Translator

Translator charged with helping hundreds cheat on driving test

An ICBC-approved translator may have helped hundreds of people cheat on their driving knowledge tests for a fee, CTV News has learned.

And now Amjed Jamo is charged with fraud in a Richmond courthouse, accused after an ICBC and RCMP investigation of leading hundreds of mostly Arabic speakers to the right answers with a series of codes and hand gestures.

Up to 300 drivers had to re-take their test, and ICBC decided to render some licences invalid. A quarter of the drivers that had passed failed a re-test.

“It’s disturbing,” said Kurtis Strelau of Young Drivers Canada, who helps drivers prepare for the road. “Driving is a serious business.

“This affects their decision-making, their understanding of the rules of the road. If you’re looking over here and the car is coming from over there, that’s a recipe for disaster.”

Jamo is charged with defrauding ICBC over a five month period ending on November 3, 2017.

That’s when his approved translator status ended, according to documents.

Outside the Richmond courthouse, Jamo told CTV News he couldn’t give an interview.

“Sorry, I don’t have time. I need to go to work,” Jamo said.

He’s not the only translator that ICBC’s Special Investigations Unit has prosecuted. In November, another man, Inderjit Singh Sandhu, of Vernon, pleaded guilty to making a false or misleading statement in connection to a smaller case.

An ICBC spokesperson said there are about 600 approved translators that can work in 50 languages and dialects, and the “overwhelming majority” follow ICBC’s Code of Conduct.

“We take our responsibilities for road safety and driver licensing in this province very seriously,” a statement said. “When violations of our Code of Conduct do occur, we are prepared to take whatever steps necessary to ensure our roads remain as safe as possible.”

Sold: North Dakota Noncommercial FM, Jacksonville-Area FM Translator

Sold

UNIVERSITY OF JAMESTOWN is selling noncommercial student station KJKR/JAMESTOWN, ND to HI-LINE RADIO FELLOWSHIP, INC. for $20,000.

In other filings with the FCC, EDGEWATER BROADCASTING, INC. is selling W285FE/NASSAU VILLAGE, FL to GOOD TIDINGS TRUST, INC. for $450,000.  The primary station will be Religion WAYR-A (WAY RADIO)/FLEMING ISLAND-JACKSONVILLE, FL.

Applying for an STAs was GLOBECASTING, INC. (KJAA-A/GLOBE, AZ, temporary antenna while new tower built, old tower was dismantled by "someone... (who) did extensive damage to the site, extorted money, and left without notice").

And requesting extensions of Silent STAs were TBLC GREENSBORO STATIONS, LLC (WWNT-A/WINSTON-SALEM, NC, financial issues); TBLC GREENSBORO STATIONS, LLC (WWBG-A/GREENSBORO, NC, financial and site issues); SNAKE RIVER RADIO, LLC (KPCQ-A/CHUBBUCK, ID, looking for alternate site after licensed site sold for redevelopment); and TED W. AUSTIN, JR. (K222CJ/BIG SKY, MT, lease problems).

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Japanese Marathon Translator Under Fire for Calling African Athletes ‘Cute Chimpanzees’

A volunteer translator at the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon in Oita Prefecture, Japan caused outrage after describing her experience with African athletes and calling them “cute chimpanzees.”

The unnamed woman, believed to be in her 50s and who has worked with athletes from Africa including Morocco, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa, made the comment in her now-deleted blog, according to NHK News Web via SoraNews24.

 

In her entry, which she wrote on February 10 — seven days after the marathon ended — the woman wrote: “It felt like communicating with cavemen,” adding, “They were shy chimpanzees at first, but little by little they opened up.”

Then, in a video, she added a caption of her and the athletes saying “cute chimpanzees.”

Her blog post was eventually discovered and later reported to the office she worked with.

She then closed down the blog and admitted to creating the post: “I didn’t have any feelings of racism or malicious intent. I regret my thoughtless choice of words.”

“The blog post was extremely inappropriate, and we deeply apologize to the athletes and all the people who saw it,” the office wrote in its apology letter. “We will strive from now on to stress the importance of responsibility to our volunteers, and to educate them.”

Japanese netizens reacted negatively to the woman’s comments:

“Wow. I’m not sure if she’s evil or just stupid.”

“How does someone this small-minded become a translator?”

“And now the invited athletes probably won’t come back because of her.”

“I don’t understand how you can possibly call someone a ‘caveman’ or ‘chimpanzee’ and not have that be malicious intent.”

“She says she didn’t mean it, but that’s even worse. Unintentional discrimination is how racism perpetuates.”

“Now everyone in the world will think we Japanese people are like this.”

Others also feared that the country would be judged because of the actions of one person.

Images Screenshot via YouTube / hades channel.