DIFFERENT STROKES ACTOR TODD BRIDGES ADMITS HE WAS MOLESTED AS A CHILD . . . BY A MAN!!! |
The actor alleges his former male publicist performed oral sex on him when he was 12 years old, and details his horror when his father accused him of lying about the incident.
He writes, Bringing all that up was tough in a way, but I resolved the issues. Its kind of sad to know that a grown man would take advantage of a child. But what made it more tough was that your father took the guys side. That kind of broke me at 12 years old. I was really lost after that.
Three civilians dead, three policemen injured in Hannah Town shoot-out
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
ONLY HOURS after the curtains descended with a flurry on a birthday bash for embattled Tivoli Gardens community leader, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, neighbouring sections of west Kingston exploded into a raging gun battle, involving members of the security forces and gunmen, which lasted for more than three hours.
In the midst of the mayhem, three civilians lay dead and three policemen were injured - all shot in the west Kingston community of Hannah Town.
The area resembled a veritable war zone.
As the Gleaner team, surrounded by soldiers and the police, watched the action from Hannah Street, screams reverberated from the lips of terrified students who were ushered out of the community by their parents as gunshots rang out without warning.
People scampered for cover as gunshots erupted, only to emerge later.
Alert policemen, well positioned with weapons, appealed to curious residents to go home as they had received information of a plan by gunmen to launch an attack from all angles on the lawmen.
As the police combed the area, a large contingent of soldiers arrived, while a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) helicopter hovered.
A policeman told The Gleaner that they had received word that no less than 35 well-armed men were advancing along Spanish Town Road to join the battle.
The gunshots kept puncturing the air in Hannah Town and later, Denham Town joined in.
At the intersection of Blount and Hannah streets, in the vicinity of the City Mission Church in Hannah Town and across from Denham Town, police and soldiers scampered for cover as they surrounded the area.
The atmosphere was just as chaotic at the nearby Kingston Public Hospital (KPH).
Concerned colleagues of the policemen who had been shot paced the hospital grounds, while others maintained a vigilant watch.
Later, the three men who had been shot fatally were driven into the hospital - two in a marked police pickup and the other in a white patrol car.
Without warning, multiple gunshots erupted at the rear of the KPH, sending all scurrying, in search of a place to hide.
The police claimed that gunmen were shooting at the JDF helicopter.
Three women came in tow weeping and making accusatory gesticulations to the police, but they were warded off.
One woman who claimed to be a friend of the slain men said the men were in their beds sleeping, as they had just returned from a party.
The woman said the police kicked open the doors to their homes and shot them while they slept.
However, a statement from the police late yesterday said they came under heavy and sustained gunfire from a number of gunmen in the Hannah Town-Denham Town areas of the Kingston Western Division.
The police said the attack came on the heels of an operational initiative to capture two known gunmen who were hiding close to the border of Hannah Town and Denham Town.
The statement said both gunmen were shot and injured, but the police could not confirm the extent of their injuries.
According to the police, a Glock pistol and a ballistic vest were recovered.
The police say during the shoot-out, three policemen were injured, one in the hand, another in the leg and back, and the third in the neck.
Their condition is said to be stable.
The men were visited by acting Police Commissioner Owen Ellington.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Gleaner team drove through Tivoli Gardens, which seemed serene in contrast to the mayhem in the neighbouring communities.
Industrial Terrace was devoid of traffic, but business along the thoroughfare was on in earnest.
In Denham Town, multiple roadblocks were mounted on all the streets leading into the community, including North, Charles and Beeston streets.
BREAKING NEWS!!! TIGER WOODS SAYS THAT HE WILL PLAY IN THE MASTERS!!! |
"The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta.
"The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it's been a while since I last played.
"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment. Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life.
"When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play. I called both Joe Lewis and Arnold Palmer and expressed my regrets for not attending the Tavistock Cup and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. I again want to thank them both for their support and their understanding. Those are fantastic tournaments and I look forward to competing in them again.
"I would also like to thank the Augusta National members and staff for their support. I have deep appreciation for everything that they do to create a wonderful event for the benefit of the game."
David Beckham will miss the World Cup and most if not all the Los Angeles Galaxy season after tearing his left Achilles' tendon Sunday (3/14/10) while playing for AC ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgOemKqIzEE
Sad news is in abundance this week, starting with the former prince of pop Chris Brown. Brown, who has been vying for a way to revitalize his career following his 2009 assault on ex-girlfriend Rihanna, has resorted to desperate measures to stage his comeback.
