Black Immigrant Daily News

NEW YORK — “Onderwijs is de sleutel tot het ontsluiten van ontwikkelingspotentieel en biedt de voorwaarde om de intergenerationele armoedecyclus

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Black Immigrant Daily News

A defence attorney on Monday accused a retired police inspector of being an embarrassment, claiming that the former senior cop fabricated evidence against Stephanie ‘Mumma’ Christie, a St Thomas pastor and one of the main alleged operatives of the One Don faction of the Clansman gang.

Attorney Alexander Shaw was making his closing arguments at the keenly watched gang trial which resumed after several weeks following the Home Circuit Court’s summer break.

But with the closing arguments of the defence now completed, the trial in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston was adjourned until November 1.

On that date, Chief Justice Bryan Sykes is expected to begin his summation of the case which began on September 20 of last year.

Sykes informed that he had other engagements throughout the rest of the month and October, so the summation could not be accommodated at an earlier date.

A total of 27 defendants now remain on trial, as the only accused who was on bail, Andre ‘Bolo’ Smith, was shot and killed on Hagley Park Road in St Andrew on Wednesday, August 10.

While several of the accused, including the alleged gang leader, Andre ‘Blackman’ Bryan, have been freed of some counts on the indictment, Sykes ruled earlier this year that there are several other offences for which they have to answer.

Shaw, who also represented Smith, told the court that no documentation was presented to him to prove that his client was murdered.

He said by way of conversation with Smith’s relatives, he was told that a post-mortem examination will be conducted on his body shortly.

Like the defence, the prosecution advised the court that it had no documents on file to prove Smith’s death, as was reported.

At that juncture, Sykes asked the investigating officer about the proof relative to the accused man’s death.

The officer said by Wednesday of this week he should obtain the necessary evidentiary material from the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigations Branch (C-TOC).

Additionally, he advised that a scene of crime witness should testify relative to the crime scene of Smith’s murder.

The accused was reportedly driving home after making a delivery of chickens, when he was shot dead by gunmen.

Meanwhile, Shaw, who represents Christie, continued his closing arguments on behalf of the accused female clergywoman.

He described the evidence that was presented in court by the retired policeman as being unreliable.

The retired policeman, who described himself as a “gang expert”, had testified in March of this year that Christie had allegedly attempted to bribe him with $100,000 for the release of reputed leader of the gang, Andre ‘Blackman’ Bryan.

During his cross-examination of the ex-lawman in March, Shaw also accused him of fabricating evidence.

“Aren’t you tired of sitting up there and misleading the court?” Shaw asked the man who said he was a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force for over 30 years.

Shaw’s question at the time came in the wake of an admission by the ex-cop that he could not remember the exact date on which Christie allegedly offered him $100,000 in exchange for the release of Bryan from custody.

The cop had testified that he had also demanded that Christie give him two new rifles, to which he said the St Thomas clergywoman promised that she would give him the rifles once Bryan was released.

But the retired lawman rejected Shaw’s claims at the time that he was fabricating evidence, and explained that he could not remember the exact date.

Shaw reminded the lawman at the time that he had testified that Christie made the alleged bribe in September 2017.

However, the attorney indicated then that in the former police officer’s statement to his colleagues, he (the officer) said that incident occurred in January of that year.

“It was in March,” replied the retired cop earlier this year on the witness stand.

“Oh, so you’re adding another date?” asked Shaw.

The officer, however, maintained that he was not lying to the court.

On Monday, Shaw maintained that the officer’s evidence against Christie could not be relied upon.

In fact, Shaw called the retired policeman an embarrassment to the investigation, accusing him of fabricating evidence.

Shaw also sought to discredit the evidence of the prosecution’s key witnesses, who were said to be two former gang members.

The lawyer said neither of the two former gangsters-turned-state-witnesses spoke to Christie committing any crime.

However, Sykes intervened by reminding that the prosecution was not relying on evidence that Christie committed crimes.

Sykes recalled evidence presented that Christie was said to be the person who solicited information from lawmen.

Additionally, the senior jurist reminded of the testimony of one of the witnesses that Christie assigned lawyers to alleged gangsters who were in custody.

Sykes also reminded the attorney of the secret cell phone recordings made by a former gangster-turned-state-witness. In the recordings, Christie’s tendency to speak a lot was highlighted, the judge said.

The 27 accused are being tried under the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations Act), 2014, better known as the anti-gang legislation, on an indictment containing several counts.

The offences were allegedly committed between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2019, mainly in St Catherine, with at least one murder being committed in St Andrew.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (September 19, 2022) — The following is the full text of an address by Hon. Mark A. G. Brantley, Premier of Nevis on the occasion of the 39th Anniversary of the Independence of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. 

