A martial arts instructor, accused of committing 12 sex assaults on three schoolboys, was granted $85,000 bail yesterday on the condition he has absolutely no contact with the children. The 50-year-old man was denied bail when he first appeared in the San Fernando Magistrates Court on October 15 because of the victims’ ages and the number of charges.

The charges include six offences of buggery, five charges of serious indecency and one charge of grievous sexual assault. It is alleged he sodomised one child four times. The T&T Guardian is not identifying the man to avoid possible identification of his alleged victims, who are all minors. 

The sex assaults allegedly took place between April and September this year when he took the secondary school students — aged 13, 14 and 16 — to his San Fernando home and to the San Fernando Hill for training sessions. The matter was adjourned to  December 10.

A 75-year-old Longdenville man died on Tuesday after a steel gate fell on him while he was cleaning grass off its tracks. According to a relative of the father of eight, Nandan Ramdass was at home around 3.20 pm cleaning the yard when the accident happened. 

The relative who spoke with the media  yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, said the sliding gate weighed about 200 pounds. The relative said Ramdass was taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility, where he complained of breathing problems. He later died. An autopsy stated he died of blunt force trauma and haemorrhaging.

The pool table on which kidnapped businesswoman Vindra Naipaul-Coolman was reportedly shot and dismembered is said to have been “dissected,” with parts taken for forensic testing and the remainder returned to the owner. This was revealed yesterday by acting Insp Michael Veronique of the Homicide Bureau as he was cross-examined by defence counsel Mario Merritt. Surprised by Veronique’s revelations about the location of the pool table, Merritt said the defence had been “looking to find it.”

Veronique said while he was aware the pool table had been taken as an exhibit, there were no documents indicating it had been returned. Responding to Merritt’s questions, Veronique replied: “As far as I understand, the pool table was returned to the owner.” He later responded to another question: “The table was taken as an exhibit. Certain parts were dissected and sent for testing and the others sent back to the owner.” Confirming that he had “perused” a video recording on the basis of which one of the accused men was charged with firearm and marijuana possession, Veronique denied knowing what penalties police officers would suffer if they were found to be fabricating evidence.

Merritt has asked for the video to be played today as he will cross-examine Veronique on its contents. Objecting to the video being shown, on the ground that Veronique was not present when it was made, prosecutor Israel Khan, SC, said: “He had nothing to do with it.” Khan said during the trial it had been dealt with it in detail and Merritt was free to recall those witnesses. He added he did not want any “opinion evidence” or anyone “looking at anything and giving comments.” Justice Malcolm Holdip is expected to rule on that when the trial resumes at 9.30 am today.

Caribbean countries are still struggling to recover and return to growth after the global economic recession and the pivotal role of the private sector in that process was highlighted on Tuesday, the first day of the Caribbean Exporters’ Colloquium at the Hilton Barbados Resort. Hosted by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in collaboration with GIZ and the European Union, the two-day event focused on the Caribbean’s export performance in light of developments at the global level.

Caribbean Export executive director, Pamela Coke-Hamilton, who highlighted the need for export diversification, said there was a major role for the region’s private sector in building the economic resilience needed to cope with external shocks. “There is an urgent need to support the private sector and strengthen their capacity to export,” she told government officials and representatives from Caricom and Cariforum states at the high level discussions.

Coke-Hamilton said there was need for alternative ways of contributing to GDP and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) must be more innovative. She said one of the biggest challenges was access to finance as banks in the region are often hampered in their efforts to support SMEs. Noting that 70 per cent of the Caribbean’s GDP comes from the services sector with tourism as the biggest industry in that sector, Coke-Hamilton called for a shift in marketing. She said: “We continue to sell tourism as we did 50 years ago. The world has shifted and we need to adjust our tourism product to address that shift.”

Coke-Hamilton assigned grades ranging from a B- to an F in giving the report card on various areas of export-related performance in the region at the Caribbean Exporters’ Colloquium 2014 being held in Bridgetown, Barbados, under the theme “Building Economic Resilience in the Caribbean”. Speaking during the event’s first session entitled “Making the Grade: An Examination of the Region’s Export Performance”, she said the region earned a B- grade for overall economic performance with economic growth offset by high fiscal and external debt. 

Economic growth for the region is projected at 2.5 per cent for 2014, down from three per cent in 2013, Coke-Hamilton said. Regional GDP for the area was US$132 billion, with the Dominican Republic having the largest share, followed by Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados. Total exports for the region is US$51 billion, with services representing 62 per cent. Other grades included a B- for conformity to international standards and a sub-par D grade for innovation.

