A University of T&T lecturer caught in a video using profanity towards his students was said to have been “only appealing to the students in the class to listen and take their studies for serious.”

The 39-second video, which went viral over the past 24 hours on social media, showed the lecturer, dressed in a grey hoodies jacket, scolding the students using “strong profanity”. The man was yesterday identified as a former Physics lecturer who was based at the South campus for the past 13 years. Ironically, he was one of the lecturers whose contracts were terminated in the first phase of a restructuring exercise by the university. The video in question, however, was taken seven months ago.

UTT management sources confirmed that the lecturer taught at the university but made it clear he was retrenched and not fired from the university over the said video.

In the video, the lecturer can be heard saying: “Listen, listen…if you don’t want to listen, it simple and you don’t want to hear pick up your bag and get the @#$% out the class…Alright! – because I have classes back to back and I had to tell the next class last week that I had four f@#$% funerals in two f@#$% weeks to come and f@#$% sit down here and hear alyuh don’t do alyuh work…” He then gesticulated and re enacted how the students would sit back on their chairs and act like they’re not listening and referred to them as “Big a$$@@%.”

However, speaking in his defence yesterday, the UTT source said the lecturer was at the time going through “serious emotional stress.”

“His mother had passed away around that time and he was under so much emotional stress that he had to hire a driver to come to work,” the UTT source, who confessed to being the lecturer’s friend, said.

A UTT lecturer, who also wished not to be identified, said on the day in question the then-lecturer was scolding his students because they were very disruptive in class.

“He had set up a lab for them and they didn’t go to the lab. He told them that he had to bend backwards for them to get the lab and was very angry that they did not go.

He was appealing to them to take their work seriously…yes the profanities may have been a little over but he was trying to drive home a point to them,” the UTT lecturer said.

The UTT lecturer noted that at the end of that very semester all the students in the said class failed their exams and the same ex-lecturer had to teach them again, “just to know that they all passed their exams the second time around so these students did take him for serious after all and bucked up. He was always known to genuinely care for the students and make sure that he always worked closely with them and supported them. He meant nothing abusive or bad.”

Another close friend of the ex-lecturer said he was very distraught and troubled over the release of the video. The friend said he was looking to move on with his life in a “new direction” and now has to deal with this issue.

“He heard about it and really is upset about it, so distraught that he has switched off his phone because he has been answering calls continuously since it went viral. He is out of teaching now and looking to go into a new different way in life.

Some of his former students who knew him well are rooting for him in all this though.”

But T&T Unified Teachers Association president Lindsay Doodhai yesterday condemned the use of obscene language by teachers during the performance of their duties.

“Teachers should not be using obscene language in their classes no matter the situation. Its use is inexcusable.”

Also contacted yesterday, Education Minister Anthony Garcia said he was told that UTT had since launched an investigation into the incident. He added that teachers need no reminder of how they are supposed to behave, “teachers know exactly how they supposed to behave, interact with students and compose themselves.”

He added that any teachers caught in similar situations will be investigated and necessary disciplinary actions will be taken accordingly.

Waheeda Ganesh broke down in tears, shaking and wailing loudly, as the body of her only child- murdered teenager Eric Ganesh was brought up the street in St Charles to the surprisingly sombre sounds of tassa drumming.

Mourners wore special tee-shirts emblazoned with Ganesh's smiling face and the words "Our Angel, Our Legend."

The funeral attracted hundreds of people who spilled from the houses of mourning, onto the streets. 

Among those in attendance were Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Naparima MP Rodney Charles, both of whom wept openly for the family's loss.

Drawing on her own experiences as a mother of one child, Persad-Bissessar said she could not find words to express the horror and pain she felt as a mother and grandmother over the loss of Ganesh who was gunned down in the yard of his neighbour's home at St Charles, Princes Town last Saturday.

Police said the killers were after two men who came to do business at the neighbour's graphic design shop and as Ganesh happened to be in the neighbour's yard, the men gunned him down.

While the death was horrific to comprehend, Persad-Bissessar said it was time for citizens to stand up against crime and say enough is enough.

"How many more of children must die. How many more must be wiped out before those in charge take action to save our sons and daughters? she asked. She said crime had no bounds and people were facing senseless killings regardless of race, religion, gender and class 

"This country has become so unsafe. A child is killed in his own yard. I say let God continue to bless and keep you in this hour of grief. Let us stand up and say enough is enough and take comfort that after death there is the resurrection," Persad-Bissessar said.

While she spoke Waheeda and her husband Vishnu hung over the casket, gazing at their dead son's face.

Meanwhile, Pastor Alister Bhola said Ganesh's death had left the entire community in turmoil.

"A death like this makes you sad, and it makes you frightened. I am vexed and I don’t know who to be vexed with. How are we to walk the street? How are we to allow our children to play in the yard. The people who took Eric from us must not be allowed to take our lives and our souls also," he said. He added that feeling anger was normal.

"Many of us have felt and have feeling to desire for Eric killers not only to be brought to justice but suffer the same fate as he did. I guess it is only natural the profound anger and desire for revenge are only natural. But this tragedy must not be allowed to direct our lives, longing for justice and lusting for revenge are two different things. Justice is one part of the healing process and we wish for justice, but taking it further and lusting for revenge you need to remember that revenge is a slow poison in the soul. It offers no lasting relief. It makes us no better than the murderers who gunned down this innocent life," Bhola said.

He also said while sin and violence had stained the villages and the privacy of our own homes, people should not give themselves over to hate.

