Moontown

RICE AND PEAS; MACARONI PIE

COU COU; STEAMED PUDDING AND SOUSE

BBQ SPARERIBS; BBQ PIG TAIL

BAKED CHICKEN; BAKED PORK

SEA CAT; FRIED SNAPPER

FRIED STEAK FISH; GRILLED STEAK FISH

LAMB STEW; FISH GRAVY

STEAMED VEGETABLES; TOSSED SALAD; COLE SLAW

Dozens of Antigua Labour Party (ALP) supporters gathered outside the State Insurance Corporation (SIC) building on Redcliffe Street yesterday holding placards and chanting in protest of the proposed divestment of the statutory body, and demanding the resignation of board chairman, Pedro Corbin.
Since the announcement of the divestment earlier this year, the opposition has made it clear that it disapproves of the selling of the “people’s asset” and was not in favour with what the ruling government calls good governance and “putting the people first”.

The party supporters could be seen marching up and down Redcliffe Street shouting, “ALP invests, UPP divests!” with Chairman of the Party Gaston Browne leading the chant.

Some of the placards read, “AT&LU hands off State, Another word for Divest is sell out, UPP what a waste dem sell out State and borrow from IMF and Who is next APUA, Port Authority, WIOC and ABS”.

Some protesters were calling for the removal of the Chairman of the State Insurance Corporation, Pedro Corbin, who they claim is caught in a conflict of interest where the operations of SIC are concerned.

Corbin has, however, denied any conflict of interest between his positions as State Insurance chairman and Goddard Catering Group (Antigua) Ltd’s general manager.

Also joining the picket were the hierarchy of the ALP who were standing strong behind their supporters.

Speaking to the AntiguaSun, Lionel “Max” Hurst indicated that the protests will not be stopped until the government changes its decision to sell the insurance company.

“One of the reasons they want to sell off government assets is because they want to get access to the resources of the International Monetary Fund and since 2006, we have been protesting this as they have no authority to sell off the assets of the people of Antigua and Barbuda.”

Former prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda Lester Bird said the large turnout, yesterday, shows that people are deeply concerned about the divestment of the insurance company.

Bird added that he has a personal connection with SIC as he was very instrumental in its opening back in 1977 when he acted as premier.

“After all these years of success, I am deeply hurt that the government could seek to sell off the company, to leave somebody like Pedro Corbin who is really not an Antiguan to go and get rid of one of the important investment that the government has made in this country.”

Bird went on to indicate that although the government won the general elections illegitimately by two seats, they need to await the outcome of what the court (election case) has said before making a decision such as this one.

“You cannot make decisions like this without a mandate and I therefore call on the people of Antigua and Barbuda to stand up.”

Bird explained that the party will continue with a series of pickets meetings.

Meanwhile, toward the end of the protest action, the riot squad had to be called in to maintain order.

According to ALP Chairman Gaston Browne, the incident occurred when a few members of the picketing contingent had a difference of opinion with the police.  “I went into State Insurance; I told them I was going to go pay my health insurance premium.  And they tried to refuse me access and I said to them they had no such right because they can’t refuse me access, it’s a public place.”
Browne told the SUN that Mary Claire Hurst, the ALP’s general secretary was already inside of the State Insurance building; when he, Browne, finally got into the building, he said that they were locked in.

“Mary Claire raised hell so they had to let her out; and then I raised hell afterwards and they had to let me out.  So things got a little heated then.”  It was reportedly these turn of events which incited a call for the riot police, who arrived on the scene in full attire, bearing firearms and canisters of what was said to be teargas.

Of the entire situation, Browne surmised, “Well, I just think that they were trying to intimidate us; and certainly it was excessive.  But in any event, they had an attitude from the beginning.  We had a bullhorn…they (the police) took it away and said we can’t use it because that is considered to be a public address system.  We do not necessarily accept that.  But clearly, they were trying to intimidate and to subvert the will of the people but all they did was to aggravate and strengthen the will of the people who were there and who were determined to make a statement that State Insurance should not be divested.” (Antigua Sun)

Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter

THE SENATE yesterday struggled to pass legislation following yet another walkout of the sitting by the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

Ten of the 14 government senators attended the sitting, but the habit of government members leaving the chamber during the sitting threatened to cripple Government’s ability to pass the bills.

