Loans and salary advances to staff, some of which remain outstanding, a superuser who had the ability to take a transaction from start to finish to the value of $10 million with no approvals and lack of proper procurement procedures were just some of the issues which came to light yesterday, when Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme (YTEPP) officials appeared before the Public Accounts Enterprises Committee of Parliament.

Committee members expressed concern that the organisation, which has a mandate to train young people, seemed to have lost its way and had instead been overrun by “madness” and had gone “awry” to the detriment of taxpayers, who had spent close to $800 million on the organisation from 2008-2014.

Things appeared to be so wrong at YTEPP that committee chair Wade Mark likened it to the legend of “Rip Van Winkle, who slept for 20 years and all kinds of activities were taking place around him he was not aware of.” Officials of YTEPP, he said, were “still sleeping on the job.

Committee member Fitzgerald Hinds first raised concerns over the superuser, whom he said appeared to have powers that not even the highest office holders in the country, including the Prime Minister, President and Chief Justice, had.

YTEPP CEO Nigel Forgenie noted that the “initial problem arose when YTEPP was given authority for the processing of stipends. It took the monthly expenditure release levels up to over five million dollars.”

Director of Finance Jerome Grant defended the system, saying this was how it was set up by First Citizens Bank. But both he and Forgenie assured that when the issue was highlighted by the internal auditor “that power was revoked.”

But committee member David Small was also concerned, noting a discrepancy in the figure, as while Forgenie said the five million was to pay stipends, the finance director said it was eight million. Small wondered why the superuser was given such ability. Forgenie said the money was used for “usual salary payments, it is not something done every day but once a month for salary and stipend commitment.”

Committee member Jennifer Baptiste-Primus asked how many OJTs were at YTEPP to generate a stipend payment of $8m. Forgenie said there were “10 thousand trainees on the OJT payroll at that time” but promised to provide the specifics in writing.

Forgenie, who told the committee he had been at YTEPP for 12 years, also raised members’ ire when he confirmed they gave salary advances or loans.

Asked on what authorisation, he said it was in the Memorandum of Association, adding the limit is $10,000 and was usually loans for educational purposes which “must be repaid during the course for which the monies are advanced.”

But neither the investment division of the Ministry of Finance nor the Ministry of Education seemed to be aware YTEPP had such a policy.

Chitamanie Sookhoo, of the Investment Division of Finance Ministry’s Social and Economic Transformation Unit, told the committee such issues do not go to the ministry.

“The board is there to ensure there is adequate policy in place,” Sookhoo said.

However, Ministry of Education official Carol Bickram admitted they picked up this matter after getting the minutes of a board meeting and had sent a letter to YTEPP “for clarification on the authority.”

Small was concerned that while Forgenie said the loan was $10,000, one employee was currently owing $20,365. He said it was clear “something has gone awry, someone got a loan and you can’t figure out how to get it back?”

Baptiste-Primus urged chairman Thora Best to take immediate steps to ensure the loans are recovered once the persons were still employed there.

Small also expressed concern that under Forgenie’s watch 67 people got transport allowances and 82 got cellphone allowances. He said as far as he was aware, this does not happen in any ministry and “may be an abuse of a facility”.

Mark urged the CEO and chairman to get acquainted with the State Enterprise Performance Manual since allocation of cellphone and transport allowances to staff is not permissible under it. Mark was concerned the loans would eventually be written off under the State Limitation Act.

“Something is wrong at YTEPP,” Mark declared, adding YTEPP did not seem to have a proper procurement policy but instead relied on staff “integrity, honesty and trust”.

The committee also heard an employee was responsible for purchasing keyboards from China for an internet unit, but when reconciliation was done invoices were found to be altered. The amount involved was $25,000 and the Fraud Squad was called in.

An orthopaedic “mafia” in the health sector.

This was United National Congress MP Ganga Singh’s description after Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh yesterday slammed conflict of interest by surgeons who own orthopaedic implant companies and advise authorities which company to buy from.

“... And when you don’t buy from them, they’ll refuse to operate. It has to stop!” Deyalsingh added in Parliament yesterday.

Deyalsingh spoke about the situation while replying to Opposition questions on the recent issue of mismatched components for hip surgery at Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

Deyalsingh said the North West Regional Health Authority did an audit on the issue for the period January 2017 to April 2018 and a preliminary internal report stipulated comprehensive review and update of procurement processes for implants. He said staff was sensitised to the issue, notices were posted and service coordinators in the operating theatre were now monitoring component use. The NWRHA had also issued public expressions of interest for orthopaedic implants and consumables, he said.

“And all interested parties are expected to provide a listing of the names of directors of their company and to disclose any conflict of interest,” Deyalsingh added.

“I already have in my possession listings of directors of all companies and the names will scare you ...”

Interested parties also have to list surgical items provided, their place of manufacture and documents that they are internationally certified and of clinical quality standards. Prior to surgical procedures, the implants must be checked by the consultant surgeon, who should not have an interest in the company supplying the components, he added.

“That’s going to be strictly enforced: no consultant surgeon who has an interest in an orthopaedic supply company will be allowed to do this—none.”

He said the nurse theatre manager and supplier representative will ensure compliance with specifications in the purchase order. The NWRHA has also reviewed records to see all suppliers meet required international/clinical standards and only those who do will be used.

Deyalsingh said there’s been no patient complaint, but they strengthening the system.

