Deputy Mayor of Port-of-Spain Hilan Morean in his contributing address to the opening of the tenth annual Yoruba Drum Festival, a preliminary emancipation event put on by the Emancipation Support Committee, called on the people of East Port-of- Spain and the Afro-Trinidadian community by extension, to reclaim their Yoruba village.

Speaking at the Piccadilly Street, Port-of-Spain venue, Morean gave a brief history of the Yoruba village before saying “We need to some extent and at some point try to retain our Yoruba village because right now what’s happening around us as you can all see are things that will not make our ancestors proud at all by any means.”

He was echoing the sentiments of Emancipation Support Committee chairman Kafra Kambon who spoke earlier, stating that the communities having ratained the very creativity, intelligence, and leadership of the African people, were in trouble.

“There is a great deal of negativity happening in our communities but there is also a great deal of positivity and I see that positivity here today, because as I look around at the crowd, 90 per cent are young people, so it means you all are keeping the traditions alive and strong and taking them forward,” Morean said.

Using the Akan words ‘aya’ (resourcefulness of a people) and ‘mframadan’ (fortitude and readiness of a people), Morean reiterated he hoped the Emancipation Support Committee and other groups including the Port-of-Spain Corporation, could come together with some aya and some mframadan to reclaim the Yoruba Village.

“For far too long we have allowed it to slide and slip into what it is now, but there is so much positive in it, that there is a great deal of room in it, for us to reclaim a great deal of that positivity while at the same time, trying to remove some of that negativity,” said Morean.

From as far back as 2000, there were unsettling issues said to be happening at the Hindu Credit Union run by businessman Harry Harnarine.

There were several allegations about the operations of the HCU, most vocally by the Maha Sabha which called for a forensic audit of the credit union. In the same year, then minister in the Ministry of Finance Conrad Enill had announced publicly that HCU was under investigation. He, however, had to retract his statement after Harnarine and a group of his supporters staged a protest in front of Balisier House and later met and spoke with then prime minister Patrick Manning. But also in the same year—June 2002—confirmation of an investigation on HCU came from both minister of labour and small and micro enterprise development Lawrence Achong and Enill—an investigation into the HCU financial operations by the Ministry of Finance and the one by the Labour Ministry into the credit union’s administrative affairs.

The then government and commissioner of co-operatives at the time were accused of being negligent in their supervisory roles to ensure all protocols were being observed and carried out by the union according to the Co-operatives Society Act (CSA).

In 2008 HCU had over 100,000 depositors and its total liability was estimated to be in the vicinity of $776 million.

Although Harnarine had said and maintains he was not guilty of any wrong doing, in 2012, more damning allegations came against him as the Commission of Enquiry into the collapse of CL Financial and the Hindu Credit Union resumed on May 9, 2012, with the testimony of former HCU chartered accountant, Madan Ramnarine, who told the commission that he spotted numerous errors in the company accounting and was offered an inducement to cook the books.

On May 14, 2012, liquidator Dave Rampersad appointed by the Commissioner of Co-operatives to HCU, who gave testimony at a hearing at Winsure Building, Richmond Street, Port-of-Spain, confirmed and added to Ramnarine’s findings.

Rampersad said there was only $98,000 in all the HCU’s bank accounts and a substantial amount was owed to the Inland Revenue Authority, with some $3.1 million owed in PAYE and Health Surcharge. A staggering $1.6 accumulated in National Insurance Board deductions from employees’ salaries, were never paid, and $598,000 was still owed to workers in outstanding salaries. He said The HCU also owed a substantial amount of money to the public utilities.

Rampersad had also testified about receiving threats, repeated violent behaviour and thuggery towards him and his staff from HCU’s board of directors. He alleged Harnarine physically assaulted him in the corridor of a High Court during a trial of a legal matter. The threats, he said, were made to his family as well and legal adviser and he was forced to hire bodyguards for his home.

The Sunday Guardian caught up with Harry Harnarine to find out what he’s been up to and to get his view in the scheme of things surrounding the HCU fiasco.

Q: It has been just a little over a decade since the HCU fiasco broke. We understand a file, which is supposed to detail the findings of the allegations brought against you and HCU, remains before the DPP labelled inconclusive. What does this mean for Harry Harnarine? And has your legal team been pushing for a definitive on this matter?

A: First of all, that was said in Parliament by the last prime minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar. She had said during a sitting, the Coleman report on HCU would be sent to the DPP’s office for further investigations and for civil charges to be laid. But in our own investigations we have found there isn’t any investigation taking place and if there is one, so far, I have not been interviewed nor have we been asked to send anything. If there is something that they may want to do, I remain open to cooperate with any authority, as I did from the first intervention by the commissioner of co-operatives.

You have an issue with the Ministry of Labour stemming from the HCU matter. You claim the ministry has not been fair to you. Explain?

Once the credit union was placed under liquidation, we had the right to appeal. Separately and apart from the court matter, by law you have to appeal the matter to the Minister of Labour and co-operatives. The then minister was the late Rennie Dumas. He would have sent the matter to court to get interpretation and guidelines on how to proceed with it. Justice Vasheist Kokaram viewed the matter and provided the guidelines however, even after receiving such and several written correspondents from my lawyers, Dumas refused to continue with the hearing. To date, there has been none—not a single Minister of Labour after that has allowed me to speak. This hearing would have been to determine if in fact the board was guilty of any wrong doing, misconduct, or statutory breaches. Subsequently it was communicated that there was none of the above by the commissioner of co-operatives in his statement of case to the court. We feel it is at a point now where we will have to look at other legal options to either force them to quash it or really have it. It’s been 11 years, so we don’t know how possible it might be right now.

You have a legal background. What would you say could be the legal implications if any, the Ministry of Labour can face for failure to engage the hearing in such a high profile and public matter?

(Harnarine laughing) I can only assume if they really had any conclusive evidence of the allegations that were made by the Ernst & Young report, they might have been more than willing to start a trial and to really prove a point about what they have said about myself and the board.