Thousands of dead fishes are continuing to wash ashore on the beaches of La Brea, prompting speculation that the fishes are being dumped as a ploy to bring down fish sales.

The fishes were first spotted on Monday at Carat Shed Beach but as the week progressed they began washing up at Point Sable beach.

President of the La Brea Fisherfolk Association Alvin La Borde said most of the fishes were herrings, sardines, and mullet. He said the fishes appear to have been dumped as most of them were already past the point of decay.

"The heads and bellies are rotten and while we have one or two fresh fishes coming in, the majority appears to be in a state of decomposition," La Borde said. 

He added that the fish-kill was troubling to fisherfolk who were now worried that their sales would dip in the next week. 

"What is mysterious about this is it has been happening around this time every year since 2013 when we had that great oil spill. They have a lot of offshore projects planned for the Gulf of Paria and we want to believe that someone is deliberately dumping fish so there will be low records of fish sales so when the issue of compensation arises they will use the data recorded with the lowest fish sales," La Borde added.

He called on the public not to let the fish kill affect their fish purchases.

Asked whether he believed trawler operators were responsible for dumping the fishes caught in their nets, La Borde said, "I don't want to speculate who is doing this. The waters of the Gulf are used in the Point Fortin desalination plant and authorities have said nothing is wrong with the water. The EMA has a report of this and we have contacted the Institute of Marine Affairs but nobody has responded so far."

He said hundreds of boat owners, fishermen, vendors and their families will suffer because of the fish-kill.

He also called on the government to take new samples to determine whether fish is safe to eat. La Borde also called on the Siparia Regional Corporation to assist the residents in cleaning up the beaches saying every day thousands of fishes were washing up.

Contacted yesterday managing director of the EMA Hayden Romano said EMA teams have been to the beaches but were having difficulties in getting samples because none of the fishes were fresh.

"The fishes are so decomposed that it makes no sense taking a sample. We won't get anything from it. This points to the possibility that this could be by-catch which people are dumping overboard. Big vessels and trawlers are picking up these fishes but there is no market for it so they are dumping it overboard. It is a chicken and egg situation," Romano said.

He added that National Fisheries was doing some work with the trawlers so that systems can be put in place to ensure there is less by-catch with the use of bigger spaced nets.  Romano said the EMA is continuing to monitor the situation.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is concerned about Government’s plan to start debate on the Anti-Terrorism Bill on Wednesday. She accused the Keith Rowley administration of being “less than transparent” in trying to rush this debate without the benefit of the report of a Joint Select Committee (JSC), or amendments to he legislation.

However, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said the JSC which he headed did a lot of work on the legislation and had arrived at the “best position.” He assured that the Bill is “in the best interest of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Persad-Bissessar, who spoke to reporters after attending Eid celebrations at the Nur-E-Islam Mosque, in El Socorro yesterday, said she only received the Order Paper on Thursday night with the notice that Government plans to debate the Bill.

She said she had serious concerns because the majority of parliamentarians who were not members of the JSC “have not had sight of the report or the amended bill.”

The legislation was first brought to Parliament earlier this year and was sent to the JSC. Persad-Bissessar said Parliament “must ensure that no one is discriminated against in the way that report and the Bill that comes back to us.”

Persad-Bissessar said she had sent an email asking for a copy of the JSC report, a copy of the verbatim Hansard notes of all meetings and of all correspondence, but up to yesterday had not received it.

She said it was sad that in the month of Ramadan there had been so much acrimony against members of the Muslim community “from the authorities and even from the Prime Minister himself.”

Contacted for comment, Al-Rawi said the JSC which he chaired had arrived at a “great position.” He sought to allay fears that the Bill targets Muslims.

“This bill is targeted against terrorism and terrorists are persons beyond religious boundaries,” he said.

The AG said there is nothing in the Bill hat targets any particular religion.

“We have had significant stakeholder consultation. We have had a Joint Select Committee of Parliament and I am confident that the legislation is geared towards the best interest of Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

“We got extensive submissions from a number of stakeholders including the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Concerned Muslims of Trinidad and Tobago, the Muslim Round Table, business associations, and the Chambers of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago.

“If you look to the work of the committee it is perhaps one of the deepest involved reports you will find on the Parliament’s records, in the space of time, the number of consultations, etc. The committee did a lot of work,” Al-Rawi said.

The head of the Muslim community in Tobago Kameal Ali is appealing to people involved in criminal activity to “turn to God.”

He expressed concern at the alarming rate of crime in Trinidad but said in Tobago “it is not so bad.”

Ali warned that those committing crimes will one day have to “stand before God and he will judge you and punish you.”

Ali said the recent murder in the carpark of a mosque in Arima and the discovery of arms and ammunition in a mosque in central Trinidad, combined with robberies at Hindu temples and churches were “the lowest depth humanity can go.”

Commenting on criticisms of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley by some in the Muslim community, Ali said he felt people had misinterpreted what the Prime Minister said.

“I don’t think he meant to attack the Muslim community or meant any harm,” he said.

Ali added that the jury is still out on the so called Carnival plot.

“Nobody has been charged, but we wait until the authorities complete their investigation,” he said.

He however did not want to comment on claims by Keegan Roopchan that he was forced to go along with the Carnival plot which was scripted by Jordanians, saying he did not “know the individual, and did not have any information.”

Ali was speaking shortly after Eid observances at the Masjid al Tawbad in Scarborough, Tobago, where Imam Muzafar Mohammed urged Muslims not to let the religious gains of the Holy month of Ramadhan go to waste.

