Two friends were gunned down in Belmont yesterday afternoon in what police described as a reprisal shooting. According to police, the two young men were killed around 2.20 pm as they sat in a car at the corner of Erthig Road and Cazabon Lane, Belmont.

The two, Amit Ramlogan, 18, of Davis Street, Belmont, and Kareem Turton, 28, were outside Turton’s home in a white Nissan B-14 belonging to a relative of Ramlogan’s when gunmen riddled the car with bullets from a high-powered rifle. Police said residents of Erthig Road heard the gunshots and later found the two men dead. 

Officers of the Belmont Police Station along with PC Ramroop and Cpl Seecharan of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations responded to the shootings. 

Police said last week a relative of Ramlogan’s was reported to have shot at a group of men. The intended targets survived and are believed to have pounced on the duo thinking it was Ramlogan’s relative, since the teen was driving the relative’s car. 

In an unrelated incident, Homicide detectives are investigating the murder of a man early yesterday morning in the St Joseph area. The man, who up to late yesterday was not identified, was found around 2 am by limers of Red Light Bar, along the Eastern Main Road, with gunshot wounds to his body. 

Police said the patrons heard gunshots and scampered. After the shooting the limers found the body of a man of African descent face down on the roadway. 

A Moruga man was also beaten to death in his hometown early yesterday morning. (See Page A8). 

The murders this weekend have taken the toll to 296 for the year, according to the Homicide Bureau of Investigations. 

Meanwhile, police said an autopsy would be done on the body of a San Juan man who died at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex three weeks after being warded following a severe beating.

According to police, Felix “Rickie” Singh was found along Hunte Street, San Juan, a short distance from his home on August 18, around 2 am. Singh was taken to the hospital where he had been warded ever since. Singh died early Friday morning. Police officers believe that he died as a result of injuries from the beating he sustained. The autopsy will determine whether Singh’s death should be classified as a murder. (See Page A8)

With oil priced around US$45 a barrel and gas at US$72 per mmbtu, all eyes will be fixed on the newly appointed Minister of Finance Colm Imbert over the few next weeks for the presentation of the 2015/2016 national budget.

Already, economists are weighing in on Imbert’s appointment and have given their recommendations.

Dr Roger Hosein said it was not business as usual, that astute planning and critical foresight were required to shift the country out of its state of moderate growth.

Given the global decline in the prices of the two major resources—oil and gas—Hosein told the Sunday Guardian “all hands on deck are required and it’s not business as usual.”

Meanwhile, Indera Sagewan-Alli said the budget was the main focus right now and assumed Imbert would be “heavily relying” on the work of former finance minister Larry Howai, especially if the budget was expected to be read in the next few weeks.

She said, “I can’t imagine that he can do much tinkering.”

On Friday, Imbert said a tentative date for the budget was September 28, which is about two weeks away.

Sagewan-Alli said Imbert’s appointment was “a surprising one” given his background in engineering. While she appreciated that he had a lot of political experience having been in the field for “so long,” whether that would translate into the requisite competencies of a Minister of Finance was left to be seen.

She said, “You have to give them time to prove their mettle. They can either deliver on our expectations, positively, or they could not, as we have seen with past governments.

“We just have to be vigilant as a people and ensure we continually hold them to account to determine whether it is in our best interest.”

Diversification of the 

economy

Hosein said the new Government had no choice but to focus on diversification of the economy.

He said, “I think the decrease in oil and gas prices has made it very clear that unless they can find suitable, alternative means for generating foreign exchange, this economy will find itself within the next few years, if things continue as they are, with a very severe foreign exchange problem.”

He added that the new ministers needed to put their heads together with the relevant stakeholders to find ways and mechanisms to improve the pace of diversification.

He said it was no longer necessary to hold conversations on diversification.

”It is now necessary to move the whole diversification into one of action rather than a conversation.”

Hosein said that much needed emphasis had to be placed on areas where expenditures could be cut.

He said Imbert would want to look at decreasing overall expenditure, particularly in areas of transfers and subsidies and at the same time boosting revenue intake.

“The new minister will have to look carefully at non-petroleum tax revenue flows within the next three years and make a judgment as to whether or not there is need to increase the personal income tax rate so as to bolster government revenue inflows.

“One of the tendencies we have been noticing in the economy is that a concentration on non-government capital expenditures has not been able to adequately improve the overall output level of the economy since 2009.”

Hosein said the new minister might therefore want to consider a reformulation of government expenditure with a greater focus on capital expenditures.

He added, “This will help to strengthen the productive capacity of the economy and may also help in lowering the overall inflation rate.”

In this regard, he may need to pay attention to the San Fernando to Mayaro Highway, using an appropriate financing mechanism.

Hosein suggested that Imbert and the Minister of Planning Camille Robinson-Regis pay close attention to appropriately diversifying the economy in the coming years, saying the room for error was now small and that wide-scale stakeholder consultation on the process was necessary.

“It is not business as usual. The medium-term growth rate is likely to be at best moderate and so, astute planning and critical foresighting are required to move the economy out of this period of moderate economic growth.”

Stop the ‘gimme gimme’

In his address after the swearing in of his new Cabinet on Friday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said it was time to get rid of the ‘gimme-gimme’ attitude.

Sagewan-Alli said the PM had continued to allude to the fact that the country needed greater efficiency and needed to move away from the high dependency situation to one of greater responsibility.

Regarding the budget, she said, “What we will be looking for is the stamp of this new administration on the budget.”

She said a budget was upon this new administration almost immediately.

“Unless they were spending time developing policies while in Opposition, which I hardly think is the case, I don’t expect to see any drastic changes.”

As to whether there would be savings with the trimming of several ministries, she said yes.

However, even though salaries will not be paid for those ministries that no longer exist, costs will be incurred for the changing of names, stationery and other items.

“In the immediate term, the only savings will be salaries and that could possibly be offset by the increased cost of what is needed to have the new ministries.”