In layman’s terms you were basically described as a thief, dealing unscrupulously with the savings and investments of clients, “feeding” yourself and relatives with loans racked up in the millions without proper paperwork or supporting documents. In 2011 you said in an interview with the media that you were not to be blamed for the collapse of the organisation. But you were the president. Are you therefore saying that you were unaware of these things happening and you had no role in it at all? What is your truth about what happened?

Me being described as a ‘thief’ or anything else was a description that only came from Sat Maharaj on 102.7FM. Even at the inquiry where members took the stand, none of them described me as anything of the sort. What they did say is that they had the pain and trauma of coming to the credit union for their money.

But they all admitted that I never hid or ran, they all would have met with me and spoken with me. Not one single person, and the evidence is there, could have said that they did not have access to me or unable to speak with me or receive payments. All received past payments on their money. Even when the inquiry was going on, the Parliament had already approved payment of the remaining one third of credit union members and they were in the process of receiving their money. So those descriptions labelling me as a ‘scamp’ and ‘thieving from poor people,’ only came from Sat Maharaj and those guys on 102.7FM.

As for lending money to family and friends, Ernst & Young at the beginning they did say that the board was reckless granting loans to themselves unsecured, but when Mr Dave Rampersad (liquidator) went in and had a full investigation, with the exception of one director who later paid off his loan in full, no other director had a single dispute regarding loans. All these allegations about directors taking loans, there was absolutely no proof in the end.

In previous conversations you have told the Sunday Guardian HCU, described as defunct, is still functioning and its assets are performing well. How is this possible with all the legal ‘hang ups’ and unsettled matters still facing HCU?

In fact, the credit union is in receivership, so you will see in its description ‘Hindu Credit Union Cooperative Society in brackets-Liquidation.’ The certificate was never cancelled. That could have only happened if the commissioner determined that we were all guilty and the matter is finalised. And that was a blessing because at the end of the day with the ten years, we were able to get a stay—no selling of any assets of the credit union or no fire sale of loans. Most of the loans had a duration time of ten years and it’s now coming to the closing time of paying off loans...I am still president with residual powers as directed by the liquidator.

A new Hindu Credit Union has been formed—the Hindu Parivaar Credit Union Co-operative Society Limited, which launched in Barrackpore in April, are you involved in any way with this credit union?

I am not. But I do have some advice for them. I don’t think any financial institution should be named after any religion. I say so especially if you become a large-scale credit union. We live in a plural society. In retrospect, I feel by allowing the credit union to grow into a billion-dollar organisation inclusive of groups, it allowed the Hindu leaders to see the credit union as a Hindu organisation rather than a financial institution. The growth of HCU was not from Hindus, it was from T&T.

How has the whole HCU fiasco affected you professionally and personally? This happened in the public eye.

I spent almost seven years of my time not going on the employment market, even making it to study law. I have decided in the good times, the members have supported me and in the bad times I must be able to stand with the members. We have what we call the HCU shareholders and the depositors group and that group was very instrumental in assisting with all the legal fees. It was a challenging time but I did enjoy the love and the support from the credit union membership. I can tell you a lot of credit unions still consult me; I won’t want to call any names. But I still see myself as a champion of the ‘small man.’

It took some time for the then government to get involved even after having knowledge of what was happening at HCU, which made many become suspicious as to why. Was anyone from that then government affiliated in any way with the HCU? Did HCU fund any State or political venture?

There was no minister ever affiliated with the HCU per se. HCU did in past times assist financially with both the PNM and UNC, but no minister or political official had any shares in HCU or assets in any of the companies within the HCU group.

Any lawsuits stemming from the HCU fiasco? If yes, what are the current states of these lawsuits?

There is no personal lawsuit on me by any credit union member neither by the regulator and the commissioner cooperatives. There is no action on Harry Harnarine, neither HCU.

What is the next step for Harry Harnarine?

I have no intention of ever going back into public life. I am just into a lot of consultancy now.

Former Caribbean Airlines pilot Michael Rezende has died.

The 72-year-old passed away around 10 am yesterday.

Rezende, who would have celebrated his birthday on July 16, would be remembered for the role he played in the May 1, 1970, hijacking of a BWIA Boeing 727 Sunjet, which originated in T&T with scheduled stops in Jamaica and the Grand Cayman.

Shortly after take-off from Kingston, Rezende, who was the First Officer at the time, was confronted by two men armed with a gun and a knife who sought to commandeer the plane and have it fly to Africa.

The hijackers later renamed the flight Afro American Freedom Flight Number One (AAFF).

After learning of mechanical problems and the fact that the plane would need to be refuelled for such a trip, Rezende and the rest of the crew which included Capt Keith Melville, Michal Bower, and Jennifer Hanna nee Selman, landed in Havana, Cuba, where the 63 passengers and crew members were held hostage for close to seven hours.

The Cuban authorities later boarded the aircraft and took the two hijackers into custody.

Chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (UdeCOTT) Noel Garcia has promised to launch a full-scale investigation into reports of Venezuelans migrants being hired as labourers on the Red House restoration project.

“I have been told there are quite a few Venezuelans but I don’t know if it is because of low wages. I can say I have heard that there are Venezuelans who are working on the site,” Garcia admitted yesterday when asked about the issue.

He said UdeCOTT had contracted “about 12 sub-contractors” for the $440 million project.

In 2005, Udecott assumed responsibility for the project which began 19 years ago. In 2012, Parliament relocated to its temporary home at the Waterfront Complex, Tower D, Port-of-Spain, to accommodate the much-needed repairs to the iconic building.

Garcia said he got information about Venezuelans working on the Red House from a reliable source.

“I had a project meeting on Thursday and one of the engineers said somebody mistook him for a Venezuelan. I asked him why and he said because there are a number of Venezuelans on the project and I let it pass because I don’t normally get into that granular detail,” he said

The T&T Guardian was told the Venezuelans are paid $250 a day as labourers, while local are demanding $400. In some cases, they work beyond the eight-hour shift. There are a few women among the migrant workers.

