Mass Murder in Barbados: Suspects’ descriptions and sketch

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Somebody knows something – it’s a small island

Suspect One was wearing a blue or black peak cap, white T-shirt with horizontal green stripes, dark-coloured pants and a pair of black shoes. He is about five feet, four inches tall, of slim build and of dark complexion.

Suspect Two is about five feet, six inches tall, of slim build, and of dark complexion, with a long face with a turned-up nose, and black Afro hairstyle.

Innocent Bystander Shot By Barbados Police – Kim Joseph Begs The World For Justice

Innocent Victim Of Barbados Police Shooting Points To Bullet Entry Scar

UPDATE: September 9, 2010

Barbados Free Press has received information that the victim of this police shooting is still be stonewalled by the Royal Barbados Police Force and ignored by the Barbados Government. Kim Joseph is just one of a number of shootings where innocent bystanders were “accidentally” gunned down by police.

The only way these victims will receive justice is if the world takes notice… because in Barbados the government doan give a damn. Barbados Free Press will continue to run this and other such stories of police corruption and abuse until right is done or they shut us down. We will never forget, we will never let go.

Original story follows (more police abuse links at the bottom)…

17 Year Old Girl Gunned Down By Wild Barbados Police Shooting

No Settlement, No Inquiry In Ten Years

Almost 10 years ago, 17-year-old Kim Joseph was walking her little cousin in Bridgetown. She didn’t know that within seconds she would be shot in the head at close range by a wild-eyed reckless armed man who happened to be an officer with the Royal Barbados Police Force.

10 years later she still carries the scar on the side of her head and bullet fragments in her brain – but there has been no inquiry into the police shooting of an innocent 17-year-old girl on the streets of Bridgetown. There has been no apology from the police or the government. No monetary settlement for a decade of being unable to work due to headaches and other health problems. No compensation for her young life and a promising future turned upside down. No penalty, no disciplinary hearing for the man who almost ended her life due to carelessness.

Barbados silent about China kidnapping, forcing late term abortions, sterilizations on 7000 women

Blind lawyer & human rights activist Chen Guangcheng released to house arrest after 4 years jail.

In 2005 a blind, self-taught country lawyer named Chen Guangcheng filed a class action lawsuit against Communist party officials in his area who used kidnapping and violence to force 7000 women to have late term abortions and sterilizations. He exposed an abortion and sterilization quota system in the Chinese government.

The Chinese government’s response was predictable and the “enemy of the people” was sent to prison for 4 years and 3 months for organising a crowd to block traffic. The communist fascists just released him but under house arrest – presumably for years more, and perhaps for the rest of his life.

Barbados news media censors human rights stories to keep those free China trips coming!

Dear Commissioner Dottin: About those internet “rumours” of Barbados Police corruption and incompetence…

“Alright, Commissioner Dottin, here’s our response to your public statements about Barbados Free Press.”

Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin climbed upon his high horse yesterday to chide Barbados Free Press, our readers and other ordinary citizens “for using the internet as a tool for rumour, gossip and to hurt people.” (Nation article here)

He spoke first generally and then specifically about our recent story Email received from dozens of BFP readers recounts horrible crime – but is it true?

Commissioner Dottin says he has a problem with BFP publicly discussing and then debunking an emailed rumour that had already been circulated to hundreds or thousands of people around the world. Let’s be truthful here, although we will answer Commissioner Dottin, the email rumour story is not his real concern.

Dottin’s problem is that he does not like the fact that for almost five years Barbados Free Press and other websites have allowed independent citizens to hold the Royal Barbados Police Force to a higher level of public scrutiny and accountability. The police are also unhappy that blog stories of police corruption and incompetence are not allowed to fade into the past as happens all the time with the regular news media.

Invisible Barbados Prime Minister travels to New York

UPDATED: September 9, 2010

Prime Minister Thompson’s sudden trip New York City is for medical treatment relating to complications. Story at The Nation.

BFP’s original story published 10:35 GMT, September 8, 2010…

According to The Nation, Prime Minister David Thompson slinks off to New York City, but our largest newspaper doesn’t know why.

“PRIME MINISTER David Thompson left Barbados early yesterday for New York, according to sources.

The nature of the trip is unknown, but comes just over a week after his return from two months of medical treatment overseas. He returned to Barbados on Sunday, August 29, and was back at the helm of Government the next day. (TS)”

… from the September 7, 2110 Nation article PM off to New York

A month ago we read somewhere that the PM would be appearing at some environmental conference in New York in early September. Maybe that’s where he’s gone. Maybe not. We’re trying to find the reference. Even the journalists at The Nation appear to know less than we do.

Meanwhile the Barbados news media continues to publish old photographs of David Thompson as he was months or even a year ago.

We, the citizens, deserve better than this.