“Conflict of interest—the genesis of the problem—is going to stop ... where you have an orthopaedic surgeon telling you, you will not use ‘X’ unless it’s bought from ‘X’ company and when you check the company, you’re seeing who owns the company - those days are going to be over!”

Of the list of names that would “scare” the public, Deyalsingh added, “There are names of directors on these companies who are the same surgeons who are operating on patients and they own the companies and they will tell you which company to buy from and if you don’t buy from them, they refuse to operate...the problem has nothing to do with wrong components, it has to do with conflict of interest.”

Deyalsingh claimed former health minister Fuad Khan knew of the problem but did nothing. When Khan asked if the situation began in 2007, Deyalsingh admitted it began “decades ago”.

On the recent behaviour of a medical intern, Deyalsingh said there are health and RHS Employee Assistance programmes for employees to have issues assessed. He said department consultants are also responsible for interns’ daily management to track their behavioural changes, in work performance, late arrivals or other signs of stress. While mechanisms are adequate, the issue was whether the consultants and staff heads are assessing interns as they should, he said

Deyalsingh said he suggested to the Medical Association, Medical Council and UWI that T&T should admit people to the Medical Sciences Faculty based on all-round qualifications, not academics alone.

“In T&T we give too much rating on pure academics—but everybody has four As,” he said.

A prison officer, who was falsely accused of abandoning her three children on social media, has won over $75,000 in compensation for defamation.

Delivering a 39-page judgment in this country’s second social media defamation case earlier this month, High Court Margaret Mohammed ruled that Ama Charles defamed the prison officer in a Facebook post made on January 24, 2016.

The officer’s name was withheld by this newspaper to protect the identities of her children, who are minors, and to avoid the republication of the defamatory statement made against her.

While Charles admitted to making the offensive post on her private Facebook page, she denied that she was responsible for reposting it on the T&T Prison Service’s Facebook site.

The officer had claimed that the republication led to ridicule from her colleagues, her being questioned by her supervisors and facing the possibility of disciplinary action.

Although Mohammed agreed that there was no evidence that Charles initiated the repost, she ruled that she (Charles) was still liable for unintended republication by third parties, who had access to the post and her page.

Mohammed said: “In my opinion, when Charles published the words on her Facebook page and she “tagged” people whom she knew...she implicitly gave them permission to forward her publication to third parties.”

“In such circumstances, Charles must remain ultimately responsible for the words which she initially published once they remained in the form she originally published,” Mohammed added.

The post stated that Charles was attempting to contact the officer after she allegedly left her three children unattended in front of her (Charles) house.

In her lawsuit, the officer denied the allegation as she claimed that she was on her way to drop the children by her sister when she spotted their father at Charles’ home and decided to leave them with him instead.

She claimed that Charles, who she and her children knew as a friend of their father, sent her several abusive text messages before she eventually made the post.

In analysing whether the statement constituted defamation, Mohammed ruled that an ordinary and reasonable person could conclude that she (the officer) was an irresponsible mother.

Mohammed said that Charles exacerbated the situation by tagging the T&T Police Service (TTPS) television programme Beyond the Tape and Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne in the post.

“In my opinion, these last words in the post would have coloured the opinion of the ordinary, reasonable person into thinking that the action by the claimant with respect to the treatment of her children was of such gravity that it was a criminal act which had been committed,” Mohammed said.

In addition to ordering the compensation for the officer, Mohammed ordered Charles to pay the $19,652.08 in legal fees she incurred in bringing the lawsuit.

The judgment comes four months after High Court Judge Frank Seepersad presided over a landmark case brought by a couple whose neighbour falsely claimed that they molested their children in a series of Facebook posts.

In ruling in favour of the couple Seepersad considered social media cases in Commonwealth jurisdictions as there are currently no laws which directly address the issue.

Although the quantity of compensation to the couple is yet to be calculated by a High Court Master, the case was used as a precedent in the lawsuit before Mohammed.

The prison officer was represented by Kalena Maharajh and Whitney St Clair. Gem Emmanuel and Elena Da Silva represented Charles.

Schoolmates of murdered 16-year-old schoolboy Joshua James paid tribute to him in a poem at his funeral yesterday.

James’ schoolmates from the Success/Laventille Secondary School dedicated the poem to him saying their hearts have been broken “to see him go.”

“The memories we had with you are golden but we wanted you…You did your very best for us…God knows how we miss you,” part of the poem read.

Tears flowed from men, schoolmates, friends, acquaintances and family at the service held for James at the Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Main Road, Laventille.

On June 8, at about 10.45 pm, James, 16, was playing a video game at his home, when he was shot when gunmen sprayed bullets in front of his yard. Two other bystanders were killed - Carlos Abraham, 38, who was celebrating a friend’s birthday, and Curtis Hepburn, 49.

The trio are believed to be collateral damage in an ongoing gang war in the area.

James’ cousin, Kamika, in her emotional eulogy described him as “perfect” in her eyes. Others referred to him as a young man who portrayed attributes like Jesus Christ, where he, like Jesus, brought joy to all those around him.

James, according to Kamika, had so many high hopes, “Besides karate, being a chef and the best car washing personnel ever, Joshua was very passionate about swimming and the love he had for it was very admirable since he was so determined about becoming an underwater welder.”

“This has been the most tragic, shocking and devastating moment that broke everyone’s heart,” Kamika added.

Education Minister Anthony Garcia yesterday pleaded with teachers to be patient as he was optimistic that the economy will turn around.

He was responding to threats of a September boycott over stalled salary negotiations by the teachers’ union.

