“No land, no vote.” That was the ultimatum given to Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal by residents of Picton Street Extension, Diamond Village, on Monday as they protested for land they said they had been promised since 2008. Close to 20 residents and former residents lit tyres and threw pieces of wood and old toys across the road, saying their protest would not stop until Moonilal met with them.

They said many of them were evicted under the People’s National Movement government from the land on which they were squatting, to make way for the development of Picton Settlement for ex-Caroni (1975) Ltd workers. They said when crews were breaking down their homes, Moonilal was on site and promised to help them get lands when his party got into government.

They said a meeting was held in 2011 and they were told that once the lands were developed, they would be given first preference to choose lots. However, they said, people from outside the community had already chosen lots to start building houses.

Moonilal’s response
In a text message response, Moonilal said community representatives were sent to look for the protest but it could not be found and no one else knew of the protest.

On the heels of a viral video showing a woman being arrested in a car on Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain, the T&T Police Service issued a statement outlining several sections of the law governing traffic violations.

The statement issues a warning to people who park in breach of traffic rules and then try to get back into their car when the Police try to have the vehicle towed. 

"This practice can result in serious injury to persons; and may amount to the offence of Obstructing a Police Officer whilst in the execution of his duty, according to Section 59 of the Police Service Act 2006 (as amended). Persons found in contravention of the law where this is concerned, are liable, on summary conviction, to a fine of $10,000 and to imprisonment of two years."

Finance Minister Larry Howai is reviewing T&T’s finances in order to find more money for Carnival activities due to a $150 million oversight made by Culture Minister Lincoln Douglas. Howai met with Douglas and National Carnival Commission (NCC) boss Lorraine Pouchet late into Tuesday and again last night to discuss avenues to fix the $150 million financial hole in Douglas’ budget, as the ministry now cannot meet some of its obligations to some Carnival stakeholders. 

The T&T Guardian understands that when Douglas initially submitted his budget allocation figures to Howai before the presentation of the 2015 budget, he neglected to include a $150 million Carnival-related debt incurred by the NCC in 2013. As such, when his ministry was allocated its $314 million budget for Carnival 2015 there was a shortfall after the NCC obligation was met. This sent Douglas back to Cabinet last week seeking $43 million more to meet obligations.

After Tuesday’s meeting, the T&T Guardian understands Howai sent Douglas and Pouchet to renegotiate with Carnival contractors in an effort to reduce the amount owed by the NCC. The two were to report back to Howai yesterday with the reduced figures before any subvention could be taken back to Cabinet for approval. While Douglas issued a media release yesterday denying he had approached Cabinet last week for additional money for Carnival, Howai himself confirmed Douglas did make the request. 

“The minister and NCC (National Carnival Commission) has indicated that an error was made in the budget and that they did not receive all their subventions and has approached Cabinet to correct the matter,” Howai said in an e-mail response to questions from the T&T Guardian.

The Sunday Guardian had exclusively reported that Douglas had approached Cabinet for the extra funding and was blanked. Douglas said then he was “pursuing other avenues” but did not elaborate. In his media release yesterday, Douglas confirmed the meetings with Howai but did not say what triggered the meeting. Instead, he said it was to “secure additional funds for the development of the overall Carnival industry.”

Cabinet approval needed
A well placed Cabinet source said when Douglas approached Cabinet last week, it refused to commit to the amount requested and then indicated Howai should meet with Douglas and work out a reduced figure to help Douglas out of the multi-million dollar financial hole. Howai also said yesterday that no single minister could approve any financial requests and that all such financial matters must go through Cabinet for approval.

“Any such request has to go through Cabinet. It cannot be approved by FGP (Finance and General Purposes) and/or another minister. Even if it goes to FGP/minister, it will still have to go to Cabinet,” he said. But even up to yesterday, Howai could not confirm whether the government budget would allow for any additional subventions to Douglas, given that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has called for cutbacks at all ministries due to the falling global oil and gas prices.

“The merits of the matter will have to be considered/determined in the context of all the current circumstances,” Howai said. Despite this, the T&T Guardian was informed that if the Douglas/Pouchet team presents renegotiated and reduced figures, Howai may still be able to squeeze some funds from elsewhere.

A 500-acre nature park in Manzanilla is being developed as an extension of the Emperor Valley Zoo, Tourism Minister Gerald Hadeed said yesterday. He made the comment after visiting white Bengal tiger Rajasi and her two cubs at the Emperor Valley Zoo, Port-of-Spain. “The development of the 500-acre Manzanilla nature park will have all different types of animals. 

“Right now we are working to rehabilitate the forests. When we think the park is ready for visitors we will create tracks for people to walk through,” Hadeed added. The nature park is located on Plumb Road, Manzanilla, and will allow patrons to walk or drive through while observing the animals in their natural habitat. A variety of birds, including macaws and parrots, agouti, brocket (a local deer), quenk (wild hog) and other animals, will be on show in the park. 

The park will provide food for animals in the zoo as coconuts, bananas and other fruit trees have been planted there. Hadeed said 30 per cent of all food fed to the animals was produced from the park. The nature park is scheduled to be completed in five years after phase three of the zoo is finished, he said. Phase two is expected to be completed in March with the African and Asian exhibits, after which phase three, expected to cost $15 million, will begin. 

Before the park can open it must meet the standards of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Gupte Lutchmedial, president of the Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago (ZSTT), said the nature park was 80 per cent up to standard at the moment. 

Last Friday, Rajasi gave birth to  two cubs in the zoo. The six-day-old cubs are still being kept in seclusion with their mother and not even the zoo’s staff have been able to inspect them to determine their sex. Once the cubs open their eyes the zoo will put them on display. Hadeed gave credit to the zoo’s staff for keeping the tigers happy and comfortable.

“What is really important, I want to applaud the employees’ dedication to the call of the zoo. They take wonderful care of all the animals,” he said. The zoo has not decided on the fate of the two cubs but Lutchmedial said there had already been requests from zoos in Argentina and Colombia for the cubs. Lutchmedial said last year it had more than 300,000 visitors and soon they would bring in black rhinos, five chimpanzees and meerkats to boost the animal stock. 

