PRESS RELEASE - On Saturday, April 18, 2015 Saint Lucia Police received reports that a group of seven Nepalese nationals were missing from their place of abode.

Police investigations have confirmed that these individuals have been located in St. George’s, Grenada where they have been detained for questioning in connection with the offence of entering the State without the permission of an Immigration Officer.

Police investigations have established that the individuals were transported from Saint Lucia to Saint Vincent and onwards to Grenada by boat.

A Ghanaian citizen who resides in Trinidad and Tobago has been detained by Grenada Police in connection with the offence of Human Trafficking in this matter.

This Saturday, the Saint Lucia Shotokan Karate Association will stage a Belt Ceremony for its 49th Grading Exercise.

The SLSKA conducted its 49th Grading Exercise last Saturday at the Gros Islet Secondary School, where 26 members of the Association from three affiliate dojos vied for higher grades in the International Karate Daigaku(College) Ranking System.

The dojos involved were Kevala Taj Dojo on Rodney Bay, Police Karate Academy and St Joseph’s Convent Karate College.

The SLSKA hosted Shuseki Shihan (Master Instructor) Frank Woon A Tai, a ninth Dan from IKD headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who was on his annual Caribbean tour including visits to Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Whilst in Saint Lucia, Shihan Woon A Tai conducted two training seminars for members of the Association.

The weekend activity ended with results of the grading exercise being announced.  Among the outstanding students were Yanil Sam of the Police Karate Academy and Krystal Ramkhelawan of the Keval Taj Dojo, passing their Shodan Grading and earning first degree black belts.

The Belt Ceremony which will be held that the SLSKA’s Headquarters Dojo at Rodney Bay, will commence from 1pm, where participants will be issued with belts and rank certificates.

PRESS RELEASE - Warrants of Arrest in the first instance have been issued in the names of Yannick Alfred also known as “Yannick Albert” or “Gangster Rat” of Wilton’s Yard, Castries and Dane Augustin also known as “Cyborg” of Wilton’s Yard, Castries for the attempted murder of 27 year old, Joachim Henry of Ciceron, Castries.

Henry sustained gunshot wounds to his left hand, left shoulder and center of his back on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 about 2:00 a.m. at Ciceron, Castries.

Members of the the Special Services Unit (SSU) conducted a search of a gang of young people who were loitering and using obscene languages on Micoud Street, opposite the Cathedral, on Friday.

The police acted after some members of the gang shouted “F&@^# the police” as the SSU van passed by.

Among the group of males were four students in school uniform and a young girl. The search was conducted at about 6 p.m.

It is not yet clear if the young men were eventually charged.

A Ghanaian national who was detained in connection with the illegal entry of seven Nepalese nationals, has been charged with human trafficking by the Royal Grenada Police Force – reportedly the first case of human trafficking under Grenada’s revised 2012 criminal code.

Awal Abdul Sharif, a 34-year-old security officer and a resident of Trinidad, is alleged to have caused students Numkala Tiwari Kafle, 21; Ankit Dhakal, 19; Pradip Adhikari, 21; Dipak Sapkota, 22; Dipak Bhujel, 20; and Chandra Thapa, 20; and Arjun Kafle, 32 (cook), all citizens of Nepal, to unlawfully enter the State of Grenada at a place other than a lawful port of entry, and failing to have them report to an immigration officer for examination.

The African was reportedly expected to make his first court appearance on Friday, but was unable to do so because he was hospitalised.

The seven Nepalese are currently waiting departure to St. Lucia.

Police said they are being sent back to St. Lucia because that was their last port of legal entry “and then we have a situation where all their travel documents are with law enforcement there”.

The Nepalise nationals who went missing in St. Lucia turned up in Grenada on a boat earlier this week.

SOURCE: SNO/RGPF and Now Grenada 

Kim John and Francis Phillip in this file photo.

Kim John and Francis Phillip, the men accused of setting fire to worshippers in the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Castries 15 years ago, have been sentenced to life in prison.

The sentence was handed down on Friday in the High Court.

The men had pleaded guilty to manslaughter after the Privy Council canned their death sentence for murder.

It is not yet clear if the court will take into account the 14 years the duo have already spent behind bars. Under St. Lucia law, a life sentence equates to 25 years in prison.