Commenting on failing grade T&T’s education system received at the Joint Trade Union Movement’s (JTUM) annual Labour Day rally in Fyzabad and the boycott threat, Garcia said, “I am the eternal optimist and I am asking our teachers, and I am extending this to the population, hold some strain, better days are coming.”

In an interview at Naparima College yesterday, Garcia said that he expected JTUM to give T&T’s education a failing grade as it was customary for unions to do so. However, he was convinced that the Ministry has done an excellent job compared to its operations before the People’s National Movement took over the Government in September 2015.

Garcia said that during his tenure as president of the T&T Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), he also took part in Labour Day demonstrations and gave the teaching profession a failing grade.

“This is because we felt we just had to say something. However, today I am convinced that the Ministry of Education has been doing a tremendous job. In fact, when we came into office in 2015 and we compare what has been going on now, we see a tremendous stride in education. We have been able to achieve so many things and that makes us proud. We are very confident that the education system is moving in the right direction,” Garcia said.

During Labour Day celebrations at Avocat Junction, Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) president Lynsley Doodhai warned that unless the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) commences negotiation with the union for the period 2014-2017, classrooms would be without teachers at the beginning of the new school year in September.

Doodhai said that the union submitted proposals to the CPO in 2015 and have not yet received any response. Now, teachers are frustrated and angry as the cost of living has significantly increased over the past three years.

In response, Garcia said that he sympathises with every worker who has difficulty in making ends meet but repeated Government’s explanation that the country was experiencing financial problems.

Like Doodhai, Garcia recalled Finance Minister Colm Imbert mid-year budget review, in which he said the economy had turned a corner. Garcia said he expects these issues to be resolved soon.

However, he stressed that negotiation of collective agreements was not a function of the Ministry as that was the responsibility of the CPO. He added that if Doodhai threatened empty classrooms, he would refer him to President Paula Mae Weekes inauguration speech in which she encouraged citizens to engage in productivity.

“So if he wants to close down schools, that tells us the thinking of the union. We must engage in productivity. Our teachers must be there so that our students will be able to benefit from the quality of education that we are committed to providing. The Chief Personnel Officer has the responsibility for negotiating terms and conditions of service for all public servants and that is totally out of our hands.”

The February Carnival plot detentions and police exercises in El Socorro and neighbouring areas will impact on the ruling PNM’s Barataria by-election performance, says former PNM deputy leader and attorney Nafeesa Mohammed,
“Of course it will. People are justifiably hurt by the way the police exercises were done - Mohammedville has the largest polling division in Barataria,” Mohammed added yesterday.

Police searched homes and the area’s Nur E Islam mosque - among others nationwide- in the February Carnival disruption plot investigation.

Fifteen people were detained including Mohammed’s nephew Tariq. He was among 13 released without charge. He and his brother Wasim, allegedly injured by police, are among those who’ve since sued the state.

Mrs Mohammed was replying yesterday to queries on claims made at Monday’s UNC campaign meeting at Don Miguel Hindu School.

Platform speaker Sadro Mohammed said he was confident UNC had “98 per cent of the votes in Mohammedville under control” and also at the Nur E Islam mosque. He said the UNC has a better chance at winning Barataria in the July 16 by-election.

UNC leader Kamla Persad- Bissessar added she’d spoken with Mrs Mohammed (at recent Nur E Islam Eid celebrations) and pledged the Opposition would ensure the rights of the innocent aren’t abused in proposed Anti-Terrorism amendments debated in Parliament yesterday.

Mrs Mohammed said UNC’s Sadro Mohammed was “free to say what he wants, I’ve done no vote survey. But many have expressed to me the pain they feel concerning the police exercises where some flagrant abuses occurred. If I were Prime Minister Rowley I’d have come and tried to say something to the people. But when he visited Barataria for PNM’s campaign launch he instead committed a faux pas by attacking the Muslim community.”

On whether she’ll vote in the by-election, Mohammed said, “On election day, what my heart says to me, I’ll do.”

From a long-standing PNM family, Mohammed dismissed as claims she’d “crossed the floor.”

She said, “I’m speaking to ensure people’s rights and freedoms are balanced with law enforcement’s. Much more dialogue and co-operation is needed.”

On a possible impact of the situation on PNM’s campaign, party general secretary Daniel Dookie said, “based on our last information, the campaign’s progressing smoothly.”

A Point Fortin man has appeared in court charged with assaulting a police officer, preventing lawful detention, assault occasioning a wound and breach of a protection order after being arrested by officers of the Point Fortin Police Station on June 17.

Akim Marcelle, 28, appeared before Magistrate Rajnendra Rambachan in the Point Fortin court yesterday to answer the charges.

The matter was adjourned to July 12,

The accused was arrested after two officers— a Corporal and a WPC responded to a report of a breach of a protection order in the district around 3 pm on June 17. Upon arriving on the scene, the officers observed a man holding on to a woman by the neck.

While intervening, the officers were both assaulted and sustained injuries to various parts of their bodies.

Marcelle was subsequently arrested and charged by Sgt Randy Mungroo of the Point Fortin Police Station.

Almost four years after 36-year-old Stacey Rique was killed when a crane collided with her car after breaking a red light, her family is now suing its owner, its insurance company and the State.

In a lawsuit filed in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday, lawyers representing Rique’s mother Majorie claimed that Sammy’s Multilift Services Limited, Sagicor General Insurance and the police were all negligent in the June 25, 2014 accident.