Within the next two years, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley will be forced to make the biggest decision in his life by taking drastic measures to keep T&T’s economy stable.

The prediction was made on Thursday by popular psychic Yesenia Gonzalez.

Sitting in a dimly lit room at her Mt Lambert home with a deck of tarot cards spread across a gold cloth, Gonzalez, who predicted on her Facebook page that the People’s National Movement (PNM) would have emerged victorious on September 7 and Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Cabinet would face repeated scandal, revealed fresh predictions for Rowley and his new Government.

In the next 24 months, Gonzalez said, Rowley would be faced with tough economic challenges and would have to take decisive action and implement drastic changes that could make him unpopular with the masses.

“His decisions and actions can lead to a tsunami of protests. But he is a strong leader and would do his best for the country’s survival,” Gonzalez said.

She also revealed that attempts would be made to have Persad-Bissessar removed as leader of the United National Congress (UNC), while Jack Warner’s extradition matter would drag on for years in court.

Gonzalez said Rowley’s decisions would hinge on a number of factors that would affect the country.

These include the following:

• Oil prices will continue to fall.

• Consideration will be given to devaluing the T&T dollar.

• Property tax will return under a new system 

• Job cuts

• Social programmes will be reduced

“All these issues would lead to a crisis in our hands,” Gonzalez added.

Gonzalez also predicted...

• Two former UNC ministers will face corruption and fraud charges

• The Central Bank and the Government will lock horns over changes in the bank’s system

• Rowley will be challenged for his post as leader in the party’s next internal elections

• Opposition members will oppose the PM

• The race war on social media will intensify

• There will be a disaster in Parliament

• A political leader will die

“The Prime Minister would face major challenges as oil prices would continue to be unstable and would further drop. The prices would fall very low, which would create history in the country. 

“This would lead to the cutting of jobs and social programmes and funding to ministries. It would be difficult for Rowley in the next two years to keep the country on a stable footing, while the Opposition would continuously fight him down,” Gonzalez said.

She said Rowley would make every attempt to work with the Opposition, but they would try to frustrate him. Gonzalez said this would lead to pulling and tugging between the Government and Opposition, which would anger the population.

“Rowley has plenty challenges to face as a leader,” Gonzalez said. She said a well-liked individual in the PNM would challenge Rowley for the leadership post.

Gonzalez said: “He came in at a bad time when the country is beginning to face an economic downturn with the fall in oil and gas prices.”

In the coming months, Gonzalez said, Rowley would have to make some tough decisions that could either affect or improve the lives of citizens.

“That is where you would see if he has the guts or belly to make those decisions. The fate of this country is in Rowley’s hands right now. It would be a do-or-die situation. Based on some of Rowley’s actions and decisions, he would lose popularity. Rowley would not change as a leader. But he would try to readjust with the changes.”

Flipping through her cards, Gonzalez said the build-up to the general election triggered a race war on social media, which could threaten T&T’s democracy if not curtailed.

“We could have a racial unrest on our hands.”

Expect infighting, 

division in UNC

In the UNC camp, Gonzalez said though some of Persad-Bissessar’s MPs recently endorsed her as Opposition Leader, plans were afoot by a dominant male to have her removed.

Gonzalez described the male as “sly, devious and untrustworthy.”

“The person who is trying to get rid of Kamla is very close to her. He only wants power for his own benefit. This move could cause infighting and a division in the party.”

She said the outcome of the UNC’s internal election would determine if members would unite or remain fragmented.

“Kamla would encounter a difficult and bumpy road ahead. She would not sever ties with the party but would step down as leader. Based on who is the new leader of the UNC, she would know where her position stands as a politician.”

Gonzalez also said a former UNC minister would flee the country and would have to be extradited back to Trinidad to face the courts.

“Lawyers will make a lot of money from legal battles that will be mounted by the State.”

With regards to Persad-Bissessar legally challenging the Elections and Boundaries Commission’s decision to extend last Monday’s voting time by an hour, Gonzalez predicted this would develop into further issues and trigger citizens to protest. 

“Kamla would get the backing of the people. I don’t see this matter ending any time soon.” 

Gonzalez also touched on Warner’s extradition matter.

Asked if the PNM would push for Warner to be extradited to the USA to face corruption and bribery charges, Gonzalez replied “the PNM would just follow the rules. 

“They would not be biased to Warner. This matter would take months in our court. Warner is a warrior and fighter. He is not going to give up so easily in and out of politics.”

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has promised there will be no job cuts despite his smaller Cabinet. 

Speaking to the media at the first People’s National Movement (PNM) meeting since its triumph at the polls last Monday, Rowley dismissed rumours that his contracted Government meant that staff at some ministries would be jobless. The Cabinet held a retreat at the Hyatt, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.

During the ministerial swearing-in ceremony on Friday, it was revealed that Rowley had delineated his Government among 23 ministries as opposed to the People’s Partnership which ended its tenure with 33 ministries.

“The ministries which have not been named as separate entities, that block of officers, public servants, whatever they are, they now fall under one of the existing ministries,” he said.

Rowley said that in his new template, several permanent secretaries would now liaise with a single minister as opposed to the previous model which saw one PS per minister.

“For example, there was a minister of water resources. That whole block of whoever, whatever was there is now under the Minister of Public Utilities and there is a Minister of Public Utilities,” he said.

He said the same concept also applied for other ministries.

“So every single area of governmental activity sits within a ministry somewhere and there is a minister responsible,” he said.

He described the shift as a mere “relocation” of manpower.

“So this rumour of job losses is just not true,” he said, adding that the ministerial chop just meant that there were ten fewer administrative heads.

During the three-month campaign, Rowley had reiterated a plan to devolve the Local Government Ministry and the work under that ministry to the regional corporations. 

In addressing that issue yesterday, Rowley said it would be done on a phased basis.

“That commitment still stands but it will be phased. We set out to do that but we have to create the architecture of the new arrangement before we replace what is there now,” he said.