The 20-year-old singer-dancer, who plead guilty to felony assault and is on probation for five years, recorded an audio message Wednesday on Say Now asking his fans to "bring [him] back." A humbled Brown said he needs his fans' help. "Some radio stations aren't playing my records," he said. "They're not being that supportive and I wouldn't expect them to. But it's on the fans...It's in your power to bring me back."
Brown said he is doing everything he can do. He refers to himself as a "better person" and said he is doing his music for the love, but added that his career is in jeopardy.
"It won't be possible for me to be an artist if I don't have support from people who give me an artist outlet," Brown said. "I can't be an underground mixtape artist."
Brown sounds stressed out. After releasing two previously successful albums, it has got to be tough experiencing such a decline in support for his current album, Graffiti.
I know it's been a year since the incident, he has accepted his sentence, and was previously praised by the judge for following through with his community service, but he needs to relax. It is going to take some time for him to repair his reputation. He needs to be patient. He just re-emerged on Twitter at @ChrisBrown and is keeping it positive so far. He Tweeted about reading to 3rd grade students at a school in Harlem. This feels like a better plan. Releasing a new album just eight months after the altercation was just too soon.
He doesn't have to try to make up rhymes about conflict to earn street cred, he has lived the real thing. Listen to the Boardhouse production, Ready Fi Defend It, and you get that sense of realism and urgency that Zum has brought to his music.
Dem say war, like Western Union mi wi send it
Ready fi defend it
Beat it beat it like Buju and bend it
Ready fi defend it
Bwoy see mi dawta and try fi offend it
Ready fi defend it
Zumjay has matured a great deal since his days as a youth engineering in the studios of Penthouse, working professionally with the likes of Beres Hammond, Buju Banton, Morgan Heritage, and Beenie Man. He may not have a string of commercial hits behind his name but his consistency as a writer of his own music and for big name hits such as Sean Paul continue to pay off. His knowledge of musical composition from conception to its delivery, will undoubtedly give him longevity in the industry.
Having recently been promoted to Specialist in the Army, and currently touring Qatar for several days for much needed R&R, he is proud of his military achievements thus far. Quite notable was his performance in Qatar for the troops which was well received. With the recession, he sees how the music industry continues to be affected which has forced many artistes to make tough decisions. But tough times always calls for tough decisions but Zumjay is always one step ahead.
Right now, Zumjay is gearing up for his return home as well as to the music scene. To his loyal fans, you will not have to wait much longer to see what Zumjay has to offer but then you already know. He is a man, a soldier. . . but first and foremost an artiste and "to whom much is given, much is expected".
Corey Haim's death is now under investigation -- and has been linked to an "illegal and massive prescription drug ring."
State Attorney General Jerry Brown says his office is conducting a probe of Haim's death because an unauthorized prescription in his name was found during a probe of fraudulent drug-prescription pads in San Diego.
Brown said the prescription drug ring under investigation operates by ordering prescription drug pads from authorized vendors using stolen doctor identities -- i.e., identity fraud.
The pads are sold on the street to prescription drug addicts or dealers.
The A.G. notes that many of the doctors whose names are printed on the forms are unaware that his or her identity has been stolen.
Found ... Sahil Saeed
By STAFF REPORTER
LITTLE Sahil Saeed, from Oldham, was apparently kidnapped nearly two weeks ago while holidaying with his father in Pakistan.
Here is a timeline of events surrounding the abduction:
March 3
:: Gun-wielding robbers break into a house in the Punjab region at 11pm and Sahil Saeed and his family are subjected to a six-hour ordeal.
March 4
:: Sahil is kidnapped while he and his father are staying with relatives at the house in Jhelum.
:: His father Raja Naqqash Saeed says the robbers are demanding a £100,000 ransom for his safe return.
:: At the family home in Greater Manchester, Sahil's mother Akila Naqqash weeps as she says there is "no chance" they can pay and pleads with her son's captors not to hurt him.
:: A man is arrested in connection with the kidnapping and taken in for questioning.
March 5
:: Police in Pakistan say a number of suspects are being questioned.
:: Sahil's relatives deny any involvement in his abduction amid suggestions that detectives are investigating the possibility of an "inside job".
:: The kidnappers reportedly speak to Mr Saeed on the telephone and tell him "the boy is with us and we will call you later".