Garcia said: “I promise you first thing tomorrow I will ask the project manager to investigate it to assure me that the contractors are following the law as it pertains to non-nationals working on the construction site.”

Foreigners must have a valid work permit to be employed in T&T.

Garcia said if a contractor has Venezuelans employed on the site he hopes they are observing the law. If the investigation reveals that the Venezuelans are not in possession of work permits, the Immigration Division will be alerted.

“Let us hope that it does not come to that,” he said.

Garcia said he could not tell contractors how to run their businesses once they are operating within the law. He said UdeCOTT has no Venezuelan nationals on its payroll.

Social, economic and political upheavals as well as hyperinflation, shortages of food, medicine and other supplies and US sanctions has forced many Venezuelans to flee their country and look for work in neighbouring countries, including T&T, to earn money and supplies to send back home to their families.

According to the August 2017 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR( report there are an estimated 40,000 Venezuelans in T&T. To date, approximately 2,000 Venezuelans have applied for asylum and the numbers are increasing, acting acting Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews old a Joint Select Committee of Parliament in April.

UdeCOTT is the executing agency for several projects across the country and Garcia admitted there are problems in sourcing local labour.

“I get the sense that people find construction work is a little too hard and we do get that cry,” he said

He said the multi-million dollar project is target to be completed by year’s end and within budget.

“It is not going to be an easy task but in life nothing is easy,” he said

As T&T prepares to celebrates Labour Day tomorrow, political leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) David Abdulah has expressed concern that the achievements of the working class following the 1937 revolution are being eroded.

Speaking at a press conference at MSJ’s headquarters in San Fernando yesterday, Abdulah said workers continue to experience exploitation, victimization, discrimination and unjust working conditions.

“Today it is almost as if June 19, 1937, never took place. Thousands of workers have lost their jobs by retrenchment or non-renewal of contracts. Thousands more are threatened with losing their jobs, tens of thousands are unemployed and cannot put bread on the table for their children. Young workers, including thousands of university graduates, cannot find decent jobs, and those that do are on short-term contracts making it impossible for them to plan their future,” he said.

“Some employers are cutting workers’ pay and forcing them to work longer hours without overtime. More than 100,000 workers are working with long expired collective agreements. More and more workers are being hired on short-term contracts making their jobs and lives insecure. Prices are going up every day, making it difficult for families to make ends meet. Additional taxes are being piled on the backs of workers and farmers and our nation’s food producers are fighting every day just to survive.”

Abdulah claimed employers, led by foreign multinationals are “actively engaged in union-busting by preventing workers from joining a trade union of their choice.”

He said even though Labour Day is important to celebrate victories won, T&T must also reflect on lessons learned and prepare for the struggles yet to come.

“It is also a moment to remind ourselves of the agenda of the 1937 Revolution and to identify the business that is unfinished,” he said.

The MSJ leader said politics has stood in the way of fulfillment of the 1937 agenda. Comparing the UNC and PNM to the colonial powers of the past, he said both parties use race to fulfill their agenda amd have failed working people.

“Their track record is clear. The UNC failed to deliver on the promises of the Fyzabad Accord and the manifesto to implement reform of labour laws and to treat workers and unions with respect and fairness. The PNM has violated the MOU. In three years there has been no reform of labour laws, trade unions are not represented on State boards and unions have been excluded from decision making,” he said.

Government has no plans for psychiatric evaluation of all medical workers, Health Minister Terrance Deyalsingh said yesterday. His comments follow the suspension of a medical intern who allegedly posted a racist rant on social media last week.

Speaking to reporters after distributing Father’s Day hampers at the San Fernando General Hospital yesterday, Deyalsingh said there is no policy to ensure that all new and existing medical workers undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

“This is an extreme situation and I will not be saying anything more until the investigation is completed. I cannot assume it is a psychiatric case. I have to stay neutral,” he said. “The woman is entitled to due process. All of the media has made a diagnosis and I cannot do that. I have to remain fair and transparent and allow the process to take its course.”

Asked to comment on a fake profile under the name Micah Marley which also contained racist comments, Deyalsingh said the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) had already issued a statement on the issue. The SWRHA said it had reviewed its human resource and payroll databases and confirmed Marley was a fake profile meant to cause disharmony.

Asked whether T&T had sufficient laws to deal such incidents, Deyalsingh said: “That is for the Attorney General to say and that is why the AG has a cyber crime unit to deal with these issues. Incidents like these is what we have to live with now in the age of social media.”

During his visit to the newly spruced up labour ward yesterday, Deyalsingh said he was heartened to see fathers being part of the birthing process. He spoke with one father, David Ramkissoon, who broke down in tears after witnessing the birth of his child.

Deyalsingh said being a father meant being a part of the child’s life until death. “It means being there to do homework, to play, to guide that child, so they become a responsible adult,” he said.

The minister lamented that men are not as proactive as women when it comes to safeguarding their health.

“Men traditionally don’t seek out health care as much as women. Women are more in tune with their bodies and seek health care. We have to get the men to seek out proper health care and deal with the problems that afflict them,” he said.

Deyalsingh said the Health Ministry is helping with this through the non-communicable disease plan.

Medical consultant Dr Micheal Prasad said that fathers are allowed to stay with their partners during birth if they attend two to three sessions of Lamaze classes at the hospital. He said some fathers are even given the chance of cutting the umbilical cord.

“Not all fathers will be keen to do that,” he said.

A photograph being widely circulated on social media which claims to show Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley asleep during an Eid-ul-Fitr function in San Fernando, has been described as misleading and disrespectful by head of the Macoon Street Jamaat, Imam Raffaic Mohamed.

At a news conference yesterday, Mohamed denied that Rowley was sleeping and said the persons who circulated the photograph should have contacted the masjid authorities before posting it on social media.