Export diversification is another concern. “We still rely on what we did 50 years ago, and we have to get beyond that,” Coke-Hamilton said. The role of the private sector in the region’s economic development earned a C grade. Branding and intellectual property rights, as well as access to finance, performed less well, both earning C- grades. “Our banks tend not to ascribe value to an idea,” Coke-Hamilton said, with businesses needing to look at non-traditional providers for capital and investment. For global logistics and shipping, the region performed at a satisfactory level with a grade of C+ with easy accessibility from the region to locations like Miami, New York and London. 

But the worst performing area was for intra-regional logistics and shipping, which received a failing grade of F. “If we don’t address it, everything else becomes, frankly, theoretical,” Coke-Hamilton said. But despite the mediocre report card, the region may have a brighter future, according to panellist Ashish Shah, director of the division of country programmes at the International Trade Centre. “I stand convinced that the turning point has come,” Shah said. “The report card is a very good C in my view,” and could soon improve to a B+, Shah said. “To succeed in trade you have to be able to compete and be able to out compete your competitors,” Shah said. The focus on small and medium businesses (SMBs) is most important,” he continued.

Professor Victor Bulmer Thomas, honorary professor at University College, London and professor emeritus of London University noted the danger of looking at region-wide statistics, as they are heavily influenced by the performance of one country. “Everything is about Trinidad and Tobago,” Bulmer-Thomas said. Bulmer-Thomas analysed 27 individual territories in the region by looking at their individual economic performance. Using his analysis, the top-rated country for the region was Cuba which received a top score of 5, followed by Haiti at 4.

Cuba benefitted from having access to all sorts of special arrangements, Thomas said.  e said one example was that the country gets Chinese tourists “in numbers that other countries can only dream of”. The export-led growth message had been received “loud and clear,” across the region, Bulmer Thomas said. But there has to be a “much greater effort” put into the measurement or metrics. 

The Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) is claiming political victimisation after its Trinmar branch president, Ernesto Kesar, was fired for being absent from work for just over four hours without permission on October 17. Kesar, who was a supervisor in the Procurement and Materials Department at Petrotrin’s Marine facility at Trinmar, Point Fortin, was served with a dismissal notice on Wednesday. 

The letter, signed by Petrotrin’s vice-president, human resources and corporate services Keith Ramnath, goes into effect on November 17. Kesar, who has over 20 years service with the company, was already on an unpaid five-day suspension since November 10 for holding union meetings on the company’s premises. He also was served a warning notice prior to the suspension for breaching the company’s rules to hold union meetings on the premises.

Kesar contested the La Brea seat in 2010 on a People’s Partnership (PP) ticket but lost to the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) Fitzgerald Jeffrey.  He withdrew his support for the party along with the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) when they pulled out as a coalition partner.  OWTU president general Ancel Roget addressed concerned Trinmar workers at the union’s New Lands, Point Fortin, offices yesterday. The workers had demanded to know why their president was fired and who would be next.

Roget told the workers to unite and be prepared to make sacrifices because they were going all out to challenge the injustice. “This was done to spite Kesar,” an irate Roget told workers, while assuring them the union will challenge the dismissal and the worker will be restored to his position. He added: “It cannot be business as usual at Trinmar. You cannot fire the president of the Trinmar branch and expect the workers to come out and work. They are threatening our job security, they are threatening our families. “We must be prepared to make certain sacrifices. We must be prepared to use whatever means necessary which is within our rights. We must be prepared to go to Port-of-Spain and march.” Attempts to contact Kesar were unsuccessful as calls to his cellphone went unanswered.

Assault on OWTU
In an interview with the T&T Guardian afterwards, Roget said  Kesar had requested the time to deliver some letters in Port-of-Spain. Roget explained: “The reason they fired him, and they could not state this, is because he embarrassed them when he pointed out (in a letter to the Minister of Energy) that the management failed to deal with the issues of marine transportation and ensuring proper boats are in place to take workers offshore safely and that the contractor continues to hold the company at ransom. 

“They could not fire him in the execution of his duty under the Industrial Relations Act as a union officer, so they say he was absent without permission. “They feel they could intimidate the rest of the workers. They feel they can silence any dissenting voice of anybody who stands up to speak out against them as they continue with their corruption and so on.”