March 6
:: The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yousuf Raza Gilani, assures Mr Saeed the government is making an all-out effort to rescue Sahil.
:: Sahil's mother begs for the safe return of her son, telling the kidnappers: "I just want my son back. All is forgiven, I will forgive you."
March 8
:: Mr Saeed returns to the UK, according to sources. It is reported police in Pakistan wanted him to stay in the country as a witness.
March 11
:: The British Government "urgently" checks reports Sahil has been found, but hopes are later dashed after Pakistani authorities confirm the search is still ongoing.
March 12
:: Greater Manchester Police say Mr Saeed is working with them to try to recover Sahil.
March 16
:: British High Commission in Islamabad confirm Sahil has been released in Pakistan and is safe.
Sahil Saeed was abducted from a house in the Punjab region of the country on March 4 after bandits held his relatives hostage at gunpoint.
Sahil's mum, Akila Naqqash, who had begged for his release, has now spoken to her son and is waiting for him to return to his home in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
A police liaison officer at the family home said: "They are overjoyed."
They added: "For 12 or 13 days, waiting, building hopes up and then hopes going down. She is overjoyed. It is really happy, just really happy.
"They were made aware he had been found safe and well. Mother has spoken on the telephone and spoke to him for some time, a private conversation. He is safe and well.
"But the family do not want to say anything, they want to wait until he comes back."
This morning, family members went in and out of the terraced house with broad smiles of relief but refused to comment to reporters and TV crews outside.
Sahil is understood to still be in Pakistan and his return is being organised by the British High Commission in Islamabad.
A spokesman confirmed today that the boy had been located safe and well.
Adam Thomson, the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, said: "This is fantastic news.
"It brings to an end the traumatic ordeal faced by Sahil Saeed's family.
"I would like to praise the high level of co-operation between the UK and Pakistani authorities and in particular I would like to thank the Jhelum police for their role in bringing about the safe return of Sahil."
Foreign Office officials said they were unable at present to provide any more details about the boy's release.
Sahil was on holiday with his father, Raja Naqqash Saeed, in Pakistan when he was snatched.
Raiders struck as the pair were preparing to take a taxi to the airport for their flight home to the UK.
The kidnappers apparently demanded a £100,000 ransom for the boy's return and originally set a deadline of noon the next day for the money to be delivered.
His family promptly said there was "no way" they could afford any such payment.
After Sahil was taken, several men including a taxi driver were arrested.
His family suffered frustrations during the investigation, after Pakistani authorities said on several occasions that they were close to securing the boy's release.
Sahil's mother begged for the safe return of her son, telling the kidnappers at one point: "I just want my son back. All is forgiven, I will forgive you."
Sahil's father returned to the UK at the start of last week, despite reports that police in Pakistan wanted him to stay in the country as a witness.
Police official Ijaz Ahmed said Sahil was found earlier today in the town of Dinga in Punjab province.
Dinga is some 20 miles (30km) from his relatives' house in Jhelum where he was kidnapped.
"What has become the norm for Jamaican producers is to literally give away the music as soon as it is finished," laments David Harrisingh, one third of DASECA. "Email blasts, social networking sites, blogs etc ensure the music ends up in the hands of any and everyone who wants it, and they don't have to pay for it. So while it creates a hype and give artists hit songs and generates shows and dub plate income for them, the producer has to pretty much wait on the few remaining labels who deal with Reggae to license a song here or there for a compilation. Whereas in the past labels would take the whole riddim from a producer, that has stopped because of poor sales and because our music has never been marketed properly causing it to end up in a mire. Producers are needed in the business just as much as artists so we have to find a way to survive."
The Genesis riddim was premiered on New York's coveted HOT 97, by Bobby Konders and Jabba last week Sunday and the buzz has already given DASECA much encouragement for their approach. The section of the radio show during which the Genesis was recorded by music fans and posted on YouTube instantly. A UK commercial radio premiere followed and of course Jamaica. With similar premieres taking place in Canada, Miami, Washington DC, Boston and other territories the trio are gearing up for the final marketing push this week before its imminent digital release. Banners and features on several influential blogs are all in the works.
"While we are realistic about the numbers we expect to do, we have to take a stance and try and regulate our ting," added Craig Harrisingh. "We are also expecting it to leak as soon as it is available, perhaps even before, but for us this is about trying to make a difference. We hope every producer takes a look at what we are trying to achieve and does something about it too so we can help change the culture of how we market and sell our music, because we are all feeling it. Thats why we called the riddim Genesis, because for us and we hope for the business as a whole, it signals a new beginning."