The Standing Orders of the Senate stipulate that at least eight members must be seated for votes to be taken. At some points during the sitting, the governing side had as few as four members in the chamber.

This forced Leader of Government Business Dorothy Lightbourne to send young senator, Kamina Johnson, to inform members on the outside that their presence was needed to pass the bills.

The government side found itself against the wall after A.J. Nicholson led a furious PNP out of the chamber following a verbal clash with Government members.

The contention surrounded the Government’s insistence on passing the terrorism-prevention regulations. The PNP protested, saying it was not only against the rules of the Senate to debate the issue on the day it was tabled, but that it was unwise, owing to the magnitude of the regulations contained in the 27-page document.

infuriating comment

During the stand-off, Opposition Senator K.D. Knight said Lightbourne was “rude and stupid”, a comment which infuriated the government side.

“We ought not to put up with that behaviour in this Senate. You ought to take a stand, Mr President. We will not sit here with him. He ought to go outside and he ought to be referred to the ethics committee,” Lightbourne said.

President Oswald Harding directed Knight to

withdraw the comment but Knight would have none of it.

“I have read May’s Parliamentary Procedure and it says I can say so. I withdraw nothing,” Knight said.

May’s, regarded as the Bible for parliamentary procedures, regards as unparliamentary, “abusive and insulting language of a nature likely to create disorder”.

The PNP walked out of the Senate after Harding ruled that National Security Minister Dwight Nelson should be allowed to continue his presentation on the terrorism regulations.

basis of ruling

Harding based his ruling on an earlier approval by the Senate for the suspension of Standing Orders to allow for the terrorism-prevention regulations, as well as other matters to be taken at a later stage in the sitting.

The rules of the Senate require matters to be laid on the table for at least two days.

However, in outlining the Opposition’s gripe, Nicholson said the rules existed “… not only for the benefit of the Opposition so that they may study and be prepared for the matters that are to be taken, but also perhaps even more important, for the members of the public to know what is laid on the table of the House of the Senate so they may lobby their members of parliament or the senators to make contributions.”

not wise

Knight, before his tussle, said that while the minister could proceed, technically, it was not wise to do so given the nature of the resolution.

“These are regulations pursuant to what was from the inception a controversial piece of legislation,” Knight said.

The pleading of the Opposition did not move the government side and the walkout followed.

The Senate, however, passed the terrorism-prevention regulations, an amendment to the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act, the Casino Gaming Act, and a bill to establish an independent commission to investigate excesses by the security forces.

The regulations for the Registration of Strata Act were passed while the PNP was in the Senate.(Jamaica Gleaner)

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com

Kern De Freitas

Denesh Ramdin is ’far and away, the number one wicket-keeper/batsman in the Caribbean’.

This is the opinion of former West Indies wicket-keeper and vice-captain Deryck Murray, in response to the 29-man WI provisional squad released on Thursday for the World Twenty20, which includes three other glovemen.

Jamaicans Carlton Baugh and Chadwick Walton, along with 20-year-old Antiguan Devon Thomas, are the others in the running for the Windies wicket-keeper slot for next month’s tournament being hosted in the Caribbean while Grenadian Andre Fletcher is chiefly a batsman who can also don the gloves.

Baugh is an experienced campaigner, having played for Jamaica for a number of years and with 30 ODI and five Test caps for West Indies; and Walton was virtually unknown before being called up when the West Indies Players Association (WIPA)/West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) feud resulted in the frontline players’ withdrawal from the home series versus Bangladesh.

Ramdin has come under the microscope of the WICB selectors due to his poor recent form with the bat. In the just-concluded Digicel series against Zimbabwe, Ramdin was ’rested’ from the Second ODI, new coach Ottis Gibson said. But Murray thinks he is still the region’s first choice behind the stumps.

FLASHBACK: West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin celebrates reaching 50 during the fourth day of the Second Test against England at the Riverside ground, Chester-le-Street, England, last May. -Photo: AP

He suggested two reasons the selectors chose so many ’keepers. Firstly, he feels that preparing for such a tournament could give West Indies’ other wicket-keeping prospects a chance to ’show their worth’; the other as a ’wake-up’ call for ’the incumbent that he needs to keep on looking to improve, and he cannot get complacent and into a comfort zone’.