Saying that Kesar was fired with the full knowledge of the Cabinet and the Petrotrin board, Roget warned that there would be a high political price to pay come election 2015. Union members are expected to gather outside the Pointe-a-Pierre administration building at Petrotrin today, to protest Kesar’s firing and demand his reinstatement.
 

Police say they have made a serious breakthrough in the kidnapping and now murder of members of the missing Brasso Seco family, after one of the five men in custody gave them information that may lead to the recovery of another body.  
According to a CNC3 news report last night, the suspect gave information surrounding the disappearance of the family and in particular one of the teenage girls. On October 26, Irma Rampersad, 49, and her daughters — Felicia Gonzales, 17, a student of Malabar Secondary School, and Jenelle Gonzales, 19 — and her 14-month-old granddaughter Shania Amoroso, were abducted from their Brasso Seco home. 

The following day they were reported missing by Felix Martinez, who said he awoke to find a kitchen window broken and the women and child missing. Two days later Martinez went missing but was believed to have been hunting.
Martinez’ body was found along with that of baby Shania wrapped in a sleeping bag last Saturday. An autopsy on their remains on Tuesday revealed Martinez was strangled.
The autopsy on Shania was inconclusive because of the advanced state of decomposition.
On Tuesday, the body of Rampersad was found near a tree and she too was strangled according to her autopsy.

Police are looking for an escaped prisoner, Azmon Alexander, who ran away from the Mayaro Magistrates Court on January 31 after he appeared on charges of kidnapping and robbery. Police say Alexander was reportedly hiding out in the Paria district and was assisted by residents.  
On Wednesday, head of the North Eastern Division Task Force, Insp Roger Alexander, called for a bounty to be placed on Alexander’s head. He said he would be speak with acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams on the matter. Up to last night the two had not met. 
But in a telephone interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, National Security Minister Gary Griffith said a bounty would make civilians engage in police work and that could be dangerous. He said anyone engaging criminals should be properly trained.
Griffith said, however,  he would speak to Crime Stoppers for them to consider issuing a reward for any information leading to the arrest of Alexander and called on citizens to help the police arrest Alexander.

Three men, including a soldier and a police constable, appeared before Senior Magistrate Indrani Cedeno in the Arima Magistrates Court yesterday charged with kidnapping, robbery, and misbehaviour in public office. PC Andre Joseph, who was last assigned to the Eastern Divisional Task Force, was charged with misbehaviour in public office, while Rod Willis and soldier Orrin Branch were charged with stealing over $50,000 and electronics from a Valencia businessman on September 27. 

Branch and Willis also were charged with issuing two forged documents, obtaining $50,000 under false pretences and attempting to obtain $75,000 under false pretences. The two were also charged with kidnapping the businessman and stealing his Nissan Navarra, valued at $200,000. The three are scheduled to re-appear before a Sangre Grande magistrate today.  

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has disagreed with Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Orville London that there have been “serious incursions” by the Tobago Development Ministry into the THA’s autonomy. Speaking at yesterday’s joint press conference with London at the Magdalena Grand Resort, Tobago, the PM said she did not endorse his view. London, who had brought up the issue at a meeting with her a few weeks ago, said she asked for examples and he had compiled a comprehensive report on them. London said the PM had said she would pass it to the Attorney General to advise on and the THA also would seek advice. 

He said he found it a little disturbing that Government and THA were working together towards greater self-governing for Tobago, yet there should be “unabashed attack on THA’s limited autonomy”, via the “incursions.” However, Persad-Bissessar said she could not endorse his view on the latter but had asked the AG to see if anyone was breaching the THA’s provisions. London said at yesterday’s joint THA/Cabinet meeting another area of dispute was THA representation on state agencies.  While the THA wanted that, he said the PM said it only applied if legally designated, though he feels the mandate of certain agencies—WASA, the Port and Airport Authorities, T&TEC—included the THA. 

He will present the PM next week with a list of priority agencies where the THA feels representation is imperative. He said the meeting also discussed air transport, planning, trade and finance issues and an assurance was received that the Government would examine Caribbean Airlines’ systemic and policy issues on Tobago, including getting proposals, with THA input, to treat with regular passengers from Trinidad, visitors and international passengers.

London said the present ticketing system had shortcomings where blocks of seats were said by agencies to have been sold when seats were available. There was also an assurance that work on the ANR Robinson Airport would be complete by the end of next year with improvements in keeping with the demands of Virgin and other airlines. The Finance Minister and his THA counterpart will meet in coming weeks to finalise arrangements for funding modes for THA’s development. There is also government support for a meeting on revitalising Tobago’s economy. Tobago is also getting 25 more buses and another batch to meet its required fleet of 40. There are seven buses in operation.

