Black Immigrant Daily News

A 57-year-old Jamaican man was on Wednesday arrested after he allegedly voted as an unqualified elector in Broward County, Florida in the United States earlier this year by using a counterfeit birth certificate.

Alford Nelson, who voted twice in Broward County under the name Alfred Samuels, was released from jail without having to post bail on Thursday.

According to the Sun Sentinel, Nelson was arrested a day prior on two counts of voting as an unqualified elector by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

The report cited an affidavit that revealed that Nelson was born in Westmoreland, Jamaica, and was admitted into Miami, United States as a lawful permanent resident of that country on June 21, 1977.

Lawful permanent residents, otherwise called ‘green card’ recipients, “are not US citizens and are not allowed to vote, according to Homeland Security,” the report emphasised.

As a result, the Jamaican could face up to five years in a US prison, and a maximum fine of US$5,000 for voting under a false name.

The FDLE noted as well, that Nelson did not apply for naturalisation and overstayed on his original entry documents.

Further, the Jamaican had numerous aliases, including the name Alfred Samuels, which he voted under earlier this year. However, a probable cause affidavit identifies him by the name Alford Nelson.

A statement from the FDLE confirming Nelson’s arrest on Thursday, said, as listed on the Department of Corrections website, the Jamaican had previously been convicted of, and served time in prison for 11 felonies, including cocaine possession, as well as selling and purchasing drugs within 1,000 feet of a school.

Specifically to the case, Nelson told investigators at his home in Lauderhill earlier this month that he renewed his Florida identification card (ID) at the DMV using a fake birth certificate from New York City that he bought for US$2,000.

The affidavit further outlined that while at the DMV office he was asked if he wanted to register to vote, and days later, he received his voter ID card in the mail.

Records from the Broward County Supervisor of Elections showed that the Jamaican voted by mail in the January 11 special general election, and again, in the March 8 special general election.

Nelson’s arrest and charge was the result of a probe by several agencies, including the FDLE’s Election Crime Unit, the Florida Department of State, and the Office of Elections Crimes and Security.

The latter was created by Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis under the Florida Department of State in July. The department has the responsibility of probing all election crimes in Florida, as well as “overseeing the implementation of measures that will ensure Florida’s elections remain secure,” a release said at the time from the governor.

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The TT Stock Exchange ticker board at Nicholas Tower, Port of Spain.- Photo by Jeff Mayers

The TT Stock Exchange (TTSE) celebrated its 40th year with a prize-giving ceremony and cocktail party on Thursday night at the Hyatt in Port of Spain.

Longstanding members of the TTSE such as West Indies Stockbrokers Ltd (WISE) and Republic Wealth Management Ltd were also celebrated for being with the TTSE since inception.

CEO Eva Mitchell expressed great pleasure at commemorating the TTSE’s 40th anniversary.

“In October 1981 the stock exchange started as a manually operated company with just three brokers and (fewer) than ten employees. Now we stand strong with a fully integrated and automated exchange,” she said.

Chairman Ian Narine said the night’s celebration was one of institution-building. He also highlighted one of the TTSE’s milestones, which was the TTSE’s proposal to the Ministry of Finance which led to the creation of the TT Securities Exchange Commission.

Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon also praised the TTSE for 40 years of giving businesses opportunities to raise capital while enhancing transparency.

She praised the TTSE for developing a mentorship programme, similar to what is being done by the Jamaican Stock Exchange, and said the government was focused on supporting SMEs

“What I am most excited about is the introduction of the SME market on the stock exchange,” she said.

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Varindra Singh –

Narindra Singh, brother of route three maxi driver Varindra Singh, who was beaten by a group of schoolchildren this week, says his brother is at home recovering slowly.

He said it has taken a deep mental and emotional toll on their family.

On Monday, the driver was attacked by students of the Carapichaima East and Carapichaima West Secondary Schools after he tried to protect one of his passengers. He intervened using a spanner, but the students teamed up and beat up both Singh and student Rasheed Lal.

Videos of the incident have since gone viral on social media. The videos show the two on the ground being kicked and badly beaten.

Narindra Singh said his brother, by doctors’ orders, cannot drive for the next six months.

“He’s coming along very very slowly. From the preliminary examinations, his nose is broken and his joints are damaged.”

Asked by Newsday if he had seen the video footage of the incident, he said yes.

“As an older brother, honestly, I (didn’t) know what emotions to express. Should it be anger? Should it be concern?

“I’m not sure. Because as an older brother, like a parent, your first concern is to make sure that individual is okay. And that’s out priority right now – to make sure that he heals, that he’s able to come out of this. Emotion-wise, it’s difficult.”

He said his brother has been a maxi taxi driver for five-seven years. But he said when he recovers, Varindra will no longer be working with or for schools.

He said his brother is a hard-working but quiet man.

“So for him to react like this, it means he would have had to know that danger was present.

“A lot of people are bashing him for reacting in that way, but in his words, when a (child) is in his vehicle, he is legally responsible for them until he hands them back over to the parents.

“We always say as a society we’re failing our children, our parents and we failing this one and we failing that one – but as a society we’re failing. We need to pick it up, we need to move forward…We need to make things better.”

He said none of the parents of any of the schoolchildren involved had contacted his family.

As for his brother being out of a job for the next six months, he said, “The family will pick up the slack…That’s as much as we can do at this point. We just have to take it one day at a time and see how it plays off.”

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A hand tractor valued at $4,500.00 EC was handed over to the  Bishop’s College Kingstown yesterday, by Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar, to be used in the Schools Agriculture Programme.

Delivering brief remarks at the handing over ceremony, Minister Caesar encouraged the students to eat more locally produced food to help to reduce the food import bill.

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Meanwhile, 40 hand tractors are being handed distributed today to Farmers, Producers Co-operatives and Farm workers.

The Adelphi Secondary School, North Union Secondary School and the Liberty Lodge Boys Training Centre will also receive hand tractors as part of the first phase of the Agriculture Mechanization Programme. The Technical College had already received support.

Minister Caesar said, during the second phase of the program all Secondary Schools with an Agriculture Programme will receive hand tractors.

The Minister stated that it is critical to provide the next generation of farmers with the technology to boost agricultural production in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

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A report on a Vaccine Hesitancy Study which was carried, out in St. Vincent and the Grenadines was officially launched here today by the Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment.

The second study was carried out in seven Caribbean countries,  by the Caribbean Development Research Services Inc (CADRES),  which was commissioned by UNICEF and USAID.

This morning’s launch at the Bechcombers’s Hotel, heard remarks from Chief Medical Officer Dr. Simone Keizer Beache, who said the results of the study will provide valuable information to guide  the Ministry of Health, in shaping its polices.

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This morning’s launch also hear remarks from Lisa Maclean-Trotman, who is responsible for Social and Behaviour Change at the UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean.  Mrs. Maclean-Trotman explained why the results of the study are important and still relevant.

The results of the study were outlined by Director of the Caribbean Development Research Services Inc, Peter Wickham

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