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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 12/14/2018

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Friday 14th December 2018. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Weekend Nation Newspaper (WN).

CORPORATE BARBADOS TO BWA’S RESCUE – Two days after contracting company Innotech Services Limited uprooted the community water tanks it had leased to the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) over millions owed by the utility company, members of corporate Barbados today started pouring in donations of replacement tanks and other materials. It is understood that the state-owned BWA owes Innotech some $18 million accumulated over a 14-month period for the provision of various services, including arrears for the tanks which are leased at $51,000 per month for five years and rental of the headquarters building in the Pine for $1 million a month for 15 years. Chairperson of the BWA Leodean Worrell told a news conference this afternoon she was unusually lost for words to see the overwhelming generosity of Barbadians who had come to the rescue of the residents of water-scarce St Joseph, St Andrew, St John and St Thomas who have been deprived of access to potable water supplies. Unofficial spokesman for corporate Barbados and businessman Hallam Nicholls, who was present at the news conference assured chairperson Worrell, BWA general manager Keithroy Halliday and board member Andrew Dickson that whatever the BWA needs would be supplied. “Yesterday when we got the news that these tanks had been taken, we immediately sprung into action. With me today is Mark Roach from Williams Industries and many other businessmen. They called me to say, look, we want to help. I understand there are 104 tanks owned by Innotech that are leased to the water authority. What I can tell you that all of the tanks or more will be supplied by corporate Barbados. All,” Nicholls declared. He revealed that Mark Maloney, head of construction firm Preconco will supply the concrete for the base on which the tanks must be placed. He said that construction magnate Sir Charles Williams, who is in Argentina called him to pledge his support. “There are too many to mention. But what I can say to you is that whatever the water authority needs to combat this situation will be achieved with the help of corporate Barbados. I think is very unfortunate. As a matter of fact, I am prepared to say it is unpatriotic of Innotech and also insensitive for them at this time, having been the recipient of many contracts from the BWA, to take this action,” the businessman added. Roach, a director of Williams Industries and a top official of sister company H&B Hardware, told the news conference they donated four tanks yesterday and another 12 today. Roach, too, echoed the sentiments of Nicholls regarding the actions of Innotech. “As Mr Nicholls has just said, we realize that this is a very insensitive decision by the people at Innotech. We just felt we had to step forward and I am sure that’s the view of many other people in corporate Barbados,” Roach said. Paul Bridgeman, who represented Jose y Jose Liquid, Solid Waste Management Inc and Project Recycle pledged five water tanks, while Chris Maloney of Automotive Art said his company was giving 12. Like several of his business colleagues, Maloney suggested that the removal of the tanks left a bad taste in the mouth of many. “Barbados is not the place for any of our people to be so disadvantaged, that the safety supply and emergency access to water is not available to them, Christmas of otherwise. Automotive Art is here to pledge its support…we can pledge 10, 11, 12 tanks to the cause,” he assured. President of the Senate and legal luminary Sir Richard Cheltenham was also at the news conference with a cheque to buy five tanks. “The people who are directly impacted by this are people who I have represented for nearly 15 years as their Member of Parliament for the people of St Joseph…some in St Thomas, some in St Andrew, some in St John. All of those areas form part of the constituency of St Joseph, because it is below the average of constituencies in the country,” said Sir Richard. He said he would be “very” unhappy to know he was enjoying his Christmas and these people could not have access to basic amenities such as water. But the support for the state-owned water company did not only come from outside, but within as well. Flanked by members of the BWA’s division of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), spokesman for the employees and president of the division Carl Boyce said they were contributing two tanks. “The staff at the BWA and the BWU through its executive council and our general secretary, we all are onboard in this gesture. And we, both in the union and as staff, are putting out money where our mouths are and we are donating two tanks to help with this exercise, because we also have members of staff in those areas,” Boyce said. While not providing a date, BWA chairperson Worrell informed reporters that the new tanks will be in place as soon as possible. (BT)

BWA CONTRACT TALKS IN PROGRESS –The Barbados Water Authority (BWA) has started renegotiating its contract with Innotech Aquaserve Ltd for the $44 million headquarters complex. The BWA management revealed it was tied to a contract which would see the authority paying more than $171 million over 15 years before the authority could own the building. “Discussions commenced yesterday (Wednesday) with the Innotech team and the external negotiators appointed by the Government,” BWA chairman Leodean Worrell said on Thursday at the BWA’s Pine, St Michael headquarters. “They are progressing quite well. We have not yet gotten a full report, so at this point in time I can’t exactly indicate where it is, but there are indeed contracts that have to be renegotiated and this one in particular is one that needs to be renegotiated,” she added. (WN)