Government and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) have progressed on internal self government for Tobago and must now determine the substance of new legislation for this. Chief Secretary Orville London says the Opposition PNM will support the THA’s stance on this. A Government/THA accord on the issue was reached yesterday at a joint Cabinet meeting with the THA executive council at the Magdalena Grand Resort in Tobago. 

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said an assemblyman had told her the meeting was historic, since it was the first of its kind. “Despite the inclement weather (in Tobago) we had a great day, we had a very interesting successful meeting. Our goals are the same though we may take different pathways,” Persad-Bissessar said on the self government issue.

The PM said she would meet again with the THA on the issue in January. What has to be worked out now is the substance of legislation and if there is agreement by all, she believes it will move forward “pretty quickly.” London, also signalling the THA had a foothold on the pathway to self-government, said, “It was very heartening for all of us to sit as representatives of T&T to discuss business. I must commend all participants on the quality of discussions, the camaraderie, collaboration and co-operation existing in the room.”

He added, “Two major issues were discussed and I’m comforted by what has come out of the discussions. On the first, internal self government for Tobago, central Government reiterated commitment to the concept. “The Prime Minister said she will discuss with the Cabinet my recommendation that all parties come together and have a united front in Tobago and the same thing should happen at the national level (on this). “I hope soon there will be an agreement for representatives of all in Tobago—THA and central Government—both Government and opposition—to have the type of talks that will bring; satisfactory conclusion to this longstanding issues.”

London said he hoped the promises would be realised based on what happened in coming weeks and months. “We won’t place political agendas before Tobago development. The PM has also made that commitment. I hope this is a signal we’ve reached a new phase between Government and the THA,” London said.

Saying self-government could only be achieved by parliamentary legislation, he said: “If we continue to walk the talk, and we’ve made a very public commitment, to walk the talk where this is concerned, therefore I don’t see either of us being able to back out of this.”

Persad Bissessar, endorsing his comments on the self-government issue, said Cabinet will deliberate to see how the parties can move forward. “We may have had our differences along the way, but we all have the same vision and purpose to improve the quality of life of Trinidad and Tobago and once we keep to that purpose we can work together,” she said.

Saying a new bill would require a special majority vote for passage, the PM said even if the PP Government agreed with the THA or other Tobago parties on the issue, if the Opposition PNM didn’t agree, as they did on the last occasion the bill was presented, it could not be made law. “So Mr London is correct in saying we all have to work together to make it happen (and) we’ve demonstrated that,” she said.

‘No early election’
Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar has said that general elections are not “around the corner.” “There is no early election, it’s not around the corner,” she said following a meeting with the Tobago House of Assembly. “There is no early, round the corner elections. It’ll be called when constitutionally due.”
 

Farmers suffered thousands of dollars in losses yesterday after their crops were destroyed by floodwaters which also caused havoc in several communities and homes in Mayaro and environs.
Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation chairman Hazarie Ramdeen said a team from the corporation’s disaster management unit was out in the field helping residents. “I have been receiving hourly reports. So far we have had reports of flooding in Guayaguayare, Mafeking, Rio Claro, Plum Mitan, Bristol, La Brea Village, Navet and other areas. They are giving out mattresses and trying to help where they can,” he added.

In some places, after torrential rainfall, floods rose to waist-height. Vice-chairman Glen Ram said the corporation was also putting things in place to help some students of the Biche High School who were stranded. “It is bad,” he said, but added an assessment of the losses and damage could only be done when the water dissipated. Mayaro/Guayaguayare councillor Kyron James said: “There have been numerous instances of flooding, more than I have seen in a long while.” He said the Mayaro Secondary School was dismissed early after part of the road leading to the school caved in.
“I drove on the road but I am not sure about the integrity of it. If heavy rains continue, there many be a possibility that more of the road might cave in,” he added.

Janice Williams, a resident of Mischier Road, St Ann’s Village, said her daughter could not go to school. “My whole washroom flooded out, my garage flooded out, it (floods) nearly reach inside my house. I put chairs on bricks. The water was waist-high. It only now start to go down,” she said. “We are fed up.” That was the cry of Plum Mitan farmer Sumatee Sookram yesterday after floods destroyed hundreds of crops and affected over 100 farmers. She said her husband, Deosaran Sookram, tried to save their cucumber crop but to no avail.