The men are accused of storming the Roman Catholic Church on December 31, 2000 and setting several persons on fire after dousing them with gasoline.

Sister Theresa Egan, 73, was beaten to death with a piece of wood while 62-year-old Rev. Charles Gaillard was set on fire.

Reports are that about a dozen worshippers suffered burns in the attack.

Considered one of the most heinous in the history of this eastern Caribbean island, police said the men declared that they were Rastafarian prophets sent by God to fight corruption in the Catholic Church.

Micoud and Central Castries were the last two teams to book their places in the second round of the Saint Lucia Football Association / Vizions Entertainment Michel’s Electrical Super League tournament on Wednesday.

The two advanced on penalties Wednesday evening at Beausejour Stadium, following goalless draws with Marchand and Vieux Fort North respectively.

The lineup for the second round, which gets underway Saturday afternoon, includes Gros Islet, Micoud, Soufriere, Anse La Raye, Canaries, Mon Repos, Mabouya Valley, Roseau, Vieux Fort South and Central Castries.

Subsequent to a draw on Thursday morning on the The Rumble radio programme on Radio Caribbean, the matchups saw Vieux Fort South – recipients of a first round bye – against Mon Repos, Gros Islet matched up with Mabouya Valley, Anse La Raye taking on Soufriere, Canaries set to face Roseau, and Micoud slated to clash with Central Castries.

The stage is set for what should be an exciting weekend of football. The Roseau-Canaries encounter kicks things off from 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. That match will be followed by Mon Repos-Vieux Fort South at 6:30 p.m., with Gros Islet-Mabouya Valley providing the nightcap.

On Sunday, the first game, at 5 p.m., will be Micoud-Central Castries, with Soufriere-Anse La Raye closing out the weekend action.

A $20,000 first prize is at stake for the teams involved. Entry to the grounds is $15, and there will be a number of giveaways on offer for patrons, including a 40-inch flatscreen television. On Sunday, every patron will also be given a complimentary beverage.

One cousin was arrested and another hospitalised after inflicting wounds on each other during an altercation in Baccarat, Castries (near Marchand).

Reports are that between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m., cousins Denver Thomas and Owen Thomas allegedly had an argument over a car when the situation got bloody.

Denver sustained chop wounds to his head, both arms and face while Owen was stabbed in the head.

Owen was reportedly arrested on the scene and Denver was rushed to hospital via ambulance.

Sources say Denver’s wounds were not life-threatening. He was discharged from hospital later the same afternoon. Owen was scheduled to seek medical examination for his wounds.

Both men are preparing to pressing charges against each other, sources say.

Sir Hilary Beckles

PRESS RELEASE - Incoming Vice Chancellor of The University of the West Indies, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, has been lauded for his “exemplary leadership” and hailed as “the leading public intellectual in the Caribbean.”

The tribute came from President of the Borough of Brooklyn, New York, Eric L. Adams who issued a citation on April 10th, 2015, in which he praised Sir Hilary for his “extraordinary achievements, outstanding leadership and his contribution to the community…”

Sir Hilary who takes up the post of Vice Chancellor on May 1 after serving the regional institution as principal of Cave Hill campus for the past 12 years, said he was humbled by the acclamation but highly appreciative that his lifelong work towards the upliftment of Caribbean people through education and empowerment has been recognized by others, including those who live beyond this region’s shores.

“It is a gratifying feeling and at the same time a most humbling experience to be publicly recognized for one’s work whether at home or abroad,” said Sir Hilary.

The citation presented to Sir Hilary in New York while on his return from China where he strengthened The UWI’s ties in that Asian country, read in part: “…On behalf of all Brooklynites, I salute Sir Hilary Beckles … for his exemplary leadership; I applaud him for being regarded by many as the leading public intellectual in the Caribbean region, serving as Chairman of CARICOM Reparations Commission and recognized and respected as the de facto leader of the growing reparations movement in the Western Hemisphere; I commend him for being a distinguished university administrator, economic historian and specialist in higher education, development analysis, and practice in addition to serving as the Vice President of the International Task Force for the UNESCO Salve Route Project, a consultant for the UNESCO Cities for Peace Global Program, an advisor to the U.N. World Culture Report, and member of Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon’s Science Advisory Board on Sustainable Development; and I thank him for all that he has done to help our communities move forward as One Brooklyn…”

On Friday, April 24, Sir Hilary carried out one of the duties required of his new role when he delivered the Vice Chancellor’s report on behalf of his predecessor Professor E. Nigel Harris at the annual meeting of University Council held at Mona campus in Jamaica. He saluted Professor Harris for a decade of outstanding leadership to The UWI and successfully keeping the regional institution intact during a period of major financial and economic challenge to The UWI and the region.

