Another People’s National Movement (PNM) candidate, Dianne Baldeo-Chadeesingh, has withdrawn from the general election race, the Opposition confirmed yesterday.

Baldeo-Chadeesingh, a PNM Senator, had been chosen for the Chaguanas East constituency last December but the PNM issued a press release yesterday saying she had “withdrawn her candidacy due to personal reasons.”

She did not answer repeated cellphone calls yesterday on what prompted her decision, including whether it was due to external factors (lack of support on the “ground”) or internal reasons (issues within the PNM).

Chaguanas East, among seats considered as marginal, is currently represented by People’s Partnership MP Stephen Cadiz.

Baldeo-Chadeesingh is the second PNM candidate who has withdrawn in as many weeks.

Recently, PNM Tobago East chairman Wendell Berkley, who was initially selected for Tobago East from five other nominees withdrew, also citing “personal reasons.” He was replaced by Ayanna Webster-Roy. 

Berkley has declined to detail his reasons for withdrawing but says he will continue supporting the PNM’s campaign.

But Tobago PNM sources yesterday said two polls which had been done prior to selecting Berkely did not favour his chances but he was still selected and later withdrew. Some Tobago PNMites had reportedly disapproved of his candidacy, they said.

On Baldeo-Chadeesingh’s withdrawal, the PNM statement added that the PNM screening team would meet the Chaguanas East executive next week to select candidates from among the nominees who were already screened. 

The PNM said Baldeo-Chadeesingh continued as a PNM Senator and “remains fully committed to the PNM’s aims and ideals.”

Baldeo-Chadeesingh had been tipped to be a general election candidate since she was brought into the Senate in December 2013, when PNM’s Senate team was changed. 

Following her selection as candidate, she had said her Senate tenure had given her more confidence to face the polls, she was no stranger to Chaguanas East and had heard people were not satisfied with Cadiz’s representation and had hoped to change that.

Fresh process

Yesterday, PNM field officer Indar Parasram, who was Baldeo-Chadeesingh’s Chaguanas East campaign manager, said there were six other nominees who had faced screening unsuccessfully. 

They include a teacher, a businessman, a doctor, an accountant and a councillor. He said he assumed they would now be re-screened.

Parasram said Baldeo-Chadeesingh’s campaign team had completed 40 per cent of walkabouts in the area and she “was well on her way to victory.” He said he had returned from New York recently and news of her withdrawal had now reached him.

“But it’s not a setback. We have done our homework in this constituency,” he added.

Asked about reports that the Independent Liberal Party’s Jack Warner may seek an arrangement to contest that seat or put up a candidate there aiding PNM’s chances in the PP-held constituency, Parasram (who is assistant campaign manager of PNM’s national T&T election campaign) said: 

“We have no arrangement with anyone. Whoever comes up, we are fighting them. We always contest all seats. PNM fights alone, loses alone, wins alone and governs alone and definitely we will win alone.”

PNM PRO Faris Al-Rawi, Baldeo-Chadeesingh’s Senate colleague, was unavailable to shed light on her decision since he is out of T&T until tomorrow, his office confirmed.

Baldeo-Chadeesingh and Berkley had been among 34 PNM candidates announced just before the end of last month. These comprise largely professionals, including retired security sector officials.

The PNM, which had projected completing screening by the end of last month, still has to finalise candidates for Diego Martin Central and San Juan/Barataria, as well as Chaguanas East, to complete its 41 candidates.

Recently, the PNM rejected the four Diego Martin Central nominee, including MP Amery Browne, and twice rejected nominees from San Juan/Barataria. 

PNM officials hinted “new faces” were expected in Diego Martin Central and San Juan/Barataria.

RADHICA SOOKRAJ

Undeterred by Sunday’s fire, Standard Five pupils of the Fanny Village Government Primary School, Point Fortin, attended classes at the private home of a former teacher yesterday.
Karen Lee Fai, who retired from the school several years ago, accommodated the 47 SEA pupils under her home, while a ministerial team toured the fire-ravaged school around midday. 
Pupil Coleen Smith said since the fire everyone was sad. 
“We lost all our school books and our projects. It really depressing to come here and see the condition of the classes,” Smith said. 
Jaydon Bailey, who is hoping to pass for Presentation College, said he hoped that the Education Ministry would not send them out of the district.
“We already accustomed to here. It will be strange for us to write the exam in an unfamiliar environment,” he said. 
Sherron Joseph said they were uncertain since the fire and now were fearful their SEA performance would be hampered by the trauma of the fire.
However, the pupils were consoled by acting Education Minister Fazal Karim, who promised that when school reopens on Monday all 305 students and 12 teachers will be accommodated at the newly-built Fanny Village Community Centre.
Karim and his team, including Community Development Minister Winston Gypsy Peters, Local Government Minister Marlene Coudray and Point Fortin MP Paula Gopee-Scoon, toured the school yesterday. 
Almost everything was burnt except for a framed portrait of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar which hung on the wall of the principal’s office.
After an hour-long meeting with principal Debra Morrell-Charles and PTA president Byron Cumberbatch, the parents were told that nine classrooms would be accommodated at the community centre.
Karim said: “We have also agreed to establish some temporary air-conditioned facilities to hold classes as well as temporary washroom facilities.” 
He said the Educational Facilities Company Ltd would immediately begin partition works and adjustments to the centre. 
“The contractor has agreed to work night and day to make sure that the facility is ready for Monday,” Karim said. 
Once the fire report is complete, Karim said a decision would be taken by Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh about whether the old school building would be demolished.
Both Gopee-Scoon and Morrell-Charles said they were pleased with the arrangements. Gopee-Scoon said she also hoped the Government would make arrangements to build a new school for the pupils on the existing site. Saying the fire was a blessing in disguise, she said parents have been waiting on a new school since 2008.

New school structure flawed

The contract for construction of the Fanny Village Government Primary School was awarded by the People’s National Movement (PNM) government on July 17, 2008 to ASHANA Civil and Mechanical Contractors Ltd. 
Based on the minutes of a meeting held with the Minister of Education and Philip Whiteman, general manager of ASHANA, on  September 17, 2010, the original cost of the project was $18 million but this was later revised to $35 million. 
The minutes stated that EFCL paid $5 million to ASHANA and construction was expected to begin within 30 days from the award of the contract. The minutes said ASHANA initially got four foundation drawings and four construction drawings but between June and September 2009 ASHANA got no drawings. 
EFCL then terminated the contract of the original consultant in November 2009 and ASHANA indicated that the project could take as long at 47 months, rather than 15.
The project was never completed and when the People’s Partnership got into office Gopee-Scoon said promises were made that a new contractor would be hired. 
Cumberbatch said yesterday that the new school building was situated in a dam and the foundation of the structure was already cracking. In some places the walls did not have sufficient steel. 
He hoped the burnt out school could be demolished and a new school constructed there.

