Relatives of Melissa Tricia Emmanuel, who was shot dead in what is suspected to be a botched robbery in a PH taxi in Port-of-Spain on Friday evening, believe that she was “put in place” by somebody she knew.

Speaking with reporters at her home at Wattley Circular, Mt Pleasant Road, Arima, yesterday Emmanuel’s mother Ann Marie said the incident occurred moments after her daughter had collected $7,000 from the daughter of a woman who had agreed to assist her with a visa application, before she died suddenly last year.

Ann Marie said before leaving home on Friday, Emmanuel, the mother of a ten-year-old girl, told her that she was going to collect the money at Movie Towne after visiting the hairdresser.

“Why was she the only person in the taxi to get rob? The man ignored the other passengers and just grab my daughter bag,” an emotional Ann Marie said.

She went on: “He could have just take the bag and go. You take my child life for a purse. A life not worth $7,000.”

Ann Marie suggested that her daughter would have fought for the purse as she planned to use the money to celebrate her 37th birthday this coming Sunday.

“She would have hold on to the bag because she was very excited for her birthday,” she said as she explained that her daughter was not robbed of a gold chain as claimed in initial media reports.

“What make it suspicious is that she was not wearing any jewelry, just a pair of tear drop earrings. The man just wanted the bag like if he knew what was inside,” she said.

She explained that homicide detectives were unable to identify her daughter as her identification documents were in the stolen handbag.

Ann Marie said she only learned of her daughter’s death after she visited several police stations in Port-of-Spain on Saturday morning after she failed to return home on Friday night.

“She was such a pleasant and loving person. She would always call to say where she is. I knew something was wrong when I didn’t hear from her,” Ann Marie said.

Emmanuel was a back seat passenger in a taxi driving along Wrightson Road when a fellow passenger, who had boarded moments earlier, held up the taxi at Gatacre Street, just outside the gas station. The man robbed Emmanuel of her handbag before shooting her once in her head.

She was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital by another taxi that was driving in the area. She died while receiving treatment.

Homicide detectives released a descriptions of the suspect and Emmanuel, before she was eventually identified on Saturday evening.

The suspect was described as an African man, of slim built, a dark complexion and short dreadlocks. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt, black three-quarter jeans and a black cap.

He had not been arrested up to late yesterday.

Emmanuel’s relatives provided investigators with the information of the person who she met to collect the money and they were investigating the lead up to late yesterday.

Members of the public who may have information which may assist investigators are asked to contact their nearest police station or the Homicide Bureau at 625-9457, 624-5230 or 625-8234.

Two more killings

Meanwhile, homicide detectives are investigating two other murders, which occurred in Tunapuna and Charlieville, between Friday night and Saturday night.

Around 8.30 pm on Friday night residents of Ward and George Streets reported hearing a volley of gunshots. When police arrived on the scene, they found 27-year-old Joel “”Moony” Dubarry lying unconscious in the road with several gunshot wounds.

Dubarry, who was known to police, was pronounced dead on the scene by a District Medical Officer (DMO). His murder has been as gang related.

Around 10 pm on Saturday, police were summoned to the scene of another murder at Asaraff Road, Charlieville. Police said that Ganchan Diaz was walking along the road with a friend when they were ambushed by two men. The men attacked Diaz’s friend and he attempted to intervene. One of the men shot Diaz several times before they ran away leaving the his friend, who they were targeting.

No suspects were either for either Dubarry or Diaz’s murders, up to late yesterday.

Investigations are continuing.

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal is questioning whether former chairman of the Board of Commissioners at the Port Authority (PATT) Allison Lewis resigned because of ministerial interference.

Although he did not say which minister would have led to Lewis’ resignation, he called on Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan to resign as the issues facing the PATT has happened under his tenure.

While thanking Lewis for her service, Moonilal said the PATT remained a “den of iniquity” which has imploded with corruption, mismanagement and wrongdoing. He said Sinanan was missing the point of being a minister, which was not to be a checker, foreman or scavenger, but to oversee State agencies, set policies and report to the Cabinet and Parliament.

He also called on Government to provide the Mouttet Report on the PATT to the public. With regards to the new Family Court in Fyzabad, Moonilal said Government needed to come clean on how much money was spent to retrofit the building, which is owned by Laura Khan, the wife of Energy Minister Franklyn Khan. He also questioned whether the necessary approvals were granted before the building was opened.

Moonilal made these statements at a cricket match at the University of T&T in Tarouba where he called a media conference to raise several issues.

She hasn’t “run” from the Port—but she’s not reconsidering returning.

Former Port Authority chairman Allison Lewis, who resigned from the Port Authority Board last Friday, was firm on that yesterday following reports that Government officials were hoping she’d reconsider.

Word of Lewis’ resignation was broken in the Parliament last Friday evening when UNC MP Roodal Moonilal said he’d just received word that the Port chairman had resigned.

Lewis, a well-known retired career public servant who’d spearheaded Finance Ministry work for many years, was appointed to the Port Authority Board in April 2017. Her resignation comes a month shy of a year in the job.