Rique was the daughter of Roy Rique, a former director of operations and communications at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Through the lawsuit, Rique’s relatives are seeking over $10 million in compensation, which represents the loss of earnings she would have received during her estimated natural lifetime.

At the time of her death, Rique was an administrative assistant with International Waterfront Resources Limited, which owns the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port-of-Spain.

However, months before the accident she attained a degree in human resource management. Her relatives’ claim this would have made her eligible for a post as a human resource manager with an annual salary of over $400,000.

“The deceased had very good prospects of career advancement and development with the potential to steadily increase her income, had future career plans to open her own human resource management business and would have been a beneficiary of additional income from her own business had she survived,” attorney Andre Le Blanc said in the letter.

Rique’s friend Ashelle Waddell, who was the front seat passenger in her vehicle, suffered serious injuries in the accident but survived.

Waddell was also named as a claimant in the lawsuit but is seeking significantly less compensation than Rique’s family, as hers will only reflect the pain and suffering she experienced from the accident.

According to the court documents, Rique and Waddell were about to cross from south to north at the intersection of the Audrey Jeffers Highway, near the Hasley Crawford Stadium, when the crane collided with her vehicle.

Their lawyers are contending that although she had a green light Rique waited at the insection as she saw a police car, with its siren on, speeding towards the intersection. A few moments after the police car passed, Rique drove on and the crane collided with her vehicle.

Her relatives’ lawyers are claiming the crane’s owner is liable for negligence as its driver, Rodney Bissoondath, was reckless by driving at a fast rate and for failing to observe that the police escort did not stop at the intersection to block traffic. They are also contending that the crane was not approved by the Licensing Authority to be driven on the road.

The Office of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs was listed as a party to the claim to defend the police officers who were responsible for the escort.

Rique’s lawyers are claiming the police were negligent in failing to stop traffic at the intersection and allowing the crane operator to break the red light.

“The claimants will rely on a series of photographs of the accident as evidence of the negligence of the crane driver. The claimants will also rely on video footage and pictures taken on the date of the accident at the trial of this matter as evidence of the negligence of the company and the police,” Le Blanc said. Sagicor General was included as it had insured the crane.

A case management hearing will be set once the lawsuit is assigned to a judge.

Rique’s family and Waddell are also being represented by Terrence Bharath.

Mud from a business operation in Penal is being blamed for the crash which ended the life of aspiring computer technician Annise Sakawath on Wednesday.

According to investigators, it was raining heavily around 11 am when Sakawath, 21, of Penal Rock Road, died after the car she was in skidded off the road. She was sitting in the backseat of an orange Toyota Ceres driven by Priya Samuel, 21, also of Penal, when tragedy struck. Sakawath’s friend, Vinita Sookraj, 23, of Debe, was in the front passenger’s seat.

As the car neared Scott’s Road it skidded into a utility pole. Sakawath was thrown through the windshield and landed in a drain. She died immediately. An autopsy yesterday revealed she died from intracranial haemorrhage. Samuel and Sookraj were taken to the Siparia District Health Facility where they were treated and transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital.

When Jairam reached the scene of the accident she met her daughter’s body in the drain with water gushing over her. She claimed several other vehicles skidded in that area because of the mud on the road.

“To my understanding and to what I saw it was because of the mud on the road. There is an area where they dig dirt and move out with the trucks… A lot of people ran off the road but nobody had died. It was my daughter who died,” Jairam told the T&T Guardian.

“Even one of our relatives ran off the road right there recently, they told me this last night. Whoever is doing that backfill project, I think that it is totally wrong. Even if they are doing it they should be cleaning up the road,” Jairam said.

Contacted yesterday, Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) chairman Dr Allen Sammy said while he could not say what caused the accident, speculation is rife that mud from the operation could have caused the accident.

Sammy said several letters have already been sent to various bodies and officials regarding the problem but the PDRC did not have the authority to take any action against the quarry owners.

Yesterday, Samuel’s parents visited Sakawath parents at the hospital’s bereavement counsellor’s office. Jairam said her daughter and Sookraj were friends since they attended Penal Secondary School and would have both celebrated their birthdays on Sunday.

Jairam said the friends left to do some shopping because they had planned to spend Saturday night at a nightclub. Around 11.30 am, she got a call but could not hear what the caller was saying. She sent for a phone card and later spoke to Samuel’s mother and the harrowing news of Sakawath’s death.

“When I reached there I saw her in the drain. Water was running over her. There wasn’t any mud on her so I guess water washed her whole body,” Jairam said.

She said her husband, Raphael Sakawath, would usually take their daughter to and from school. However, because school finished early and he had taken the car to repair, Sakawath decided to travel that day but got a ride from Samuel.

An investigation has been launched into an incident in which two University of the West Indies (UWI) students were taped while engaging in a sex act in a classroom in one of the main buildings at the St Augustine campus. Passing students who could clearly see the pair from a pathway to other areas of the campus videotaped the act and it was subsequently posted on social media.

The two students were engaged in sexual intercourse in a classroom at the Learning Resource Centre, but they were clearly visible, through a window, to passersby outside from a walkway. In the video, passing students could be seen commenting and laughing at the act, with some of them stopping to film it on their cell phone cameras.

In an immediate response to the video, which was posted yesterday, a university lecturer who wished not to be identified sent out a stern warning to students.

“Consider your actions, life is worth more than a moment’s pleasure,” the lecturer told the T&T Guardian.

“Students must think about their actions and remember that the university is a place to prepare them academically for a bright future.”