Murray also feels it will benefit Ramdin.

’I would not read too much into (the selections) other than those things, which is a natural thing in cricket,’ Murray told the Express yesterday. ’I think it’s a good thing, and it also gives Denesh and other players who are doing similar things to train with, and he wouldn’t be an isolated player, doing his own things all the time. It should help him to improve.’

This year, Ramdin has, so far, scored 65 runs in five matches in ODIs against Australia at an average of 16.25, his top score being 30. And his average improved only slightly against Zimbabwe to 20.00 (60 runs from four matches).

In T20s in 2010, he averages 33.5 in three matches, including an unbeaten 23 in West Indies’ embarrassing 26-run loss to Zimbabwe at the Queen’s Park Oval.

Overall, Ramdin averages 19.65 in ODIs and 19.36 in T20s.

The immediate past Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (T&TCB) president also argued that five wicket-keepers would not all be in contention for a West Indies berth. He did not think though that Fletcher was in the running.

’If he (Fletcher) has a future in West Indies cricket, it would be as a batsman,’ Murray reasoned.

Murray feels PowerGen and T&T wicket-keeper Gibran Mohammed deserves a look-in since the WICB chose five ’keepers for the World T20 training squad.

’To me, (Mohammed) would certainly be among those. You have to look at ages and what exposure they are giving to these people.’

Murray stated most wicket-keepers are not specialist batsmen but added that the best wicket-keeper should bat well enough to ’marshall’ the tail end of the team’s batting.

He conceded that Ramdin has not lived up to expectations with the bat, but is still convinced the CLICO Preysal keeper, who turned 25 last week, is a ’capable’ batsman.

’He has made runs in a Test match, but he has not been consistent. I think Denesh’s problem is he relishes in the (nickname) ’Shotter’, and that is his downfall. I think that is a stone around his neck, and he should concentrate on batting.

’In each type of game, you bat to suit the situation, and Denesh is a capable enough batsman to go out there and do that.’

As for the regional team, Murray thinks they can perform well in the upcoming World T20; a form of the game he regards as a ’lottery’.

’It’s a 50-50 chance of whichever team wins. If Australia plays in Zimbabwe, it’s a 50-50 as to who wins. West Indies has a chance…whether they can do so consistently to win a tournament is another matter. Last year (in England), they got to the semi-finals, so they do have a chance to do well.’ (Trinidad Express)

Darren BahawNews Editor

A CANADIAN medical facility is trying to locate Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls to have him settle an outstanding bill for life-saving treatment.

Officials at the William Osler Health Centre in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, told the Express McNicolls, who has been on medical leave since mid-December last year, received a specialised drug, Rituximab, last month, but despite efforts to have him settle the bill, it remains outstanding.

A member of the health centre’s accounting department called the Express newsroom on Thursday, seeking our assistance in locating McNicolls. The official pleaded for him to return and pay the debt or they will have no choice but to initiate legal action.

Documents provided by the health centre show that McNicolls owes Can$23,988.19 (TT$141,050.55). Several documents have been forwarded to Chief Justice Ivor Archie to settle the debt.

McNicolls, 54, has been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and has undergone six cycles of chemotherapy, but needed the Rituximab, which doctors believe will significantly improve his chances of survival. This medicine changes the way the body’s immune system works. In cancer cells, the drug targets a specific protein and stops the cells from growing.

OWES $$: Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls

The health centre noted that the drug was not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan and that each patient receiving such treatment was required to pay the cost of the drug prior to receiving the first treatment.

A deadline for the payment was listed as February 10, but up until February 25, the health centre was still sending correspondence to the Chief Justice, seeking payment. In one of the letters sent to the Chief Justice, Dr Sandeep Sehdev, of the oncology department, stated that McNicolls was under his care and the cancer drug was ’required urgently on a critical basis’.

The Express learned that Archie made an application to Cabinet for financial assistance to help McNicolls off-set his medical bills and it was approved.

Top legal sources said yesterday that there may have been a bureaucratic delay in the payment to the health centre, but promised to investigate the matter. The Chief Justice was unavailable for comment, as he was said to be locked in a closed-door retreat and could not be disturbed.