She is the second Port chairman to resign in two years. She had been appointed after Christine Sahadeo resigned as Port chairman in March 2017. Cabinet later fired the remaining Port commissioners who’d served with Sahadeo.

On Saturday, Works Minister Rohan Sinanan who said he’d heard of Lewis’ resignation, said he planned to ask her to reconsider. If she didn’t , he said, he thanked her for her service. The T&T Guardian learned Sinanan tried to call Lewis

But Lewis told the T&T Guardian yesterday she wasn’t reconsidering. On speculation about her reasons— and that she may be “running” from the contentious Port where ferry issues arose last year— she said, “I’m not running from anything. I believe I’ve done everything as much as I can do at the time and I believed it was time for me to give way for someone else to continue the work,”

“Once again I thank the Prime Minister and the Cabinet for the opportunity to serve my country and I wish the Port and the Government well.”

Pressed on her reasons, Lewis added, “Rest assured I have always done what I thought was in the country’s best interests and I’ve always done my work with integrity, fairness and professionalism—and I’ll continue to do that in whatever area I find myself.”

Was the Port too challenging for her? “The Port will always be very challenging, it’s a very challenging place and it needs to be transformed,” she added.

Sinanan, when asked if he had made any headway with her, said he’d spoken to her briefly and wouldn’t comment until he spoke to her “properly”.

He said the same when asked who might replace her, what would happen with the Port Board in the interim and also on the fact that Lewis is the second chairman to leave in two years.

Government sources yesterday quashed reported rumours that Lewis resigned after the Port Board agreed the Cabo Star’s contract “not be renewed” and that “someone at the Finance Ministry insisted on renewal.”

The contract ends June. Vessel owners were recently asked the cost if the contract had to be extended, they clarified.

UNC MP Roodal Moonilal said, “Mrs Lewis may have gone into the job with the noblest of intentions. I once worked with her— she is the consumate professional and very stringent in following rules and procedure. She can even frustrate politicians by her commitment to good governance,”

“For someone like that to have left, I truly believe she may be fed up of ministerial/political intervention in the Port’s running. Our information is she was disgusted,”

“Her departure will prompt the Opposition to undertake closer scrutiny of the Galleons Passage ferry which is coming as well as the ‘Cabo Star’s’ contract.”

As the Anglican Church held a thanksgiving service for President-elect Paula-Mae Weekes yesterday, President Anthony Carmona was due back to deal with issues concerning Chief Justice Ivor Archie.

Weekes will be sworn in as President at 10 am next week Monday at a ceremony at the Grand Stand, Queen’s Park Savannah. She will become T&T’s sixth Head of State and the country’s first female President.

Weekes served as Chancellor of the Anglican church in the Diocese of T&T from 1997 until her election as President. She has provided legal advice on ecclesiastical and other matters to three successive bishops of the diocese, the church stated yesterday.

Among dignitaries at yesterday’s two hour Eucharist service at Trinity Cathedral were Speaker of the House of Representatives Bridgid Annisette- George, Government ministers, members of religious organisations, the judiciary, diplomatic corps and other sectors .

Meanwhile, Carmona, whose last week of duties is ahead, was scheduled to return home last night following a Miami visit.

Top of the agenda is expected to be clarification of questions Prime Minister Keith Rowley last week raised with Carmona via letter concerning a proposed six month sabbatical for Chief Justice Ivor Archie.

On March 2, Carmona wrote the Prime Minister seeking consultations on the appointment of Justice of Appeal, Allan Mendonca as acting CJ because of Archie’s sabbatical plans.

Rowley subsequently wrote Carmona querying the situation, since Government says there’s no sabbatical term in the Salaries Review Commission (98th report.) OPM spokesman Stuart Young said it appeared Carmona and Archie had agreed on the sabbatical.

Due to Rowley’s query, Mendonca was not appointed to act. Archie last Friday deferred the sabbatical, according to a statement from acting President Christine Kangaloo. It’s expected Carmona will reply to Rowley this week.

Members of the T&T Police Service were blamed for provocation of Muslims who attended yesterday’s rally at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella.

Some Muslim spectators were forced to pull aside while their vehicles were searched upon entry through the southern gate by police officers.

One private security guard, a Muslim brother identified as Nazir Karim said he was asked to hold on at the gate when he was approached by a group of “ordinary dressed” men who claimed to be police officers. He said he was ordered into a security guard booth where he was bodily searched.

“I was shown no police ID badges. What they were looking for I do not know but I felt very ashamed and shocked that I didn’t know what to do next. I feel like I can’t even carry on with my duties now,” Karim said.

Public relations officer Imtiaz Mohammed described the manner in which the police came as “distasteful.”

“I can’t understand the reason why the police came here and searching people who have no problems with the law. We are being oppressed and this shows exactly what we are talking about. We are peaceful people,” Mohammed.

While Mohammed was seeking to get answers from the police the head of the Islamic Front, Umar Abdullah approached a senior police officer and attempted to talk to him. It was at this point Mohammed pointed to Abdullah and told him not to get involved between them and the police. Abdullah accused Mohammed of antagonising the police.