Local Government is currently linked to Rural Development under party chairman Franklin Khan.

He said that the planned absorption would not take place just yet and the new template had to be worked out before Local Government could be completely devolved. 

“This is a work in progress. The process has begun,” Rowley said.

Prakash Ramadhar is refusing to step down as Congress of the People (COP) leader.

The COP’s Youth Congress had called on Ramadhar to give up the leadership post hours after the party faced a crushing defeat at the polls last Monday.

The COP captured one of eight seats which it contested, and this angered the Youth Congress. In a press release, the group stated that the party had gone from a position of strength to zero credibility.

Yesterday, PRO of the COP Patricia Metivier responded to the issue raised by the Youth Congress at a press conference at Flagship House, St Clair.

She said the party found it strange that the group, comprising four members, would ask Ramadhar to resign when they failed to participate in the party’s affairs and events.

“I don’t know what is their agenda. Is either they come on board or decide they do not want to be part of this anymore,” Metivier said.

Ramadhar said there was a “motivating force behind” the press release, but he intended to recommit and rebuild to take the party forward.

He said he was “disappointed” with the election results.

“We expected that the people would have voted in support of the People’s Partnership. We are down but not out. We will consolidate and recommit to make ourselves more attractive and lovable.”

Ramadhar said at one point he wanted to fight the Tunapuna seat instead of St Augustine.

However, he said, if he did not capture the Tunapuna seat, the COP would not have had a seat and voice in Parliament, which could have led to the party’s death.

He said the COP would continue to work hard as they prepared for the next election.

Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries Clarence Rambharat has promised to undertake an immediate audit of state land in T&T, particularly Caroni 1975 Ltd.

He said if red flags are raised in the distribution of lands under the People’s Partnership, the People’s National Movement (PNM) “will deal with it.”

The audit, Rambharat said, will be one of the many issues he intends to deal with when he takes up duty tomorrow.

Rambharat made the disclosure minutes after he was sworn in as minister on Friday at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s.

Questioned how he intended to treat with the Couva-based conglomerate Super Industrial Services which was accused in March by former commissioner of State Lands Ian Fletcher of illegally occupying some 35 acres of state land in Perseverance Village, Couva, Rambharat said, “The very first thing I intend to do is to have an audit of state lands to find out where we are, in particular, an audit of the transactions relating to Caroni 1975 Ltd. I know a lot of work has gone out already in mapping state lands. I know we will be using an internal consultant whom I met as part of the discussions on the PNM policies.”

The land in Couva which SIS occupied belonged to Caroni Ltd and was once vested to the Estate Management and Business Development Co Ltd.

Having served as a chief executive officer at Caroni 1975 Ltd, Rambharat said when he left the sugar company in 2004, “I knew what was the state and usage of the lands. Between 2004 to now, we have to satisfy the citizens of this country that those lands have been well managed...they are where they are supposed to be. And If there are transactions that raise a red flag, we will have to deal with that.”

The minister could not say exactly when the audit will begin.

Rambharat, with a background in law, said he would use the experience he obtained at Caroni 1975 Ltd to help him manage his ministry.

He said once he teams up with Parliamentary Secretary Avinash Singh, a University of the West Indies graduate with a wealth of farming expertise and skills, they would take the industry forward. 

Commenting on squatter regularisation, Rambharat said they would treat with the issue in a humane and practical manner.

Chaguanas East MP and former tertiary education minister Fazal Karim is appealing to the new Government not to slash the Gate programme and to continue the thrust in tertiary education. 

Karim said with the portfolios of tertiary education and education falling into the hands of one minister, he expects bureaucracy to step in and slow down the process. Karim spoke with reporters yesterday. 

He said: “One single ministry which is going to be a very monolithic ministry, very large and very bureaucratic. Whether they would continue the work we have started is left to be seen.” 

Karim said while he was at the helm of that ministry, a substantial amount of work was done to create opportunities for employment. He said it would be sad if several facilities are scrapped as a result of the “discrimination and spite of the PNM.” 

Karim said the Gate programme should not be booted since it would only serve to strengthen the human resource capital of T&T. “We have to wait until the budget to see where they are going with that,” he added.

Karim spent yesterday morning removing election paraphernalia off the walls and light poles in his Chaguanas East constituency. He arrived in the Lange Park area in the front seat of a white Mitsubishi panel van and he was casually dressed.

No gimme-gimme syndrome in 

Chaguanas—Boodhan

Meanwhile, Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodhan said he has given candidates and political parties one more week to clean up all the garbage left behind. Boodhan said the eyesore created by posters, banners and billboards should be voluntarily removed. 

Boodhan also said “Chaguanas is not about a gimme-gimme syndrome, its not about a gimme-gimme situation. 

“Chaguanas has always been built on family values and has always been about volunteerism, where people help others to develop. 

“Beautification of the environment has always been one of our key pillars in the development of Chaguanas, and this is why I am making this call here this morning for all of us, not only for the removal of election paraphernalia, but also for citizens to have a greater awareness and commitment to the environment.”

Boodhan said he hopes to meet early with the new minister in charge of Local Government and plans to move aggressively to continue the development of Chaguanas with input from all stakeholders.

National Building Code Committee chairman Shyankaran Lalla is appealing to Housing Minister Marlene Mc Donald to make a national building code one of her top priorities as she officially begins her tenure. 

Lalla, speaking with the Sunday Guardian, said billions of dollars have been spent on repair works due to the non adherence of building codes in this country.

This, he said, should be more than enough reason for a National Building Code to be given priority by the PNM administration, so they can ensure that taxpayers get value for money, and “for the protection of the health safety and welfare of the citizens of the country.”

Mc Donald, who was among 23 ministers sworn in on Friday at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s, Port-of-Spain, said she has a lot of plans for the ministry including reviews of all the programmes which were under the People’s Partnership government. 

She also assured that the regularisation of squatters will be made a priority, and that she will be granting statutory leases to them to ensure security of land tenure.

