Acting CoP optimistic gang crimes will be reduced

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

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GOOD JOKE: Acting CoP McDonald Jacob, centre, in a fit of laughter as he chats with Minister of Social Development and Family Services Donna Cox, left, and Manager of the TTPS corporate communications unit, Joanne Archie, at the Courtyard Marriott, Invaders Bay, Port of Spain on Wednesday. PHOTO BY DARREN BAHAW – Darren Bahaw

ACTING Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob is optimistic the roll-out of the Gang Reduction and Community Empowerment (GRACE) programme, sponsored by the US Embassy, will help reduce gang violence which accounts for just under two-thirds of the annual murders in the country.

Jacob was speaking at a cocktail reception hosted by the embassy at the Courtyard Marriott hotel, Invaders Bay, Port of Spain on Wednesday, where key stakeholders gathered for the event.

In May, the programme was officially launched. It is a partnership between the police service, the embassy and the Pan American Development Foundation as well as other law enforcement agencies. The embassy, through the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, has contributed US$1.3 million for the 18-month project which concludes in November 2023.

US Charge d’Affaires Shante Moore said the embassy was happy to partner with the police and noted that over US$10 million was donated to help in anti-crime programmes in recent years.

Already, all divisional commanders and other first division officers have been trained, and another 600 officers are to be trained before the concept is rolled out in 12 districts across the ten police divisions.

Jacob said one of the aims of the programme is to assist police in developing the necessary evidential standards required by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, to successfully prosecute gang offenders.

He said internationally gang-related crimes are difficult to prosecute than other categories of crime and witnesses, even law enforcement officers, “may be intimidated by the inherent and implied threat of violence from a gang-involved situation.”

The acting CoP said under the Anti-Gang legislation, 81 offenders have been charged and statistics show 60 per cent of murders annually, are gang-related, while a staggering 80 per cent of woundings and shootings are also gang-related.

Jacob said intelligence suggests there are 134 criminal gangs in TT emerging out of six main gangs who are involved in a host of offences ranging from illegal quarrying, drug trafficking, robberies, extortion, land grabbing, sale of illegal guns, human trafficking and stealing cars.

He said for this year, police have seized 482 guns, 72 of which are high-powered rifles, and 644 young men have been charged for those crimes.

“Even though the investigators in the TTPS are aware these young men are involved in gangs, they are unable to reach the the evidential threshold required to charge them for being involved in gangs according to the legislation.”

He said in it may be necessary for police to develop gang experts to help juries understand the complexities of criminal gangs.

Jacob said while police officers “are natural warriors,” what was needed was an “ideal form of policing,” which when combined with community policing, could influence positive change in some challenged communities and cut off recruitment of gang members.

He said he was pleased with the support from several organisations such as the Emancipation Support Committee, the Black Agenda Project, Single Fathers’ Association and the Educational Development Centre in Laventille, several faith-based organisations for coming on board to assist the police take back communities from the lure of criminal gangs.

Minister of Social Development and Family Services Donna Cox said the Government was grateful to the embassy for sponsoring the programme which will help prevent and reduce violent crimes and enhance the police’s ability to investigate and prosecute gang crimes.”

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Augustine: 1 out of 3 Duke’s trips still unaccounted for

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

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Chief Secretary Farley Augustine – THA

REPORTS have been submitted for two of the three official overseas travel by former THA Deputy Chief Secretary Watson Duke, says Chief Secretary Farley Augustine.

This was the response given as he responded to a question posed for oral answer by Minority Leader Kelvon Morris on Thursday at the 9th sitting of the 2021-2025 session, at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex.

Augustine told the sitting: “Reports were submitted for the Miami and New York trips.”

In a follow up question, Minority Councillor Petal Daniel-Benoit asked why no report was submitted for Duke’s Dubai trip.

“I cannot at this time say why a report for Dubai was not submitted and as for when that would be submitted, I think the councillor might do well to ask their new-found colleague and member on their side, as to when he would submit same,” Augustine said.

Duke last week said that having resigned as Deputy Chief Secretary, he would be moving to the other side of the assembly when next it sits, but not on the side of the PNM.