DASECA have many more riddims and singles lined up ready to release, next out the pack is a throwback sounding riddim called Dancehall Again and will be dropping them the same way the Genesis is being worked. Genesis will be available online (iTunes, Amazon, Zune, Verizon ringtones etc) as of March 23rd. Support the music!
Posted: 11:12 am EDT March 15,2010Updated: 1:42 pm EDT March 15,2010
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando police say a man left his four-month-old daughter in bushes near Universal Studios to search for her mother.Charles Gohde is charged with child neglect without great bodily harm. The 29-year-old is accused of leaving his infant in a stroller Saturday night in bushes for two hours near the employee parking lot. He has since bonded out of jail.The infant's mother denied knowing where her child was. Gohde told officers he put the baby in her stroller and left her in the bushes while he searched for the mother. It was not clear how they got separated.A park employee found the child, who did not appear harmed.Police say both parents were drunk at the time. The baby's mother, Ashley Gaskin, was not charged.Police say the child is now in custody of the Department of Children and Families.NEW EXPLICIT TAPE!! WITH RAPPER YOUNG BERG AND VIDEO MODEL JENNA SHEA!!! (EXCERPTS OF VIDEO INSIDE - WARNING CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENT) |
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Dancehall recording artisteErup is set to make his return since his near death bike accident in January of this year. He will make is first local performance of 2010 at Spectrum set for March 26 at the Constant Spring Football Field. Erup has been recovering from a broken leg in two places after he was hit from his motorcycle while traveling on Windward Road heading to New Kingston.
Currently signed to his own Fully Govern imprint, Erup is currently working on his debut album with young producer Tamoyo Campbell of Bomb Squad Records along with a sleuth of a-list producers. The entertainer spent most of 2008 and 2009 in the United States promoting his hit single Click Me Finger. To date the song has been remixed five times by international djs,UK based garage band and most notably by R&B singer Jasmine Sullivan.Erup was also featured on BET's late night show "The Deal". He also did a series of shows with big names in Hip Hop such as Rick Ross, Jim Jones, Omarion.
Erup says fans can expect two videos to be released in the next couple of weeks and also new singles and collaboration with a New York rapper. The'Gal a run dem head' star plans to continue making hits both for his local and foreign fans. Erup is currently being offered album deals by a few big distribution and publishing companies based in the USA and United Kingdom.
Monday, March 15, 2010
THREE men are reported shot dead and three police personnel injured during an alleged shootout today in West Kingston. Reports are that police became pinned down by gunfire on Blount Street, close to the border of Denham Town and Hannah Town.
Confirmed dead was a man known only as 'Kingsley', reportedly a high-ranking member of the Denham Town community. The community experienced two hours of heavy gunfire.
Sporadic gunfire is still being heard, but police said in a statement that they have the situation under control.
Police said that the gunfire started during an operation to apprehend two known gunmen hiding out in the area. Police said that both men were shot and injured and a Glock pistol and a ballistic vest have been recovered.
Of the injured policemen: one policeman was shot in the hand, one in the leg and back and one in the neck. They are currently in stable condition and are being visited in hospital by Acting Commissioner of Police, Owen Ellington.
The Observer is on the scene currently and we will bring you more news as we receive it.
A hot-*lo**ed lesbian woman from a volatile St Andrew community has found herself on the wrong side of the law after allegedly performing oral sex on a 16-year-old girl, assisted by two men who later raped and sodomised the teen.
The woman, said to be in her 20s, has since been arrested while her male accomplices are yet to be apprehended.
Information reaching THE STAR is that sometime before the incident, the inquisitive teenager had approached the older woman asking if the rumours that she was a lesbian were really true. The woman reportedly told the girl that the rumours were true following which a brief conversation developed between both and numbers were exchanged.
invitation
Allegation stated that on the date of the assault, the February birthday of the lesbian woman, she invited the teen to her house in the St Andrew community, stating that she had some money that she would like to give her.
Reports continued that the youngster went to the house and saw two men along with the woman inside. The woman allegedly told the girl not to pay the men any mind and to follow her to a room for the money.
After the teen and the woman went in the room, the men reportedly followed and allegedly held down the teen, allowing the lesbian woman to perform oral sex on her.