BBC NEWS - Nearly 1,000 are known to have died in a powerful earthquake in Nepal, with many more feared trapped under rubble, officials say.

The 7.8 magnitude quake struck an area between the capital, Kathmandu, and the city of Pokhara, the US Geological Survey said.

Tremors were felt across the region, with further loss of life in India, Bangladesh, Tibet and on Mount Everest.

The government has declared a state of emergency in the affected areas.

A national police spokesman told the BBC that 970 people had died in the quake, and that more than 1,700 had been injured. At least 539 people were killed in the Kathmandu valley, he added.

Nepali Information Minister Minendra Rijal said there had been “massive damage” at the epicentre, from where little information is emerging.

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Emergency rescue workers find a survivor in the debris of Dharara tower after it collapsed on April 25, 2015 in Kathmandu, Nepal. More than 100o people have died as tremors hit Nepal after an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale caused buildings to collapse and avalanches to be triggered in the Himalayas. Authorities have warned that the death toll is likely to be much higher. (Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images)

STATEMENT - The Government of Saint Lucia has received news of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that has struck Nepal, particularly the city of Kathmandu. It is reported that the earthquake has resulted in the death of several hundred citizens of Nepal. At the time of issuing this release, it is believed that over 1457 are dead. The devastation is reported to be widespread. The death toll is forecasted to increase as rescue efforts get underway.

Information reaching the Prime Minister suggests that the family homes of at least three of the students who are currently in Saint Lucia as a result of the Lambirds Academy case have been destroyed and family members were injured.

Disasters of this magnitude are unpredictable. It is understandable that the students would be deeply distressed and worried by the events at home at this time. The Government extends its deep condolences and profound sadness to the students, their families and indeed, the Government and people of Nepal.

It is sad to note that such a tragedy has occurred at a time when the students in our midst are coping with the difficult circumstances brought about by the Lambirds Academy case. In recent weeks, they have taken to the airwaves to express their sorrow, fears and concerns. The events in Nepal would of course, complicate efforts currently underway to assist the students to be reunited with their families.

The Government will extend whatever support it can to assist and support the students as they seek to cope with the tragedy in their homeland. It is a very difficult time for them.

All Saint Lucians are invited to offer their prayers and support to the students in their hour of need and despair. This a humanitarian crisis that deserves no less of a response.

A house was completely destroyed by fire in York Hill, La Clery, Castries Saturday afternoon.

The fire, which occurred around 2 p.m., destroyed a wooden house.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Cap Maison

Cap Maison in Saint Lucia made the top 10 list of the “best luxury hotels in the Caribbean”, according to a United Kingdom-based newspaper.

The Telegraph’s “guide to the top luxury places to stay in the Caribbean” also includes hotels in Antigua, Jamaica and Barbados.

In its review on Cap Maison, the newspaper stated: “Near the northern tip of St Lucia, in the posh Cap Estate area. The views – particularly from the restaurant – are sensational, taking in Pigeon Island down the coast, and Martinique on a clear day. Cap Maison’s look is Spanish Caribbean, with arches, courtyards and fountains, eye-catching Hispanic tilework and terracotta urns, and meticulously tended tropical gardens setting the tone.”

The top-10 list:

Carlisle Bay, Antigua
Cap Juluca, Anguilla
Jamaica Inn, Jamaica
Sandy Lane, Barbados
Eden Rock, St Barths
Montpelier Plantation & Beach, Nevis
Peter Island, British Virgin Islands
Jumby Bay, Antigua
Cap Maison, St Lucia
GoldenEye, Jamaica

Iftekar Ahmed Shams (left) and the other accuseds on their way to the courtroom. * Photo credit: Voice (St. Lucia)

Three of the four men charged in connection with the Lambirds Academy human trafficking and money laundering scandal were granted bail on Friday after attorney Marcus Foster cited an attack on one of his clients in prison as part of his successful bail application.