“I came here to clear the air about what occurred at the masjid. As the leader of the masjid, it was disrespectful and in bad taste. As host to the Honourable Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, it is my duty and responsibility to say the truth,” he said.

“I invited him to sit there, which he did. After which he was called upon to bring greetings on behalf of the government and the people of Trinidad and Tobago. It saddens me that this issue is embarrassing to the masjid and the Prime Minister since he was an invited guest.”

Mohamed denied that the masjid was affiliated with the PNM and that was why Dr Rowley was invited.

“The Macoon Street Masjid is not affiliated to any party. Everyone is welcome. This issue that has blown up is not an issue. Islam teaches respect for authority. What is being displayed is total disrespect. You disrespected the office of the Prime minister, you disrespectful to the office of the Imam, you disrespect the Jamaat, its members and you disrespect the Muslim community. When news come to you, you must verify the truth,” he said.

Asked to zero in on exactly what was disrespectful, Mohamed responded: “What the media is showing without consulting the masjid is disrespectful. The media has a right to contact the authorities of the masjid.

They should not have gone on their own to do what they did.”

When he was told that the media was not involved in the posting of the photograph, Mohamed responded: “Whoever did it, it was disrespectful. There were no media here. He was sitting and leaned back so. It happened to me too, so how come this negative approach? I was at the side of him, I was in conversation with him at every moment.”

Mohamed added, “On Eid day we have visitors who come to the masjid. We do not screen anybody. The media cannot put on their own what they want to put, they must have verification.”

Asked why he thought the photograph was posted, Mohamed said: “I am not a politician and I will not get in that argument. I am a Muslim and once someone is affected under my purview, I will talk about it. I as imam have the responsibility to respond and this is what I am doing here. I don’t have to consult and ask/ That is the privilege of my office.”

He denied that he had spoken to the Prime Minister since the photograph began circulating.

“What concerns me is the masjid and the Muslim community,” he said.

Officials of the Children’s Authority say they are investigating reports of children being abused at a home in St Augustine.

Shemelle Paradice, senior communications associate, confirmed yesterday that the case was brought to their attention by residents of the area. She said the Authority’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) was dispatched to locate the children, investigate the report and to determine the necessary intervention.

“From the investigation, it was determined that the children were at risk and plans were initiated to have the children relocated to a safe place,” she said.

Residents called the police after hearing screams for help from the siblings who were allegedly being abused by close relatives on Saturday night. Yesterday morning. residents told the T&T Guardian they were concerned for the safety of the children, ranging in age from one to ten.

Eyewitnesses claimed the children had been badly beaten about their heads and bodies by a close male relative and that a close female relative, who is also a victim of severe abuse, also physically abuses them.

The children were had been staying at the home for the past 17 months after their home was destroyed by fire.

Concerned neighbours, who claimed that three of the children are regularly tied up and beaten by the male relative, shared videos purporting to show the children with bruises about their bodies from the beatings. In one video, a boy says he was beaten after he complained about being hungry, was placed under a bed and tied up. The children told neighbours they are beaten with pieces of iron, cables and a hammer. One of them lifted his jersey to showed multiple wounds to his back.

“We would hear these children screaming for their lives. The police came a few times after they were called by people around who would be hearing the loud impact of the lashes. We would see the police there and we would see the police leave and the children still there,” said one resident said, who wished not to be identified.

“We often saw them stripped naked and beaten. For days they tell us they are not given anything to eat. They would be forced to sleep on the cold concrete without sheets or pillows.”

An officer at the St Joseph Police Station confirmed that they had responded to a report of abuse on Saturday night but did not give further information. An official at the Ministry of Social Development’s Social Welfare Division confirmed that the Division is aware of the case and has launched an investigation.

Paradice said the Children’s Authority is deeply concern that physical abuse continues to be one of the most common types of abuse reported to its hotline.

She said the Children’s Act 2012 permits only parents and guardians to apply ‘reasonable’ corporal punishment of children and forbids such punishment to be applied by anyone else.

“The Authority called on parents and guardians to adopt alternative forms of parenting such as positive reinforcement for good behaviour, establishing rules and the choice and consequence technique, to reduce the need for corporal punishment,” she said.

“The public is reminded that if they have any concerns or suspicions about a child’s safety, they should make a report to the Children’s Authority Hotline at 996 or 800-2014.”

Villagers of Melajo, Vega de Oropouche, say they have not had a pipe borne water supply since last December and they want Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte to intervene and bring them relief. Faced with dry taps, the residents have to spend $150 to get a truck borne supply.

Brenda Branch, a mother of two, said she can’t remember the last time she was able to prepare a home cooked meal. With water in short supply, the family has been purchasing fast foods, or meals that don’t require much water for preparation.

“Our children are eating bread in all forms and fashion as it is the easiest meal,” she said.

Villager Arjun Singh said the North Oropouche reservoir is not too far away, so it should not be difficult to get pipe-borne water. He said after pipes in the area went dry about six months ago, complaints were made verbally and in writing to WASA. A team of officials from the utility visited the area and promised to resolve the problem but there has been no improvement in the situation.

“We are still getting WASA bills for payment and worst of all WASA is sending disconnection notices to villagers,” he complained.

Another resident, Chris Clement, said with no water in their taps, it is unreasonable to expect the villagers to “pay for something we are not receiving.”

The water situation is now so severe that some villagers travel about 14 miles to the Matura River to bathe and wash their clothes and cooking utensils. Some water is being provided by the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, but Chairman Terry Rondon and Councillor Anil Juteram admit that those efforts are not sufficient to meet the demand since they also have to service other areas.

WASA officials said they are aware of the problem and are working to resolve it.

RALPH BANWARIE
 

National security agencies need to prepare a comprehensive contingency plan for specific surgical operations to flush out gangsters, says Garvin Heerah, former head of the National Operations Centre.

“This plan has to be from a concentrated effort, with renewed and adjusted tradecraft, and maximising all facets of the available intelligence architecture, co-ordinated and theatred from one specific fusion centre,” he said.

