Black Immigrant Daily News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Prime Minister Andrew Holness is assuring residents of Olympic Gardens that several strategies, including increased police presence and the installation of cameras, will be used to address gang violence that is affecting the area.

Holness’ assurances come after a spate of shootings in the community which resulted in at least two double murders on Tuesday, with a reported six deaths in total over recent days

A curfew, which began on 8pm on Tuesday and will continue until 8 pm on Thursday, has been imposed to address the violence in the area.

Holness, accompanied by the Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang and Police Commissioner, Major General Antony Anderson, on Wednesday walked sections of the community of Olympic Gardens that is located in the prime minister’s West Central St Andrew constituency.

In describing the murders as “gruesome”, Holness said they were likely gang-related.

“It would appear young men from the community involved in gang activities ended up in conflict, which has resulted in the loss of six lives,” he stated.

“We also believe that in addition to the gang conflict, there may be retaliation where innocent lives are involved,” he said.

The prime minister said the police have assured him that they are investigating the developments, and that they will leave no stones unturned in their probe.

“So far residents are fearful. They have expressed their fears, and so I am here to reassure them that we will have full coverage of the area, both in terms of static and dynamic police presence, but also in terms of intelligence gathering,” said Holness.

“We cannot allow such heinous crimes to be committed and the perpetrators face no consequences.

“This is my constituency; I love the people here; they are like my family and wherever crime happens – here or wherever in Jamaica – I literally take it very personally,” he declared.

To that end, he pledged the security forces’ commitment of ensuring that the necessary resources “are brought to bear and the perpetrators are brought to justice”.

In addition to the increased security manpower, Holness said overtime, cameras will be installed in the community help to identify those who are committing the murders.

“There are some other measures which we will put in place as well, including cameras.

“We have a project in place, unfortunately it is stuck in procurement and it’s not yet come to fruition. But I am going to try and fast-rack that because as you can see, these areas are properly laid

In noting that the mode of the commission of the recent murders was by drive-bys involving motor vehicles, Holnes said the cameras would have been “very useful in identifying the vehicles and, possibly, the licence plates.”

The prime minister said the residents have expressed fear, but they are not in support of the gang conflicts.

“I am expecting that we will get valuable and useful information to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Holness declared.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Tobago

Soca artistes Kees Dieffenthaller of Kes the Band, left, and Iwer George will be at Bago Jam on Saturday.

The highly anticipated Tobago carnival, scheduled for October 28-30, will be officially launched on Saturday with a party.

Listed on the Independence calendar of events, Bago Jam will take place at the Shaw Park Complex carpark from 5pm.

The event is free to the public.

Performances are expected from Kes the Band, Iwer George, Farmer Nappy, Shurwayne Winchester, Zan, Kernel Roberts, Sekon Sta and a host of others.

The island’s inuagural October carnival will be held under the theme Ritual, Revelry, Release and a number of activities are scheduled.

The calendar of events was revealed to the media at a media launch recently and includes five main events hosted by the Tobago House of Assembly: Pan in the Gayelle (October 28), J’Ouvert, Night Mas, Emerge Carnival Masquerade Gala (October 29), culminating with Parade of the Bands (October 30).

There are also a number of private events starting in September.

Chair of the Tobago Carnival Committee Meisha Trim is excited for the launch.

“We do have a mixture of artistes, both Tobagonians and Trinis alike. You’ll see mas bands on display, there will be a bit of food, a bit of culture. It’s really an event to kickstart Tobago’s carnival in October.

“We really do expect Tobago to have a great showing Saturday. We look forward to hosting our visitors, our friends across the island in Trinidad and the Caribbean.”

Elvis Radgman, CEO of the Tobago Performing Arts Company, said, “With the excitement about the Tobago carnival, there is a particular kind of interest to galvanise the rest of the country about what Tobago is gonna be offering come October. Thus is really to give people a real taste of what is to come.

“This is gonna be the concert of all concerts. It’s the first major event outside of Great Fete (Weekend) to take place in Tobago. It’s the perfect signal and we expect to fill the space.”

Tobago carnival calendar of events

September 25 – Soaked at Roxborough

October 1 – Dream at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex

October 22 – The Hideout at the Argyle Waterfall

October 23 – Revel on the Harbour Master

October 26 – Waddap Wednesday at Canoe Bay

October 27 – Pink Brunch (venue to be announced)

October 28 – Pan in the Gayelle

October 28 – Floats and Bikinis on the Harbour Master

October 28 – Daylight (venue to be announced)

October 28 – Finesse on board the Embassy.

October 29 – J’Ouvert

October 29 – Night Mas

October 29 – Emerge Carnival Masquerade Gala

October 29 – Mud Festival in Crown Point

October 29 – TUCO Tobago Lime at Tropikist Hotel

October 29 – Soiree (venue to be announced)

October 30 – Parade of the Bands

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News

The five divers employed by a private company hired by Paria Fuel Trading Co Ltd to do maintenance work on a 30-inch pipeline in one of the last photos taken at Pointe-a-Pierre on February 25. From left are Christopher Boodram, who survived,
Kazim Ali, Yuseph Henry, Rishi Nagassar and Fyzal Kurban.

A moment of silence was observed for the four divers who died in the Paria tragedy at the formal opening of the commission of enquiry (CoE) on Wednesday.

Commission chairman, Jerome Lynch, QC, said it is right that they should be remembered with sorrow and compassion.

“Not just them, but their families and friends who grieve for them. I would ask you to please join with me and observe a minute of silence as a mark of respect for those men who have died and for those whose lives have been changed forever,” the Jamaica jurist asked those in attendance.

On behalf of himself and fellow commissioner including subsea specialist Gregory Wilson, he expressed, “our heartfelt sadness and suffering and despair caused by this loss of life.

“We are acutely aware these men were fathers and sons, brothers and cousins, friends and colleagues and breadwinners and confidants who provided joy to many.”

While noting that the enquiry cannot bring back Fyzal Kurban, Rishi Nagassar, Kazim Ali Jr and Yusuf Henry, “it can and it will provide answers to the inevitable questions of how a tragedy of this kind could occur in today’s society.”

Lynch said that he was shocked by the incident.

“Such an incident in a modern country, used to dealing with the extraction of oil and gas and the maintenance of machinery necessary to effect such extraction, is both surprising and tragic in the 21st century.”

He noted that, “194 days ago, four men died when something happened that caused them to be sucked into a 30-inch pipeline stretching across the seabed from berth six to berth five.

“The facts are undoubtedly tragic,” he said pledging to get to the truth, leaving no stone unturned to get there.

Lynch has set hearings for November 21-25, December 5-8, December 12-15, and as a contingent, January 9-13, 2023, although he said hopefully that January hearing would not be necessary.

He said a draft report should be completed by Easter.

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