COMPROMISE SOUGHT – Innotech Equipment Inc. offered to give up two years’ billings for the Rapid Response Units community tanks stationed in water-scarce areas of Barbados if the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) would pay up on its outstanding debts for 2017 and 2018. The company’s offer was made five months ago in a letter dated August 24, 2018 when its Director Anthony DaSilva also proposed that the new deal take effect at the end of that month once the BWA agreed. The letter of compromise was addressed to the BWA Chairman Leodean Worrell and copied to the BWA General Manager Keithroy Halliday and former Communications specialist Joy-ann Haigh. Innotech, now wrapped in a row with Government over the State’s outstanding debt, would have been giving up close to $1.2 million which represented $51,000 per month for at least 24 months of the initial five-year contract approved under the former Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Government. A copy of the letter obtained by Barbados TODAY and which had as its subject “RRU Community Tanks” also put forward two other conditions of the offer in addition to the requirement that all outstanding invoices for 2017 and 2018 would be paid “as soon as the BWA’s cashflow permits”. The letter also stipulated: “BWA will take possession of the Community Tanks currently remaining out in the field and the community tanks and the associated equipment remains the property of Innotech Equipment Inc. A source close to the situation said this “olive branch” was extended to the BWA in good faith and was the company extending its hand to save the authority and the taxpayers at least some costs. In fact, the August letter stated: “Further to communication between the BWA and Halliday/Da Silva and Worrell, we write to confirm our willingness to put the above captioned in abeyance and to forego any future monthly billings due under the contract as at the end of August 2018.” On Tuesday Innotech, in an apparent attempt to force the authority’s hand on the debt payment, started to remove the community tanks. BWA Chairman Worrell expressed shock at the development and noted that the BWA was “not given a courtesy call,” while adding that several attempts were made to bring Innotech to the negotiation table in recent times but to no avail. When asked today to explain her claim that Innotech was unwilling to negotiate against what appears to be evidence to the contrary, Worrell explained that a correspondence conveying a demand was not negotiating. “You are telling me that you are giving me the tanks that BWA paid $51,000 per month for since 2015 but we must pay up to date when the BWA does not have the money. So that is not a negotiation,” she told Barbados TODAY. She explained that it was imperative that Innotech come to negotiation table to rationalize aspects of the contract. She further noted that among the questions raised about the contract was the reasoning behind ordering 2000-gallon tanks, which were double the cost of the 1000-gallon tank. The tank size posed further logistical problems as the BWA only has one super tanker capable of transporting more than 1200 gallons and this meant that water trucks needed to make two trips to fill one tank. In addition, clarification was needed on certain clauses within the contract as it pertains to exclusivity, she said. “A lot of it did not make sense so we needed to have a sit down. The price difference between a 2000-gallon tank and 1000 gallon is tremendous. There is the fine print that we also need to go through such as the issue of exclusivity because we were essentially being held hostage. So from the time they took up the tanks that in law is repudiation because I would prefer that the water tanks belong to the BWA,” said Worrell. Barbados TODAY also contacted Innotech chairman, Anthony Da Silva, who said “The Innotech Group of Companies has operations and companies in Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and in Dominica. It is not the habit of Innotech, in the past and it will not be in the present or the future, to comment in the public domain or privately on the confidential affairs between itself and its clients.” Barbados TODAY understands that there have been attempts today to reach some solution to the impasse between the BWA and the equipment company. Chairman Worrell confirmed that talks had started with Innotech on all contracts which she said will be renegotiated, particularly the one involving the tanks. “Discussions commenced yesterday with the Innotech team and the external negotiators appointed by the Government. They are progressing quite well. We have not yet got a full report, so at this point in time I cannot say exactly where it is. But there are indeed contracts that have to be renegotiated…this one in particular is one that needs to be renegotiated,” the BWA chair said. (BT)

IN THE RED – The state-owned Barbados Water Authority (BWA) said today it is facing a deficit of $10.3 million a month. In making the announcement at a press conference at the BWA’s Pine, St Michael headquarters, general manager Keithroy Halliday attributed this position to a series of contracts which it had entered into over the past several years which did not profit the company. “Suffice to say, the net effect of it has been that the BWA now faces a monthly deficit of about $10.3 million. And this is the result of a number of contracts which we find to be very challenging and which we, over the months, have been trying to move away from and negotiate a position that at least allows all parties to benefit going forward,” Halliday said. He noted that the community water tanks was one of those contracts which gave birth to the rapid response unit at the height of the chronic water outages and shortages experienced by residents in the north and north eastern part of the island. Halliday said the unit was drawn from personnel within the distribution department, but has since been restructured to bring it in line with the company’s strategic intent which is to make sure the authority delivers on its mandate for a safe supply of water and do so in a “complete and holistic way” as far as customer service is concerned. He conceded that the BWA reached a point where it could no longer meet its financial obligations to the contractor who leased the tanks to the water utility. “The simple fact of the matter is that given the challenges the BWA has had and given the fact that we have had to take several hard decisions, one of the areas that would have been impacted would have been the inadequate equipment. We were not able to meet all of the timely payments to the contractor in respect of services delivered…in particular for the community tanks,” the general manager said. He also pointed to the fact that the BWA is required to fork out $1 million a month to pay rent for the next 13 years under a 15-year agreement for the building at the Pine that houses the headquarters. “The arrangement with the building is what we call a lease plus arrangement. There are two components. There is a rental figure of $701,000 a month and then there is a service charge figure that runs between $230,000 and $250,000 a month. So every month conceivably, the BWA has been trying to make a million dollars in payments towards inhabiting this particular establishment,” Halliday lamented. He argued that the water works was earning an average $11 million a month and was waiting on a loan. (BT)