Noting a sense of panic and desperation across the country, Heerah said surgical operations need to be carried out in crime hotpots in a way that “no innocent citizen feels its impact.”

“The innocent law abiding citizens are the victims and have suffered too long and far too much in the face of these vicious violent acts within the once peaceful abodes of their communities,” he said.

A more strategic, co-ordinated and collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies, social service providers and the public, with the objective of significantly curtailing gang involvement, and its negative impact, should be implemented with immediate effect, he added.

Heerah is also recommending a multidimensional gang strategy for high risk young people between the ages 12-24.

“Based on research, young people who would move up the ladder of gang membership and activity are those who commit intentional acts of violence or who are arrested for gang-related incidents,” he explained.

“These traits are first detected and flagged as these young boys and girls exhibit violent tendencies at the school level. However, a number of educational institutions are guilty of concealing this information in an effort of safeguarding the image of the school and good ratings,” said Heerah,an expert on safe city operations and homeland security solutions.

The ten finalists selected to compete for the title of Miss World T&T were introduced to the public during a reception last Thursday at the Audrey Jeffers House, St Clair.

New franchise holder for the Miss World T&T pageant Brian Gopaul said the selection process was very difficult since so many young women who were equally good attended the screening.

“We had to consider many different things,” he said. “Some of the young women will even get the chance to come back next year.”

Gopaul said he is confident the “very unique and strong young women” that made it past the screening are “perhaps ten of the strongest candidates we have seen in pageantry in Trinidad and Tobago for over a decade.”

He said his team is working hard to ensure the girls are well prepared for the international contest to be held in December.

The aim for Miss World T&T is to “produce an ambassador that will represent our brand, Trinidad and Tobago, to the highest standard— someone who will take our brand and our country into the market to promote tourism and for development,” he explained.

Gopaul added, “I want women to know that it doesn’t end with a pageant but it is what they do with the pageant and how they use the tool to reach the underprivileged and unfortunate. We want to mentor our girls to understand that there is life after pageantry and this is where they come in to help other young people, to uplift and empower others for a better society.”

Asked how he feels about the support he has received thus far, the new franchise holder admitted he is quite impressed. Gopaul, who is in the events planning industry, said many of his suppliers had come forward to contribute.

“We are hoping that once things are going right, we get the government to understand that we are not just doing this for pageantry or crowning a girl. We are putting country first and doing it with a sense of national pride,” he said.

Gopaul hopes T&T will support the venture and the young women.

“At times like this when we are faced with so many challenges, we must try every venture possible to uplift the youth and their development. We need to believe in these delegates and believe in our youth because they are the future and if we can just begin with a little change, we can definitely make a great difference,” he said. 

FINALISTS

n Kirsty Roopnarine, Miss San Fernando, 24, attorney-at-Law.
n Ysabel Bisnath, Miss Port-of-Spain West, 25, attorney-at-Law.
n Britney Smith, Miss South Oropouche, 25, teacher.
n Dennisha Lewis, Miss Point Fortin, 24, employee of the Ministry of Works and Transport
n Tishanna Mitchell, Miss St Augustine, 24, pursuing MSc in Psychology
n Jessica James, Miss Mc Bean, Couva, 26, national athlete and fitness coach
n Marissa Mahadeo, Miss Roystonia, Couva, 26, teacher
n Halle Crawford, Miss Maraval, 19, bank employee
n Maya Cozier, Miss St Ann’s, 25, film maker
n Aliyah Fraser, Miss Chaguanas, 20, currently pursuing a BA in English.

Two men from Point Fortin were arrested during a police exercise on Saturday night. Police officers also seized $30,000 worth of compressed marijuana.

At around 11.30 pm, officers were on patrol along the M2 Ring Road in Debe when they stopped a vehicle which was searched and a plastic bag containing three kilogrammes of marijuana found.

The occupants of the vehicle, aged 38 and 48 were subsequently arrested and charged for possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

The police party included officers from Highway Patrol South led by Sgt Deosaran, Cpl Ramropp and PCs Davis, Paul, Mahadeo, Roopchand and Chadee.

Investigations are continuing.

The total number of men, women and children displaced by war, persecution and discrimination around the world in 2016, was approximately 65.6 million.

Of this number, 22.5 million were refugees,2.8 million were asylum seekers, 40.3 million were Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs); and ten million were declared stateless people.

Confirming the figures last Wednesday, officials at T&T’s United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) painted a grim picture as they said the situation had worsened since then.

With updated statistics to be released later this week, officials described it as a, “Continuing crisis over the world.”

At a workshop last week, UNHCR Associate Public Information Officer Sibylla Brodzinsky sought to drive home just how dire the situation had become.

“Every two seconds, one person is displaced in the world,” she said.

She said in the first half of 2017, 6.5 million people around the world had fled their homes.

Urging persons to be mindful of the terminology used to describe these persons, Brodzinsky said a refugee is someone forced to flee his or her home country and who feared persecution based on one of five grounds—race, religion, nationality, political opinion, membership in a particular social group. A migrant, on the other hand, is someone who has left their country freely and not because of a direct threat or violence.

An asylum seeker is someone who has fled their country and whose claim to refugee status is being assessed. This group is considered to have the same international protection needs as a refugee and when there is a mass influx, refugee status can be automatic or prima facie.

Other persons of concern (POCs) include a stateless person who is not considered a citizen or national of any country, while internally displaced persons (IDPs) are those who have been forced to flee but remain inside their own country.

Brodzinsky said under the 1951 Refugee Convention, the primary obligation of States is to not send refugees back to the country of persecution.

Pointing to the legislative protection afforded to persons via the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees, Brodzinsky revealed that they had appealed to Government to apply this in instances where refugees and asylum seekers entered T&T. Unwilling to delve too deeply into the Venezuela situation, Brodzinsky said since 2014, 1.5 million have fled that country.

Having made a supplementary appeal for $46 million address this crisis, Brodzinsky said $9 million was allocated for the Caribbean region alone.

