Businessman gunned down contract style in his Benz SUV on Ruthven Road

KINGSTON, JAMAICA - The police are probing the contract style killing of popular

businessman Richard Ramdial, whose family operates Ramdial Auto Sales and Accessories on Beechwood Avenue in St. Andrew. He was shot was in traffic sometime after 4:40pm along Ruthven Road on Tuesday afternoon when two men reportedly approached his dark blue Mercedez Benz SUV and pumped more than a dozen bullets through the window on the driver's side.

Some reports say that the killers were two men in a white Toyota Camry motorcar which was parked on Ruthven Road, but other reports say the killer was a lone man who subsequently escaped on a bike. Alighted the vehicle and opened fire on Mr. Ramdial who was driving a Mercedes Benz.

The businessman was taken to the University Hospital of the West Indies where he was pronounced dead.

The incident caused panic as several motorists attempted to flee the scene when the barrage of gunshots were fired.

Mr. Ramdial’s licensed firearm was not taken by his attacker

STILL NO VERDICT IN BUJU'S DRUG TRIAL

• Jurors to return on Monday

TAMPA, Florida — Jamaican Reggae artiste Buju Banton will have to wait until Monday to know his fate as the 13 member panel of jurors have yet to come to a decision.

The jurors are expected to resume their deliberations at 8:45 Monday morning.

Banton has been in jail for over nine months after being hauled out of his Tamarac home in South Florida on December 10 last year, two days after his co-defendants Ian Thomas and James Mack were held during a drug bust at a police controlled warehouse in Saratoga, Tampa.

'THE PRIME MINISTER HURT ME DEEPLY' - LEWIN

This Website brings you excerpts of the interview with Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, former police commissioner and former JDF chief of staff, with CVM Television's Garfield Burford:

THE security forces have continued to do a superb job. (But) we never had to get there. The security forces have a well-developed; call it modus operandi, operational plan for arresting high-profile persons, the kind of persons whose arrest will spark demonstrations. We have used it in the past, particularly with those associated with extradition requests. When you deal with requests for extradition, there are two critical elements — speed and secrecy. If it is the normal Joe Blow whom you're after, the commissioner of police and the chief of staff don't even know about it. It goes through the process; the files move from desk to desk; a warrant is produced; it goes to the fugitive apprehension team; they seek the people; they arrest them. Sometimes I read about in the newspapers. But when you are talking about big fish, the commissioner of police, chief of defence staff get involved: speed and secrecy.


• Former top cop charges Dudus was tipped off • Says ‘fire on the backside of J’can people’ spurred action.

Now on the 24th of August last year, that's the day before the request (for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke) was made, I was advised by the Americans that tomorow they'll be making a request and that they would like to inform the prime minister.
I said, Hold on, you've now informed me. It's my duty to inform the prime minister.

I said, 'work through my chain.' So I went to the minister of national security. I said, Minister, 'tomorrow I've been advised by the Americans that they'll be making a request for extradition of 'Dudus'.' The minister turned white! And without saying a word, he went on the telephone to try to find the prime minister.

In 10 minutes or so he found him at Vale Royal. He said, 'PM, I have the CP with me and he has an urgent matter involving one of your constituents. I think you ought to see him immediately.' I was told, 'The prime minister will see you at Vale Royal.'

I got up to leave and noticed the minister wasn't budging. I said, 'Minister, you're not coming?' He said, 'No! no! no! You go, go, go. You go brief the PM.' I found that strange. But I left his office. The time it took me to the basement, the time to drive to Vale Royal to brief the prime minister, no more than 15 minutes, within that period of time, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke was tipped off and was beating a hasty retreat into Tivoli Gardens. Strange coincidence. Frightening. The time it took me to get to Vale Royal, he was tipped off and was beating a hasty retreat into TG.

(Interviewer : How do you know?) Clearly I am not going to share my intelligence with you. I am saying it is a strange coincidence. Very strange.
I briefed the prime minister and he asked one or two questions. Now I asked the chief of defence staff to accompany me, because clearly, at that point I expected that there would have been a serious hunkering down to talk about the what-ifs, what-are-your-plans, what-do-you-expect-regarding-this-matter? It didn't happen.

The prime minister said, 'Well, I've been briefed.' So we said, 'Look, do the smart thing, and we left. I said, well, this does not have the appearance that it's going to go in the normal manner.

When we have these high-profile persons, speed, in terms of the process, and secrecy are critical. Had we followed the well-established operational procedures, he would have been arrested within 20 minutes or so of us getting a warrant. We would have deployed the forces, because we anticipated that there would have been at least 24 hours before it became generally known that he has been arrested. He's been arrested before and there were no riots or anything.