Some of the major rivers in Maraval and Diego Martin are impeded by bushes almost ten feet high.

This concern was raised by Diego Martin North/East Member of Parliament Colm Imbert after a release was issued by the Diego Martin Regional Corporation (DMRC) highlighting the condition of the area’s waterways.

In the release, the DMRC blamed the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) for not fulfilling its mandate to have all waterways dredged and cleared in the Diego Martin area.

Imbert, who toured his constituency over the four-day Easter weekend, said he noted the absence of proper maintenance. He urged the ministry to start clearing the rivers immediately.

“All the rivers are full of bush. The Maraval River has bush ten feet high. I have not seen the bush so high in quite some time, maybe last year. 

“The ministry cannot wait till the rainy season to begin for them to come and clean and clear the waterways,” Imbert said.

He added that it was not political but noted that it was something that affected the people.

According to the release issued by the DMRC, it has requested dialogue with the MEWR in hopes of arriving at a solution on the matter. 

“Several attempts have been made with respect to correspondence having been sent requesting the basic maintenance and repair of the Diego Martin River to the Minister and Permanent Secretary at the Ministry,” the release stated.

The corporation expressed concern over the failure to clear the waterways and drainage system within the constituency, just two months ahead of the official start of the rainy season.

“The corporation has begun cleaning a section of the Diego Martin River near the Four Roads Recreational Grounds. It has not been cleaned or desilted in months and poses a major health hazard for residents of the region. We do not want our residents to be vulnerable to flooding,” the release stated.

The regional corporation launched its second “All Hands on Deck” programme in February to address the issue of the cleaning and maintenance of secondary drains and minor water courses under its purview.

The two other MPs for the area are Diego Martin West MP and Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, and Diego Martin Central MP Dr Amery Browne. Neither could be reached for comment.

Efforts to reach MEWR Minister Ganga Singh for comment also proved futile as calls to his phone went unanswered.

“A breath of fresh air.” 

That is how programme consultant Jessie-May Ventour described Sky 99.5 FM, Guardian Media Limited’s (GML) newest radio station and the latest to join the FM bandwidth.

The station took over from 730 AM, whose radio transmitter was switched off at midnight on March 31. The station retained the services of some personalities including Eddison Carr, Eugene Manuel, Corey Joseph and Ronald De La Rosa.

The station was born out of the love, hard work and commitment that sustained Radio 730 AM for close to 70 years, Ventour said.

Bringing the total number of radio stations in T&T to 33, the soundwaves of Sky 99.5 FM will be dominated by gospel music “but with a twist,” said programme director Marcus Romero, who promised a mix of “good news and hard news.” 

Listeners can look forward to reports, updates and analysis on news stories unfolding in real-time, in some cases directly from the journalists working on those stories.

Romero said the station’s repertoire of music would surprise audiences, as it included gospel offerings which were new to the market, jazz, contemporary, and a heavy injection of local music, which would entice listeners.

The programming targets people on the go, between the ages of 25 and 54. Ventour and Romero agreed that this demographic kept changing daily as “more and more people, some younger and some older, were continuing to tune in.” Ventour said no expense was spared to ensure that they reached the widest possible audience, both locally and internationally.

Ventour said the gospel programming was just the thing that was needed to “get the day started right,” as it would inform, inspire and empower listeners.

The station will also feature morning shows on weekends.  

“Sky 99.5FM will introduce a seven-day morning show, a first in the T&T market,” said Guardian Media Group’s head of radio Steve Dipnarine.

 “We’ll have the Breakfast Roundtable Weekday and The Weekend Round Table hosted by the industry’s most respected media professionals, and industry experts from various fields.”

Dipnarine described Sky as a cutting-edge offering, providing more than a radio service.

“We will be converging terrestrial and online with video and audio HD technology to meet listeners on their terms—where they  want to enjoy content, and how they want to enjoy content.”

Geo-technical engineer Francis J Arland yesterday testified that not enough investigations were carried out before the construction of multi-storey apartment buildings in the Las Alturas housing project, at Lady Young Road, Morvant, despite prior knowledge that the land was unstable.

Called as the first of three expert witnesses to appear on behalf of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) when the Commission of Enquiry resumed at the Caribbean Court of Justice, Henry Street, Port-of-Spain, Arland, a partner of Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers (MRCE) of New York, said he was not asked to investigate the buildings at the site but rather the ground upon which they were situated.

Arland made the disclosure during cross-examination by attorney Justin Phelps, who is appearing on behalf of Geotech Associates (GA) Ltd.

Stressing that he was a geotechnical engineer and not a forensic engineer, Arland agreed that during the course of his work, which sometimes included reviewing documents and reports, it was unethical to be vague with his opinions.

Arland, a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, confirmed that a letter had been sent from the project contractor China Jiangsu Corporation (CJIC) to the HDC on December 9, 2012, highlighting the movement of the land, which they claimed was “unforeseen.”

Questioned by chairman Mustapha Ibrahim as to whether the contractor’s statement was correct, Arland said, “We believe there was evidence prior to construction about the slope failure but this was not adequately investigated. It was not unforeseen.”

Arland was a member of the team headed by forensic structural engineer Dr Robert Ratay which was employed by the HDC in 2012 to carry out further investigations at the site following land slippage.

There was a “disconnect” between the data received from compaction tests done at Trintoplan’s lab on soil samples taken from under the demolished buildings, Arland said, but based on the results one could conclude that there would be movement of the land over time.

Questioned by commissioner Dr Myron Wing-Sang Chin about whether buildings H and I could have been saved had the remedial measures suggested by the team been implemented, Arland explained that the recommendations were not made to mitigate the slope movement but to slow it.

He said other measures recommended included reducing the load placed on the unstable land, and constructing drains to draw off underground water which could adversely affect the soil composition.

Admitting that the measures outlined were not guaranteed to stop the slope movement, Arland said they were not asked to offer any permanent suggestions to save the buildings.

In cross-examination, lead attorney for the commission, Senior Counsel Pamela Elder, referred to two reports prepared by GA in 2004 and 2006 which had been presented to Arland for review.

Focusing on the 2006 report in which GA recommended that conventional approaches would not be sufficient to address problems at the site, Arland confirmed under cross-examination that GA did in fact conduct soil resistivity tests and drilled eight bore-holes at the site—measures they had previously said would be insufficient to assist in detecting problems at the site.

Claiming that GA bore-holes were not drilled deep enough as they only went down to a maximum depth of 26 feet, Arland said his team’s bore-holes were drilled down to a depth of between 67.5 and 105 feet.

