What We Learned This Week In Jamaica

December 10-17

1) A policeman shot and killed the mother of a man with whom he had a gay relationship, after she confronted him at the Islington Police Station in St Mary.
The officer then shot himself, dying a few hours later. This after his lover spurned his advances, desiring to end their affair.
A note the policeman left at the station explained his feelings and the affair, but his shocked coworkers remain tightlipped as to the investigation.
Sorry you got caught up in it Mama; We feel it fi yu!
2) PetroJam, PetroJam, PetroJam!
The PM announced yet another audit (his third), this a forensic one, of PetroJam, to determine how 600,000+ barrels have disappeared.
He also announced the shutting down of NESOL, the National Energy Solutions Limited, beset as it was with allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
Opposition Leader Peter Phillips said that wasn’t enough, and the PM later said all parties benefiting from corruption at both entities would have to return the funds.
Smh.
Shouldn’t they go to jail?
The Government also called for Phillip Paulwell to step down as Opposition Energy spokesman, as most of the oil went missing under his tenure.
The PM said that PetroJam’s pricing mechanisms would be reviewed, and a more transparent system would be put in place, a very good move indeed.
WWLTW would like to know what’s up with the MOCA investigation, the first one announced by the PM?
Eeh?
3) The Police Federation has accepted the Government’s latest wage offer.
The decision was made when the MoF, the Federation and the Commissioner held a meeting on Tuesday morning.
The offer was the same, percentage wise, as the last one, but was tweaked with additional fringe benefits acceptable to the cops.
Now, let’s get back to the business of fighting crime!
4) The Opposition has withdrawn its support for the SOE, in effect bringing them to an end when the latest extensions end.
Civil society organizations have since called for further debate by both sides on the matter, to no avail.
Citing lockup conditions, small business concerns and abuse of citizens’ rights, the Opposition said it could not, in good conscience, sign off on another extension, and urged the Government to come up with an effective alternative, saying it has enough time to do so before the SOE ‘s end.
Believe me, if they had an alternative, it’d be in place already.
My question is though: Does the Opposition have such a plan?
And, if they do, why not share it with the Government?
After all, isn’t crime ALL Jamaicans’ concern?
5) The stabbing death of an attorney in her Red Hills home, allegedly by her husband, a JDF Lieutenant, has added the “uptown” element to the debate as to why so many relationships lead to death when “love” goes sour.
Police still have no clue as to why the husband, said to have been under psychiatric treatment for a few days leading up to the incident, committed the dastardly act.
Maybe he should have been kept at the Psychiatric ward whilst being treated, eh?
6) Senior Superintendent of Police Castell, he of the “fainting in court” notoriety, was fined $1million or 30 days in jail when he stood before a Judge for sentencing this week.
The SSP was found guilty of unlawfully wounding a pregnant woman whom he accidentally shot while trying to apprehend a taxi man who had failed to comply when signaled to stop.
Aren’t the police supposed to be more responsible than us ordinary citizens?
7) The “big dogs” of business, the Private Sector of Jamaica, the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce sent representatives to speak with both Government and Opposition members with the aim to have the impasse between them over the States of Emergency settled so that the Enhanced Security measures can continue.
The businessmen got the grouses of the Opposition and presented them to the Government, and received concessions from both sides that they would meet, in and out of parliament, to try and build a framework for an anti-crime plan through and beyond the SOE.
A great move, but what about the Small Business Association?
Why weren’t they invited? After all, they’re the ones feeling the pressure under the SOE’s.
Or is pressuring them part of the plan?
8 ) The 2 men convicted of killing 6 family members and burning their homes in Logwood, Hanover, were given whopping sentences that will ensure they never walk the streets again.
Two separate life imprisonment sentences to run consecutively with the possibility of parole after 80 years means both men will die in prison.
Is this an instance where a plea bargain would get them to give up their cronies? I doubt 2 men could have pulled a horror of this magnitude by themselves!
9) The actual refurbishment of the Cornwall Regional Hospital is to start in January according to the MoH Dr Christopher Tufton.
The leaky roof, believed to be the main culprit in the noxious ventilation saga, will be the first thing fixed according to the Minister.
Getting hospital services up and running was the reason for the delay in fixing the hospital, and now that infrastructure for those services have been provided, the main building will now see reconstruction.
The Minister however lamented the poor customer services meted out at all the island’s hospitals and said discussions with the relative parties have been ongoing in an effort to improve them.
Du maasa, hurry aah fix up di place kaa Western Jamaica a suffer bad widdy limited services dem a get up deh.
10) More protests in Europe as Hungarians march against a law that allows employers to add 400 hours of overtime, payable over 3 years, what Unions and protesters dub the “Slave Law”.
At least 10,000 protesters nightly have been walking from Heroes’ Square to Parliament in Budapest in an effort to have right wing prime minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party overturn the act.
When will Jamaicans wake up and see that they are the ones with the power, not the system?

QuikNotes Local
a] Miss Jamaica Kadijah Robinson wins Miss World Caribbean, places 4th overall.
b] Police charge 32 y o caretaker in British-Jamaican Beautician’s murder.
c] 13 y o that stabbed his mother to death to be evaluated psychologically.
d] Road carnage claims St Mary nurse, Harbour View pedestrian.
e] NIS deductions to increase half a percentage point come April.

QuikNotes International
a] Giuliani: Trump will interview with Mueller “over my dead body”.
b] New Senate report reveals extent of Russian “disinformation” campaign, and how tech companies missed the warning signals.
c] Miss Philippines Catriona Gray wins Miss Universe title.
d] Trump lawyer Michael Cohen gets 3 year jail sentence.
e] Trump’s misspelling of “smoking”{smocking} sets internet abuzz, reminiscent of “covfefe”.

Feel Free to add Your News in the Comments, and, til next Week,
Safe Travel Pon Di Gravel!

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