Shipping sector sees bright future

Trevor Riley, general manager of the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ), says the future is bright for the shipping industry despite the economic crisis which has rocked the sector in recent months.

"We are not sitting back and allowing the problems to beset us. We are reclaiming the elements of the industry that put us where we are, by continuing to look at the global economy and position Jamaica to play a role in that," said Riley.

He told The Gleaner on the weekend that like other industries, the SAJ was experiencing difficulties.

"There has been a downturn in the harbour throughput through the port and that has resulted in a loss of business, and this has resulted in some retrenchment, and we have lost some jobs," Riley said.

Fray's lawyers to wrap up in MoBay

WESTERN BUREAU:

The defence team in the case of accused would-be hijacker Stephen Fray says it should wrap up its arguments in the Western Regional Gun Court by today, closing the two-month trial.

Fray's parents, Donna and Earl, and sister Dominique, gave testimony in the case yesterday, and his father is expected to be cross-examined by the prosecution today.

"All the family members said they were surprised by what took place, as he is a well-brought-up young man, who gave no problems, had no record of violence or misbehaviour," Fray's attorney, George Thomas, told The Gleaner.

He said all the character witnesses who were called in the case, including his best friend, Nathan Robb Jr, concurred.

The family reportedly spoke of the change they noticed in Fray before the April 19 incident, in which the 22-year-old held captive 160 passengers and crew aboard a CanJet charter flight that was en route to Halifax, Canada.

Fray, who is facing 10 counts of gun-related charges as a result of the incident, told the court last week that he did not remember what happened that fateful night. He said he recalled "hearing voices" in his head.