Holness in the hot seat Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness comes to the proverbial wicket today to make his 11th contribution to the yearly Budget Debate at a time when the country is said to be transitioning from recovery to reconstruction post-hurricane Melissa. Jamaica also, like many other countries, now faces mounting threats to its fiscal targets with the intensifying conflict in the Middle East and its related impact on oil prices.
Fraud accused’s true identity uncovered in $352m mortgage loan scam Dwayne Pitter, a resident of Bay Farm Villa in St Andrew, is the person who allegedly used a fictitious name to get mortgage loans totalling $352 million from four commercial banks over a one-month period in 2024, law-enforcement authorities have charged. The loans, all in the name ‘Odain Anthony Lawes’, were used to ‘buy’ upscale St Andrew properties that had been secretly and “fraudulently” transferred from their legitimate owners, The Sunday Gleaner reported last month, citing claims made in a lawsuit filed against one of the banks.
Crime scene investigator wrote statement six years after crime, after start of trial A forensic crime scene investigator (FCSI), called by the Crown as a witness in the ongoing Clansman Gang trial, yesterday gave brief testimony linking his role to the escorting of evidence in the murder case involving William Christian. Christian, a government worker and businessman, was killed in April 2020. Defendants Michael Wildman and Lamar Rowe are charged with Christian’s murder on count 19 of the 32-count indictment.
St Elizabeth farmer loses acres of pumpkin to black rot fungus Just months after losing her entire pumpkin crop to Hurricane Melissa, 30-year-old St Elizabeth farmer Sherka Graham is facing the same predicament once again. This time, the culprit is a fungus, causing black rot to appear on the crop. It has destroyed the more than 8,000 pounds of pumpkin on her five-acre farm.
Sandals seizes post-hurricane moment to reimagine three flagship resorts WESTERN BUREAU: Sandals Resorts International is turning disruption into opportunity, announcing a US$200-million (J$32.4-billion) investment to transform three of its flagship Jamaican properties in what executives describe as a rare chance to “dream bigger” following the impact of Hurricane Melissa. The sweeping redevelopment will see Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals South Coast undergo a comprehensive ‘Sandals 2.0’ reimagination, with phased reopenings set for late 2026.
More than 2,000 non-custodial offenders being supervised in communities islandwide WESTERN BUREAU: Robert Taylor, director of probation and aftercare, says Jamaica’s probation service is currently supervising more than 2,000 non-custodial offenders across the island. Taylor made the disclosure in highlighting what he indicated was the critical role officers play in maintaining public safety, while supporting rehabilitation.
Unapplied education hurting Jamaica’s productivity, says MoBay mayor WESTERN BUREAU: Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon is warning that education without application is unproductive, arguing that too many qualified persons are failing to translate their academic achievements into meaningful economic contributions.
Leakage lockdown Opposition Leader Mark Golding is proposing a digital dragnet that he says could cut tax leakages and pump approximately $70 billion into the Government’s coffers while describing the Holness administration’s $18-billion tax package as “unimaginative”. Golding, who was making his contribution to the 2026-2027 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives, said yesterday that the proposal, which “urgently needs to be pursued”, is an alternative to the Government’s incoherent plan put forward to fund the Budget.
Clash in courtroom over videotaping of Clansman trial defendants A sharp courtroom clash over the alleged videotaping of defendants set the tone for proceedings in the Supreme Court yesterday,before a police prosecution witness later identified two of the accused men in connection with the 2020 murder of William Christian. Tension first surfaced around claims that police officers were seen capturing images of the men as they were being transported from court last week, an issue defence attorney Tamika Harris insisted was both real and serious but which the prosecution dismissed as a “distraction”.
New sex offender rehab programme to launch this year WESTERN BUREAU: Retired Brigadier Radgh Mason, the commissioner of corrections, says a new rehabilitation programme for sex offenders, aimed at giving those individuals a chance to change their behaviour and making it easier for them to reintegrate into society, is set to launch this year. Mason, who was speaking at last week’s opening of the Montego Bay Probation Office, said the new facility would be crucial in safeguarding vulnerable members of society.