UNITED STATES
11 Cops Hurt in BLM Protest
In a scene that echoed the chaos at the Capitol from two weeks ago, a day honoring a legend of peace was marred by violence.
On the evening of Jan. 18, the date of this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day observance, there was a march from Brooklyn, NY to City Hall in Manhattan. Upon arriving at their destination, the protestors then started throwing objects and disrupting traffic. In all, 29 people were arrested in the incident, with 11 officers injured trying to calm the crowd.
This incident came just days after New York Attorney General Leticia “Tish” James sued the New York Police Department over how it handled the George Floyd protests in the city last year. More than 2,000 people were arrested during those demonstrations.
Developments in the state of Michigan have piqued the interest of some residents in Newark, New Jersey.
On Jan. 14, Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy announced that after 12 months of grand jury proceedings nine individuals have been indicted on a total of 42 counts related to a series of alleged actions and inactions that created the historic injustice of the Flint Water Crisis.
The Chief Judge of the Seventh Circuit in Genesee County appointed Judge David Newblatt to act as a one-man grand jury to investigate crimes related to the crisis. Indictments were issued after the grand juror listened to and evaluated the evidence presented.
The following defendants were charged by Solicitor General Hammoud and Prosecutor Worthy as part of the criminal investigation into the Flint Water Crisis:
- Jarrod Agen – Former Director of Communications and Former Chief of Staff, Executive Office of Gov. Rick Snyder
One count of perjury – a 15-year felony
- Gerald Ambrose – Former City of Flint Emergency Manager
Four counts of misconduct in office – each a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
- Richard Baird – Former Transformation Manager and Senior Adviser, Executive Office of Gov. Snyder
One count of perjury – a 15-year felony
One count of official misconduct in office – a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
One count of obstruction of justice – a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
One count of extortion – a 20-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
- Howard Croft – Former Director of the City of Flint Department of Public Works
Two counts of willful neglect of duty – each a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine
- Darnell Earley – Former City of Flint Emergency Manager
Three counts of misconduct in office – each a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
- Nicolas Lyon – Former Director, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Nine counts of involuntary manslaughter – each a 15-year felony and/or $7,500 fine
One count of willful neglect of duty – a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine
- Nancy Peeler – Current Early Childhood Health Section Manager, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Two counts of misconduct in office – each a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
One count of willful neglect of duty – a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine
- Richard Snyder – Former Governor of Michigan
Two counts of willful neglect of duty – each a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine
- Eden Wells – Former Chief Medical Executive, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Nine counts of involuntary manslaughter – each a 15-year felony and/or $7,500 fine
Two counts of misconduct in office – each a five-year felony and/or $10,000 fine
One count of willful neglect of duty – a one-year misdemeanor and/or $1,000 fine
The defendants turned themselves in and were arraigned before Judge Elizabeth A. Kelly for the Seventh Circuit Court and Chief Judge Christopher Odette for the 67th District Court. Details on their arraignments and subsequent court dates will be forthcoming.
“When an entire city is victimized by the negligence and indifference of those in power, it deserves an uncompromising investigation that holds to account anyone who is criminally culpable. That is what all residents in this state are entitled to, regardless of their ZIP code. And that is what this prosecution team did. Our approach was simple – where we believed the evidence would prove a criminal charge, we sought and obtained indictments for those crimes,” said Solicitor General Hammoud.
“We must remember that the Flint Water Crisis is not some relic of the past. At this very moment, the people of Flint continue to suffer from the categorical failure of public officials at all levels of government, who trampled upon their trust, and evaded accountability for far too long. We understand that our work is not done and although the criminal justice system alone cannot remedy all the suffering that every person endured, we took our part seriously. We hope others will do the same to ensure this never, ever happens again.”
With news of the charges in this case, many in the Brick City are pondering if such action will be taken against city leaders who oversaw the Newark Water Crisis.
EUROPE
A Good Time to Swipe Left
INTERPOL has issued a Purple Notice to its 194 member countries outlining a specific modus operandi on dating applications. The threat involves taking advantage of people’s vulnerabilities as they look for potential matches, and luring them into a sophisticated fraud scheme.
In the initial stages, an artificial romance is established via a dating app. Once communication becomes regular and a certain level of trust is established, criminals share investment tips with their victims and encourage them to join a scheme.
