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A lighted flambeau is placed on bloodstains in the yard of a house in Sangre Grande where seven people were shot and wounded while attending a wake on Wednesday night. PHOTO BY SUREASH CHOLAI –

TWO children, aged three and six, were among seven people shot and wounded on Wednesday night as they were attending the wake in Sangre Grande, for a man who was killed by police last week.

Relatives of a man who was killed last week, were lamenting on Thursday that they could not even meet and grieve in peace.

Police said the relatives and friends of Ronnel Alexander were at the family’s home at Blake Avenue, Damarie Hill, at around 10.30 pm, when a car drove up to the house.

Police said a man wearing a hoodie got out of the car with an assault rifle and shot at the mourners who were sitting in the gallery.

The two boys and five adults were shot in the attack. Investigators said one of the adults was 60. Passers-by took the wounded to hospital, where they remained up to Thursday afternoon.

On Thursday, Newsday visited the house where the shooting happened and spoke with several people who said they were part of the group of mourners attending the wake. They said they were still shaken by the violence.

RIDDLED: A man points the bullet holes in a car which was shot as a gunman fired on mourners at a wake in Sangre Grande on Wednesday night. PHOTO BY SUREASH CHOLAI –

A man, who asked not to to be named, likened the gun attack to a horror movie as he said the shooting happened without warning. He questioned why a gunman would want to target people at wake.

“These were innocent people who came to visit, lime and reminisce. Children were at the wake and just so bullets started to fly.

“I still surprised this didn’t end up being a multiple murder. People were screaming and diving for cover to protect their children. It was like a horror movie,” the man said.

The man said when the shooting started, he thought it was fireworks being set off.

A woman who said she too was at the wake, said a bullet struck close to where she was sitting. The woman knocked criminals for not having any regard even for children as she added that the gunman fired indiscriminately at the mourners.

Newsday was told that following the shooting incident, Alexander’s family are considering a quick burial instead of a funeral service at a Church, as they are fearing that service could also be targeted by gunmen.

“I don’t feel safe here. I’m just feeling to sell (my property) and move out of this area. I’m frightened to even keep a funeral now because you don’t know if they will come to the funeral and shoot it up too,” said a relative of Alexander.

“I have to get somewhere to go, I can’t stay here, my mother is shaken, she is elderly and she has a heart problem next thing they come to do something again.”

Newsday was told that one of the boys wounded in the shooting, underwent emergency surgery on Thursday because bullets has shattered the bone in his leg in two places.

One of the mourners, who was grazed by a bullet, said while he does not live in Sangre Grande, he too is concerned for his safety and may not return to the area.

Eastern Division police said while no one suffered life-threatening injuries in the shooting, they vowed to thoroughly investigate and follow all possible leads.

“We intend to communicate with the family and see how best we can introduce more patrols in and around the area to prevent further bloodshed. It’s not something we are going to take lightly,” a senior police source said.

Sangre Grande CID officers are continuing enquiries.

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door Wilfred Leeuwin PARAMARIBO — De beheersing van de politieke, economische en financiele macht door coalitiepartner VHP, geeft volgens voorzitter

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Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) has secured a $10-million club sponsorship from JN Money Services Limited for the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season that is expected to kick off on October 23.

As part of that sponsorship arrangement, Owen Hill, JN Money Services territory manager, will be on secondment to the PFJL in the role of CEO for two seasons.

As CEO, Hill will take on the day-to-day operations of all leagues and competitions and drive its commercial viability.

Chairman of the PFJL, Chris Williams, says this was a strategic move to strengthen the administrative arm of football.

“The last few years of my business life have taught me that success is a delicate blend of capital and competence. We do not just need cash to become successful at football in Jamaica. We need the well-honed corporate skill set available at institutions such as Jamaica National,” said Williams.

“JN has stepped up to back professional football, and also to provide us with professional competence, giving us the support in the form of a CEO to ensure that administration does not fail football,” he further said.

JN Money’s general manager Horace Hines says his company is pleased to support football in this way.