The lecturer said at the tertiary level they deal with young adults who are easily sexually aroused but reminded that having sex in public spaces is illegal under the law—Indecent Exposure of the Person under Section 7 of the Criminal Offences Act Chapter 11:01. That act dates back to 1844 and makes the common law UK offence of indecent exposure an indictable offence in T&T.

“But what is a greater concern is sexual responsibility. The use of protection to avoid unwanted pregnancy or contracting a sexually transmitted disease may be considered,” the lecturer said.

The video caused widespread debate, some of which pointed out that such acts had been happening at the university over the years and was a norm.

“It has been going on for years...is just that some idiot decided to take a video ‘which apparently is the in thing nowadays’ so calm down,” one social media user posted in response to the video.

When contacted for comment yesterday, UWI Guild of Students president Darrion Narine took the opportunity to remind students and staff to maintain a level of respect.

“Respect for the laws of the land, respect for rules, regulations and respect for their fellow colleagues on campus as well as the institution in which they operate and study,” Narine said.

He assured that the Guild “will be working with the administration, to get to the bottom of this.”

Contacted yesterday, UWI St Augustine Campus Principal, Professor Brian Copeland said they were aware of the incident and were “looking into it”.

Asked how a situation like this or of similar nature is handled by the university, Copeland said it all depends on “who it is and what it was.”

“We want to appreciate that it is young people we are dealing with but whatever comes up in our fact-finding mission, we will treat with it accordingly,” Copeland said.

Attorney Jonathan Bhagan said whilst it is “a morally reprehensible act,” he believes “restorative justice” should be looked at and “the perpetrators made to apologise to the public and do community service to repair the image of UWI which they helped tarnish”.

Efforts to contact Minister of Education Anthony Garcia were unsuccessful.

When the Galleons Passage does arrive in T&T—and there’s no date still—Nidco will need time to do certain requisites regarding the vessel and crew, after which it’ll be put into service.

This was confirmed by Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan in response to queries on the issue from United National Congress Senator Wade Mark during yesterday’s Senate session.

“If I could predict the exact date of things which I don’t have control over I wouldn’t be here today—the (Galleon’s Passage) would be here at the earliest practical opportunity,” Sinanan said in response to Mark’s repeated queries on an arrival date.

Sinanan said the vessel arrived in Cuba on May 26 and prior to that, people representing the seller and Government (the buyer) arrived in Cuba on May 15 to expedite retrofitting work to be done on the boat at the Damen Shipyard in Santiago de Cuba.

He reiterated Wednesday’s statements by Finance Minister Colm Imbert that the seller had difficulties transporting some required materials and equipment from Australia to Cuba for the retrofitting work. He said the seller had chosen the shipyard for its work under the purchase contract to be done.

“But Government can wait no longer for the boat to reach here and decided to bring the vessel from Cuba to T&T at the earliest practical opportunity and have the retrofitting done here, on a phased basis while the vessel’s in service,” Sinanan said.

“Upon arrival here, time must be allowed for the reflagging of the vessel, familiarisation of the crew with the vessel and type rating of the crew—after which it’ll be put into service.”

He said the seller will bear the cost of its planned retrofitting and Government will handle the cost of the retrofitting it had planned to have done also.

Mark asked if Government wasn’t aware of the embargo against Cuba and also sought the cost to taxpayers while the boat was at the Cuban shipyard for 31 days.

When Senate vice president Nigel de Freitas disallowed his queries, Mark responded,”This is a democracy, not a PNM party group!”

He was cautioned by de Freitas.

Sinanan said dredging of the Port-of-Spain harbour will begin in late September and occur over two months. Once completed, all cargo operations will return to their original Government Shipping Service (GSS) jetty and cargo berthing operations currently occurring at berth three will cease, he said.

Sinanan said the return to the GSS jetty will eliminate the current traffic pile-up which occurs when trucks bring cargo to berth three for shipping. Port police liaise with the T&T Police Service to handle the traffic, he added.

Sinanan also revealed the Solomon Hochoy Highway from Chaguanas to Golconda will be widened to three lanes and unsuitable cable barriers will be replaced by rigid barriers.

Justice is taking some “heat”.

The air conditioning at the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain, hasn’t been working to the point that the acting Chief Justice has agreed to stagger staff working hours so no-one is required to be in the building for more than two hours.

This development was confirmed in a memo from the Registrar of the High Court issued to judges and masters of the High Court.

Opposition Senator Gerald Ramdeen read out the memo during yesterday’s Senate sitting, saying personnel have been operating without air-conditioning for the last six months. Ramdeen also pointed out that public toilets on three floors are out of order.

Ramdeen spoke about the issues during debate on a bill to create a District Criminal and Traffic Court. He said while Government was focusing on getting this new court in operation, the administration of justice was currently being hampered because issues which need to be fixed urgently were not being addressed.

Ramdeen said the Registrar’s memo also stated the situation with the air conditioning at the Hall of Justice is still being addressed and rostering of staff - in the staggered hours arrangement - was at the discretion of the respective supervisors.

Detailing how some courts are operating, he added, “Judges in the Court of Appeal say ‘you can take off your robes’, assistants had to bring in two Lasco fans to cool the court.”

He said adjournments are costing T&T more than air conditioning units, “but here we are saying ‘let’s create another court’ when even the air conditioning at the Hall of Justice doesn’t work.”

He questioned why the Attorney General and Chief Justice couldn’t get together to find the $1.5 million needed to fix the Hall of Justice’s issues.