Speaking to the T&T Guardian afterwards, Mohammed explained that he warned Abdullah twice before to “remain in the background” and “not to cause any trouble or distraction.”

He added that the event was organised to show unity among all Muslim organisations and Masjids in T&T and to showcase that they do not incite any kind of violence or confrontations.

Inshan Ishmae,l of the Islamic Broadcasting Network, later addressed the large gathering and told them of the police actions.

Ishmael reiterated that they are peaceful people.

“With us Muslims gathering there was no need to pay the police, we knew that they will be here. We do not incite violence,” Ishmael said.

“To the police we are your doctors, lawyers and garbage men. I stand here proud but while you are here Muslims gathering no need to pay for the police they will be here people are being raped, robbed and cars stolen so maybe you need to be elsewhere,” he added.

A senior officer of the Southern Division, who did not give his name ,would only say that by law the police can proceed to conduct random searches of any vehicle and any person.

In her speech on the implications of the Anti-Terrorism Bill Amendments, attorney and former senator and deputy political leader of the PNM, Nafeesa Mohammed said T&T Muslims are not violent extremists.

Mohammed said that the piece of legislation is flawed and added that it will “fundamentally affect our constitutional rights.”

She questioned if a policy was developed that would have determined the extent and nature of the problem in the society.

“When have to enact laws that will contravene the laws you have to come real good. Who have done the analysis? What is it that makes us Muslims here so dangerous you have to restrict our movements?” Mohammed said.

Mohammed said that she strongly believes that there should be meaningful dialogue on the way forward especially with the fact that the proposed amendments would give “dangerous powers” to the Minister of National Security and the Attorney General.

Fiaz Ali, graduate of the Fadhil programme at Darul Uloom, spoke on Islamophobia and Terrorism Globally.

Ali explained that Islamophobia means a fear of Islam which unbelievers are attempting to spread. He said Islam is the true teachings and people are trying to cause opposition so that it would hinder people from joining Islam.

“Today the world is facing Islamophobia. They try to create in the minds of people fear and hysteria. The way forward, we cannot come here and speak about issues and problems and not offer solutions,” Ali said.

He recommended that Muslims must learn what Islam is, “so we can propagate what is correct. We must tell what the truth is otherwise they will come with own concepts and belief and use it against us.”

“We must educate ourselves with national and international news so we can effectively deal with issues,” Ali added.

Fifteen people were detained in the recent Carnival threat alert exercises carried out by the security forces.

Police reportedly said that they received credible information about a threat to disrupt the Carnival. Searches were done from El Socorro to East, South and Central Trinidad.

Fifteen people were detained. Thirteen were released without charge. A couple was charged with firearm possession. The woman was given bail while the man was denied bail. They will reappear in Court on Friday.

Nafeesa Mohammed’s nephew Tariq was the first to be detained in the Carnival exercise.

Muslim groups made an initial submission on the Anti-Terrorism amendments last week and received an extension of time to submit more information. The bill is being examined by a special Parliamentary Committee, which reports by month end.

Up to late yesterday a petition to be presented to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had reached 800 signatures. The petition is expected to be delivered tomorrow

The war of words between Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley transcended the walls of Parliament yesterday as he described Rowley as a harmless 70-year-old man with some illnesses.

Moonilal said he was not afraid of Rowley and considered confronting him to find out what were the PM’s grievances with him. However, he threatened that should Rowley direct another violent outburst at him, he may report it to the police.

Moonilal was speaking at a cricket match at the University of T&T in Tarouba, where he called a media conference to raise several issues.

On Friday in Parliament, Rowley challenged Moonilal to “meet him outside on the pavement.” Rowley’s comments were a response to Moonilal’s question: “Could the Prime Minister indicate whether it’s the intention of the party he leads to help Minister (Maxie) Cuffie rather than the taxpayers?”

However, instead of hearing the words “party he leads”, Dr Rowley’s reply suggested that he heard the words, “party elites,”

Rowley then responded: “If my colleague from Oropouche East wants to talk about party elites, I’ll meet him outside on the pavement.” The comment caused shock in the Lower House leading to heavy criticism by the Opposition.

Yesterday, Moonilal described the comments as violent and unbecoming of a prime minister. Moonilal said that while he believed Rowley was harmless, he was the leader of a political party and such behaviour could incite violence as a means to settle political arguments. He said this was the practice in politically tense countries like India, Pakistan, Palestine and Israel.

“I don’t see Dr Rowley himself as anyone to fear. He is harmless. He is a 70-year-old man with some illnesses and so on, but he may be inciting others and that is what we condemn in the strongest possible language. Look, quite frankly, Keith Rowley should not be talking as if he is Gold Teeth the bad john, he should not be talking like he is Dr Rat, he should not be talking as if he is down by Black Cat on the wharf in San Fernando.

“He should be talking like he is a Prime Minister and quite frankly I am sick and tired of this behaviour by him and my colleagues, and my party colleagues, family and friends who know me very well, they have been very proud that I have remained silent,” Moonilal said.

Seven sex workers were arrested during a crackdown on street prostitution in Woodbrook on Saturday night.