The allegations continued that after the woman was done performing the act on the teen, the men then raped and buggered the girl. A report was subsequently made and the woman was arrested.
When the matter was called up in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court last week, the lawyer for the accused lesbian made a bail application on her behalf.
The court set $100,000 bail and ruled that she return on April 8 for the preliminary enquiry into the matter.
Singer Bar-Bee continued her birthday tradition of giving back to the unfortunate last Friday night at John's Town in Morant Bay, St Thomas.
Last year, the singer spent her birthday giving a little back to various communities rather than receiving gifts for herself. The singer went on a mini-tour with her team of family and friends, serving over 1,000 plates of food to persons in the Spanish Town, Half-Way Tree, New Kingston and downtown Kingston areas.
This time around, the young singer got entertainers Tanya Stephens and Hezron to tag along, as she once again treated the kids and elderly to food. Then, later in the night, she performed in Bath, St Thomas. According to the singer, it was another great experience, which was made even better by the appearance of Stephens and Hezron.
The Caribbean's most decorated sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown impressively added an indoor global title to her long list of outdoor successes when she captured the women's 60-metre gold medal as the 13th IAAF World Indoor Championships ended yesterday.
Campbell-Brown, 27, ran a career-best 7.00 seconds to win the marquee sprint event ahead of the US VirginIslands' LaVerne Jones-Ferrette (7.03) during the last session of the three-day meet at the Aspire Dome.
"I knew the race would be very competitive. I was very confident and mentally focused," Campbell-Brown said after her win.
"I came here with a mindset that I would come out and execute," added Campbell-Brown, whose time was the fastest at a world indoor final for 11 years.
second gold medal
Her triumph completed a second gold medal for the Caribbean at the meet, following Bahamian Chris Brown's 400-metre gold on Saturday.
Jamaica copped another medal when their women's 1600-metre relay squad picked up the bronze medal.
Appearing at her first-ever World Indoor Championships, Campbell-Brown ran a superb race to thump the world-leader LaVerne Jones-Ferrette, who was just a shade behind in second while securing an unprecedented global medal for her country.
American Carmelita Jeter was a close third in 7.05 seconds.
Jamaican Sheri-Ann Brooks clocked a personal best 7.14 for joint fourth with Gabon's Ruddy Zang Milama, while Bahamian veteran Chandra Sturrup (7.16) was sixth, and the British Virgin Islands' Tahesia Harrigan posted a personal best 7.17 for seventh place.
All the Caribbean sprint girls had made the finals after strong efforts in the semis earlier on Sunday.
Campbell-Brown, who notched back-to-back Olympic 200-metre gold medals in Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008) and 100-metre gold at the 2007 IAAF World (Outdoor) Championship, had clocked 7.07 seconds to defeat Zang-Milama and Harrigan in the first semi-final.
Jones-Ferrette was the quickest semi-final winner, landing heat two in 7.05, chased by Sturrup.
Brooks delivered a personal best 7.14 seconds to win heat three ahead of Jeter.
Jamaica secured a bronze medal in the women's 1600-mere relay when Bobby-Gaye Wilkins, Clora Williams, Davita Prendegast and Novlene Williams-Mills clocked three minutes, 28.49 seconds for third behind winners USA and silver medallists Russia.
The USA, with Jamaica-born 400-metre champion Debbie Dunn, Deedee Trotter, Natasha Hastings and Allyson Felix moving the baton around, clocked a 2010 world best 3:27:34 to win narrowly ahead Russia (3:27:44).
Jamaican Maurice Wignall was sixth in a personal season-best 7:60 just ahead of China's former sprint world record holder Liu Xiang, who clocked 7.65 for seventh.
The USA easily topped the medal table with a haul of 17, eight gold, three silver and six bronze, to lead Ethiopia with three gold, and two bronze and Russia with nine medals (2-4-3).
Yet another business company has been slapped by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) for breaches of the National Solid Waste Management Act after illegally disposing of waste matter.
The recently charged entity is Roye's Trucking. Reports from the NSWMA are that last Friday the proprietor of Roye's Trucking was seen by officers of the NSWMA disposing of waste material which included discarded/used shoes, cardboard boxes and tree cuttings on the embankment of Sandy Gully along Washington Boulevard in St. Andrew.
The man was subsequently cited for breaches of Section 45 of the National Solid Waste Management Act 2001.
