Gleaner, The (Newspaper) - February 12, 1991, Kingston, Kingston is a girls best 700 THE MALI Vol No 36 ESTABLISHED 1834 FEBRUARY 24 PAGES is a best STREET THE VILLAGE -J 1 Children from same family trapped in tenement blaze THREE CHILDREN from the same family perished in flames in a tenement house fire In Kingston yesterday The tragic deaths recalled similar cases last year when at least 22 children died in many in Incidents where parents had left the children unattended The children who perished in the fire were between the ages of two months and three and lived in a block and steel tenement house at 14 to 16 hinney Street Rae Town Dead three-year-old Davia two-year-old David and Jodie Ann two months According to about smoke was seen com- ing from the room where the three children staying Efforts were made to rescue them but the flames and smoke kept the intended cuers The fire quickly gulfed the entire where an estimated 36 people lived dream see it but me never know where it a come screamed Diane mother of the three children t She said she had planned to go out with the smallest of the Jodie Ann but found small shack at the front of the the child had fallen asleep Miss residence playing said said stte then decided to go to her father's residence about half a mile away in Rae to take a leaving the three dren behind When she returned she saw the place on fire Clive who also lives on the said he was in his room resting when his girlfriend He ran to the room where the babies were He had heard them screaming He that he could not get into the as a zinc fence that marked off that part of the yard was locked With tears in his he said that although he he could not save the children as the flames were already Tony who was inside a there was no way the children could have been because before anyone could realise what was the entire premises was in flames Davis said it was the fastest he had ever seen fire He claims the entire building was ered in flames about 15 minutes after he first heard the shouts of f Less than two hours the fire had taking the her three a distraught Miss sat on the steps of a Jesus mi Fire units York Trench Town and Half Way Tree Fire put out the blaze director says didn run away Wilkinson photo A MOTHER'S Diane being comforted after the death of her three children in a fire that home on McWhinney yesterday At left is part of what remains of By Gordon C Williams A TOP executive of a company said to be linked to the furniture dal involving Minister of State Ben Miss had been destroyed by the firer Over 30 people were left homeless in the returned to Jamaica yard where the children perished day denying he had defied a stop INSIDE INEWS trial ruary FOREIGN French Minister heads for OPINION Accountability before new ENTERTAINMENT Regina Bell to perform here SOCIAL ousts CRURAL Satanic to Devil's Race Course 11 SPORTS Barbados crush SHIPPING Objectives of the FEATURE Valentine's Day Shopping Feature 19 INDEX ACROSS LEISURE...................................12 WANT DEATH THE threatened bus strike fizzled yesterday as most commuters in the Corporate Area got about their business in the usual way A few operators did carry out their threat to take their buses off the road to pressure the Government to grant them a fare increase Buses that did not operate for much of the day included those on routes to Bull Bay and some to from downtown Kingston and Cross Roads Bus stops were not more crowded than normal it appeared yesterday Chairman of the Transport Hensley Williams told the Gleaner that the transportation system was only marginally affected by the ex- strike by the members of the Stage Carriage Minibus Association and other groups yesterday He said most routes operated normally Mr Williams thanked operators for what he said was their responsible and mature reaction to an appeal by Minister of Transport Robert gill for them to exercise restraint Chairman of the Ronald said last night that the organization called off the strike because were pleased with the appointment of Keith by Mr as chairman of the new committee to look into a fare increase being granted to operators urged LEADER of the Edward Seaga has called for investigations to be conducted into what he called the misappropriation of million worth of zinc imported to help hurricane victims Mr who was speaking at the Westmoreland JLP constituency annual ence at the Little London Secondary School on said that the Government was conducting enquiries Into the spending of over to furnish the home of junior minister Ben Clare and yet had failed to deal with the zinc issue Prime Minister Manley told the Gleaner that he had ordered a full investigation into what had happened to the imported after Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 and said to have amounted to nine year's supply Nothing has been heard of the investigation said to have been under then Minister of Agriculture and Commerce Horace Clarke The Auditor General's lighted overexpenditure on Ben Clare's house also questioned the distribution of zinc and other cane relief Mr Seaga said that while he was not condoning what had happened in the furniture the funds involved in it were comparatively small when matched with the million for the zinc order last week or defrauded the Government Canute managing tor of Meera Manufacturing Co the company which allegedly provided high-priced furnishing for Mr Clare's returned to the Island early yesterday afternoon In an interview with the Gleaner yesterday Sadler was not aware of any stop placed on him by the Com- missioner of which would have prevented him from leaving the country last week have not been served any stop Mr Sadler said has said anything to me such an He said he had not been con- by the police since his return to the island He also said he had no problems with immigration when he arrived at the Norman Manley International port Sadler also denied he had defrauded the by overcharging for ered to Mr Clare's townhouse A published bearing the name of Meera Manufacturing Co listed worth of including and purchased with government money for Mr Clare's home 1 have not defrauded the of Mr Sadler said Mr Sadler declined to discuss details of the saying he had asked his lawyers to handle ters arising from the case He did not reveal the name or names of the lawyers who were representing him According to a published last Tuesday a stop order was placed on Mr his son and Robert an employee of the Houses of Parliament ble for furnishing Mr by the Commissioner of lice haven't run he from office at Con- stant Spring Road When you need re ief from minor pain 1 i j r Youth Ministry gets poor report card By Margaret Morris THE Social Development sion of the Ministry of Youth and Community Development seems to have been kind to its staff It paid travelling allowance above the rates set by the Government to people who do not own motor ciles According to the Auditor al's Report recently tabled in the House of controls at the SDC were noticeably cient and four vehicles belonging to the Commission could not be counted for As of March 31 1990 statutory deductions totalling approximately million from employees ments during the financial years to had not been remitted to the relevant authorities In Travelling allowances were paid to officers who did not own motor at rates which ex- those approved by the of the Public Service The Ministry got a poor report from the Auditor General His re- view identified weaknesses tn inter- nal controls in respect of motor salaries and wages and bank reconciliation of AUDITOR GENERAL'S the bank account for salaries No reply was received to seven official audit queries and five local queries in respect of the and financial years Of special interest is the ent maladministration of Rio Grande an integrated rural development project funded the Government of the Netherlands The report notes that the project at developing existing com- munity activities to th condition of for the through community cottage Industry prog ran community health an agriculture programme rf Despite of the signed agreement the governments of the and Jamaica wu not This made Jt very difficult to arrive at any meaningful conclusion on the extent to which the project was achieving Its quantifiable tives The records and Information made available Indicated an discrepancy of be- tween the amounts collected from saks the lodgements made to the Projects bank was also no indication that proper procedures were In place to ensure that contracts were awarded only to persons who had been properly assessed as being competent to perform the ments given The functions of the value of work to be the awarding of the Jobs and the verification and certification of work done were all conducted by one Two hundred and eighty eight farm houses were built by the Commission between 1974 and 1976 They were valued at in 1985 Up to the time of my audit these houses were not recorded In the Inventory of Fixed Correspondence seen ed that 176 of these houses re sold by the Ministry of It no written ar- between the and the Ministry for the of the units or any dence of any proceeds of sale waa seen The commission was asked to explain the not so good either 33 Reach for Proudly in by Sealed in TAMPER PROOF STRIPS Your Symbol of Quality LABORATORIES For your Protection of tte Group of Compan f- I Jl i 4