Several ministries, including Tertiary Education, Housing, National Security and Health will not face any cuts in expenditure as Government begins restructuring its budget following a drastic decline of global energy prices. 

Although calls have been made by Independent Senator Helen Drayton to abandon the proposed $41 million constituency fund, there has been no official word on whether this will be done. However, major subsidies including the Government Assistance Tertiary Education (GATE), will continue. A government source revealed over the past two days, ministers have been meeting to discuss expenditure cuts. 

Some of the areas where cuts will be made is expected to be disclosed today at the weekly post-Cabinet briefing. In an interview yesterday, Minister of Works Dr Suruj Rambachan confirmed he has already started rescheduling construction projects which fall under his purview. He reiterated that those projects were not being abandoned but were being “rescheduled and re-prioritised.”

“One of the things we are doing at my ministry is we are adjusting the projects. All of these projects are important and we will keep the construction sector going. “We have quite a number of jobs coming out of these projects so we have to keep the retail construction sector going,” Rambachan said. 

Asked whether he intended to reduce expenditure by cracking down on inflated contracts, Rambachan said: “We have dealt with that. Contractors do measured work which are done at market rates and open tendering projects so we have curtailed inflated contracts considerably.” He said some projects, including the coastal erosion project at Mosquito Creek and several box drains along the Beetham Highway will go on. 

However, he said other construction projects would be rescheduled after consultations. Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal also said major projects under his ministry would continue. These include construction of the Couva Children’s hospital, the University of the West Indies south law campus in Debe and several housing estates. However he said further scheduled upgrades for the Brian Lara stadium would be put on hold.

Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan said there would be no expenditure cuts to his ministry and major projects such as the Point Fortin Area hospital will continue.

The T&T Police Service says it is illegal to enter your vehicle when it is being towed and such action can result in a $10,000 fine or a two-year prison sentence upon conviction. In a media release yesterday, public information officer Supt Joanne Archie said the police were “concerned by the unacceptable practice.” 

She added that once a car has been hooked up to the wrecker and the driver appears and claims the vehicle the police shall release the vehicle and ticket the driver for violating the traffic law. Archie was responding to a video of two police women dragging a woman out of her car which was being wrecked.

Asked why was the vehicle wrecked when the owner had clearly returned to it and therefore the car should have been released and the owner ticketed, Archie said the wrecker might have moved the car. She added that once the vehicle had been moved, no matter the distance from its parked position, the owner could no longer claim it and have it released. 

She added that based on the video it was difficult to say whether the car had been moved or not but urged citizens not to continue the practice of entering their vehicles once it had been connected to the wrecker. She added that this was tantamount to obstructing police in the execution of their duty. “This practice can result in serious injury to persons,” she said.

Addressing concerns that officers were abusive when they dragged the woman out of her car, Archie, in her release said, “In addition, Section 4(1) of the Criminal Law Act 10:04 authorises a person to use such force as is reasonable, in the circumstances, in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders or of persons unlawfully at large.” 

She added that if police abused their powers or used excessive force, then citizens were asked to lodge a report “and the matter would be thoroughly investigated”. 

Businesswoman on bail for 2 charges
A 56-year-old businesswoman has been placed on bail after appearing in court on two criminal charges arising out of her alleged response to the wrecking of her vehicle on Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain, on Tuesday. Julia Persad, of Sangre Grande, pleaded not guilty to both charges when she appeared before Magistrate Carl Quamina in the Port-of-Spain Third Magistrates Court yesterday morning.

After the charges were read, Persad’s lawyer Nigel Floyd requested that Quamina endorse the temporary $500 bail bond granted by a Justice of the Peace which allowed her to be released from the Central Police Station on Tuesday evening. While court prosecutor Rawle Ramharack did not object to Persad’s bail, Quamina said the sum was insufficient to cover both charges. He then increased the bail bond to $5,000.   

Persad, the owner of a store in downtown Port-of-Spain, became an Internet sensation after a short video clip of the incident was recorded by a curious onlooker, who later posted it on social media Web site Facebook. Persad is charged with obstructing WPC Joanne Brown in the execution of her duties and resisting arrest. Both charges carry a maximum fine of $10,000 and up to two years imprisonment.

Persad was told to reappear in court on February 17, when a date for her case will be set and prosecutors are expected to disclose the evidence against her to her lawyer.

Multi-media journalist Urvashi Tiwari-Roopnarine has been investigating T&T’s flourishing illegal drug trade for the past several weeks. That journey has taken her to several parts of the country for extensive interviews with several people involved in the trade, people who have been researching it and members of the law enforcement agencies charged with trying to prevent the activity.

Today, she chats with some sources on how the drugs are brought into the country in part three of her six-part series on the trade titled Cracks in Our Borders.

Illicit trade researcher Darius Figueira says that boat running brings only the leftovers of drug cargo into T&T. “The good old days of product coming in on pirogues and floating across the Gulf of Paria, that is now passé. The prime method is containerised cargo,” he told the Guardian Media Limited (GML) Enterprise Desk.

He said other than being geographically close, T&T’s involvement in international trade provided a bigger platform for international drug cartels—the prospect of conducting their illicit trade under the guise of seemingly legitimate businesses. He said, “Any trafficker worth his salt would want to mix his product with the products that enter and exit T&T, because we have the volume of trade and financial volume by which traffickers will mix their product and dirty money,” he said.

Minister of National Security Gary Griffith has a similar opinion. “Obviously we have heavy illegal entry of guns and drugs into the country. Is it because of illegal ports of entry or is it through legitimate ports of entry through containers or people who enter through the airport?” he asked.

In January 2014, TT$644 million dollars’ worth of cocaine was intercepted in a container in Norfolk, United States. The drugs were hidden in crates of a fruit juice which is manufactured here in T&T and this country was its port of origin.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation stepped in to help T&T police with the case, but the public is yet to hear of any substantial breakthrough, although Griffith and the police repeatedly said during the course of last year that it was being thoroughly investigated and was at a sensitive stage.

Head of International Relations at the University of the West Indies, Professor Andy Knight, agrees with the theory that drug cartels transport their cargo through legal means, which means that legal ports would necessarily have to be infiltrated. The lack of proper infrastructure to deal with the millions of containers which come into these ports annually, including modern scanners, is but one weakness which the drug cartels take advantage of.

