Fitzwilliam Stone Furness- Smith and Morgan are the legal counsel for Bolt and Williams-Imbert.

Moe said the firm has since become aware of the articles “HDC: $12M paid in August 2015” and “Kamla: Imbert’s wife was paid $13m” which were published in the Express on November 9. While the former article had no author’s name attached to it, the latter’s author was identified as Express political reporter Anna Ramdass. On the former article, Moe said Bolt never received a payment of $12 million in August 2015 as alleged and the allegation is wholly false. “The true position is that the sum of $12 million represents an approximate aggregate of several payments made to Bolt over an extended period of ten years in respect of services rendered by Bolt to the HDC,” she said.

Moe added the aggregate includes the sum of $1.5 million representing monies paid by Bolt on behalf of the HDC for reimbursable expenses such as site security and utlities for which Bolt was entitled to be reimbusres and accordingly contains no profit element whatsoever. On the second story, Moe said contrary to claims made by Persad-Bissessar in that story, Bolt did not charge a single rate of 10.8 percent on work undertaken by it for the HDC. She said Bolt charged different rates for different projects given that the scope of work on each project differed considerably, a rate of 10.6 percent was charged on the Mora Heights project in Rio Claro and Imbert has never been a director or shareholder of Bolt.

Moe told Lyder that had proper enquiries been done by the Express,”you would have learnt not only that Bolt’s conduct was above reproach but also that approximately half of the payments made to Bolt were made when the United National Congress formed the government.” Moe said Bolt and Williams-Imbert are demanding a full and equivocal apology from the Express and a commitment not to repeat the allegations therein.

Reminding Lyder about the provisions in the amended Civil Proceedings Rules, Moe said if there is no satisfactory reply to this pre-action protocol letter within 14 days of its receipt, “our clients will take such steps as they may be advised.”

Roach said the statements which were ventilated at the hearing would make all citizens feel uncomfortable about the quality of health care in the country.

He told members of the Medical Board and the Health Ministry that citizens should be comforted that when they seek treatment at any health facility in TT they should, “go in and come out alive.” Roach told them the JSC would be calling them back for further discussions at a later time.

During the hearing, Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus told both groups of officials, “The bottom line is ladies and gentlemen…

you all keep passing the buck.” Recalling her experience as a former Public Services Association (PSA) president, Baptiste-Primus opined that no recommendations are made to change the status quo, “because the bottom line is it is impacting the dollar line.” She declared, “We are all aware that private practice has impacted to a very large extent on the delivery of proper health care.” Baptiste- Primus said while she has often boasted TT has the best doctors in its public health system, the burning question is, “are we getting value for money.” In this regard, the minister told Medical Board representatives, “ You have a grave responsibility to sit and engage in that kind of dispassionate dialogue and identify what it takes to get us out from where we are.” Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial suggested the Medical Board,”look at a proper remuneration package for these doctors working in the public health system.” Referring to earlier comments by Medical Board president Professor Terence Seemungal, Ramdial asked why were foreign doctors still being brought into TT to fill vacancies, if there was already an ample supply of local doctors in the system.

Roach observed that in Israel, the public health system is far superior to the private health system, treating everyone from the prime minister to the ordinary citizen. Noting the outcry in TT for medical specialists in a number of areas, Roach said he knew that many locals who acquire critical skills in medicine are unable to return home and practice their speciality. “There seems to be a blockage, there seems to be a problem,” he said. Roach asked if there was some sort of cabal, monopoly or closed door mentality preventing these persons from coming back.

He wondered if a lack of policies or a lack of will was the reason why many problems persist in the health sector today.

Seemungal said he was aware of many of the same complaints.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Akenath Misir said, “Misir- We are aware of that. We are trying to tighten the arrangement.”

On September 30, 2001, Rassol was chopped in the hand and face by a man during an argument.

Ramnarine Sylvan was later arrested and charged. A Preliminary Inquiry was conducted in the San Fernando Magistrates Court as the charge against Sylvan was laid indictably. Rassol told Newsday yesterday that he attended the magistrates’ court on about 50 occasions during the PI. On June 17, 2011, Sylvan was committed to stand trial by former magistrate Roger Ramgoolam. The magistrate has since resigned from the bench and is a lecturer at the Sir Hugh Wooding Law School.

Rassol said that 15 years after the incident, it seems like an eternity waiting for the trial to start. “Five years have passed and I am still awaiting a hearing in the High Court.

Is this what justice looks like in 2016,” Rassol asked. He said that checks with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in San Fernando for an update on what might have become of the committal file, but nothing has been forthcoming.

When an inquiry is completed, all notes of evidence are typed by clerks in the magistrates’ court and together with all other relevant documents, are sent to the office of the DPP for preparation of the indictment against the accused and notices to witnesses. “It has been five years and I have heard absolutely nothing. Attorneys in the DPP’s office have not been able to tell me anything, except that they are looking into the matter.” Rassol said that since the incident 15 years ago, he has not done much oyster harvesting because of the injuries he suffered on the left and two of his fingers.

