CARIBBEAN CORNER

Compiled By Neil S. Friedman

from AP Newsfinder

Ex-Prez Must Reveal Secret Fund

PARAMARIBO, Suriname — Former President Jules Wijdenbosch will have to tell parliament how he and his vice president spent dlrs 2.8 million from secret security funds, after legislators decided that it was illegal to allow such discretion.

When parliament created the funds for Wijdenbosch and his vice president in 1997, it did not require a public accounting of spending. The parliament, now in the power of the former opposition members, voted 36-4 on Thursday that Wijdenbosch should not have allowed to conceal the spending.

Wijdenbosch managed a dlrs 1.7 million fund and also will have to account for a dlrs 1.1 million fund managed by former Vice President Pretaap Radhakishun, who died Jan. 6. No date has been set for Wijdenbosch’s presentation.

3 Sailors Injured By Protesters

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Anti-U.S. Navy protesters allegedly injured three sailors by throwing stones at them near the Navy’s prized bombing range on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, the Navy said Sunday.

Around midnight Saturday, protesters allegedly threw stones at a vehicle carrying one female and two male sailors who were going to fix a section of fencing around Camp Garcia, the Navy’s small base on Vieques, Lt. Jeff Gordon said.

The injuries were light, Gordon said. The two men were injured by glass from windows broken by the stones and the woman was hit by a stone, Gordon said, but he did not say where it hit her.

Local police on Vieques said they did not have any report of stones being thrown at sailors, but rather a report of a protester splashing a female sailor with paint outside Camp Garcia on Saturday night.

Anti-Navy activist Robert Rabin said he was not aware of any such attack, but said he was not in the area at the time.

Bomb Thrown At Police

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Unknown attackers allegedly threw a homemade bomb at a police car in a Kingston neighborhood where residents have been angered by officers’ shooting of a suspect, a newspaper reported Sunday.

A "molotov cocktail" _ a bomb made of a glass bottle filled with gasoline and lit from a rag inserted at the top _ was thrown at a police car on patrol along Red Hills Road in Kingston on Saturday, The Gleaner reported. It did not say if there were any injuries or damage.

Police said they could not confirm the incident Sunday.

The alleged incident came a day after residents in the area blocked the road with debris to protest the Thursday police shooting of Ruel "Sparkie" Grey, who police said Sunday was still in a local hospital under police guard.

Heavyweight Victory Celebrated

SABANA GRANDE, Puerto Rico — After her son went 12 rounds to beat Evander Holyfield for the World Boxing Association heavyweight title, Gladys Ruiz fulfilled her promise to walk 12 miles (20 kilometers) to a religious shrine and give thanks if he won.

"I promised the Virgin (Mary) that I would walk on foot to the shrine if John won, and today I did it happily," Gladys Ruiz, 52, said in an interview Sunday at her home in Sabana Grande, a town in western Puerto Rico.

Although John Ruiz, 29, was born in the Boston area, he lived part of his childhood in Puerto Rico and he’s still Sabana Grande’s hometown hero. Thousands danced and cheered in the streets as the fight in Las Vegas ended around 2 a.m. local time Sunday.

"The people didn’t sleep in Sabana Grande because after John beat Evander Holyfield, thousands of people ran out into the streets to celebrate the triumph of this illustrious Puerto Rican," Mayor Miguel Ortiz said.

Busta Shield Cricket Final

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Guyana, replying to Jamaica’s 375, reached 81 for the loss of two wickets at the close of the second day of the Busta International Shield cricket final Sunday.

Opener Azeemul Haniff on 39 and Ramnaresh Sarwan on 15 will resume batting Monday as Guyana hunts another 295 runs to take first innings honors.

Seonarine Chattergoon, who made 20, and Travis Dowlin, who scored 11, are the batsmen out.

Chattergoon and Haniff put on 58 for the first wicket when the former was caught in the slips by Chris Gayle off offspinner Nehemiah Perry.

Thirteen runs later, Dowlin was given out, caught at the wicket off leftarm spinner Jimmy Adams, the Jamaica captain.

Television replays showed Dowlin did not touch the ball.