While Lalla welcomed the move, he also suggested that the minister focus on the structural safety of those squatter homes and all buildings in T&T.

“We hope that the new Housing Minister, in reviewing the programmes, gives building codes priority, since the country cannot afford to spend valuable resources repairing buildings due to the non adherence of building codes,” Lalla contended.

He said the former Minister of Housing signed an agreement with the International Code Council for the use of licenced materials and adoption of the International Building Codes following recommendations made by the Cabinet-appointed National Building Code Committee.

“The signing of a licence agreement for the adoption of the ICC building codes is the most significant engineering achievement to regulate the design construction and administration of safe and resilient structures for the protection of the health, safety and welfare of our citizens,” he said, as he urged Mc Donald to continue the work of the committee.

Lalla said he has been invited to address the ICC International Global Forum in Los Angeles, California, on September 27 on the Trinidad building code experience and to receive the instruments for the establishment of the first ICC Chapter in the Caribbean.

He said the licence agreement now paves the way for the Government to legally adopt and put measures in place for the enforcement of building codes which can reduce the risks associated with disasters.

He said it should also be noted that a budget of $12m was approved by Cabinet in December 2013, but no funding was provided to the committee to deliver on its mandate.

Lalla also made a plea for funding for the committee. He said while the committee did not get funding or their stipend from the previous government, they were able to complete 75 per cent of the work thus far. 

“Members of the committee were not paid their stipend but this did not prevent them from working on the development of a National Building Code because they were cognisant of the disasters which occurred globally and were mindful of the warnings of UWI Seismic Research Centre that our country was due for a major earthquake.”

The centre also recorded over 130 seismic events in Trinidad over the past four months, he said. 

The usually quiet coastal town of Icacos, Cedros, descended into chaos on Saturday night, after gunmen opened fire outside a party, killing two people and wounding six others. The murders of fisherman Amit “Sanchez” Samaroo, 29 and his sister-in-law Kimberly Mohammed, 19, rounded off a bloody weekend in Trinidad, in which seven people were killed in just three days, pushing the 2015 murder toll to 298.

Saturday night’s double murder also left Amit’s brother Karan Samaroo, 31, his sister-in-law Patricia Toolsie, 23 and their friend Ricardo Massey, 25, all of Icacos, suffering from gunshot wounds. Three others, Utilda Williams, 60, of North Trace, Chatham, her friend Leon Graham, 67, of Mahaica, Point Fortin and Niel Paul, 27, of Marabella were also shot and taken to hospital.

According to reports, Amit, Karan and Toolsie were liming in front of their home opposite Lover’s Lane with Massey around 11.30 pm. The street was crowded as people were heading to a party at Lover’s Paradise Bar, when a new model Nissan X-Trail pulled up in front the house and two occupants, one armed with an automatic rifle and the other with a handgun, emerged and opened fire on the group. 

Mohammed died immediately after being struck in the face while Samaroo died shortly after from a gunshot wound to the head. Karan survived being shot behind his head and knee while his wife, Toolsie, and Massey were shot in their hands and legs.

Witnesses said after the gunmen returned to the X-Trail they continued spraying bullets at people in the street, hitting Williams, Graham and Paul. The injured were taken to the Point Fortin Area Hospital by private vehicles and later transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital. Police found the gunmen’s vehicle a short distance away from the scene and impounded it for tracing. Senior police officers said patrols and manpower will be increased in the community.

Investigators believe the gunmen went for Amit, who was alleged to have been involved in illegal activity. Speaking to the T&T Guardian yesterday, Mohammed’s husband Navindra Tambie said his wife was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Tambie, 24, who is Amit’s brother, said he ran for his life when the gunmen trained their guns on him. He believed Amit was the target, having been shot at by gunmen two years ago in a drug related incident. 

Tambie was at his Lemessey Street home where his mother-in-law, Kathlene Mohammed, was feeding Mohammed and his two-month-old baby Safiyya Naviana Tambie. “We were walking by to buy barbecue and my brother’s wife called her to tell her something. I was leaning by the car and I saw the two men jump out the vehicle and open fire on them. Then he turned and watch me and fired behind me because he probably knew I was Sanchez’s brother,” Tambie said. 

“I could not see who it was because it happened so fast and ran into a side street. After my wife was shot I knew I couldn’t do anything to help her. When I went back and held her up, she was already dead and there was a lot of blood on my clothes.” Back at Amit’s home, his mother Lalitta Tambie said she was inside watching television with her grandchildren when she thought fireworks had gone off. After realising it was not, Tambie, 49, sent relatives outside to check. 

“I thought it was fireworks but when fireworks go off you will hear the noise in the air. We did not hear anything, then I heard somebody said they shot him by the road. 

“When I came out, I saw my son on the ground and my daughter-in-law lying down, that is all I could have seen.”

Earlier on Saturday, friends Amit Ramlogan, 18 and Kareem Turton, 28, were killed in Belmont; Ramjit Ramlal was beaten to death in Moruga and another man, who remained unidentified up to yesterday, was found shot to death along the Eastern Main Road, St Joseph. On Friday, Felix Singh also at hospital three weeks after being found at the side of Hunte Street, San Juan. Police believe he was beaten and dumped at the side of the road.

We will move to protect citizens

National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, who was on a motorcade in Cedros yesterday, met with Lalitta Tambie to offer condolences. He was also told by residents who witnessed the murder that police officers stationed at the party hid when shots rang out and did nothing to chase down the criminals.

Dillon later told reporters that dealing with murders was one of his first priorities as it was the barometer by which crime was measured. “The number one issue is the crime in Trinidad and Tobago and out of that, murder is the barometer by which crime is measured in almost all jurisdictions,” he said.

“In looking at the murders, in looking at crime, it is the first priority in my national security architecture. We first have to look and do the review of the national security architecture, but that must be done simultaneously with looking at and addressing the issues of crime and criminality. He said this was the reason why he met with the heads of the security arms last week “to get an idea as to what is the situation in so far as crime is concerned, what are the measures they have in place now and what we can do improve those measures.” 