T&T nationals who left the country and have been involved with terrorist organizations like ISIS should not return with ideas that are against democratic values, Inshan Ishmael, chairman of the Barakah Foundation, said yesterday.

“A Muslim is one who does not promote violence. All those who have gone and want to fight should remain there. Do not bring back your ideology here. Do not spread that ideology here. That ideology has no part in our religion, it has no place here,” he said during Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations at the Barakah Grounds in Chaguanas.

According to Ishmael, T&T has more 150,000 Muslims and if 100 of them are involved in illegal activities, that represents less than one percent of the country’s Muslim population.

“At the end of the day, it is a miniscule amount. I want the authorities to monitor the places where these people come from. I want these people to be held accountable because these are the things we do not stand for and will never stand for. Look around, there is no one with guns here,” he said.

Ishmael said religious organizations like his own are just as important as a family in dealing with crime and other social problems.

“A criminal is not born. A criminal is made through the homes, through the schools, through institutions, in fact sometimes even through religious places. Sometimes you have criminals leading organizations and it does not matter what religious organisation you are, when you have criminals leading organizations, what do you expect,” he said.

Ishmael said this year the Barakah Foundation organised almost $60,000 in food and other items for charity. He said the organisation has given out millions of dollars in charity, not only to the Muslim community, but also to Hindus and Christians.

“It is a tremendous undertaking and these items are distributed today. Immediately after the sermon we will begin. Our organization is one of those that gets assistance from the Government. We have not received anything as yet but we have gone ahead and purchased and put everything in place., so whether we get or we do not get, we put things in place to make sure this is done,” he said.

In an effort to restore peace in the Balandra and Rampanalagas districts on Trinidad’s north coast, Eastern Division police officers have been teaming up daily with OCNSB officers and other units of the TTPS to crack down on criminal activity. So far their efforts have resulted in four persons being arrested and the seizure of four guns and quantity of ammunition.

The latest success was on Thursday at around 4 am when a joint police exercise was conducted in the Balandra forest.

The officers came across a camp, arrested two men and seized a Glock and two Ruger pistols along with 100 assorted ammunition, extended magazines and marijuana with a street value of $200,000.

The men were charged by Cpl Ramnarine of the Sangre Grande Task Force for possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. They are expected to appear before a Sangre Grande magistrate on Monday.

RALPH BANWARIE
 

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday advised people with concerns that the Carnival terror plot had been fabricated to take up that issue with the government of Jordan.

He said so during the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations at the San Fernando Jama Masjid in response to calls from Muslims of T&T PRO Imtiaz Mohammed for an apology.

This followed claims by Keegan Roopchand, who was detained in Jordon, that the Carnival plot was a scripted hoax he was forced by Jordanian security officials to recite.

Roopchand claimed he, his wife and children were tortured.

Rowley did not respond to Mohammed’s call for an apology.

Instead, he said: “If such persons have issues with the Jordanian government I would suggest that they take it up with the Jordanian government who I am sure can speak very eloquently for themselves if they choose to deign them with a comment.

“To ask me to speak for them is out of the question.

“What I can speak for is the National Security Council of Trinidad and Tobago and I will say one thing to the wider national community, that ignorance is never a position of strength on any issue.

“When I speak to the people of Trinidad and Tobago in this job I speak with the responsibility of the office of Prime Minister and the oath of office that I have taken and I speak with the knowledge and the information of the National Security Council.”

Rowley said the negative comments by some are not shared by the majority of Muslims in the country.

“What I would like to say for those of you who carry the news and the communications, it is not because negative comments are made by some that that reflects the view of the majority.

“One person speaking negatively and saying the community this and the community that is far from the reality.

“But we do have a society of freedom of expression and nobody objects to people’s negative comments but we have to see it as what it represents.

“I have every confidence and I have the knowledge that the vast majority of members of the Muslim community are not reflected in those divisive comments.”

Dr Rowley said a meeting of the National Security Council on Monday is not being held to discuss a list of alleged gang members circulating on the social media, or the threat of gang warfare in east Port-of-Spain.

“Monday is just another meeting. We meet on a regular basis,” he said.

The Prime Minister delivered brief greetings at the Eid celebrations and thanked Maulana Mushtaq Ahmad Sulaimani for doing a very good job in “pulling together our citizens of all persuasions to appreciate our teachings and also holding out the hope for unity in Trinidad and Tobago.”

Sulaimani said Rowley’s presence at the mosque demonstrated his love for the Muslim community and they in turn they cherish him.

“Let us put aside our petty differences.

In my personal view, our Prime Minister is telling the nation let us move together, let us put our heads, our hearts together and move in unity that is when we would prosper,” he said.

He urged his congregation to disregard the few who paint Islam in a negative light.

“We are no terrorists, we are no criminals. We are a peace loving people,” he said.

Sulaimani said the only way to get rid of crime and the wrongs in society is by inculcating the fear of Allah in hearts and minds.

When Rowley arrived at the masjid he was greeted by a large crowd on the street waiting for alms. Several times he had to ask the crowd to behave while he was handing out money.

“If you are not going to behave, I am going to go,” he warned.

Rowley was accompanied to the celebrations by Rural and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein.

Parents, teachers and students of the Success Laventille Secondary School paid tribute to their murdered schoolmate Joshua James with a silent protest on Thursday afternoon. The demonstration took place at around 2 pm on the Eastern Main Road, Laventille, along the southern perimeter of the school.

A memorial to James has been erected in his classroom.

Among the placards carried by the participants was one which listed children from the area, including students at the school, who have been murdered in recent years.