‘NO GAMES’ – Residents of St Joseph have issued a warning to Government and the Barbados Water Authority (BWA): don’t “play games” with their water supply. Amid the ongoing debt standoff with the BWA during which the property management firm, Innotech, removed community tanks from rural districts over unpaid debt, villagers are holding the water utility accountable for any disruption in service. While many have grown accustomed to life without steady running water in the hilly, remote area, the thought of losing their community tanks is an offence for which the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) will not be forgiven. Instead, residents in Chimborazo, Horse Hill and Branchberry, St Joseph say they have entered into a contract with the BWA for the supply of water. Having been reduced to heavy dependence on outdoor tanks, they appear in no mood for excuses. Sobie, an elderly resident of Chimborazo, went as far as saying that he supported the position taken by Innotech, while calling on the BWA to improve its services. “Once they [the tanks] haven’t been paid for, I agree with them [Innotech]. If [BWA] haven’t paid me, then I am withdrawing my services. That is a fact. But so long as I’m paying my water bill, you have to let water come through here [the taps], and if there’s no water coming through my main and coming out of the tap, you don’t get a cent from me. I am different to the other people that like a lot of talk. If I can’t get nothing, you can’t get nothing. Simple as that,” he said. Earlier this week, Innotech took the drastic step of removing its water tanks in an apparent bid to force the BWA’s hand over the debt, which is reported to be at $18 million. The move was met by a defiant Minister of Water Resources, Wilfred Abrahams who said Government will not be bullied over the outstanding debt, while accusing Innotect of breaching its contract with the BWA. But rural residents who spoke to Barbados TODAY were not impressed. “We don’t know about the contracts, nor the nitty-gritty with the tanks. The tanks were a great idea. We weren’t getting any water, but if we could start getting some water through our taps and not from the tanks, we could still pay our bills, because we got water . . . . But you aren’t getting any through your taps, nor through the tank. I am not giving them a ‘yin’, not a ‘yabba’,” said Sobie. Winston Gable, another Chimborazo villager, argued that the supply of water to ‘poor’ Barbadians should not be put in jeopardy by the BWA. “If you’re not getting paid for the uses of the tank, you still have employees to pay . . . we who are paying for water are getting nothing . . . I got little animals and on mornings, you can’t get a bath, you can’t have a cup of water unless you dip it from a bucket, when you are paying for water. It is not good. “said the pensioner, who engages in small farming. “Down by Government House got water. Why must St Joseph and St John always suffer for water?” asked Henderson Cox. At Horse Hill, residents recounted receiving horrifying news that their source of water was in jeopardy. “We woke up on Monday, the water was off, and the water truck came and gave us some water at around 8:15. Then the people from Innotech came and took up the tanks. We assumed they were going to clean them and bring them back, but the people said the tanks weren’t paid for, so they’re carrying away their tanks,” said one man. “The men that moved the tanks showed some remorse. They honestly didn’t want to move it . . . because they understand our situation, but they had to do it, that is their job. Innotech had no right holding us for ransom though. They had no right holding the poor man for ransom,” he added. Those sentiments were shared by businessman James Edgehill, manager of Caribbean Consultants Ltd, who said such a move was not in keeping with corporate social responsibility as he donated 12 water tanks procured from Rotoplastics (Barbados) to the water authority. While the residents are happy to hear that they will have access to water from other tanks, they again appealed to the BWA for a permanent fix to the problem. Krystal Grant, another resident of Horse Hill, said the lack of running water continued to make life difficult, noting that over the past three years, her relatives and neighbors were even forced to endure dry taps on Christmas Day. (BT)

SOUTH COAST FIX APPEARS CLOSER AT HAND – A BREATH OF fresh air should soon be coming to Worthing, Christ Church. Likewise, the days of treated effluent flowing into the sea near the now-closed Worthing Beach from the Graeme Hall Swamp should also soon be a thing of the past. That’s because a Barbados Water Authority team – along with Ward Drilling and Morenco, ably assisted by equipment from C.O.Williams Construction – yesterday laid an 18-inch ductile iron pipe from the treatment plant to the beach. There is three times that length of 16 millimetre thick pipeline already placed outside the reef, and that length again from the beach to the reef already in the sea. The pipeline will be connected to the iron pipe tomorrow, Thursday, December 13, to allow the treated effluent to flow out to sea beyond the breakwater. (WN)