“It seems as though there is a fair amount of corruption at the ports of entry and, also, I don’t think there is sufficient security at the ports of entry in T&T to be able to deal with every single cargo ship. What they’re doing is spot checking,” Knight said.

ILLEGAL ECONOMIES
The UN estimated that during the period January to June 2008, 564 metric tonnes of cocaine were transited by sea through the Caribbean.This is equivalent to about 20 40-foot containers filled with cocaine. 

Retired Commodore Anthony Franklin, then in his capacity as director of the Institute of Marine Affairs, also pointed out that 90 per cent of drugs entering the Caribbean reached its final destination, in a document titled Prevention and Suppression of Transnational Organised Crime, which used figures for the 2007-2008 period.

Prof Knight says in order to move these shipments, underworld elements forge alliances not only with customs officials but at every echelon necessary to keep the business afloat. “The real issue is that there is so much money involved, in some cases revenues surpass the revenues or GDPs of countries in the region,” Knight said.

He said this was the money which churned small economies and created symbiotic relationships throughout societies, making it difficult for all states to fight trafficking. They can outspend you, they can outpace you—speedier boats than Coast Guard, sometimes [they] have light aircraft—making them more difficult to deal with this type of organisation with the limited amount of revenue.”

Once the cargo got to its destination, Knight said, money laundering then put the dirty money to illicit use and shell companies were set up to funnel payments through a process of over or under invoicing. Economist Dr Roger Hosein explained how this worked. “So you may buy something from Colombia for two million dollars that is really for 40 dollars and the surplus money is used to pay for other type of products,” he said.

Corrupt officials
The International Security Sector Advisory Team’s current country profile of T&T says, “Reports of corruption among the police, the armed forces and customs officials are also frequent, and many officials are not properly or routinely vetted.” One senior Customs and Excise officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said all cargo entering our ports of entry was subject to checks, except delivery-authorised containers.

“When the shipper has been compliant, with a proven track record of paying all taxes, you know everything has been above board; they get a green clearance,” he said, in explaining what the delivery-authorised system means. But all other cargo is selected at random for scanning.

“This means we take out everything from the container and we go through it and make sure the same items declared are the same items in it, because we have had cases where things are not dutiable and too many items in containers were not declared,” he said. Over the years, he said, drug smugglers had also been innovative in how they brought in their cargo, even hiding the contraband in hollowed out vegetables and power tools.

Asked why each container was not scanned given the issues with shipments of contraband, he said, “If you have to do each container it will be time consuming and there would be people who would have to pay a lot of demurrage, so you pick and choose shippers, especially first-time shippers.” This system is not unique to T&T. Indeed, Figueira says, even in the United States it’s impossible to check every shipment.

“The volume of trade and product moving into the USA, [there is] no way you can flag everything and search everything 100 per cent," Figueira said. Figueira also said traffickers flooded the State with a torrent of narcotics, so little could be done to combat the contraband world. They also ensured that the bulk of their product got to its destination by recruiting customs officials, he said.

“Don’t send anything by chance. Make sure when my product lands you have customs officers on duty to clear it,” he said.

The homicide detective who investigated the murder of the son of calypsonian Michael “Sugar Aloes” Osuna, has admitted he had concerns over the alleged eyewitnesses’ accounts of the crime. Despite his reservations over differing descriptions of the suspect, Arnold Isaac, Cpl Courtney Sanchez still proceeded to charge Isaac with murdering Imo Osuna. “They were only concerns,” Sanchez said as he attempted to defend his decision to charge Isaac. 

Sanchez made the admission while being crossed examined by Isaac’s lawyer, Kirk Hogan, in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Criminal Court yesterday afternoon. While he remained adamant he made the right decision, Sanchez admitted he should have done more to investigate the discrepancies in the statements of three witnesses. Sanchez also agreed with Hogan he should have looked into the alibi given by Isaac who claimed he was working at the time of the murder. 

“It would have been good to check and see if there was a shred of truth in what he was saying?” Hogan asked. Sanchez paused for a minute before he nodded his head in approval. Hogan also questioned why two of the three eyewitnesses, who eventually became the State’s main witnesses in the case, only decided to come foward months after Osuna was killed. “They feared for their lives that is why only took so long,” Sanchez said. 

Both witnesses, who identified Isaac by name, initially refused to testify in the preliminary inquiry. Prosecutors used the Evidence (Amendment) Act 2007 to have their witness statements tendered into evidence in court in lieu of their oral testimony. However, last year when the trial began before Justice Carla Brown-Antoine, both witnesses had a change of heart and decided to come to court to testify.

Osuna, 26, was shot dead while attending a christening near his home on Pioneer Drive, Sea Lots, on October 29, 2006. Prosecutor Mauricia Joseph is representing the State. The trial continues this morning.  

One of T&T’s most-gifted and prolific journalists was how Trinidad Express columnist Raoul Pantin was epitomised as tributes continued to pour in after his passing yesterday. He was 71. Pantin, who worked in the print, broadcast and television media for several years, died in his sleep at his home in Port-of-Spain. He was also the screenwriter for the locally-made film Bim. His daughter, Mandisa, herself a writer, said the family was still in shock over her father’s death.

Close friend and colleague for many years  Jones P Madeira, editor-in-chief at Newsday, said he knew Pantin for most of his professional life. Pantin began his career at NBS Radio 610 in 1962 and joined the Trinidad Daily Mirror a year later. He went on to work as a political and business reporter for the T&T Guardian and the Trinidad Express, of which he was a former editor.

Chronicling major events in which the two worked together, Madeira said while at Radio 610 he remembered Pantin running afoul with the government of the day. “Raoul was one of the producers of the News Makers programmes, a comprehensive coverage of the days events. 

“The programme got us into trouble with the government of the day. There was a bloody Tuesday march which the police had broken up and we had covered some elements of it but the government was upset about it. The station’s management fired a number of journalists, including Raoul,” Madeira reminisced. Madeira then went off to Caricom while Pantin joined the Trinidad Express. 

