Black Immigrant Daily News

News

HR TALKS: From left, Principal Medical Officer Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards, Soejen Tjon Atsoi, Winifred Redan-Snijders, both of the Central Bank, and Merva Mallalieu of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, speak following an HR professionals conference on Thursday at the Central Bank in Port of Spain. PHOTO BY AYANNA KINSALE –

PRINCIPAL Medical Officer Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards is calling on organisations to look differently at their human resource teams as she said they were key in the national fight against covid19.

She also called for more collaboration among HR professionals to ensure there are safe spaces and a community of support for people in workplaces.

Speaking at the annual Conference of Human Resource Managers, Richards said HR managers were key in the fight against the virus, being part of many strategies and policies put in place to fight the virus.

“Our HR practitioners are tasked with finding ingenious solutions to help employees cope with the complexities that were brought around by this extraordinary health crisis.

“There was no timeline, there was a lot of uncertainty; they are now the ones who have to look at the corporate guidelines and speak to corporate communications. They would have to do that on a Saturday evening and get it out by Monday morning,” Abdool-Richards said.

She added that HR managers had to show strategic ability and resilience during the pandemic, but they were managing with trauma and stress long before covid19.

She said they were the people who dealt with industrial relations personnel and had to bring bad news about incentive packages and restructuring exercises.

HR professionals also had to liaise with employees with regard to upskilling and retraining, which Abdool-Richards said was in itself, a challenge especially during the pandemic.

She said HR managers dealt with multiple categories of leave, employees who were afraid or uncertain about the spread of the virus especially at times where they may be exposed, mental health, burnout and other psychological issues.

The medic asked: “Who is really there to support HR managers? Who collaborates with them?”

“Our HR practitioners had to absorb all these emotions but they have relatives who had covid too; their children also had to undergo remote or online schooling. Yet they still came out and risked being exposed to keep our organisations running.”

She said the pandemic gave corporations a chance to revise its human resource policies and communicate better with staff.

“We need to think differently about your HR team,” Abdool Richards said. “What support do they need? Do they feel safe? Is there a safe space for them to come and speak with you, to say ‘I am tired. I need a break.’ Because HR managers did not get much vacation. We need to do collaborative research, we need to create a safe space within our organisations and we need to build a community of support.”

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

News

Alleged gang leader Rajaee Ali. –

ALLEGED gang leader Rajaee Ali and nine others are nowhere close to going to trial on gang charges as there are outstanding issues of disclosure, representation and refusal of service by some of the men.

Only five of the ten appeared virtually before Magistrate Kerrianne Byer, as four others refused to come to court. A prison officer could not say why the four took that position.

One of the men is expected to advise the court on a new lawyer as his attorney was seeking leave to withdraw in order to pursue studies abroad, while two others are self-represented and will have to say if they will continue doing so.

Another accused, Devaughn Cummings is refusing to accept the service of a summons so he can be properly before the court.

In March, it was realised when the Appeal Court ruled in 2020 that the gang charges against them should be reinstated, they should have been ordered to appear in court via summons. Up until that time, the men were being brought to court by a “court note.”

This situation was rectified but Cummings is insisting as far as he is concerned, he has no matter before the court.

He said when the officer came to serve the summons, he was only told someone was at the prison to see him. He said he refused the visit since he was not told who was there. He also said he is seeking legal advice on what is taking place and until he gets that advice, he will not be waiving his right to proper service.

During Thursday’s sitting, Cummings had to be warned about his outbursts and was told he would be removed if he continued to disturb proceedings.

Byer said she had hoped they would be closer to setting a trial date, but advised she will not give directions until the State serves the four remaining statements, and the issue of representation is sorted out. She had hoped to set a trial date in December.

At the next hearing, she said she will possibly advise attorneys on the filing of defence statements after which trial dates are likely to be set.

Byer also reminded the men of their right to consider entering into plea agreements with the State.

“I am not encouraging you to do anything (I am) only reminding you that is an option.”

Ali quipped, “I cannot plead guilty for a gang if I didn’t have a gang.” The matter was adjourned to October 27.

THE ISSUESThe Appeal Court’s ruling in March 2020, came after it was asked to determine if a blunder by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, in laying the gang charges, resulted in a nullity.

The State applied to have the charges amended, but this was denied by then senior magistrate Indrani Cedeno in May 2016, after the DPP’s office admitted laying charges indictably, as opposed to summarily, as prescribed by the Anti-Gang Act.

In their decision, the Appeal Court judges said the charges were capable of an amendment and were not affected by the six-month limitation period set by statute.

The matter was sent back to a new magistrate and separated from a murder charge some in the group of accused men also face. Some of the men are also charged with the murder of attorney Dana Seetahal, SC, and have been committed to stand trial.

Those before the court are Rajaee Ali, Earl Richards, Leston Gonzales, Devaughn Cummings, Roget Boucher, Ricardo Stewart, Hamid Ali, Kevin Parkinson, Ishmael Ali and Deon Peters – the latter still being unaccounted for in order for the serving of the summons.