Daniel-Benoit asked that the reports on Duke’s trips be made public, to which Augustine said: “More than making them public, I can also have them forwarded to your office as well.”

In March, Duke led a Tobago team to participate in the Dubai Expo in the United Arab Emirates.

During a session in Dubai on a blueprint for smarter cities, Duke identified ten zones to modernise the village of Roxborough at the TT Business Forum and National Day event in Dubai.

In what he described as “the City of Roxborough,” Duke promoted investment possibilities for a light manufacturing and free-trade zone, civil centre, medical tourism, Kendal Agriculture institute, boardwalk, airport and aviation and marine institute, new overwater causeway, marina, medical complex, housing and a new marina bay island.

This was only one of the questions responded to prior to the laying of the statement on the forensic audit into the road resurfacing programme under the former PNM-led THA during the period October 2019 to November 2021.

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Tobago’s 5th murder – man gunned down in Mason Hall

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

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MURDERED: Emiro Baynes who was found shot to death in Tobago. –

AN EMPLOYEE of T&T Ferry Services was shot and killed by gunmen while driving his car along Belmont Farm Road, Mason Hall, early on Thursday. The victim has been identified as Trinidadian Emero Baynes who is Tobago’s fifth murder victim for this year.

Police said that at around 4.15 am, the Tobago Operational Command Centre received a report of an accident along Belmont Farm Road.

Officers from the Emergency Response Patrol responded along the Emergency Health Services and Fire Services.

Baynes was found slumped over the steering wheel of a white Hyundai Sonata, with several gunshot wounds to his head and other parts of his body.

Officers from the Criminal Records Office processed the scene, which was visited by CMO Dr Kumar. The body was removed to the Scarborough General Hospital mortuary.

Police visiting the scene included Insps Prince, Bacchus and Joefield and Sgts Yorke and Jones. Baynes was said to be living in the Pleasant Prospect area, near Black Rock. He was believed to have been heading to work when the shooting occurred.

On Thursday, passengers who interacted with Baynes during their trips to and from Trinidad on board the APT James said they were shocked and saddened by his death.

Tobago artiste and reigning heritage monarch Shamika Denoon described him as charming. “Everytime, I boarded the ferry with my daughter, you were always there to give her good cheer,” she said on her WhatsApp status.

“One of the best workers on the T&T Ferry Service, rest in peace Emiro. This is really sad.”

Another female passenger said in a Facebook post that Baynes seated her on the vessel earlier this week.

Investigations are continuing.

Commenting on the killing, economist Anslem Richards said reports of murders with firearms must be of serious concern to Tobagonians, given the size of the island. He said details of Baynes’ killing was still sketchy.

Economist Anslem Richards. –

“He was a well-known employee on T&T Ferry Services. We don’t know what he was involved in and we don’t want to make any assumptions about his activities that may have generated this kind of end result.

“But I think we have a duty and responsibility to ensure that the police, with the support from the community, remove illegal firearms from the streets of Trinidad and Tobago,” Richards said.

He reiterated that security at the ports also must be improved to prevent the transshipment of guns.

He added there must also be purposeful interventions for young people who are inclined to get involved in underworld activities.

“There must be affirmative action, especially among our young males. And the THA has to pay some attention to that, especially in collaboration with the central government, to provide the resources to get that kind of affirmative action almost immediately.”

Richards said if these measures are not implemented, crime will escalate, “especially in the current inflationary and unemployment situation that we are facing as a country.

“So we have to ensure that we stabilise the socio-economic environment and do the kind of human development intervention that is necessary to recede the kind of criminal activity that normally happens in a time of economic depression and social contraction.”

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has spoken out against Tobago’s crime situation.

After the death of artiste N’Kosi Bovell, aka Fari Dan, who was shot in a bar in Scarborough on May 15, he had told reporters, “This is not the Tobago we know. Every murder is shocking and alarming to us and I don’t want us to be desensitised. It is something that we have to treat with rather quickly.”

Augustine said then crime is mostly a social issue that must be addressed with a concerted effort focusing on young men.