Their paths, however, reconnected at the now defunct Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT). “Raoul did an excellent job in producing the weekly parliamentary review...he had a natural eye for the news,” Medeira said. While producing the news on July 27, 1990 Pantin’s and Medeira’s life changed forever. They were caught in the invasion of the 114 members of the Jamaat al Muslimeen who stormed the Red House and TTT.

During those six days, Pantin and Medeira forged a closer bond, each depending on the other for support. “Raoul called me the general and he was corporal because we took the lead of dealing with the Muslimeen on the inside and we were able to pave the way to deal with the uprising. I would never forget the role Raoul played,” Madeira said. But the memories of those dark days stayed with Pantin.

“Raoul has always confided in me that he has never been able to get over it and he always felt that justice had never really been served but I always assured him and let him know we had secured a victory by getting the people out of there alive. “A hole has now been created in the journalistic profession...he was the consummate journalist,” Pantin said.

MORE than a reporter
Former editor-in-chief of the T&T Guardian Judy Raymond said her first memory of Pantin was of him walking around the ground-floor of The Express newsroom, decades ago, saying: “This is pressure!” That, she added, was his catchphrase. “It was part of Raoul’s carapace, the image he built of himself as a macho, hard-bitten journalist. But there was even more, this time unbearable pressure during the 1990 coup attempt, in which Raoul was caught up as a hostage at TTT.

He was never the same again. It left him one of the walking wounded and shattered a lot of illusions, not only about Trinidad but also about himself,” Raymond said. She said Pantin soldiered on and eventually in some respects recovered.

“Though it was wishful thinking—or perhaps a wish to keep some things private—that made him write at the end of his book on the coup that he ‘got on the bus and lived happily ever after.’ The next time our paths crossed in a newsroom he was still struggling to deal with the fallout from the coup attempt but then it was only in 2007 he was able to write the book, an indication of how deep a shadow it cast over his life,” Raymond said. 

Since the news of Pantin’s death, she said people talked about him as a veteran reporter. “But I am not sure how many of them were around to actually read his work when he was in his heyday. I think as a journalist, he was at his best when he was on the ball and offered down-to-earth, salty commentary. “In another country perhaps he could have devoted himself to creative writing full-time and made a living from it. 

“Journalism is a harsh taskmaster even for those not caught up in a violent insurrection. It can target their fragilities, and the pressure Raoul complained about so insouciantly before July 1990 was nothing compared to the pressure now,” Raymond said.

The newly-installed Port Authority chairman, Suresh Gangapersad, says his team will meet soon to chart a new way forward and to rethink the organisation’s goals to ensure maximum output and improve operating procedures and costs. He said this as he addressed reporters minutes after he emerged from the swearing-in ceremony at President’s House, St Ann’s, yesterday.

Gangapersad, who previously held the post of deputy chairman, was joined by three other board members who also received their instruments of appointment yesterday. They included deputy chairman, attorney Florence Ria Ramdin, Ian Deosaran, a member of the Shipping Association and Dorant Jack, a member of the Port Authority of T&T (Patt). In a brief interview, Gangapersad said the new members would be apprised almost immediately of Patt’s operations.

He said while there were several issues facing Patt, there was also a lot of “misbeliefs and misconceptions that are pointed at the Patt.” Revealing that it comprised the Port of Port-of-Spain, the Inter-Island Transport Service (TTIT) and the Port-of-Spain Infrastructure Company (Posinco), Gangapersad said each arm was responsible for certain operations. The port deals mainly with container cargo which handles imports, exports, trans-shipments and transportation of containers to storage facilities.

The property company, Posinco, is responsible for the Patt’s real estate management which spans an area just after Barataria, all the way down to the Marriott Hotel, Invader’s Bay. “All the leaseholders belong to us and there is a lot of scope available there in terms of how we deal and manage our assets and the way forward,” Gangapersad said.

Attempts to improve the operations of the TTIT have already seen discussions with the Tobago House of Assembly and other stakeholders, as Patt examined ways of improving its inter-fleet management and optimising operations in a bid to become more cost-effective and reliable, he added. Gangapersad said in light of the current global situation, there was a lot that needed to be done.

He added: “At the Port of Port-of-Spain, we need to sit down with the stakeholders and rethink and examine operations,, and how it could be improved without affecting workers.” Gangapersad said the Customs and Excise Division also had an important role to play in the Patt’s operations as all other processes were under its jurisdiction, so that if any infractions or misconduct occurred on the port it would alert Customs and its officers would render assistance where necessary.

Asked about how they would be improving the operations of the inter-island ferry service, Gangapersad said while there are two catamaran vessels operating along the route, they needed to “look at how we can get more utilisation out of these vessels.”

He said there was a huge demand for tickets from Friday to Sunday, on long weekends, public holidays and school vacation but that from Monday to Wednesday  opportunities existed where they could utilise slow periods to “really take up the fixed costs of the ferries.”

The Ministry of Transport will soon be renovating the capital city’s major transport hub, City Gate, as well as increasing the Public Transport Service’s bus fleet and upgrading the ferries to Tobago. Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz made this known following the distribution of chassis to five steelbands, yesterday, at the Public Transport Service Commission’s (PTSC) offices at City Gate. The chassis will allow the steelbands to move around their instruments on the road.

“Right now we have challenges with the bus fleet. The bus fleet is aging. The average life of a commercial commuter bus is between seven years to ten years and then you have to start making considerations as to whether you are going to change it. “Our buses, the average life of the total fleet is upwards of 12 years, so we are way over. We have started the replacements,” Cadiz said.

He said he was aware of commuters’ complaints regarding late buses and poor service but the ministry was working very hard to alleviate the problems. “We have technicians coming in from the various manufacturers to work with our local technicians to speed up the repairs.” He said in the next few weeks, commuters would see a major improvement in the level of service offered by the PTSC.

He said the new buses would run on compressed natural gas (CNG), which was a cheaper fuel and would save the Government money. “We want to see at one point that the only vehicles allowed on the bus route would be CNG-fuelled or differently-fuelled vehicles.” Cadiz said the Ministry of Transport would also soon have to look at replacing the fast ferries to Tobago as they too had “come of age.” He said changing the type of fuel used by the ferries could save the Government as much as $100 million a year.