Fellow citizens, residents and visitors,

I greet you once again as we celebrate 39 years of nationhood. On this day of jubilation, we thank God for the bountiful mercies that He has bestowed upon us since we embarked on this journey on the 19thof September, 1983. His matchless love, guidance and direction have been a beacon and inspiration to us over the 39 years.

For every citizen of St. Christopher and Nevis, at home and abroad, today is a very special day and, for some, even sacred. It is a day of introspection, when we reflect with great delight and satisfaction on what we have been able to accomplish with hard work, self-belief and self-reliance. It is a time when we celebrate the accomplishment of our citizens in all of their human endeavours. It is a very special day when our patriotism soars and we adorn our workplaces, schools, neighbourhoods and homes with the colours of the flag with great pride and enthusiasm.

Independence, however, is a much broader concept.  It is neither fixed nor finite- it is a constant and dynamic journey. For us, it is the culmination of centuries of struggle from slavery to emancipation, from emancipation to nationhood. On this day, we honour our ancestors, who displayed uncommon valor and who sacrificed greatly in their noble quest for liberty and self-determination.  They refused to compromise or settle for personal gain; they were committed to a free and sovereign St. Kitts and Nevis.  Our celebration today is a tribute to all those who fought for our freedom and may the fruits of their labour never be taken for granted.

Our independence this year is being celebrated under the theme ‘Refocus, Re-create, Redesign: Independence 39’. This theme is quite appropriate since it reflects the realities of our time. We are living in a world which is changing at a neck-breaking and dizzying pace. We are forced to constantly adjust our approach and response to challenges and adversities. For the past three years almost, we have been stymied by a pandemic that wreaked havoc globally.  It is now time for us to refocus, re-create and redesign if we are to rebound and move beyond this dreaded scourge.

As a nation, we have made tremendous strides over our 39 years of nationhood. Prior to our independence, our economy was largely agrarian. Today, not only are we promoting food security through increased food production but we have diversified our economy through tourism, financial services, and now a movie industry.  We are now on the cusp of realizing our aspiration of a renewable energy sector, which will become a reliable pillar of our local economy.

Before independence, our social sector was haphazard and, at times, even comatose. Thirty-nine years on, we have a vibrant and nimble social safety net that responds to the needs of our elderly, poor, indigent, marginalized and at-risk. We have earned respect and admiration for the progress that we have made in health and education.

As a colony, our infrastructure was fragmented and solely facilitated the economic and political ambitions of our colonizers. Today, our development is people-centered.  The services of our roads, water and electricity reflect the needs and aspirations of our people. Prior to nationhood, our ambition of home ownership went largely unfulfilled. Thirty-nine years later, home ownership, for many of us, is no longer an unfulfilled dream- it is a reality.

Our 39 years of nationhood have not always been filled with roses and rainbows, but rather, our journey, at times, has been mired with challenges. Like our ancestors, we have never allowed our challenges to define or overwhelm us.  On the contrary, with a strong and abiding faith in God, we have confronted our challenges with courage and confidence, knowing that our resilience, resourcefulness and resolve will see us through.

Today we are still plagued by many of these challenges or the threat of them. These include crime, natural disasters, debt and diseases. In confronting these challenges, we must exploit the vast resource of our inner being that we possess. I speak of that resolve and tenacity that has defined us over the years. Our self-confidence and our robust determination to excel and succeed.

It is these resources of inner wealth that have made a difference over the years. These resources have ensured that we triumph and overcome all adversities. It is these resources that have kept alive our hope for a better today and a greater tomorrow.

Fellow citizens, the 19th of September, 1983, was a watershed moment in our nation’s history.  It meant that we now had our own national anthem and flag, the title of our head of state was changed from Governor to Governor General and the title of our head of Government was changed from Premier to Prime Minister.  Nevertheless, our independence is much more than the changing of titles, symbols, emblems or passports. The true essence of our independence is the liberation of our consciousness, the decolonization of our minds or, as Bob Marley puts it, the ‘emancipation of ourselves from mental slavery’.  It requires that we shape our own future and craft our own destiny. The essence of our independence means that, as a proud and strong people, we accept and respect our own – our local products, our food, our clothing, our entertainment, our way of life. It means that we disregard the notion that anything foreign is better than what we produce. True independence means that we remain faithful to the pursuit of excellence in all of our endeavours and, as our motto admonishes, we must put our country above ourselves.

Let us therefore resolve to create a shared prosperity for all who call Nevis their home; et us resolve to turn our challenges into opportunities; let us resolve to create a more peaceful, equal and just society. Let us resolve to play our part in writing a new and inspiring history of hope and optimism for St. Kitts and Nevis.

I close by asking God to give us the foresight and fortitude needed to continue our national odyssey. I have a deep abiding faith in the ability of all Nevisians to contribute to the success and prosperity of our island and our nation.  I do believe that greatness is ours and our best days are yet ahead.

Happy Independence all and may God continue to be our mainstay and our guide as we navigate the journey ahead together as a people.

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