The seven women, ages 23 to 32 from various locations across north Trinidad, were arrested by Woodbrook police officers while plying their trade along Murray Street.

They were charged with loitering for the purpose of prostitution and remained detained up to late yesterday. The offence carries a fine of $200 or up to a month in prison.

They are expected to be taken to court this morning.

The exercise was coordinated by Senior Supt Ajith Persad, ASP Anderson Pariman and Insp Anthony Williams.

Efforts are being made at diplomatic levels to establish contact with authorities in Jordan concerning members of a T&T family who have been detained there since January.

This was indicated by National Security officials when asked by the T&T Guardian what action was being taken on the matter.

The family—among them two children under age ten—from east Trinidad were detained after going there in January.

It had been reported that under questioning, the couple had given information on the Carnival threat in T&T recently and this was relayed to local authorities.

The matter of their detention was raised at last week’s meeting Prime Minister Keith Rowley had with Muslim community representatives. Muslims of T&T PRO Imtiaz Mohammed subsequently said he was advised to write the National Security and Foreign Affairs Ministers to seek help with their return.

However the grandmother of the family tearfully turned to legal advisers yesterday to try and seek help to find out what was taking place. Relatives of the family have been questioned about them several times since their departure on January 14.

A T&T Guardian query to the Foreign Affairs Ministry two weeks ago has yielded no reply. But National Security officials said contact with Jordanian authorities is being established.

Attorney Nafeesa Mohammed said yesterday the man who was detained had been going to do Islamic studies and his wife had also intended to do nursing studies,

“We urgently need help from ministries to locate them—the young children particularly.

“T&T doesn’t have a mission near to Jordan. We don’t know where they’re detained and how the two children under ten are being cared for,” she added.

Project manager of National Infrastructure Development Company Limited (Nidco) Earl Wilson says the inclement weather is to blame for the delay in the completion of Package 2A of the Solomon Hochoy Highway Extension to Point Fortin.

During a site visit on Saturday, Wilson said that once rain falls, the job has to shut down. He said the estimated finish time has shifted to the end of May.

Package 2A, which entails the widening of the South Trunk Road between Dumfries Road, La Romaine and the Mosquito Creek bridge, was expected to be completed last month.

While most of the work has been completed, contractor Junior Sammy Ltd were still constructing a roundabout at Dumfries Road, a retaining wall and fortifying drainage that were previously done by dismissed Brazilian contractor, Construtora OAS.

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said the invitation for tender for the Mosquito Creek portion will be closed this week and a contractor will be selected soon.

Former Port Authority chairman Alison Lewis has dismissed reports that her decision to quit was as a result of political interference.

“I see this thing all over the papers about political interference,” but she urged people “who want to make political mileage” out of her resignation to “please stop it.”

She, however, admitted to being frustrated by “the process and the time it takes to get anything done.”

The former Port chair, speaking during an interview on i95.5 fm yesterday, said she was satisfied that she had done her best in the just under 12 months which she held the position.

People close to Lewis, a former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance, told the T&T Guardian that Lewis, as chairman of the Port, was kept “completely out of the loop” on what was happening with the Galleons Passage.” The vessel was sourced and purchased at a cost of US$17.4 M through Cabinet committee, headed by Finance Minister Colm Imbert and included Shamfa Cudjoe, Robert Le Hunte and Stuart Young.

At press time, the vessel was nearing a port at Yokohama, Japan where special fuel tanks will be installed to facilitate the trans-Pacific journey to T&T. It is expected to arrive by the end of April.

Under Lewis’ watch at least three attempts were made to secure a passenger ferry for the seabridge failed, and in November last year the Cabinet under Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley decided to remove the responsibility for acquiring a passenger ferry from the remit of Lewis and the Board of the Port Authority, and an inter-ministerial team was appointed to get the job done.

The PM announced weeks later that the Imbert-led team had found a vessel in Asia which the Government had purchased it.

The T&T Guardian was told that Lewis last week met with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley when she laid her cards on the table. But this newspaper was unable to ascertain whether she submitted her resignation to the Prime Minister or the line Minister responsible for the Port— Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan.

On Friday, rumours were rife that Lewis had tendered her resignation following a meeting of the Port Board.

When asked by the media about the resignation on Saturday, Sinanan admitted he had “heard” of the resignation but had not seen the letter. Sinanan subsequently spoke with her but Lewis remained adamant that her resignation with immediate effect stood.

The deputy chairman is Adrian Beharry. Other Port Commissioners are Suzette Beharry, Tommy Elias, Dexter Jaggernauth, Brandon Primus and Ainsworth Mohammed. None of them has resigned.

The tenure of the Lewis-led Board has been marred by recurring problems on the seabridge, which are yet to be resolved.

The T&T Express, the lone passenger ferry, which has been operating the route for the past 10 months was taken out of service for the crucial Carnival weekend after an extension on its class certificates for operation expired, leaving the seabridge without a passenger ferry.

The vessel eventually returned to service in late February but experienced mechanical problems last week resulting in cancellations to its sailing schedule. But the Port now faces a situation where the class certificates expired at midnight last night.