BHTA CALLS FOR PERMANENT FIX TO SEWAGE PROBLEM – With two days to go before officials complete a temporary fix to the south coast sewage problem, tourism officials are calling for a long-term solution, complaining that the closure of the Worthing Beach has already resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in losses to hoteliers in the area. Minister of Energy and Water Resources Wilfred Abrahams had indicated that officials were working towards a December 15 deadline to have a temporary fix to the ongoing problem, and that a temporary outfall pipe should be functioning by early next week. After the fixes to the force main leading to the Needhams outfall failed about a month ago, officials have been working on the short-term solution from the Worthing Beach area, which resulted in a closure of the beach. However, while welcoming the news of a temporary solution, Chairman of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) Stephen Austin told the association’s fourth quarterly general meeting on Wednesday there was a need for a permanent fix. “Since the closure of Worthing Beach, we have had some members suffering from loss of business of over $60,000 in one month alone. This ongoing situation is a tragedy for any business in the area and we will do all possible to continue to agitate for a permanent solution to this challenge,” he told members gathered at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. He said government has given the assurance that it was actively seeking funding for a permanent outflow that should be in place by September next year if all goes according to plan. However, Austin insisted “We also need to look for a more permanent solution in terms of a tertiary treatment plant and our hope is that government will source the necessary funding in the not-too-distant future. “We support the efforts of the minister and look forward to continued updates from the authorities once this temporary fix is completed,” he said, while thanking the Barbados Water Authority for its recent work in “keeping the sewage off the street”. In March this year, when the problem was more severe, Chief Executive Officer of the BHTA Senator Rudy Grant had revealed then that some of the BHTA members had lost up to $200,000, as visitors fled hotels and other accommodation in the affected areas. Without naming the properties, Grant had said a survey in December 2017 and again in February 2018, revealed a “higher level of cancellations” during that period. Member of Parliament for Christ Church South Ralph Thorne has vowed to put pressure on the BWA to quickly rectify the sewage issue affecting the Worthing Beach which is in his constituency. Officials have already indicated that immediately after the mitigating fixes were completed, rehabilitation of the swamp should take place. This would include flushing the swamp’s effluent into the sea. (BT)

GAIA TO OFFER WORKERS SHARES – Workers at the Grantley Adams International Airport Inc. (GAIA) are being offered the opportunity to become shareholders in an arrangement which will also see the airport being run by a concessionaire. In a meeting with the workers on Wednesday, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley revealed that significant infrastructural work was on the way for the airport and Government was in talks with the private sector arm of the World Bank, called the International Finance Corporation, and about to conclude an agreement. She disclosed that the proposed structure, which was yet to be formally approved by Cabinet, would allow Government to retain ownership of the airport, while issuing a concession to “an outside entity that will be bid internationally”. She said this was being done to allow for significant expansion of the airport, including the addition of just under 30 000 square metres in order for Barbados to become “the hub of choice for the southern cone”. (BGIS)

SUTHERLAND BACKS VENDORS – A Cabinet Minister has apparently broken with his own ministerial colleagues on the decision to curtail the vending at the Grantley Adams Memorial School, even as he announced a national policy aimed at encouraging the sale of more nutritious options to children. Breaking his silence this morning on the issue, which captured national attention last month, Minister of Small Business Dwight Sutherland blamed instead the school’s administrators and sided with the vendors. He described as unreasonable the barring of vendors from selling on the school’s compound – a decision that was backed by the Ministry of Education. But the commerce minister contends that there is more than enough room for the school canteen and vendors to exist harmoniously. The decision led to a protest by students and staff during a two-week standoff. The stalemate quickly gained national attention, leading the Barbados Association of Retailers, Vendors and Entrepreneurs (BARVEN) to demand the Prime Minister’s intervention. Sutherland said the new initiative is intended to prevent another crisis by embracing the vendors and widening the healthier choices available to students, as Barbadian authorities with a rising epidemic of childhood obesity and related health issues. “The vendors now have to get on board with the nutritional value of vending, the minister told journalists. “So as opposed to eliminating, we have to integrate and make sure that they [vendors] provide nutritional value to the students. We have the space for all of them and the Minister of Education, Santia Bradshaw, and I have spoken about it. So I know that she has a plan, which will be executed with the help of BARVEN shortly. So we won’t see anymore challenges around the issue of school vending because we recognise that it is part of our culture.” he stressed. Sutherland, drawing on his own experience as a high school student, said: “I don’t think that one canteen can serve all of the students at a school, it is impossible. I went to [The] Lodge School and I bought number of my hamcutters, cheesecutters and drinks from the vendors because some days the lines in the canteens were so long that it would take half-an-hour to be served. So in order to maximise my recreational time I had to go to the vendors on the outside,” said Sutherland, who spoke to reporters following a walk-through of the Swan Street shopping strip on Wednesday. Last month, Grantley Adams students were locked in the school’s compound to prevent them from patronizing vendors on the outside during their breaks. At one stage police were called in to remove the vendors. Among the reasons cited was the competition that the vendors were posing to the canteen. After acting Minister of Education Senator Lucille Moe supported the decision, it took an intervention by Education Minister Santia Bradshaw to finally resolve the impasse, granting access only to the longest-serving vendor while others had to apply to the school board for permission. But the minister said that the argument of unfair competition did not hold water, as both business entities have shared the same customer base for decades. “This existed for years and I have never heard of school canteens not making money. I know these are tough economic times and people have to hold but my belief is that there is economic space for everyone at the schools. When you look at Grantley Adams, there were people who were working there for eons. So you can’t now tell me now that you are not making profit at this time when you were making profit before,” he argued, noting that in his experience vendors and canteen operators often existed harmoniously for the students’ benefit. (BT)