The second expert witness, Jon J Kangos of Severud Associates Consulting Engineers of New York, was sworn in yesterday but was unable to be cross-examined as the first session of the second evidentiary hearing came to a close.

He is expected to be cross-examined when the matter resumes at 9.30 am today.

More Info

Legal minds 

Attorneys for the Commission include Pamela Elder, SC, and Jagdeo Singh, both of whom are instructed by Alvin Pariagsingh.

Appearing on behalf of the HDC are Vincent Nelson, QC, and Larry Lalla.

Richard Mason and Jehan Mohammed, along with Faydia Mohammed and Brendon Sullivan, are appearing for Udecott.

Attorney Justin Phelps is appearing alongside Anabelle Sooklal for Geotech Associates Ltd (GA), whereas Emerson John-Charles and Zenobia Campbell-James are appearing on behalf of CEMAS.

At a glance 

The Commission of Enquiry was set up to investigate “the entire process which led to the construction of the Las Alturas Towers at Lady Young Gardens, Morvant, and all other acts, matters or decisions done or undertaken incidental to and including the construction” of the project, which includes the procurement process. Two multi-storey units of the Las Alturas housing project began falling apart after construction and the $26 million towers were earmarked for demolition. 

They were part of a larger project, which was originally budgeted at $65 million and then rose to $90 million. The commission is chaired by former Justice of Appeal Mustapha Ibrahim. The other members include civil engineers Dr Myron Wing-Sang Chin and Anthony Farrell. Attorney Laraine Lutchmedial is the secretary. They were appointed by President Anthony Carmona last December. Last September, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar recommended an enquiry into the project after raising concerns about the two towers which had to be demolished. 

Persad-Bissessar said Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, who was a former housing minister under the PNM, as well as Emily Gaynor Dick-Forde, who succeeded him, have distanced themselves from blame. Rowley said though he welcomed the probe, it would be another waste of taxpayers’ dollars.

Five police sergeants have lost their bid to secure compensation for an administrative error which they claimed led to them being bypassed for elevation to the rank of inspector. 

In a judgment delivered in the Port-of-Spain High Court, Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh said although the officers were affected by the error in the promotion procedure, they were not entitled to compensation because even if the error had not occurred they still would not have been eligible for promotion at that time.

“Sympathy for the officers adversely affected cannot lead the court to create remedies which cannot be justified in law or on the basis of evidence,” Boodoosingh said.  

The five sergeants Sherma James, Lucian Ferguson, Arnold Lutchman, Mathew Andrews and Auldric Neptune were relying on a 2013 lawsuit brought by a group of 18 officers who had filed a similar suit. 

In that case the court had ruled that the Police Service’s Promotion Advisory Board had failed to consider its own departmental order when it compiled a merit list for promotions in 2012 from which 51 officers were promoted. 

The order granted prospective candidates maximum points in the examination component of the process once they had passed an English Language qualification exam and possessed sufficient CXC/GCE exam grades and/or a university degree. 

No compensation was awarded in that case either; however, those affected officers were placed high on a revised list prepared following the judgment and were eventually promoted. 

“Nonetheless, it is hoped that all of the interested parties appreciate better now the value of appropriate consultation and reform to ensure that a proper system of assessment is followed in the future if only to avoid the disappointment and anguish that many police officers must have felt by what took place,” Boodoosingh said. 

Boodoosingh also commended acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams for the interim measures he took to alleviate the situation including granting the affected officers acting appointments and promoting them on the basis of the revised list when vacancies opened. 

“It is really a matter for the Government to decide if and when an increase to the organisational structure of the police service is feasible and warranted,” Boodoosingh said, as he acknowledged that there was a limit to the officers Williams was allowed to promote each year. 

The officers were represented by former Police Service Commission chairman Nizam Mohammed and attorneys Kenneth Thompson, Cedric Neptune and Khadeen Bocas. Gerald Ramdeen, Lemuel Murphy and Shankar Bidaisee represented the State.  

The International Police Organisation (Interpol) has been granted ten days to probe Vikash Sharma, the US deportee who was allegedly held with over $1.6 million in drugs and four-high powered guns near the private residence of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in Philippine last week.

Court prosecutor Veano Ragoo told the San Fernando Fourth Court yesterday that he had a text message  from a US Interpol agent asking for two weeks to execute a trace on Sharma’s criminal record. 

After protest from defence attorney Jason Jackson, Magistrate Seemungal Ramsaran allowed the prosecution ten days, saying  it was necessary to know why Sharma was deported before determining if bail could be granted.

Sharma, 27, of Hermitage Village, San Fernando, is charged with possession of four firearms, ammunition, possession of cocaine and marijuana for the purpose of trafficking at his home at Hermitage New Settlement, San Fernando. 

He was also charged with possession of ammunition, firearm components and marijuana at a house at SS Erin Road, Debe, on April 3. 

The charges were laid by detectives Barry Bacchus and Larry Goddard of the San Fernando CID.

Jackson said it was unfair that his client had spent seven days in custody and police were now seeking a further 14 days for something they alone had the authority to do.  He called on the court to disregard the April 3 charges, saying his client was in custody since April 1 after being arrested in Hermitage. Therefore, this meant that Sharma could not have been found in possession of anything at the house in Debe. 

He said the onus was on the police to prove their case and asked the court to consider bail for the initial offences. The matter was adjourned to April 17.

The cache

A black Michael Jordan shoe box with 11 packets of cocaine

A block of cocaine wrapped in plastic

2 metal pots of cocaine, total weight of 2.376 kg

40 grammes of marijuana in a plastic bag

2 plastic packets of marijuana

1 Amadeus revolver

1 Taurus revolver

1 FN US Herstal pistol

1 AK-47 assault rifle

62 rounds of 742 ammunition

20 rounds of 5.6 mm ammunition

34 rounds of 9 mm ammunition 

6 rounds of .357 ammunition

7 rounds of .38 mm ammunition

4 gun magazines

1 gun stump

A teenaged girl who was receiving counselling after her father’s murder exactly one year and a day ago has gone missing.

Venita Chablal, 14, was last seen on March 23 and her mother, Nadine, fears the child’s inability to cope with her father’s murder, which remains unsolved, triggered her to run away from home. 

Venita was last seen wearing a black jersey, blue jeans and a pair of red and white sneakers around Perseverance, Couva. 

Up until two weeks ago, Venita lived with her mother and two sisters at Southern Main Road, Plaisance Park, Pointe-a-Pierre.

The child’s father, Vishnu Chablal, a tow truck driver, was gunned down outside his home last year, two days after thieves broke into his house and stole several items. There were never any arrests in that case. 