One of the teachers, who asked not to be identified, said too much innocent blood has been shed and the “poor/nil response” from the relevant authorities is disappointing.

“All this senseless killing and nothing being put in place,” the teacher said.

A relative of the slain teen said he was working on a school project on drug abuse and violence when he was killed.

“He did not like the crime that was going on . . . all this gun play. It was a pain for him to hear gunshots all around him,” the relative said.

She said James wanted to either become an underwater welder or a member of the T&T Coast Guard.

“He was very intelligent and did well in his schoolwork. He loved to work for honest money and would do chores for people around, including washing their vehicles and helping them sell food. He was loved by all and very well-respected and full of respect for others.”

James was killed last week Friday while he was playing a video game at his home. Two bystanders were also killed—Carlos Abraham, 38, who was celebrating a friend’s birthday, and Curtis Hepburn, 49.

According to reports, at around 10.45 pm, a car stopped at the corner of Erica Street and the Old St Joseph Road and gunmen opened fire.

James died on the spot. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Public Administration Minister Marlene McDonald is up and about after a bout of hypoglycemia on Thursday and will be back on the job today attending a function.

McDonald said she suffered a bout of low blood sugar because she hadn’t eaten properly which caused her to fall ill after Thursday’s Cabinet meeting. She admitted she hadn’t eaten properly on Wednesday and only had some apple juice on Thursday morning.

When she fell ill, her colleagues called an ambulance which took her from the Cabinet meeting at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital’s (POSGH) Accident and Emergency Unit where doctors did an electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood count trace to ascertain if it was a heart or stroke problem.

“The tests were clear and those two issues were ruled out,” McDonald said yesterday.

Doctors found her blood sugar was too low and diagnosed hypoglycemia, which occurs when blood sugar drops below normal levels. This may result in a variety of symptoms including weakness, clumsiness, trouble talking, confusion, loss of consciousness, seizure or death. A feeling of hunger, sweating, shakiness may also be present.

There were discussions at POSGH about whether to send her to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex for overnight observation but McDonald spoke with her personal doctor and was transferred to St Clair Medical Centre on Thursday night.

“I want to make it clear that my stay at St Clair is at my own expense. I‘m paying for that and not taxpayers, since it was my personal doctor’s decision,” she stressed.

McDonald was released from St Clair Medical Centre yesterday.

“I want to thank my colleagues who assisted after I fell ill—Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, Ministers Shamfa Cudjoe, Fitzgerald Hinds, Camille Robinson-Regis, Cherrie-Ann Crichlow Cockburn and others.”

These minister went to the POSGH and stayed with McDonald into the evening on Thursday awaiting news.

The minister, who is the MP for Port-of-Spain South, said she will back at work hosting a Father’s Day function at the Port-of-Spain City Hall at 4 pm.

Joseph Mondello has not yet been cleared by the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee in the United States to take up his post as Ambasasador to T&T but Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is looking forward to his appointment.

“We have not had a US Ambassaador for some time,” she said.

The last US Ambassador, Trinidad-born John Estrada, left in early 2017 shortly after the election of US President Donald Trump. More than a year later, in March, President Trump named his longtime supporter Mondello for the post.

Mondello, who appeared before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington this week, admitted he had never been to T&T but said that should not rule him out for the position. He described the issue of the number of T&T nationals recruited to the Islamic State (ISIS), which he put at 135, is a problem which overshadows all others he expects to face if he gets the nod.

Yesterday, Persad Bissessar agreed with Mondello, telling reporters after Eid celebrations at the Nur-e-Islam Mosque in El Socorro that the threat from ISIS is real.

“I am sure the national community and the Muslim community will welcome whatever assistance the US can give,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar recalled that as Prime Minister she had signed a United National Resolution with President Barack Obama and others with respect to fighting terrorism. She said she remained “committed to fighting terrorism and any assistance Trinidad and Tobago can get from the US in fighting terrorism we welcome.”

Mondello told the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee if confirmed he will seek help from federal agencies to reduce the rate of ISIS recruitment in T&T.

Two weeks after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced plans to purchase two new ferries for the seabridge as well as a navy patrol vessel, two of Australia’s largest shipbuilders have submitted proposals to Government.

Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young made the announcement on Thursday.

Following his trip to Australia last month, Rowley said Government intended to purchase two ferries and a navy patrol vessel after talks with International Catamarans (INCAT) and Austal.

Young said a team from Austal came to T&T recently and inspected the four water taxis which were built by them.

They also examined six fast patrol vessels operated by the Coast Guard.

“During the time that they were here we received from Australia a comprehensive proposal from Austal for the provision of the fast ferries which the Prime Minister spoke about upon his return, as well as a cape grade vessel—a military vessel for patrolling the coast line of Trinidad and Tobago.”

He added: “Cabinet is setting up a committee to evaluate these two proposals and I have told both Austal and INCAT that we would like to invite them to Trinidad and Tobago within the next two weeks after the valuation committee have gone over their proposals to meet with our valuation committee and to go through the process because we want to proceed with those vessels as quickly as possible.”

Young said the 58-metre cape vessel is used by the Australia’s navy on its north and east coasts.

“It’s a vessel that can be built to specification with guns and holding bays if they pick up illegal immigrants. They are not the long range OPVs.”

Just two years ago, 12-year-old Nasia Roberts wasn’t sure she would ever walk again. On Thursday, she walked past her cheering classmates to accept her school’s Spirit of the School Award. Every year, the Tacarigua Presbyterian School honours a student who embodies the ideals of the school and this year, Nasia was the obvious winner.

