A prison officer was killed yesterday morning when his car crashed into a electricity post and spilt into two on the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway in the Freeport area.

Ryan Alexander, 29, who enlisted in the service about two years ago and was attached to the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre at Santa Rosa Heights, Arima, died on impact.

According to a police report, around 4.15 pm he was heading south along the highway in his silver Toyota Corolla when he lost control of the car which slammed into the pole near Courts.

The car spit into two as it wrapped around the lamppost. Head of the Prison Officers’ Association Ceron Richards offered condolences to Alexander’s family.

He said, “We in the Prison Association are saddened by this dreadful occurrence. It is something we weren’t expecting and we hope that his family and friends will be able to find some way to cope in this very difficult situation.”

Richards could not say whether at the time of the accident Alexander was returning home after work. When the T&T Guardian visited his home at Main Road, Gran Couva, family and friends were gathered.

However, Alexander’s father was too distraught over his son’s death to speak with the media. Freeport police are investigating.

Shocked passengers on board American Airlines (AA) flight 2703 destined for Trinidad watched on in horror on Friday as medical and cabin crew members tried to save the life of an 85-year-old woman.

The passenger, Nell Cuffie, also known as Helen, despite receiving treatment during the dramatic mid-air medical emergency, died.

The incident occurred after Cuffie went to use the toilet about one hour and 20 minutes before the flight arrived at Piarco International Airport.

The flight departed Miami International Airport at 10.41 am and was scheduled to land at 2.34 pm.

After an extended period in the toilet, the flight attendants opened the door and found Cuffie slumped over the toilet.

Cuffie was travelling with her younger brother Phipps Wilton and his wife Junette.

A passenger on the flight told the T&T Guardian that when Cuffie was found unresponsive, the flight attendants called on passengers with medical training to assist.

Several people came forward including CEO of the Global Medical Response of T&T Anderson Paul, as well as Sherar Andalcio, Kerdijra Ramoutar and Malisha Kirchren to provide medical care.

“The flight attendants gave her oxygen and used the automated external defibrillator (AED) machine to shock her while CPR was administered, but the woman did not budge,” the passenger recalled.

“That’s when we started to get scared and uneasy. We were all looking on in horror.”

The Boeing 737 plane was filled with passengers many of whom were locals returning home.

The pilot then made an announcement that he would have to divert the flight to St Kitts in order for Cuffie to obtain urgent medical attention.

Passengers were also advised not to use the rear toilet where Cuffie was being attended to.

“The flight attendant wrote out numbers on the beverage tissues which they handed out to passenger as a numbering system to use the toilet in front of the plane,” the passenger said.

The attendants began calling the numbers in an ascending order over the PA system.

“I got number 28. There were close to 200 passengers on the plane. They never reached my number because all attention was on this woman for over an hour.”

While the medical team battled with the patient, the passengers were left in wonderment because they did not know what was going on.

“No one said anything. Then we heard the woman had died and the pilot decided to fly the plane straight to Piarco instead of diverting to St Kitts, as he thanked all passengers for their understanding, cooperation and patience,” the passenger said.

When the plane touched down at 2.40 pm, passengers were not allowed to disembark the aircraft, as the District Medical Officer had to come on board and examine the decease.

“We had to remain seated in the plane for an hour until everything was sorted out,” the passenger said.

“After passengers left the plane, flight attendants expressed their grief and one crew member was crying,” a cabin crew member told the T&T Guardian.

Wilton, in a telephone interview yesterday, said everything was done on the aircraft to save his sister who he loved dearly.

“The doctors and cabin crew did everything humanly possible to resuscitate her, but they could not have saved her. They spent 90 minutes battling with Nell but God had a different plan. She was taken from us.”

After Cuffie’s husband died last year, Wilton said, “My sister was happy to come back home and live with me in Diego Martin. She migrated to the US where she worked in Florida for many years before retiring.”
Cuffie had no children.

Anderson extended condolences to Cuffie’s family yesterday.

An autopsy will be performed on Cuffie today at the Forensic Science Centre to determine the cause of death.

Days after he was beaten with a sledgehammer and chopped, a Couva fruit vendor is pleading with police to arrest his three attackers.

Jamal Young, who believes he is lucky to be alive after being hit more than 20 times with a sledgehammer, was discharged from the San Fernando General Hospital yesterday.

Young, 35, who operates a fruit stall at Southern Main Road, Couva, near Lisa’s Boulevard and his wife Nariba St Rose complained that the police were dragging their feet on the matter.

St Rose said after the attack, on Friday and Saturday she went to the police station to report the incident but on each occasion the police refused to take a report.

“I was told that I cannot make a report, my husband has to make the report,” she said.

After being discharged, Young went to the station where he made a report. Grimacing in pain at his fruit shed yesterday, Young said the attack stemmed from a land dispute.

He said he has been operating the shed for over 13 years and he had made numerous reports to the police about the man and his sons threatening him and his wife.

However, he said, only on one occasion the police arrested the man. He said the man claimed he owns the land on which his shed is situated but Young said the land belonged to the State.

He said the man brought him up in court for allegedly blocking the track and the matter came up in the Couva Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday.

Young claimed he (Young) asked the magistrate to grant him a restraining order against the man. Instead, he said, the magistrate warned the man to keep the peace.