The report continued that the business operator was also issued with a three-day removal notice to have the area returned to its original state before the offence was committed or face a fine of $100,000.
Earlier this month, the NSWMA had cited the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort Limited and Sheridan Davis, acontractor, for the illegal disposal of solid waste at Dunnsville, Exchange, St Ann. The parties will appear in the St. Ann's Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on March 18 to answer to charges for breaches of Section 45 of the Act.
The NSWMA issued a stern warning to all business operators and waste haulers that whoever is found to be in breach of the Act will be prosecuted.
A man was shot dead after he and three others ambushed a policeman and opened fire at him on the Cinnamon Hill main road in St James yesterday. His cronies escaped.
The unidentified man is of dark complexion, slim build and about 182 centimetres tall. His body was clad in red T-shirt, brown jeans pants and a pair of black shoes.
Police said about 12:30 a.m., the policeman was driving his private motor car along the road when a white motor car drove up and blocked his path. Three men brandishing guns alighted and opened fire. The lawman pulled his firearm and challenged his attackers.
Two of the gunmen ran into nearby bushes while the other drove away. The policeman and other colleagues, who later joined him, carried out a search of the area and found one of the men in the bushes suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Montego Bay police are appealing to anyone who may have information about the other two men or their whereabouts to contact them at 953-2229, Crime Stop at 311, Kingfish at 811, police 119 emergency number or the nearest police station.
A Nigerian man, already in trouble with the law after being accused of marrying three Jamaican women last year, was arrested by police in connection with a visa scam recently.
Police told THE STAR that between January 5, and February 22, 2010, Shadrach Ifeanyi Momah, operating under the name Dick Motsewetsho, is accused of collecting $60,000 from a woman as payment for a 10-year visitor's visa to the United States.
However, after delays and the failure of the accused to hand over the visa or return the money, the woman reported the matter to the police. Momah was arrested at his Ripon Road, Kingston 5, business place. He was held with a Jamaican driver's licence in the name Dick Motsewetsho.
changed name
Reports further revealed that the accused did a deed pole in 2008 at the Lagos State High Court in Nigeria, changing his name from Dick Motsewetsho to Ifeanyi Momah and he used the Jamaican driver's licence, which he had in the name Dick Motsewetsho, to collect a part of the 'visa payment' through Western Union. The other sum of money was deposited to his Scotiabank business account.
Subsequent to his arrest, the accused was charged with obtaining money by means of false pretence and conspiracy to deceive. He is also charged with possession of forged documents after checks with the authorities showed that the Inland Revenue Department did not issue the drivers' licence the accused had in the name Dick Motsewetsho.
The accused is to stand trial in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on March 16, at which time his ongoing bigamy case will also be revisited.
In that matter, which started early last year, Momah was arrested during an operation carried out by Fraud Squaddetectives and officers from the Immigration Department.
During a raid on a Ripon Road-based office occupied by Momah, the authorities discovered documents which revealed that he had married three Jamaican women between July and December 2009.
The police is requesting that anyone who may have been defrauded by this man to visit or contact the Half-Way Tree CIB at 926-2551. Reports state that the accused man also goes by the name 'Simon'.
Sophia Brown. - Contributed
Sophia Brown has almost finished working on her new single, Touch Me Right Here, that is to be released in May by Universal Records. Meantime, the record label last Wednesday initiated the worldwide release of her single Gimme That Good Love.
Touch Me Right Here, she said, is more island pop and she feels her fans - old and new - are going to be excited when they hear it. It will also show that she is now capable of singing in several genres.
"I know the international market is going to love this one," she said. The vocals have already been recorded and she is awaiting the music, which she said is going to be done by the legendary duo Sly and Robbie. She intends to take the finished product to Los Angeles this week.
The Good Love single is being distributed by Involved, Hooplia and Universal Records. According to David Gaithner of Involved Records, who is representing Brown in her relationship with Universal, plans are in place to get the accompanying video that was shot late last year on MTV, VH1, and All Access among other television and cable outlets. He did not give a timetable for the roll-out except to say these plans would be started "any day now".
media blitz
Gaithner told THE STAR that when Brown arrives in the United States this week, she will be embarking on a media blitz appearing on radio shows and performing at several clubs in the Bay Area of California. He said the record companies like Brown's music because it was fresh and pure reggae music.