In an interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Venita’s mother said although she and Chablal separated when Venita was seven, Venita was closest to him of all her children. 

“Even after we broke up he would always come to look for her and call her everyday. They were very close and when he was killed she kind of fell apart,” Nadine said. 

“She was receiving counselling at the Couva Police station, but she was not responding much to it.”

She said Venita, a form two student of the Couva West Secondary, also began acting out since her father’s death. 

“She was not opening up to me or to the counsellor and she was just giving a little trouble since her father died. She is a good child otherwise,” she said. 

Nadine said Venita started getting into trouble because people took advantage of her vulnerability. 

“People have a way of getting to young girls who are hurting. They took advantage of this situation and advised her to leave the house.”

She said none of Venita’s clothes or belongings were missing from her bedroom, as the child appeared to have taken nothing with her. She sent out an emotional plea for the return of her second child.

“All I want is for her to come home safely. I will get her more thorough counselling, anything for her to come back home. I am begging whoever has Venita, please bring her home.”

Anyone with information can contact the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, St Margaret’s Police Station or the nearest police station. —SR

Claiming there was “dictatorship” in the Diego Martin Central constituency executive, scores of angry People’s National Movement (PNM) members forced a scheduled meeting of the executive to be shifted to a different venue yesterday.

The meeting had been called to weigh fresh candidate options to go before the PNM screening committee in the wake of the rejection last week  of incumbent MP Amery Browne.

But the constituents, reportedly upset at Browne’s general election snub by the Diego Martin executive, reportedly disrupted the meeting at the Diamond Vale Community Centre, forcing the executive to move to a new venue due to the uncomfortable situation  in which they were put.

Sources told the T&T Guardian that Browne, who got no votes from the Diego Martin executive during the screening process, was neither aware of the meeting nor was he invited to it.  

But a vocal group of supporters said they got word of the meeting via a text message and felt it was necessary to attend.

The mainly female group which assembled outside the community centre said they were initially told it was a constituency meeting and felt they should attend to voice their anger over Browne’s rejection but they said when they entered the facility they were told that it was not a constituency meeting but a meeting of the executive.

Not wanting any confrontation or bacchanal, Irene Hinds, vice chair of the constituency and PNM operations officer, and others left for the nearby office of Diamond Vale councillor Gail La Touche, where they conducted the meeting.

Constituency member Emerita Sambrano said they were supporting Browne because he remained a “very hard working MP.”

Another party supporter shouted: “We are hurting.”

Later the group shouted: “Dictators!”

Another upset member, Joy Belfon, said it was “unfair” for the executive to control the process in the manner it did. She said the constituency was not only two or three people, adding the “dictatorship” must not be allowed to continue. 

“The dictatorship has to stop,” she demanded as others all applauded.

She insisted: “What goes around will come back around 500 million times with a different force.” 

She stressed there was “dictatorship in the constituency.”

“Why must one set of people dictate who represents us in Diego Martin Central?” another supporter shouted.

The executive meeting ended shortly before 8 pm. 

Chairman of the constituency Osborne Charles offered “no comment” as he departed. 

 But Hinds said: “We had an executive meeting to decide where we go from here.” 

She said what was discussed at the meeting was private and the chairmen and secretaries of all party groups in the Diego Martin constituency would be told of their decision tomorrow.

The constituency was given until Monday to find a new candidate.

No comment

Contacted last night, Browne declined comment.

However, Browne said last week that although he respected the decision of the screening committee he intended to run again and hoped “that ultimately the best decision will be made.” 

“My life has been one of service to the less-fortunate since long before I entered politics and my commitment and sense of duty to my constituents and to the people of Trinidad and Tobago remain as strong and binding today as ever before,” he said. He did say, however, that he was still very committed to the party. 

“Diego Martin Central remains critical to the fortunes of the People’s National Movement in this coming election and I am committed to playing a role in ensuring our success,” he added.

Also contacted last night, PNM general secretary Ashton Ford said the executive meeting was called because the members had a limited time to do its work. It was given until Monday to find a new candidate to be screened for the seat, he added.

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley paid a private visit to the Diego Martin Regional Corporation late Tuesday night to probe issues and questions raised against its chairman Darryl Smith during last Thursday's screening for the Diego Martin Central seat.

Insiders at the Diego Martin Regional Corporation said yesterday Rowley expressed a concern about allegations of mismanagement of funds at the corporation, which was allegedly raised at the screening stage for selection for the Diego Martin Central seat.

The T&T Guardian was informed that Rowley and Member for Diego Martin North East, Colm Imbert, visited the regional corporation and also met with several councillors for the area that same night. 

While Rowley confirmed yesterday he was there, Imbert did not respond to questions on the matter.

However, Rowley denied that he was there to investigate allegations of embezzlement.

“That is a total lie,” he said in a text response yesterday.

He did, however, confirm that the visit was to probe information the screening committee received.

“We met with councillors to check on information put to the screening committee. Our interest was to assess the effectiveness and leadership of Mr Smith as a chairman of the corporation and the kind of management relationship he had with various councillors in the corporation,” Rowley said.

The PNM screening committee is expected to reconvene on Monday. The Diego Martin Central Committee has until then to find a new batch of contenders for the Diego Martin Central seat after incumbent Dr Amery Browne received no votes from the committee last Thursday. 

Smith, who also contested the position, topped the shortlist with just two nods of approval out of an 18-member committee.

It has since been reported that the PNM has  left the door open for Browne to return for screening. Browne has also indicated he is prepared to re-offer himself for the position he has held for two terms.

Although People’s Partnership Tobago East MP Vernella Alleyne-Toppin apologised to the Parliament yesterday for the “mischaracterisation deduced” from her controversial statements on People’s National Movement (PNM) leader Dr Keith Rowley, Independent Liberal Party (ILP) MP Jack Warner has initiated moves for Parliament to recommend “appropriate action” on her “repugnant statements.” 

House Speaker Wade Mark said he would rule on Warner’s request, for disciplinary action against Alleyne-Toppin, at the next Parliament session. The respective developments occurred at yesterday’s Parliament sitting, where Alleyne-Toppin and Warner spoke. 

Alleyne-Toppin has come under fire for statements she made in debate during the March 25 motion of no confidence against Rowley, in which she alluded to the rape of a young girl, saying the product of that now aspired to lofty office and also graphically detailed other statements on Rowley, including raising questions of his allegedly fathering a child through an act of rape. 

Despite open condemnation, Alleyne-Toppin subsequently stood her ground, prompting the PNM to air a video recording of Roselyn Alleyne and her son, who said he was Rowley’s child out of relationship his two parents had decades ago. Alleyne in the video also said she had not been raped and disputed Alleyne-Toppin’s statements.

