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Stories by Jovan Johnson

Contractor General questions whether three Gov't ministers lied about influence in de-bushing probe

Published:Wednesday | June 28, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Contractor General Dirk Harrison has concluded in a report that three government ministers may have lied about their roles in selecting contractors, subcontractors and setting payment terms in the execution of the controversial pre-...

Celebrating milestones | Battle against corruption a rewarding challenge

Published:Wednesday | June 28, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

He is the son of a former high court judge but flunked a year of law school anyway. Fast-forward to 2017, and Dirk Harrison is marking four years as head of the Office of the Contractor General, Jamaica's main anti-corruption agency."I really don't...

MPs decry lack of insurance payout for flood damage

Published:Wednesday | June 28, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Some legislators were left outraged yesterday on hearing news suggesting that Jamaica would need at least twice the damage from mid-May rains that have left, preliminarily, $5 billion in rebuilding costs, to get a payout from a regional catastrophe...

NHT raid formalised! - Approved law gives Gov't power to take $46b from NHT through 2021

Published:Wednesday | June 28, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Legislation has been approved to allow the Government to take $46 billion in budgetary support, or $11.4 billion yearly, from the National Housing Trust (NHT) over four years.But Finance Minister Audley Shaw is insisting that if revenues perform...

Portia's journey - I endured it all, says retiring MP

Published:Tuesday | June 27, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Declaring she has "endured it all", including claims she was illiterate, Portia Simpson Miller, Jamaica's first female minister, has bid goodbye to representational politics, 43 years after her entrance as a councillor in the Kingston and St Andrew...

"Remind them, sir" ... Young Portia in Parliament

Published:Tuesday | June 27, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Eight meetings into the new parliamentary session following the 1976 General Elections Portia Simpson Miller uttered her first words "Remind them, sir".  This was on February 8, 1977. Now, 40 years later, Simpson Miller will...

Gov't senator wants 'corrupt' politicians, power brokers jailed

Published:Friday | June 23, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Politicians are among the power brokers that Jamaicans need to see dragged to jail to remind citizens that the justice system does not recognise statuswhen punishing wrongdoers, Government Senator Kerensia Morrison has argued."Jamaicans believe that...

Silence! - Petrojam management mum on reorganisation of entity

Published:Tuesday | June 20, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Petrojam, Jamaica's sole oil refinery has refused to answer questions on an alleged reorganisation process at the state entity which a union says has been bothering its more than 200 members there."The general manager (Floyd Grindley) will not be...

'Plain discrimination!' - Boys 14-17 need protection from assault, too, says JFJ

Published:Thursday | June 22, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Jamaica has a law that protects children from aggravated assault. Girls get that protection for their entire childhood. For boys, however, the protection stops at age 13, and human-rights lobby Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) says that it is just plain...

Still no idea - Ja's vote on OAS Venezuela resolution remains a secret

Published:Thursday | June 22, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

The Foreign Ministry has been silent so far on Jamaica's voting position on the failed Venezuela resolution pushed by the United States and Mexico at this week's Organisation of American States (OAS) General Assembly.The situation has also showed...

JFJ against raising age of consent

Published:Thursday | June 22, 2017 | 11:35 AMJovan Johnson

One of the leading human rights groups in Jamaica has asked the Parliament not to accept the recommendation of the Children's Advocate to raise the age of consent from 16 years old to 18 years old. Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) this afternoon...

DPP and defence lawyer hail one-trial legislation

Published:Wednesday | June 21, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn and Peter Champagnie, a defence lawyer, have said that it is an "excellent" move by the Government to propose changes to the law to empower courts to order convicted offenders in criminal matters...

Don't trouble marriage with tougher rape laws, church groups warn

Published:Wednesday | June 21, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Ignoring a priest's charge that "Parliament does not meet to keep church", six church groups and a lobby have warned lawmakers not to hurt the 'sanctity' of marriage by imposing tougher marital rape laws.Among the churches are the Jamaica Union of...

Churches and lobby group want persons who pay for sex punished

Published:Wednesday | June 21, 2017 | 6:16 PMJovan Johnson

A group of churches and the lobby group Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society have proposed that lawmakers pass laws to punish persons who buy sex. A representative, Philippa Davies, read out the groups' submissions this afternoon to a...

The Bench prevails - Judges to get their money month end; $16m new yearly salary for chief justice

Published:Tuesday | June 20, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Judges who threatened an unprecedented legal fight with the Andrew Holness administration over outstanding salaries are expected to get their money by month end.The chief justice and the president of the Court of Appeal lead the way with their...

Where's your principle, Golding? - Antiguan leader hits back in Venezuela spat

Published:Monday | June 19, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Antiguan PRIME Minister Gaston Browne has said that given Bruce Golding's insistence on Jamaica's sovereignty in the 'Dudus Affair', he is surprised the former head of government is condemning him and Vincentian leader Dr Ralph Gonsalves for their "...

JFJ says PM's INDECOM review statements need clarification

Published:Monday | June 19, 2017 | 10:43 AMJovan Johnson

Local human rights groups, Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), says Prime Minister Andrew Holness needs to quickly clarify his comment that the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) law needs to be reviewed. Holness made the statement at...

Clarify, please! - JFJ 'puzzled' by Holness' INDECOM review call

Published:Thursday | June 15, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) law needs to be reviewed, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has said, as his administration faces growing public pressure to stem the murder surge that's seen an average seven killings per day in...

Tight budget impacts UHWI research

Published:Sunday | June 18, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

The tight budget on which the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) operates has significantly impacted its research output, even as administrators insist they do try to make the best of the situation.Although noting that much of the...

'Foolishness!' - Golding slams Gonsalves over Venezuela crisis

Published:Sunday | June 18, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Jamaica's decision to participate in discussions at the Organisation of American States (OAS) - whose general assembly starts today - over the Venezuela situation is "correct", former Prime Minister Bruce Golding has said, as he chides opposing...

Labour ministry accused of misleading constituents about farm work programme

Published:Wednesday | June 14, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Some members of parliament (MPs) have alleged that key persons in the labour and social security ministry are deliberately misleading members of the public that political representatives could be blocking their efforts to get on the farm work...

Gov't urged to press CARICOM on free movement of workers

Published:Wednesday | June 14, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

Weeks away from the annual meeting of CARICOM heads, one Jamaican legislator has made it clear that the Government here must insist that its regional counterparts amend their laws to facilitate free movement of workers or threaten them with...

Ministry to consider extending PATH transportation benefit to more rural schools

Published:Wednesday | June 14, 2017 | 1:47 PMJovan Johnson

The Labour and Social Security Ministry says it will determine over the summer whether to increase the number of rural schools benefiting from the transportation subsidy under the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH)....

Minister questioned in OCG probe of Rooms on the Beach sale

Published:Friday | June 9, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

The Office of the Contractor General (OCG) is probing the Government's sale of a prized beachfront property in Ocho Rios, St Ann, to Mexican investors allegedly without due regard to valuation reports.The extent of the disregard for the valuation...

Job cuts coming for FSC - Shaw confirms Latibeaudiere as new financial secretary

Published:Monday | June 5, 2017 | 12:00 AMJovan Johnson

As part of the reorganisation process, job cuts are being planned for the Financial Services Commission (FSC), which is expected to be headed by Everton McFarlane, who stepped down recently as financial secretary.But Howard Mitchell, chairman of the...

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