Recalling the incident, which was captured on a surveillance camera, Young said around 5.30 pm he was roasting fish to sell when he heard a banging sound.

Upon investigating, Young said, he saw the man hitting a beam on his building with a sledgehammer and his two sons armed with a cutlass and shovel.

He claimed that the man told him he came to break down the shed and kill him. Young said he threw two beer bottles in an attempt to scare them.

“They rush into me, all three of them at the same time and they knock me down. The father keep on hitting me with this sledgehammer like he serious.” He said the whole village came out, but no one intervened because they were too scared. Eventually he blacked out and the men ran off.

He sustained no broken bones, but received deep cuts and bruises about his body. He said the men mashed up his radio and stole $2,700 from him.

Young said the police told him that they had to follow a process before they can arrest the men.

He added: “I want justice swift as possible because I feeling that this man could come back and do this tonight, so long as he know I am here. He and his two sons will come back and harass us again.”

Claiming that the man also tried to burn down his building, Young said he usually spends the night at the stall for fear that the man will destroy it.

Young said he will continue selling at the stall because that is their only means of income. A senior officer said a report was not taken from the wife because she was abusive to the officers but the wife said she only became hysterical when the police refused to take the report.

Investigations are continuing.

UNC MP for Pointe-a-Pierre Dr David Lee is calling on Finance Minister Colm Imbert to investigate what he claims to be “rampant corruption” at the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB).

He said the country witnessed another “fiasco” with the NLCB and its directors when they initiated the 10 per cent tax on July 30 without having the proper approval from the proclamation.

“The bigger issue for us as the Opposition and the tax payers and citizens of T&T is who dropped the ball in having this tax being charged from July 30? The NLCB would have gone out earlier before the tax implementation of July 30 with an advertising PR about when the tax is being initiated. What is more of a fiasco than the incompetence of this Rowley led-administration and the Board of Directors. This implementation of the 10 per cent tax came about in the Budget of last year.”

Lee spoke at a media conference yesterday hosted by the UNC at the Leader of the Opposition Office, Charles Street, Port-of-Spain.

The NLCB began taxing winners from July 30, including last Wednesday’s $19 million Lotto Plus jackpot winner.

In a release on Friday, the NLCB said players affected will be refunded their tax deductions. The NLCB blamed the mix-up on the technology used to automatically deduct the taxes coming on stream before the legislation had been proclaimed.

Lee claimed that the tax is being implemented “illegally.”

“Because they did not have the proper proclamation to charge the citizenry the taxes on the winnings of whatever games they played whether it is Play Whe, Lotto, Pick 5 and the range of games that they have.

As the opposition we feel that the end of year is approaching very fast and the Government is trying to implement certain things that they said in the budget without doing the proper checks and balances. The proclamation was supposed to have been initiated from the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs.”

He added that the NLCB did not come up with a July 30 date “out of thin air.”

“They would have had this discussion going on for a while. If you read the letter on August 2 by Michael Jogee where he was talking about giving back the taxes to the citizenry and in short he is saying that the technology that was put in place by the NLCB to create the taxes came on stream faster than the proclamation. Once again they are taking us for fools.”

He urged the line Minister for the NLCB, Colm Imbert, to “come clean” with the population.

“Maybe do an investigation in the NLCB and the management and incompetence of what is happening. We have seen the line Minister being embarrassed over the last 12 months especially from the NLCB.”

Lee raised the question of those who are being taxed, how are they going to be refunded.

“When you play the Play Whe you do not give your name when you win, you present your winning ticket and you disappear. We are in a quandary how are they going to be refunded this ten per cent tax. Is it going to be an avalanche of unscrupulous individuals who say that they have won and claiming the ten per cent tax. There are a lot of questions to be answered.”

He said the NLCB is an important State run organisation where billions of dollars are generated annually for the State.

“Outside of the energy sector the next big revenue earner is as a State company is the NLCB and we have a board of directors who are incompetent.”

He also said that there was a summer camp targeted to be held by the NLCB for the children of NLCB staff and asked how will this benefit the citizens of T&T.

Lee added that the Opposition is concerned over NLCB’s procurement practices and also called on Imbert to investigate an issue of a manpower audit as the procurement is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“It is the worse experience of my life to see your child dying in your hand,” sobbed Roopchand Moonisar as he recalled how gunmen shot up their car, killing his daughter and injuring him.

Moonisar, who was discharged from the hospital on Saturday, had no idea why they were attacked, but police believe it was a hit on his daughter Mariana Moonisar, 29, an administrative clerk in Parliament.

The killers failed at their first attempt to kill her on Friday morning when she was heading to work in her car, but came back in the evening when she was returning home.

Moonisar said he usually dropped her to Couva on mornings to take the bus to work and after work he would pick her up in Chaguanas.

According to a police report, around 5.15 pm two men emerged from the bushes near the Esperanza Junction, Couva and opened fire on the car.

Moonisar was shot in the head while her father was shot in the neck. Police recovered about eight spent shells. Recalling on ordeal at his Esperanza Village home, Moonisar, 56, employed at the Couva/Talparo/Regional Corporation, said after they left home around 5 am they heard about three gunshots, but he thought someone was shooting at a dog which ran in front of their car.