In T&T, the UNHCR and Government have started working even closer to address the influx of persons coming into this country.

Brodzinsky said this strengthened relationship had led to a more structured and phased manner in which refugees, migrants and asylum seekers were being documented and assisted.

The Cartagena Declaration

The Cartagena Declaration is a non-binding regional, i.e. Latin-American, instrument for the protection of refugees and was adopted in 1984 by delegates from ten Latin-American countries including Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela. It has been incorporated in national laws and state practice of 14 countries.

The declaration is the result of a Colloquium on International Protection for Refugees and Displaced Persons in Central America, Mexico and Panama held in Cartagena, Colombia from November 19 - 22, 1984.

It reaffirms the importance of the right to asylum, the principle of non-refoulement, and the importance of finding durable solutions.

Non-refoulement is a fundamental principle of international law that forbids a country receiving asylum seekers from returning them to a country in which they would be in likely danger of persecution based on “race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”

Unlike political asylum, which applies to those who can prove a well-grounded fear of persecution based on certain category of persons, non-refoulement refers to the generic repatriation of people, including refugees, into war zones and other disaster locales.

Her face is still on billboards listed as a missing person of T&T  but it's been more than a week since 12-year-old Hailey Kinsale came back home. 

The man with whom she was staying is now being interrogated by the police.

Police said Kinsale has not spoken much about her disappearance while both her mother Alicia Alexander and grandmother Samdayah Singh called on the authorities to assist her with counseling.

In an interview Monday, Alexander said she was happy that her daughter was safe. 

"I am looking forward to going with her to collect her SEA results. It has been many sleepless nights and we are just thankful and happy that she is safe," Alexander said in a telephone interview. 

Saying she did not want to put her daughter through emotional stress, Alexander said she could not disclose where her daughter was staying.

"All I can say is that she was safe and she was not harmed. She was found a week ago," Alexander revealed.

She noted that her daughter has been in a happy mood since she came home but has not answered many questions.

"We are still to discover what went wrong. It is a work in progress but we want her to get professional help. She is not telling us why she left home," Alexander said.

Meanwhile, Singh said she was hurt by the actions of her granddaughter.

"I am very happy she is home, now I can sleep. Right now she is with her mother but I  feel she need some counseling in her life," Singh said. She also said the child had given no explanations.

"She gets everything she needs not everything she wants but everything she needs we give it to her..I don’t know the reasons but I feel very hurt. I am displeased but I am thankful to God that she is safe. It could have been the other way around. I know that people have sent out blessings and prayers and I appreciate that," Singh said. 

She added that Kinsale was "never on lockdown" but was allowed to go to the cinema and other places.

"When she wants to go places, we take her. We take her to the cinema. When her father gets pay she gets her allowances and she has money to spend. I give her support. This was upsetting and painful to us," Singh added. She said she wanted the National Family Services to contact them and offer professional help to the girl.

Kinsale, a standard-five student of the Marabella Anglican Primary School went missing on May 24. She was last seen playing with her friends at a basketball court near the family Roy Joseph Street, San Fernando, apartment. 

Police who checked Kinsale's laptop said she had been staying at a house in Sangre Grande. A 25-year-old man is now in police custody and is assisting with investigations.

A retired school teacher and her family are now homeless after a fire destroyed their three-story home at Syne Village, Penal Monday.

No one was at home when the fire started after midday but by mid-afternoon, the entire structure had burnt to the ground. 

The flames were first spotted in the area of the kitchen but by the time firefighters arrived, it had spread to the entire upper floor.

Amilcar Franklyn said the house was occupied by his mother Marlene Turner-Franklyn and his sister Nathifa Franklyn. 

"I was at work in Freeport when I got the call that the house was on fire. 

When I got here they were still trying to douse the flames. 

It is traumatic because this is the house I grew up in. It has all our memories of childhood here," Franklyn said. 

Asked where the family will be spending the night, Franklyn said, "I don't know. 

But we have many family and friends who will assist."

Around 3 pm, Marlene and her daughter arrived. 

They walked down the pathway leading to the house where firefighters had gathered under a shed.  Marlene started to walk to the back of the burning house but the firemen cautioned her to stay away. 

Part of the house crumbled afterward and everyone was ordered to evacuate the danger zone.

A neighbour said he saw the smoke coming from the building and alerted the fire officers but the flames spread quickly. 

Fire Prevention Officers are expected to visit the scene today to search for the clues into the cause of the blaze. 

Penal Police are continuing investigations.

Source: www.guardian.co.tt (Radhica De 

Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy John McIntyre believes legislative changes must be made if T&T and the rest of the Caribbean region have to successfully combat counter-terrorism and recruitment of ISIS foreign terrorist fighters.

Responding to questions from the media after donating two shallow search and rescue watercraft to the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation yesterday, McIntyre said counterterrorism was discussed at a meeting of all US ambassadors recently.

Saying he was very impressed with the full review that was done on regional counter-terrorism, McIntyre explained, "A lot of people were able to comment on it but the basis right now, the foundation is not up to the current situation and that’s why I think the laws have to change." 

Asked whether any agency has been partnering with the US Government to stop ISIS recruiting of foreign terrorist fighters, McIntyre said a full inter-agency approach was being undertaken to tackle this problem.

"I know there is a debate coming up, the ATA, the Anti-Terrorism Amendment, that was also a top topic for all of us but with respect to Trinidad and Tobago, this is an island and a country of law and the solution to these problems is a legal solution. I think the government, as well as the Opposition, has agreed that the current legal structure is not sufficient," he said.

He further explained, "When it comes to our efforts on counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism, we have been working with the government, the Opposition and the civil society and more, for quite a long time. It’s a full inter-agency approach, its always been that way but we can always do more and we will continue to do more on that front."

Asked whether the talks were successful, McIntyre said yes.

"I think the response to the Carnival threat is a great example of the responsiveness as we noted in our press releases along with three other governments we were very pleased with the work the government did to disrupt that threat."