Indian nationals Kumar Batukbhai Chadasama, Ashwin Kanji Patel, and Gurjeet Singh Vilkhu, who are all charged with human trafficking, were granted EC$100,000 bail. The men were denied bail on two previous occasions.

The court heard on Friday that Patel was attacked earlier this week by three prisoners who bound, gagged and attempted to strangle him.

Foster also told the court that a prison officer came to his rescue.

Lambirds Academy Chief Executive Officer/President Iftekhar Ahmed Shams’ bail hearing is set for Monday.

Shams, who suffers from diabetes and hypertension, was hospitalised several times for collapsing in prison. He is the only one charged with both money laundering and human trafficking.

Meanwhile, as a condition of their bail, Chadasama, Patel, and Vilkhu are to surrender their travel documents; banned from communicating with the virtual complainants in the case; stay at least 200 yards away from the virtual complainants; report to the Gros Islet Police Station twice per day; and periodic police checks on their residences.

The men are accused of using Lambirds Academy as a front to traffic persons from Nepal, The Phillipines, India and other Asian countries, promising them jobs in the US after completion of studies in hospitality management.

Over 70 suspected students were left stranded by the scandal. Some have returned home, but the majority are still in St. Lucia being fed and housed by Good Samaritans with the assistance of the government.

Seven students went missing but were found several days later in Grenada.

Police are investigating a wounding incident that occurred in Bexon, Castries on Saturday.

The male victim was reportedly admitted at Victoria Hospital. His condition is unknown at this time.

A resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that the victim was allegedly chopped after he accused another male of stealing a television.

“The one that chopped him stole the boy ‘s family TV and he (the victim) asked him about the TV and he chopped him in the head and arm,” the resident.

Police officials have confirmed the incident but could not provide further information at this time, nor were they immediately able to verify the information provided by the resident to SNO.

Saint Lucia was represented by a three-member delegation as CONCACAF concluded a two-day ‘FIFA 11 for Health’ pilot workshop for the Caribbean in Puerto Rico.

The programme, launched last year by CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb and Professor Jiri Dvorak, FIFA’s Chief Medical Officer, promises to bring numerous benefits to the region by emphasizing the importance of national health to all Member Associations.

Member Association representatives, Government and National Project Leaders from seven territories – Cayman Islands, Curacao, Grenada, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico and Saint Lucia – participated in the initial seminar hosted by FIFA.

“The FIFA 11 for Health programme has gained significant momentum since its inception, encouraging participation and investment from various organisations and governments to shape future ambassadors of football and sports in general,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “CONCACAF welcomes this project to the Caribbean region, as it is designed to infiltrate society from a grassroots level, ensuring that our population remains fit and healthy through the power of football.”

Key subject areas covered during the sessions included implementation strategy, training courses, project budget and responsibilities of the National Project Leader.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Dvorak explained the importance of collaboration in order to maximize the programme’s outcomes.

“This project is designed to increase the level of physical activity and improve awareness of communicable and non-communicable diseases globally,” he said. “We are excited to launch FIFA 11 for Health in the Caribbean and involve another region to meet our objectives in this area, and we look forward to working with CONCACAF federations to implement the programme.”

Saint Lucia’s delegation included Lyndon Cooper, president of the Saint Lucia Football Association; Victorin ‘Sugar’ Lawrence of the FA Secretariat; and Saralee Williams, from the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports.

The FIFA 11 for Health messages vary based on region. For the Caribbean, the 11 messages include respect for girls and women; protect yourself from HIV and STD’s; avoid drugs, alcohol and tobacco; eat a balanced diet; and fair play.

The next phase is for participating countries to implement FIFA 11 for Health into school curriculums, using football as a vehicle to promote healthy living from a young age, so that the advantages of a healthier and longer life can be realised.

Police are investigating a collision between two vehicles on the Bexon Highway Saturday night.

Reports are that at around 7 p.m. a pickup collided with a minibus. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries.

The details of the accident are not yet clear, but a source said the bus was southbound and the pickup was travelling in the opposite direction.

More details later.