Ramdeen also took issue with sections of the bill which gave the Court Executive Administrator, Christie-Anne Morris-Alleyne, the power of a deputy permanent secretary to hire contract workers. He said this is normally done by the Judicial and Legal Service Commission and could affect workers who served in the post for years and their promotion chances. Ramdeen said the proposed court would create a parallel special purpose entity that would bypass the JLSC and Public Service Commission.

Noting that Morris-Alleyne and the Chief Justice were on the International Institute for Justice Excellence, Ramdeen said the two people in charge of the judiciary were on the international body, “and what they’re doing there, we want them to do here.”

A 42-year-old auto parts dealer was shot 14 times moments after he pulled up in front of his home in St Joseph on Wednesday night.

Simon Moss was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope where he succumbed to his injuries.

Investigating officers described the incident as a “hit” but were unable to determine a motive for his killing up to press time.

According to a police report, at about 7.45 pm Moss had just turned into his driveway at Agostini Street when he stopped his car to take a phone call.

A gunman walked up to him and shot him several times to the upper body. Moss, who was the father of two, was taken by relatives to the hospital where he died. Police discovered 14 spent shells on the scene.

Police officers yesterday confirmed that about eight years ago, Moss was charged for a gun, which he had in his possession illegally.

The close friend added that Moss had bought the gun to protect himself.

Moss operated an auto parts dealership at the Bamboo Village, Valsayn and normally when he closed up shop would usually hang around for a while to lime with friends.

Moss’ wife left the Forensic Science Centre in St James shortly after 1 pm and declined comment.

Moss’ murder was the 265th person to be killed for the year.

Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Satnarayn Maharaj does not believe that this country has the capacity to “accommodate any more citizens,” and has no interest in assisting people seeking refuge here from other countries.

Maharaj told Guardian Media yesterday that Trinidad and Tobago is a “small country, we have 1.3 million people and already we are being over-crowded because you have free movement of people in the Caricom region who are coming here and settling and now we are being called upon to accept refugees from other countries.”

On Wednesday, Archbishop of Port-of-Spain Jason Gordon appealed to the country to stand in solidarity “with migrants and refugees and to promote their human rights.”

Parishes across the country have been asked to become part of the Migrant and Refugee Ministry initiative and to set up committees to take the initiative forward. There was also a signal from Committee member Rochelle Nakhid that they intended to reach out to other faith-based organisations to see “how they can provide support.”

Maharaj there would be no support from the organisation which he leads. He said “we have the United Nations for that. You have other wealthy countries who can reach out. We have enough problems of our own here and I believe we should spend our time solving the problems of those who are dispossessed and unemployed, the poor, we have to internalise our problems.”

Things are “so difficult,” here, he said, that Trinidadians are “leaving here and seeking refugee status either in the United States or Canada.”

But Public Relations Officer of the group, Muslims of Trinidad and Tobago, Imtiaz Mohammed said the group has actually attended a programme hosted by the Living Water Community to learn more about how to assist refugees.

He said at the meeting with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in March at the Diplomatic Centre they also appealed to the PM “for laws to be implemented,” to assist refugees. A similar appeal was made to Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi but Mohammed said, “there has been no response.”

They also met with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, he said, to “discuss the issue and to get information on the issue of refugees.”

The Muslim community, he said, had a particular interest because they wanted the Government “to allow 1,000 Syrian refugees into the country.” But that fell down because “there are no laws in place.”

Mohammed said the community was willing to “finance the stay of those who came,” because once a person has refugee status they cannot work.

Asked whether their interest was mainly for Syrians, he said that was their focus initially because “they were at the worse end.”

He said there are “Muslim families who are interested in adopting children where there are disasters not just from Syria, but we want to assist with refugees and orphan children.”

Mohammed said it was “disappointing and disheartening to know the Government does not seem to be interested in passing laws to be able to help the refugees get relief.”

As to a lobby to government to implement the law signed in 1951 on refugees, he said, that would require a “combined effort.”

The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago acceded to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol in 2000. It is also a signatory to the United Nations (UN) Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and supplementing conventions, and the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.

Two political analysts agreed that the call by Joint Trade Union (JTUM) leader Ancel Roget for a day of rest and reflection on September 7 will be used as a gauge by the working class to determine Government’s performance since assuming office in 2015.

This was the view of Maukesh Basdeo and Prof John La Guerre, after Roget gave the Government a failing grade on its handling of crime, the economy, health and education and said they will send a message on September 7 to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley that they will not be accepting workers being sent home and any disrespect to the labour movement.

But both men opted not to comment on Roget’s appraisal of the Government’s performance saying this was his assessment. Roget gave the appraisal during Labour Day activities at Fyzabad.

Basdeo said declaring such a day would be a marker to test the workforce on the trade union’s position.

“That would determine the impact of Roget’s statements…whether or not they would be able to sway workers to take a day off from work,” Basdeo said.

If the workers heed Roget’s call, Basdeo said this would represent a large chunk of T&T’s workforce from the public and private sectors.

“This would clearly say that the workers are in agreement with the assessment by Roget on Labour Day and are disenchanted. September 7 would be used as a gauge or benchmark of the Government’s performance in the last 36 months.”

Basdeo said it was left to be seen if other unions will rally behind JTUM in this move since Public Services Association president Watson Duke held his Labour Day celebrations in Tobago. La Guerre expressed similar sentiments, saying if the working class heeds Roget’s call it would send a message that citizens are generally dissatisfied with the Government’s overall performance.

“We will just have to wait and see how much influence Roget has.”