"It's exciting. I am looking forward to it," said Brown, who was recently nominated in the Female Vocalist of the Year category at the EME Awards. Even though she didn't win, eventually losing out to rising international star Cherine Anderson, Brown said her confidence has been given a major boost by the progress she has made in her career in recent months. "Doing it internationally means a lot to me because this is where I really want to break through. I want to sell a million records then I'll know I am one step closer to winning the Grammy," she said.
She is even happier with her personal growth and development, improvements that she has attributed to her own hard work and commitment to her craft. Vocal courses that she recently took have definitely paid off, she believes, and the sky is now the limit.
"I realised something with myself recently. I recorded a song called Love Therapy and I am truly, truly satisfied with my vocals," she said. "For the first time I know that my confidence is over the top and just listening back to that song I feel the confidence, I hear the confidence. The lyrics are more projected and I am just on top of the world, ready to rock and roll."
The government wants to change the Ambassador to the United States, but a source has told RJR News the impasse between the two countries over the extradition of Christopher "Dudus" Coke has stalled the exercise. Audrey Marks, Chief Executive Officer of Paymaster is being tapped as Jamaica's new Ambassador to the US to replace Anthony Johnson. But it is understood that the US is stalling on accepting the new nominee because of the strained relations between the two countries over the delay in the extradition of Christopher Coke. However, the Prime Minister has dismissed those claims. "I don't think the "Dudus" affair will affect Ms. Marks' appointment to Washington," said Mr. Golding. He also rubbished claims that he is afraid to take out Mr. Johnson and replace him with Ms. Marks. "That's absolutely not true," he said. RJR News's source has however cast the Prime Minister's assertions aside. The source claims that there are worries that if Mr. Johnson is moved before Ms. Marks is accepted as Jamaica's top diplomat in Washington the US government could apply diplomatic pressure by delaying or rejecting a new ambassador from Jamaica as part of efforts to get the government to accede to its request for the extradition of Mr. Coke. Ms. Marks was asked about being tapped as the new ambassador to Washington and whether or not the extradition involving Christopher Coke will affect her chances. "For me to comment on that would be pure speculation ... it two speculation in one," was her response. |
Attorney-at-law, Ian Wilkinson has asked whose interests are being served by government Senator Tom Tavares Finson, who is also Mr. Coke's lawyer. "Each person is entitled to the counsel of his choice and Mr. Coke is clearly entitled to have that Senator represent him but is there a conflict? Appearances are very important and there is an apparent conflict on the face of it,' he said. "Whom do you represent? Do you protect the individual's interest vis-à-vis that of the state? Do the two conflict and on which road do you travel," asked Mr. Wilkinson while speaking on RJR's weekly news review programme That's a Rap! Sunday afternoon. Mr. Tavares-Finson refused to comment on the matter when asked by RJR News. Meanwhile, attorney-at-law, Shirley Ann Eaton who was also a guest on That's a Rap! ", questioned the government's stance given constituency links between Prime Minister Bruce Golding and Mr. Coke. As the holder of the West Kingston seat, the Prime Minister is the Member of Parliament for the Tivoli Gardens community where Mr. Coke resides. Ms Eaton feels the perception could be that the matter is a personal one for the government. "Perceptions are important and how your government and your Prime Minister behave is very important to the people generally. There is a conflict of interest. "Why is the Prime Minister making these statements? Where is the Minister of Justice, where is the Minister of National Security? Justice must not only be done but it must appear to have been done," Ms Eaton said. The Jamaica Labour Party administration continues to stand firm in its decision not to heed the US extradition request for Mr. Coke. |
LONDON-BASED producer, Curtis Lynch, of Necessary Mayhem Records, is riding high on the buzz of August Town -- a song that he produced for the soulful Reggae crooner Etana. Based on the overwhelming response to the single, the Curtis Lynch/Etana collaboration could possibly result in a number one song.
August Town, the lead single on Lynch's Inner City Lady riddim, propels Etana outside of her soul-infused rootsy style of music to dubwise, a sub-genre of Reggae that is heavy on drum, bass and dub effects with very sparse rhythm.
The single has found its way on numerous charts including Dubvendor (England's Choice FM), Soundquake (Germany) and Riddim (Germany). In the Fall, Etana went to England to promote August Town and other new music, which sparked the interest in the single. Scores of Reggae music fans have embraced the song for its piercing social commentary and the massive have taken to the raw and edgy dubwise riddim over which its built.
Although August Town is an isolated incident in Etana's community, it speaks to people all over.