On November 12, 2015, Nasia, her younger sister, cousin and mother were walking from their home to a nearby shop.

Her mother, Diana Roberts, said while she held the hands of the smaller children, Nasia, who was a little older, walked ahead. Roberts said a speeding driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into Nasia, pinning her to a wall that eventually came crashing down on the then nine-year-old.

She was rushed to hospital, with her right leg so badly damaged that the bone had to be replaced. Roberts said her daughter spent five months in hospital, but was in and out of hospital for more than two years.

And 15 surgeries later, she was able to walk to the stage to collect her award.

“Because she missed a year of school we had to work harder. I am so proud of her,” Roberts said.

The accident occurred just as Nasia entered Standard 4 in the height of her SEA preparation. In addition to the School Spirit Award, Nasia also received a scholarship to help with secondary school expenses.

Roberts said: “It hasn’t been easy, but we take it one step at a time.”

GOLDA LEE-BRUCE

The murder of a man and the wounding of his common-law wife marred the Eid holiday at Lilly Lane, North Eastern Settlement, Sangre Grande.

Morris Francis, 27, of Blake Avenue, Damarie Hill, Guaico, was shot multiple times and died while undergoing emergency surgery at the Sangre Grande Hospital on Friday, while his common-law-wife, Alicia Neckles, 24, was shot in her chest and remained warded in stable condition up to late yesterday.

The couple had gone to visit their relatives when tragedy struck. Neckles’ mom, who lives in Tobago, returned to her Lilly Lane home to spend the weekend and invited her daughter for a lime. While drinking and listening to music at the front of the house around 6.30 pm, a gunman dressed in black with his face covered opened fire on them.

A relative told T&T Guardian, “I went to the inside of my house to change the music when I heard sounds like firecracker. Within seconds, my stepdaughter Alicia came running towards me with blood pouring on her top and dripping on the floor saying ‘Please help, daddy.’

“I became dumbfounded. As I approached the area where we were sitting I observed Francis lying on the grass with blood all over his body. He was still alive, attempting to say something to me, but did not see my wife. I called on neighbours for assistance, they responded and called the police. Later, I found my wife lying on the grass, playing dead to avoid the gunman. I felt relieved and thanked God.”

Police arrived within minutes and took those who were injured to the hospital.

Relatives believed it was a hit because Francis had left to purchase cigarettes at a nearby grocery and his assailant allegedly followed him.

Visiting the scene were ASP Etienne, Insp Lutchman, WSGT Lopez, Cpls De La Rosa, Jones, and others.

An autopsy will be performed on Francis at the Forensic Science Centre, St James.

Cpl Jones is continuing investigations.

RALPH BANWARIE
 

A report into the state of the energy sector by the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries has warned that the high natural gas prices are threatening the viability of the downstream sector and consequently jobs at Point Lisas.

There have been rumblings at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate over the price and continued shortage of natural gas which some on the estate say are threatening the economic lifeblood of the country and may even lead to plants shutting down and hundreds of people losing their jobs.

The Sunday Guardian has obtained a copy of the ministry’s report which notes that apart from higher prices there is a concern about limited gas being sent for processing.

“Given their demands, recent gas contracts with upstream companies have been at significantly higher prices. These prices pose a challenge to both the NGC and the downstream companies. The situation is compounded by the preference of the upstream companies to provide gas for LNG rather than downstream industries. As a consequence, the future of our downstream industry is being jeopardised. The GORTT is currently reviewing our options that may include a gas allocation policy to ensure the sustainability of our downstream industries,” the report stated.

Well-placed sources in the downstream sector told the Sunday Guardian that on average a methanol plant spends about $1.7 billion (TT) a year to operate in T&T. That cost includes the price of natural gas, wages and salaries, capital expenditure, and taxes to the Government. In return, the average profit on a plant is about $210 million. However, if the price of gas increases by 20 to 25 per cent then the energy companies may make on average a profit of $140 million. This figure is before the companies pay any loans they may have and dividends to shareholders. It also includes retained earnings so that the company may further invest.

The downstream sector is considered one of the greatest achievements of the country because it has allowed T&T to use its natural gas and add value to it by making products like ammonia, methanol, urea, and melamine, all of which are either essential fertilisers or used in manufacturing. It has also made T&T the envy of many energy producing countries because this country is the largest exporter of ammonia in the world and the second largest exporter of methanol in the world.

It must be noted that the downstream sector contributes billions of dollars annually to the country. An example is Caribbean Nitrogen Company which revealed that on average it contributes more than $1 billion to the economy, inclusive of wages and salaries, taxes and payments for services like electricity and water.

The report said the upstream companies have made it clear that unless their rewards match the risks they are taking they will not be prepared to reinvest in searching, finding, and producing more oil and gas.

The report stated, “Notwithstanding the super profits achieved by the upstream companies, they maintain the following views.

1) That they share a disproportionate share of the rewards for the level of risk they take.

2) The maturity of T&T as a hydrocarbon province has been occasioned by greater sub-surface and geological risks without the commensurate reward.

3) NGC and downstream companies have benefited disproportionately in the returns accruing to the sector.”

Investors make more $$ in T&T than most other jurisdictions

The ministry’s report stated that the Government’s studies on the competitiveness of this country as a hydrocarbon province show that investors make more money in this country than most other jurisdictions like Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Norway, and Nigeria.

The report also stated that while downstream producers are paying higher prices for natural gas in T&T, they are facing increased pressure from US producers who are benefiting from low gas prices due to the shale revolution.

