St Catherine mother fined $300,000 after guilty plea in police bribery case

A Spanish Town, St Catherine resident must pay $300,000 or serve 30 days in prison after admitting she tried to bribe a police officer to stop the prosecution of her son.

Kadijah Anton, 45, pleaded guilty on Friday to offering $15,000 to an officer during a traffic stop involving her son on June 14. Her attorney told the court she acted under stress and poor judgment and asked for leniency. The court imposed the fine but ordered that no conviction be recorded and that Anton’s fingerprints not be taken.

Dancehall artist Chronic Law, whose real name is Akeem Jermaine Campbell, remains in police custody in the United States. Reports say federal agents searched the 32-year-old and members of his entourage after they left an event in Miami on Sunday. He is understood to be held on a firearm-related charge. His management team has asked the public to allow the legal process to run its course. Earlier this year, he was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement before being released.

The Manchester Police Division has received a donation of 200 DNA kits to strengthen criminal investigations and ease delays in the justice system. Deputy Superintendent Odine Dennis welcomed the gift as Manchester grapples with rising crime and equipment shortages. Lauderhill Chief of Police Constable Constant Danley, who handed over the kits, said the partnership with Jamaican law enforcement would continue.

Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon says the city has applied for grant funding through the Mayor’s Migration Council to install early warning systems in flood-prone areas, including Catherine Hall and the business district. Vernon, recently appointed to the Coastal Cities Coalition, said adaptation work includes evacuation planning and zonal committees for the business district, gully embankments, and the Montego Bay River. Major flooding struck the business district in 2018, and Catherine Hall and West Green saw serious inundation more recently.

Drain-cleaning work was carried out in sections of Port Maria, St Thomas, over the weekend following recent severe flooding. Officials said feeder drains leading to the town square were cleared. Some residents, however, raised concerns that work on a nearby river near Curtis Bottom Road could leave the community more exposed when heavy rain pushes the waterway beyond its banks.

The Sandilands Foundation has awarded scholarships to more than 15 students from Balmaggio Primary School and St Jude Primary School as they prepare to enter high school. Director Robert White said roughly $2 million disbursed on the day supports academic and sporting achievement and helps steer young people away from crime and violence. Project manager Paige Dixon highlighted former recipient Orville, who now teaches robotics at schools across Jamaica and whose teams have placed first in international competitions.

Consumers of general and life insurance may face higher premiums after the Financial Services Commission said regulated firms must pay $646.2 million more in fees. The regulator said the increases are needed to close a budget gap and noted it still expects a deficit of $186 million by the end of fiscal year 2027 despite a 44 percent rise in revenue to $2.46 billion after the fee hikes.