Unless a further extension of class certificates is granted by Norwegian-based international accreditors DNV TT Ltd, the T&T Express will be taken out of service.

If this happens it means there will be no passenger ferry to service the seabridge.

The T&T Spirit, which has been on dry-dock since June last year, is not ready to resume service.

The Port had hoped that the vessel which underwent sea trials two weeks ago would have been ready to resume service today. But well-placed sources told the T&T Guardian that after spending more than $70 million on parts and repairs the recent sea trials did not go as planned.

Last Friday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert told reporters in Tobago that Caribbean Airlines had been asked to “charter a specific aircraft to use on the Tobago route over the next few months or so,” under a similar arrangement as over the Carnival period to transport passengers at no additional cost.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) yesterday put T&T citizens on alert after authorities in Grenada were told of elevated activity at Kick em’ Jenny, one of the most active volcanoes in the Eastern Caribbean.

In a release, the ODPM said a substantial increase in earthquake activity associated with the volcano was recorded overnight Sunday by the University of the West Indies’ Seismic Research Unit. This information was relayed to the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) in Grenada and the alert level for Kick em Jenny was increased from yellow to orange yesterday, the ODPM said.

It said the orange alert suggests there is a highly elevated level of seismic, fumarolic and/or unusual activity and ships and other marine operators will be asked to stay out of the island’s exclusion zone of 5 km/3.1 miles.

The ODPM release noted that earthquake had slowed yesterday evening, but said the NaDMA and the Seismic Research Center would continue to monitor the activities of Kick em’ Jenny and update the public as necessary. A release from the NaDMA added that an eruption may begin with less than 24 hours notice during a period of alert, but noted there was no tsunami advisory for T&T or other parts of the region at the moment.

The ODPM also noted that T&T is not under any threat at this time, but said it will maintain communication with all stakeholders and alert the public if this becomes necessary. It said the public can refer to the NaDMA, UWI SRC and ODPM social media pages for more information on the volcano.

President Anthony Carmona is yet to address the concerns raised by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley over what authority he used in granting a six-month sabbatical leave for Chief Justice Ivor Archie.

The President returned from vacation on Sunday evening. However, the T&T Guardian was told by the President’s office that while Carmona had a number of engagements yesterday, none were related to the CJ sabbatical matter.

The T&T Guardian also got no response to questions emailed to communications manager Theron Boodan as to when the President would respond to the PM’s request or whether the President was seeking legal advice on the matter.

Last week, acting President Christine Kangaloo asked Archie to defer his departure for the sabbatical pending Carmona’s return, after the sabbatical issue causes a fire storm within the judiciary.

The CJ was due to leave the country on Sunday for the United States, where he was to proceed on leave until the end of August.

But hours after President’s House issued the notice indicating Archie had agreed to the request, Archie’s office sent out a media release through Court Protocol and Information Manager Alicia Carter Fisher justifying the leave.

The release quoted from the Hansard Report dated February 21, 2014, relating to the debate in parliament on the Salaries Review Commission’s 98th Report. The release noted that Dr. Roodal Moonilal indicated that “the Cabinet did agree to accept the recommendations of the Salaries Review Commission contained in the 98th Report dated November 2013.”

The SRC, in its 98th report, agreed in principle to the proposal for the introduction of sabbatical leave for judges. But it proposed that sabbatical leave required the administrative arrangements to be developed by the judiciary.

The CJ’s office explained that in May 2014 the CJ appointed an internal committee comprising Justices Paula-Mae Weekes as chair, Maureen Pemberton, Hayden St Clair-Douglas and Ricky Rahim to consider development of an appropriate administrative arrangement to give effect to the facility for sabbatical leave.

According to the CJ’s press release, “the report of the committee was submitted to the Chief Justice and to a meeting of judges and in July 2014 was agreed to in principle and thus comprises the administrative arrangement of the judiciary.”

But emailed correspondence among judges in the period July 21, 2014 indicates there was never any agreement on the document, and an email dated July 18 to the Chief Justice indicated that the committee “never actually met,” since attempts to meet were “thwarted by the unavailability of one or the other judges.”

But in his letter to the President dated November 8, 2017, the CJ noted that the judges of the supreme court had approved in principle a draft internal policy on the approval of sabbatical leave to facilitate study, teaching, research or other activity that will benefit the administration of justice and enhance judges performance of their duties.

In the letter, the CJ also recommended that the next most senior judge, Alan Mendonca, be permitted to perform duties in his absence.

It was only when the request relating to Mendoca’s appointment went to the PM from the President’s Office that Rowley found out about the sabbatical and he wrote to Carmona asking about the authority used to grant such the leave since, as far as he (PM) knew, no such policy existed.

The Port Authority last night announced that all passengers who wish to travel to Tobago by passenger ferry will now be accommodated by Caribbean Airlines.

This as the lone passenger ferry, the T&T Express, went out of service “for its statutory maintenance programme”. The replacement vessel, the T&T Spirit, which has been undergoing repairs since June last year, is now expected to return to service on March 22, the Port said in a statement. That vessel was expected to be back in operation today.

