Police sources yesterday said that a motive has not yet been ascertained in the unidentified man’s death. Homicide Investigations Bureau detectives are citing drug related activities, radical cult behaviour and/or gang activity as some of the possible motives for the man’s dismemberment.

On Saturday morning at about 10 am, a Lopinot villager was walking along the roadway, when he noticed blood on the street.

The man followed the trail of blood, until he stumbled across the body minus its head and hands.

The body was clad only in a pair of boxer shorts.

Since the discovery of the body, several persons had come forward to the Arouca police hoping that the body was that of their missing relatives. So far, police have not been able to match the description given by family members of missing persons, but they have encoraged the public to continue assisting the police.

LATEST: There were reports last night of a murder being committed in Penal in which a man was found shot to death in his house. No further details were forthcoming in what is the country’s 51st murder for January.

This was confirmed to Newsday yesterday by senior sources within National Security who said the US law enforcement agents will work with local police on the case of 73-year-old Cynthia Matthews who stabbed to death on Saturday afternoon. Matthews, a retired factory worker and mother of four, reportedly once lived in America and was the holder of a US Passport.

She had returned to Trinidad upon her retirement and lived alone in Arima. Yesterday, Homicide Investigations Bureau officers informed officials at the United States Embassy, Marli Street in Port-of-Spain that an investigation had commenced into the murder of an American citizen.

Embassy officials – as is the norm with the murder or abduction of any American citizen anywhere in the world – contacted law enforcement agents in the US to relay information on the case.

Matthews was stabbed to death in a home invasion. Police believe that robbery may have been the motive as the house was ransacked.

It is believed that she may have fought with the intruder/s which led to her being stabbed multiple times. Yesterday, according to police working on the case, the woman’s relatives described her as an independent woman who loved to take care of her home.

The relatives added that the Arima woman did everything for herself and was not afraid of being alone. Yesterday, her four children were expected to arrive in the country from the United States to assist with funeral arrangements and take possession of her body. Garvin Heera, former director of the National Operations Centre and Matthews’ nephew, said that his aunt’s autopsy will take place today and he had been providing all the necessary support at this time of grief for his family.

He said that the entire neighbourhood close to where his aunt lived were in a state of shock and mourning over her demise. Police investigators said yesterday that they are working on certain leads and expect to make a breakthrough in this investigation. The murder toll yesterday stood at 50.

Social media was abuzz yesterday with photos and video clips of the moment, as well as thousands of positive comments, commendations and reviews of the much anticipated accord.

The “Monk” and the “Viking” embraced each other onstage at the Soaka Carnival event held at O2 Park in Chaguaramas early yesterday morning. In so doing, they ushered in a new era of unity in soca.

“I could say ten million things here but I think I should say none and let the pic speak out,” Alvarez posted on his Instagram page below a photo of himself and Montano holding hands in the air onstage at the event.

As the sun began to rise on the western peninsula yesterday, Montano who had already been performing for some time urged the crowd to call Bunji on and the duo then launched into their new song with the crowd singing along.

“We dropped it Friday and this morning the whole place was singing along. “Garlin wrote on another video post which showed him walking out on to the stage to a tremendous uproar. “Historic moment undeniable and I personally have to thank @fayannlyons and @chekothari for sticking on this over time and we all got it right. @ machelmontano one love bro, let’s make the world smile!” In light of these developments, it is anticipated that Bunji and Fay Ann will also make their first-ever appearance at Machel Monday, which is scheduled for February 20.

The suspects remain in custody at the Central Police Station and are being quizzed by CGIU officers as well as their colleagues from the Special Branch. According to reports, on Friday afternoon, the three men in a black Nissan X-Trail SUV went to the house, where the President and his family usually spend weekends and public holidays, and enquired from the female caretaker when Carmona would be at the house.

One of the men left a phone number and asked the caretaker to contact him when next Carmona arrives. The caretaker became frightened and alerted the police as well as President Carmona via his private cellular phone. This resulted in police taking prompt action and the X-Trail being intercepted in the Maracas Bay area.

The three were taken to the Central Police Station and on the weekend, were being interviewed by a joint team of intelligence officers.

Newsday understands that as a result of a threatening phone call made to the E999 Command Centre by a man claiming to be an army officer, who said he intends to kill the President and “all of them.” Head of Special Branch Ag Snr Supt Austin Lee went to President’s House last Monday and spoke with Carmona and advised him on new security measures in light of the threatening phone call.

Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon confirmed last Thursday that new security arrangements had been put in place for his excellency, his family, and certain officials in light of the threat. He said that the authorities were also taking the threat very seriously.

Also last week, special branch officers met again with the president and members of his family and issued precautions to them. Some members of staff at President’s House were also privy to the advice of caution.

A Special Branch source said yesterday that due to the threatening phone call made last Sunday they will continue to be rigorous in this investigations involving the detention of these three men who were inquiring about the presidents whereabouts at his Blanchicheusse house.

Sources at President’s House said that President Carmona has expressed concern over the new developments and has agreed to follow the advice of the police with respect to his safety and security.