Showing reporters that Venezuela was visible from Icacos, he said another priority for his ministry was maritime security so as to stem the flow of weapons into the country. “We have to take measures to protect citizens, especially in the South Western Peninsular here. ... Traditionally we have known that there has always been movements from the South American mainland to Trinidad and Tobago,” he said. 

“What has happened over time is that the commodity has changed and now we have the guns and other things coming over. Therefore, another priority in terms of looking and addressing our maritime security is first and foremost to prevent that. While we tackle that, we also have to tackle the internal security environment, but I am saying this to you with the understanding that we first must do a review of the security architecture to know where we are, where we are going and then fill the gaps.”

He said he will be meeting with divisional heads of national security tomorrow to be briefed on the current policies and statuses. 

In the face of heavy criticism for not congratulating newly-elected Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in the wake of the People’s National Movement’s general election victory last Monday, former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar finally sought to do so by posting a message on her Facebook page yesterday.

Addressed as “A letter to citizens of T&T,” Persad-Bissessar hailed this country’s democratic process, describing it as a “truly precious thing” and adding that the result of an election was an expression of the will of the people. “All persons who are elected should take those responsibilities very seriously indeed and I congratulate the hundreds of thousands of you who exercised your right to vote and made this possible.

“Again, I take this opportunity to congratulate my opponent Dr Keith Rowley on his victory. I wish him all the best for the sake of all our people,” Persad-Bissessar said.

During her concession speech at her Penal constituency office, Persad-Bissessar had failed to congratulate Rowley directly. This drew criticism from some segments of society and those members of her party who are now arguing she should step aside to allow the UNC to pick a new leader and move on.

In the posting, Persad-Bissessar acknowledged that citizens deserved competent and effective governance, saying it was her my hope that the new PNM government could continue legacy of performance and delivery of the former People’s Partnership government.

“Personally, I am very proud that so many promises were delivered during my government’s time in office. The People’s Partnership leaves our country in a far better position today than what we inherited in 2010,” Persad-Bissessar said. “I hope the new Prime Minister will use all that has been achieved thus far, and build on it so as to ensure that development continues.”

Saying that her passion was to serve in public office, Persad-Bissessar said she wanted to make a difference because she wanted to improve lives. “As the saying goes, with power comes responsibility. I held office and power and used both for the betterment of people’s lives.

“For the sake of our country let us all hope Keith Rowley now follows that lead,” she said. She also assured the UNC’s supporters that the party would again rise and be back stronger than ever.

“We may not hold the reins of power but we will do our utmost to be patriotic citizens and an effective opposition. Rest assured the United National Congress and the People’s Partnership will be back stronger than ever before,” she said. 

“In the meantime we will do our patriotic duty as members of the Opposition and we will prepare a programme that puts people at the centre and our country at the front.”

Last week, the former PM challenged the result of the general election and asked that it be declared null and void. She also chastised the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) for what she claimed was a sudden change in the regulations, resulting in the entire process being sabotaged. 

In a letter at the time, Persad-Bissessar had described the PNM’s 23-18 victory as unfair and blamed the extended hour granted to citizens in Trinidad as playing a key role in what she maintained was a biased decision which brought a result against her party.

Congress of the People (COP) leader Prakash Ramadhar is calling on People’s Partnership supporters to move beyond petty issues of race so that the country can heal and unite in harmony. In a statement yesterday, Ramadhar said it had been one week since the general election was held and everyone needed to accept that the responsibility of the management of T&T for the next five years had been passed to the People’s National Movement. 

“The Congress of the People, and our allies in the People’s Partnership coalition, have assumed the role of Parliamentary Opposition, which suggests that non-governing parties may oppose the decisions and actions of the sitting Cabinet while remaining loyal to the source of the government’s power, which ultimately is the will of the people,” Ramadhar said.

“For the COP, we hold that our role is that we should not oppose for the sake of opposing. Rather, we must be mature enough to add value to the policies, programmes and projects identified by the ruling party and stoutly oppose those initiatives that do not contribute to improving the quality of life, the standard of living, the future prospects and long-term viability of our nation’s efforts to achieve sustainable development.”

He added that the PNM’s victory was a reflection that the people have said, in no uncertain terms, that they wanted a change in leadership and possibly in direction. However, he said following the elections, some people on both sides of the political divide seem not to accept the people’s voice as readily and have been issuing messages which were not in the best interest of the unity of our people and nation.

“In the social media and in small groups throughout the country, some seek to abuse the freedom of expression which we enjoy by promoting a growing and overt racism which is expressed in crude, vulgar and even violent terms,” he noted.

“This is not acceptable in a truly democratic and united society that is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural. We cannot allow any space, whether by individuals or groups, for such divisive and hateful messages to be spread in our national conversation and thinking, whether it is fuelled by sentiments based on winning or losing in our elections.”

The COP, he added, has always been beyond race, region, religion and gender. “We continue to occupy the middle ground hoping not to separate any elements of our nation, but rather to unite for the overall economic, social, political and other development and for the safeguarding of our natural and social environments,” Ramadhar said.

He said the COP has remained firm in its assurance that the vast majority of citizens do not subscribe to hatred and denigration of others on any basis. “T&T is one nation under God in whose eyes we are all created equal. The election is over. We cannot change the past and while we should seek to understand why things turned out as they have, we cannot let it stand in the way of our common future. 

“Regardless of who is in positions of power, our future as a nation is as bright as the children for whose sake we take this nation forward. We must not allow the bitterness that is evident among a few in recent days to infect our youth and future generations with its deadly venom,” Ramadhar said.
He also called on all leaders in society, whether in the political, spiritual, social, cultural, educational and developmental spheres, to join forces with the COP to ensure that those who seek to take advantage of the circumstances to sow division never succeed.