City Gate had been kept very well over the decades, he added, but it was due for renovations. He said these renovations would be done over time as the Government was being careful about spending, and renovations of historical buildings were usually expensive to carry out. Cadiz said commuters should not be affected by the renovations as they would be done incrementally on individual sections of the building.

“It is a working building. We are not closing down anything. The building is fully functional.” He said the ministry was still working with planners to determine the cost of renovations. He also gave assurances that the PTSC wouldn’t increase fares in the near future.

Reigning Digicel International Groovy Soca Monarch Kerwin Du Bois will not be defending his title on Fantastic Friday.

Du Bois said yesterday he would not be a part of this year’s competition, making him the first of the artistes to use new rule change announced by organisers Caribbean Prestige Foundation for the Performing Arts (CPF) to his benefit.

Speaking through his publicist Adanna Asson yesterday, Du Bois said he did not want to defend his title. He said he only entered the competition last year because his fans had requested that he do so.

This year, however, Du Bois, who dethroned Machel Montano last year with his runaway hit Too Real, said he wanted to explore other avenues this year.

“He wants to do something different and so he will be having an event at the Normandy on February 1 in order to give back to his fans,” Asson said.

It has not been confirmed whether Montano will defend his power soca title at the event on Fantastic Friday but sources close to the entertainer told the T&T Guardian yesterday that it is very unlikely at this point.

Montano did not confirm or deny whether he would compete at the event or not, when contacted by the T&T Guardian. He directed all questions to his manager Che Kothari but efforts to contact him were unsuccessful yesterday.

Earlier this week, organisers CPF announced that incumbent monarchs would not have to automatically defend their crowns in this year’s competition. Previously, a title defence was mandatory and artistes refusing to do so had to return 90 per cent of their winnings. 

Contacted yesterday, CPF spokeswoman Jeniece Schoon said the decision to revise the rule was taken in order to support the younger artistes in the competition.

As to Du Bois’ and Montano’s participation, she said she was unaware of any decisions made by the artistes.

“I can’t comment on that because that is not something I know of,” Schoon said.

Soca artistes were mostly supportive of the rule change, which allows Du Bois and Montano the choice to defend their titles or not without fear of financial repercussions.

In a brief interview yesterday, groovy soca artiste Darryl Henry (Farmer Nappy) said the change was long overdue.

He added: “That rule should have stopped long time because at the end of the day if you win a competition and you say, I don’t want to go back to competition no more and you want to hold a record, you should be able to retire.

“One of the things in the rule is that if you are not coming back you have to pay back about 95 per cent of the money but that rule supposed to change long time.”

Henry felt, however, another aspect of the competition needed to change—the prize money for the Groovy competition—which is usually less than the prize for the power category. 

He said CPF should consider raising the prize as groovy soca songs had longevity after the Carnival season.

Soca songstress Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez, who brought the rules into focus when she and husband, Ian “Bunji Garlin” Alvarez, chose to stay away from the event in 2013, said it was interesting.

“I honestly don’t know what to say. When I was against it, a number of people were against me,” Lyons-Alvarez said.

But she said the rule change could not influence a decision from her to re-enter the competition. “I am done with it,” she added.

Yesterday, competitors in the semi-finals of the Digicel International Groovy Soca Competition and the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) Power Soca Competition drew for positions at the Digicel Imax Theatre, Woodbrook.

Soca music fans flocking to the Queen’s Park Savannah Greens next Sunday will be forced to come early and leave late if they want to see some of the most popular artistes, as some of the top acts pulled late numbers for a total of 84 performances, with a few performing in both categories.

POSITIONS

Performance positions for Soca Monarch semi-finals on January 25:

Digicel Power Soca Monarch
1. Destra Garcia
2. Ozzie Reid (Leadpipe) and Reshawn Ince (Saddis)
3. Nicholas Joel Sealy (Fadda Fox)
4.  Delroy (Fireman) Hooper
5. Shal Marshall
6. Irvin Blackman (Blackie)
7. Edwin Ayoung (Crazy)
8. Shivonne Churche (Lil Bitts)
9. Kerlene (Kerlz) Joseph
10. Kevin James (Young Voice)
11. Umi Marcano and John Alibocus (Makamillion)
12. Akeem (Preedy) Chance
13. Devon Martin (Lyrikal)
14. Keron Boodoosingh (Tim Tim)
15. Denise (Saucy) Belfon
16. Sasha Ann Moses
17. Jahmoun Mendoza
18. Orlando Octave
19. Benjamin Le Blanc (Benjai)
20. Kenrick (Shaolin) George
21. Olatunji Yearwood.
22. Ravi B
23. Darnella Simmons
24. Nadia Batson
25. Iwer George
26. Joel Feveck (Zan)
27. Kernel Roberts (Kitch)
28. Shurwayne Winchester
29. Erphaan Alves
30. Gamal Doyle (Skinny Fabulous)
31. Dev
32. Darryl Henry (Farmer Nappy)
33. Dexter Stewart (Blaxx)
34. Wilt Cambridge (Talpree)
35. Joanna  Hutton (Jo Jo)
36. Faith Antoine
37. Carlton Cordle (Biggie Irie)
38. Nesta Boxhill (Sekon Sta)
39. Menace
40. Jenelle de Leon (J Angel)
41. Patrice Roberts
42. Roderick Gordon (Chucky)
43. Roger joseph (Patch)
44. Oscar B
45. Akil Borneo (5 Star Akil)
46. Simon Delph (Syo)
47. Ricardo Drue

​

NLCB Power Soca Monarch positions:
1. Ken Marlon Charles (KMC)
2.Shal Marshall and Squeeze Head
3. Akeem (Preedy) Chance
4. Patrice Roberts
5. Rossi Khempis (RKG)
6. Iwer George
7. Denise (Saucy) Belfon
8. Delroy (Fireman) Hooper
9. Erphaan Alves
10. Hollis Mapp (Mr Killa)
11. Andrew Hitz Phillip
12. Jenelle de Leon (J Angel)
13. Shurwayne Winchester
14. Gamal Doyle (Skinny Fabulous)
15. Kris (KI) Persad.
16. Heaven Charles (Snakey)
17. Iwer George
18. Ann G
19. Destra Garcia
20. Pelf
21. Kernel Roberts (Kitch)
22. Dexter Stewart (Blaxx)
23. Terron Callender (Jaiga)
24. Devon Samuel (Prophet Benjamin)
25. Jelani
26. Swappi and Dueceman
27. Skinny Banton
28. Ricardo Drue
29. Fya Empress
30. Nikki Crosby (Granny)
31. Luney Sparks and Electrify
32. Eddie Charles
33. Squeezy Rankin
34. Austin Lyons (Super Blue)
35. CJ
36. Devon Matthews
37. Nadia Batson

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley is moving to strike out a legal victory being claimed by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan in the emailgate scandal.