"The thing about August Town is that its real and heartfelt," says the song's producer Curtis Lynch. "Real Reggae fans can relate to this tune because it reminds us of what's going on in and around Jamaica and worldwide."
"The day the events in August Town took place Etana came to the studio with them fresh in her mind and I wanted to capture these feelings. This tune just has all of the ingredients for it to continue rocking Europe for years to come and it stays true to Etana and what she stands for," adds Lynch.
In addition to August Town, Lynch produced the lover's rock tune Heart Broken for Etana. This new single, which recently made its debut on the Dubvendor chart, is a riveting love song over a slower paced dubwise track.
Curtis Lynch is one of Europe's most visible Reggae music producers and his discography speaks for itself. Describing himself as someone blessed with a hunger to achieve, Lynch regularly lends his talents to established artistes and newcomers. Lynch runs Necessary Mayhem Records, one of Europe's biggest Reggae labels, and the online music portal www.reggaesoundnetwork. com.
THE Jamaican and United States governments were at the weekend weighing expert advice that they subject their extradition dispute over Christopher 'Dudus' Coke to international mediation, possibly involving the United Nations (UN).
Impeccable Sunday Observer sources said the suggestion was floated in Kingston and that Washington had indicated it was willing to explore mediation as an option.
"While the Golding administration remains adamant that it cannot act outside of Jamaican law, it has made it clear to the Americans that it wants the dispute resolved with its long-time ally," said the high-level source who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
The US is demanding that Coke, the Tivoli Gardens strongman, be handed over to face trial on an indictment by the grand jury for the Southern District of New York, on two counts of alleged conspiracy to, inter alia, distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics, specifically cocaine; and conspiracy to traffic in firearms without a licence.
But the prime minister has said the evidence presented by the Americans had not satisfied the Government that there was enough to convict Coke in a Jamaican court for those offences, as required by the Extradition Treaty.
Jamaica also expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which the US came in possession of intercepted information on Coke, saying it was done in breach of the island's Interception of Communications Act. To sign the extradition request would therefore be a violation of Coke's constitutional right to freedom of expression.
But critics have lashed Golding, suggesting that he was protecting Coke, who resides in the prime minister's West Kingston constituency, because of his alleged links to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party.
In the meantime, relations between Jamaica and the US remain tense, with advisors suggesting that it could further deteriorate, as there was little prospect of a resolution, if both sides stuck to their guns.
Asked about the likelihood of the US accepting mediation, the source said the State Department did not initially warm to the idea and was still insisting that its extradition request be taken before the Jamaican courts for a decision. But it said it would explore the option.
"Jamaica's willingness to put the issue to mediation was at least an indication to the US that we want to see the matter resolved in a mutually satisfactory way," the source said.
Prime Minister Bruce Golding was said to be listening to his advisors who had outlined several options that were available to him, including mediation, before he made his next move.
The advisors themselves were apparently not pressing Golding to take the matter through the Jamaican courts, arguing that its ruling was not binding on the US under the 1993 Extradition Treaty and subsequent Memorandum of Understanding signed and ratified by both countries.
"The Jamaican Government is of the view that this is a matter in which both parties have an obligation to sit and amicably resolve the issues through negotiations as two sovereign states to a bilateral treaty," the source said.
"Placing the matter in the Jamaican courts would not address the issues and would not be binding on the US under the treaty and the MOUs. The issues which have arisen in this extradition request, if not addressed, will almost certainly arise in future extradition requests," he said.
The high-level source insisted that even if the various procedural obstacles were overcome, "a court judgement, while persuasive, would not be binding on the US".
Kingston, Washington exploring possibility of int'l mediation on extradition request Experts fear worsening of diplomatic relations
"The issue would still remain until it is resolved in a conclusive way," he said. "The domestic court is not an arena to resolve what is essentially obligations under international law between two sovereign states and their relations internationally."
He said the Jamaican administration was confident that it had a case that could stand scrutiny at any level of mediation, including the secretary general of the UN Ban Ki-Moon; the Washington-based Organisation of American States; the European Union, a third country or some person or similar body with international standing.
Such mediation would determine the legitimacy of the US assertions that it acted in accordance with the spirit and intent of the Extradition Treaty and the Memorandum of Understanding. "This decision would be a strong factor which any minister (of justice) would take into account when considering whether to sign the authority to proceed or not," said the source