President of the T&T Contractors Association (TTCA) Mikey Joseph is taking a cautious approach over what policies he hopes to see from the new Cabinet of T&T. On Friday, 21 new minsters were sworn in as the new Cabinet for the People’s National Movement administration at Queen's Hall, St Ann’s.

Contacted by phone yesterday on what the TTCA was hoping for from the PNM Government, Joseph said: “We do not have a position right now. It is a new administration and we need to see what the policies of the new Government is. “We recognise that there are serious economic challenges but we need to see what their policies for our industry are.”

Joseph said, however, that some of their concerns from past administrations remained, including outstanding money owed to contractors estimated to be in the region of $1 billion. “Under the last government there was political interference as to who got paid and who did not get paid. We would like to see all outstanding debts settled,” he said.

He also referred to other issues the T&T Contractors Association has been advocating in the past. “We want to see a discontinuation of contracts awarded to foreigners. We would also like to see the operationalisation of the public procurement legislation,” he said. Joseph said he remains optimistic that the Government would also take measures to protect the vital construction industry.

“I think right now we are optimistic there would be change in the industry. We cannot keep giving foreign exchange to foreigners. “Almost everything is imported in this country. The problem is when the economy is bad, the construction industry becomes more vulnerable,” Joseph said.

Also contacted yesterday, president of the Joint Consultative Association (JCC) Afra Raymond said last Friday they wrote to the new Government congratulating them on their victory, adding he expects to work with them on issues of national interest.

“One of our main concerns is the procurement legislation. We want to continue dialogue with the new Government on this, as the bill has not come into effect as yet. But we are optimistic about the new administration,” he said.

Loud cheers erupted through the Diego Martin West constituency yesterday, as Prime Minister and MP Dr Keith Rowley took to the streets to thank scores of People’s National Movement supporters for their general election victory. Waving to supporters as he went along, Rowley said he had always received tremendous support in the area.

“Each time that I have run here, on every occasion I have gotten tremendous support in Diego Martin West. So today is a day to say thank you,” Rowley said, adding that it was now time to get on with the business of running the country. Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat, who contested the Mayaro seat but lost to the United National Congress’ Rushton Paray, also thanked the constituents during a motorcade yesterday.

Rambharat said he was willing to work with the agriculture sector to continue to build it. “I asked them to make a proposal for the modernisation and make a proposal for the future of the Agricultural Society so that we could work together,” Rambharat said. He added that he was expected to meet with members of the society this week and expressed optimism that the relationship would be healthy.

The delivery of leases to former Caroni workers, he assured, would continue. “I don’t think they should be worried. I was part of that architecture...the Voluntary Separation of Employment Package (VSEP) in 2003 and I am very familiar with it. I came from that industry and I don’t see a problem with the delivery of the leases,” Rambharat said.

Despite yesterday’s inclement weather in some parts, scores turned out to show their solidarity for the PNM. The party staged victory motorcades throughout the constituencies, thanking supporters for their efforts. In pouring rain in some situations, supporters gathered in large numbers to greet their respective MPs, even those who were unsuccessful.

Music trucks blared the popular campaign song “Bye Bye Kamla” as they drove through the constituencies.

My name is Jonathan Ali and I watch movies for a living. Really. My job helping programme the T&T Film Festival requires me to watch hundreds of movies every year.

I was born in a nursing home in Cascade where the Coblentz Inn now stands. The view from my hammock, way up in the St Ann’s hills, has remained, blessedly, the same: a lushly-forested mountain, with the river I used to bathe in as a boy still running cold and clear at its base.

Trips to visit my father’s parents in Lengua Village [were like] entering another world. My grandfather, a cane farmer, had a bullock cart. He would play the harmonium. My grandmother spoke Hindustani with her friends. As a little boy, this was fascinating. The older I got, however, alcoholism, domestic violence and poverty became more evident.

My father resides in Grenada, my younger sister, in the US. I am the only [one] still in Trinidad. My mother died of cancer in 2000. In January, I underwent surgery to remove my cancerous thyroid gland.

I come from one of Tolstoy’s uniquely unhappy families. So having children was not for me, lest I replicate that unhappiness. Last September, I entered a committed relationship with the most wonderful woman. But children still aren’t on the agenda.

I feel we’d be a better-integrated society if more of us had the experience of sitting between two strangers in the back seat of a route taxi.
I visit the US less often and with less enthusiasm since I started getting profiled at JFK. My name is Ali, I have a beard and I’ve visited eastern Africa—well, wouldn’t you profile me?

After the child abuse that was Common Entrance, (I was) placed in Fatima College, a microcosm of the society. The white boys—French Creoles and Syrians—favoured the wealthy mixed-race boys. [But] you had to live in places like Fairways or Haleland Park.

As much as I loved calypso, soul and roots reggae, the music that sonically and lyrically matched how I felt in my teenaged years of soul-crushing anguish was rock. When I first heard the Velvet Underground’s “Heroin” — eight minutes of squalling guitar feedback, seesawing electric viola, primal drums and Lou Reed snarling “I’m gonna try to nullify my life”—it was an epiphany.

God might exist —I have no proof otherwise—but I don’t believe in Him. I’m with the Mighty Shadow: I believe in the world and its problems.

I haven’t read much fiction lately. So I have to thank the two main political parties’ respective manifestos for reintroducing me to the genre.

A great film is a great film—thriller, horror or western. (But) superhero movies are made for and should only be watched by 14-year-old sexually frustrated boys.

Cinema was conceived as a communal experience, with a film projected from behind an audience onto a large screen, watched in one continuous sitting. There remains no better way to enjoy movies. Cheaper, perhaps, more convenient, possibly; but never better.
The day I found out I had cancer, I called my girlfriend in London then went to see Chris Rock’s Top Five. Worrying makes no difference. I’m grateful my treatments have been successful. Life goes on.

Since the TTFF’s 2006 inception, I’ve helped find and select festival films, write about them for the guide, and present them to audiences. The best part is discovering a great film [and] having audiences love it. The worst part is there’s always at least one film you couldn’t get or programme.