FAIR TAX – A veteran businessman hopes government would start charging Value Added Tax (VAT) on online transactions at least by April next year, to create a level playing field for local businesses. Managing Director of major swan street store, Abed’s and former Chamber of Commerce and Industry President, Eddy Abed was responding to news that implementation of the tax would be postponed for the third time this year. On this occasion, the delay is due to Government’s urgent need to meet the December 31st deadline to pass legislation for the convergence of local and international tax rates to bring them in line with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative, amid threats of sanctions. The disappointed businessman said while he understood government’s rationale for again pushing back the date from December 15th, the tax needed to be introduced sooner rather than later, to ensure fairness in the local market. “This clearly is competition that has gone on for too long without being on a level field. So I look forward to it. I think it’s important that we do it sooner rather than later, but equally I want to make sure that the mechanism is fair for all and that there is absolute clarity so there is no ambiguity,” he said. Abed also told Barbados TODAY that while he was eager to see the tax finally implemented, he wanted it to be rolled out in a sensible manner. “What we are keen to see is that the tax is implemented in a manner that is without any obstruction or any ambiguity, so that business flows. We’re still unsure as to the mechanism that government will use to collect VAT on these purchases and we would’ve liked the opportunity to discuss this with the ministry of finance in particular. Of course it must be done in a manner that will ultimately assist the brick and mortar businesses that are paying VAT, paying staff, paying overheads in Barbados,” said Abed. Indicating that government’s decision to implement the tax so late in the year, would have allowed shoppers to take advantage of Christmas shopping online before the December 15th implementation date. Abed said he hoped it could be applied well before Crop Over. “People would gear up for Crop Over perhaps two months before, so in my mind it would be somewhere around April this should be implemented, at the start of government’s new financial year. “I cannot see any advantage to implementing it in the next three months. I’d love to see it implemented for the reasons I have explained…but the reality is that you’ve missed the largest selling period,” said Abed. The businessman also dismissed as a “red herring”, a recent argument that the online tax would bring hardship to the country’s small businesses. “The discussion needs to be about right versus wrong, not big versus large. We can no longer sit idly by, when our country is in such terrible financial woes, and accept that small businesses, and I am not clear what a small business is, can import goods without paying the necessary VAT and duties. That’s just unacceptable. If you’re going to operate in the retail industry in this country, then all businesses need to operate on a level playing field,” he said. In fact, he argued that small businesses were in some cases better equipped to absorb the cost of VAT, than larger ones. “The advantage a small business has over a larger business is that they have less overheads, and they are extremely nimble. Larger businesses have to put in orders three to six months prior to getting delivery…If it is an item that is fashionable, it may go out of fashion, and you are stuck with it. So there are advantages and disadvantages of both, but frankly an advantage of a small business cannot be that it has the opportunity to import without paying VAT. That is just unacceptable,” he said. (BT)

CONMAN PREYING ON SENIORS –The elderly are being warned to be on their guard against a well-dressed swindler prowling a St Michael district. Flagstaff, St Michael residents are on alert for a middle-aged man targeting mostly elderly people and tricking them into giving him money. The man convinces them he is either a relative or a friend of a relative and needs a loan for various reasons before disappearing with the cash. It appears he asked around the neighbourhood for information on his next victim before striking. The police have been notified about the scam, and Minister of Elder Affairs Cynthia Forde has condemned it. (WN)

FIRE GUTS HOME IN HARTS GAP – A Guyanese family is now devastated after their home in Harts Gap, Christ Church was completely destroyed by fire. Roopchand Gopaul and the two female occupants were not at home when the fire started in the insured wooden structure owned by Mohammed Adams. Two water tankers and 11 fire officers from the Worthing and Bridgetown divisions of the fire department responded to the blaze just after 10 a.m. This is the second fire to occur in the Christ Church area in a week. Last Wednesday fire officers responded to a mysterious blaze at Ice Complex, Hastings Christ, Church which impacted four businesses housed in the building. Barbados TODAY spoke to neighboring residents of Harts Gap who said they heard a “hissing” coming from the home before seeing the house ablaze. One neighbor said he took measures to try to safeguard his family home by throwing water on the galvanize. Another neighbor told Barbados TODAY that when he arrived at his residence located a few yards away from the burning structure, the firemen had brought the blaze under control. Police were still on site when the Barbados TODAY team left the area just after midday. Police investigations are still continuing. (BT)