An injured child receives treatment outside Medicare Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, April 25, 2015. (AP / Niranjan Shrestha)

Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN) Rescue crews and residents in Nepal early Sunday began the desperate search for survivors after a magnitude-7.8 quake near the capital of Kathmandu a day earlier flattened homes, buildings and temples, causing widespread damage across the region and killing more than 1,800 people.

Whole streets and squares in the capital of more than 1 million people were covered in rubble. Stunned residents stared at temples that were once part of their daily lives and now were reduced to nothing.

Locals and tourists ferreted through mounds of debris in search of survivors. Cheers rose from the piles when people were found alive — but mostly bodies turned up. The injured ended up being treated outside overflowing hospitals, where crowds of people gathered looking for relatives.

Dozens of bodies were pulled from the historic nine-story Dharahara tower that came crashing down during the quake. At least 17 people were reported killed on Mount Everest, where the quake caused multiple avalanches.

A seemingly endless series of aftershocks continued to roil the area, further traumatizing survivors. Residents huddled in the cold rain overnight for safety.

The death toll of 1,832 is expected to rise as the full extent of the damage is assessed.

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PRESS RELEASE - A number of prominent business persons in the North of the island will be the key facilitators at a Youth Entrepreneurial Workshop to be held at the Gros Islet Secondary School on  Saturday 245h April.

The workshop is targeted at unemployed youth in the Gros Islet constituency and is being organised by the Parliamentary Representative for Gros Islet, Hon. Emma Hippolyte.

The objective is to motivate the young people to set up their own businesses and show them how they can turn an idea into a successful business.

Among those scheduled to address the participants are Rudy Gurley, Pauline Gomez, John Michel, Andre Chastanet and Terrence Elliot.

Several private and public sector agencies will also make presentations on various aspects of starting and operating a business.

The workshop begins at 9:00am with registration taking place from 8:30am. Young persons from the Gros Islet district are invited to attend.

PRESS RELEASE - We celebrate World Intellectual Property Day today Sunday 26th April and this allows me the opportunity to ask why is it we seem happy to purchase broadcasting rights for watching sporting events happening in our own back yards or watch it on ESPN instead of owning the rights ourselves?

Imagine, our own cameras and crew capturing ‘the cricket’ and then setting the price for onwards distribution to the rest of the world through our own satellite technology.

Well, the fact that Intellectual Property (IP) is a valuable asset appears to be a secret to us.  We continue to pay foreigners for use of their Intellectual Property instead of creating our own, therefore, one can only assume the ‘secret’ must be hidden in books and lost to many of us who do not care for reading.

This habit of ours clearly demonstrate we do not understand IP and therefore cannot value, protect or nurture our creators and build for the future.

Of course, as we continue to use the property of foreign IP owners we will allow the wealth of our nation to continue to flow out of the region increasing our poverty level.

We have been very slow at understanding the value and importance of Intellectual Property and only able to see the small picture, mainly through the work of the Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation for Music Rights (ECCO).

As a result, we have failed to realise that creativity and innovation are the new drivers of the world economy and national well-being increasingly depends on the strategy a country develops to harness its intellectual capital.

It should not challenge the mind much to turn this around by choosing to invest in the creation of our own Intellectual Property.  Thereby, spawning a whole new generation of creators with the potential to produce the next Shaggy, Rihanna, Microsoft or Google.

Within the so-called knowledge-based, innovation-driven economies, the IP system is a dynamic tool for wealth creation – providing an incentive for individuals as well as businesses to create and innovate; a fertile setting for the development of (and trade in) intellectual assets; and a stable environment for domestic and foreign investment of IP in today’s knowledge-driven economies.

A recent OECS study has shown that you get back more from investment in a copyright based industries than from any other sector.

Investment in this sector, would therefore stimulate creativity and kick-start economic growth through wealth creation and business development and could spawn a whole network of support services including: – event organisers & management, telecommunication technologies, graphic designers, studio services (producers, engineers, arrangers, session musicians etc.), agents, promoters, the film industry (directors producers, writer, editors, technicians and distributors), clubs and venues, hotel industry (tour guides, taxi drivers, airlines, etc.), media (broadcasters, journalist, DJs, newspapers and magazines), etc.

This Labour Day and eve of World IP Day ECCO calls to the fore men of influence and intellect to talk to those amongst us who can affect the changes necessary to build an industry that can release us from foreign dependency on Intellectual Property content and the control and dominance this leads to.