Now, had all that been done and anybody been killed or hurt or so on, ensuing from that, the PM could not be blamed; the minister could not be blamed. But that's not what happened. We embarked, clearly from all that has happened, we embarked on a strategy that says that anything, everything, must be done to prevent this from taking place.

Let's look at the history, including the hiring of a lobby firm. And right now we are making much ado about Manatt Phelps & Phillips. It's important, but to me that's not the issue. Manatt, Phelps & Phillips is just the manifestation of the bigger issue.

Mr. Prime Minister, who stood in Parliament, held in his right hand the book of his faith — that book for most of us is the Holy Bible — and swore allegiance to Jamaica, the Constitution, the law and the people. When crunch time came, on whose side did he fall? True to his solemn oath or to Mr Coke and his allies? Just look at what has happened from the 25th and all the efforts made in this regard. I don't have to say that. That is so well-documented.

Now, I ask the people of this country to contemplate this — which is the issue. Suppose the prime minister had had his way? Those people who were already emboldened by the stout and robust defence of the prime minister, to the point where he said he would put his political future on the line, and all the issues that were made up for why it could not go forward — legal issues and so on — matters that have been addressed in previous extradition requests by the High Court.

Coming down now to the last bit of thing, which was the constable and wiretap, a shift in goal post. Those people who were emboldened. Imagine if the PM had his way. They were large before. You know what went wrong? They were so emboldened, they decided to go burn down police stations after barricading themselves.

It backfired. For the first time, people of this country and organisations decided to take a stance. When you see the burning police stations, it wasn't stations that were burning, it was fire under the backside of the Jamaican people, that lit them up.

So I am not impressed with Mr Golding's new-found transformation. And he's now crime-fighter-in-chief, garrison-dismantler-in-chief. I'm not impressed by that. He was forced. Supposed he had his way, Mr Coke and his friends would be celebrating him as the garrison-entrencher-in-chief. Then, what about the rest of us?

Listen to me carefully, what this would have meant is that sometime in the future, it could be even another JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) government, trying now to deal with what would have developed as a consequence; to wrestle this problem, we wouldn't be having 73 people killed, it would be 730. The fight would not be contained within one little sector of Kingston, it would be islandwide.

...Let me explain something to you. If there are three million people in Jamaica and 2,999,999 are of the view that the PM should stay, this is one who says he should resign. This has nothing to do with Manatt, Phelps. Manatt, Phelps is a minor manifestation of the major issue... He (PM) took a solemn oath, like all parliamentarians, to the people of Jamaica, the Constitution and the laws. When the decision comes now to act in accordance with that, he sided with, and robustly defended, someone who is wanted.

...I am deeply hurt. I was deeply hurt, deeply disapppointed by the actions of the prime minister. The prime minister should do the honourable thing. There are two things which have suffered and continue to suffer in this country in the last 10 months — truth and honour.

We are in a little process right now, where every time most people speak, last one was Mr Montaque, we are quoting from the Bible. Well, I have one of my own, one that I have used to guide my own life. It's Proverbs 11:3. "The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them."

DUDUS' BROTHER LIVITY IN POLICE HANDS

Leighton Coke, the brother of alleged West Kingston crime lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, has handed himself in to the police.

Leighton, who is otherwise called Livity, reportedly turned himself in a short while ago at the Half Way Tree Police station in St Andrew, Jamaica.

A source at the station said he was accompanied by religious leader, Reverend Al Miller.

His name was among those issued on a police wanted list last week.
Also in custody, since Saturday, is Justin O'Gilvie, the business partner of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.

O'Gilvie is a member of the Presidential Click business and one of several alleged members of the Shower Posse gang – reputedly lead by Christopher Coke – who cops included among a list of persons asked to turn themselves in.

The other alleged Shower Posse members on the list are Harry Mcleod, also called 'Harry Dog'; Prince Bucket, also called 'Tugman'; and Paul KirkPatrick, otherwise called 'Teddy Paul'.

MORE GUNS UNEARTHED IN TIVOLI

As the search continues for illegal weapons in West Kingston, eight more guns have been found bringing the total number of guns recovered to date to 36. Of the total, five were found on Saturday (May 29) and three pistols (handguns) were located today.
The police reports that 356 assorted rounds of ammunition have also been unearthed, bringing the total number to 9,241.
Up to Friday evening (May 29), 28 guns and 8,885 rounds of assorted ammunition were recovered from the area of operation.
The ammunition comprises .357; 9mm; .45; 7.62 long, which are used in SLRs; 7.62 short, used in AK47s; and 5.56 used in M16s.
This is in addition to hand grenades, dynamite, ballistic helmets, and protective vests.
Commissioner of Police, Owen Ellington, said that the search process, which is ongoing, has so far proven to be "very successful."
"Now that we are able to conduct more indulgent searches in there, we have been coming up with weapons and ammunitions," he stated.

WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT HIDING?

The security force was sent into Tivoli Gardens on Sunday and since then media personnel’s has been denied access to carry information from Tivoli by the security forces. There is no visuals coming out of Tivoli so people are now wondering what the state of the people in Tivoli is and how badly was it damage?

Mr. Vaz minister of Information stated on PBC Jamaica post cabinet meeting a few minutes ago that JIS the Jamaica Information Service was the only media that was allowed into Tivoli Gardens to carry a report. How ironic that the JIS is a Government owned station and so we will only be seeing what the Government wants us to see if not why then is other media houses were not allowed inside Tivoli Gardens, WE THE People are now asking the question what is the government hiding?

Flights to Kingston, Jamaica's cancelled

AIRLINES have cancelled a number of flights to and from Jamaica's capital, Kingston, as violence erupts between security forces and armed gangs.
Air Jamaica said it was calling off three flights from violence-wracked Kingston, two of which were headed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the other bound for New York.
American Airlines called off service between Kingston and Miami.
But British Airways - which is also hit by a strike - and Virgin Atlantic maintained plans for overnight flights to London.
Governments have warned against travel to Kingston due to the flare-up in violence as the government seeks to arrest powerful kingpin Christopher "Dudus" Coke, who is wanted in the United States on drug trafficking charges.
Source: www.heraldsun.com

GUNMEN SEIZE POLICE CAR

POLICE attempting to assist persons trapped at the Blood Bank on Slipe Pen Road in downtown Kingston were forced to abandon a police service vehicle after heavily-armed gunmen fired at them.
The cops fled the area on foot and left the marked police car which as then taken by the gunmen.
It is unclear if any of the cops have been injured.
Sections of the capital city have been under siege as armed thugs roam the city taking on police officers who attempt to clear road blocks that are popping up at various points.
At least four police stations have been shot up by gunmen who have vowed to defend to the death reputed Tivoli Gardens don Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
Coke is wanted in the United States on gun and drug running charges.

GUNMEN HAVE JOINED FORCES AGAINST SECURITY FORCE

POLICE this afternoon confirmed that gunmen from volatile communities have joined forces with criminal elements in Tivoli Gardens in a bid to protect embattled Tivoli Gardens strongman, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
In a release to the media this afternoon Police Commissioner Owen Ellington said the police were aware of the development and were preparing to respond appropriately.
"Images of barricades, other defensive positions and the aforementioned unprovoked attacks together with credible intelligence indicate that scores of criminals from several gangs across the island have joined criminal elements in Tivoli Gardens. It is now clear that criminal elements are determined to launch coordinated attacks on the security forces," the release stated.
The cops have also confirmed that a member of the Island Special Constabulary Force was shot in the hand during an attack on the Hannah Town police station in West Kingston. There are also reports of sustained gunfire at the Denham Town, Darling Street and Fletcher's Land police stations.
Residents of Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town have, since Monday, barricaded themselves inside their communities in a bid to keep out the security forces.
The blockages have now spread to other sections of the city as residents of other communities, including Rose Town, Fletcher's Land, Hannah Town and Majesty Gardens have joined the fray.

MAD COBRA SHOT IN CHEST

This website understands that deejay Mad Cobra was shot and injured today. The deejay was admitted to the Spanish Town Hospital an hour or so ago and was suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest.

"Cobra came in with what I believe was a gunshot wound to the chest, he was bleeding through the mouth and the nose at the time, but the nurses said that he looked as if he would make it," one source told.
We will have more as this story breaks.