YARDE ON DRUG CHARGES – Roderic Al Yarde was granted bail on a drug charge yesterday, but he still has to face even more serious drug matters in the District ‘F’ Magistrates’ Court. Yarde, 56, of Mellows Hill, St Joseph, denied having cannabis in his possession on December 11, when he appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Magistrate Douglas Frederick released him on $2000 bail and ordered him to return to court on May 29, 2019. However, Yarde is also facing the additional charges of trafficking, supplying and cultivating cannabis on the same date. Those offences allegedly took place in St Joseph and will be heard in the District ‘F’ Magistrates’ Court. (BT)

$10,000 BAIL FOR VINCENTIAN – After spending three months on remand, a Vincentian walked down the steps of the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court today with his adoptive mother after being granted bail. Curtis Bernard Bute will be enjoying Christmas on the outside after he was released from HMP Dodds on $10 000 bail by Magistrate Douglas Frederick. The 48-year-old Bute of Holders Land, Brandons, St. Michael had been on remand since September, facing charges that he had intended to maim, disfigure or disable Deque Gittens and Devere Gittens to do them serious bodily harm on September 15, 2018. His attorney Rhea Layne, in her bail application said her client was willing to give up his passport and was also applying to have his status regularized. Once Bute’s passport was produced and prosecutor Station Sergeant Carrison Henry informed the court that the two virtual complainants were recovering from their injuries, the magistrate granted him bail, but not before issuing him a warning. “If you see them on the road, cross over to the other side. You also need to make sure that you sort out your status with Immigration,” Frederick said. Bute is scheduled to return to court on May 30, 2019. (BT)

PRISON TIME FOR DRUG TRAFFICKER – A female drug mule who was caught twice in three months trying to bring illegal drugs into Barbados will spend the next three years incarcerated at HMP Dodds. The sentence was handed down to 29-year-old Laurel Charles of 1st Avenue, Rockley, Christ Church, by Magistrate Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell, when she appeared in the District ‘F’ Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. Charles, who was represented by Romain Marshall, had earlier pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis, as well as trafficking, importing and intending to supply the drug on December 9, 2018. She was sentenced to three years for trafficking and convicted, reprimanded and discharged on the other offences. In giving the facts, prosecutor Station Sergeant Glenda Carter-Nicholls said Charles left Barbados on December 5 and returned four days later on December 9 on a LIAT flight from St Marteen. She arrived at the Grantley Adams International Airport around 6:44 p.m. and cleared Immigration, but was checked by Customs officers. The search turned up 17 black packages containing vegetable matter in a false bottom of her suitcase. The drugs weighed 7.6 kilograms and had an estimated street value of $33,000. The prosecutor revealed that Charles had been given a 12-month suspended sentence for two years for similar offences on September 20, 2018. That sentence will run concurrent to the three-year sentence. (BT)

JOBLESS MAN STEALS GUINNESS – A recently-retrenched Government worker was so stressed out that he walked into a supermarket, took up four bottles of Guinness and walked out without paying. That proved to be a costly error for Neil Linton as he was remanded to HMP Dodds after he could not find a surety to sign his bail. When he appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court today, the 40-year-old of St. Barnabas, St. Michael, guilty to stealing four bottles of Guinness on December 12. The stolen property belonging to Chanell Enterprise Limited was valued at $15.86. The first-time offender told Magistrate Douglas Frederick he had recently been laid off from the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), where he had worked for two and a half years. “I have been under a lot of stress since being laid off from the BWA. What I did was a stupid and a foolish thing,” Linton admitted. “I am very sorry and it was foolish of me. I apologized to the manager at the supermarket and I am apologizing to this court.” The puzzled magistrate then asked Linton how stealing the Guinness would have helped his cause. “I only went for one, but the other three came along,” was Linton’s response. “Came along? I’ve never seen Guinness walk before,” Frederick quipped. He then asked Linton if he had someone to sign his bail. However, after making several phone calls, Linton was unable to secure a surety which resulted in him being remanded until Tuesday. The court heard from prosecutor Station Sergeant Carrison Henry that Linton went into the Chanell’s supermarket on Collymore Rock, walked around and left. He returned later that evening and was kept under observation by a security guard. He was seen going into the section where the hams were kept before moving on to the section where the Guinness was located. Linton was then seen taking up the beverages and putting them in his pants pockets. He proceeded to exit the supermarket but the guard shouted and alerted the manager, who stopped Linton as he attempted to leave and the drinks were found in his pants pockets. (BT)