This is not the first time the area’s farmers have suffered losses because of flooding. They complained that not enough was being done to help them and even if they got compensation it was usually a lot less than their losses. Her husband said: “I in the cold in the flood about waist-high since 4 o’clock this morning trying to save the crops... is three acres. We put out real money and we will not make it back now. Cucumber going for $15 a pound. It expensive and hard to maintain.”

He said he carried two pumps, a two-inch and a three-inch, to try to pump out the water but his attempts were useless. “If they could put a big pump to help we pump out the water. We get flood plenty time,” he added. Deosaran said there were also houses in the area which were surrounded by water.

Agencies warn of floods
The Meteorological Office issued a flood bulletin around 11.30 am, saying because of recent rainfall people would experience more prolonged and widespread street and flash flooding, as well as riverine flooding. Reports from the Water Resources Agency said some small rivers, particularly in north-eastern and central Trinidad, have overspilled their banks, while water levels in the large rivers were significantly high and might reach threshold levels as a result of expected run-off from the current rainfall. 

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM ) said it was in contact with all first-responder agencies (TT Fire Services, TT Defence Force and the municipal corporations) so that immediate assistance would be given if needed. There were reports of flooding at Mayaro and environs, Sangre Grande and environs, Oropouche and a landslide at Balandra Beach Resort. Affected residents can contact the ODPM’s Customer Care Centre at 511.

Two Venezuelan engineers, employed with the Telecommunications Services of T&T (TSTT), escaped a kidnap attempt on Wednesday by jumping out of a moving car in Petit Valley. Police said around 5.30 pm, Yohan Serrano, 27, and Manuel Garcia, 29, were at Pioneer Drive, Petit Valley, doing tests when three gunmen approached them and robbed them of cash, electronics and other valuables.

The gunmen bundled the men into the trunk of their TSTT-issued white Nissan Tiida and sped off. Police said they kicked open the trunk of the car and threw themselves out near an area called “Roots” in Petit Valley.  They went to the West End Police Station and reported the incident. Cpl Balliram and a team from the Western Division Task Force went to the area and found the car abandoned at Cameron Hill, Petit Valley. 

A 33-year-old man who jumped off the second floor of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, on Wednesday died hours afterwards from injuries he suffered in the fall. CEO of the North Central Regional Health Authority Kumar Boodram said the man, Rondell Diamond, died around 9 pm of internal injuries. 

Medical staff said on Wednesday after learning he had tuberculosis, Diamond began “acting up” in the emergency department. He was then taken to a ward and while there he climbed the railings around 2.30 pm and jumped, falling onto the grass below. 

The T&T Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) hopes to have an overarching guideline document on advertising standards collated within the next two weeks, said TTPBA president, Daren Lee Sing, yesterday. He said his organisation met this week to look at and read through the current advertising standards and would put together guidelines from other countries and present a written document to be agreed to before the end of the month “It is after we collate the document, we will present this to the advertising agencies, political parties and chambers and help them understand that these are guidelines we should all subscribe to,” Lee Sing said. He felt it was important those guidelines were in place before the general election next year.

The TTPBA met with the Advertising Agencies Association (AAATT) last week to discuss advertising standards, in light of a set of recent advertisements from the Citizens 4D Highway group. The advertisements, regarded as offensive and distasteful by some, began with an image designed to look like a T&T Guardian newspaper story about a new species called “the Kublal”. The group has since published newspaper, online, radio and television advertisements criticising the media over what it perceived as a violation of its freedom of expression. Two newspapers refused to publish the material and all three have suspended them, pending the outcome of the TTPBA discussions. 

Advertising rules
The T&T Bureau of Standards’ Requirements for Advertising says ads should not contain anything that can “prejudice respect for human dignity, or that is likely to be offensive to public decency (or cause serious or widespread offence), especially on the grounds of race, religion, sex or disability.” Under this specific heading the standard admonished advertisers as follows: “As advertisements may be distasteful without necessarily conflicting with the clauses listed, advertisers are urged to consider public sensitivities before using potentially offensive material.” 

Section 4.4 says: “Advertisements shall not be worded or designed so as to exploit or abuse the credulity, lack of knowledge or inexperience of consumers.” Section 4.9, on “Defamatory References and Denigration”, says “an advertisement shall not contain any direct or implied reference to any brand name for goods other than that advertised, or to any person, organisation, firm or institution other than that advertised which may bring the other goods, person, organisation, firm or institution into contempt or ridicule.” 

