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{"source_url": "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com", "url": "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/ruel-reid-fritz-pinnock-saga-newsmaker-of-the-year-2019_183472?profile=1470", "title": "Fritz Pinnock saga Newsmaker of the Year 2019", "top_image": "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019971/AR/0/AR-301019971.jpg", "meta_img": "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019971/AR/0/AR-301019971.jpg", "images": ["http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/2014/jol_logo.jpg", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/2014/Logo_overlay.png", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/191239933/AR/0/AR-191239933.jpg&maxw=303&maxh=230", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019971/EP/1/1/EP-301019971.jpg&maxh=332&maxw=504", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019971/AR/0/AR-301019971.jpg&maxh=332&maxw=504", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/2014/rss_icon.png", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/printer_16x16.png", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019971/AR/0/AR-301019971.jpg", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/livestream2.jpg", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019971/EP/1/2/EP-301019971.jpg&maxh=332&maxw=504", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019971/EP/1/3/EP-301019971.jpg&maxh=332&maxw=504", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/email_16x16.png", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/2014/social_icons.png", "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/2014/line_story.png"], "movies": [], "text": "THE unending saga of former Education Minister Ruel Reid and Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) President Professor Fritz Pinnock took the top votes among Jamaica Observer journalists as the story that dominated the news cycle in 2019, making it the year's Newsmaker.\n\nBoth men are now before the courts on charges of breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act, conspiracy to defraud, misconduct in a public office at common law and breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act.\n\nLast week, an attempt by their lawyers for leave to apply for judicial review of the charges was rejected by Chief Justice Brian Sykes.\n\nThe lawyers had argued that the Financial Investigations Division (FID), which arrested and charged both men on October 9, did not have the power to arrest and charge anyone, given that it is an investigative body.\n\nHowever, Justice Sykes ruled that while the court is of the view that the Financial Investigations Division Act (FIDA) does not authorise the FID to arrest and charge anyone or authorise it to initiate charges and initiate an arrest, the FID, while investigating a matter, can use certain powers under FIDA.\n\nReid's fall from grace started last March when he was fired from the Cabinet by Prime Minister Andrew Holness at the height of allegations that he became embroiled in activities that could bring his office as minister into disrepute.\n\nDuring investigations into activities at the State-run CMU, which fell under Reid's portfolio, Pinnock was also implicated.\n\nBoth men have denied the allegations against them and their case is set to be heard in court this month.\n\nJamaica Stock Exchange shines\n\n\n\n'Welcome to Jamaica, home of the world's best-performing stock market' read the headline of Bloomberg Businessweek's story in January 2019.\n\n\u201cThe Jamaican stock exchange is so obscure, even emerging-markets funds don't go there. And it's booming,\u201d added the story, which went on to state: \u201cIn 2018 the nation's main index rose 29 per cent in US dollar terms, the most among 94 national benchmarks tracked by Bloomberg. Its outperformance over the past five years is even more striking. Jamaican stocks have surged almost 300 per cent, more than quadrupling the next-best-performing national benchmark and septupling the S&P 500's advance.\u201d\n\nThe JSE's strong performance resulted in the Jamaican flag being flown on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) building in November, the second time in four years that the JSE was recognised as the number one performing stock exchange globally. The first time was in 2015.\n\n\u201cThis is a great achievement for our small island,\u201d Prime Minister Andrew Holness posted on social media in response to the NYSE tribute.\n\nPAAC worked\n\nParliament's Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) came in for commendations by Observer journalists who noted that a lot of what it uncovered, including the Ruel Reid and Fritz Pinnock saga, led to investigations of alleged misconduct at State entities.\n\nIn addition to the Caribbean Maritime University revelations, the PAAC brought to public attention activities at State oil refinery Petrojam which led to the resignation of former Board Chairman Perceval Badahoo-Singh and the controversial separation of Human Resource Manager Yolande Ramharrack.\n\nPNP rocked by Bunting\u2019s challenge\n\nIn June, People's National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament Peter Bunting announced his challenge to Dr Peter Phillips for the presidency of the Opposition party.\n\nBunting's challenge reopened old wounds that haemorrhaged even more as the campaign between both sides grew nasty and personal.\n\nArguing that Dr Phillips could not lead the PNP to victory in the next general election, Bunting, who dubbed his campaign 'Rise United', drew large crowds at his meetings held across the country.\n\nAt the same time, Dr Phillips and his 'One PNP' team campaigned earnestly and after just over two months on the hustings, the PNP president was returned by 76 votes at the party's 81st annual conference on September 7, handing Bunting a birthday beating that left his supporters fuming.", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": ["General NewsInternationalLocal NewsSlider"], "tags": [], "authors": ["Jamaica Observer Limited"], "publish_date": null, "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "THE unending saga of former Education Minister Ruel Reid and Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) ...", "meta_lang": "", "meta_favicon": "/images/favicon.ico", "meta_data": {"alexaVerifyID": "rSmiGOPEjbvIe54g6VDdjp7fxDQ", "google-site-verification": "yGWL0JARPWTYZuQO6SyybESnW5Tn5sn_mj5vRQhwZq8", "y_key": "b1206159d404874b", "msvalidate.01": "F356DE1E2BCA8CFA747B5120592BE455", "description": "THE unending saga of former Education Minister Ruel Reid and Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) ...", "keywords": "General NewsInternationalLocal NewsSlider", "og": {"title": "Ruel Reid/Fritz Pinnock saga Newsmaker of the Year 2019", "site_name": "Jamaica Observer", "image": "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019971/AR/0/AR-301019971.jpg"}, "revisit-after": "1 days", "Author": "Jamaica Observer Limited", "DC.Subject": "Jamaica, Observer", "DC.Title": "Jamaica Observer Limited", "ROBOTS": "Follow,Index", "rating": "GENERAL", "twitter": {"card": "summary_large_image", "site": "@JamaicaObserver", "creator": "@JamaicaObserver", "title": "Ruel Reid/Fritz Pinnock saga Newsmaker of the Year 2019", "description": "THE unending saga of former Education Minister Ruel Reid and Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) ...", "image": "http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/JO/20200101/ARTICLE/301019971/AR/0/AR-301019971.jpg"}}, "canonical_link": ""} |
