Caribbean L 8 ife, MARCH 4-10, 2022
CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
be made for their return to Jamaica.
She said the government will underwrite
all the costs for the students
transportation and
accommodation until
they arrive in Jamaica.
The minister said
there is no loan involved
adding that Jamaica is
working with contacts in Ukraine and
Poland to ensure that all the arrangements
appropriate to the circumstances
are made given that the movement of
cash is difficult at this time.
ST. LUCIA
Prime Minister Phillip J. Pierre says
addressing the crime problem in St.
Lucia “is a concern for all citizens” and
their strengthening of the judicial system
is a priority for his administration.
Pierre was responding
to the recent mass shooting
incident, where three
people were killed and
several others injured,
including an off-duty police officer at a
party in Coolie Town, West of the capital
Castries.
Deputy Police Commissioner Wayne
Charlery told a news conference that
there is a plan to prevent any further
escalation in the gun violence.
Pierre assured St. Lucians his administration,
which came into office last
July, “will continue to provide resources
and training to the Royal St. Lucia Police
Force and challenges the hierarchy to use
more innovative strategies, professionalism
and pro activeness in their work.”
Last year, St. Lucia recorded 74 murders.
TRINIDAD
In a landmark judgement the Trinidad
and Tobago Appeal Court ruled that anyone
charged with murder will now have
an opportunity to apply for bail.
Chief Justice Ivor Archie who delivered
the judgement declared that section 5(1)
of the Bail Act 1994 was not reasonably
justifiable in a society that respects the
rights and freedoms of the individual.
Previously, murder
was a non-bailable
offence.
However, it does
not mean that anyone
charged with murder is entitled to apply
for bail but it does not mean that anyone
who applies for bail will get bail. The
court will decide, applying the usual
principles, on whether bail should be
granted.
The three judges also declared that
the particular section as unconstitutional
since it removed the jurisdiction
of judges on the issue of granting bail
for murder.
The ruling came when it allowed the
landmark appeal of a former murder
accused who asked for a declaration that
anyone charged with the capital offence
have the opportunity to apply for bail.
Justice Archie said prior to the amendment
of the Bail Act there was no general
prohibition to the grant of bail to people
charged with murder.
— Compiled by Azad Ali
Continued from Page 4
Myrie pandemic fraud bill passes
Senate committee
By Nelson A. King
The Senate Committee on Consumer
Protection on Wednesday passed new
legislation sponsored by Sen. Zellnor Y.
Myrie (D-Brooklyn) that would increase
civil penalties for white-collar frauds and
scams associated with the COVID-19
pandemic.
“New Yorkers have suffered enough
throughout this pandemic without having
to worry about theft, scams and
fraud,” said Sen. Myrie, who represents
the 20th Senate District in Central
Brooklyn.
“Unfortunately, COVID-19 has brought
out many bad corporate actors who try to
make a quick buck during this time of
tragedy, scarcity and confusion,” added
the senator, whose grandmother hailed
from Jamaica. “My legislation would
sharply increase the fraudsters’ cost of
doing business here in New York.”
He said the COVID-19 Fraud Accountability
Act (S.4954-B) would sharply
increase civil financial penalties for
white-collar crime committed in connection
with COVID-19, imposing a civil
penalty of three times the amount of any
unlawful gain (or $25,000, whichever is
greater).
The legislation would also increase
penalties for white-collar crimes arising
from the unique circumstances caused
by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as
future emergencies and market abnormalities
defined by law.
The New York Department of Financial
Services has warned of healthcare
enrollment scams, deceptive marketing
schemes, phishing and other cybercrime,
product fraud, and foreclosure
rescue scams.
According to the Federal Trade Commission,
New Yorkers have already lost
over $56 million dollars to COVID19-
related fraud.
More recently, Myrie noted that New
York consumers have reported scams and
fraud associated with COVID-19 testing.
He said the New York State attorney
general has documented one testing
company falsely promising results in 48
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