By Dacia Richards | HGP Nightly News
Gangster Killed in Trinidad, Jamaican Courts to Livestream Cases, Former Brazilian President Arrested
Trinidad and Tobago:
Just days after his release from detention under the State of Emergency (SOE), 43-year-old Shumba James, labeled by police as a notorious gangster, was fatally shot along with his friend, 34-year-old Visham Ryan Lochan, during an alleged shootout with officers in St. Mary’s Village, Moruga on Sunday.
According to police, the two men were traveling in Loten’s Nissan Tiida when they engaged in a shootout with officers after 10 a.m. Both were pronounced dead at the Princess Town District Health Facility. Two pistols were reportedly recovered at the scene. However, relatives of the deceased claim the men were executed.
James, a former state witness in a 2011 high-profile police killing case, had been the first person detained under the SOE, facing accusations of plotting targeted killings against police informants. The SOE, declared on December 30, 2024, ended on April 13, 2025.
Jamaica:
In a move to enhance transparency and public access, Chief Justice Bryan Sykes announced that selected court cases will now be livestreamed via the Jamaican Judiciary’s YouTube Channel.
This announcement follows the successful live broadcast of the Court of Appeal proceedings in the landmark case of Cecil Moore v. R, which dealt with sentencing and constitutional rights. New security measures have also been implemented at the Supreme Court, including daily security screenings and color-coded visitor passes.
Chief Justice Sykes emphasized that livestreaming is part of broader efforts to modernize Jamaica’s judiciary and enhance public confidence in the legal system.
Brazil:
Former Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello was arrested early Friday morning in Maceió after the Supreme Court ordered him to begin serving an eight-year, ten-month prison sentence for corruption and money laundering.
Collor, who in 1990 became Brazil’s first democratically elected president after the end of military rule, was convicted in 2023 for receiving over 30 million reais (approximately US$5.28 million) in bribes linked to state oil giant Petrobras.
Although he resigned during an earlier impeachment scandal in 1992, Collor’s new conviction marks a stunning downfall decades later. His legal team has expressed surprise but confirmed compliance with the arrest order.