The TTEITI said, “The research that goes into the production of the EITI Reports has found no evidence of corruption at the level of upstream oil and gas companies, both local and foreign, in the dealings with Government.” However the committee added, “That is not to say that there may not be some form of corruption in the energy sector.” The committee continued, “We are aware of allegations made of mismanagement and corruption in the award of contracts by companies to suppliers and contractors but that is not part of the EITI remit, therefore, we are not in a position to form an opinion on those allegations.” Speaking in the House of Representatives last Friday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said, “We have just engaged international consultants last week to start to look at the value chain in terms of energy commodity pricing because there is a view in TT that the multinational companies cheat on the declaration of income and the prices of commodities, and they use a technique called transfer pricing.” Imbert, who is also Acting Energy Minister, said, “It is said to be happening with the sale of LNG.

There is an allegation that the persons who produce the LNG, sell the LNG to an associated company and they sell it at a low price, so that the Government gets its profits based on the sale price and not market price. Therefore TT is robbed of income. There is a strong belief that this is happening.” The committee said this country has published four EITI Reports, covering 2010 to 2015. “Based on the reports’ findings, an estimated $840 million in differences between extractive companies’ declared tax and other payments and Government’s corresponding receipts have been identified, audited and reconciled to our satisfaction,” the TTEITI said.

The committee also said the reports have also provided extensive recommendations on improving Government revenue collection, data management and audit and assurance processes.

“Data generated in the reports have also informed the findings of the recent Gas Master Plan and assisted Trinidad and Tobago in meeting its obligations to the Open Government Partnership,” the committee added.

Indicating the EITI is one tool which can be used to reduce the perception of corruption in TT, the committee said, “The work we are doing to promote resource revenue transparency and to unveil the names of the real owners of companies investing in our oil and gas sector holds lessons for other sectors as well.” The CPI 2016 showed that, based on the results of surveys conducted in 2014 and 2015, TT’s score has dropped from 39 to 35.

The People’s Partnership coalition was in government from May 2010 to September 7, 2015.

The People’s National Movement (PNM) has been in office since September 7, 2015 to the present.

TTEITI committee chairman Victor Hart will attend the next EITI International Board Meeting in Bogota, Colombia, from March 7 to 9.

Indeed, the miscellany of citizens who have fallen victim to crime leaves us wondering whether some ordinary action in pursuit of normal life could lead to violent death: routine such as collecting fair wages for giving a fair day’s work, plying a lawful trade, owning a car, a house or a piece of land, bumping accidentally into someone during a crowded affair, expressing disapproval of a bad drive on the roadway. And so, the question remains why the killings that have themselves become so routine.

We ask for instance, why would someone stab to death a 73-year-old woman, Cynthia Matthews, even if robbery was the motive? Who would send a youngster to brazenly murder Couva doubles vendor Ramesh “Raj” Maharaj who seemed doing nothing more than making an honest living? Why was Michael Lewis, 21, killed in the ongoing gang-warfare gripping Enterprise, before getting a chance to turn his life around? Why was a man murdered at Lopinot and his corpse dismembered? Who is next and why will they be? How much more of this can we take? Someone must analyse the real causes of each such crime, including underlying predisposing factors, so as to identify solutions to pre-empt recurrences. For example, is robbery with murder likely against someone plying a legitimate trade by criminal opportunists, by persons filled with jealous malice, or due to some unspoken grouse, with the victim in a professional or personal capacity? Police and criminologists must compile such causes of murder, the identification of which can help deter and detect other crimes, and help the ordinary citizen plan their daily lives in a way to avoid such hazards.

In apparent frustration, the Prime Minister has directly appealed to youngsters influenced or attracted by crime to think of the national grief that attends their actions, and instead seek better alternatives to their problems.

The time has come for us as a people to take a long, hard look in the mirror, fathom what is wrong with us, and identify some remedies. Some points for consideration could be: does our demographic structure create predisposing factors towards criminal/antisocial conduct? For instance, are too many of us physically crowded into small domiciles, without relief by art, poetry, music and sport? How can the engines of criminality be dismantled? How can persons recruiting youthful trigger men not be known to the police and put away, likewise those perpetrating the drugtrade, a major cause of murder? Why are some persons so easily lured into criminal conduct? Is it due to the vulnerability of the absence of fathers, a fast-buck culture, violence in music, movies and video-games, or poor impulse-control due to serotin- depletion.

Are our institutions failing? For example, does a lack dispute resolution devices, such as Small Claims Courts, or mediation for school gang violence, lead persons to seek their own solutions to perceived grievances? The adage that the causes of crime are multifaceted may be true, but cannot be an excuse for the failure to remedy this deadly onslaught.

I take this statement to mean that there is a propensity to violence throughout our society — in all ethnicities, regions, classes and ages of the population. If, indeed, this observation is true, it begs the questions as to whether this is a historically inherent propensity of the majority or whether this allegedly national characteristic is of recent vintage.