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TTUTA: 75 per cent of teachers protested Thursday, more action to come

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

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THE TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) is hailing its planned protest on Thursday – by asking that teachers only report to work for the second half of the school day – as a success. But it is also warning the office of the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) that more serious demonstrations will be done if it continues to be silent.

TTUTA was recently offered a four per cent increase in salaries, along with other trade unions, but rejected the offer. Since then, it has been calling on CPO Dr Daryl Dindial to meet with it to negotiate further.

After an internal meeting, TTUTA decided that if Dindial did not respond by Monday, teachers would protest. And so said, so done.

TTUTA first vice president Marlon Seales told Newsday Thursday’s protest was “very successful.

“We got – at our last check – we got support between 70-75 per cent of teachers (participating). We have some estimates coming in going as high as 78 per cent.”

He said there was a low turnout of students, so much so that some schools dismissed their students by midday.

But he said the union is still disappointed.

“We haven’t heard anything from the office of the CPO. We still haven’t heard anything.

“The general council would have mandated that we take further action. The details of that will be coming out very shortly and we will communicate with our members by the end of the day.”

He said a “second step” will be planned.

“With all that being said, the association stands ready to re-engage the CPO in bilateral talks around the negotiating table.”

“We are asking for the conversation that is mandated by the industrial relations act – that is all we are asking for.”

He said the office of the CPO must stop negotiating through correspondence and be direct.

“When he puts an offer in an envelope and we take it away, there’s no conversation like that.

“We want to go around the table where he can clearly articulate his position, where we can articulate our position and have some meeting ground in the middle – that kind of thing.

“We are troubled by the silence coming out of the office of the CPO. Nevertheless, we continue to persist and we are asking the CPO to consider what the disruptions in the education system may do to the nation’s children.”

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Government denies cancelling horse track lease

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: The BVI Beacon

Following an online news report about the recent closure of Ellis Thomas Downs, government issued a statement last week denying that it cancelled a lease granted to the Thomas family that owns much of the horse track land.

However, the facility remains closed, with no re-opening date projected.

The closure was first announced in a Sept. 8 press release from the Ministry of Education and Culture, despite a horse race scheduled for 10 days later.

Few details were provided in the release, which was peppered with legal jargon and advised the public not to use the track.

But on Sept. 14, Virgin Islands News Online quoted a Thomas family member who reportedly claimed the government had “unilaterally” cancelled its contract with the landowners. She also reportedly said the family had received threats because of the closure.

Attempts to reach the family member were not immediately successful, but on Sept. 15 government said it is commitment to resolving “all outstanding issues” with the family as negotiations continue.

“In these circumstances, it is not the government’s intention to engage in any protracted public debate on issues which are likely to arise during the negotiations,” the statement noted. “Indeed, government considers that to do so at this stage may well be counterproductive or prejudicial. This notwithstanding, following the statements to the press by the Thomas family, government considers it necessary to publicly respond in an effort to bring clarity to certain matters for the record.”

Gov’t perspective

The statement went on to explain that a meeting with the Thomas family took place on Sept. 8, mainly to discuss a rent review.

However, government added, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley and other ministers had to excuse themselves shortly after the meeting began “due to certain developments concerning” the late Queen Elizabeth II, who died that day.

After they left, members of the Attorney General’s Chambers and ministry officers responsible for Crown lands continued the meeting, according to government.

“At the meeting, the government representatives did not ‘cancel’ the lease with the Thomas family,” the statement claimed. “Rather, fundamental legal issues were raised, and ultimately the Thomas family indicated that they would not allow further use of their property. The family stated this to be a non-negotiable position, and the government accepted.”

That evening, government issued a notice advising the public not to use the property until further notice.

The statement last Thursday did not provide a timeline for the possible re-opening of the track, but it did condemn the alleged threats against the Thomas family.

“We expect that any such threats will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law,” the statement added.

Cancelled race

The closure resulted in the cancellation of a Sept. 18 race, which had been postponed from Sept. 4 due to inclement weather, Horse Owners’ Association President Lesmore Smith told the Beacon last week.

