Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller will once again use her turn at the budget presentation to pull wool over the eyes on Jamaicans, as she seek to assure the public that her government cares about the poor in this country and will use every power in her being to achieve this.
The Prime Minister well say something along these lines
” Mr Speaker, we are a party that cares about the poor, we listen to the voice of the people of Jamaica. The new tax measures imposed by the Finance Minister are critical in ensuring we meet the targets set by the IMF. We have passed all the IMF test to date and we have come to far too to turn back at this stage. We therefore need the support of every well thinking Jamaicans as we try to get this economy back on track, we have little or no choice.
We must get this economy to grow once again, if we are to survive as a nation and I ask you the public to continue to act responsibly and be patient as we continue to do what is required to rescue this country.
As it relates to the new bank tax measures, I am happy to report that having heard the voices, I spoke with the Finance Minister and we have decided to make one change to these measures. The cheques which are paid to path beneficiaries and which are encashed at any commercial bank, will be exempted from these new taxes measures. This means that the most poor and vulnerable of this country will not be impacted by these new measures, which are required to plug that huge gap in the budget.
Thunderous applause, desk pounding, laughter, high fives .
Stunned Jamaicans would have witness another classic chess move by a crafty PNP administration.
Checkmate !
Social media protest fizzles, outfoxed !
Filed under: Politics |
Warren's Blog 
you finally realise that Portia is the Kasparov of politics in Jamaica
And I suppose this is a good trait ….
Portia is a political mastermind, unfortunately that won’t grow the economy, we need to dispose of leaders like her and introduce leaders who are not only political masterminds like Thatcher. Portia’s love can’t do anything for anyone, Thatcher’s pragmatism will
maybe the Judge should explain her rulings. This is the same Judge from Kern Spencer As seen in today’s star.
Two Surinamese men accused of criminally possessing several different types of currency, including more than half a million US dollars, walked free after they appeared before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court recently.
Gene Roshen Daniels and Reingoud Maikel Murvin are charged with possession of criminal property and conspiracy to possess of criminal property.
The Crown alleged that on April 7 at approximately 5 p.m., lawmen signalled a taxi in which the men were travelling in Half-Way Tree to stop. Subsequently, it is believed that a search of the vehicle uncovered two bags belonging to the men, containing a little over US$500,000 ($55 million), $1.3 million and 55 Surinamese dollars. It is alleged that lawmen further investigated and searched the hotel room in which the men stayed and uncovered US$3000 ($330,000) and $700. The men were subsequently arrested and charged.
The court heard that the accused men entered the island on April 3 and failed to declare any funds. It is alleged that the upon arrest, the men told officers that they had received a phone call from an unknown individual to transport the sum of cash to another person unknown to them.
Throughout much of the proceedings, Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey suggested that the charges were unjustly laid against the accused men, challenging the prosecutor who cited several sections from the Proceeds of Crime Act.
“Suspicion is not criminal property. The question is,what is criminal property? We are not persecuting matters here, we are prosecuting matters,” RM Pusey said.
Subsequently, the sitting magistrate ruled that no evidence was offered against Daniels and Murvin.
MEDICAL doctor Jephthah Ford was yesterday offered bail in the sum of $1 million when he appeared in the Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate’s Court to answer to a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The court was told that the prominent doctor was allegedly caught on camera trying to bribe a policeman, offering him 40 per cent of approximately $60 million that was seized from two Surinamese nationals.
The doctor, the court heard, allegedly contacted the policeman a day before the foreigners were taken before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court and promised to give him the funds if he decided against taking the men to court and returned the money to them.
It was alleged that Dr Ford first offered the policeman 25 per cent of the money, but after he gave the policeman a chance to determine how much he wanted, settled at 40 per cent, when the cop reportedly suggested 50 per cent.
The money was seized from Gene Roshen Daniels and Reingoud Mackel Murvin on April 7 when police in Half-Way-Tree stopped and searched the vehicle in which they were travelling and two bags containing US$533,281 and J$1.3 million were allegedly found.
The men’s hotel room was later searched and 55 Surinamese dollars, along with US$3,000, and J$700 reportedly found.
According to court documents, the men had received an anonymous telephone call to pick up the money at the hotel and to deliver it to someone they did not know. They were subsequently charged with possession of criminal property and conspiracy to possess criminal property. They were freed of the charges when they appeared in court on April 15.
The court heard yesterday that Dr Ford had contacted the investigating officer on April 14 and requested a meeting on behalf of the National Action Coalition.
The cop, who was said to be wearing a covert video and audio camera, reportedly met with the doctor, who asked that he dismiss the case against the men and wrote 25 per cent on a piece of paper and showed it to the policeman before tearing up the paper. It was further alleged that Dr Ford then gave the policeman a piece of paper, and the policeman, who was playing along, wrote 50 per cent, but the doctor crossed out the amount and wrote 40 per cent.
The court heard that Dr Ford then told the policeman that he could trust him and that he was a man of integrity and influence.
Yesterday, as the allegations were being read out in court, Dr Ford appeared unperturbed as he stood with a slight smile on his face and only looked serious when he turned around and stared at reporters, as they took notes.
Dr Ford’s lawyer, Marjorie Shaw, said the instructions from her client were very brief, but so far suggest something quite different from what the Crown was alleging.
Before asking for bail, Shaw indicated that she would need to get full instructions from her client.
Dr Ford was offered bail by Resident Magistrate Lorna Shelly Williams on condition that he report to the Constant Spring Police Station three times daily and surrender his travel documents. The matter was then scheduled for mention on May 9.
Why would a medical doctor intervene on behalf of these two Surinamese nationals? Was the money destine for the purchase of Narcotics and what, if any, is the Doctor’s role in narco trafficking? He will not be the first Medical Doctor I know of that is active in the drug trade or arrested and sentenced for Drug trafficking in Jamaica.