Officials at the health centre said they visited McNicolls’s home at Vanscot Drive in Brampton, but found the house vacant and were informed by neighbours that the Chief Magistrate had left the country.

The Express made enquiries as to McNicolls’s whereabouts, but sources close to his relatives in New Grant, Princes Town, said they were unaware McNicolls had left Canada and returned to Trinidad. McNicolls could not, therefore, be reached for comment on the health centre’s claim.

On February 17, the Privy Council ruled in favour of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, paving the way for two disciplinary charges to be laid against McNicolls for his failure to testify against former chief justice Satnarine Sharma on a criminal charge of attempting to pervert the course of public justice. The Privy Council also ruled that McNicolls bear the legal costs incurred by the commission in defending his lawsuit.

But even before the Privy Council gave its ruling, a decision had been taken by the commission, which is chaired by Archie, not to pursue the disciplinary charges against him. The State, the Express learned, will also not attempt to retrieve the legal costs from McNicolls.

Sources close to the Chief Magistrate said McNicolls will remain on extended medical leave until his retirement in eight months at the age of 55.

The charges filed by the commission date back to August 2, 2007, when it was alleged that McNicolls ’engaged in conduct’ which brought the administration of justice and the commission into disrepute by his failure to testify against Sharma.

Sharma, now retired, was charged after McNicolls alleged that the then Chief Justice tried to influence him to acquit former prime minister Basdeo Panday of three integrity charges in 2006. McNicolls’s reluctance to testify led to the dismissal of the charge against Sharma.

Added to McNicolls’s troubles was another criminal charge of permitting his bodyguard to drive his vehicle without a valid certificate of insurance, but this was dismissed last October by Magistrate Lucina Cardenas-Ragoonanan. (Trinidad Express)

THE DEAL for the sale of CLICO International General Insurance Company Limited’s operations in Barbados and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States is nearing an end.

This follows yesterday’s purchase and sale agreement between CLICO Holdings (Barbados) Limited and CGI Holdings.

Bruce Bayley, chairman of CGI Holdings Inc, said that “on completion of this acquisition, CLICO International General will become a wholly owned subsidairy of CGI Holdings Inc, as is CGI Consumers’ Guarantee Insurance Company Limited.”

The transaction is subject to the approval of the Supervisor of Insurance.

“Once all conditions have been satisfied and all approvals have been obtained, we will complete the acquisition and start the transition process,” Bayley stated.

CLICO, in a statement issued yesterday, said it was heartened by the overwhelming support received from its policy holders, whom it thanked for their show of confidence.

“As we restructure and improve our operations, we will not forget this support and as our organisation strengthens, we will find innovative ways to ensure that you participate in our future successes,” CLICO said in its statement.

CLICO International General Insurance is expected to conduct business as usual while it closes the purchase deal with CGI Holdings. (ES) (Nation News)

KING OF TRACK. St Stephens’ Rivaldo Leacock swept the Under-13 Boys 200 and 400 and the Open 800 metres.

Click here to see more photos

by SHERRYLYN A. TOPPIN

BAYLEYS PRIMARY wrapped up their third ever girls’ title at the Pine Hill National Primary Schools’ Athletic Championships, while St Stephen’s boys’ were crowned kings for the first time yesterday at the National Stadium.

Bayleys mounted a successful defence of the crown they won last year with 106.25 points, adding to the titles in 2003 and 2009. Arthur Smith Primary, the double-crown winners from the Jim Wedderburn Zone 4, were a distant second with 71 points, followed by Charles F. Broome (56), Christ Church Girls (55) and Grazettes on 51.

The boys’ title was decided on the very last race. Up to that point, Milton Lynch (96) had the lead, with Williams Industries West Terrace (92) second. However, neither of them had a team in the Under-13 Boys’ 4×100 metres relay and when Elijah Downey of St Stephen’s crossed the finish line in first place, it also secured the title with 100 points.

Charles F. Broome were fourth on 80.5 points and defending champions Luther Thorne fifth on 68.5.

Physical education teacher Sydney Arthur told the SATURDAY SUN that Bayleys went back to tighten up a few areas after losing the zone title to Charles F. Broome by seven-and-a-half points.