He said after he picked her up they stopped at KFC Point Lisas branch before heading home. He said, “Just as we reach the junction by Esperanza I saw two persons stand up by a pole. I never saw them in my life. The car slowed down and we were going to approach them. All I hear was gunshots. When I watch my daughter was shot in her head. She fell back on the seat. I didn’t even know I got shot. At that time I tried to save my daughter. I was thinking I could still save her. When she got shot the car was slowing down and the shots were still firing. I took my hand and went down to the accelerator and I mashed the accelerator and hold the steering. After we reached a certain point, I slammed the gear lever down and looked for the brakes and I mashed it and the car stop.”

He said he stood on the road bawling for help, but people were passing straight.” Eventually, he said, a man he knows stopped and helped them.

He said, “Dad” was the last word uttered by his daughter.

The villager took them to the hospital in his AD wagon. “I opened the door and took her in my hand and I lifted her and took her to his car trunk in the AD wagon. I lie down inside with her on my hand. She was bleeding terrible. I watched her and I begged her, ‘Don’t die on daddy hand at all.’ He said they were transferred from Couva Hospital to the San Fernando General Hospital where his daughter died around 8.40 pm.

He underwent surgery to remove a bullet from his neck. He said his daughter never went to parties, drank alcohol or smoked cigarettes.

The father said she had boyfriend in her life, a police officer, but they broke up last year. Moonisar said about two and a half months ago his daughter went to the police station because her ex-boyfriend had called her and said he had something to drop for her. Moonisar said he shared a very close bond with his daughter and she would have confided in him if she had been threatened or harassed.

Operations at the 14 municipal corporations were severely impacted because of the absence of an accounting officer at the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government for over two weeks to sign off on financial transactions and other important correspondence.

Chairman of the Siparia Regional Corporation Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh made the claim at a press conference and called on the head of the Public Service to appoint someone to act.

The accounting officer is also the permanent secretary at the Ministry.

Ramadharsingh said the situation has resulted in several projects valued at more than $4.5 million being stalled.

A senior official at the ministry, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed Ramadharsingh’s claims.

He said there were two permanent secretaries and two deputy permanent secretaries assigned to the ministry but a permanent secretary and a deputy permanent secretary recently retired.

He said the other permanent secretary went on vacation—a month-and-a-half ago—and the deputy permanent secretary had been acting as the accounting officer.

However, he said the deputy permanent secretary fell ill just over two weeks ago and proceeded on sick leave, leaving the position vacant.

The official said Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein has been informed by the head of the Public Service Commission that someone has been appointed to take up the position until the permanent secretary returns from vacation.

Several of T&T’s and the Caribbean’s top soca artistes, including Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, Fay Ann Lyons-Alvarez, Nishard M and Rupee, who were all carded to perform at one of Toronto Caribana 2018’s largest and most anticipated fete, Carnival Kingdom, were left disappointed after the mayor’s office “pulled the plug” on the event.

The decision came 20 minutes before the gates for the event were to be opened at 9 pm on Saturday, leaving thousands of party-goers angry, hurt and disappointed.

The directive came from the mayor’s office in the City of Vaughn. The event was booked for the Improve Canada Outdoor Entertainment Complex’s Parking Lot at 7250 Keele Street, Vaughn. Tickets started at CDN$65 and reached as high as CDN$180 the day before after it sold out and fans went to the black market to get them.

However, a police officer from the York Regional Police told the T&T Guardian that Saturday’s fete was cancelled because four out of five major conditions stipulated on the permit signed between the promoter and the city were breached on Friday night at another fete, Rejouvertnate, which the promoter staged at the same venue.

“The city gave them five conditions, four of which were broken so they had the permit revoked…The permit was for 2,500 (people) when about 12,000 showed up…they served alcohol past 2 am and also, they didn’t turn it off until one and a half hours after when they were supposed to turn it off,” the police officer said.

The officer explained that promoters for parties usually pay for permits according to the size of the event.

Asked how the patrons reacted when they reached the venue and were told of the cancellation, the officer replied: “They were totally upset. A lot of people spent money on hotels just to come to this event…When I came here the music was going, the lights were on…soundcheck was already done.”

Speaking with the T&T Guardian outside the venue, a group of women said they flew in from Connecticut, USA, just for the party.

“This is upsetting…what are we going to do?” they asked.

Efforts to reach the promoter for comment were unsuccessful. However, Toronto-based DJ and promoter Wade Soobrattie posted on his Facebook wall, @sosfestto, at 11.56 pm on Saturday that permits were pulled by the city just two hours before the doors opened.

“On behalf of carnival kingdom - We will be issuing refunds in 72 hours. On behalf of the entire event staff and organisers, we wish to give some explanation on tonight’s cancellation. The event had all of its permits in place and planning was priority throughout the process of presenting such an event. These permits were pulled by the city just two hours before doors opening. For reasons we don’t know at this times fully. Every event executed has been complete with smooth process and professionalism. We will be giving updates on how and when people will be refunded. We ask all to be patient and trust in our integrity and history,” the post read.

Efforts to reach some of the T&T soca artistes carded to perform for their comments yesterday were also unsuccessful as calls either went unanswered or straight to their voicemails.

However soca artiste Machel Montano said in an Instagram post: “I’m truly saddened that I was unable to perform for the fans – I never miss a show and this one was not in my, or my team’s, control. The show had sold out days in advance, a testament to the strength of the Soca and Caribbean community in Toronto.”