Mr. Smith declined to comment on the land issue, and he said he didn’t know how long the closure would last.

“I’ll just wait on the outcome and see how soon it may or may not be resolved to move forward, but I hope it will move forward in the interest of all people involved,” he said.

He added that many horse owners support their horses with revenues earned from the races.

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Marchand-Dessalines : des travaux sur le site abritant les maisons de l’empereur Jacques 1er au centre d’une pol?mique

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Le Nouvelliste

Depuis plusieurs semaines, des fouilles pour la construction de toilettes modernes dans la cour du site abritant les deux maisonnettes mystiques de l’empereur Jean-Jacques Dessalines intriguent certaines personnes qui demandent des comptes ? la mairie de la commune. Dans une lettre parue le 5 septembre dernier, l’Institut de sauvegarde du patrimoine national (ISPAN) et le minist?re de la Culture et de la Communication ont fait la recommandation au maire de suspendre les travaux qui, selon eux, violent l’arr?t? pr?sidentiel qui a ?lev? la cour de l’empereur Jacques 1er au rang de patrimoine national. De son c?t?, l’agent int?rimaire de la commune, Dunord Cil?us, entend poursuivre les travaux qu’il estime importants pour la s?curit? du site et au b?n?fice des visiteurs des lieux.

<>, lit-on dans la lettre de l’ISPAN qui dit attendre que la mairie se ressaisisse et mette fin aux travaux et la remise du site en ?tat d’origine dans le meilleur d?lai en d?molissant toutes constructions modernes.

De son c?t?, l’agent int?rimaire de la commune, Dunord Cil?us, dit rejeter d’un revers de main toute id?e d’arr?t forc? des travaux. Selon ses dires, les travaux entrepris ne concernent pas les deux maisonnettes mais plut?t l’arri?re-cour qui avait d?j? une maison habitable et des latrines en mauvais ?tat habit?e par des particuliers au m?pris de l’ISPAN.

<>, a d?clar? au Nouvelliste Dunord Cil?us, qui a affirm? qu’il n’y a rien de personnel dans ces travaux qui ne visent en aucun cas ? d?grader le site.

Lors d’une visite sur le site le mardi 6 septembre dernier, des ouvriers ?taient ? pied d’oeuvre dans le mur entourant la zone nord des maisonnettes. Apr?s avoir r?alis? les travaux dans une grande partie, il se pr?parait d?j? ? attaquer une autre partie. Dans l’arri?re-cour, les bases pour l’?rection des deux chambres des latrines sont d?j? pos?es avec des constructions faites en blocs. Le responsable des travaux, qui est aussi le g?rant de la cour, Robert Joseph, dit Bob, supervisait le chantier.

Dans sa d?claration, M. Joseph affirme que la cour de l’empereur fait face le soir ? de multiples probl?mes o? n’importe qui peut y acc?der pour entreprendre n’importe quelle activit?. Selon lui, ? chaque moment de f?te ou de p?lerinage, les gens mass?s dans la cour de l’empereur, quand ils ont des besoins physiologiques, sont oblig?s d’aller supplier les habitants du quartier afin de les aider. Avec la construction de ces toilettes, il y aura un peu de soulagement, a-t-il pr?cis?.

Plusieurs riverains et citoyens interrog?s, estiment que la cour de l’empereur n?cessite beaucoup plus d’attention de l’?tat ha?tien. <>, a d?clar? un professeur r?put? dans la ville sous le couvert de l’anonymat et qui s’en est pris aussi ? l’ISPAN qui, selon lui, se contente de d?clarer patrimoine national le site en ?rigeant autour une cl?ture de fer.

Les travaux en cours sur le site abritant les maisonnettes mystiques de l’empereur sont deux chambres de toilettes modernes et une douche pour desservir les visiteurs et des travaux de r?habilitation des murs prot?geant le site financ? par un particulier. Il est pr?vu le d?guerpissement des gens qui habitent la cour du site en transformant leur maison en biblioth?que communale. Pour l’instant, la mairie n’est pas en mesure de pr?ciser le montant disponible pour la r?alisation de ces travaux car il n’y a pas de budget, donc l’?volution des travaux d?pendra de la disponibilit?.

