UPDATE: One guilty, two not guilty pleas in codfish scandal

One man has pleaded guilty while two others entered not guilty pleas in the codfish scandal which has already landed two men in jail.

The three men appeared in court on Thursday.

Nahim Chenard of Stock Farm and Cecil Benjamin of Penville pleaded not guilty to removal of solid waste from the Fond Cole landfill while Joseph Paul of Mahaut pleaded guilty.

Chenard and Benjamin are now on $5,000 bail and are to re-appear in court on March 8, 2013.

While on bail they are to report once a week to the police stations in their area.

Meantime Paul, who is reportedly suffering from epilepsy, collapsed in court and had to be taken out in an unconscious state.

He was eventually fined $2,000.

The court heard that Paul, an employee at the facility, was on site when the codfish was disposed off in an area known as “the bio hole.”

It is reported that he removed a box of the codfish from the area and took two ‘slabs’ from it.

“I went in the bio hole and took a box and took from it …. all the big boys including the manager take stuff from there also,” the court was told he said to the police.

His lawyer, Darius Jones in mitigation, begged the court not to impose a custodial sentence on his 53-year-old client. Jones claimed Paul was a sick person and had not wasted the court’s time. “He is also a first time offender and the codfish was not sold to anyone …. we are at the mercy of the court,” he begged.

Before sentencing, magistrate Candia Carette George, told Paul that he had placed himself and his family at great risk by what he did but since he has a serious medical condition and the codfish he took was not sold, a custodial sentence would not be imposed on him.

“In the future think of your actions … you have disgraced yourself,” she told him.

He has until March 31, 2013 to pay the fine or will go to jail for 3 months.

 

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

44 Comments

  1. Anonymous
    January 28, 2013

    what is this all the time they carrying things from the land field nothing was said well all sal fish sweet aah ah sal fish english cod or the labas salfish

  2. kolok
    January 26, 2013

    So you mean that’s what cecil has been doing? Shame on him. Now he is not better off without a job. Hope his woman knew it was saltfish from LABASSE.heheeeee

  3. Voicemail
    January 25, 2013

    What a shame to be reading this about Cecil Benjamin! I just hope he did not give that to the mother of those two little girls he have in Penville eh. He already bawling when comes to maintaing them..and all the others he father.

  4. Oh Please
    January 25, 2013

    If you all are confident that the so-called “big boys’ took codfish, call their names and present the facts. It is sad when we can condone the actions of the men who perpetrated this act. As far as I am concerned the condemned goods does not have to be painted, covered or anything of that nature. It was dumped according to the Corporation’s procedures and no worker or other citizen has a right to interefere with it. Is so we come then? What are we really saying about ourselves as a nation? Are we understanding the implications of the views we put forward for the world to see?

  5. soiled
    January 25, 2013

    Food should be destroyed, unrecognized as food before it is thrown away. when it put in the hole black or green paint could be marked on it. Something smelly could also be put on the food.

  6. Raj
    January 25, 2013

    Selling bad food to the public is serious stuff but only the petty idiots pay. shopkeepers go free, breach of security them go free to, breakdown in management – they go free to, big boys take codfish to but they go free. Public health inspectors know who has old codfish for sale and did nothing they go free to. Sparrow say all salt fish sweet — the bone in the center does be sweet like sugar

  7. vitamins
    January 25, 2013

    Hey people i understand that what they did was wrong but why is always the little man they always making examples of? I’m saying this because i used to work in one of the biggest supermarkets in DA and when the butter expire they made us scrub off the expiry date then they would sell them at a particular spot in town those who work there can tell u! Thats the truth nothing but the truth so help me god!

    • al
      January 25, 2013

      and you well wicked to do it and still come and say that only now…. i guess you not working there again

      • Anonymous
        January 26, 2013

        He is wicked or the supermarket owners?

  8. Looking in
    January 24, 2013

    ALL salfish sweet….