He is hoping that when justice is delivered in the court, he would be afforded monetary compensation.

“But that is providing,” Rassol said, “if my witnesses are still around to testify because as you know, time waits on no man even if that man is awaiting justice.”

Vashti Singh-Debideen was moved to tears yesterday morning when she recalled her many sleepless nights spent worrying whether she would have been able to provide for her family following the death of her husband, Dharmendra Debideen in 2010.

“I didn’t think this would be possible,” Singh-Debideen said, adding, “this means a great deal where we can be a family and don’t have to move around.” “When my husband died, to acquire the land was very hard and sometimes I would lie down in bed and start to worry about how I was going to get the finances to purchase the land,” she said.

Singh-Debideen was full of praise for Habitat for Humanity and the NGC for making her dream come true and recalled that approximately 30 volunteers had painted the entire house in one day’s time.

And her two children, Jerome, 11, and Jessica, nine, in the audience, repeated that the family did not have to move anymore as they now had their own bedrooms and small yard to play in.

Meanwhile, Habitat Capital Campaign Cabinet chairman, Ronald Harford, said yesterday’s key handing over ceremony had “re-energised” him to continue to raise funds for the non-governmental organisation.

“You can’t build a society unless you provide shelter for your people,” he said, adding that NGC had pledged to contribute $1 million dollars yearly for the construction of homes over the next three years.

Also addressing the ceremony was NGC president, Mark Loquan, who observed that NGC had partnered with Habitat to construct three new houses for three single- parent families while also supplying construction materials for ten families to complete their homes.

“Possession of a home empowers the homeowner and endows her and her family with dignity, pride and hope,” he said.

Singh-Debideen was also presented with a mango tree, which was planted by her two children in the front yard and a Bible.

Silk Cotton Road adjoins the Guaracara River which runs parallel to the refinery and was also the site of an oil spill in 2014.

In a media statement issued late on Thursday evening, Petrotrin stated that at 5.27pm, residents called the company to complain of a foul smell and immediately “members of the company’s HSE personnel visited the area to conduct air testing and monitor the situation.” “Residents who experienced discomfort were taken to Augustus Long Hospital for medical review and discharged at 9.00pm,” Petrotrin stated, adding, “as a precautionary measure, two families with infant children were temporarily relocated.” And interviewed later on Thursday, Lorna Simon Sylvan, who lives at 34 Silk Cotton Rd, Battoo Avenue Marabella, said her family was greeted by a strong odour emanating from the refinery upon arrival at their home.

“We live right behind Petrotrin and we came home this evening and the scent is killing us, my two daughters are presently at the Augustus Long Hospital with headaches and tightening of the chest,” she said.

“Petrotrin need to step up and do something with the people in this area here because this thing is always happening,” she said.

Another resident, Steve Gopaul said he almost fainted from the odour adding, “I felt I could have fainted” and I have to go and get some little thing to drink, it started to burn my throat, and my eyes and I started to feel dizzy and it was really very terrible for a long while.” In a further statement yesterday, Petrotrin noted that air quality tests continued to be conducted in the area and those persons who had been temporarily relocated as a precautionary measure had returned to their homes.

“Last evening the company’s HSE, Fire and Medical departments responded to calls by affected residents and measures were taken to address their concerns. Those requiring medical attention were treated at company’s Augustus Long Hospital and discharged.

“Members of two families were temporarily relocated for the night and they have since returned to their homes,” Petrotrin stated.

These leaders like the pomp and glory of status leadership.

They’re pseudo-leaders for the reason that they deflect taking leadership responsibility. They consign responsibility to their peers when tough decisions must be made. They’re most fervent at passing off leadership responsibility when tough problems fall into their work portfolio.

When in the hot seat faced with hard situations they suddenly want to play a follower role. The pseudo-leaders want to let someone else take the role of leader with all its tough challenges. Removing pseudo-leaders would bring the nation a major step closer to get out of its leadership crisis.

Public sector workers have an excuse to be lazy and inefficient since the core of the public sector, government, is full of apologetic inept procrastinators who are very efficient at being inefficient.

They always have slick excuses to try to explain away or underplay their inefficiency.

The efficiency of procrastination throughout the Public Service is obviously fed from inept state leadership. Followers do what their leaders do — they have to do what their leaders legislate them to do under the law.

State leadership provides the public sector with guidance and its behavioural work ethic is held up as the best practice model which the subordinate public sector ought to follow. And so the State’s efficiency at practising procrastination is dispersed throughout all public sector services.

“A leader must be willing to be decisive because he knows that indecision is a decision not to make a decision. It is better to make a decision that may not be the best than to not make one at all. Lead decisively” (Myles Munroe, Becoming a Leader: Everyone Can Do It).

B JOSEPH via email

Poverty which leaves too many with limited or no means of providing today’s lunch, tonight’s dinner or tomorrow’s breakfast for their children and themselves.

Poverty which increasingly places an intolerable and unequal burden on the long-suffering women in our society – our mothers, grandmothers and aunts.

Food and nutrition security is a complex issue, compounded by our irresponsible and unthinking attitude to the environment, readily observed in the deteriorating state of our natural resources.