This section also says: “The responsibility for compliance with these standards rests with (a) the advertiser or the agency which created the advertisement or who placed the advertisement in the medium used and (b) the publisher, the owner of the medium used, or the contractor who publishes or distributes the advertisement.”

The Met Office says there will be more rain this weekend. Meteorologist Paula Wellington said some rainfall will continue with periods of sunshine. Yesterday, the Met Office continued its riverine flood alert for Trinidad, owing to recent rainfall, which it said was the result of low-level moisture convergence over the country. Heavy rain during the past few days has caused flooding in several areas, leaving some residents stranded. 

In a statement, the Met Office said, “Reports from the Water Resources Agency indicate that water levels in the larger rivers, in particular the Caroni River, have overspilled their banks. As a result smaller river courses, particularly in northeastern and central Trinidad, have been affected and have also overspilled their banks.” The bulletin said meteorological forecasts and data from numerical weather prediction models indicated that rain is expected to continue, with rainfall accumulation anticipated to range between 20 and 30 millimetres.  People in general, and especially those who live in the Caroni River Basin, were warned of rising river levels and further possible flooding. “All necessary measures must be taken to preserve life and property,” the bulletin said.

The ODPM, in a release, said it was in contact with all first responder agencies (Fire Service, Defence Force, police and the municipal corporations) so immediate help could be given if needed. It warned that people commuting to and from affected areas should delay travel or find alternative routes if possible, but still proceed with extreme caution. Those affected by the bad weather are asked to contact the ODPM’s Customer Care Centre at 511, check its  Web site www.odpm.gov.tt for additional safety tips and take all measures to preserve life and property.

Despite the severe flooding, Wellington said the recent rainfall was not abnormal for November. “At Piarco, there was 83mm from November 12 until November 13, which is one day. The accumulation for the month was measured at 198.11 mm, and the average for the month of November is 242 mm. “So a large daily constant rainfall figure is normal.”

There was no confirmation yesterday on whether any changes to Cabinet portfolios or other government framework would be undertaken as a result of yesterday's lengthy government retreat in Tobago. The Cabinet met all of yesterday at a private session at the Magdalena Grand Hotel to assess its status and future direction as T&T moves towards a general election next year. Members met in the morning and began a second session from 3.30 pm into the late evening. 

Participants also included former ministers such as MP Collin Partap. Communications Minister Vasant Bharath, who said on Wednesday the session was meant to reassses the Government's position and see "what works and what doesn't work,” was unavailable to speak about the outcome of the retreat. People’s Partnership officials had said recently some changes to the Cabinet had been expected after the 2015 budget debate was over, but couldn't confirm if this would happen after the retreat.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar opted out of a CCTV launch at Scarborough where she was scheduled to speak yesterday, in order to attend the evening retreat session.  National Security Minister Gary Griffith, who attended in her place, spoke briefly and returned speedily to the Magdalena session.

Tobago crime has been reduced by 39 per cent, including tourist-related crime, says Carl Francis permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security. He announced this at yesterday's launch of a CCTV base at Scarborough. Francis said Tobago had 69 CCTV cameras which were increased to 187 after requests. They are located on highways, ports, seaports, roads and places of interest, all determined by police. 

But the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) will determine where more CCTV cameras will be placed, including tourist locations. He said the National Operations Centre will also be involved in the CCTV initiative, including surveillance and video camera feed, and this would allow real-time monitoring which could prevent minor issues escalating.

Francis said other assistance for Tobago includes weekly visits by the Inter-Agency Task Force, search-and-rescue missions, maritime patrols, hot-spot surveillance and targeting persons of interest, plus a permanent base on the island for the army and Coast Guard. A Coast Guard base at Charlotteville will also strengthen border and maritime security.

London thanks Gary
THA chief secretary Orville London commended the various agencies for bringing crime down from its previous, less than acceptable levels, and repeatedly commended National Security Minister Gary Griffith for his responsiveness. London challenged all to do better than the 2013 statistics.

Tobago's mantra is now "Clean, Green, Serene and Safe," he said, and a secure environment was important for economic and marketing. The CCTV launch would build confidence and locals and visitors alike could feel safe, he said, calling on Tobagonians to recognise their responsibility to aid the effort. "Let's mind each other's business with respect to crime. Every phone can be a weapon against crime if we use it well. Let's talk when we see suspicious things happening in communities," he urged.

London said Tobagonians must not allow criminals to feel comfortable. Griffith said Tobago now has a quarter of the  CCTV cameras in T&T. Government was also examining the security risks in ferry travel, he said.
 