The Port said in the interest of public safety it has decided to temporarily suspend the operations of the passenger ferries until all outstanding works are completed.

As a result, only tickets for the cargo vessel, the Cabo Star, will be sold from today until March 22, the Port said.

“The Authority is committed to providing this essential service and will accommodate our passengers on flights from Caribbean Airlines, as previously done during the Carnival season, at no extra cost to the passenger. At this time, passengers with confirmed tickets up to 2018 March 22 will be required to go directly to Caribbean Airlines Domestic Counter on the confirmed date of travel to check-in.

The vehicles of passengers with confirmed tickets will be accommodated on the daily sailing of the Cabo Star, and all ticket holders will be shuttled via PTSC to the Piarco International Airport and the ANR International Airport accordingly at no additional cost,” the statement said.

The cost of one-way travel on the ferry is $50, one-third of the cost of an airline ticket.

In a separate statement, Caribbean Airlines said the Airports Authority of T&T (AATT) has agreed to keep the ANR Robinson International Airport open for longer hours. The airport will now be closed between to 1.30 a.m. – 5.45 a.m.

The airline said it was working with the Port to ensure that the 2,922 passengers holding confirmed ferry tickets for the initial period March 13-March 22 will be accommodated on flights at no additional cost to the passenger.

The airline is also finalising arrangements to obtain an additional aircraft specifically dedicated to the airbridge which will provide 1,088 extra seats daily.

Process for ferry customers

• Travellers with no vehicles, may go direct to the airports and present their confirmed tickets for possible acceptance for travel on Caribbean Airlines

• Persons will only be placed on flights for the specific date listed on their confirmed ferry ticket

• Passengers with vehicles must first check in at the Ports and after check-in will be shuttled via PTSC to the Piarco International Airport and the ANR International Airport, at no

additional cost.

• If persons wish to travel on a date that is different to the date on their confirmed ferry ticket, they may go to the Port and change the ferry ticket date there or purchase a Same Day Standby ticket from Caribbean Airlines.

Attorney Nyree Alfonso said yesterday something was amiss after burglars broke into her law chambers, located a short distance away from Central Police Station, and left empty-handed.

Alfonso said several items were disturbed and the petty cash in the office was not even touched.

“Some bank statements were disturbed, the computer was on and chair in front of the computer was not how I left it on Friday evening. It was not a normal robbery, I saw some files out of place but it was paper or electronic,” she said.

Alphonso said she could not speculate as to the intentions of who or what was behind the break-in.

Hours after the incident former minister Devant Maharaj sent an email to media houses commenting on the incident.

“I was in court when people showed me the WhatsApp message. He has his own position,” she said.

She said at that moment there were people working to secure the premises.

She said she spent time speaking with the police yesterday before she headed to court.

Alfonso said she walked two doors up to the Central Police Station and was told there was no one to send to investigate the matter.

“They sent somebody after. They did turn up, they just did not have any crime scene people there at the time,” she said.

Senior police officers yesterday confirmed that no items were taken from the scene and investigations were ongoing.

Embattled A&V Oil and Gas Ltd CEO Hanif Nazim Baksh appeared in the San Fernando Magistrate’s Court yesterday, charged with attempting to obstruct the course of justice.

The matter is related to the alleged assault case involving Guardian Media Ltd’s senior photographer Kristian De Silva on September 15 last year.

Presiding in the San Fernando First Court yesterday, Senior Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine read the charge that on November 9, 2017, at Penal, Baksh, knowingly or reasonably believing Khusial Motiram was a potential witness in a criminal investigation into the assault of De Silva and the malicious damage of property belonging to De Silva, for which Baksh was a suspect, used threats to influence Motiram to give false evidence and withhold true evidence.

Baksh was represented by former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC and former deputy chairman of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) Michael Rooplal.

Baksh, the father of former government senator Allyson Baksh, was not called upon to plead as the charge was laid indictably.

He was arrested on Thursday at his home along Nazim Avenue, San Francique, following an investigation by the Police Complaints Division. Following an identification parade at the San Fernando Police Station on Saturday, Ag ASP Joseph Chandool laid the charge. He was able to secure bail of $150,000 at the police station ahead of his appearance yesterday.

Although Antoine granted that the bail continued, Baksh remained at the court for several hours seeking approval from the Clerk of the Peace.

Baksh is jointly charged along with his son-law Cpl Billy Ramsundar, a police officer with 25 years service with the the assault on De Silva and malicious damage while outside A&V Oil and Gas Ltd at Nazim Avenue, San Francique.

Former president of the Association of Professional Engineers of T&T (APETT) Mark Francois says there are terrible construction practices throughout the country, some of which place citizens in jeopardy everyday.

Francois made the comment as he responded to the tragic case in which a wall collapsed on five-year-old Pawaan Granger, killing him over the weekend.

While he said he could not say what caused the collapse in this case since he was unfamiliar with the circumstances, Francois said there was an urgent need for the implementation of a building code.