Indecision on the part of citizen and government undermines achievement of sorely needed changes. Office-holders seem inherently unwilling to institute participatory governance arrangements that foster greater citizen inclusion and more effective decision-making and implementation.

This robs the country of access to a rich reservoir of creative energy which could be unleashed to help resolve problems. Citizens themselves are often disinclined to be proactive and hesitant to adopt a “can do” attitude in pursuit of their own self-interest.

Today, we are challenged to produce more food sustainably, by disseminating and implementing existing knowledge, technology and best practice, and by investing in new science and innovation and the social infrastructure that enables food producers to benefit from these.

Concurrently, we must contain demand for the most resource-intensive types of food; minimise waste in all areas of the food system; and improve the political and economic governance of the food system to increase productivity and sustainability.

It is not merely a matter of producing more food, changing diets, or eliminating waste. The food system makes extensive use of both renewable and non-renewable resources. It also releases pollutants which contaminate our air, land, sea and waterways.

Moreover, through land conversion, it contributes to the destruction of biodiversity.

Unless the system is adapted to be more environmentally friendly and climate smart, our capacity to sustainably produce food for the population will be compromised with grave implications for our future food and nutrition security.

It is imperative then that considerations of sustainability be introduced to all sectors of the food system, from production to consumption, and in education, governance and research.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations promotes the adoption of a sustainable diet: “… one that has little impact on the environment, is nutritionally adequate, culturally acceptable, and affordable.” Research has shown that these criteria are indeed compatible.

But sustainable diets must also be realistic diets. Our interventions must therefore promote smart food choices: simpler diets utilising more starchy foods, more fruits and vegetables and less meat.

This creates an exciting opportunity to recruit the support of our dieticians, nutritionists and chefs in a collaborative enterprise with producers, to demonstrate how local foods can be prepared and presented in attractive, appealing, affordable and socially acceptable ways.

Best Village and the School Feeding Programme are excellent launching pads.

WINSTON R RUDDER Petit Valley

I hope that the vice chancellor can back up his statement with proper research and/or evidence.

What if this statement was made by an American and directed to us in the Caribbean? How would the vice chancellor respond? One wonders if the vice chancellor is aware that we in Trinidad and Guyana vote exclusively on race in our general elections.

We always practise “ethnic solidarity” when choosing a Prime Minister. So maybe the vice chancellor should try to assist us in the Caribbean before labelling the Americans. As they say, “if you live in glass houses don’t throw stones.”

L ROOPNARINE Tarouba

You (the Government) put in place the subsidy on fuel in the past, wining and dancing, essentially telling us the people, “See how generous and caring we are, providing cheap fuel for you to drive your car, enjoy yourself, and oh, don’t forget to vote for us.” Now the economic situation has changed and partly because of your (the Government’s) mismanagement of the economy, you are now telling us a different story, “Look, I raised the price of fuel three times in the past year alone, 15 percent each time, and you didn’t utter a boo; you didn’t protest or riot so why not raise it again.” All the while joking and laughing.

I feel ridiculed and laughed at by you. Perhaps you are forgetting that the patrimony of this country belongs to its people in the first place and you are placed in a position in trust of their wealth.

This a display of disrespect instead of thanking us the people for our understanding and maturity during these trying times. Instead you reveal once again your arrogance and immaturity.

I’m calling on you to resign immediately and in lieu of non-resignation, you should be fired.

No explanation is needed as is required in the case of the firing of former ministers Ancil Antoine and Nicole Olivierre.

GHASSAN YOUSEPH via email

YTEPP Ltd has as its priority a safe and comfortable work environment for all members of staff. A strategic decision was made to relocate the company’s head office to its Woodford Lodge Campus, and in so doing, ensure that staff members were not exposed to any hazards or uncomfortable situations.

Housekeeping continues throughout the facility, including addressing any challenges that may have arisen.

Our capable HSE officers have conducted a risk assessment and have observed that there were no serious or imminent danger to staff at Woodford Lodge.

At approximately 2.30 pm on October 27, unionised members of staff made a decision to remove themselves from their work stations citing “unsafe conditions”. A meeting was held with the trade union body, staff union members, the human resource manager (YTEPP) and the chief executive officer (YTEPP), to ascertain the issue and the way forward.

We wish to categorically state that there was no unwillingness by the HR manager and the CEO to meet with the union and its members, as the company’s ethos is “People make work possible” and, as such, a speedy resolution was sought in addressing any concerns.

Please note that under no circumstances were staff members forced to work under any inhumane conditions; there is no raw sewage running into drains or offices; and the company has not observed rodents and roaches at the facility.

No such report was brought to the attention of management.

YTEPP would never compromise the health and safety of anyone.

These statements made by unionised staff members are reckless and erroneous, and we certainly extend an invitation to the media to visit and observe the facility. YTEPP Woodford Lodge not only houses an administrative building but also has as its core, specialised training facilities for cosmetology and culinary arts.

MONTGOMERY GUY manager, corporate communications YTEPP Ltd