Le maire Dunord Cil?us, malgr? les critiques et recommandations de l’ISPAN, n’entend pas mettre fin ? ces travaux, pr?cisant que le site ne se r?sume pas seulement au 17 octobre mais une destination touristique mondiale.

Dans une note, la mairie de Dessalines “proteste ?nergiquement” contre la r?cente publication de la lettre de l’ISPAN en date du 8 septembre 2022, tr?s virale sur les r?seaux-sociaux, d?non?ant les travaux d’am?nagement d’une partie de l’ancienne cl?ture en t?le et la construction d’une nouvelle toilette moderne r?pondant aux normes hygi?niques et sanitaires dans un endroit tr?s ind?pendant des vestiges de la maison de l’empereur Jacques 1er.” A titre d’information, la mairie de Dessalines n’a aucune intention ni qualit? d’intervenir techniquement sur le patrimoine physique de ce site historique. Il s’agit bien de 2 petites maisonnettes”, souligne la mairie.

“Tout en reconnaissant le droit inali?nable se l’ISPAN, son autorit? aussi pour travailler ? la pr?servation et la protection des patrimoines nationaux: elle invite les responsables de l’ISPAN ? administrer sa d?marche aux fins de pouvoir recueillir toutes les bonnes informations relatives ? ce projet. Elle profite de l’occasion pour apporter un d?menti formel contre toutes les all?gations mensong?res visant ? ternir et ? salir l’image de cette institution municipale. Toutefois, la mairie de Dessalines r?it?re son intention de poursuivre avec ses travaux dans l’unique but de travailler ? la valorisation des vestiges de la maison de l’Empereur Jacques 1er”, indique la note.

La mairie de Dessalines encourage les responsables de l’ISPAN ? multiplier ses d?marches en vue de “r?volutionner le monde culturel et touristique de la commune de Dessalines, riche en patrimoines, capable de transformer r?ellement la ville de l’empereur en une ville touristique”.

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Ha?ti : Y a-t-il un pilote dans l’avion, une tour de contr?le ou des loups-garous sur la piste ?

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Le Nouvelliste

<>

Celui qui a post? ce message sur Twitter est Maarten Boute, figure la plus embl?matique de la Digicel, l’une des plus importantes entreprises d’Ha?ti.

Ce message aurait pu ?tre post? par n’importe quel chef d’entreprise en Ha?ti. Un petit d?taillant, un madan sara, la premi?re banque du pays ou un simple citoyen.

Les contraintes de circulation sont les m?mes pour tout le monde en Ha?ti, ce 22 septembre 2022.

<>.

Celui qui a expliqu? au Nouvelliste la situation dans la prison la plus moderne d’Ha?ti est le directeur de l’administration p?nitentiaire, inspecteur g?n?ral de la Police nationale d’Ha?ti, Pierre Ren? Fran?ois.

La police, au plus haut niveau, n’avait pas plus d’information ce jeudi apr?s-midi que le commun des mortels ayant acc?s aux r?seaux sociaux pendant qu’on parlait d’un poste de police incendi? et d’une ?vasion ? la prison civile de Cabaret attaqu?e et vid?e de ses pensionnaires.

L’institution la mieux arm?e de la R?publique n’avait plus les moyens de communiquer avec ses troupes sur le terrain. Le peyi l?k des derniers jours a mis ? plat son r?seau de communication interne.

Le plus grand centre de stockage de produits p?troliers du pays est inaccessible depuis des jours. Des ?coles par dizaines ont ?t? pill?es. Un important poste de douane attaqu?. Des succursales de banque vandalis?es. Les plus importantes ONG sont pillees. Des villes de province sont coup?es du reste du pays. Par million des Ha?tiens rejoignent la pauvret? et l’ins?curit? alimentaire.

Depuis deux semaines, on peine ? faire le d?compte des victimes de toutes sortes qui rejoignent les statistiques des attaques contre les vies et les biens. On ne tente m?me pas de tenir le d?compte, en fait.