The country does not need a Rambo as a Commissioner of Police (COP) says Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) leader David Abdulah who warned COP designate Gary Griffith of impending failure if he does not change his approach.

“This long time badjohn approach is not going to solve crime and is simply going to exasperate the lack of trust and confidence between communities and the TTPS which will weaken the police’s capacity to deal with crime,” warned Abdulah.

Speaking at a press conference at MSJ’s San Fernando’s headquarters yesterday, he alluded to statements by Griffith about crushing criminals like cockroaches and that criminals should fear Gary.

“These statements are quite apart from being unnecessary, inappropriate and perhaps indicate a state of his thinking which will not bode well for his tenure as Commissioner of Police.”

He said Griffith must understand that it is not a political position and he cannot “run his mouth” how he wants too.

He added, “This is not about Gary Griffith the individual, this is not about having Rambo as Commissioner of Police, this is about having someone who can work with the police officers provide serious leadership and management of the TTPS, including matters of discipline.”

However, he said as Commissioner, Griffith will have to first seek to get the confidence of the officers and the people. “He needs to be far more humble and recognise that it is only a person who listens and work with people that is a good leader. Persons who come in like in a bull in a China shop thinking they have all the answers and can do everything to deal with crime are bound to fail.”

He recalled that under Griffith’s tenure as National Security Minister in 2014, MSJ had linked the frequent police killings to statements by Griffith “almost giving them (police) a license to kill” and that had created a tremendous amount of discontent in many communities and impacted negatively on the trust between communities and the TTPS

A High Court judge yesterday encouraged citizens to change their attitudes and commit to service of God, country and family. Justice Frank Seepersad made the call yesterday at the opening of the play park built by Rapid Fire Kids Foundation and Fun Splash Water Park at Palmiste Park, San Fernando.

Congratulating the organisations, Seepersad was hopeful that the park would be much more than a recreational facility but serve as a place of hope and renewal.

Recalling that the first Prime Minister Eric Williams had encouraged unity and articulated that the future of the young nation rested in children’s school bags, he said, “The dream of a ‘Mother Trinbago’ has not been fully realised and our educational system has failed to inculcate a sense and spirit of nationalism. We have no sense of national identity. Insular concerns dominate our focus and this quest for individual prosperity has stymied the development of a national consciousness.”

He urged, “Let us therefore commit our lives in service of our God, country and families and may our changed attitudes, foster national unity as we inculcate in our children an acute sense of national pride, harness the boundless faith in our destiny and stand side by side, as one people, proud and productive Trinbagonians,” he said.

“I’m always up for challenges.”

That’s the position of an unperturbed former national security minister Edmund Dillon who moves into his new job at the Housing Ministry today.

Dillon and others affected by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s latest set of Cabinet changes commented yesterday on the development.

The Prime Minister’s Office Facebook page posted the Cabinet changes around midnight. A media statement was issued at 12.22 am yesterday. Changes have been made each year since the People’s National Movement (PNM) assumed office, particularly after La Horquetta/Talparo MP Maxie Cuffie’s stroke last year, and regularly this year.

The main change in the latest reshuffle shifted Dillon from the embattled National Security portfolio to Housing. Dillon was replaced in National Security by Communication Minister Stuart Young.

Dillon, who held National Security since Government assumed office in 2015, was informed of the shift on Sunday. Yesterday, he didn’t respond to questions on whether his performance in Security—and criticism of that—caused the shift.

Instead, Dillon said, “I’m always up for challenges. In my entire career, I’ve embraced challenges and risen to changes. In whatever post I’m placed I’ll do my utmost best.

“I thank the Prime Minister for allowing me to serve as National Security Minister and look forward to continuing service in Housing, a frontline ministry for decades, and assisting citizens’ needs.”

Cuffie, the former Minister in Public Administration who recently returned from medical attention in the US, was also shifted further “down” to Parliamentary Secretary in that ministry. A PS carries a lower salary than a minister or a minister in a ministry, Government officials said.

Contacted on his switch yesterday, Cuffie said, “I’m fine with the appointment and thank the Prime Minister for his continued faith in me. I return to work September 3.”

Dillon/Gary can’t work? —Moonilal

Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal yesterday questioned the midnight reshuffle of the Cabinet.

“Nothing prepared T&T for this. Is it a reaction to Gary Griffith’s appointment as Police Commissioner—did Dillon say he can’t work with him? Or was it caused by the Opposition’s recent no-confidence motion in Dillon, up for debate again in September?” Moonilal asked in a telephone interview.

“Dillon hasn’t answered satisfactorily on his New York housing matter, now that he is appointed Housing Minister—the fifth in less than three years. At this rate, Government’s as stable as Jello. Kamla Persad-Bissessar did calculate reshuffles annually. Rowley reshuffling every three months.”

He added: “T&T’s in for a shaky ride with a new Police Commissioner and National Security Minister lacking practical law enforcement/policing experience. What wrong has Glenda Jennings-Smith done, that, after being in Security for three years, she couldn’t be elevated to Cabinet?

“Also, why did the PM inform the President that Marlene McDonald’s resumed duties? Did they cut her salary? The President isn’t a doctor, she only handles appointing or removing.”

UNC MP Rodney Charles pointed out that Young was appointed “like a thief in the night” and questioned whether he had the experience to handle such an important portfolio.