CHARGE AGAINST EX LOVER DISMISSED – A dispute between two former lovers which resulted in one party being charged was dismissed on Wednesday when the complainant had a change of heart. Rondell Trotman, 36, of Forde’s Road, St Michael, had been charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend Jamelia Daley on December 11. But when he appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Douglas Frederick, Daley said she no longer wanted to proceed with the matter. After Frederick read the charge to Trotman as he stood in the dock, before he could get a chance to reply, Daley, the mother of his three-year-old baby asked to speak. “We had a dispute, but I don’t want any charges filed against him,” she told the magistrate. It left Frederick with little choice but to dismiss the matter. (BT)

HUSBANDS SET FOR SECOND SURGERY – Marquee Barbadian jockey Patrick Husbands needs another surgery in order to make a full recovery from a broken pelvis suffered during a fall in Toronto last month. The 45-year-old underwent a successful first surgery but told Barbados TODAY, that despite his improvement, there was a remaining issue which would require a small operation. Also, Husbands said he was battling severe nerve pain in his leg which now needed to be corrected, and was due to have a consultation with doctors shortly. “From the fall I still need to have surgery behind it. I still need one more surgery,” Husbands said in a telephone interview. “I was looking forward to coming to Barbados on January 30th and now I have an appointment on the 26th of January to tell me the date of my next surgery. I was actually booked [to return home] the 18th of December but unfortunately, I fell down on the fifth of December so I changed my flight. “So I have to wait and see what day they are going to schedule the operation. There are two things that I am battling with — the nerve and the operation. The operation is not a big operation. They told me that in a month’s time I am good to go.” He added: “It is just when I entered the hospital there was a little error that should have been dealt with and I just get an extra month on me because of that. It is unfortunate I have to go back for another surgery and I just have to wait on the date. “But things do happen — no one is perfect. If they [had gotten] the diagnosis right, I would not have to go back for the surgery.” Husbands is Barbados’ most celebrated jockey and one of the leading riders at Woodbine racetrack – Canada’s most prestigious oval. However, his season this year was cut short when he was thrown by three-year-old filly Islay Inlet in the parade ring, resulting in the injury. Husbands said he was now faced with severe nerve pain which doctors were trying to address. “The [first] surgery, everything went smooth, everything went well. I only have two small problems. The left side there is a muscle … I have to go on Monday to get it diagnosed,” Husbands said. “This muscle is very painful so they have me on a lot of medication — plenty medication. Since the five to six weeks with my injury, last week is the first week that I got any sleep since the fall, due to the fact that [I] have this nerve that is bothering me down my leg.” Husbands said he has had difficulty sleeping and in the 28 days he was at Sunny Brook Hospital following his injury, he had hardly slept because of the nerve pain. “That pain was quite severe. I went over to West Point Recovery Home and the first three days they kept me from 9 am to 3 pm. I had to deal with no sleep the rest of the days. I was there for three weeks. Last week Monday, they got it figured out and I got to sleep,” he explained. He continued: “At the end of the day, it is just this nerve that has me. I have to go on Monday for them to figure out what kind of nerve it is and so on. I had two visits which is one visit today (Thursday). “The visit today did not go to well. The visit today I thought it was the prep for the surgery so when I went back he told me to come back on the 26th of January and they will prep me for the surgery. “Which means on the 26th they will run through my body and put me [through] all kinds of tests and then they would tell me what time to come back for the surgery.” Nevertheless, the champion jockey said that he was anxious to return to the irons. “I cannot wait to get back riding. This is all I know; this is all I love; this is all I do. Sitting in a room and looking at the ceiling and you cannot sit on a horse, is very hurtful,” he said. Husbands assured his fans, however, that he would be back in action for the start of the new Woodbine season in April next year. “I would just like to say to all of my fans throughout the whole world to not worry. [I] will be back at opening day at Woodbine Racetrack and it is only these little issues in my off-season and it is amazing how it ended,” he said. “I prayed to God that I would not like to be crippled. I had this feeling from God that if I moved my toes, I would have been cripple. I know a lot of riders in the 34 years I was riding that have gotten crippled. The Lord was there with me and he did not want to cripple me.” Husbands is one of the most successful jockeys in the history of Woodbine, with 3 285 victories and nearly CAN$160 million in winnings. He was the last jockey to win the fabled Triple Crown in 2003 with the legendary Wando, and was also good enough to win the Queen’s Plate four years ago with Lexie Lou. (BT)

CERTIFICATE OF CHARACTER OFFICE RELOCATION – The Royal Barbados Police Force wishes to inform the public that the Office of 'The Certificate of Character has been relocated to Central Police Station. The office will be opened from 10:00 am on Thursday, December 13. The Royal Barbados Police Force wishes to thank you for your kind cooperation. (BGIS)

GLEBE POLYCLINIC CLOSING EARLY TOMORROW - The public is advised that the Glebe Polyclinic, The Glebe, St George, will close at 1 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, December 14, to allow staff to attend a function. The Ministry of Health and Wellness apologises for any inconvenience the early closure may cause. (BGIS)