This was announced by his attorney, People’s National Movement (PNM) Senator Faris Al-Rawi, in a hastily-called press conference at the Office of the Opposition Leader, Charles Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday evening.

It was in response to statements by Ramlogan at yesterday’s post-Cabinet press conference, St Clair.

Ramlogan told the media Rowley’s legal team had failed to file a defence in a defamation lawsuit against him over statements made on the emailgate issue.

He filed the suit in the High Court last September 11. 

Following this, Rowley’s lawyers filed an application on October 31 for an extension of time to file a defence.

Yesterday, Al-Rawi said the application for an extension was made because Rowley’s legal team had requested copies of CDs featuring the audio recording of alleged statements made by Rowley but had received blank CDs and because the transcripts required had not been produced.

“We have to check the recordings and whether they were doctored or not. 

“We have to check to make sure that what is said was in fact what was said, let alone whether it was defamatory or not and whether there are defences for that defamation or not,” Al-Rawi said yesterday.

Following the application for extension to file a defence, Justice Vashiest Kokoram recused himself from the matter.

While both Ramlogan and Al-Rawi agreed on those first chain of events, Al-Rawi said his legal team was unaware of any further court proceedings and said as far as he was aware the extension application was still pending.

Ramlogan, however, supplied the media with a copy of an e-mail to his attorney Richard Jagai which stated that the matter of the extension had been determined without a hearing and an extension was given until January 7, 2015.

Al-Rawi said his team did not receive any such correspondence.

He said the only response he received on the matter since Kokoram recused himself was yesterday when he received a notice for assessment of damages based on the judgment in default of defence.

Al-Rawi said he immediately contacted Jagai to answer on the matter.

Further checks revealed that the application for default judgment was filed by Ramlogan on Wednesday.

“It is something of concern, however, that an application of default judgment could be filed yesterday and Mr Ramlogan made an announcement today,” Al-Rawi said.

Al-Rawi also said court records had not listed the matter

He added: “Dr Rowley’s position is that this is being dealt with in a very serious manner.

“We take the emailgate situation very seriously in the Opposition.

“We do not share the Attorney General’s view that this is a landmark occasion of justice. 

“We certainly don’t share his view that this is a matter that is not being treated with any seriousness. We are prosecuting Dr Rowley’s defence with all of the litigation brought against him with great vigour.”

Ramlogan wants apologies

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan yesterday called on Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley to make apologies to him and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar after Ramlogan claimed victory on a defamation lawsuit.
He made the call at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media conference.

The AG said the trial for the assessment of damages to determine the amount of money to be paid to him by Rowley had been set for March 10 at 9 am.

“With this important and significant legal victory, I am certain that the population will have no doubts that the emailgate fiasco is one which had no basis in fact whatsoever but was a political concoction by someone with a very overactive and creative imagination,” Ramlogan said.

Ramlogan gave an open message to Dr Rowley on his own behalf and on behalf of Persad-Bissessar.

He said: “We are willing to entertain an apology at this stage in the game and I therefore call upon Dr Rowley to do the manly and honourable and decent thing to apologise to the Prime Minister and myself for making these scandalous allegations, knowing full well, because of the manner he claimed to have received it, because of the errors in the document and the clear evidence to the contrary that really these utterances should never have emanated from someone who holds senior and high public office.”

Ramlogan said the next step was to consider whether Rowley be reported to the Integrity Commission for investigation. (KC)

Multi-media journalist Urvashi Tiwari-Roopnarine has been investigating T&T’s flourishing illegal drug trade for the past several weeks. That journey has taken her to several parts of the country for extensive interviews with several people involved in the trade, people who have been researching it and members of the law enforcement agencies and government charged with trying to prevent the activity.

Today, she looks at the age-old theory that there may be state involvement in the trade and the system set up to detect illegal drug shipments in part four of her six-part series on the trade titled Cracks in Our Borders.

Head of International Relations at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor Andy Knight and drug trade researcher Darius Figueira both believe there is State involvement in the international drug trade.

They argue that the only way narcotics can be successfully moved in and out of T&T as successfully as it has been over the years, with little or no detection, is with the cooperation of the State and its agencies.

“I can’t say for sure which parliamentarians, government sources are being corrupted by drug traffickers, but I’m sure this happens and sometimes it captures the state,” Knight told Guardian Media Limited’s Enterprise Desk.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if, for example, some drug cartels are able to get some politicians by simply giving them cash necessary to fund political campaigns to get him into power.” 

Such an investment by a drug cartel would reap dividends since payback would be guaranteed.

“Once in power, the cartel would one day demand something, whether it’s closing a blind eye or maybe some money is used to corrupt the police force or the military force.”

Even the Jamaican Gleaner wrote of this possibility in a February 2002 editorial, saying party financing from the private sector has significantly decreased over the years.

“The contamination of the electoral process and party finance by drug money has therefore become a clear and present danger across the Caribbean,” the paper wrote.

In 1989, 50 police officers were suspended and then commissioner of police Randolph Burroughs resigned after allegations of their involvement in a drug cartel. 

The International Security Sector Advisory Team’s current country profile of T&T states, “In the early 2000s, the government faced accusations that many high-level officials ...had ties to gang leaders.”

Give to get back

Figueira said this allegation is nothing new.

“That’s the oldest tactic, starting with Pablo Escobar, corrupting officials of the state. And how do you corrupt them, by literally deluging them with money.”