“JN’s mantra is ‘we’ll help you find a way,’ and one of the things the league needed was competence to match the talent on the pitch,” said Hill. “So we look forward to developing the playing talent through our club sponsorship and the administrative talent through Owen’s involvement. It’s a win-win for Jamaica and football.”

As part of his responsibilities, Hill will seek to develop a player sales model, where clubs will benefit from the commercial sales of players within the league.

“In terms of an overall model, I will be working with Concacaf to build a player sales model so there is a blueprint for how we will develop, market, and benefit from player sales,” Hill pointed out. “We’re also working on a corporate social responsibility initiative, where brands will use players from the league to promote social campaigns. We understand that players are ambassadors for their clubs, communities, and Jamaica”.

Hill, a former captain of the University of the West Indies football team and football commentator, believes his knowledge of the sport will be an advantage to the PFJL.

“This is an exciting opportunity. A wave is happening locally, and professional football has always been dear to JN’s heart,” he said “I will provide a competence-driven approach to football as we seek to upskill the clubs. Several initiatives will take root, and corporate Jamaica will be happy with the new thrust fostered by our chairman and the other directors of PFJL.”

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The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has discontinued the private criminal charge of cyberbullying that was brought against Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum.

In a statement issued to the media, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said this was done in accordance with the powers conferred on the DPP under Article 187 (1) (C) of the Constitution of Guyana.

“A missive was today dispatched to the Chief Magistrate by the DPP in relation to the aforementioned,” the statement outlined.

Police Headquarters explained that the lawyers for the Crime Chief contended that the charge is an abuse of the court’s process and is nothing more than an attempt to intimidate Blanhum as well as senior police officers who are expected to testify in the matter against Dion Bascom.

Bascom, represented by his lawyer Nigel Hughes, filed a private criminal charge under the Cyber Crime Act against the Crime Chief.

Bascom, a police sergeant, was on Wednesday arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on cybercrime charges in connection with Facebook Live videos in which he accused several senior Police Officers of a massive cover-up in the probe into the murder of gold dealer Ricardo Fagundes.

Bascom appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan where he denied the three charges filed under the Cyber Crime Act.

It is alleged that on two occasions between August 13 and August 19, he used a computer system to transmit electronic data with intent to humiliate, harass or cause distress to Superintendent Mitchell Caesar; and on one occasion, Superintendent Chabinauth Singh.

Sergeant Bascom was granted $300,000 bail in total – $100,000 bail on each of the three charges.

Sergeant Bascom’s next court date is September 21.

On August 8, Sergeant Bascom was among several persons arrested by the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) after a quantity of cocaine was discovered at a Norton Street, Georgetown house.

While a charge for trafficking in narcotics was laid against some of the persons, none was laid against Sergeant Bascom. Seemingly angered by his arrest, the Sergeant subsequently made several Facebook Live videos in which he made damning allegations of corruption against several senior Police Detectives and a prominent businessman, Azruddin Mohamed.

He has alleged that Police ranks have accepted bribes and are “covering up” the murder of Fagundes, called “Paper Shorts”, who was riddled with bullets in March 2021, moments after he left the Palm Court nightclub on Main Street, Georgetown. Police are yet to charge the perpetrators. He later deleted the posts out of fear for his family members’ lives.

Acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken and the Crime Chief have already debunked Sergeant Bascom’s allegations, calling them “malicious and untrue”.

The Government had solicited the assistance of the Regional Security System (RSS) to investigate the claims made by Sergeant Bascom. Last week, the RSS pronounced on the matter and made it clear that there was no evidence to substantiate Sergeant Bascom’s claims.

The team also found that the two live recordings made by Bascom were in contravention of Section 19 (5) (a) of the Cyber Crime Act. Mohamed, who, from the outset, had distanced himself from the allegations, has since filed a $200 million defamation lawsuit against Sergeant Bascom.

The businessman, in his Statement of Claim, argued that the words and statements uttered by the cop are all untrue, false, dangerous, disingenuous, malicious, irrational, unfair, unsubstantiated, unfounded, and baseless, thereby tarnishing and lowering his reputation.Superintendent Caesar, through his lawyer, had threatened to take legal action against Sergeant Bascom if he did not remove the posts, and offer him an apology and $50 million compensation.

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