Le gouvernement en place, ses opposants et ses alli?s de la communaut? internationale se cachent derri?re leur petit doigt quand il faut chercher des solutions, stopper ou ralentir la d?gradation g?n?rale de la situation. Ils laissent faire.

Apr?s avoir provoqu?, accompagn? ou aliment? le grand d?sordre, comme le pr?sident Jovenel Mo?se avant eux, ils inventent des boucs ?missaires sans les identifier formellement.

La question n’est plus: y a-t-il un pilote dans le cockpit de l’avion Ha?ti ou une tour de contr?le pour nous ?viter la catastrophe, mais qui sont ces zombi riches et puissants qui nous mangent notre avenir ?

Qui sont ces acteurs politiques d’un nouveau genre que m?me les USA ou le Canada ?vitent de d?noncer ouvertement ?

Dans la r?alit?, il y a un vrai probl?me de gouvernance en Ha?ti et de vraies attaques contre la gouvernance de la cit?.

Il faut des solutions sur les deux fronts.

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Jean Victor G?n?us : les excuses du pr?sident colombien, un

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Le Nouvelliste

Le chancelier ha?tien Jean Victor G?n?us, le seul officiel ha?tien pr?sent ? la r?union au cours de laquelle le pr?sident colombien, Gustavo Petro, a pr?sent? ses <>, estime qu’il s’agit d’un geste fort et courageux que les Ha?tiens doivent prendre en compte. <>, a confi? ? Le Nouvelliste le chancelier Jean Victor G?n?us, jeudi 22 septembre 2022.

<>, avait tweet? le pr?sident colombien, mercredi 21 septembre 2022, en marge de sa participation ? 77 ?me assembl?e des nations-un?tes,? New York.

Le pr?sident d’Ha?ti, Jovenel Mo?se, a ?t? assassin? chez lui, le 7 juillet 2021 par un commando de mercenaires colombiens, ont indiqu? les autorit?s. Trois de ces mercenaires ont ?t? tu?s, 18 autres, captur?s, sont emprisonn?s en Ha?ti. Il y a eu plusieurs r?actions apr?s le tweet du pr?sident Gustavo Petro.

<>, a tweet? l’ex-premier ministre de Jovenel Mo?se, Claude Joseph.

<>, a tweet? Monique Clesca, l’une des personnalit?s qui appuient l’accord de Montana.

<>, a indiqu? pour sa part l’ex-Premier ministre Laurent Salvador Lamothe.

L’un des membres du commando, l’ex-militaire Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, qui avait pu fuir Ha?ti, a ?t? appr?hend? ? Panama et conduit en Floride, aux USA o? est incarc?r? en compagnie de deux autres suspects, Rodolphe Jaar et l’ex-s?nateur John Jo?l Joseph.

L’enqu?te judiciaire tra?ne en Ha?ti. Aux USA, les autorit?s am?ricaines ont d?sign? il y a quelques un fonctionnaire pour g?rer les informations sensibles en lien avec ce dossier. Il a ?t? rapport? que parmi les suspects, deux ressortissants ha?tiens de nationalit? am?ricaine, ont travaill? comme informateurs pour des agences du gouvernement des Etats-Unis.

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Justin Trudeau ?voque ?lites et oligarques qui d?stabilisent Ha?ti

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Le Nouvelliste

<>, a dit Trudeau, soulignant que pendant des ann?es, voire des d?cennies, la communaut? internationale a essay? de r?parer Ha?ti pour les Ha?tiens.

<>, a-t-il dit.

<>, a affirm? le Premier ministre Canadien.

<>, a appel? Justin Trudeau.

<>.

Un officiel am?ricain, Juan Gonzalez, avait tap? fort. Les violentes manifestations qui ont plong? Ha?ti dans le chaos et l’anarchie sont “financ?es par des acteurs ?conomiques qui risquent de perdre de l’argent”, avait d?clar? Juan Gonzalez, directeur principal pour l’H?misph?re occidental au Conseil national de s?curit? ? la Maison Blanche et assistant sp?cial du pr?sident Joe Biden, a rapport? Miami Herald, lundi 19 septembre 2022.