Pawaan, a First Year pupil of the Siparia Road Presbyterian School, died after several concrete blocks from a wall in the yard of his Coolman Street, Fyzabad home fell on his head. An autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, by Dr Hughvon des Vignes yesterday found that death was due to blunt force trauma.

The wall, which held up by a concrete counter, had no columns nor was it tied into the perimeter wall it was attached to. Pawaan’s grandfather Errol Bunsee, a builder, said the fallen was not constructed properly, as the builders used mortar to bond it to the perimeter wall. Bunsee said even the colour of the mortar showed it was not mixed properly.

Mikahail Granger, the boy’s father, said they met the wall there when they moved into the rented house a year ago.

Asked about the safe construction of a wall yesterday, Francois said there are a lot of circumstances which most laymen would not know how to go about building. He said walls are supposed to be reinforced, many times with columns, but there was no one solution.

“Because this wall happens to be one that fell down, it may be that it had no foundation, which could be a real problem. I can’t tell you what the problem is, all I am asking is, who approves walls? There is nobody approving a wall when you are building. The whole issue of safe buildings boils down to a building code and enforcement of a building code,” Francois said.

“We have a small buildings guideline which hasn’t been implemented and we don’t have a building code, and we don’t have anybody monitoring. And you know how corrupt this country is, so a bottle of scotch and you can get away with murder.”

He said several years ago the Bureau of Standards produced a small buildings guideline which does not require the experience of an engineer, architect or professional to follow. However, he said even if a draughtsman draws a proper plan, people cut corners and questioned who would monitor what the builder does.

A couple from Gasparillo now believe the unsanitary conditions at the San Fernando General Hospital’s neonatal unit contributed to the death of their premature baby on Saturday.

Two-month old baby Issiah had been at the hospital since he was born on December 27 last year. He was born 14 weeks premature.

Nadie and Kurt Ram, of Fieldview Drive, yesterday called on Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh to immediately relocate the unit from the old hospital building to the San Fernando Teaching Hospital, on Chancery Lane, so that other babies would not suffer the same fate.

Contacted on the issue yesterday, Director of Health at the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA), Dr Albert Persaud, said deep cleaning of the existing unit had been done, adding the hospital started upgrades last Monday.

“The whole ward is being rearranged to minimise the infection. The infection in the unit is no more than it has been before. Infection occurs in cycles. Some months you will find more babies falling ill compared to other months. This happens in all neonatal units throughout the world,” Persaud said.

He said the re-arranging will take place within two weeks, following which expansion of the neonatal facilities will be done.

But the child’s father said he believed if his son was kept in a cleaner facility he would have survived.

Giving an overview of her ordeal, Nadie said she suffers from polycystic ovaries so she took precautions to ensure her pregnancy went well. On December 27, she started getting pains.

“I thought it was gas because I was only 28 weeks, two days. I went to my doctor in Gulf View and he said to go to the hospital. I went and the pain intensified. I felt like pushing and the baby came out in 15 minutes. He weighed 1.2 kg,” Nadie said.

She said the baby was given oxygen and a few days later they were told their son had contracted a bacterial infection.

Nadie said they took three blood samples and his condition improved and on Carnival weekend they were told he would be discharged. However, Nadie said when the final blood work was done they were told his infection marker had gone to nine so he couldn’t be discharged.

“The colour of his skin started to get dark and then he started to get pale. Between last Wednesday to Thursday, his body started to swell and his skin began peeling. They did an X-ray and they saw that he was bleeding internally from the right side lung. On Saturday, they said they were not hearing a heartbeat and they told us he passed,” Nadie said.

The distraught parents said they want to know why babies were keeping in a bacteria-contaminated ward. She said once the funeral for the baby is over, they intend to seek legal redress. Baby Isaiah’s funeral will take place tomorrow at Belgrove’s Funeral Home, in San Fernando.

The Rams are the second family to complain about the conditions at the neonatal unit. Last week, Randy Jaglal and his wife, Nazaran, said their son, Riley, became brain damaged after contracting a bacterial infection in the same ward. Riley has since been discharged.

BABIES BORN WITH ANTIBIOTICS RESISTANT BACTERIA —MINISTER

Contacted yesterday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said baby Isaiah was born at 26 weeks.

“This is 14 weeks premature. He was born with a very low birth weight. His immune system was not fully developed and this made the baby susceptible to bacterial infection,” Deyalsingh said.

Extending condolences to the parents, Deyalsingh said, “I understand the pain and trauma. They want answers but they are going to take legal action so I will not be saying anything further.”

He added: “The underlying problem is babies are being born with antibiotic resistant bacteria. We have taken immediate measures to rearrange the neonatal intensive care unit. We have also identified another region near ward 15 A and B which will be refitted to accommodate more babies.”

Tobago Forwards deputy chairman Kevon McKenna is calling on Secretary for Tourism and Culture in the Tobago House of Assembly Nadine Stewart-Phillips to cancel the Tobago Jazz Experience this year following the latest collapse of the sea bridge and a lack of promotion in the build-up to the event.

Speaking at a news conference at the Scarborough Port yesterday, McKenna said apart from the continuing woes on the sea bridge, there’s no concrete information about the event, which is carded for April 27-29.

