News Briefs

Student charged with security guard’s murder

A 17-year-old student of Grange Hill High has been charged in connection with the stabbing death of the school’s security guard two weeks ago.

Reports are that the 44-year-old guard, Clifton Lumbley, was on duty on Friday, March 29 when a number of intruders – including a student on suspension – climbed over a fence and entered the school compound, and despite the best efforts of Lumbley and the dean of discipline, they refused to leave.

With the situation threatening to get out of hand, the police were called to assist in getting the outsiders off the compound. On the arrival of the police, the men exited the compound, but they returned shortly after the police left.

Then men then set upon Lumbley, beating him with a piece of wood before stabbing him. He died in hospital the following day.

The grade 11 student was held following the incident and was charged on Monday.

Two other persons are being sought in connection with the incident.

Cop implicated in robbery of elderly couple offered bail

One of the two police constables charged in relation with the robbery of an elderly couple at their Hellshire, St Catherine, house in February, was yesterday offered bail when he appeared in the Gun Court in downtown Kingston.

Raheem Parchment was offered $500,000 bail and was ordered to surrender his travel documents and to avoid contact with the witness.

A curfew order was also imposed by the court.

Allegations are that on February 20, men clad in blue uniforms turned up at the couple’s house and identified themselves as members of the Portmore police. The couple opened the door believing they were there to collect additional statements on a report the couple made on a previous robbery.

The men then held up the couple and reportedly stole more than US$5,000 and other items.

Investigations led to the arrest of the cops.

More division within CARICOM on Venezuela

WASHINGTON (CMC):

The division among Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries on the Venezuelan issue continued on Tuesday as the Organisation of American States (OAS) Permanent Council voted to accept the nomination of a candidate supported by opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is seeking to replace President Nicolas Maduro as head of state.

St Lucia, Jamaica, Haiti and the Bahamas voted in favour of accepting Gustavo Tarre “as the National Assembly’s designated permanent representative, pending new elections and the appointment of a democratically elected government” in Venezuela.

But Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, joined Venezuela in voting against the measure, while Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts- Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago abstained. Belize was the only CARICOM country absent when the vote was taken on Tuesday.

The OAS Permanent Council is chaired by the United States, which is at the forefront of efforts to remove Maduro, who was sworn into office for a second consecutive term earlier this year, from power.

The four CARICOM countries that voted in favour of the resolution have supported the so-called Lima Group that is seeking Maduro’s removal.

CARICOM has adopted a united position on the Venezuelan matter, taking a position of non-interference in the South American country’s internal affairs and saying it is prepared to mediate in the process to bring about a peaceful resolution to the crisis.