Another man, David Ector, was also on gang charges but he and Peters were freed since they were not charged with Seetahal’s murder. Ector was murdered in July 2018.

Representing the State is deputy DPP Tricia Hudlin-Cooper, while representing some of the men are attorneys Roshan Tota-Maharaj, Kirby Joseph, Keresse Khan and Kashief Gibson.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

Former champions St George’s College continued their brilliant start to the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup competition with an away 8-0 mauling of Meadowbrook High on matchday four on Thursday.

St George’s College, which were picking up their second consecutive win, took their goal tally to an impressive 14 from their two Group A games.

In the other Group A encounters, defending champions Kingston College (KC) blanked Ardenne High 2-0 while Calabar High and Waterford High battled to a 1-1 draw.

Brian Burkett netted a three-timer for St George’s College to take his goal tally for the season to five. Joshua Jackson, Adrian Reid Jnr, Ranza Toomer, Raheem McIntosh, and Taesean O’Neil scored a goal apiece.

The ‘Light Blues’ lead the group with six points courtesy of goal difference. Second-place KC are also on six points from two games.

Waterford High moved into third spot with four points while Calabar inched to one point in fourth spot. Both Ardenne and Meadowbrook are without a point.

Meanwhile, Haile Selassie High grabbed pole position in Group C with a 2-1 win over Vauxhall High. They moved to four points.

Charlie Smith also moved to four points with a 1-0 win over Bridgeport High but remained in second spot.

Tivoli Gardens slipped to third spot on three points following a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Edith Dalton James High School, which are also on three points but in fourth spot. Bridgeport High are down to fifth also on three points.

In Group F, former champions Excelsior High whipped Cumberland High 6-0 and surged to the top of the group with four points. Cumberland are third on three points.

Kingston Technical High are second on four points following a 2-1 win over Clan Carthy High while Campion College and Jose Marti High played out a 0-0 stalemate.

Thursday’s results

Group A

Ardenne High 0, KC 2Meadowbrook High 0, St George’s College 7Waterford High 1, Calabar High 1

Group CCharlie Smith 1, Bridgeport 0Edith Dalton James 3, Tivoli Gardens 2Haile Selassie 2, Vauxhall High 1

Group FClan Carthy 1, Kingston Technical 2Campion College 0, Jose Marti 0Excelsior High 6, Cumberland 0

Friday’s games (Home teams named first)

Group BSt Catherine High vs Jamaica CollegeSt Mary’s College vs St JagoCedar Grove vs Holy Trinity

Group ECamperdown High vs Papine HighHydel High vs Mona HighKingston High vs Wolmer’s Boys

All games are scheduled to start at 3:30 pm.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

Virginia has denied parole to convicted sniper killer Lee Boyd Malvo, ruling that he is still a risk to the community two decades after he and his partner terrorised the Washington, DC, region with a series of random shootings.

Malvo was 17 when he and John Allen Muhammad shot and killed 10 people and wounded three others over a three-week span in October 2002. Multiple other victims were shot and killed across the country in the prior months as the duo made their way to the nation’s capital region from Washington state.

Malvo was convicted of capital murder in Virginia and sentenced to life in prison without parole. But a series of Supreme Court rulings and a change in Virginia law gave Malvo the opportunity to seek parole after serving nearly 20 years in custody.

The Virginia Parole Board rejected his request on August 30, finding that Malvo remains a risk to the community and should serve more of his sentence before being released on parole, state records of Parole Board decisions for August show.

“Release at this time would diminish seriousness of crime; Serious nature and circumstances of your offence(s),” the Parole Board wrote.

Malvo’s accomplice, John Allen Muhammad, was executed in Virginia in 2009. Malvo, now 37, was sentenced to life without parole for the three Virginia killings. But after the US Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that mandatory life sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional, two federal courts found that Malvo was entitled to new sentencing hearings.

The Virginia legislature also passed a law in 2020 that gave juvenile offenders an opportunity to seek parole after serving 20 years.

Malvo was a 15-year-old from Jamaica who had been sent to live in Antigua when he met the much older Muhammad.

Muhammad trained and indoctrinated Malvo, and in 2002 the pair embarked on a nationwide killing spree that ended with the 10 slayings in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Trial testimony indicated the shootings were a plan for Muhammad to regain custody of his children by killing his ex-wife and making her death appear to be a result of random violence.

Malvo is serving his sentence at the super maximum-security Red Onion State Prison in Virginia.

Even if Malvo had been granted parole in Virginia, he also received a life prison sentence in Maryland for crimes in the neighbouring state. Last month, Maryland’s highest court ruled that Malvo must be resentenced for his crimes there.

By DENISE LAVOIE and MATTHEW BARAKAT

Associated Press

NewsAmericasNow.com