  9. Codfishlover
    January 24, 2013

    Why people buying codfish from people who are not merchans they did smell some thing fishy it is dangerous but I would like to know how many die because of the codfish this behavoir have been going on for donkey years I have seen chicken been thrown in the see and people collecting it they die no

  10. blistex
    January 24, 2013

    Sad! Its Not my p.m this time,thank god :-x

    • Justice and Truth
      January 24, 2013

      Why bring up the PM in this?

  11. sweetness
    January 24, 2013

    penville will have peace till march 8

  12. January 24, 2013

    one codfish i have and it is not for sale ,

  13. Agatha
    January 24, 2013

    Not so long ago I watched videos showing some people in the US who are making a good name for themselves by raiding supermarket garbage and distributing the goodies to hungry thankful people and feeding it to their babies as well.

  14. hopefull
    January 24, 2013

    that good for some of us where d hell in heaven name u hearing codfish going for $5 a pound hmm stupess Dominica once they see something going cheap they in dat they not looking at d expire date or even smelling it first freeness they like cheapo codfish smelling soooooo dam much alu not taking d smell stupesss nasty

    • Justice and Truth
      January 24, 2013

      As I recall codfish in Dominica, it never had a smell. They should not have a stench. Likewise fish, chicken and beef. If they are smelling, they are rotten. For health reasons they should not be sold to customers but discarded. The only smell is when they are cooking as every other food being cooked and this is a healthy smell.
      I bought some codfish in Toronto and it has absolutely no smell. These people should be suspicious of smelly products as codfish. They should know better not to purchase them.

  15. papa
    January 24, 2013

    “all the big boys including the manager take stuff from there also,” the court was told he said to the police. i wonder what they gan do with the manager now..i hope they take him in for questioning tooo…well obviously he will say is lie.

    • January 24, 2013

      For what, he did not say he took codfish he said they take stuff from there. WHERE IS THE PROOF. he going down he trying to bring down others with him. TYPICAL DOMINICAN

  16. Rakatak
    January 24, 2013

    What Abouuuut…the SHOP KEEPER in Stokie who was weighing the LAMOWI? He know people dat know people?……
    Does people dat was sucking de codfish bones in maho will pay the $2000 fine…

  17. grell
    January 24, 2013

    Next arrest the shop owners who bought the saltfish.What happen to plea deals.the shop owners put the entire country @ risk.Codfish 1.50 a pound for carnival.

    • Anonymous
      January 24, 2013

      The country has NO Law No Constitution. So stop your nonsense.

  18. Carl Farin
    January 24, 2013

    Again, there are NO standards in DA. These products and others MUST be Denatured by the establishments/ supermarkerts before it gets to the landfill.

    If it was Denatured, nobody would ever think of touching anything and we wouldnt be looking like some hungry, poor fools. The world must be LOL at us Dominicans.

    • Justice and Truth
      January 24, 2013

      I agree with you. It is also shocking that such a thing would happen. You do not deserve thumbs down. It shows that some of those who give thumbs down have no sense and appear not to comprehend what you stated. I gave you thumbs up. I give compliment where it is due.

      • Carl Farin
        January 25, 2013

        Thanks. Much appreciated. It’s either the truth hurts or these people just don’t get it, so they take it personal and express their ignorance with their thumbs downs.

        If we did have working standards, let’s say, equal to international standards (ISO), to get “our goods” out unto the international markets. If we had USDA or FDA standards at our companies/factories/supermarkets, we would know the importance of Standards and why all inedible foods must be denatured, covered with plastic in inedible bins and are properly disposed. The main reason for this practice is because the authorities should know that there are people who would try to do exactly what happen, homeless people that would eat out of garbage and they know that it would prevent FBI’s (Food Borne Illnesses).