With regard to the passage of the Anti-gang legislation, McIntyre said this was commendable.

"I think any time you change the legal structure to allow the authorities to have more tools at their disposal to deal with the issue, that great, as well as ensuring there’s civil society protection for those that are accused. That’s very very crucial but we understand, just like we in America, that crime can be a devastating effect on all, on a personal level, on an economic level and so I think that anytime you provide the authorities with tools, legal tools to do more, its critical and very beneficial," he added.

He refused to say whether he was concerned about the tension between warring Rasta City and Muslim gangs in T&T saying he did not want to comment on domestic security matters.

However, McIntyre described the partnership with the US Government, government, Opposition and civil society as one of the best.

"You all have to realize we consider T&T a regional leader, it’s why we have to put so much effort in. It’s why we are here today on disaster response. We are your best long-term partner, we are here for the long haul, we are a partner, we are not trying to take stuff from you, we are your partner," he added.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Deodat Dulalchan is again considering his legal options, as the Government appears to have reversed its position on revoking a decision by the Commissioner of State Lands to grant him a licence to occupy a parcel of State land in central Trinidad.

In a letter sent to Dulalchan’s lawyer Kiel Taklalsingh last Tuesday, the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs claimed the decision was in fact never revoked by the Government.

The letter was in response to several queries made by Dulalchan’s legal team over an investigation by the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries into him acquiring use of the agricultural land at Chatoorie Street Extension, Felicity.

The Government’s apparent new position is bitter-sweet for Dulalchan, however, as it does not mean that he was given automatic approval to continue to occupy the land.

While State attorney Zelica Haynes-Soo Hon noted that Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Minister Clarence Rambharat had no intention of revoking the decision, she pointed out that the licence granted was conditional and not irrevocable.

“Please be advised that the Commissioner of State Lands granted permission to your client to enter the said lands subject to Cabinet’s consideration as to whether it will approve of a State Agriculture Lease in favour of your client,” Haynes-Soo Hon said.

The letter did not reveal whether the issue had been considered by Cabinet nor did it give a time frame for such.

As part of the letter, Haynes-Soo Hon informed Taklalsingh that his request for disclosure of the preliminary investigative report on the matter, which was sent to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in February, was denied. She claimed that the document was exempt under the Freedom of Information Act as it is a report between high office holders on sensitive issues, contains confidential information and because the investigation is still ongoing.

In a brief telephone interview yesterday evening, Dulalchan refused to comment on the issue as he claimed that he had not seen the letter.

“I suspect that they would have sent a copy to my lawyer. My lawyer has not communicated with me so I would not like to make any comment until I see something in black and white,” Dulalchan said.

The issue shot into national limelight when allegations of land grabbing against Dulalchan were raised by four farmers, who claimed they were displaced by the top cop before he was granted permission to occupy the land last year.

Three public servants - permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Angela Siew, Commissioner of State Lands Paula Drakes and her deputy Bhanmati Seecharan - were suspended as the allegation was being investigated. They have since been reinstated after the probe was completed.

The allegations were among a handful raised against Dulalchan after it was revealed he was the Police Service Commission (PSC)’s top pick for the post of Commissioner of Police. Dulalchan reportedly only applied for the post of DCP but was considered for the CoP post nonetheless.

On June 6, Parliament rejected the nomination after it questioned the recruitment and assessment process used by the PSC.

Ironically, on the same day Haynes-Soo Hon sought to clarify the land grabbing investigation, the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) also issued a letter in which it responded to questions over its investigation into separate allegations against Dulalchan.

In its letter, head of legal counsel in the PCA’s Compliance and Complaints Unit, Lisa-Marie Robertson, noted that the complaint was made in 2011 and the investigation was concluded in 2017. Robertson denied allegations by Dulalchan’s attorneys that he was not informed of the allegation and given an opportunity to be heard, as she pointed out that he responded to it in September last year.

Responding to their requests for information on the complaint, Robertson said there was documentary evidence that was corroborated by a witness. She also questioned whether there was an internal investigation into whether the complaint was fabricated as alleged by Dulalchan.

“In light of this, kindly indicate what, if any, steps were taken by your client or any other officer to investigate this matter including, but not limited to, whether the officer responsible for this alleged fabrication or prevarication was the subject of a charge or of disciplinary action following this alleged wrongdoing. Our searches reveal that to date, this was not done,” Robertson said, as she invited Dulalchan to make a complaint over the issue to the PCA.

Robertson also noted that Dulalchan was not affected by the PCA’s recommendation, as it merely advised that the PSC bring disciplinary charges against him.

“Kindly therefore indicate how your client has been adversely affected by the PCA’s actions in his matter, particularly, as the PSC, to which the recommendation for consideration was made, took a decision in your client’s favour,” she said.

Dulalchan is also being represented by Jagdeo Singh, Dinesh Rambally and Stefan Ramkissoon.

Lawyers representing a pair of asylum seekers from Venezuela are threatening to sue the State over its failure to make its official national policy for refugees transparent.

In a pre-action protocol letter sent to National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and acting Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews yesterday morning, lawyers for Carlos Jose Perez Arias and Maria Carolina Olivares Sahad sought clarification on the policy and its applicability to them.

According to their lawyer Darrell Allahar, the policy, which seeks to address the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees and how the State would determine their status, was passed by Cabinet in June 2014.

Allahar pointed out that it was mentioned by Dillon’s predecessor John Sandy at a meeting of the Council of the International Organisation on Migration in November that year, and by Gandhi-Andrews at a meeting of the executive committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in October 2016.

He noted that while both officials announced the policy to their international counterparts, only a draft document on the “phased establishment” of it was published.

“It is assumed in the absence of any other publicly available material that this policy statement (draft) represents the policy which had been approved by the Cabinet in June 2014 and adopted by the Government of T&T,” Allahar said.

He noted that the letter arose out of concerns from his clients over the Government’s role in repatriating 82 of their compatriots in April and conflicting and evasive statements from Government officials over whether some of the group were registered asylum seekers.