It’s time, Mister Prime Minister. Your citizens, your country and your political comrades need to know the true state of affairs about your health and your capabilities. It’s okay… whatever it is we will understand and cut you some slack. Need a couple of months more? That’s okay too. We can handle the truth…

But what you’re doing to us now is bullshit.

Further Reading at BFP

Sept 6, 2010: Barbados Prime Minister silent on mass murder shop fire. Why?

Barbados 1936: Happy natives dive for coins, Nazi swastika flies in Bridgetown

Critical Past archival film shows an edited version of Bajan life in 1936

Our thanks to a reader who directed us to the CriticalPast.com archives where we found some 1936 film footage of “Barbados Island” showing the way we were. Well, the way we were at least according to some American tourist who edited their home movie. Lot’s of stereotypes and a big Nazi surprise too!

URGENT! – Where is Barbados’ Weather Doppler Radar Data?

by David G. Brooks

Some of you maybe recall my previous letters in both newspapers a few months back on this subject, however my latest attempt a couple weeks ago, which I will share here now, has not be published – maybe because I got more specific …

URGENT! – Where is Barbados’ Weather Doppler Radar Data?

Several weeks have gone by since my last comment on this subject and no public response from the Barbados Meteorological Office. In fact, I would have to say there seems to be a step back or a retrograde in some respect. The following makes me consider this.

Subsequent to my last comments and a short while after the Ministry of Agriculture launched their new web site – http://www.agriculture.gov.bb – I found that they had included a link to Satellite and Radar Imagery and I followed it only to find that it showed the same radar imagery provided by Martinique and Guadeloupe that has been around for many years.

I also noticed that they had a comments feed or blog available on which I asked about what was going on with our radar, in particular asking…

“How is it Trinidad and Guyana can come and pass us out in the field?”

Port Ferdinand Barbados – Aerial view of the destruction

As a concerned Bajan and an obsessed island lover, I wanted to send Barbados Free Press this aerial image of the Port Ferdinand development as it progresses. I must say it isn’t pretty. I hope you all will decide to post this awful image on your site for all of your island readers to see.

Hopefully this horrendous image will invoke the Bajan society to fight for what remains of OUR PRECIOUS BARBADOS! These unnecessary acts of indiscriminate development have wreaked havoc on the Bajan landscape and continue to do so!

Email received from dozens of BFP readers recounts horrible crime – but is it true?

UPDATED: September 7, 2010 10:11pm Bridgetown, Barbados

Story now thought to be widely circulated rumour. Unfounded, probably not true.

As received from several readers, this second email is from Gordon Seale. Mr. Seale also posted additional remarks in the comments section following the article…

“I had been told a few days before that an awful crime had occurred. I was incensed and tracked down the person to verify. I have known her for about 50 years. She told me that it was true and that she had spoken to her daughter who had been in touch with the family who did not want their information known, so no names etc.

I sent out an email to some influential people and some friends and this e mail has been widely – I mean very widely circulated.

Yesterday I was in touch with the Police at a senior level and they put detectives to investigate the matter. No one has been able to confirm any aspect of this having taken place. I had contacts with the Air Ambulance people etc. They have no record. Nothing was reported to the Police and they had heard nothing, so obviously had not been able to investigate. The QEH which one would expect would have been called have no record according to Peter Gilkes.

Barbados Prime Minister silent on mass murder shop fire. Why?

Is David Thompson really back on the job?

The second largest* mass murder in our country’s modern history has produced not one word of condolence or concern from Prime Minister David Thompson. Not so much as a press release, let alone a personal appearance.

And that is not the David Thompson we all know.

In light of this, citizens are naturally questioning if the Prime Minister is fit enough to return to his duties after returning a week ago from two months of medical treatment in the USA.

Discovery Channel’s Treehugger.com picks up on Barbados Free Press articles

BFP’s story feeds republished big time!

With 3.5 million unique visitors and 10 million pageviews per month, Discovery’s TreeHugger.com website is “the leading media outlet dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream.”

For some reason Treehugger has decided to republish story feeds from Barbados Free Press. Hey… that’s okay by us!

Mass Murder in Barbados. Robbery fire deaths.

Sorrow first. The outrage will wait – but no window bars will contain it.

Ours is a small island but today it is very small. It seems that everyone knows someone who is grieving with family members, friends or neighbours of the six women who were murdered by robbers on Friday evening.

Pearl Amanda Cornelius, 18. Kelly Ann Welch, 24. Shanna Griffith, 18. Nikita Belgrave, 23. Tiffany Harding, 23. Kellisha Ovivierre, 24.

There will be time later for the righteous outrage that is building across this country – outrage that is not directed only at the two pieces of worthless garbage who cutlass chopped and threw gasoline bombs at these young women.

No, there will be time for all that later.

The rituals have started at so many homes. Neighbours bring food so folks don’t have to cook. Photos are placed on the tables. Funeral clothes are gathered for the living and the dead. Children are asked to play more quietly so Auntie is not disturbed.

For now, we grieve, we pray and we do what we can for those who cannot stop sobbing.