He added, “Every dollar you spend to corrupt the state, you are in fact purchasing impunity. Governments are willing to pick low lying fruit— the easiest application to win the most votes.”

Explaining this, he said the drug of choice in Trinidad—marijuana—may be targeted while the cocaine is allowed to come into the country.

Marijuana can be locally grown and while there is a vast difference in the profit margin between cocaine and marijuana, the latter activity at least has the advantage of allowing the drug cartels to conduct it inland in some of the dense forests available.

The US Department of State’s 2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report on T&T also uncovered a new trend where Jamaican nationals in this country barter shipments of marijuana for cocaine for re-export.

MORE INFO

Drug trade researcher Darius Figueira gave an insight into the trading of drugs

• One kilo of cocaine costing US$1,500, if successfully trafficked to Europe, wholesales for about US$50,000. That’s almost 33 times its cost and a profit of over 300 per cent.

• Ten per cent of the profit from drugs goes to traffickers.

GRIFFITH: BORDERS NOT POROUS

Minister of National Security Gary Griffith says T&T borders are comparatively safe.

“Many times people will criticise us for this road march we continue to hear about the borders being porous, but in fact in comparison to many other islands and the size of T&T we have done pretty well,” he told GML.

In 2006, the then government invested in a $130 million Israeli 360 degree coastal radar system. Ten radar sites across the country were erected and the data obtained was supposed to be transmitted to the national radar centre for monitoring.

Years later, reports surfaced that the radars were not functional. In 2011 the system was upgraded and repaired, Griffith said, but it is now all about how the intelligence gained from the system is used.

“Now that we have locked down the radar with that 360 degree what happens next? It’s all well and good people at the radar centre can monitor movements, but how do you respond to it?”

HOLES IN RADAR NET

​

The GML team visited eight of the 10 sites across the country— San Fernando Hill, Toco, Manzanilla, Moruga, Cedros, Point Galeota, Charlotteville and Bacolet. The two others, we were told, are located in Staubles Bay and Chacachacare.

Two of the eight radar sites were not functional. The radar at Manzanilla was motionless and residents said it had been that way for the past 10 years. The one at Point Galeota was missing—the tower stood erect but there was no radar at the top.

Griffith said the locations are not hidden but are guarded.

“For obvious reasons you would not want to pinpoint areas where these things are. There are concerns of sabotage,” he said.

“The more people know, they try to see who working there, they can be—it’s not top secret but we do not expose to the public, to let them know exactly where the radar centres are.”

Told that the two non-functional radars were adjoining each other and meant that almost 50 miles of coastline were unprotected, Griffith said, “Obviously I will not make mention of areas which there may be blind spots, obviously for national security reasons.

“However, if one aspect is down there are others that overlap. There are other radars which would overlap into those which you cited, so it’s not to give the impression that because it’s not spinning, it’s automatically seen that these things are not working.”

Chief of Defence Staff Major Gen Kenrick Maharaj is to get a one-year extension as Cabinet yesterday agreed to increase the retirement age for members of the Defence Force by three years. 

So said National Security Minister Gary Griffith during yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair.

Maharaj reaches his compulsory retirement age of 55 this month.

Griffith said: “Because of this, there would be the extension of service for Major General Kenrick Maharaj just for a period of one year.” 

He said various officers in the Defence Force retired at age 45, 47, 50 and 55. He noted that under the existing requirement the Defence Force was losing “not just a few good men but many good men and women” because of the early retirement age.

Griffith noted that internationally, the compulsory retirement age was much higher as in some countries the retirement age was as high as 60 years for certain ranked officers. 

He said the manpower strength of the army was being affected by the existing retirement age and the move was intended to “assist in dealing with the manpower shortage we have right now.”

He said the existing early retirement age may also discourage citizens from choosing a career in the army.

According to Griffith, there was a greater demand for the Defence Force in the wake of the crime situation in the country.

He said the role was “not just to protect us from external aggression but also as an aid to civil power and to support the police.”

Griffith added while it was unfortunate that there were about 16 murders in the first week of the year, in the past week there had only been about four or five. 

He said the success was due to “the increased alert state, proper policing, good law enforcement and providing the deterrent.”

Griffith noted in 2014 the country had the lowest level of serious crimes in 31 years while five years before that it experienced the highest level in its history.

He said this year the Government would seek to “take away the perception and fear of crime.

“We intend to crack down on the homicide rate (which) is unacceptable,” he added.

He said the majority of the homicides were gang-related “so we know exactly where the problem lies. It means, however, that a law-abiding citizen is safer now than he/she has ever been in 31 years.” 

​

Justice Minister Emmanuel George has dismissed claims by president of the Prisons Officers Association Ceron Richards that he was being “indifferent” regarding its call for better wages and improved working conditions.

He also noted there had been an 80 per cent increase in the number of gun licences issued to prisons officers while more than 3,000 bulletproof vests were delivered to the prisons and were being distributed to the officers.

At yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, George also warned that any industrial action by prisons officers would be indirect contradiction of the laws governing industrial relations.

At a press conference earlier this week Richards threatened that officers would be walking off the job amid concern for their safety.

He also demanded the resignations of George and Prisons Commissioner Conrad Barrow.

When asked what was the specific course of action that could be meted out to prisons officers George palmed off the question on the Labour Ministry.

“The prisons officers are like any other agency of the security forces, like the police they are governed by certain industrial practices...this decision have to do with government industrial action that they are pre-empted from taking,” he added.

Pressed further to explain exactly what he meant, George said Labour Minister Errol McLeod had given him some information regarding the issue and then advised that McLeod address the issue instead.

“I would rather that the Minister of Labour speak to the issue of action which could be taken because I don’t think I will be able to convey what he has said to me with the accuracy,” George added. 

He said his ministry had already implemented a number of initiatives which dealt with proper safety of officers.

George, who assured that Government always looked after the welfare of prisons officers, said several measures were already put in place.

He said: “The matter of safe houses for prisons officers has been adequately addressed with an agreement having been put in place with the HDC and the commissioner of prisons.

“The ministry has interceded with the HDC for favourable consideration of application by prisons officers for housing accommodation under the Cabinet approved policy for ten per cent of the HDC housing unit to be allocated to members of the protective services.” 