        When will we improve or try to apprehend that this could have been prevented if we had a proactive approach.
        I guess these establishments would get so many NR (Non – Compliance Records), that half of them would be shut down and no political affiliation to any party or Government would get them out of it until Standards are adhered. Instead, people selling and eating these products and others think it’s ok, it’s the norm for Dominicans, and that is NOT true………………clearly, the state of thinking of some of US Dominicans are in reverse.

  19. January 24, 2013

    i think dem people were just recycling n reusing

  20. Macaquee
    January 24, 2013

    i think this has happened before, but is only now they get caught

  21. January 24, 2013

    mi i not eating codfish…lol

    lmao codfish lover.

    shame to them men small minded pple. :-D :-D :-D

  22. Anonymous
    January 24, 2013

    they should be ashamed of themselves for doing such a thing may god have mercy upon them

  23. Anonymous
    January 24, 2013

    The people who bought the salt fish and sold to the public must be jailed too,because they know that the men work with solid waste and there was no reason for them to buy it.

    • Anonymous
      January 24, 2013

      I agree and find very hard why up to now, they have not advised the public for their failure to charge or arrest the shop keepers; the men who sold it to them have no sales rep # or work for any reputable company doing sales.

      up to this time they have not even mentioned who the shop keepers are; why punish some and protect some.

      UNFAIR

  24. Tri-State Beauty
    January 24, 2013

    Karmem I hope this is wake up call for Dominicas’ Public Health authorities. Don’t stop at the Landfill deal with the business houses who sell rotten red codfish to people. Deal with the supermarkets which pride themselves on selling expired goods off their shelves. Rusty and dented cans that they refuse to get rid and instead choose to have discount aisle and sales on. This is no different from going to the landfill to get disposed items and resell, since these goods belong in the landfills. Deal with the pharmacies selling expired and discontinued drugs to unsuspecting people. Let’s start with the codfish saga, but continue to clean up shop elsewhere.

    Bureau of Standards ensure that all the commodities that are on store shelves selling like toothpaste, and canned fish etc have labels in English and not Chinese. Consumers have a right to know what they are buying and you are being paid to be their watchdogs.

    • Word!
      January 24, 2013

      And that my dear is the crux of the problem! Dominicans even fighting to buy expired calbosay rusty food. This is sickening I’m glad you brought it up. Doh talk for the toothpaste that burning up your mouth and the cheese with mold they trim! All our supermarkets and retailers need to be dealt with and those pharmacies GOD that watching us! Preach it my girl! Restaurants with roaches and what about mixing left over rice with fresh? When you speak up they want to curse you.

  25. fil
    January 24, 2013

    Some of them have jobs and forming the fool to lose it and complaining there is nothing to do. Thats a very big shame for what these guys are doing.

  26. Anonymous1
    January 24, 2013

    Little people alone they want to jail. Go get the man with 42 criminal charges and make him appear in court

  27. Marcus Hill
    January 24, 2013

    Shouldn’t we look a the big issues here? It says something about the state of affairs in a country when people have to remove rotten codfish from the labass to sell!! It says even worse when we buy it and even worse when we eat it.

    Is this a new phenomenon or did this always happen? I asking genuinely because its the first time I hearing of such a disgraceful act in Dominica.

  28. annoying
    January 24, 2013

    well that was allot of saltfish.why so may thieves?is it that they needed help to carry it?

  29. lee
    January 24, 2013

    Jail all of them for selling poisoned coldfish to innocent people to get them sick.

    • *
      January 24, 2013

      There are leaders in Domninica doing worse than that. Are you calling for them to be jailed too?

  30. bonjour!
    January 24, 2013

    Lamowi ki ni. Manje’y!!

    • Wat I say I say
      January 24, 2013

      I can tell that you are a true Kassav fan.

  31. me
    January 24, 2013

    Who is Cecil, the tall, slim, dark skinned one who thing DSWMC is his own? hmmm I see

    • Proud Dominican
      January 24, 2013

      Yes, is he self.

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available