“On what basis has the Prime Minister appointed a relatively inexperienced ‘OJT’ (On the Job Trainee) to provide strategic policy guidance, leadership and management expertise to National Security Ministry’s 20,000 public servants?

“Young lacks known experience in Security and managing multi-faceted bureaucracy. Where will he find time to address three portfolios? Are his Communications and Security portfolios essentially one ministry about old talk? His only qualifications are that he’s a talker in Parliament, a ‘smooth talker.’ For that, he may be suited to Communications to hoodwink the population into believing crime’s down.”

Stuart bad choice—Jack

Former national security minister Jack Warner also felt the PM’s replacement for Dillon did not make sense given the current crime woes.

“If Dillon was bad as minister, the solution the Prime Minister resorted to is worse. Young’s wet behind the ears—no experience in anything. He’s being made minister of everything for reasons best known to the PM.

“National Security requires full attention, yet he’s holding two other portfolios. Dillon and Police Commissioner Gary Griffith both served in the army, so synergies could have developed between them. After national hopes were built up with Gary’s appointment, the PM dashed them this week with Young’s appointment.”

PM wanted change—Dumas

Former public service head Reginald Dumas believes a previous issue between fired National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and incoming Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith may have led Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to remove Dillon from the post.

“It’s possible there’s some difficulty stemming from Dillon and Griffith’s prior work in the army together; it may be Dillon feels he can’t work with him. Since Griffith became Commissioner-designate there’s been criticisms of the way law enforcement was done.

“Whether or not there’s personal difficulty between them, the Prime Minister might have felt the anti-crime fight was going the wrong way under Dillon and it was best to make changes,” Dumas told the T&T Guardian.

On another issue, Dumas said he was also offended by Griffith’s recent reuse of the term “cockroaches” to describe criminals, “especially when one considers the implications of the term.”

“Young, like Griffith, has no direct operational law enforcement experience. I heard Maxie Cuffie speak on television, obviously, he can’t function in his previous capacity so he’ll have light duties now,” Dumas said of the changes.

LATEST MINISTERIAL CHANGES

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Sunday advised President Paula-Mae Weekes to:

• Revoke the Housing and Urban Development appointment which Rowley held since June when he shifted Randall Mitchell to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

Rowley appointed Dillon as Housing and Urban Development Minister—the fifth Housing Minister, starting with Marlene McDonald in 2015, Randall Mitchell (2016-June), Rowley and ex-minister in Housing, Darryl Smith (for one day).

• Replace Edmund Dillon in National Security with Stuart Young, who received his first full-fledged ministerial appointment as Communication Minister in June.

To handle Security, Communication and duties as minister in the PM’s office, Young’s been relieved of the portfolio he started with in 2015—Minister in the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Ministry. Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi is now solo there. Young has assistance from Ministers in National Security Glenda-Jennings-Smith and Foreign Affairs’ Dennis Moses, whose input remains.

• Revoke the appointment of Maxie Cuffie as Minister in the Ministry of Public Administration and appoint him as Parliamentary Secretary there.

Cuffie started in 2015 as Public Administration/Communication Minister. Rowley took over temporarily after Cuffie had a stroke last September. With Cuffie in the US receiving rehabilitation since last November, Marlene McDonald was made a Minister in Public Administration/Communication in March under Rowley. The latter relinquished the portfolio, appointing McDonald, Minister of the Ministry—replacing Cuffie—in April.

In June, the ministry was split between McDonald (Public Administration) and Young (Communication). The Government Gazette later stated Cuffie was made Minister in the Ministry. After his recent return from the US and rehabilitation after neurosurgery, Cuffie’s now Parliamentary Secretary, a non-Cabinet portfolio with a lesser salary.

• Marlene McDonald returned to work as Public Administration Minister.

Unable to cope with having to end a love affair with his boss’ wife, a man set fire to the employer’s car during an argument.

As a consequence, the 47-year-old worker of Chaguanas, not only lost his job, but he also has to pay $3,000 in compensation and a $2,500 fine.

The Chaguanas man, who worked at a scrap yard had an affair with the boss’ wife for two years. The boss found out about the affair and last Wednesday confronted the worker.

During an argument, the worker threw gasoline on the seat of his employer’s van and set it on fire. The worker was subsequently arrested and charged with malicious damage of the van seat and upholstery valued at $3,000.

He pleaded guilty before Chaguanas First Court Magistrate Christine Charles. The man’s attorney, Shiva Boodoo, said his client was still “toting feelings” for the woman.

He said his client was willing to pay compensation. The worker was given until the end of the month to pay the fine or serve nine months in jail.

Members of the protective services are keeping an open mind over Stuart Young’s appointment as National Security Minister.

Speaking with Guardian Media hours after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced the Cabinet reshuffle yesterday, Police Social and Welfare Association and Prison Officers Association officials expressed optimism over the move.

In a telephone interview on CNC3’s Morning Brew programme, Police Social and Welfare Association president Inspector Michael Seales said he felt that the decision was taken by Rowley to coincide with the Government’s nomination of former national security minister Gary Griffith to the post of Commissioner of Police.

“Of course, this is what you call a leadership strategy. You are building a new system of leadership, so there is a realignment and paradigm shift,” Seales said.