Heavy, persistent rainfall over the past few days has left Ministry of Works teams swamped with reports of land slippages across T&T. So said Director of Highways Roger Ganesh in an interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday.  Apart from land slippage on the Claxton Bay overpass, he said, “We had a lot of other failures across the country: land slippages in north, east, west. We had a lot of rain over the past few days and we are still assessing the damage.”

In addition to the recent collapse of part of the shoulder of the new highway from Debe to Golconday, Ganesh said south Trinidad had seen more land slippage. “We also had a failure on the connector road opposite the Vehicle Management Corporation of T&T (VMCOTT),” he said. “Apart from the one on the new highway, we have had other reports as well.”

Recent rain and poor drainage in Claxton Bay are mostly to blame for the land slippages in the area, he said. “We are doing some emergency works there right now,” he said. But he added the number of heavy vehicles using that roadway was also a major contributor. “The excessive amount of heavy vehicles using that ramp compounds the problem. “It will be repaired, once the weather holds up a little. It should be done within in the next week or two.”

He said the area was known for its unstable soil type and more emergency work had been scheduled to treat with this. “If you notice the whole ramp, north to south, has been unstable for quite some time. We have works planned to repair the ramp itself: there is a little drain there that caused this failure. “We are going to start emergency works on that very, very soon.”

Situation getting worse
Heavy rain over the past few days has caused a portion of the Claxton Bay overpass, including the pavement, to collapse. The T&T Guardian visited  yesterday and spoke to aresident. “Since weekend the land start sliding away,” said Nicholas Francois, who lives at  Forres Park Trace. “They (Ministry of Works) only come Thursday and put up some caution tape. They eh do nothing else.”
Francois said the landslip has been steadily getting worse. “Every day, more and more caving down. Just now it might not have a road for people to drive on,” said Francois.
 

Hundreds of Mayaro and Sangre Grande residents remained trapped in their homes, schools were closed and communities were cut off as flood waters left a trail of chaos and destruction in East Trinidad yesterday. Some families were evacuated, others received mattresses and hampers, but many residents who were adversely affected could not get help even from the regiment, as flood waters rose to shoulder height in some areas. 

Flooding began when rivers burst their banks on Thursday after torrential showers, and the water continued to rise overnight. Members of the Defence Force, Fire Service, Coast Guard, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) and staff from regional corporations were out in the field helping, but some residents and local government representatives felt help was too slow in coming. Residents of El Carmen, St Helena, Caroni and Cunupia were also severely affected as nearby rivers broke their banks. People in seven communities in Sangre Grande were under water, but worst affected was North Oropouche.

Several communities in Mayaro were also cut off, including Cedar Grove, Mafeking, Chrysostom Trace, Log Wood Trace, and Kernahan Village. In an interview yesterday morning, Tricia Adams, of inner Mafeking Road, said she and her family, as well as several other families, had been stranded in their homes since Thursday. “The water is very high. Some people living in flat houses had to be evacuated yesterday. Neighbours carried them out in the back of their vans, but all they could take was their clothes,” Adams said. “That was yesterday afternoon, but today we cannot get in or out unless you have a big truck. So whatever grocery stuff we have, we have to make that do.  “My house is on posts, but from yesterday to today the water has dramatically increased, and if it continues at this rate it will get into my house.”

She said no one had come to help. “We have no drinking water, because the pipe connected to people’s tanks is covered by flood now. We have no water in the tap. I am on my last bucket of water. 
“Right now I looking at somebody tank floating across the water.” Videsh Ramadhar, who lives in Kernahan Village, between Mayaro and Manzanilla, said his community was completely cut off since Thursday night because of flooding on both sides. He said on Thursday night they contacted the ODPM, but up to yesterday morning no one had come. “Right now the water is receding slowly, but there is a lot of water in the road. People are marooned in their homes. Some people were in dire need of assistance in terms of evaluation.” He said neighbours tried to help each other as much as they could, but: “Since yesterday children could not go to school, people could not get to work. No taxis working.”

No resources, supplies
The local government representatives for two of the worst hit areas in Mayaro lamented that there were insufficient supplies and resources to help residents. Cocal/Mafeking councillor Brinsley Maharaj said he had to hire a boat on Thursday night to rescue an elderly woman because the fire service did not have a dinghy.

It’s very serious
The regiment’s public relations officer Captain Stefan Alfonso said army personnel were helping people in San Raphael, St Helena and environs yesterday morning But Mayaro was inaccessible, he said. “It’s very serious. We have sent out a team there. The feedback so far is that they have not been able to get there yet.”