“Considering the current market dynamics in the USA, where lower price shale is causing growth and self-sufficiency in the USA domestic petrochemical industry, producers in Trinidad and Tobago have been encouraged to actively seek alternative markets,” the report stated.

However, it was not all bad news as it noted the significant improvements in natural gas production, with a prediction of production levels reaching to 3.94 billion cubic feet per day by next year and 4.1 billion cubic feet by 2021. This, it said, could finally bring an end to what has already been seven years of gas shortages.

The report revealed, “Based on the current natural gas production forecast, it is expected that the current natural gas supply shortage will be minimised or even eliminated as upstream investment activities take place over the next five years. This will positively impact the downstream industries as they will be able to return to producing at higher capacities. A gas allocation policy is being explored to ensure that the future of the downstream industries is not jeopardised or made unsustainable by the expiry of contracts or increased natural gas prices, due to renegotiated contracts with upstream companies.”

A large cache of high-powered guns—including AK 47s, assault rifles, and Glock pistols—were highlighted in a video that went viral yesterday on social media along with two voice notes warning citizens to stay away from the Beetham and Port-of-Spain areas as a result of impending gang wars.

However, the T&T Police Service (TTPS) described the circulation of the video as “reckless and irresponsible” and intended “to create public mischief and promote panic.”

The TTPS added that the large cache of firearms did not originate in T&T, but confirmed that the “mischievous” voice notes, however, are being generated locally.

Commissioner of Police (Ag) Stephen Williams has sent a stern warning to people to desist from producing and circulating “the offending communications.”

The TTPS has advised members of the public who come into possession of these communications to delete and cease the further circulation of it. “The TTPS will continue to be actively present in all communities across T&T to provide safety, security, and reassurance to the citizenry.”

The video with a version of Bob Marley’s rendition of ‘One Love’ showed the high-powered weapons displayed on a leatherette couch set. Around the room were several baskets of clothes, appliances boxes, and a dining set with personal items on it.

In one of the voice notes (47 seconds), a woman spoke of the guns and questioned the safety of children, believed to be close to her. She was heard saying: “...I see something on a video with Rasta City.

Ramadan done already today (referring to yesterday), if you see guns and what type of guns. O Lord, I don’t know what’s going on…if you could call or send a voicemail to your children and tell them if they don’t have to go anywhere stay home and if they have to go let them go their way and come back home because I don’t know what will happen.”

She also sent a warning: “Please be vigilant and be careful…send them a voice note and wherever they is, let them stay. We don’t know when it will start and what will happen because them mean business.”

In a second voice note (46 seconds) a male voice believed to be a member of law enforcement warned those working in POS and those doing intelligence to “be alert and be careful.”

He claimed that instructions were given by “The boss,” referring to a gang leader in the Beetham to “Keep the area clean and clear after 5 pm…The word came from the boss…Don’t know what they expect or what they plan to do, but who working town side to be alert and aware of what taking place.”

POS North/St Ann’s West MP Stuart Young, meanwhile, said there are people who are trying to create panic, confusion, and despair.

He said the video was downloaded from the Internet, having originated from another country.

“The mischief makers are putting these videos and even voice notes onto social media and they are then being circulated with the suggestion that they are legitimate and from T&T.

“It is obvious that there are some who wish to mislead the population with dishonest and destructive untruths. All patriotic citizens must unite behind and support our law enforcement agencies in the performance of their duties to protect and serve us, and we will also ensure that those who desperately wish to destroy and mislead T&T are exposed for who they truly are and for what their nefarious, unpatriotic agendas are.”

WARRING GANGS

Warring gangs—the Rasta City gang and the Muslim gang—promised “bloodshed” after the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday on Friday. The Rasta City gang also started its “campaign” by painting light poles in Gonzales in the red, green, and gold colours declaring the area to be theirs and “declaring war against the Muslims.” However, the authorities promised to increase the presence of police and soldiers in Beetham and certain parts of East POS. The first strike was when a team of police officers moved into Gonzales on Friday and repainted the light poles in white.

This latest video and voice notes followed last week’s social media leak of three lists containing the names, photos, and addresses of 111 suspected gang members, including gang leaders.

The leak came two days after the Sunday Guardian’s expose on over 200 gangs that exist in T&T and a “secret document” which was sent to the Ministry of National Security and the TTPS identifying over 2,000 people–their names, alias’, addresses, gang affiliation, and known offences.

The leaked documents listed three areas in the Port-of-Spain Division–Leau Place in Laventille; Beetham–Phase 1 to 4, and Basilon Street.

It showed photographs along with names and alias’, date of birth, addresses and gang affiliation numbering 45, 64, and 12, respectively.

Some of the gangs identified are G Unit gang, Rasta City, Cassava Peace, Sea Lots gang, and the Muslim gang. Some of them were also linked to other areas including Diego Martin, Carenage, Belmont, and Morvant.

A police source from the POS Division, who wished not to be identified, told the T&T Guardian that most of the names appearing on the lists are “known criminals” to the police but admitted that some were “suspected affiliates.”

He refused to say if it was an official document from the TTPS.

Speaking with the Sunday Guardian, one of the men from Beetham whose photograph and name appeared on the list said he believes that the document was deliberately released by police officers, “These police dem always on we case and they friending with other gangs and this is a revelation for the rival gangs to see what we look like to kill we na boy.”

Another man from Laventille said he was innocent and not in any gang, “just now you might hear I get gunned down like a dog too because of this list. We black na and from the hills so they say all ah we is gangsters but is not so.”