“We do not know the venue, we do not know the cost of tickets, we don’t even know who are the main acts. Thank God I could read a papers, I actually saw something is happening, but nothing is still confirmed by the commission or the secretary,” McKenna said, even as Caribbean Airlines announced yesterday it would yet again step in to fill the void after the Port Authority announced it was taking the T&T Express off the route for safety reasons.

“No marketing has been done for this festival, we are yet to hear radio ads, see anything in the papers, anything on social media, no advertising has been done locally, none has been done internationally. In the absence of marketing and one month to an event and nobody knows about it, who then are we catering for? I will have to ask the secretary ‘is this a private party for the Tourism staff or the PNM elites? Cancel jazz.”

Although a budget for the event has not been made public, McKenna said the event is a waste of public funds and called for the allocation to be used as compensation for Tobago entrepreneurs who are continuing to experience losses due to the failing air and sea bridges.

"How are the tourism stakeholders or business owners to get produce here, when every Monday, every dog and his brother we are stuck in Trinidad, is that fair? Why are we taking Tobagonians for granted? We are also suggesting to not just cancel the jazz, but cancel the jazz and allocate the seven or 12 million dollars to compensate the business owners who would have been affected by the failed air and sea bridge," he said.

"The Hotel Association would have data from previous years in terms of occupancy levels, you can use that to calculate and compensate the business owners."

The Tobago Festivals Commission has not made any formal announcement about this year's Tobago Jazz Experience.

Former Congress of the People leader Prakash Ramadhar said former Lopinot/Bon Air West MP Dr Lincoln Douglas was in good spirits last evening, having been hospitalised at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope after suffering a heart attack over the weekend.

Ramadhar said a heart attack is not a good thing to speak on or about, but added that Douglas was recuperating satisfactorily.

“I spoke to him just this evening and he is doing well. To all who are concerned, he was advised to issue a release, which he will,” Ramadhar said.

Ramadhar worked very closely with Douglas, a former minister in the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism under the People’s partnership government (2010-15), during his tenure as COP political leader.

Scores of ferry passengers, believed to be the last batch shuttled to the Piarco International Airport from the Port of Port-of-Spain, were up to late last evening waiting on standby for a flight to Tobago after a frustrating day.

Yesterday was day one of a Caribbean Airlines-implemented initiative meant to bring immediate relief to passengers affected by the pulling of the T&T Express from the sea bridge. But there were many upset passengers at Piarco yesterday, as they were made the wait long hours of standby for available spots on flights.

At 10.58 am yesterday, two PTSC Deluxe Coach buses arrived at the Port-of-Spain Ferry Terminal to shuttle confirmed ferry passengers to Piarco.

One of the ferry passengers, who only identified himself as a member of the T&T Defence Force, said he got to the terminal shortly after 6 am and was told by the cashier to proceed to the manager for further instructions. He said his ferry ticket was signed and he was told he had to wait for the 11 am shuttle bus to the airport. However, he said the buses did reach on time and did not leave the Ferry Terminal until 2.15 pm.

When ferry passengers Lorenzo Daniel and his mother got off the bus at Piarco, they were told to go to counter two for their plane tickets. They were then directed to counter 38 where their names were placed on a standby list. However, at the 3.25 pm only two standby passengers got on the next flight. This stirred murmurs of frustration among the group of standby passengers, most of whom were ferry passengers.

One shouted: “We asking for information and not getting any. I thought they shuttling we to a plane...didn’t know is standby they have we here till God know when now.”

At the subsequent standby call at 4.35 pm, six standby ferry passengers were called for the next available flight.

Businessman James Davis-Lowry, who owns a guest house, described the entire system from sea bridge to air bridge as sad and unfortunate. He lamented how some hotels had been forced to send home almost 80 per cent of staff as they were getting no guests.

“I have accommodation for 25 guests and the majority of time in the past two years since this fiasco has been very bad business,” Davis-Lowry said.

Speaking on the issue, CAL corporate communications head Dionne Ligoure, who also visited the Domestic Terminal, said the airline had jets along with ATRs servicing the air bridge all day long and admitted that one of the jets “left for Tobago with space.” But Ligoure, not wanting to cast any blame to anyone, did admit shuttled ferry passengers arrived late at the airport, which contributed to the standby list at 4.30pm being over 30 listed names. She reassured that the airline was doing its best to have all standby passengers accommodated on flights at the quickest time possible. At 6.40 pm there was still a large group of standby passengers at the counter.

According to the T&T Inter-Island Transportation Company’s manager, marketing and public relations Vilma Lewis-Cockburn, the T&T Express was taken out of service for safety issues. The T&T Spirit, which was expected to resume the service on March 13, also had some issues to addressed and is now expected to resume operations on or before March 22.

In the interim, CAL said it is working closely with PATT to ensure that some 2,922 people holding confirmed ferry tickets for the initial period March 13-22 will be flown between the islands at no additional cost to the passengers.

The airline was also finalising arrangements to obtain an additional aircraft specifically dedicated to the air bridge which will provide 1,088 extra seats daily.