“The kids are hard workers and we just try to get them to be consistent and to believe in themselves. We went back into training to touch up and fix up, nothing extreme, so that they would be ready for the next meet,” Arthur said.

“It feels great. From being one of the coaches, one of the teachers, you become really close with the children, learning their personalities. It has been a lot of fun and it feels awesome. I am happy for them.”

Arthur said all of the staff members who had a bit of athletics experience, especially Angela Miller and Rohan Payne, played a pivotal role in the team effort. He acknowledged, however, that more work had to be done to bring the boys up to scratch.

The victory was a bit of a surprise for St Stephen’s.

“My expectations coming in were rather low due to the fact that we only have athletes to dominate one division, so I never really expected that we would’ve won the overall title,” said physical education teacher Fabian Lewis.

“We had a few exceptional guys like Elijah (Downey) and Rivaldo (Leacock), and along with the others who made up the relay teams, they have done it for us.”

Along with Rudolph Sandiford and Jeremy Browne, they started the process in December last year, then picked the top three from each event for further training.

These championships will go down in history as belonging to Bayleys’ Jaria Hoyte who was victrix ludorum, and Leacock who shared the victor ludorum title with the West Terrace pair of Ajani Haddock and Jamahl Burke.

“Jaria Hoyte is a very unique young lady. She is extremely hard-working and extremely focused,” Arthur said.

“I think it would be really good if we could get some more children coming up like this. She always gives her best, she always has a target and we try to keep her focused on that target.”

Hoyte was named the most outstanding athlete, setting three records in the Under-13 Girls’ 200 and 400 metres and in the Open 600 metres. She anchored the medley relay team to victory, and showed her class, coming through the field from about fourth place to win the 4×100 metres relay.

For her efforts, she will be attending the Central American and Caribbean Juniors on an all-expenses paid trip donated by Darcy Ras Iley Small of Medic Response.

Leacock, who is a member of BC Trac, set a new record in the Under-13 Boys’ 800 metres and was also undefeated in the 200 and 400 metres. He also anchored the medley team to victory and ran the third leg on the 4×100 before handing off to Downey.

Burke won the 100m, 200m (in record time) and the long jump in the Under-11 division, while Haddock swept the Under-9 Boys’ 100 metres, 150 metres and the long jump. (Nation News)

Basil Lavine, chief executive officer of the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation.

by PATRICK WARD

TENANTS at the 12 estates of the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC) owe the Government agency more than $5 million in rent.

But the BIDC says it will not embark on a mass programme of evictions as private landlords would.

CEO Basil Lavine said while BIDC got a Government subvention, rent collection formed a major portion of the corporation’s financial resources.

“We are having a challenge with rent. If we were able to collect 50 per cent of outstanding rents this year, we would be able to deal a lot more with our programmes.

“When a client does not pay his rent for whatever reason, he is really somehow compromising our ability to provide assistance to some other client,” Lavine said. “We are having a serious problem.”

BIDC chairman Dr Don Marshall, however, sounded a warning to the three per cent he described as loafers to get their houses in order.

He noted that because of the nature of the businesses and because of the recession some were unable to meet their monthly obligations

“We are at the point now of making some kind of adjustment with the rent in terms of a reduction for certain kinds of businesses operating in this particular kind of environment,” Marshall said.

“There are about three per cent of tenants of our buildings that are clearly loafing and are in breach of some of the terms and conditions of the lease. We will be moving vigilantly and in a judicious way to do the right thing,” he added.

Lavine said it was not easy being a developmental agency.

“We have tended very often to put out people as a last resort. I am not at liberty to speak about any clients’ situation, but we have done all sorts of things; we have worked with clients and provided technical assistance to them even though we know they are in arrears.

“Sometimes we have done forgiveness, we have done compromises, we have done some of everything, but when it comes to putting them out like a private landlord would do, that is a last resort.”

Marshall said the board had implemented a policy over the last 18 months that functioned like a moratorium for businesses that were finding themselves with some challenges in meeting their regular monthly rental obligations.”

He added: “We are operating a greater stringency because we have a very small percentage of cases where we have loafing going on and we are looking more seriously at those particular cases with a view of examining whether to serve notices to quit. . . . ” (Nation News)