“Ce sont des gens qui souvent ne vivent m?me pas en Ha?ti, qui ont des manoirs dans diff?rentes parties du monde, et qui paient pour que les gens aillent dans les rues”, avait indiqu? Gonzalez qui s’est exprim? lors d’une apparition lundi ? l’Institut am?ricain de la paix bas? ? Washington, D.C.

M. Gonzalez, a indiqu? le Miami Herald, n’a pas pr?cis? qui sont ces puissants “acteurs” fortun?s. Cependant, il a d?clar? que ce n’?tait pas la premi?re fois que de tels individus utilisaient leur argent pour s’opposer aux efforts du gouvernement ha?tien pour supprimer les subventions, que les ?tats-Unis et les institutions mon?taires soutiennent depuis longtemps comme ?tant insoutenables.

En juillet 2018, une hausse annonc?e des prix du carburant par le premier gouvernement du pr?sident Jovenel Mo?se avait entra?n? de violentes protestations, l’annulation de vols internationaux et un verrouillage d’Ha?ti pendant des mois.

“Ils ont fait la m?me chose avec Mo?se et ils se mobilisent chaque fois que leurs int?r?ts ?conomiques ou leurs accords pr?f?rentiels avec les gouvernements sont menac?s”, a rappel? Gonzalez, ajoutant que cela se produit “? un moment o? les gens meurent litt?ralement de faim”, peut-on lire dans cet article du Miami Herald.

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PSOJ calls for effective short-term crime strategies to contain crime Loop Jamaica

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Jamaica News Loop News

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) has sort to reinforce it recent call for the nation’s political leaders to get behind closed doors to reach consensus on short-term crime strategies to contain the violent crimes and murders that are being committed by gangs nationally.

The PSOJ has also called for resumption of the Vale Royal Talks involving the Government and Opposition.

On Thursday, the organisation said the Government must take responsibility and act in the best interest of the country.

In a statement, it said the Government and the security forces “need to be proactive and lead the way in serving and protecting Jamaicans, as many of our citizens from all walks of life are living in a state of fear and anxiety as they face unrelenting, atrocious criminal acts.”

The PSOJ said the commissioner of police has indicated that 71 per cent of the over 1,000 murders nationally so far this year were committed by gangs, added that “they (the gangsters) continue to walk our streets with confidence, knowing that the long arm of the law has not been able to have them face the consequences of their rampant, cold-blooded criminality.”

The private sector body added that the “collateral damage” of that 71 per cent of murders are “being seen with mothers, children, young men, hardworking citizens, members of a community enjoying themselves at a football match, being slaughtered.”

It elaborated that “Jamaicans are losing hope, and it certainly appears that under our current legal construct and, or with the resources that are available to be deployed, that we don’t have the capacity to mount a sustained onslaught on these gangs that will reverse the trajectory of murders and mayhem.”

The PSOJ noted that the medium to long-term pillars of Plan Secure Jamaica are being executed under the oversight of the Crime Monitoring and Oversight Committee (CMOC).

It acknowledged that investments in technology, capacity and infrastructure continue to be made in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), and socio-economic programmes are being executed, with more to come.

Likewise, it said reforms of the justice and correctional institutions continue, and pieces of important legislation, such as the Firearms Act, the Bail Act and the Unexplained Wealth Act are in the pipeline.

The PSOJ said all those efforts will give the security forces more tools to combat crime in the medium to long term, but it is imperative to deal with the immediate crisis at hand.

In doubling down on the seriousness of the present crime problem, the PSOJ said it “has been patient and constructive in supporting our leaders, but this situation is now becoming untenable, and is taking a serious psychological and physical toll on us all as we live with the constant fear from the overt and senseless violence which often claims lives and destroys families.”

The release added that the body is “calling on the Government and our leaders of the JCF and JDF to engage our people and put forward and execute sound and effective short-term violence strategies within our legal construct to mount a credible and sustained effort to neutralise these gangs, to reduce the wanton and horrific loss of lives.”

It said success in that regard would go a long way in restoring public confidence and providing some comfort and hope to the general population.

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