A community leader, who wished not to be identified, said yesterday, “I live in reality…I don’t deal with social media…Them (referring to the police and soldiers) accustom doing what they doing and I accustom doing what I doing…I am not bothered.”

The Credit Union Movement in the Caribbean region is “not only alive and well but is growing astronomically in strength, stamina, and stature,” Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has said.

“But the real significance, true value and full potential of this phenomenal growth and development will be lost to the world at large if, side by side, the movement does not come face to face with commensurate levels of independence, responsibility, accountability, authority, and maturity: free from dependence upon commercial banks and private sector financial institutions to lodge your membership shares and deposits, free to put the mechanisms in place to compete aggressively, if they so desire, in the provision of the widest range of financial services to all and sundry: ATMs, purchase and sales of foreign exchange, wire transfers, letters of credit, debit and credit cards etc: financial instruments, the escalating cost of which eat away at the shares, deposits and dividends so sacrificially and painstakingly accumulated,” he said.

Rowley made the statement as he delivered the keynote address as the Co-operative Credit Union League of T&T hosted the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions Convention at the Hyatt Regency.

“Co-operative credit unionism has come of age, and we shall epitomise this only to the extent that we are prepared to walk the talk, take hold of the baton and head toward completion of the final leg, Rowley said.

“Make no mistake about it. Power to change the future will call upon you to draw down from the wealth of merits of your proven track record and, above all, summon your richly gifted attributes of tenacity, grit and determination, and by no means least, your abiding and relentless passion for progress and excellence,” he said.

Rowley said the region needs emulate how Canada protects depositors at credit unions.

“Our objective in the Caribbean should be to take a page from the Canadian experience, where credit union members enjoy, in many provinces, higher levels of deposit protection than that which is available to commercial bank customers,” he said.

According to 2016 figures, T&T accounts for almost half the number of credit unions in the Caribbean.

Rowley said the number of credit unions in the Caribbean in 2016 was 297 with a membership of 2,505,918.

Shares and deposits amounted to $5.3 billion dollars, loans totalled $4.3 billion, and reserves stood at $651.6 million.

David Jack, 35, is a self -proclaimed sceptic.

So it was with scepticism he approached the issue of buying an Android box.

“When I first heard about it I found it sounded too good to be true, because I was told that I would be saying goodbye to monthly cable bills and also getting to see movies for free,” Jack said.

The eventual selling point for Jack, however, was when his friend, Steve, who already had an Android box, told him that he would be able to watch almost every football game he wanted.

Jack decided to give it a chance and bought an Android box.

He bought a “fully loaded” one off Amazon and paid around $1,000 for it.

Jack attached the box to his television.

“The rest as they say is history,” Jack said.

Jack has had the box over a year now and is happy with it.

He has since discontinued his subscription with his cable provider.

“To be honest, I don’t see the need for paying that monthly fee any more since I’m getting to watch what I want without any hassle,” Jack said.

Jack has just one of the 80,000 Android boxes that are believed to be currently in use in this country.

But while Jack is following his favourite football using his Android box, he is in fact engaging in an illegal activity. Jack is a pirate.

Some of the content he is streaming, including some of the football games his team is playing in, are illegal content.

Javier Figueras, the corporate vice president of HBO Latin America Group, said piracy was not the “victimless crime” that many believe it is.

The main “victim” when Jack streams his football are the television broadcasters who pay for the rights to show the games.

Funds generated from the selling of football rights are often filtered down to the football clubs in the league.

Small cable tv broadcasters’ businesses destroyed

Android boxes are also said to be affecting the bottom line of paid television subscribers.

Annie Baldeo of the Telecommunications Authority of T&T (TATT) said revenue for paid television fell from $183 million in the last quarter of 2016 to $164 million in the first quarter of 2017.

One of the reasons for the declining revenue was because of the increase in Android boxes, Baldeo said.

General manager of DirecTV Bernard Pantin estimated that approximately $30 million worth of possible tax revenue to the Government is being lost on a yearly basis as customers have chosen to purchase Android boxes instead of becoming paid television subscribers.

“There is a new free kid in town—the Android boxes, you never have to pay another monthly fee in your life, you are getting something fully loaded, all red flags if somebody is offering you that,” he said.

TATT is scheduled to start consultations for the regulation of Android boxes before the end of the month.

“We have persons in the industry who question the importation and the sale of these devices and how it threatens the livelihood of many providers, we have had small cable tv broadcasters indicate that Android boxes have destroyed their business and they are opting out of the subscription television market,” TATT’s Karel Douglas said.

“We have been asked time and time again what is TATT the regulator doing about these devices and why is it that we the regulator is allowing Android boxes to be openly imported and sold to the public at the expense of the industry. Well we have heard you and the authority will soon begin the process of holding consultations on the issue of Android boxes.”

One avenue that is being proposed to address the issue is the possible banning of Android boxes being imported into the country.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in this country are actively considering teaming up and blocking certain websites so customers will be prohibited from illegally streaming content.

Stephane David, the chief programming Officer at Liberty Latin America/Flow said this was one of the solutions that the country’s Internet Service Providers are considering as an option to deal with the problems they are currently facing as a result of a proliferation of Android boxes.

The ISPs already have the software available to block the websites but are tentative about using that option if there is not consensus by all.

“We need the level of comfort that nobody is going to take us to court for us having blocked these streams and then we lose and then we go back ten years behind,” David explained.