However, La Guerre said he did not agree with Roget’s drastic move, saying there are other mechanisms he could have used to resolve matters affecting workers and the trade union movement.

“By wanting to take this course of action it suggests that there is some failure to communicate on issues.”

He said while there was a declining economy, the unions’ demands were increasing for better salaries for workers.

“Industrial action is not the only way to solve problems. Roget could have called for a meeting with the Prime Minister or Labour Minister to find out what could be done in the circumstances. But to threaten action without discussion is premature. I don’t think it was a wise move.”

La Guerre said the Government, unions and employers should work together to come up with a solution to finding additional sources of revenue, restructuring the economy and retaining jobs.

“If the Government doesn’t have the revenue they cannot pay and meet these demands by the unions.”

He said while unions have been demanding more for workers, T&T’s international productivity index was not high and this needs to be examined.

“It’s something we cannot ignore. Our productivity has to improve,” La Guerre said.

The Employers’ Consultative Association of T&T did not respond to questions sent via email about Roget’s call. But in a press release on Monday, it said over the last three years the country had witnessed a rapid growth in the introduction of automation, robotics and digitisation which have been changing how work gets done and impacted on society.

“Quite naturally, this period of disruption is proving to be a source of tremendous anxiety about potential job losses among employees as businesses explore alternative ways to optimise the use of human capital,” the ECA said.

The ECA said now was not the time for business, the Government or labour to continue passing the blame, saying tripartite partners should focus on collaboration and outcomes for the benefit of the nation.

A Moruga man who breached a protection order by making death threats to his mother has been jailed for three months.

Dave Katwaroo who was arrested at his mother’s home pleaded guilty to the charge in the Princes Town Magistrates Court.

Prosecutor Sgt Harold Ishmael said Katwaroo’s mother, age 69, was granted the protection order against her son last April for a period of three years.

But, around 5.45 pm on Saturday, Katwaroo went to his mother’s home at Indian Walk and began behaving in a disorderly manner, threatened to kill her and burn down her house. Princes Town police responded and spoke to the offender who replied, “Officer, I done know about that I was in court.” He was arrested and charged by PC Cooper.

Senior Magistrate Michelle Maharaj-Brown ordered that he serve his time doing hard labour.

The Presbyterian Primary Schools’ Board of Education (PPSBE) says Princes Town No1 Presbyterian School will be built on the site of the demolished school at Edward Street, Princes Town.

This follows complaints by parents that they heard the land at Edward Street was being sold because the land is valuable and the site is no longer fit for a school.

Pupils attending Princes Town No 1 were relocated to Princes Town No 2 Presbyterian School at Kenneth Street three years ago because their school building was deemed unfit for occupancy.

Last year, the school building at Edward Street was demolished with a promise to rebuild the school.

In a press release yesterday, the school board said it, “fully supports the efforts of the parents to have the Princes Town No 1 Presbyterian School rebuilt and understands their frustration and concerns.

However, the PPSBE does not endorse students being part of the protests or that keeping students away from school will aid the cause of having the school rebuilt. Teaching time must be maximised in the present circumstances while parents exercise their rights to protest to demonstrate their concerns.

“Further, the Presbyterian Primary Schools’ Board of Education categorically denies statements that the lands on which the school is to be rebuilt is no longer available and earmarked for a business venture or to be sold. These statements have no basis in fact as neither the PPSBE or The Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago (PCTT) has made such a decision.

“The school is to be rebuilt on its former site and the PPSBE awaits a decision from the Ministry of Education on this project. The PPSBE continues to work with all stakeholders including the Ministry of Education to end the Shift System and provide a positive holistic learning environment for students and teachers.”

Parents from both schools held on joint protest on Wednesday and threatened to take drastic action next week and keep their children away from school in the new school term if the ministry fails to respond to their concerns.

The PPSBE also called on the ministry to recommence direct funding to their schools which has not been provided since March 2017.

Stating that the money was necessary to buy stationery, cleaning materials, toilet paper etc, the PPSBE said, “This sad state of affairs cannot continue and the Ministry of Education must discharge its responsibilities in this area. Too much teaching time is being lost in fund raising ventures to meet the shortfall from the Ministry of Education.”

They also called on the ministry to enter into discussions with the Board on its plans for completing the Siparia Union, Curepe, Woodbrook and Piparo Presbyterian Schools on which construction work stopped almost three years ago.

Prominent Chaguanas attorney Maria Ramcharitar was inconsolable yesterday, after finding the body of her secretary on the floor of a room in her office.

Police said Nicole Hosein-Debideen’s throat was slit and it seemed she was left there to bleed to death.

Ramcharitar’s office is located in a building adjacent to the Price Club Supermarket at Ramsaran Street, Chaguanas.

Ramsaran Street is known to be very busy and shock waves went through all, including fellow attorneys, when they heard the news.

According to a police report, at about 10.15 am Ramcharitar had just opened her office and went into the bathroom area when she discovered Hosein-Debideen’s body in a pool of blood. A party of officers led by Central Division acting ASP Wayne Mystar and Homicide officers from Region 3 arrived on the scene.

Hosein-Debideen, 44, was pronounced dead by the District Medical Officer and her body was removed to the Forensic Science Centre at 1 pm.

After making the gruesome discovery yesterday, Ramcharitar was put to sit on a chair just in front the building. She was inconsolable and was seen crying and screaming at times as close friends and family, including the victim’s 67-year-old mother, Shirley, tried to comfort her. Hosein-Debideen lived at Sanford Street East, California Village, Couva. She was a widow and had no children. Her husband, Marlon  Debideen, died about two years ago.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian, Shirley said she last saw her daughter at about 6.30 am when she left to go to church.

