the direction of Andre Virtue. Pressed as to whether all thirty-two teams which participated last year have already confirmed for this year, Austin said the teams have until the end of May to say ‘yea or nay’, and that he has had very positive response from Cornwall College and STETHS as possible new entries. Last year saw 12 teams playing in the U-45 category, while 20 outfitted for the 0-45 category. The draw for pool play will be done at the end of May, with the group winners advancing to the ‘single elimination’ (knockout) round. The tournament will end with the usual trophy presentation ceremony and post-humous tributes to notable personalities of the sport, Frank Brown (coach), Trevor Ellington (coach, Unity FC) and Chris Zaidie (player). JAFT to spotlight youth at alumni masters tournament, Yonkers Andre Virtue, director – Ballaz Football Academy, Jamaica. Raymond Graham/ Gleaner Writer PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA F OR THE past 29 years, Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB), headed by founder and Chairman Irwine Clare, has played a significant role in ensuring that Jamaican teams competing at the annual Penn Relays in Philadelphia are provided with several services at the annual relay carnival. SOME OF the usual services provided by TJB include meals and other refreshments, physical therapy, chiropractic, mentorship, and medical services, ground transportation, daily hotel to stadium shuttle, airport transfers for arrival and departure, subsidised hotel rates and subsidised airfares. Last weekend’s 127th staging of the event was no different and TJB stepped up their assistance, with outstanding athletes and coaches being recognised for their performances with individual and team rewards. Holmwood Technical’s Cedricka Williams walked away with the TBJ award for being the top individual Jamaican female performer at the Penn Relays. Williams successfully defended her high school discus title with a new record throw of 57.23 metres. She erased the old mark of 54.72m set by Excelsior High’s Shanice Love in 2016. Hydel High were the top top high school female team at the relays with wins in the 4x100m and the 4x400m. Their 4x100ms team of Alana Reid, Oneika McAnnuff, Shemonique Hazle, and Aaliyah Baker picked up the top-performance award for their winning time of 44.16 seconds, the fourth fastest time ever at the meet in the event. For their two wins, Hydel were rewarded with US$2,400. Kobe Lawrence of Calabar High walked away with the top prize for male individual performance after winning the shot put with a personal best throw of 20.93m. Jamaica College’s sprint relay quartet of Daniel Beckford, Hector Benjamin, Jaiden Reid, and Malique Smith-Band were named the top male relay team and in the process picked up US$1,200. Two coaches were also recognised by TJB - Julian Robinson, the coach of shot putter Lawrence, and former coach of St Jago High’s female team Marlene Hawthorne. Hawthorne, the head of the physical education department at St Jago, has been coach then team manager of the school’s female team to the Penn Relays for more than 30 years. Clare was pleased with his team’s contribution to Jamaica teams once again. “I am very happy that our company was able to contribute once again to the Jamaicans cause. I must thank the organisers of the meet for allowing us to use the Palestra as our base as TBJ Carnival Village, where the Jamaicans dined,”he said. The Palestra is just next door to the Franklin Field track at the University of Pennsylvania. Clare thanked the various stakeholders. “Thanks for the various stakeholders who helped in ensuring that the Jamaicans got ambassadorial treatment for the entire time they were at Penns, and kudos to our volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure all went well, and also to Jamaica’s Consul General in New York, Alison Wilson,” Clare said. TJB rewards top Jamaican athletes and officials at Penns Team Jamaica Bickle’s Irwine Clare. FILE THE WEEKLY GLEANER | MAY 4 - JUNE 7, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS St. George’s College past students will be looking to repeat as champions in the Masters (0-45) Division of the Jamaica Alumni Football Tournament in Yonkers, NY. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS Tournament director Bob ‘Tego’ Austin, a JC alum. Frank Brown, former national player and coach to receive post-humous citation.
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