BROTHER APPEALS TO TWIN TO GIVE HIMSELF UP

THE MYSTERY over the murder in Philadelphia of a Trinidadian woman and her Jamaican-born husband deepened with a Tamana man claiming he was the twin brother of the suspect, who allegedly committed the murders. Felix Diaz yesterday insisted that he was the twin brother of Cyprian Diaz and that at no time did his brother have access to use his passport to get to the United States. Felix Diaz, who turns 58 on July 11, also told Newsday from his Carmichael Village, Coryal, Tamana, home that reports from the woman’s family that he was dead and that his brother had been deported to Trinidad were inaccurate.  (See other story)

The lead Pastor at Apostolic Christian Church, Carmichael Village, Felix and his elder brother, Desmond, also appealed to their wanted brother, to surrender to law enforcers in either the United States or his homeland, Trinidad. Cyprian Diaz is wanted by the Philadelphia police for allegedly shooting to death his former common-law-wife, Pramatee Celestine, 40, and her 29-year-old husband, Eugene Celestine, a resident of the United States, last Tuesday in Philadelphia. Felix Diaz admitted that Cyprian and Pramatee had two children, but that the relationship between the two was not extremely smooth. According to Felix Diaz, Pramatee left Trinidad sometime before Cyprian resigned his job as a watchman at the Tunapuna County Council, where he had been employed for over 30 years. Felix said Pramatee had left on a six-month visa for the United States. He said sshortly after his twin brother Cyprian resigned his job about five years ago, and left for the US to meet Pramatee. Felix said Cyprian and Pramatee lived together for about 20 years at various places including Carmichael Road, Carmichael Village, Surrey Village, Lopinot Road, St Michael’s Road and Dinsley Village, Tacarigua.

He said his twin brother returned to Trinidad late 2000 to collect the remainder of his benefits and returned to the US in May 2001, but that by the end of 2001, Pramatee and Celestine (the other murder victim) had gotten married. Pramatee married Celestine, according to Felix, as a convenience to remain in the United States.  Celestine was 11 years her junior. He said Cyprian appeared to have accepted the marriage of convenience but continued in the relationship with Pramatee.  The three were reportedly living in the same house. No one was able to say what led to Tuesday’s tragedy when Cyprian shot Pramatee and Celestine dead, but both Felix and another brother, Desmond said Cyprian used his retirement benefits to open a restaurant and that the last time they heard from him was approximately two months ago, in April. Felix said the last time Cyprian spoke to him he asked for $20,000 for the restaurant, while Desmond said around the same time Cyprian telephoned him asking for some money to purchase a vehicle .

Desmond, 63, said his brother wanted the vehicle for transporting goods to and from the restaurant.  He also said Cyprian wanted one of his (Desmond’s) daughter to come to the US. Both brothers said they never heard from Cyprian since then, until last Saturday when relatives in the US said they saw Cyprian and Pramatee in Philadelphia. “They (relatives) told us that Cyprian introduced Meera (Pramatee) as his wife and they looked fine,” Felix and Desmond both said. Felix and Desmond then speculated that sometime between Saturday and Tuesday, Cyprian was asked to either leave the restaurant or where they were living. They believed the restaurant was opened in the name of Pramatee because Cyprian was not a permanent resident in the US. “He probably tripped off.  Knowing he had put out his life savings and they were trying to push him out, this is what probably caused him to commit the crime,” Felix and Desmond stated. Referring to the claim that his brother used his passport to gain entry to the US, Felix categorically denied this and went as far to say that he and his twin brother are not identical. “He (Cyprian) is fairer than all of us by far,” Felix said.   His passport number is T597077 and date of issue was September 9, 1998 and it is valid for September 8, 2008.  Felix tried to get a US visa on September 10, 1998, but was turned down.  There was no evidence that anyone had ever travelled on that passport.

Commenting on the relationship between Cyprian and Pramatee, Felix said he often spoke to Cyprian, asking him to leave the woman. “But he really loved her and they were two of a kind,” Felix said. Asked if he believed his twin brother committed the act, Felix said he has no other choice but to believe it, since Philadelphia detective Thomas Baker told him that there was an eyewitness to the incident. “I am not condoning what he has done, and I would like him to surrender wherever he is,” both Desmond and Felix pleaded.  Up to late yesterday, however, Cyprian had not been caught. There are conflicting reports of his whereabouts. TT police have said that he has returned to Trinidad, but this could not be confirmed. Philadelphia police have said they are not certain that he has fled the US.