He said that was a request the association had made and the ministry was successful in its request.

Regarding the issue of bulletproof vests the minister said some 3,930 were delivered to the prisons and were being distributed to officers.

“As further evidence of the Government’s concern for the safety of prisons officers the Prisons Act, Chap 13:01, was amended, via legislation, passed in September, 2014 where the penality of the physical assault of the prisons officer has been increase from $1,000 to $10,000,” George said.

On the issue of firearm-users licence George said there had been an 80 per cent increase in the number of licences being issued to prisons officers.

The association, Richards said, had also made repeated calls to have cellphone jammers installed as those could assist in intercepting “hits” being called from behind prisons’ walls.

George said while he agreed that was a top priority the initial figure quoted exceeded the ministry’s budget.

He said the ministry was seeking additional funds for the project.

Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh has assured that work on all schools earmarked for construction within the current fiscal period would be continued, even as the Prime Minister mandated a 15 per cent cut across all ministries. 

Gopeesingh, speaking with reporters on Tuesday at the formal opening of the $28.5 million Rio Claro Presbyterian Primary School, Guayaguayare Road, said the ministry was in the process of assessing what areas cutbacks would be made in.

“We are assessing where we need to put more emphasis and less emphasis. It is a work in progress. Shortly we will be able to indicate where we will make the savings from in some of these areas,” Gopeesingh added.

He said the ministry was looking at reducing its goods and services bill. “We have goods and services and transportation, transfers and subsidies. 

The transfers and subsidies we may not be able to touch too much but certain goods and services we may be able to reduce to what the Prime Minister asks us to look,” Gopeesingh said. 

What started out as a normal school opening morphed into a political platform for the Education Minister as he called on Rio Claro residents to return the government into office in the 2015 general election.

“Give us a chance to continue, give us a chance at a second term,” Gopeesingh said yesterday as he addressed the formal opening of the long-awaited school. 

The minister’s speech seemed to set the pace in the marginal seat, Mayaro, even as People’s National Movement leader Dr Keith Rowley kicked off the Opposition party’s campaign for the hotly-contested seat.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL

​Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh said the Rio Claro Presbyterian Primary School was outfitted at a cost of $3 million and is an ultra-modern one with a computer room, music room and space for 420 pupils. 
He asked the pupils to be benevolent and accommodate pupils from St Therese’s RC as repairs begin at their school. For the last three years pupils of the Rio Claro Presbyterian School were accommodated at Poole Presbyterian and St Therese’s. 
Mayaro MP Winston Gypsy Peters, whose alma mater was the Rio Claro Presbyterian, said he was glad to finally deliver on his promise to have a new school constructed in the area. 

Relatives of five students who died when a minibus plunged into the sea at Rock Gutter, St Vincent have asked for a single funeral and burial ceremony, I-Witness News reported.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said the funeral has been tentatively set for January 25^th at the Fancy Hardcourt.

“We will persist in this exercise until we find them, or until the professionals, in consultation with the families, consider otherwise,” I-Witness News quotes Gonsalves as saying on radio on Thursday in his latest address to the nation since the tragedy.

Meanwhile, the search continues for two others who are missing at sea as a result of the accident.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has instructed Finance Minister Larry Howai, Trade Minister Vasant Bharath and Planning Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie to convene urgent talks to develop a sustainable plan for managing the country’s foreign exchange supply. The three ministers are expected to meet with Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran, who is currently out of the country, on the matter

Persad-Bissessar issued the directive after her three-hour meeting with private sector representatives on Thursday evening at the Diplomatic Centre in Port-of-Spain. At that meeting, which was held to discuss budget adjustments in the wake of falling oil prices, business representatives identified ongoing problems with the supply of foreign currency as one of the critical issues affecting their operations. No time frame was set for the ministers’ intervention up to late yesterday.

Another challenge identified by the private sector officials was the labour shortage, with respect to which the T&T Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) and American Chamber of Commerce T&T (AmchamTT) agreed to partner with Government to devise a workable solution. One of the initiatives being considered is transforming the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (Cepep) into a public/private sector initiative

AmchamTT president Hugh Howard told the T&T Guardian the programme could be a transition initiative where people who needed to develop themselves and earn a living could use Cepep as a stepping stone. He said the private sector could then hire workers once they had acquired the qualifications and skills needed in the private sector. 

“I can tell you that the process would involve meeting with the governmental agencies, sitting down and working out a mutually acceptable process. We don’t want to just jump into it,” Howard said. He added that a structure needed to be put in place to  monitor and assess workers and the programme.

Commenting on the talks with the prime minister, Catherine Kumar, CEO of the T&T Chamber of Commerce, said she welcomed the government’s decision to meet with stakeholders, but there was need for more details on the topics tabled at the meeting. Kumar said everyone got the opportunity to present their views on the issues facing the business sector. In a statement released after the meeting, the British-Caribbean Chamber of Commerce (BCCC) described the talks as “the right approach.”

“It was useful and productive, providing the opportunity for participants to better understand government’s perspective on the current situation and to put forward suggestions for addressing the shortfall in energy revenues. 

Quick response by the Fire Services yesterday saved the home of 72-year-old Phulmatie Ramnan Issarie, but could not save the woman's life. According to the woman's eldest son, Khimraj, around 9 am yesterday, residents of New Lane Street, off Don Miguel Road, El Socorro, saw the woman's house on fire and called the Fire Service. He said by the time a bucket brigade had been organised fire fighters arrived and quickly put out the fire.

Speaking to the media yesterday, Khimraj said his mother was to celebrate her 73rd birthday on February 26. He added that the family had made no specific plans as yet for her birthday celebrations. The mother of five, two boys and three girls, was a nice and fun-loving person, he said.

“She lived here with my younger brother Prakash, it was just him and her. He wasn’t at home at the time. She used to walk, she was healthy and strong and used to walk up and down. She was well-liked in the area and would talk to everybody, always interacting with the neighbours. She was a very family-oriented person,” Khimraj said. Khimraj said his mother's charred remains were found beneath a pile of rubble in the front bedroom, where fire officials believe the fire started.