Yesterday, under the Parliament agenda’s segment for personal explanations, Alleyne-Toppin rose to speak on the issue. But Rowley immediately left the chamber, as did PNM MPs Donna Cox, Paula Gopee-Scoon and Patricia McIntosh. Addressing those present after, Alleyne-Toppin said: “I sought during my contribution to highlight certain sensitive issues in our society with which I have had direct experiences and which I considered relevant to the matter being debated. These issues included the indelicate but pertinent issues of rape and domestic violence.  

“In consequent media reports, my contribution was unfortunately characterised and exploited as an attack on persons who may have been the victims of domestic violence and other such offences. “My longstanding and manifest abhorrence of this type of behaviour has been well established over many years and particularly within the recent years I have served in this Parliament.”

She added: “It was and is never my intention to stigmatise any person whatsoever who may have suffered the indignity of domestic violence of any kind. Clearly my contribution during the debate in question had no such purpose. “Against this background, I sincerely and unreservedly apologise to this honourable House and any person outside this Parliament for the mischaracterisation which may have been deduced from the statements during my contribution.”

Reckless behaviour

But when she ended, Warner, citing the Parliament’s privileges, said Alleyne-Toppin’s March 25 contribution made several unsavory statements about the personal life of Rowley, “including analogies to Adolf Hitler and the thief called Barabbas and even suggested that (Rowley’s) birth was a shameful consequence of his mother being raped by his father... she made many distasteful statements and inferences in relation to the Opposition leader.”

“I ask that the Member for Tobago East be referred to the Privileges Committee of this House, not to determine whether a contempt has been committed but for the committee to recommend appropriate action to be taken in relation to the member’s repugnant statements,” he said. Warner said it was now “indisputable that the malignant and distasteful statements were untrue and therefore wholly misleading.”

He added: “The statements must be considered an absolute violation of the free speech accorded to elected Members of Parliament and constitutes a disdainful denigration of the privileges afforded to the House of Representatives. “Even if the member believed her statements to be true, she provided no evidence to support the veracity of these statements. She was therefore wantonly reckless in her responsibility to provide accurate information to the House and seriously misinformed the House in a material way.

“The statements weren’t in the national interest but constituted a vile personal attack on the Opposition Leader and served the sole purpose of bringing the House into serious public odium and disrepute. This must be a contempt of the House. “I therefore submit the member committed contempt of this House on the grounds she grossly and recklessly abused the privilege of freedom of speech, bringing the House into serious public odium, ridicule and disrepute.”

Warner, who walked out on the PP’s motion, later told reporters Alleyne-Toppin didn’t apologise and as an explanation, her statement yesterday “was too little too late.” He added: “The Government is partly to blame for her March 25 statement, since it was planned by the Cabinet.  “That statement should be expunged from the parliamentary record. If my privileges request fails, the court of public opinion will judge her and if the Speaker doesn’t approve my request he has only three more months for his term of office anyway.”

Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) MPs yesterday again walked out on the People’s Partnership Government’s motion of no confidence against Opposition PNM leader Dr Keith Rowley, although Government MPs continued debate on the motion after they left. Also leaving the chamber—and the motion behind—was Independent Liberal Party (ILP) MP Jack Warner.

The motion was based on Rowley’s failure to disclose that Police Complaints Authority director David West was his witness in a civil case involving former attorney general Anand Ramlogan. Input from Rowley and the PM was required for West’s appointment.  During the March 25 start of the debate, PNM MPs had walked out of Parliament after MP Colm Imbert dismissed the motion as “foolishness.” Yesterday, debate continued with seven of PP’s 26 MPs absent, including Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who  is in Jamaica.

Eleven of the PNM’s 13 MPs who arrived for yesterday’s session remained throughout various agenda items, including questions to ministers. Absent were MPs Amery Browne and Patrick Manning. Most of the PNM MPs also remained while PP MP Vernella Allyene-Toppin read an explanation and apologised on her statements concerning Rowley in the first leg of debate.  However, Rowley and several female PNM MPs left the chamber as she was speaking but returned after she ended.

But at 2.30 pm, as soon as House Speaker Wade Mark began announcing continuation of debate on the motion concerning Rowley, the Opposition bench began dramatically packing up, with much conspicuous gestures and putting away of papers. They then all walked out, taking the elevator to the Parliament tearoom, PNM MP Terrence Deyalsingh later confirmed. He said the PNM would have remained in the tearoom while debate continued. 

Deyalsingh said the PNM would not sit in Parliament and listen to the PP “titillating themselves, this is a denigration of the Parliament. Let them writhe in their own slime.” He said the PNM did not seek to denigrate the Prime Minister at a personal level when they mounted a no-confidence motion against her earlier in the term. On Warner’s move to seek to have the Parliament take disciplinary action against Alleyne-Toppin, he said: “That’s a necessary tool, it will be interesting to see what the Speaker has to say.”

Deyalsingh said the PNM would continue boycotting Parliament once the PP continued the motion, adding Alleyne-Toppin’s apology was insincere and blamed the COP/PP for the situation. He said Alleyne-Toppin could have raised the rape issue in various previous sessions when legislation concerning rape had arisen. “What does a motion of no confidence have to do with rape?” he asked. The House adjourned just before 7 pm last night and debate on the no-confidence motion continues on April 17 at 1.30 pm. 
 
Admiration for MP

PP MP Suruj Rambachan, inside the chamber, however, expressed admiration for Alleyne-Toppin, saying there was a rare added quality when MPs rose to the occasion as she had. He said the motion had to do with Rowley’s character and conduct, since he aspired to be lead T&T, and voters had the right to know the person for whom they were voting. Saying a leader makes or mars a country, he said Rowley was disrespectful and unfit to be Opposition Leader and aspire to be Prime Minister. 

Noting the PNM MPs had worn red when they all walked out on March 25 and didn’t wear red yesterday, Rambachan said if people aspired to lead they stood up and defended their name. He noted Rowley’s statements in the 2013 no-confidence motion against Government, where Rowley said one was duty bound to respond on such motions. Rambachan said responses by Rowley and PNM’s Colm Imbert on pollster Nigel Henry’s poll showed intolerance and arrogance. 

He questioned how Rowley as prime minister might respond to ideas or issues he might not tolerate, “especially when “tolerance” was one of T&T’s watchwords.” He also questioned why Rowley’s Parliament biography did not state he had a son and that Rowley only admitted he knew West was a witness in the Ramlogan case when the PM questioned him on it. (GA)

There will be no criminal charges filed against any member of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) for the March 23 roadblocks which brought the country to a near standstill, acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams said yesterday. However, the senior officers involved may possibly face disciplinary action. He made the comment during the weekly press briefing at Police Headquarters, Port-of-Spain, where he detailed the findings of a probe into the “total day of policing” to journalists.

