Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Monday; Clovis Toon; Breaking News and more

Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Monday, January 16, 2023 NCB employee in $5M fraud to be charged The employee of the National Commercial Bank (NCB) who has been detained in connection with a [multi-million-dollar fraud]( at the island’s largest commercial bank, is likely to be charged today by detectives attached to the Fraud Squad. It is alleged that the 35-year-old wealth advisor who is attached to the NCB’s Ocho Rios branch, removed US$30,000 or roughly J$5 million from a customer’s account between July and October last year. She reportedly forged the signature of the customer on a debit instrument after which she debited his account and transferred funds to several accounts, including hers. The wealth advisor was arrested last week. The bank is currently undertaking an audit and investigators believe the amount of the alleged fraud could increase at the end of the exercise. Pressure mounts on Gage-Grey to step aside The pressure is mounting on the [embattled CEO of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Rosalee Gage-Grey]( to step aside while an investigation into her management of the agency by the Public Service Commission takes place. Today marks six days since the Minister of Education and Youth, Fayval Williams, appealed to Gage-Grey to step aside, ostensibly over her poor management of the facility which left vulnerable girls, wards of the State, exposed to American educator Carl Robanske, who had his teaching licence suspended in Washington over his “inappropriate interaction” with a minor. Robanske, called "Uncle Carl", who heads the US-based charity Embracing Orphans, is accused of making sexually suggestive comments to wards of the State and sending them images and offers which made them uncomfortable. A report by the Office of the Children’s Advocate found that Gage-Grey was deceptive in her communications with the education minister for over a year, and even encouraged the girls not to cooperate with the investigation as the OCA sought to ascertain whether Robanske had engaged in any inappropriate behaviour with the wards. Human rights organisation Stand Up for Jamaica has upped the ante, while expressing alarm at the CPFSA’s relationship with Robankse and the leeway Gage-Grey has received since the troubling situation was made public. “The call for the CPFSA boss to step aside while there is an ongoing investigation needs to be mandatory and not a choice as it seems to be. The Government needs to take a stronger stance in the matter and remove all those responsible for the gross disservice meted out on our children, not just from CPFSA, but from the agencies supervising them,” said Carla Gullotta, executive director for Stand Up for Jamaica. Sleuths probe Sunday murders in West Kingston Kingston Western police will today step up their investigations into t[wo murders committed in the division minutes apart]( on Sunday. Those killed are 37-year-old Nico Francis, otherwise called ‘Frassman’, a shopkeeper from Bustamante Highway, Tivoli Gardens; and Abothe ‘Foota Lee’ Pennycooke, a vendor from Craig Town, Kingston 12. According to the police, about 12:50 pm, Francis was sitting along the sidewalk grooming his hair when he was pounced upon by men travelling in a white Toyota Axio motor car. The men, the police said, opened gunfire at Francis, hitting him in the upper body, following which they drove away and escaped in the direction of Industrial Terrace. Residents assisted Francis to the Kingston Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. About five minutes before the Tivoli Gardens attack, Pennycooke was shot dead by gunmen on Orange Street. Police said the killings are not related and they have not yet identified a motive for either. Advertisement US observes Martin Luther King Jr holiday The United States will for the 37th time on Monday mark Martin Luther King Day, [in honour of the civil rights campaigner](. King would have celebrated his 94th birthday on Sunday, January 15. MLK Day as it is also called, is a federal holiday observed on the third Monday of January and celebrates the life and achievements of King. Speaking Sunday at a church service to honour King, US President Joe Biden said the civil rights leader's dream of racial equality and justice had not yet come true. He renewed his call to fight for the soul of America. Biden spoke at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia where King preached. "I've spoken before parliament, kings, queens, leaders of the world," Biden said. "I've been doing this for a long time. But this is intimidating”. Tennis: Australian Open serves off The [Australian Open]( gets underway down under today and Novak Djokovic is the man to beat on the men’s side of the draw, one year after he was unceremoniously deported from Australia for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. On his return, the Serb will be glad to focus on the tennis and looks well placed to regain his stranglehold on the trophy. The nine-time champion has won the title on his past three appearances and has lost only three matches at Melbourne Park since 2011. There is the tantalizing possibility that Djokovic could meet the defending champion, Rafael Nadal in the final, the only time they can possibly meet this tournament. Nadal famously came from two sets down to win last year’s final. On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek is aiming to continue her dominance in the absence of Serena Williams. Swiatek rose to the top of the world rankings when Australia's Ashleigh Barty announced her shock retirement last March, at a time when the 21-year-old from Poland was almost midway through a 37-match winning streak and on the way to winning the third of six titles in a row. One of those triumphs came at the French Open - the second time she had won at Roland Garros - and she finished a productive season with another major trophy at the US Open. The signs remain Swiatek will continue this year where she left off, although a defeat by American Jessica Pegula last week left the Pole in tears on the court and she subsequently pulled out of a tournament in Adelaide citing a shoulder injury. Pegula, one of the most consistent players last season but still to land a major, also withdrew from the warm-up event after inspiring the US to victory at the inaugural United Cup. The world number three is expected to challenge Swiatek at Melbourne Park, where a new champion will be crowned after Barty - who announced last week she is pregnant - ended Australia's 44-year wait for a major singles champion. Tunisia's second seed Ons Jabeur is aiming to finally land a major after defeats in the Wimbledon and US Open finals last year, France's Caroline Garcia and American teenager Coco Gauff will look to build further on impressive seasons, while China's Zheng Qinwen is another talented youngster with a burgeoning reputation. Two-time champion Naomi Osaka withdrew before announcing she is pregnant and 42-year-old Venus Williams - given a wildcard by organisers - pulled out through injury. ICYMI: WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING Shery Lee Ralph wins Best Supporting Actress at Critics Choice Awards Emmy-winning actress Shery Lee Ralph is the [winner of the Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series](. 6.0-magnitude quake hits off Indonesia's Sumatra A 6.0-magnitude earthquake [hit off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island early Monday]( the US Geological Survey reported. Cavalier FC take lead in JPL Former champions Cavalier FC have [taken over the lead in the Jamaica Premier League]( at least for 24 hours, after beating Portmore United 2-1 in their first round game played at Stadium East on Sunday. CLOVIS TOON TODAY IN HISTORY Hollywood actress dies in plane crash On January 16, 1942, actress Carole Lombard, 33, her mother, Elizabeth, and 20 other people were killed when their plane crashed near Las Vegas, Nevada, while en route to California from a war-bond promotion tour. 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