Jamaica News

The 48th Annual Montego Bay Yacht Club Marlin Tournament was launched yesterday, and so far, twenty contestants are slated to take part in the canoe segment which starts tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. and ends with a weighing session at 4 p.m.

On Thursday (September 17), the main feature of the tournament will kick off, with at least 15 teams in large boats and mega yachts seeking to snag a prize marlin catch over a three-day period. The event will end on Sunday with a kiddies tournament between the hours of 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The Montego Bay Yacht Club’s annual marlin tournament is one of only two such fishing tournaments that are still held in Jamaica. The other is the Port Antonio fishing tournament which is slated to get underway next week.

The funeral service for leading dacnehall producer Wycliffe ‘Steely’ Johnson will be held tomorrow – Saturday, September 12 – at the Swallowfield Chapel located at 9 Swallowfield Road in Kingston. The service is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

Johnson died of various medical complications on September 1, aged 47. He was one half of the highly successful and influential Jamaican production duo Steely & Clevie, who were among the earliest exponents of digital dancehall – the hard-edged, computerized version of reggae that began to dominate Jamaican airwaves from the mid-1980s.

An up & coming deejay by the name of ‘Unicorn’ reportedly brought the weekly ‘Boasy Tuesdays’ event on Lyndhurst Road in Kingston to a crashing halt in the wee hours this morning.

According to one report, Unicorn was involved in an altercation with persons at the event, an altercation which quickly escalated into a fight. Unicorn was reportedly seen rapidly throwing bottles, sending patrons scampering for cover and bringing an abrupt end to the event. The deejay was reportedly held for questioning by the police at the Half-Way-Tree police station, but released late this evening without being charged.

Earl Hylton, a 37 year old businessman was crushed to death yesterday, when a yacht fell on him at the Negril Beach on Norman Manley Boulevard in Westmoreland.

According to a police report, at about 5:40 p.m. yesterday, Hylton was underneath the yacht, fitting it to a tractor-trailer, when it fell on him. He was removed from beneath it and taken to the Savanna-la-mar Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Negril police are investigating.

The Minister of Education, Hon. Andrew Holness, will address the nation tomorrow, September 6, 2009. He will address issues relevant to the reopening of schools and the education system for the start of the new school year.

The broadcast will be aired on Radio Mona at 9:05 p.m., and on all other radio stations at 8:00 p.m.

It can also be viewed on:
PBCJ TV – 8 p.m.
LOVE TV – 8 p.m.
CVM TV – 9 p.m.
TVJ – 9:05 p.m.

On Tuesday (September 1), Kenneth L. Lewis resigned as chairman of the Integrity Commission, saying that he took the decision “in order not to compromise the Commission, in any way“, after tax authorities raided (just last week) premises which house a company of which he is a director. Below is a statement from Mr. Lewis which was published in the print media today.

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STATEMENT FROM KENNETH L. LEWIS – FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE INTEGRITY COMMISSION

On Tuesday, August 25, 2009, agents of the tax authorities carried out an operation at 3 Haughton Avenue, Kingston 10, in respect of tax arrears of a secretarial company, SAS Limited, of which I am a Director.

The unwarranted and unfortunate manner in which this operation was carried out and reported in the press could have had an adverse effect on the public’s perception of my chairmanship of the Integrity Commission.

In order not to comprise the Integrity Commission, in any way, I have written to the Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen, Governor General of Jamaica, tendering my resignation from the Commission with immediate effect.

The public should know that SAS Limited has been in discussion with the tax authorities with regard to outstanding tax liabilities. It should be noted that on Monday, August 24, 2009, SAS Limited made arrangements with the tax authorities for payment of arrears owed by the company. As agreed with the tax authorities, a payment of arrears was made on the morning of Tuesday, August 25, 2009.

In light of this, the operation carried out at 3 Haughton Avenue by the tax authorities on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 25, 2009, was unwarranted, most unfortunate and it could have served to tarnish the reputation of the firm Mair, Russell, Grant-Thornton which also occupies the premises.

The public can rest assured that SAS Limited will continue discussions with the tax authorities to ensure that all outstanding tax liabilities are fully addressed and resolved.

Desnoes & Geddes Ltd. (D&G) announced a solid performance for its 2008/2009 fiscal year through June. D&G, the maker of the world-famous Red Stripe Beer, said its results were boosted by significant growth in export volumes, higher prices and the devaluation of the Jamaican dollar against the United States’ currency.

D&G’s continued focus on cost efficiency, especially with regard to market cost, augmented profits. Earnings per share (EPS) grew 48.8% to J$0.55 from J$0.37 for the year, with J$0.16 earned in the fourth quarter.

Rose-Ann Campbell, a 25 year old primary school of Spanish Town in St. Catherine, appeared in the Spanish Town Criminal Court yesterday, where she pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of three ounces of ganja.

It is alleged that on August 27, Campbell went to the Spanish Town police lock-up with a parcel which she said contained a loaf of bread for her cousin who is a prisoner in the jail there. The parcel was searched, and three ounces of ganja were found, wrapped with plastic paper and embedded in the bread. She was arrested and charged.

She pleaded guilty with explanation, stating that her aunt asked her to take it to her son (Campbell’s cousin) at the lock-up, and that she did not know it contained ganja. The Resident Magistrate extended Campbell’s $40,000 bail bond, and adjourned the matter until to October 20 when Caombell will be sentenced. The Resident Magistrate also requested a social enquiry from the probation officer in order to help determine the degree of sentence to be handed down.