I have no problem with TT filmmakers making any kind of film. (But) is it a good film? Too often the answer, sadly, is, “No”.

Films are a reflection of the society, and [our] society is poorly developed, dysfunctional even. There’s a class and possibly race element at work too, but to talk about that would really get me in trouble.

In form six, a fellow student called me a coolie. I struck him and we began to fight. The thing about it was that the boy was black. For years, I’d endured racist taunts from white bullies at school and done nothing; but, when a black boy did it, I didn’t hesitate to strike out. That still saddens me.

A Trini is the most adaptable person on earth.

Trinidad (not Tobago) is the one place where I never feel as though I have to justify my presence.

Read a longer version of this feature at www.BCRaw.com

Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams says the advent of police youth clubs in communities plays an integral part in reducing crime. He was speaking after taking part in the Laventille Police Youth Club’s peace walk on Saturday. The event was part of the club’s fifth anniversary celebrations and began at the Corner of Laventille Road and concluded at Laventille Road Sports Complex/Basketball Court.

“Peace in the community is their theme for this event and the T&T Police Service continues to support this youth club as well as all 107 youth clubs,” Williams said. “We see it as the medium by which the TTPS can make a direct contribution to the transformation of our society, moving it from a society challenged with crime to one where the young people would face positive direction.

“We no longer have major concerns around crime in this community, five years plus we had that but the advent of the youth club has changed that.” He said he commended and continued to encourage the leadership of the club, the leader of the club, Supt Community Secretariat Curtis Paul, the parent body and the community to rally around youth clubs to change the environment and this was happening in the community.

North Eastern Division Head Senior Supt Radcliffe Boxhill, who has been in charge of the area for the past 11 months, said he had seen positive change in the Laventille Road/Febeau Village area. He said he could safely say that notwithstanding the demographics of the area, there may be several social issues but it was not an area with high crime or designated a hot spot.

Boxhill said despite the challenges of the past, he was happy to attribute Laventille’s success to the highly active presence of the club under Supt Paul.

Paul meanwhile said since the youth club was introduced five years ago, crime, its effects and the fear of crime had subsided tremendously. He said there was a transformation in the people, discipline had increased among the young children and the elders had bonded with the youths via the club. 

The creation and ultimate implementation of systems to link productivity to higher wages in the public sector will be a priority of the Dr Keith Rowley administration, Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste–Primus has said. “One important area that I would place before the tripartite committee is the development of a formula of linking wage increases to productivity,” she said during yesterday’s Showdown programme on I95.5FM.

“I remember a couple years ago, when I was president of the PSA (Public services Association) I had written the then minister of public administration indicating that we were prepared to sit and discuss how do we go about improving and increasing productivity in the public service: incentives, the kinds of tool and equipment, the work environment. There are certain factors that you have to pull together in order to develop that formula. That is an area of priority that I would want to place before the tripartite committee.” 

Baptiste said her intent was to strengthen the small business development programme under her portfolio to further stimulate the economy and achieve a greater push toward economic diversification.

“As we all know, the backbone of any successful economy are the small businesses. And therefore, I would want to go in there (the ministry) see what is happening, what the statistic tells us, how much money has been loaned out for different businesses. Are these functioning loans? But how successful are these businesses for which the monies were loaned in term of their contribution to the economic activity of the country and there contribution to the employment rate? 

“I have high expectations for this ministry. Very high benchmarks will be established. That can’t be done until an assessment is done on what is existing, at this time,” said the minister.

Baptiste-Primus said stated owned National Enterprise Development Company Limited (NEDCO) was the mechanism through which taxpayers were providing funds to be channelled in the form of start-up capital to citizens desirous of driving the motor of economic activity.

As such, she said citizens needed to know “whether or not those loans are being repaid? Whether or not there are lapses? What kind of mechanisms are in place to ensure this wheel continues to turn in a positive way?” Addressing the issue of income inequality, she said the matter would be put before the tripartite committee, which she insisted was an important organ and mechanism that would bring everyone on board.  

“We know the scale will never be equally balanced. That would be Utopian,” Baptiste-Primus said. “But at least people can earn what is popularly referred to as a living wage. When people work and they cannot sustain themselves, then there is a negative spin-off in the crime rate; in all the other negative areas of the society.”   

Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Darryl Smith says he will await the conclusion of the police investigation in the controversial LifeSport programme. “I am going to leave that for the police to do. We are not on a witch hunt,” Smith said minutes after being sworn in on Friday with the rest of the Cabinet at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s.

Asked if the T&T Police Service were taking too long with its investigation into the programme, Smith said that was not his call. “They (police) have been doing its (investigations) and the AG and his team will deal with that. That is not my job. I want to focus on the young athletes in the country.” 

Smith, who obtained a football scholarship to North America as a youth, said he would not ask the police to accelerate its investigations, but would await their findings and outcome. A few week ago, Deputy Commissioner of Police Glen Hackett told the media the investigation into the now-defunct programme would be long and pro­trac­ted.

Last year, former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had ordered an audit into LifeSport after it was revealed that the programme, which was under the purview of then minister Anil Roberts, was riddled with financial irregularities and was funding criminals.

In August 2011, the then People’s Partnership Cabinet had agreed to implementation of the LifeSport programme by the Ministry of Sport, through the Sport Company of T&T. It was launched in June 2012 and started in August 2012. Up to the time of the audit, the programme was being run in 43 centres throughout T&T for young men 16-25.

However, the Finance Ministry’s central audit team concluded there was poor monitoring and control of the programme by the Sport Ministry, there may have been breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act—and police information suggested criminal elements may have supervised and co-ordinated Life Sport.  

Saturday’s bloodbath in Icacos, Cedros, may be a hit from overseas as police sources say the intended target, Amit Samaroo, was a known drug and gun dealer with connections to a South American drug cartel.

Investigators said they were still verifying some of the information. However, police informants suggest that Samaroo, 29, also known as Sánchez, had the help of several law enforcement officers to get shipments into the country and transport it to different locations.