“The investigations did not reveal any real criminal act committed by any of the officers on that particular day,” Williams said, adding that the probing officer did find “issues around disciplinary breaches.” Williams said a total day of policing, where all the police officers were called out to conduct exercises, was not unusual for the TTPS. He said, however, that there was never a roadblock like the one on March 23.

“Total policing was carried out in 2014. We saw the benefit of it, saw the clear difference in crime numbers. It was an initiative that brought a lot of fruit; 2014 recorded the lowest number of serious crimes because of the total policing days,” he said. He explained that such policing was centered around bringing the full force of the police service out to conduct exercises. It also allowed them to call out off duty officers to assist. 

But, he said, the probe into the March 23 activity revealed “facts and gaps” in their policing procedures. One of the gaps  identified was communication from the executive level to the lower ranks, he said. “The gap had to do with the implementation at the lowest level. That is the gap we speak about and that is the gap we have to effectively bridge to ensure that whatever you communicate from the level of the executive goes straight to the organisation to be implemented,” he said.

Williams said disciplinary action would not occur right away because there was a process to be taken and the final part of that process would allow him to take action. “I am supposed to deal with discipline at the end of the process. The final process has not reached yet... I am not saying that there were disciplinary breaches,” Williams said.

6 divisions involved

Williams said the report had identified six divisions involved in the roadblock exercise. When asked how many police officers were involved in the exercise, Williams said he was unable to disclose that information. But Williams also did not directly answer a number of reporters’ questions yesterday. When asked what divisional heads were responsible for the roadblocks, he did not say. Asked if the report would be made public or available to journalists, he said the report was classified.  

When asked if keeping the report confidential would not further tarnish the public’s trust in the Police Service, Williams said he was following through on the promise made to the public to have a report done and was informing the public of the report. Williams added that he acknowledged that the roadblock damaged public trust but promised that the TTPS would do its best to repair the damage done. He gave the assurance that there would be no recurrence of the roadblock.

On March 23 commuters from north, south, central, east and west Trinidad and parts of Tobago were stuck in gridlocked traffic for hours because of roadblocks conducted by police officers. Members of the TTPS described it as a total day of policing. However, no official in the TTPS was identified as responsible for giving the go-ahead for the roadblocks.

The Alliance of Independents (AI) is forming a full-fledged political party and has sent a party symbol to the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), interim chairman Joe Pires confirmed yesterday. He said the party had a political leader in mind, but would not say who it was. Asked if it was a female leader—since Nicole Dyer-Griffith and he had been signing AI press releases—Pires said: “Nicole is the communications officer (but) we have a leader in mind.”

He said the group had not talked with a business official whom some in the People’s National Movement had been speculating might be a suitable candidate for a seat or a senate post as finance minister should the PNM form the next government. 

The AI was formed soon after Dyer-Griffith’s husband, former national security minister Gary Griffith, was removed from the People’s Partnership Cabinet on February 2 following a police probe of witness-tampering allegations brought by Police Complaints Authority (PCA) director David West against former attorney general Anand Ramlogan. Griffith gave a police statement which reportedly corroborated West’s claims. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar later removed Ramlogan and Griffith from her Cabinet.

Dyer-Griffith resigned as Congress of the People’s chair and the party soon after, taking issue with Griffith’s removal and other issues surrounding how the PP treated the COP. Also resigning from COP were Pires and other Diego Martin party activists. The group later sought to have meetings with other like-minded people.

Yesterday, Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) leader David Abdulah said talks they had had with AI were informal and no meetings were held for about three weeks. He said the MSJ was continuing to examine its options for contesting the general election in some constituencies. Also contacted, Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner said interaction with AI remained exploratory and while he was presenting candidates in Chaguanas West and East the ILP would not contest all 41 seats.

Winds of change

Pires said yesterday that the new party would be on its own and not part of a coalition with other groups they had been holding talks with. AI’s Jimmy Fifi said he submitted the party’s symbol to the EBC on Tuesday evening. The symbol comprises winds (of change) blowing with a book and is in T&T’s national colours. EBC CEO Ramesh Nanan said he was out of office yesterday and hadn’t seen it yet. 

Pires said the political leader would be announced at the AI’s next public meeting (in Tunapuna), which would be after the group held cottage meetings next week in areas spanning from Tunapuna to Diego Martin. They planned to meet 600 people altogether and would make a formal decision on going forward, he said. “It’ll impact on AI’s existing (group) structure,” Pires said, confirming the AI would have an interim executive initially. 

AI held its first public meeting in Diego Martin over two weeks ago, attended by several businessmen, residents and a Tunapuna group, where sacked PP minister Herbert Volney urged them to contest seats as independents. On whether AI planned to respond to overtures from other parties, since PP officials had hinted of contact with some AI officials, Pires said, “We’ll be prepared to talk to all the parties on how we can influence change in T&T.” He said that included the PNM.

On AI membership and funding, Pires said the new executive would need to be in place before embarking on a membership drive. He said funding would come via pledges which AI would seek. On if he would resign from the chairmanship of the Vehicle Maintenance Company (VMCOTT) board, he said, “That would be the logical thing to do, but it also depends on if I hold an official post on the upcoming AI executive, since I’m only interim chairman now.”

Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz said recently that Pires could remain on VMCOTT’s board unless the AI became a PP opponent.

Suruj welcomes competition

United National Congress deputy leader Suruj Rambachan yesterday welcomed the AI to the political landscape of T&T. “This is a free, democratic country and everyone has the opportunity to come forward in the political process; people should be encouraged to come foward to serve. I wish anyone all the best in their endeavours.” On whether AI would be asked to be part of the PP coalition, he said, “We’ll wait and see how things evolve in future.”

Asked if Pires, who now holds an interim position in AI, should resign from VMCOTT’s board, he said, “The PP isn’t vindictive. We try to get the best people for positions, unlike the PNM, which is vindictive even to their own members. “We operate on trust when people put themselves up for high office and express their observation of all protocols. So unless that changes there’s no need for change.” On the possibility of AI splitting the PP’s votes, he said, “People will vote for the PP as they believe in the concept and are starting to see all the work that’s been done. 

“I think the PP will be returned in elections...general elections are different from THA, Local Government or by-election polls.” He also said he did not believe the PM’s decision not to fire Tobago MP Vernella Alleyne-Toppin over comments she made about Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley would hurt the PP.