Seales also suggested that Young’s continuing role as Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister would assist him with his new portfolio.

“If he is also aligned to the Office of the PM that is a new synergy. He will be well poised of what is available to him and there would be a transfer of information, which would resound well for the ministry,” Seales said.

He said Young’s experience as an attorney would also assist police in beginning to enforce the reintroduced Anti-Gang Act, as he would be well versed in the training and technology required for it.

Prison Officers Association secretary Gerard Gordon also expressed similar sentiments.

“I am not perturbed or concerned by matters of continuity. In fact, people hear things differently and it gives us an opportunity for us to be heard and Mr Young would have the opportunity to treat with these matters as he sees fit, in a way that brings us some sort of satisfaction,” Gordon said.

However, he noted that there were some initiatives being negotiated by the association with Young’s predecessor Edmund Dillon, which they wished to be continued.

“We have some initiatives we were advancing and I would hope, as the professionals they claim to be, that a proper handing over process would have been adhered to,” Gordon said.

Stating that the association had dealt with a wide range of line ministers from various government regimes, Gordon said they would continue to advocate for their members.

Although he received his letter of appointment as Commissioner of Police (CoP) last Friday from the Police Service Commission (PSC), Gary Griffith is yet to pick up official duties as top cop.

In a press release issued yesterday, the PSC announced Griffith as the new CoP of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) who will be responsible for directing all strategic activities of the service to promote and achieve higher levels of safety and security for the nation.

The PSC said the appointment of Griffith was in keeping with its mandate to appoint a person/people to hold or act in the Office of Commissioner or deputy CoP.

Griffith received his letter of appointment from PSC’s chairman Bliss Seepersad.

It also noted that finalisation of the terms and conditions of Griffith’s contract resided with the National Security Ministry.

In response to a WhatsApp message yesterday, Griffith, who is out of the country, confirmed that he had not taken up office as CoP just yet.

“Sorry. I am still not in office even though the appointment has been given. Awaiting this by the Ministry of National Security. Until then, there is an acting CoP who sits in the chair so it would not be appropriate of me to discuss such matters.”

There was no response to questions forwarded to Griffith as to when he is expected to take up duties as CoP and hammer out his contractual agreement with the ministry.

In a telephone interview with the Guardian Media, Griffith said his thoughts were irrelevant when asked about Stuart Young’s appointment as National Security Minister.

“That is a Government policy and the role and function of the Commissioner of Police is to work with whoever is appointed as Minister of National Security and I will do so,” he said.

Stating that the TTPS falls under Young’s ministry, Griffith said he intends to operate as a professional, serve with pride and adhered to the policies directed by Young.

“As the Commissioner of Police my job is to look at the policies that will be provided by the minister and or the National Security Council to implement those policies,” he added.

The 62-year-old woman from D’Abadie, who was killed in an apparent home invasion over the weekend, was not raped.

Although homicide detectives initially believed that Monica Ruiz had been sexually assaulted before being killed, an autopsy performed at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, yesterday, disproved their theory.

The post-mortem did, however, confirm that she had been strangled as initially suspected by police.

Ruiz’s relatives refused to speak to media personnel at the centre as they expressed anger over speculative media reports, which they said tarnished her memory.

Ruiz was last seen alive by relatives at her home at Thomasos Terrace, Sherwood Park, Arima, last Friday. Her body was found the following day as relatives returned to bring lunch for Ruiz, who lived alone.

Her house had been ransacked, and several electronic items were reportedly stolen. Ruiz was found bound and gagged in the bedroom.

Investigators were expected to review neighbours’ CCTV cameras to see if the intruders who murdered Ruiz were captured on any footage.

No arrests were made up to late yesterday.

Detectives of the Region Two Homicide Bureau are continuing investigations.

A 31-year-old man from east Port-of-Spain was remanded in custody after appearing in court yesterday charged with stabbing a woman to death, last month.

Stanley Gittens, 31, of Main Street, Beetham Gardens, appeared before Chief Magistrate Maria Busby-Earle-Caddle in the Port-of-Spain Magistrate’s Court charged with murdering Tyesha De Souza on July 29.

According to reports, around 4 am on the day of the incident, Gittens and De Souza were driving along Charlotte Street in Port-of-Spain when they became embroiled in a heated argument near to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

De Souza, 21, of Trou Macaque, Laventille, got out of the vehicle and attempted to run away. Gittens allegedly chased after her and stabbed her several times.

He fled the scene and was eventually arrested by soldiers, who were on patrol in east Port-of-Spain.

Although the incident occurred within walking distance of the hospital, doctors were unable to save De Souza, who died on the operating table.

Gittens is expected to reappear in court on September 13.

A single mother who kept a man’s marijuana stash at her home in order to obtain extra money to buy school supplies for her three children has been jailed for 12 months.

Sunita Singh, 34, broke down in tears as she was being escorted from the San Fernando Magistrates Court.

Singh, who has a previous conviction for a similar offence, pleaded guilty to possession of 230 grammes of marijuana.

Prosecutor Cleyon Seedan said around 3 pm on Sunday, WPC Marshall, accompanied by other officers of the Gasparillo Police Station, executed a search warrant at Singh’s Gopaul Avenue, Gasparillo home.

