Black Immigrant Daily News

Digicel on Thursday announced the appointment of John Townsend as chief financial officer (CFO).

Immediately prior to joining Digicel, John was CFO — Business Group at Verizon and also served in the CFO capacity across various areas of the business for roughly the past 10 years.

He also worked as CFO for Vodafone Europe, UK and Australia and earned his BA (Econ) Hons in accounting and business finance from The University of Manchester.

Over the span of his career as a CFO, Townsend gained experience in business and consumer operations, wireless, wireline, enterprise solutions, supply chain management and logistics, carrier relations and new business models, making him an all-rounder when it comes to the business of telecommunications, according to a release from Digicel.

Townsend will replace David Lomas as Digicel’s Chief Financial Officer.

Oliver Coughlan, Digicel Group CEO said: “We are happy to have John joining the team and I know that he will receive a warm Digicel welcome. John has worked at two of the world’s largest telecommunications companies — Verizon and Vodafone — with responsibility for billions of dollars in revenue, so his financial background, coupled with his extensive experience in telecoms, will serve him well as he gets to know our business and the Caribbean, and we expect that his fresh perspective will serve us well in turn.

“And as David leaves us, we also want to thank him for the work done over the last three and a half years and to wish him all the best going forward.”

Commenting on his appointment as CFO, Townsend said: “For over 20 years, Digicel has been delivering quality service in the Caribbean, keeping the region connected to the people and things they love most.

“I am excited to be joining the team and look forward to the great work we will do together.”

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Chaguanas East MP Vandana Mohit. –

CHAGUANAS East MP Vandana Mohit criticised Social Development and Family Services Minister Donna Cox for comments Cox made about assistance for scrap-iron workers and parenting.

Mohit made her criticisms in separate statements on Thursday.

In one statement, she slammed Cox for saying workers affected by Government’s decision to ban scrap-iron exports for six months could apply to her ministry for grants.

“Again, the PNM government embarks on deceit and aims to hoodwink the population by their and her public pronouncements.”

Mohit claimed none of the people affected by the industry’s six-month closure would be” eligible for the grants.” She said any such assistance would not come in time before the reopening of school next month.

“The government must immediately develop a mechanism to assist struggling families affected by this unwarranted closure, in order to school and feed their children.”

In a second statement, Mohit wondered if Cox was trying to find scapegoats when she spoke about a “parenting crisis” at the recent launch of her ministry’s parenting workshop.

“It seems that she has just woken up from her slumber and now realises there is cause for concern.”

Mohit agreed that there are some circumstances where parents are responsible for their children’s gravitating to a life of crime and/or illicit behaviour.

But she claimed Cox did not provide any data to support her arguments about this.

“It is quite intriguing and disingenuous for the minister to lay blame for government failures at the feet of parents.”

Mohit described comments made by acting Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob at the same event as “a mere statement to compensate for the inability by the police service to address the rampant and escalating crime wave engulfing the nation.”

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Forensic Science Centre, St James. Photo by Roger Jacob.

A week after the grisly discovery in Chaguaramas of two men who had been tied up and shot dead, police are still trying to determine their identities. As a result they have issued a press release seeking the public’s assistance.

On August 19, shortly after noon, a farmer on his way to tend his crops discovered two bodies along Guave Road, off Macqueripe Road, Chaguaramas.

One man was approximately five feet seven inches tall. He had long black hair with a black and greying beard. He was brown in complexion, slim built and appeared to be of East Indian descent. He was wearing a green jersey, three-quarter cream-coloured pants, a silver watch and grey Nike slippers.

The other man was approximately five feet ten inches tall, with short hair and a black beard. He was fair in complexion, medium-built and appeared to be of mixed descent. He was wearing a white vest, blue three-quarter pants and a black-and-white Jordans.

Anyone with information that can help identify these bodies is encouraged to contact the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Region One Office. 625-8234/624-5230. All calls are confidential.

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A total of 70,943 novel coronavirus infections have been detected in the country since the first case was recorded in March 2020.

Within the last 24-hours, 17 new infections were registered. There are currently six persons in the hospitals, two of whom are in the ICU while 281 are isolating at home.

Three individuals are in institutional quarantine, 69,376 have recovered, and 1,278 have died.

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