Victims download a trading app and open an account, buy various financial products and work their way up a so-called investment chain, all under the watchful eye of their new “friend.” They are made to believe they can reach Gold or VIP status.
As is often the case with such fraud schemes, everything is made to look legitimate. Screenshots are provided, domain names are eerily similar to real websites, and customer service agents pretend to help victims choose the right products.
One day, however, all contact stops, and victims are locked out of the account. They’re left confused, hurt, and worried that they’ll never see their money again.
INTERPOL’s Financial Crimes unit has received reports from around the world of this scam and is encouraging dating app users to be vigilant, be skeptical and be safe when entering into online relationships. This has become especially important as people turn to online interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are some tips to make sure online dating remains fun and doesn’t empty your bank account:
- Always be vigilant when you are approached by someone you don’t know, especially if it leads to a request for money
- Be skeptical: online investments with promises of fast, amazing returns are often too good to be true
- Think twice before transferring money, however genuine the request might seem
- Do your research: check reviews, double check the app, the domain name, the email address, etc.
- Don’t disclose personal/confidential information
- If you realize you’ve been the victim of a fraud, report it.
ASIA
India’s Massive Vaccine Campaign
In a major milestone in the fight against deadly diseases, United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners announced on Jan. 12, the establishment of a global Ebola vaccine stockpile, to help control future epidemics by ensuring timely access to vaccines for populations at risk, during outbreaks.
India has begun what is the world’s biggest COVID vaccination campaign so far, deploying hundreds of thousands of health workers, with the training and support of the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
On Jan. 16, the first day of the campaign, 207,229 vaccine shots were given across the country, one of the worst-hit by COVID-19, with over 10 million COVID-19 infections and 150,000 deaths.
“(We) provided technical assistance to the Government of India for the development of operational guidelines and other training materials for state and district program managers and vaccinators, and establishing tracking and accountability frameworks,” Roderico H. Ofrin, WHO Representative in India said.
“WHO field officers have facilitated the highest-level oversight through regular task force meetings at state and district levels, which are chaired by the Principal Secretaries (Health) at the state level, and District Magistrates at the district level,” he added.
According to media reports, an estimated 10 million health workers are targeted to be vaccinated in the first round, followed by other front-line workers such as police, security forces and municipal staff, with plans to inoculate 300 million people by August.
Prior to the start of the campaign, UN agencies help with detailed preparations.
For its part, WHO participated in dry-run simulations and provided feedback on management of vaccines, registration of beneficiaries, as well as reporting on vaccination coverage and adverse events following immunization.
It also worked with the Government and the UN Development Program (UNDP) on real-time reporting and problem-solving when issues arose at the vaccination sites, according to Dr. Ofrin.
At the provincial level, WHO also supported implementation and monitoring of health policy, such as developing standard operating procedures, preparing technical briefs, and providing best practices from other parts of the India as well as other countries.
CARIBBEAN
Political Unrest in Haiti
Increasing political tensions in Haiti coupled with insecurity and structural inequalities could result in protests followed by violent crackdowns by authorities, the United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) warned on Jan 19.
According to the office, criminal activities, such as kidnappings, gang fights and widespread insecurity have increased, with “almost total” impunity.
Added to the volatile mix is resurging political tensions over the timing and scope of elections and a constitutional referendum proposed by the Government, OHCHR spokesperson Marta Hurtado told journalists at a regular briefing in Geneva.
“Calls for mass protests have been growing. This in turn raises concerns of renewed human rights violations by security forces during the policing of protests as seen during the months-long protests in 2018 and 2019, as well as during demonstrations in October and November of last year,” Hurtado said.
According to an OHCHR report on the unrest, protests started relatively peacefully in July 2018 but became increasingly violent over time, with many violations and abuses of the rights to life, security of the person and effective remedy.
The OHCHR spokesperson called on Haitian authorities to take “immediate action” to avoid repetition of such violations and abuses by ensuring that law enforcement officers abide by international norms and standards regarding the use of force when dealing with protests; as well as ensuring that gangs do not interfere with people’s right to demonstrate peacefully.
She also urged the Government to guarantee accountability for past violations and abuses, ensuring justice, truth, and reparations. Alongside, Haiti should take steps to address people’s grievances and the root causes that fueled the protests, she added.