“Having regard to the Government’s recent statements and actions as alluded above, my clients are now fearful that this country has and/or intends to deny and/or frustrate and/or undermine my clients’ legitimate expectations as set out above, as well as those of all other registered asylum seekers,” Allahar said.

He requested that both Dillon and Gandhi-Andrews give written undertakings that his clients would be placed on orders of supervision and would not be deported while the UNHCR was mulling over the final decision on their refugee status. Allahar is also seeking assurances that the Government would not impose penalties against them for illegal entry until the determination of their applications and would only consider detention as a last resort.

In addition to the applicability of the draft policy, Allahar is seeking the disclosure of the Government’s standing operating procedures related to asylum seekers.

“At present, the liberty of my clients and indeed all registered asylum seekers is restricted by executive decisions, therefore, the policy and the decisions taken under it need to be transparent and clearly stated,” Allahar said.

In the event that both Dillon and Gandhi-Andrews fail to respond to the letter within 14 days, Allahar will file the lawsuit on his clients’ behalf.

He also noted that they would consider converting the claim into a class action lawsuit in which they will represent all other asylum seekers in T&T, who would then be bound by the final judgement in the case.

The letter was also sent to the UNHCR, which is based in Washington, DC and the Living Waters Community, a local Roman Catholic social services NGO which coordinates asylum applications on behalf of the UNHCR.

Arias and Sahad are also being represented by Douglas Mendes, SC, Chase Pegus, Ajay Baball and Edisha Greene.

A performance appraisal of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and his Government and the date of the planned nationwide shutdown.

These are just two of the main topics that will be addressed today when 17 trade unions and non-government organisations gather at Charlie King Junction in Fyzabad for the annual Labour Day celebrations to mark the 81st year since the Butler Oilfield Riots.

Commenting on today’s activities yesterday, Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) chief education and research officer Ozzi Warwick said, “What people can expect for sure is a performance appraisal of the Government and the Prime Minister.

“People can expect trade progressive trade union style when we will be calling a spade a spade. We will be holding the government accountable on behalf of the people and there will be an announcement.”

Warwick did not want to say what the announcement is, but speaking at the recent May Day celebrations OWTU president general Ancel Roget had given notice that on Labour Day he will announce the date of their planned nationwide shutdown.

The Employers Consultative Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ECA) meanwhile diverted from the traditional Labour Day message to make a clarion call for social partners to focus attention on one of the most challenging occurrences we are witnessing in the world of work in this decade - artificial intelligence (AI), automation, robotics and digitisation to the world of work.

According to the ECA, this new phenomenon presents an ideal opportunity for labour to once again take a leading role in initiating this conversation as a matter of urgency, through available tripartite mechanisms, with open, honest and respectful conversations.

“Now is not the time for any of us as social partners, whether business, Government or labour, to continue passing blame, laying criticisms and demonstrating an unwillingness to take ownership and be held accountable for the future success of our enterprises, our nation and its citizens. The ECA’s message this year is for tripartite partners to focus on collaboration and outcomes – not blame, with a commitment to a sense of purpose so as to arrive at a consensus in the best interest of our people and the for the development of our nation.”

TODAY’S LABOUR DAY ACTIVITIES

5 am - Butler Classics - 20K WALK - STARTS @ OWTU, San Fernando
5.30 am - Butler Classics - 20K RUN - STARTS @ OWTU, San Fernando
6 am - Butler Classics 5K Junior’s Race - STARTS @ Jovan’s Grocery, Harris Village, South Oropouche
8 am - Wreath Laying Ceremonies at Tubal Uriah Butler’s grave site, Apex Cemetery, Fyzabad & La Brea

President Paula-Mae Weekes yesterday called on all citizens to do their part in “forging an environment that is conducive to productivity and development.”

“This begins, of course with our attitudes to work in general. We ought to work while it is day and bring to bear punctuality, conscientiousness and impartiality in the execution of our duties. These matters, if addressed willingly and collaboratively, will produce tangible improvements to our economic environment,” Weekes said in her Labour Day message.

Noting that the day celebrated the events of 1937, when labour leader Uriah ‘Buzz’ Butler led local oilfield workers in a nationwide strike which culminated in the deaths of 14 people and the arrest and detention of dozens more, Weekes said: “Today, we celebrate the workers who stood firmly against oppression and injustice, risking both lives and livelihoods. We remember the appalling circumstances under which our forebears worked and the long struggle to achieve improved working conditions, fair wages and job security. We also recognise present-day workers whose invaluable contribution to the national economy cannot be denied.”

However, she added, “It must also be said that we cannot expect that the strategies and emphases of the 1930s can serve to mitigate the challenges of 2018. Reliance upon outdated ways of thinking does not bode well for accurate representation of the modern-day worker. Instead, it risks stagnation of a movement that has played and must continue to play an integral role in the shaping of our economic and political history.”

She thus urged trade union leaders to align their goals and strategies with the economic and social realities of the present day.

“Unionism must ensure that today’s worker is well-equipped not only with a decent living wage but with opportunities for retraining and further education to deal with a changing local and global environment,” the President said.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley also recognised the work which union leaders of Butler’s time put into the country’s early development.

“Workers make up the majority of our society. Our nation is built upon their hard work, honest toil and dedication,” Rowley said.

“While we all readily acknowledge that most of us as individuals work with the aim to enjoy a better standard of living, we must also recognise that this individual goal is also the national objective being pursued by the Government. Indeed, the micro and the macro objectives are inextricably linked. We want the same thing and the odds of us achieving our goals are greatly improved if we all work together.”

Noting that, Government and labour are not pursuing opposing objectives, Rowley said,”We have indeed come a long way and we certainly still have a challenging journey ahead in light of our formidable economic challenges. However, if we band together with a view to attaining our objectives, underpinned by our common desire for what is right and just, we would undoubtedly increase our chances for success and a better standard of living for us and our children.