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Crime

Under Investigation! Public links Woman Police to fallen ‘gang leader’ Brandon Rahming… more to come?

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Deandrea Hamilton and Dana Malcolm

Editorial Staff

 

#TurksandCaicos, December 5, 2022 – A member of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police is under investigation after serious allegations surfaced online and others from the Force may face criminal scrutiny as the Police Commissioner is soliciting evidence about any other corrupt cops.

In a statement, which followed a string of social media comments on the weekend about the silence of Police on disturbing allegations, they revealed the criminal investigation into one of their own.

The statement, on Saturday, also acknowledged the online rumours.

“The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is aware of comments being made on social media platforms alleging corruption by a former member of our staff.”

Police declined to name the member of staff or give any significant details in the brief nine line release.  However, prior to Commissioner of Police Trevor Botting’s comments, social media had exploded with allegations that a female officer was not only involved somehow with the TCI’s recently deceased most wanted man Brandon Rahming, but that the officer may have been feeding police intel to Rahming who was wanted in two countries for firearms offences and murder.

Magnetic Media cannot confirm these allegations, however, they apparently held enough validity to cause there to now be an investigation into the former police officer, according to the Saturday statement.

That police statement was yet another which trudged behind a firestorm of outrage over the silence of the TCI Police.  There were demands for an acknowledgment of the situation and others questioned the sincerity of statements by Commissioner Botting and others which aim to engender a relationship of trust between the Force and the Public.

“You should have long dispelled the rumours and the social media circulations by updating us with the truth regarding this —- It’s really a shame and a disgrace your department is even being named with such wrongs and questionable behaviours, but someone should have come forward and cleared the air because it’s really smokey out here.  We deserve to know the truth, should we continue doing business with them as a police officer or not?”  The resident contended.

The excerpt is from an open letter sent by a concerned citizen to high ranking officials and pointing out that if the rumours of an unethical relationship between Rahming and a serving member of the TCI Police were true, TCI residents giving information to Police in their investigations could themselves be at risk.

A point so ‘on point’ that it pulled the Commissioner out of the shadows and residents got some reassurance; that yes an investigation is on into the woman police.

Describing the unnamed individual who is now part of a scandalous probe, as a ‘former’ officer, the statement also did not divulge whether the officer was terminated or had resigned.

What is noteworthy also, in the statement from Saturday, Commissioner Trevor Botting has asked that information of any other corrupt member of the Force be turned in, directly to him.

Caribbean News

Tragic fire in Guyanese Dormitory, 19 lives lost

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

 

 

#Guyana, May 30, 2023 – Hearts are aching for the tragic loss of 19 children in a deadly school dormitory fire in Guyana, which a female student is suspected to have started after her cell phone was taken away by the dorm’s mother and a teacher according to a police statement.

The fire started while students were asleep;  several of them were woken up by screams, according to the police.

It destroyed the Mahdia Secondary School and the 19 lives lost include 18 girls and a young boy.

However, despite the fact that when the firefighters arrived the building was already engulfed in flames, they were able to rescue 20 students by breaking down part of the building’s north eastern wall.

During the fire, which started in the bathroom and then consumed the whole building, police say 57 female students were in the dormitory which they described as a flat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet, with barred windows.

Also, the dorm is said to have been locked and had covered windows which would have trapped the students.

However, authorities have not revealed whether the students had difficulty evacuating the building; but it is reported that the dorm administrator – who is suffering the loss of her five year old son, couldn’t locate the keys to unlock the door due to panic.

Those injured as well as those who died, mostly indigenous girls, as the school housed children from indigenous communities from the wider area, were taken to the hospital, some of them still in serious condition.

The teenage suspect, is also currently hospitalized with burns, is accused of threatening her attack after she was confronted and disciplined for being in a relationship with an older man, as reported by the Associated Press, hence the possible reason her phone was taken.

Authorities are now taking advice on whether to charge her, according to a government source who spoke to the AFP news agency.

Local Guyanese media reports that the blaze, which firefighters took over three hours to contain, was so severe that DNA testing was needed to identify some of the victims.

Mohamed Ifran Ali, Guyana’s President has declared three days of national mourning in response to the tragedy that occurred on Sunday May 21st, 2023.

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Crime

Rape Trial adjourned to December

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By Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Reporter

 

 

#TurksandCaicos, May 30, 2023 – Appearing on Tuesday May 23, before her ladyship the Hon. Tanya Lobban-Jackson was the accused Denardo Ewing for the rape of a female tourist.

The allegation dates back to July 2021.  The alleged victim reported to police that she was ganged raped by males on the night in question in Providenciales.  Ewing was the lone suspect charged; there had been reports however that TCI Police did make more than one arrest in connection to the alleged sexual assault.

The matter was listed for mention last week as Ewing’s attorney has filed an application to exclude certain evidence. The application will be heard at a later date and the defendant remains on bail pending his trial in December of this year.

Denardo Ewing is represented by Sheena Mair of F-Chambers Law firm.

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Crime

Seven Year Old Corruption Case begins in October, says DPP

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By Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Reporter

 

 

#TurksandCaicos, May 30, 2023 – Arrested in October 2016, Vicki Wilson, formerly of the Providenciales Employment Service of the Immigration Department will still face trial for alleged acts of corruption in the work place.  Wilson on Tuesday May 23, 2023 appeared in court; represented by Mr. Oliver Smith, KC, who appeared by video link.

The Court learned that discussions had started between the office of the DPP and King’s Counsel Smith on behalf of the accused related to the matter being disposed of or dropped altogether.  However, those talks fell through and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has advised the matter proceed to trial.

In a 2017 report, TCI Police informed:  “Following a joint investigation between the RT&CIPF Financial Crimes Unit and the Integrity Commission, a 48 year old female of Providenciales was formally charged and caution for 13 counts of uttering forged document, one count of corruption and one count of use of criminal property.   The investigation commenced in November 2016 after number of allegations of Forged Turks and Caicos Islands Work Permits being issued to a number of persons within the Haitian and Dominican Communities.”

Alleged co-conspirator and co-accused Shadika Green was in 2019 found guilty of the charges by a jury.

A trial date for Vicki Wilson is now fixed for commencement on October 30, 2023. Her bail has been extended to that date.

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