Businesses affected
Mayaro Business Association president Rushton Paray said businesses were affected yesterday because many employees never made it to work because of the floods. “A huge amount of traffic passes through Mayaro in terms of activities at Galeota...Both in Manzanilla and Mayaro water has risen, so traffic cut off on both sides.”

Disaster centre needed
“We are not ready for the type of disaster taking place here. This is a big one,” Sangre Grande Regional Corporation chairman Terry Rondon said yesterday. “Seven communities affected so far. Right now in North Oropouche a lot of houses under water, waist-high water, the village cut off, hundreds people affected.” In a telephone interview yesterday morning, he said he hired a truck and with the assistance of two other men was trying to evaluate people. “My cry is, when will we be prepared? We are not ready. We need to have rubber dinghy, soldiers, we need manpower here in Grande. We need shelters. The schools are closed. “What we need is sandbags. We have bags and no sand.”

Rondon said the area needed a disaster centre. “We need proper funding for a disaster centre in the East, to cover from Toco. We need able-bodied men.” He said around 3 am firefighters had to evaluate residents, including 14 children and eight adults. “They had to take them in the recreation room in the fire station. We taking them to the civic centre now, but we have five cots and not enough mattresses.” He thanked and NGO, the Foundation for the Enhancement and Enrichment of Life (FEEL), for suppling mattresses. He said since Thursday night he had heard the army was on its way, but he was still waiting for them. When the T&T Guardian called Rondon again a few hours later, he said an ODPM representative had arrived and was making arrangements to help residents.
 

Hundreds of people were stranded yesterday and had to be rescued by trucks as several parts of Central Trinidad experienced major flooding during excessive rains. A wooden house in Gordon Village, Tortuga collapsed leaving its occupants homeless and cesspits overflowed, posing a health hazard. The Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation and the fire service worked from Thursday evening, when the flooding began, throughout the night to bring relief to thousands of affected residents.

The corporation’s chairman Henry Awong said he was still tallying figures on how many people were affected. He said affected areas included Mamoral, Caparo, Todd’s Road, San Raphael and several parts of Cunupia and Las Lomas. Awong said the overflowing Caparo River was the major cause of the flooding. “The river was dredged recently and these areas did not flood for a long time. “However, the excessive rain caused the river to burst its banks.”

Other corporation workers were kept busy distributing hampers and mattresses to families whose homes were flooded out. Downtown Chaguanas did not have major flooding but parts of nearby Edinburgh 500, like Balmoral Park, experienced flash flooding. Streets were flooded out with water entering residents’ premises. The water subsided within a few hours and left broken pitch from the road in some parts.

Australia’s London-listed Range Resources Ltd (RRL) production out of T&T continues to increase following successful drilling operations, the company said in a release. “Since the last reported production figures there has been a five per cent increase from 564 barrels of oil per day (bopd) to 592 bopd. This represents nearly a 15 per cent increase in production since January,” the company said.

The increase in production, the company said, is a result of “continued development drilling and successful workover operations. Two shallow development wells in the Morne Diablo field have been successfully drilled since September 30, to depths of 807 and 1,111 feet and are now producing.” Operations continued without any significant health, safety, security and the environment (HSSE) incidents.

A STOW (Safe to Work) audit was also “successfully completed and final certification from the T&T Energy Chamber is expected to be awarded before the end of 2014,” the company said. Work continues with LandOcean on technical studies related to the waterflood projects and the company remains on track to begin water injection in 2015, according to the release.  Updating investors on its drilling rig fleet, RRL said: “One rig is being mobilised to its next location in the Morne Diablo field; three other rigs are operational and will recommence drilling subject to final permits from the government; upgrade work continues on rig 8 in preparation for deep drilling; one rig remains stacked in long-term maintenance.”

RRL CEO Rory Scott Russell said: “We are now seeing the start of results from our investments in our T&T production projects, staff and rigs. We look forward to seeing steady progress with production continuing to ramp up in the coming months. We expect to complete a number of additional shallow development wells by the end of the year by which time we will have several rigs drilling in parallel, as well as continuing to progress with our workover programme.” 

In oil and gas jargon, a “workover programme” occurs when work (maintenance or enhancement) is done on a well without shutting it down completely. Scott Russel said: “Upon completion of the recently announced US$50 million fund package from Core Capital, we will be in a position to expand our operational activity even further, including the execution of our waterflooding programme. We are confident that we are now on the path to a step change in the performance of our assets in T&T.”