I do, however, recall a statement by Prime Minister Rowley a few months ago when he remarked that only a small minority in the society was engaged in violence and criminal behaviour. The question therefore arises as to whether the whole society is prone to violent tendencies or just a minority in it.

There is, however, the clear inference that if the society is violent in nature, then the Government may be powerless or severely constrained in any attempt to curb or minimise such pervasive violence and criminality which may be deemed to require profound and fundamental societal change.

Unsuccessful attempts by the administration to curb crime and violence then becomes understandable and excusable.

With respect to the sources of criminal activity, I identified 11 years ago in my column of 22/01/06, four areas where attention should be focused — gangs, the drug trade, domestic violence and the vehicular involvement in crime. I remarked as follows: “A few months ago, the Minister of National Security announced that there are 66 criminal gangs in the country. Presumably this information would have come from the police who it is assumed would know the locations where the gangs are based, their key personnel and their modus operandi.

The question therefore arises as to what sustained action has the police taken to restrict the activities of these gangs and to prosecute the members for violations of the law.

“From all appearances it seems that the police have resigned themselves to the undisturbed existence of these criminal groupings and have no proactive agenda. Whether this inertia is self-imposed or dictated by the political directorate is a matter of speculation.

“I believe that gang-related violence has reached such proportions that a specialised unit should be established especially to focus on the containment of this scourge which has given TT the unenviable reputation of another arena of the Wild, Wild West.

“With respect to efforts to reduce drug-related murders and other drug-related crimes, one presumes that this is the responsibility of the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit. Periodically, we learn of a drug bust and the arrest of some lower-level functionaries but there is little evidence that the unit has been able to make a significant impact on the reduction of organised crime or the drug trade.

It seems clear that the functioning of this unit needs to be reviewed and its mandate and performance targets amply clarified.

“For dealing with murders that constitute crimes of passion or are the results of domestic disputes, the area for preventive action may seem limited. Nevertheless, with timely police response to complaints of serious threats and domestic abuse and with more effective community policing, problem relationships may be identified and processes instituted for conciliation, dispute resolution and anger management.

Such an approach to crime reduction is of course part of the larger social responsibility.” No less an authority that the loquacious Attorney General, Faris Al-Rawi, has pronounced, “Most crimes are committed with the use of a car. It is not often that you see someone with a getaway donkey.” To be continued

According to reports, at about 4.30 pm, Primchand Maye was at his father’s business place R.

Maye Hardware at Perseverance Road in Chaguanas, when two gunmen entered and announced a hold-up.

The bandits ordered Maye to hand over the $50,000 payroll and then snatched the $10,000 gold chain from around his neck.

The bandits then fled the scene.

A report was made to the Chaguanas Police and detectives were yesterday reviewing closed-circuit (CCTV) footage in a bid to identify the suspects.

Investigations are continuing.

Yesterday, several employees were interviewed as police are not ruling out an inside link to the robbery since the bandits staged the hold-up just when the payroll was being handled by the proprietors

However, after the witness failed to cooperate with investigators, the SRPs were released from custody at 6 pm on Saturday.

At about 9 pm on Friday, the constables were on mobile patrol in the Diego Martin area when they stopped a 19-year-old man who allegedly committed a traffic offence.

It is alleged the constables demanded $4,000 from the teenager, to avoid being charged.

The teen made arrangements with a male relative to pay the money and on Friday night the constables were told to meet the person with the money at a certain location in Diego Martin.

Newsday understands that police were contacted and told of the transaction that was about to take place.

The man was told to place specific, identifiable markings on the money before giving it to the two SRPs. When the two officers arrived and were handed the money, police officers who were in hiding, moved in and arrested the officers.

The SRPs Friday night at a cell in St James Police Station.

On Saturday afternoon, the witnesses – the teen and the man who handed over the money to the SRPs – both filed a statement saying they wanted no further police action against the SRPs.

This led to the SRPs being released from custody.

Sources said that a charge of wasteful employment of police time is being considered against the two civilians.

A report on the incident is expected to be forwarded to Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams for a determination on whether further action is warranted against the two SRPs.

Police sources told Newsday that the man who hails from D’Abadie was released from custody late Friday night after statements were recorded from him.

Police sources added that while the man has been allowed to go home, officers will conduct further interviews with him.

A file is expected to be compiled by investigators and sent to the head of Police Traffic Branch and then to Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard SC, for further instructions.

It was reported that at about 10.30 pm last Thursday Carla Collins and her sons Kamari, eight months and Kamani, two years, were the backseat passengers in her husband Keston Collins’ car which he was driving south along Mausica Road.

As he drove the car across the Priority Bus Route (PBR) intersection, a car which was speeding east along the Bus Route, broke the traffic light (which was on red) and slammed into the right side of Collins’ car.

The impact caused Collins’ car to spin and smash into another vehicle which was parked at the side of the intersection.

Carla and her sons were flung out of the car and onto the road of the Bus Route, with the impact killing them almost instantly.

Collins sustained minor injuries.

The speeding driver was unscathed.