“Every morning she would leave that early to go to church before going to work. I called her on the phone and she was already in office and I asked her if she ate breakfast yet and she told me no but added that she was going to eat just now. That must have been close to 8 am,” Mrs Hosein said.

“This real shocking to me. My daughter lived with me and I heard of no threats and no enemies. I just trying to stay strong because we don’t know why this happened to her.”

Felicity/Endeavour councillor Debideen Manick said he was stunned just like the community.

“Mary has her office here over ten years and I knew Nicole several years now. She was such a nice person, always had a smile on her face and was such a dedicated and efficient employee.”

A close friend of the family told the T&T Guardian that Hosein-Debideen was the church-going type.

“She went to church, work and home…every day. We are really shocked, sad and disappointed that such a fate befell her.”

Mystar said the police was yet to determine a motive but added that they are “working on a few leads.” He said they were expected to view footage caught on surveillance cameras around to get a better idea of what may have transpired prior to her killing.

Hosein-Debideen was the 25th woman to be killed for the year so far and the 270th murder victim.

Investigations are continuing.

A businessman was killed and his wife is now fighting for her life after her throat was slit at the business at Four Roads, Tamana, on Thursday night.

Police said John “JJ” Samaroo, 50, owner of JJ Mini Mart, died on the spot after he was attacked by two masked men who stabbed him several times about the body and slit his throat. His wife Susan, 50, was then chopped on her shoulder, legs, arms and her throat also slit. She remained in the Intensive Care Unit at Sangre Grande Hospital last night.

Villagers said they believe the assailants went to kill Samaroo not rob him due to jealousy over the success of his business.

Villagers told the T&T Guardian that around 9 pm on Thursday Samaroo, a father of three, went to empty garbage at the front of his business when two masked men came from behind the walls of a church opposite and attacked him. He fought with his assailants, screaming for help but was overpowered as the men stabbed him about his body. After, he fell to the ground, one of the assailants took the cutlass and began slitting his throat until his screams stopped.

The men then went inside the mini mart and attacked his wife Susan. She too put up a fight but was chopped about her body and her throat slit.

The men then ran into a white Almera and escaped in the direction of Sangre Grande.

Villagers and neighbours who were liming at a nearby house when the T&T Guardian visited yesterday, said they heard the screams for help but were afraid to intervene as the men were masked and believed to be armed. However, they rushed to the Samaroos’ assistance when they saw the attackers enter the car and leave.

They found Samaroo in a pool of blood in front his business already dead.

Two women who gave their names only as Abbi and Cindy said they went inside the mini mart and called out to Susan, before they found her on the ground bleeding from her injuries. They said they immediately tied her neck to prevent the bleeding, lifted her up and placed her on the tray of a pick-up vehicle where she was taken to the hospital. The pick-up met the ambulance on its way to the crime scene in Cunaripo and she was transferred. She later underwent emergency surgery.

Villagers at the scene described Samaroo as a good man who was live wire of the village and always assisted the poor and gave back to the community.

Geoff Adams, who has been living in Four Roads for 49 years, told T&T Guardian it was only on Tuesday he was speaking with Samaroo about the crime situation in the country and told him nothing will ever happen to him as he is a good man.

“I feel that’s the end of community togetherness for us,” Adams said. “I living so long in this village and it is the first time in his 49 years that this unaccepted type of crime has happened...it has reached us and nobody seems to care about the poor. I don’t know what this government is doing to stop the killing, it just keep increasing and having people living in fear.”

Relatives said they were planning a birthday party for Susan’s sister today but will now be changed to preparing for a wake and burial.

RALPH BANWARIE

When residents of Bayshore Avenue, Marabella, heard gunshots on Thursday evening all they could do was grab their children, lie on the floor and hope for the best.

With the area surrounding their home completely dark, they later used phones to light their path to find the body of neighbour Akeil Clarke.

Police said Clarke, 27, was a career criminal, having spent more than six years in prison for firearm-related offences.

Clarke’s criminal record included 34 charges for firearm-related offences, issuing death threats and drug possession in the San Fernando and Rio Claro districts dating back to 2006. Investigators said he was also suspected of murdering scrap iron dealer Son de Gale at his San Fernando home last month.

Police said they responded to a report of a shooting in the old train line community around 6 pm and found Clarke dead under a mango tree with five gunshot wounds to his back and two in his head.

They said Clarke was originally from Broadway, San Fernando, but had been staying at a friend’s home along Theresa Street for the past three months. While a motive was yet to be determined for his murder, residents said he was known to peddle drugs at King’s Wharf. Investigators said that on Thursday he had a matter at the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court, in which he was accused of shooting at a relative, dismissed.

In an unrelated incident, aspiring footballer Cristov Lakatoo was gunned down in Laventille on Thursday night.

Relatives had earlier seen an image of Lakatoo’s lifeless body at the side of the road at Sandy Trace, St Barb’s, Laventille, on social media shortly after it was discovered yesterday morning.

According to a police report, at about 4.30 am a passer-by found the body, which bore several gunshot wounds.

A relative, who wished not to be identified, told the T&T Guardian, Lakatoo may have gone to the area to purchase a car. The relative said Lakatoo was not involved in any gang or drug-related activities and believes he may have been lured to the area where he was robbed and killed.

Investigations are continuing.