Serving Policeman arrested in the UK ? later released on bail

A full-time Policeman who has been employed with the Bermuda Police Service for ten years was arrested in the UK yesterday on suspicion of drug importation.

?An investigation is continuing locally and we would like to make it clear that the Officer has not been charged and has been released on bail,? said Media spokesman Caines. The name, age, and rank of the officer was not released to the media.

Fuel prices slip for November

Good news for motorists at the fuel pumps. The price of fuel has dropped for the second time in as many months, but only by a few cents. The price of gasoline dropped by 29.53 cents a gallon, diesel by 17.78 cents a gallon and the kerosene by 16.27 cents a gallon.

The news was announced by the Ministry of Finance late yesterday afternoon and came into effect immediately. As a consequence the maximum retail prices displayed on the pumps for petroleum products will now be:

Gasoline $5.15 a gallon

Diesel $4.53 a gallon

Kerosene $3.62 a gallon

According to one service station owner, very few motorists seemed aware of the drop in price as the Ministry released the news so late in the game, but he said motorists, especially the taxi drivers were very happy to be saving almost 30 cents a gallon.

Regiment off to Grenada for cleanup

The Regiment will travel to Grenada next year to assist in the clean-up following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ivan.

Public relations officer Major Wayne Smith confirmed yesterday that between 150 and 180 soldiers would be making the trip in February, following Government?s recent approval of the recommendations made by a team of senior officers who travelled to the Caribbean island earlier this month.

The Regiment?s annual boot camp, scheduled for Camp Landing in Florida next year, has been cancelled. ?The reconnaissance team have made their report and we decided it was right that we should travel to Grenada to help,? Major Smith said.

?Government approved the recommendation and we should be going down there towards the middle or end of February. The dates have not yet been finalised but we will most likely be in Grenada for a total of four weeks.?

More cheques stolen from parked car

Another business is warning the public about cheques stolen from an open car. Bridan Matcham said cheques for his business Barefoot Painting and Maintenance had been stolen from his van parked in Reid Street after he had left it unlocked for a couple of minutes yesterday morning.

He has cancelled the Bank of Bermuda cheques numbered 632-800. Yesterday this paper reported about 200 stolen company cheques from Hospitality Systems Ltd from a car. Those Bank of Bermuda cheques have start at 4405 and end at 4601 and have been cancelled.

Bus schedule to be modified

A new modified bus schedule to beat traffic congestion on the way into Hamilton will take effect in early January, the Public Transportation Board announced. PTB Director Dan Simmons said yesterday that steps had to be taken to meet the community?s demands for transportation.

The current PTB schedule will be revamped and computerised to reflect Bermuda?s current traffic situation. As an example, a Government press release issued yesterday said a bus on the old schedule that left Somerset at 8 a.m. and was projected to reach Hamilton at 9 a.m. will leave Somerset at 7.47 a.m to meet the scheduled 9 a.m. arrival time.

A critical factor in matching up the bus schedule with real traffic conditions involved no drastic changes to the schedule but ?just a few minutes here and there? according Mr. Simmons.

The new schedule is expected to give a boost to supplementary service for the new cruise ships coming in 2005 as well as to assist in various ferry routes.

Accountants fired after Internet postings

Two male accountants have been fired by Deloitte and Touche after posting pictures of a colleague having sex with a woman accountant from a rival firm.

The pair, an American and a Canadian, were sacked earlier this month after the e-mail was sent to a client of Ernst and Young where the woman worked.

The understands a manager at Ernst and Young was also fired over the matter as the e-mail did the rounds, although the company refused to comment. Last night Deloitte and Touch human resources staffer Julie Marr said: ?Two people were fired for violating our e-mail policy.?

Executive?s assault case adjourned

Internet provider Fort Knox?s chief executive officer Troy Symonds will be tried on March 10 on charges of assaulting a woman. Symonds, the founder of the Internet service provider and computer security firm, had previously denied assaulting Kathlyn Marion Dyer on May 8.

Symonds, of Radnor Road, Hamilton Parish, will be tried in Magistrates? Court.