The PNM’s rejection of several incumbents as candidates for the upcoming general election is an attempt to change the party’s image, political analysts say. As to whether this would have an impact on voters, they remained unsure, noting that supporters always voted for party but it was the undecided who would be more likely to vote on candidates and issues. “Yes, he is trying to change the image of the PNM and his own image too as they go into the general election,” Dr Bishnu Ragoonath said.

Ragoonath said the change was an effort to move the PNM from the old guard to one Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley would prefer, which would support his goals and aspirations “Yes, he’s also trying to change the ethnic image, which began with the appointment of Diane Baldeo-Chadeesingh and Avinash Singh as senators.” 

Baldeo-Chadeesingh has since withdrawn from the general election race. She had been chosen for the Chaguanas East constituency last December but the PNM issued a press release on Tuesday saying she had “withdrawn her candidacy due to personal reasons.” Ragoonath said: “But he’s not trying to change what exists, he’s just trying to broaden the support base of the party. “He’s trying to ensure the PNM comes across as fair, nationalist and more broad-based.

And will it give the PNM an advantage in the general election? “To some extent it would work because he would be able to control the party much more than he controlled it in the past,” Ragoonath said. Responding to a question, Ragoonath said he was not sure Rowley had a bad image.

Winford James
Dr Winford James said there was no evidence to suggest that Rowley, who leads the PNM screening committee, masterminded the changing of general election candidates. “Not that he hasn’t, you know. It’s just that there’s no evidence.” James said constituency groups nominate candidates and the screening committee, through a voting system, selected them. James said he was not sure Rowley’s vote carried any more weight than any one else’s, but added that a leader could sway people.

He said he could not comment on the image of the PNM since he was yet to see the final list of candidates. As for the reported disenchantment of incumbents who were rejected as candidates, James said they had indicated they would accept their replacements. “There is no law that says you have to stay with the incumbents.” He noted that three from the old guard, Colm Imbert, Marlene McDonald and Rowley himself, were still with the PNM.

James said PNM supporters would vote for whomever the party put up. It was the undecided voters who might look at the candidates themselves, he said. As to whether they would support the PNM because of the new image, James said he was not so sure.

Mukesh Basdeo
Political analyst Mukesh Basdeo said when Rowley took over leadership of the PNM in 2010 he did say one of his plans was to make the party as broad-based as possible. Basdeo said previously other ethnic groups in the Afro-dominated PNM were in the minority and put to contest seats they would be sure to lose. He noted, under Rowley’s leadership, Indians like Clarence Rambharat and Terrence Deyalsingh had been put as candidates in crucial marginal seats.

There seemed to be an attempt to change the ethnic image of the PNM and also an attempt to bring in new, fresh blood, he said. “They seem to be trying to have the old and the young, and a broader base altogether at the same time.” Whether Rowley’s political strategies were successful or not would depend on the voters, in particular, the undecided, Basdeo said. He said race would always be a factor in general elections but the undecided would look at the candidates and issues raised.

Four Government ministers, among them acting Prime Minister Errol McLeod, said Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley is unsuitable to lead T&T following this year’s general election. McLeod, Works and Infrastructure Minister Dr Surujrattan Rambachan, National Diversity and Social Integration Rodger Samuel and Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz all contributed to yesterday’s resumed debate in Parliament on a motion of no confidence in Rowley.

As was the case when the matter was first debated two weeks ago, the Opposition MPs, including Rowley, walked out of the chamber shortly before 3 pm as the motion was about to resume. During their contributions yesterday they all recalled former prime minister Patrick Manning describing Rowley as a raging bull. Samuel said Rowley was a politician who liked to attack but was against being attacked. 

Rambachan said the decision by the Opposition to walk out of the chamber was not a good example for the children of the nation. He said Rowley was a man who, by his action, was saying one should run from challenges. He said the walkout was a disrespect to the Parliament. Rambachan said Rowley had divided the PNM since he assumed leadership in 2010.

Commenting on the rejection of many PNM incumbents by the PNM’s screening committee, Rambachan said that was a clear indication that Rowley did not want any opposition. “He doesn’t tolerate any opposition. And every single (PNM) member (MP) who has been discarded for the next election has been discarded because they didn’t support (Rowley) and they supported the MP for San Fernando East (Patrick Manning),” Rambachan added.

He said the rejection of Diego Martin Central MP Dr Amery Browne would negatively affect the young people of the nation who supported the hard-working Opposition MP. Rambachan also said Rowley was refusing to support T&T’s proposed nominee for the post of Commonwealth secretary general, Planning and Sustainable Development Minister Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie. He said Rowley had opted to support Antiguan nominee Sir Ronald Sanders. 

According to Rambachan, Rowley “has proven himself to be anti-T&T, anti-citizen, anti-country, anti-nation.”

A scene resembling something from an “apocalypse movie” was how lead attorney for the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), Queen’s Counsel Vincent Nelson, yesterday described the site of the Las Alturas housing project at Lady Young Road, Morvant. Delivering the cryptic comment at the end of the second evidentiary hearing of the Commission of Enquiry appointed to investigate the circumstances leading to and the eventual construction of several multi-storey apartment buildings at the location, Nelson said it was “quite a sight to see.” 

Supportive of the recommendation that a site visit would assist those participating in the enquiry, to better understand and contextualise the evidence presented thus far, Nelson said one would be able to detect where the slope failure began, as well as the dangerous position of the remaining buildings, the area where the retaining wall was built, the underpinnings which had been drilled beneath the demolished buildings and other infrastructural and developmental work.

The date of the site visit will be determined when the third evidentiary session begins on May 4, at the Caribbean Court of Justice, Henry Street, Port-of-Spain. Yesterday’s session concluded by 11 am as the HDC’s second expert witness, structural engineer Jon J Kangos, was cross-examined by attorney Emerson John-Charles who is appearing on behalf of Civil Engineering Management and Services (CEMAS) and Steve Kistow Engineering Services.

Admitting that he had submitted a statement confirming that the reinforced concrete super-structures at the site had been “adequately built,” Kangos sought to make clear that this opinion had been formed prior to examining the “un-cracked structure,” and before there was any evidence of “geotechnical distress at the site.”

Following questions from commissioner Anthony Farrell, who is a civil engineer by profession, Kangos said his calculations pertaining to the buildings’ earthquake preparedness were based on geotechnical and geographical information provided to him at the time. Unable to say what factors were used to determine that information, Kangos said he found the buildings were “acceptable as constructed.”

Taking the witness stand immediately after Kangos, was Dr Robert Tibor Ratay, a forensic structural engineer from New York, who was employed by the HDC to head the specialised team of experts in 2011 to assess the site after problems began to occur. Kangos, who is employed with Severud Associates Consulting Engineers of New York, along with geotechnical engineer Francis J Arland of Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers (MRCE) of New York, formed part of the team under Ratay.