Marshall found 13 foil packets of marijuana under a wooden kitchen cupboard and a quantity of marijuana wrapped in transparent wrapping. The officer also found 200 empty blue plastic packs and a box containing 1,000 white wrapping sheets.

The police claimed Singh told them that she had given the rest of marijuana to a man to sell last Friday, but Singh claimed she only told the police that she got the illegal drugs from the man.

In asking for leniency, Singh’s attorney Annalee Girwar said her client did janitorial and domestic work but her income could not cover the cost of school books and supplies for her children, who are aged 14, 11 and six years old.

With the school term opening fast approaching, Girwar said Singh felt a sense of hopelessness and decided to keep the drugs for the man in exchange for money. She said a church gave her a few hundred dollars but it barely scratched the surface.

Considering the quantum of drugs and the other items found, First Court Magistrate Alicia Chankar said it was clear that the drugs were packaged to sell. “Why would you leave that around your children?” asked the magistrate. Singh apologised and promised never again to find her self in such a situation again.

The magistrate asked her if she did not learn anything from the previous time she was charged. Singh said the last time she was charged for drugs which belonged to her male companion.

“We are very aware of how hard times are,” said Chankar, who empathised with her situation. However, the magistrate said, “I am not going to sit here and condone this.” She noted that Singh had a previous conviction and like the first time was again claiming that the drugs belonged to someone else. The magistrate ordered her to serve simple imprisonment. Singh’s relatives also left the courtroom in tears.

A man from Biche went on trial for chopping a neighbour at a wedding reception over a decade ago.

Steven “Powers” Samaroo, of Plum Mitan, Biche, became the first person to benefit from the Judiciary’s vacation court initiative when his trial started before Justice Gillian Lucky and a nine-member jury in the Port-of-Spain High Court last Friday.

Bisham Ramoutar testified that he was at the wedding reception in the community when Samaroo, who was also a guest, alleged attacked a friend over an unpaid debt. Ramoutar intervened and was chopped on his wrist on August 7, 2005.

When the trial resumed before Lucky yesterday, PC Durant Nieves, the police officer who eventually arrested Samaroo, took to the witness stand.

Nieves, who was assigned to the Biche Police Station, claimed that he was posted at the wedding by his supervisor.

He said around 3.10 am he saw a group of men fighting outside. When he went to investigate he found the crowd surrounding two men who were lying on the road.

As he tended to Ramoutar, who had a chop wound to his wrist, Samaroo, who was still armed with a cutlass, ran away.

While taking Ramoutar to the hospital, Nieves said he and his colleagues noticed a group of villagers attacking Samaroo. They fled the scene as they saw the police vehicle.

Samaroo attempted to run away through some bushes but was eventually apprehended by Nieves, who retrieved the cutlass.

Nieves claimed that when he arrested Samaroo, he (Samaroo) was dressed only in his underwear and had injuries to shoulders and legs.

“Boss, I eh chop nobody. I had to run for my life,” Samaroo reportedly told Nieves.

While being cross-examined by Samaroo’s lawyer Fulton Wilson, Nieves was quizzed over alleged inconsistencies between his evidence at the preliminary inquiry in the case and at the trial.

The inconsistencies related to his version of events over the fight between the two men and Samaroo’s arrest.

However, the issues were clarified during re-examination with prosecutor Joy Balkaran, who asked that Nieves be allowed to review his records relating to the investigation.

The trial is expected to continue today and be completed by the end of the week.

The vacation court initiative is one of several new projects implemented by the Judiciary in an attempt to clear the backlog of cases affecting the criminal justice system.

As part of the project, judges in the Criminal Division have earmarked cases, which have been awaiting trial for long periods, to be heard and determined.

It only relates to trials for non-capital offences, as they can be completed within days or weeks during the court’s annual vacation, which started this month and ends in mid-September.

The Judiciary has also launched a fast-track court system where the cases of people, who wish to plead guilty or have maximum sentence indications (MSIs), expedited. That project, which has attracted interest from over 100 remand prisoners, is expected to come up for case management in October.

A Freeport businessman was slapped with $50,000 in fines after 30 rounds of assorted ammunition were found in his shipping container, containing clothes, toys and other items, brought in from America.

Glen Seelochan, 53, who runs a charitable organisation for children pleaded guilty to two charges—making and subscribing to a false declaration and importation of prohibited items—in the Couva Magistrates Court yesterday.

Senior state attorney for the Customs and Excise Division Harricharan Kassie said on August 2, Customs Officer Kirk Peters went to the Customs & Excise Container Examination Station in Point Lisas where he met Customs officer’s Gillian Stewart and Seelochan.

Stewart handed Peters several documents, including the declaration form. She reported to Peters that while examining the container in the presence of Seelochan a black bag with the assorted ammunition, a magazine, a styrofoam ammunition nest and a piece of paper with a telephone number, were found among household items.

Seelochan did not declare those items and did not have a licence to import the ammunition. Seelochan’s attorney Shiva Boodoo told to Senior Magistrate Wendy Dougdeen-Bally that Seelochan recently returned to the country from the United States where has citizenship.

Boodoo said Seelochan runs Stand Up for Abused Children, a non-profit organisation, and the container also contained toys, clothes and other supplies for children to be distributed to abused and needy children.

He said Boodoo was not aware that the illegal items were in the container but he accepted responsibility for them.