It is believed he was involved in a drug shipment some months ago but millions worth of the illegal cargo went missing. It was also believed a string of murders over the past months may be linked to the missing drugs.

Investigators are still trying to determine from which country the drugs came and which cartel Samaroo was linked with but they strongly believe the hit on his life came from overseas.

This hit also claimed the life of his 19-year-old sister-in-law Kimberly Mohammed and the wounding of six other people. 

Ten weeks ago, Mohammed and Samaroo’s brother, Navindra Tambie, 24, celebrated the birth of their first child, Safiyya Naviana Tambie.

An autopsy on Samaroo’s body yesterday showed that he was shot approximately ten times. 

Forensic reports suggested he was the main target of the gunmen. 

After being shot several times, he turned around and tried to run but collapsed within a short distance. His killer stood over him and fired a few more shots at his head, eyewitnesses reported. 

Mohammed’s death was said to be collateral damage as she suffered a single gunshot wound with the bullet entering the back of her head and exiting through her face.

Speaking by telephone yesterday, Samaroo’s mother Lalitta Tambie said she believes her son’s death would be left unsolved. “I feel I will not get any justice. I feel the police would not do anything. My child died and that is the end of it,” Tambie said.

The mother said on Sunday she did not know anything about her son’s involvement in trafficking drugs.

Shells recovered from the crime scene were sent for ballistics analysis while the SUV abandoned by the gunmen at a coconut estate in Icacos was sent to the Special Anti-Crime Unit (SAUTT) facility in Cumuto for forensic tests. 

Investigators were yet to get the chassis number of the vehicle to determine the owner but suspect that it might have been stolen. 

Relatives said Mohammed’s funeral would be held at her Lemessey Street home on Wednesday at 1 pm while Samaroo’s funeral would be Thursday from 1 pm.

A night of chaos

​Reports suggest that around 11.30 pm, Samaroo, his brother Karan Tambie, 31 and his sister-in-law Patricia Toolsie, 24, were liming at their home opposite Lover’s Lane with their friend Ricardo Massey, 25. 

With the street crowded with people attending a party at the nearby Lover’s Paradise Bar, a new model Nissan X-Trail pulled up and two occupants, one armed with an automatic rifle and the other with a handgun, emerged and opened fire on the group. 

Samaroo and Mohammed died at the scene. Karan, his wife Toolsie, and Massey were also shot. Witnesses said after the gunmen returned to the SUV, they continued shooting through the crowd, hitting Utilda Williams, 60, of North Trace, Chatham, her friend Leon Graham, 67, of Mahaica, Point Fortin and Niel Paul, 27, of Marabella. Those injured were taken to the Point Fortin Area Hospital and later transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital. 

Snr Supt Patsy Joseph said additional resources have been sent to the community to prevent reprisals and to ease residents fear. 

The quiet community of Lambeau was jolted by a murder yesterday, while the decomposing body of an elderly man was found at his Scarborough home.

In the first incident, Vijay Boodoosingh, 42, a drifter believed to be from Trinidad was found chopped to death at the Petit Beach, Lambeau.

According to the police, Boodoosingh was found shortly after 7 am in a work shed near the Lambeau Fish Market. It was found by a fisherman from the area. Police said there were several chop wounds about the body.

District Medical Officer Dr Oneil Potts viewed the body and ordered it removed to the Scarborough Hospital Mortuary. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed soon. This was the third murder for the year in Tobago.

In the second incident, the decomposing body of Hilton Thomas, 83, was found at Pump Mill, Scarborough.

Neighbours reported a foul smell emanating from his house and when they went to check they found Thomas dead. He was found on the ground clad in a vest and cream pants.

A friend of the man, who identified himself as Amigo, said he was ailing with complications from kidney disease for some time. He was last seen alive by friends who carried food for him on Saturday. Neighbours said Thomas usually kept to himself.

Police said they did not suspect foul play but would await the autopsy result. 

DMO Dr Asha Edwards ordered the body removed to the Scarborough Hospital Mortuary.

The Tobago Homicide Bureau is spearheading both investigations.

A Sea Lots, Port-of-Spain, man died while undergoing emergency surgery at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital yesterday after he and his friend were shot outside the George Street Health Centre. 

Police said Shervon Moses, 20, and Keon Grant, both of Concession Drive, Sea Lots, had just left the health facility where Grant went for medical attention. Police said the duo, who were driven there by Simon Noel, arrived around 8.30 am and left about 30 minutes later. 

Police said gunmen opened fire hitting both Moses and Grant. Noel drove off and was escorted by a passing police patrol to the hospital. Noel escaped unhurt, police said, but Grant and Moses were shot multiple times.

Moses died while being treated while Grant was treated for a broken right leg, after being shot, and is listed in a stable condition at hospital. Police believe that the shooting is gang-related. 

Moses’ killing took the murder toll to 299 for the year, equalling the murder toll for the same period last year. 

In an unrelated incident, police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a homeless man found dead in a shipping container yesterday. 

Police said a resident of Bourg Mulatresse went to carry food for the man, as they were accustomed doing, and found him dead. 

Police ordered that the body be taken to the Forensic Science Centre, St James, for an autopsy to determine whether the man, who has not been identified, died as a result of foul play. The autopsy is expected to be done today.

An in a separate matter, police have identified the body of a man found shot to death in St Joseph last Saturday as Garner Solomon, 30, of Champs Fleurs. 

According to police reports around 2 am, Saturday, limers at Red Light Bar along the Eastern Main Road, St Joseph, heard gunshots and scampered for safety. Solomon was found dead after the shooting.

His body was identified by his father, Michael Solomon, yesterday. The elder Solomon, who spoke briefly with the media, at the Forensic Science Centre, said his son had a drug problem but was recovering.

He said that he had built an apartment under his home for his son who would become erratic whenever he did not get his drugs. 

Other than that, he said, his son was a calm person who never interfered with anyone.