Tourism MATTERS – New column by Adrian Loveridge in Barbados Business Authority

Adrian Loveridge, small hotel owner.

The Nation has agreed to publish in the Barbados Business Authority, a weekly column dedicated to tourism written by myself  from Monday 13th September, 2010 entitled Tourism MATTERS.

The column will be about 500 words and offer topical, constructive, objective views with some alternative suggestions to grow our tourism industry. It will be non-partisan.

I feel in many ways, that even bearing in mind the global economic challenges confronting us that we are missing so many marketing opportunities and in many cases our thinking has become stagnant.

Bajan Pied Piper teaches music online, has thousands of students from around the world!

How David Gittens taught Shona to sing jazz and play the blues

“Where did you learn that!” was all I could say the other day when I caught Shona singing in the shower like I’d never heard before. She laughed, a little embarrassed – but it sounded good, different. It turns out she’s had a secret boyfriend for a couple of weeks and he taught her how to scat sing like Ella Fitzgerald.

I’m not too worried about the boyfriend though, because he’s David Gittens (“DeeGee” to his friends) and Shona learned from his Bajan Pied Piper website and the videos he’s posted on YouTube. Shona also showed me some simple blues progressions and riffs she learned too. Not bad at all.

It’s amazing what a little inspiration and somebody showing you a few tricks can do to raise your music to another level.

Alan Harris says Hello London 2012! Selected by International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Young Reporters

“It is with great pleasure that we invite Alan and May to join our team in 2012. These reporters have already made a real impression in Singapore and I hope this opportunity gives them a springboard to outstanding careers in the field of reporting and photography.”

… London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe

Congratulations to a hardworking young Bajan journalist

Barbadian Alan Harris, 23, will be joining two other young people from Singapore and India chosen to take part in the IOC’s Young Reporters programme. Allan’s six-week internship will be with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

Please visit our friends at… BarbadosBarbados.com

Click on the banner to visit Barbados Barbados for excellent villa rentals, vacation planning and concierge services!

CL Financial – CLICO Investment Bank scandal. Inspector of Financial Institutions Carl Hiralal part of the cover-up.

Afra Raymond calls Carl Hiralal’s affidavits “disturbing”, “unbelievable”, “stunning”

The House on the Corner

by Afra Raymond

Some insights into CIB – CLICO Investment Bank

I am starting to look at the CLICO Investment Bank (CIB) and its operations, as revealed by the ongoing bailout.

CIB is a very interesting part of the saga, because even prior to the collapse of the CL Financial group there was a widely-held view that CLICO and CIB were parts of the group which were responsible for raising finance for their ambitious plans.  Even though the interest rates offered by CLICO and CIB were incredibly high – about twice the average offered by others – it would have been much more expensive for the CLF group to borrow those funds via loans.  The view was that the group had a legitimate method of harvesting funds on terms advantageous to them.

In April this year the Central Bank applied to the High Court to have CIB ‘wound-up’, due to its insolvency, estimated in that submission to be of the order of $4.7Bn.  That application to wind-up is being opposed by the NGC and the National Insurance Board (NIB).  Those matters are still before the Courts, which I only mention because the documents filed there give a disturbing insight into the CIB mystery.

Flags only, no signs at the 9/11 rally against the Islamic supremacist mega-mosque at Ground Zero

Above all, never give up. Never give in. Freedom forever.

The 9/11 rally organisers, Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, respectfully request that those of you who will be attending the protest against the Ground Zero mega mosque bring American flags, not signs. 9 x 12 sized flags. Nothing with big poles: the NYPD won’t allow big poles. Please get the word out now.

Signs will be confiscated.

FLAGS. Tens of thousands of flags.

It is a solemn day. No signs. FLAGS. Tens of thousands of flags.

Please help meet the expenses of this massive undertaking. Americans can make a tax-deductible donation here. Supporters from outside the United States can donate through Paypal.

(Click on the banner for more details about the September 11, 2010 rally at Ground Zero.)

Another Barbados lawyer buys his way out of criminal charges. A system rotten to the core.

Attorney Alvin David Bryan wouldn’t look at camera.

Three Lessons:

1. No deterrent for the next thief lawyer.
2. Bajan lawyers cover up for their own.
3. Foreign investors and real estate buyers who live overseas are still nothing more than victims-in-waiting for Barbados lawyers.

All that talk by the justice system and the Barbados Bar Association about cleaning up the legal profession is just so much talk. You need look no further than the latest case where Attorney Alvin David Bryan (also called David Alvin Bryan) was charged multiple crimes for stealing over $226,000 from TWO different clients over a long period. At least one of the victims was a foreign investor living over and away.

After being criminally charged, lawyer Bryan paid the money back to the victims and walked a free man. That’s the normal penalty when a lawyer is caught thieving in Barbados: they have to pay back the money and then they can continue to practice law.

One law for the lawyers, and another for the rest of us.