ONEIL EDWARDS FROM VOICEMAIL SHOT FIVE TIMES

Oneil Edwards, popular member of the group Voicemail, is now in hospital in serious condition after he was shot several times by gunmen early this morning.
The deejay, was shot as he attempted to enter his home in Duhaney Park, St Andrew.
He was reportedly rushed to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) where up to early this morning he was being operated on and was said to have been in a critical condition.
When contacted, one of the other members of the trio, Kevin, confirmed the incident, saying; "it sound critical." Kevin, who was at a loss for words said he heard that Oneil was shot at least three times by the unknown assailants.
Kevin said that he was hoping for the best and was still in shock after getting word of the incident. "Mi dey ya freeze, cyaan move," he said.
When THE STAR visited KPH close to 4 a.m., several artistes were seen gathered outside. Among the persons there were Nitty Kutchie, Nicky B and the other member of Voicemail,Craig.
The artistes all openly discussed the incident and spoke of Oneil recently celebrating his birthday.
There were also other artistes who showed their support for Oneil through posts made on the Internet. Female deejay, Macka Diamond on her Twitter page called for: "Passion Sundays, Bounty Sundays, Fresh Money Sundays, unu all stop and pray. Oniel always at these places, please. We need all the places that people are partying right now just turn it inna a little prayer service, please, please."
The group Voicemail is known for songs such as Wacky Dip, Throwback Butterfly and Dance The Night Away.
Source: Jamaica-star

WEST KINGSTON MP

LOUIE CULTURE WAS SHOT!!!

Portland-based singer Louie Culture was shot twice in the arm by an unknown man yesterday (good Friday), sending a ripple of unease throughout the local entertainment industry.

According to police blotters, Louie Culture and another man, a tyre shop owner called Anthony Taylor, had been sitting in front of Taylor's tyre shop in Priestman's River when a man, who had alighted from a blue Subaru, walked up to them with his hand held behind him. As he neared them, he pulled his hand from behind him and fired a volley of shots towards the singer and his colleague. Both were shot, with the entertainer, whose real name is Lewin Brown, sustaining two gunshot wounds to the left arm.
Louie Culture, who is known for dancehall songs such as Excellence, Malfunction and that timeless classic Gangalee, had been released from jail last week Friday. He had been held for questioning in relation to a shooting incident near the quiet community of Hartford, Portland where a shot was fired at a group of men playing dominoes, grazing one man before hitting another.Both men were taken to the Port Antonio Hospital, where they were treated and released.

The Port Antonio police are investigating the flare-up in violence in Hartford, Portland.

4 ARTISTES' VISAS CANCELLED - SELECTOR RICKY TROOPER ALSO INCLUDED

The visas of five of Jamaica's top entertainers have been revoked, THE WEEKEND STAR understands. According to information coming from the Fraud Prevention Arm of the United States Embassy in Kingston, the visas of Bounty Killer, Mavado, Beenie Man, Adonia and selector Ricky Trooper are in the process of being cancelled.
When contacted for confirmation last night, Minister of National Security, Senator Dwight Nelson, relayed through his communications department that "he has no such information."
However, a document obtained by THE WEEKEND STAR stated that: "The Embassy of the United States in Kingston, Jamaica, is in the process of revoking the visas of the following citizens of Jamaica. The people mentioned here currently hold a US visa that we have not yet been able to physically cancel. Do not allow these passengers to board any flights bound for the United States in reliance on this visa."

REVOKED

The document then names Moses Anthony Davis (Beenie Man) two visas; Garfield Augustus McKoy (Ricky Trooper), two visas; Sheldon Ricardo Aitana Lawrence, (Aidonia); David Brooks (Mavado), two visas; and Rodney Basil Price (Bounty Killer) two visas, as those persons whose visas are in the process of being revoked.
The document also lists the date of birth of each person, their respective passport numbers and visa control numbers.

When contacted by THE WEEKEND STAR, representatives of at least two of the persons on the list said that they were unaware of the new development.
These cancellations follow that of businessman Wayne Chen who recently found out his visa had been cancelled while he was about to board a flight to the United States of America.

Source: www.jamaica-star.com

TAX CRACKDOWN - Businessmen, entertainers among 50 high-profile delinquents unable to leave island