Guardian Media Limited’s Managing Director Nicholas Sabga called for TATT to stand up and protect the free-to air providers “As a free-to-air provider we have been receiving the raw end of the stick, and we should have changed our model years ago and admittedly we will hold up our hands and say we should have addressed some of the issues back in the day and we continue to do so, but we need the regulators to stand up and not just understand,” Sabga said.

Chief Executive Officer of One Caribbean Media Dawn Thomas said it has taken TATT too long to address the problem and they need to act quickly now.

“In the case of the free-to-air service providers we are investing in programming for the stations and with this issue of piracy we are losing not only eyeballs but we are losing advertising which is extremely important to allow our free-to-air stations to continue to be viable. It is putting a lot of financial pressure on both the free-to-air service providers and the cable service providers.

“Piracy cannot be allowed to continue, it is illegal and it needs to be dealt with.”

Android programmer Hakeeb Nandalal said statement that the Android boxes are coming “fully loaded” implies “that the software on these boxes are some exotic hardto- get specialized apps only the Android Box manufacturers have access to.”

“Nothing can be further from the truth. The primary app on these boxes is called “Kodi” and it’s available freely on the web. There are versions for every operating system, not just Android, in popular use. Apart from that, there’s also Terrarium TV, Movies HD, Mobdro and TapTV to name a few free apps freely available on the web.

“Alternately non-streaming apps like BitTorrent have been free, around for many years, extremely reliable and growing in popularity. Many legitimate software and entertainment providers use this platform to distribute their digital content. Even without a dedicated streaming app there are websites like Putlocker, Xmovies8 and Movies123 that are accessible with web browsers like Fire- Fox and Chrome,” he stated.

‘The product is pretty amazing’

A local distributor of an Android Box who chose not to be identified said the product is “pretty amazing.”

“What we sell are fully loaded Android Boxes. It is up to the individual what they want to use it for, not everything that can be streamed is illegal. So the choice is yours what you use the box for.

“Android boxes are more than a pirate’s treasure chest, they do so much more than just stream illegal content,” he said.

Apart from paid television subscribers being affected, free-to-ai television is also said to be directly affected by piracy.

“Unwittingly, the local regulators failed to protect the FTA market and the market has collapsed over the last two years, with layoffs at the three biggest stations,” Pantin said.

This can have a deadly impact on democracy, he said.

“If our FTA television stations do not have money to hire good quality reporters or do good quality coverage and give us at least two competing newscasts every night, then our democracy is potentially in peril, and I believe that is a policy position that needs to be addressed,” Pantin said.

Exactly ten years after the Hindu Credit Union (HCU) headed by Harry Harnarine collapsed, a group of modest investors have united to send a message to the Indian/Hindu community that it is safe to invest their money and not fear that it will be lost.

At its inaugural meeting in April, the Hindu Parivaar Credit Union Co-operative Society Limited President, Ramcharan Motilal, said “Some Hindus had fear in their hearts but the majority want to see us organise ourselves to give back credibility to the word Hindu in organised finance.”

Distancing his organisation from the Harnarine-led HCU, Motilal said “This has nothing to do with them. Following the closure of that credit union, there has always been a need and wonder as to when Hindus would reorganise themselves as others have.

“We have started back from scratch.”

Revealing they had begun putting things in place since December 2016, Motilal said the Barrackpore group consulted with the Credit Union Co-operative Division, Ministry of Labour and had accessed training throughout 2017.

He said although the Commissioner of Co-operatives had only approved their by-laws and business plan earlier this year, they still needed additional training before they could face the public.

Motilal said “We are not yet open for business.”

The current membership stands between 30 and 40 individuals whom he said “had come together to really get it going.”

Motilal said two weeks ago an application had been submitted to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) for approval, which would enable them to establish an official business account from which all transactions would be executed.

Without this, he said, they would not be able to move forward.

Motilal added, “All necessary forms went up to them and we should get that approval within a week or two. We can’t say we are ready for business and not have an account.”

Asked where the start-up capital would be coming from, Motilal said “The first year of operations will be done on a voluntary basis because you can’t run an office or pay staff unless we have funding available to do so.”

Motilal said the credit union would not be offering loans in the “early stage.”

“These are people whose hearts are into making something and we are starting at ground zero, so the share balance would have to accumulate first.”

He said following this, loans would only be granted based on an individual’s share balance.

“We can’t compete with anybody else but people, out of love, want to create something and are willing to make that sacrifice for a year or two until it can stand on its own,” Motilal added.

See Page A10

Tributes continued to pour in yesterday for Anthony Beaubrun, one of the pioneers of T&T’s energy sector, who died days before his 83rd birthday on June 26. He died at the Portof- Spain General Hospital on June 15.

Among those left to mourn are his wife Patricia, children Dominic and Giselle, stepsons Sheldon and Fidel, along with Angelique, Luc, and Jean.

Beaubrun was described as “a commanding figure who played a substantial part in the history of the Trinidad Union Club.” As chairman from 1982 to 1987 and president from 2006 to 2012, he was a regular figure at lunch where he would meet his fellow club members on the long table to discuss the important matters of the day (occasionally including the state of the WI cricket team).

Linda Hayton, honorary secretary, Trinidad Union Club recalled, “His good sense and sound advice were always appreciated and he will be greatly missed. The Trinidad Union Club sends its condolences to his family.”

During his illustrious career, Beaubrun held board and executive positions at Petrotrin, the National Gas Company, and the former Trintoc and Trintopec. He also served as the President of the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce in 1990 and was president of the Trinidad Union Club. Beaubrun also served on the ANSA McAL Board for two decades.

Funeral arrangements are to be confirmed by the Beaubrun family.