Producing a copy of an unsigned contract between himself and the HDC yesterday—which had been endorsed by Jearlean John who was named as the managing director of the HDC at the time—Ratay said he believed the HDC and government were one and the same referred to in the contract, in which there were provisions for compensation in the event his services were terminated before the stipulated period.

Initially estimated to cost approximately US$100,000, Ratay admitted under cross-examination by attorney Justin Phelps that the price-tag for his services skyrocketed to US$300,000 as the scope of works increased. Phelps is representing Geotech Associates Limited (GA), the firm which was employed to conduct geotechnical tests at the site.

Unaware of how much was actually paid to the entire team as all members were paid separately, Ratay testified that he was in fact paid more than the original figure of $100,000, but less than US$300,000. Ratay confirmed that during his first visit to T&T in 2011, he met “everybody” associated with the project.

Returning to T&T in 2012, accompanied by Arland, Ratay said he remembered meeting with officials of the Joint Consultative Council but was unable to remember if former president Winston Riley was present at the meeting at the Hyatt Regency. Riley, who is the chairman of Planning Associates Limited (PAL), has already appeared before the Commission.

Riley testified that shortly after reporting the structural issues which threatened to derail the project, his company’s services were terminated by the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) which then hired Civil Engineering Management and Services (CEMAS). Riley said PAL had informed Udecott of issues with the contractor China Jiangsu International Corp of T&T Ltd (CJIC) before it eventually signed a contract for the project. 

It is expected that during the site visit which will be done during the next session in May, HDC’s senior engineer Gordon Reddon; Udecott’s project engineer Atiba de Souza; Trintoplan engineer Andrea Claire Abel; PAL’s project engineer Trevor De Landro; and geotechnical engineer Derek Gay will accompany the commissioners and attorneys.

legal minds

Attorneys for the Commission include Pamela Elder, SC, and Jagdeo Singh, both of whom are instructed by Alvin Pariagsingh. Appearing on behalf of the HDC are Vincent Nelson, QC, and Larry Lalla. Richard Mason and Jehan Mohammed, along with Faydia Mohammed and Brendon Sullivan, are appearing for Udecott.

Attorney Justin Phelps is appearing alongside Jerome Herrera, both instructed by Anabelle Sooklal for Geotech Associates Limited (GA), whereas Emerson John-Charles and Zenobia Campbell-James are appearing on behalf of Civil Engineering Management and Services (CEMAS) and Steve Kistow Engineering Services.

Inspector Wellington of the St Joseph Police Station is continuing investigations. 

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she is “most concerned” about the threat of terrorism to T&T and other Caricom states. Persad-Bissessar, who has lead responsibility for crime and security in the regional body, made the comment on the eve of yesterday’s summit between US President Barack Obama and Caricom Heads of Government at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. She was expected to raise the terrorism issue at yesterday’s meeting with Obama.

Ahead of the meeting yesterday, she said the issue should not be taken lightly. “I raised the issue very seriously. Heads did take it on. Some may feel it is not for their specific country at this time but that is a threat (and) it is facing the world. “We are very concerned and we will do all we can to work in partnerships to deal with narco trafficking, transnational organised crime, which is human trafficking and trafficking in arms, and trafficking in drugs. 

“And who are we, as small nation states, where borders are porous, that is why narco trafficking happens so often in our region. It is important that we band together, and Caricom has made those decisions that we would work and partner together.” Persad-Bissessar said the region also faced serious threat from the terrorist groups in the Middle East.

She said T&T “nationals may be leaving to go (to the Middle East) and there are others who are coming from other parts of the region and passing through T&T as a trans-shipment, if you like,” adding that if such people “attempt to re-enter, we may have greater knowledge or forewarning of such re-entries.” She said T&T and Jamaica had co-sponsored a United Nations resolution in New York last September to deal with such threats in the Middle East.

She said T&T and the nations which signed the UN resolution would receive “great benefits and help in the fight against terrorism,” as it provided “a little more protection, because of the co-operation and partnership that would have taken place relating to the sharing of information, sharing of intelligence, that comes on a global scale.” She said Caricom was made up of small nation states, where the borders are porous and that was why it remained important that the regional states work together.

30 nationals on watchlist

Former national security minister Gary Griffith yesterday said he fully supported Persad-Bissessar’s call for co-operation on terrorism. In a brief interview with the T&T Guardian, Griffith said terrorism was an international threat which would not go away by putting “our heads in the sand.” He said the matter should not be taken lightly, adding that there were “persons of interest in T&T” and thousands of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) in countries across the world, including the United States, Canada and Europe. He said many of those fighters go to Syria to train. 

Griffith said from information he received while in office, there were more than 30 T&T foreign terrorist fighters who have left for training abroad. He said it was almost impossible to stop them from leaving to go to Syria but there were systems in place to monitor when they returned to T&T. He said the recently-signed UN agreement would assist T&T in the fight against terrorism, as when FTFs returned home “they can be arrested and denied bail.”

He said the terrorists did not “just enter your country to engage in radical religious behaviour. They come as mercenaries and engage in economic activity,” adding that Isis operates with “a heavy capital.” Griffith said there already existed in T&T, a special “elite, highly-trained unit, called the National Security Special Operations Group, which is ready to respond immediately if any act of terrorism was attempted in the country.”

He said a counter-terrorism intelligence unit was also being established within the Strategic Services Agency (SSA). The former minister said there was no need to press the panic button over the issue but it was critical that T&T and other countries be prepared for any such possibility. Griffith said while Persad-Bissessar was criticised by many for signing the UN resolution, it provided “our intelligence agencies with the opportunity to not just  give information but also to receive real time intelligence from our allies, which includes monitoring the movement of FTFs.”

A police constable attached to the Cunupia Police Station yesterday was placed in an induced coma at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, after he and two of his colleagues were involved in a crash along the Uriah Butler Highway. According to police reports, PC Raul Hercules, 33, was placed in the coma after both his lungs collapsed hours after being rushed to hospital. 

The accident occurred around 4.30 am police said.  PC Clive Duntin and PC Corey Williams were also injured in the crash. The officers were in a marked vehicle when the accident occurred along the south-bound lane of the highway near the Caroni Bird Sanctuary. Eyewitness said the car skidded off the roadway and overturned, landing in a nearby ditch. Duntin, 27, sustained spinal injuries in addition to injuries to his left leg and left eye, while Williams, 24, sustained a fractured skull. 

Hercules has been on the job for three years, Duntin for two years and six months while Williams has only been an officer for six months. Police said two other cars also slammed into the fire truck that responded to the accident after they tried to get a glimpse of the police car in the ditch.