Boodoo said his client had no previous convictions or pending matters. Kassie reminded the court that the importation charge carried a minimum $50,000 fine or trice the value of the goods or imprisonment up to eight years while the maximum penalty for the declaration charge was $125,000.

The documents, ammunition and other items were produced in court.

A barber who admitted to breaking into a woman’s home and stealing her jewelry and cellular phone has been jailed for five years.

Tahid Hosein, 45, of Rochard Road, Barrackpore, was sentenced by Princes Town Senior Magistrate Rae Roopchand on a charge of house breaking and larceny.

Prosecutor Sgt Shazeed Mohammed said the 33-year-old housewife secured her home around 2.30 pm July 28 and went away. She later discovered her jewelry and cellphone valued $5,200 missing.

PC Kerron Ramkissoon conducted inquiries which led to Hosein’s arrest. Hosein admitted that he and a male relative broke into the house. However, he said all he got was a chain which was not real gold. None of the items was recovered.

After buckling under pressure, Michael Powell yesterday admitted that he fabricated a story about being a cancer patient at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) to grab sympathy and donations from the public.

Powell, 28, was in fact treated at the EWMSC for diabetes, which resulted in part of his right foot and two toes being amputated in June.

For telling such a lie, Powell apologised to the T&T Guardian and North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA), which the EWMSC falls under.

“I am apologising for all that I have done….the misleading information I gave to the Guardian that I was treated for cancer. I am a type one diabetic. That is what I was treated for,” Powell confessed yesterday.

In a T&T Guardian article on Monday, Powell claimed he lost part of his foot and toes to cancer and needed six pints of a rare blood type for an emergency surgery to save his life as the Blood Bank was out of stock.

Powell, who moves around with the aid of crutches, also claimed he had used up his life savings to maintain himself and was owing $2,400 in rent for his apartment. As a result, he claimed he had been forced to beg for handouts to survive.

Powell’s plight gained widespread attention from the public, as several people came forward to assist him financially and donate blood.

Among those who were willing to offer a helping hand was former Sangre Grande Regional Corporation councillor and East Side Plaza manager Dayne Francois, who pledged a month’s salary to Powell and promised to donate blood to help him get back on his feet.

But within hours of the story being published in the T&T Guardian the NRCHA, in a press release, refuted Powell’s claims as they stated they had no record of him being a cancer patient, he was not listed on their records for surgery and they had an adequate supply of blood at the Blood Bank.

The T&T Guardian, in a bid to clear up matters raised by the NCRHA, telephoned Powell on Monday night and he agreed to be interviewed at his apartment and show all his medical records yesterday morning.

However, when the T&T Guardian arrived at his Barataria apartment yesterday, Powell could not be found. Repeated calls by the T&T Guardian to Powell’s cell phone also went unanswered.

The T&T Guardian then called Francois and asked him to set up to meet Powell to offer him $2,000 in cash and a cheque to take care of his medical expenses and pay his rent.

Powell later showed up at Francois’s Port-of-Spain office at 10 am and was surprised the T&T Guardian was also there. He was asked to come clean on his medical condition in light of the NCRHA statement.

Throughout an hour-long interrogation by Francois and the T&T Guardian, Powell maintained he was diagnosed and treated as a cancer patient. But when it was suggested the Fraud Squad could be asked to step in, Powell buckled and admitted that he had lied to the newspaper about his medical condition.

“I didn’t mean to add in the cancer part …I did it just for the story to be a serious one….to show that I was in a serious condition and I really need help. I want to apologise,” Powell said in his defence.

Powell said while he was warded at the EWMSC his blood count had dropped and the doctors told him to get friends and family to donate blood, so he came to the conclusion that there was no blood at the Blood Bank.

He admitted he fabricated a story that he needed emergency surgery to garner support whether financial or otherwise.

Asked if he had any remorse about misleading the public, Powell said yes.

“I am sorry for doing, what I did. I wanted help but maybe that was not the right way of going about it. I add in a few things that made it sound serious.”

Asked if people had already offered financial assistance to him following his story, Powell said, “All I got was blood donors. Two people offered to donate blood either Thursday or Friday. I didn’t get any money.”

Good Samaritan almost donated salary

Francois told Powell he too had been fooled by his sad story.

“I would have given you my hard earned cash if we didn’t unearth your lies.

“You duped me and I am sure you hoodwinked a lot of innocent people also with your untruths.

“What you are doing could amount to fraud. People are imprisoned for things like this,” Francois told Powell.

Francois told Powell people would no longer have faith in helping legitimate people in need or the underprivileged because of his story.

Throughout the interrogation, several people also called to offer help to Powell, as they had done on Monday, via the T&T Guardian, after the story first appeared.

Powell later wrote an apology letter to the NCRHA and T&T Guardian for his misleading information and the damage he had caused.

NCRHA corporate communications manager Peter Neptune later confirmed Powell was not in need of emergency surgery.

“What he needs is to take care of his health. If this is done the wound on his foot would heal and he would be able to work and support himself. We will provide him with whatever medical help he needs.”

NCRHA CEO Davlin Thomas meanwhile said staff stand dutifully at the gateway between life and death for over 125,000 patients who access their Emergency Department on an annual basis.

“To abandon reasonable due diligence and to malign our efforts and the very character of an organisation that save lives daily is sinful. We are dedicated to becoming so much better,” Thomas said.