Friday, March 26, 2010

THE Tax Administration Services Department (TASD), in a bid to net billions of dollars in outstanding taxes, has resorted to issuing stop orders -- among other measures -- to prevent delinquent taxpayers from leaving the island.
In a release to the media yesterday, the TASD reported that 50 "high-profile" persons, among them businessmen and entertainers, were identified as delinquents and stop orders were being prepared to be served against them.
Meris Haughton, the TASD's director of communications and taxpayer support services, declined to name the high-profile tax delinquents. However, last night, police confirmed that deejay Elephant Man, whose real name is O'Neil Bryan, is among those on the list.
Elephant Man apparently learnt of his tax status when he was refused permission to leave the island from the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay Wednesday night for a European tour.
Stop orders are usually issued by a magistrate, but according to Haughton, the TASD has the power under the Jamaican constitution.
"Under the Income Tax Act there is a provision where if there are outstanding taxes we have the authority to issue a stop order to prevent someone from leaving the country until they have settled their outstanding taxes or made suitable arrangements to do so within a given time," Haughton told the Observer yesterday.
The TASD also said imprisoning tax offenders was an option that would soon be implemented.
"Other enforcement actions, including committing delinquent taxpayers to jail, will be utilised in the upcoming fiscal year," the release stated.
In December last year, Prime Minister Bruce Golding, in announcing new tax measures in a supplementary budget, said individuals who earn between $5 million and $10 million per year would be required to fork out 27.5 per cent of their earnings in Income Tax, while persons who earned more than $10 million annually would be taxed at a rate of 35 per cent.
Since Golding's announcement, the Inland Revenue Department and the Taxpayer Audit and Assessment Department have conducted joint probes of company payroll records to ascertain whether the new measures were being adhered to.
The audit proved that hundreds of companies were lax in complying with the new tax regime.
"So far, examination of 746 payrolls were under-reported by $221 million," the TASD release said. "To date, $119 million of the unreported amounts have been collected, with arrangements made for the liquidation of the balance."
In the last fiscal year, increased enforcement by the TASD has resulted in the indictment of 3,184 delinquent taxpayers who have neglected to pay $8.9 billion in taxes.
Some 818 summonses have also been served on self-employed persons and businesses for failing to pay or arranging to pay their back taxes.
The TASD has also set up a Special Enforcement Team, which works with bailiffs and the police to issue levy warrants which give the department the power to seize and auction the assets of persons and companies that are unwilling to pay their taxes.
Once a report is made to that team and they move to seize assets, the TASD will not negotiate with delinquents, the release said.
Although implementing more stringent collections measures, the TASD is urging taxpayers with outstanding amounts, or those finding difficulty to pay, to make contact with the department to work out a scheduled payment deal.
Since June last year, 136 levy warrants have been issued.

Source: www.jamaicaobserver.com

R.I.P Vivian Blake

Former Shower Posse leader and founder Vivian Blake died yesterday evening at the University Hospital of the West Indies, after a long battle with diabetes.

Blake, who returned to Jamaica last year after being released from prison in the United States, had been ailing for some time.

Mr. Blake was released from a US prison in January 2009 after serving time for racketeering and drug trafficking. The former Tivoli Gardens strongman was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison in June 2000 in a Miami Federal Court. He served just nine years of that sentence after turning state witness.
He and other members of the Shower Posse had been given lengthy sentences based on 52 charges brought by Federal prosecutors. These included racketeering, smuggling and distributing marijuana and cocaine from the Bahamas through the United States.
The Shower Posse, which was strong supporter of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), was also implicated in over 1,000 murders in the US. The 'Feds' said the Posse members operated lucrative illegal drug rings in Miami, New York City, Philadelphia and Virginia. He returned home on January 29, 2009.

CROSS DRESSING JAMAICAN ACTOR GET 2YEARS FOR SEXUAL ABUSE TO A MINOR!

Cross Dressing Jamaican actor Lascell Parnell also Known as Girlie was convicted on five counts of sexual abuse in the second degree to a minor. This verdict came from the grand jury at the Kings Criminal Court In Brooklyn New York in September. Each count is punishable up to a year in prison which means he faced up to five years behind bars but on October 16th "Girlie" was sentenced to 2 years. Due to this the fact this convicted pedophile has a "green card" he is now subject to deportation but his Attorney Donald Vernon has alluded to the fact that there is a

"Homosexual"

nature to this crime and may seek to protect his client under the "Convention Against Torture Act". This they base on the hostile situation this

"Convicted child sex abuser”

might face should he be deported. (Side Note: I find it strange that so much can be done to save "Girlie" from harm... Personally I think the only saving that needs to be done is for what shred of innocence or dignity this poor child of only 13 years of age has had stripped away.)

In a recent phone conversation from Rikers Island where he is located now this

"Pedophile"

was quoted as saying " I did not touch the boys and I am not gay. The mother of the boy set me up and lied about the entire case. I met these people at my church and look how they treated me,� he shouted. He said he was very concerned about his future and his three daughters including two in Jamaica. �Who will take care of my daughters since my wife died almost two years ago?� he asked. Originally when Lascell "Girlie" Parnell was arrested on May 29, 2008 he was charged with five counts of sexual abuse in the 2nd degree; two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count aggravated harassment in the 2nd degree.

(Reminder: His victim a 13years old boy)

Back-story: Court records revealed that in 2005 Parnell was also charged with endangering the welfare of another teenage boy. He was convicted and was put on probation.
Source: divanikkiz.com