MINISTRY OF LABOUR TO CLOSE FOR CLEANING ON DECEMBER 14 – The Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations, Third Floor, Warrens Office Complex, Warrens, St Michael, will be closed for industrial cleaning this Friday, December 14. Members of the public are therefore urged to conduct their business accordingly. It is expected to reopen on Monday, December 17, at 8:15 a.m. The Ministry regrets any inconvenience which may be caused. (BGIS)

‘SIR DON’ GONE – The sudden death of legendary calypsonian and prominent business executive, Sir Don – real name Don Jose Lamont Marshall – has plunged the entertainment community into a state of mourning and shock. Calypso lovers and artistes were jolted Thursday morning as they awoke to the news that the lyrical icon had died in his sleep overnight. The veteran performer and impresario is being remembered for a gift of language and dry wit as an extremely talented writer, composer, recording artiste, calypso analyst and Crop Over Stalwart awardee. He first catapulted into the limelight at the age of 24 in 1963 with his tunes Tax Dodgers and 20th Century Husbands which earned him the Calypso Monarch title in the then Barbados Carnival. He went on to be a four-time calypso king before his last on-stage performance in 1981. A profound presence in the calypso arena, Sir Don devoted more than 50 years of his life to mentoring and sharing his talent with the likes of Romeo, Dr Anthony Mighty Gabby Carter, Colin Spencer and the reigning Pic-O-De-Crop monarch Anderson Mr Blood Armstrong. He penned calypsos for several veteran and junior calypsonians over the years and acted as a judge of the Pic-O-De-Crop competition and Richard Stoute Teen Talent Contest. In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Gabby declared Sir Don as “the real calypso king”, “a musical giant” who held the art of kaiso in high esteem. Gabby said that he first met Sir Don in 1965 when he started competing in calypso at the age of 17. “He was teaching us how to stand up for standards and quality. All back then he was showing you that you have to respect the art form because back then nobody was respecting the art form,” Gabby recalled. “Don always talked about quality, how to dress well, speak well, look well, have manners, don’t walk about and get drunk. He said ‘They don’t have no choice but to respect you,when you respect yourself’ and that is lesson he gave me – it was a lifelong lesson,” the cultural ambassador added. Sir Don was revered for his entrancing storytelling capabilities, cleverly weaving words into humourous lyrics. Gabby praised his lyrical prowess, describing it as one of a kind. “His style of writing was always about wit and humour. His way of telling a story was unique, different, it was bright, it was special. It had an indelible mark. “Nobody can question Don’s ability to write and his ability to understand calypso,” Gabby commented. Sir Don’s love for calypso was a reflection of his father’s Trinidadian influence. Gabby told Barbados TODAY of Sir Don’s private collection of calypso recordings which was huge and dated back to the 1920’s. He was also a huge fan of Trinidad’s Mighty Spoiler who he imitated during the early years of his career. “Spoiler was the person he admired most because Spoiler was so clever and so brilliant at writing humorous songs,” Gabby recalled. Mr Blood was struggling to come to grips with Sir Don’s death when Barbados TODAY contacted him. For nearly a decade, the lyrical mastermind was the pen behind some of Mr Blood’s songs. “When I first met him I can remember thinking to myself, ‘I have the legend Sir Don in my living room, offering me a song’. We have worked together every year since then. Even when I opted to take songs from someone else he was always there to offer advice. He never gave up on that goal we had of me winning the crown,” Mr Bloodrevealed. Mr Blood referred to his mentor as “a happy spirit that you could not help but to love”. He also reminisced about how Sir Don started referring to him as King Blood years before he won the Calypso Monarch. He was speaking their dreams into existence. “My heart is heavy and I try to hold back the tears. . . I will miss him dearly,” Mr Blood continued. Barbados Ambassador to CARICOM, David Comissiong also praised Sir Don for his contributions to the local calypso scene and the development of island’s young creative talent. Comissiong shared that Sir Don was a familiar face during the Crop Over Festival and the Richard Stoute Teen Talent competition having acted as a judge and a composer. “Without a doubt, Sir Don lived a life of great integrity, purpose and meaning, and made a deep and lasting contribution to the development of his nation and fellow citizens. It is now up to us to ensure that we add additional value and meaning to the life of this extraordinary Barbadian by embracing the wonderful artform of Bajan calypso and positively building upon the brilliant creative foundation that Sir Don did so much to construct for this artform that he loved so much,” said Ambassador Comissiong. The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) issued a statement of condolences to Marshall’s wife and children. The NCF also remembered Sir Don for his sartorial elegance and his boasts about the talents of his longtime tailor in Bridgetown. “He put great store on appearance and presentation and was often sought for advice and guidance by the younger members of the entertainment fraternity. “His charm and wit were legendary and he would deliver the most hilarious of quips with nothing more than a quiet chuckle while the others were bent over with laughter. He was a man of deep and abiding faith who loved life and his country, his family, calypso and the Combermere School in particular,” the NCF statement said. (BT)

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