According to Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday, Prime Minister Patrick Manning knows who the “traditional” kidnappers in Trinidad and Tobago are. And the UNC leader wants to know why these individuals are not already in police custody. Speaking to reporters at his Port-of-Spain office yesterday, Panday said he was still confused about what Manning meant about “new” and “traditional” kidnapping groups in TT. “It seems as though Mr Manning knows of a group of kidnappers in the country and that he now recognises there is another group emerging. That displays a certain amount of familiarity. If he knew the traditional group why aren’t they in the hands of police. If this is a new group, how does he know this is a new group? Is the modus operandi different from the group he knows so well. Or is this collateral damage?” he declared.

Meanwhile in a statement yesterday, the UNC claimed the kidnapping and murder of businessman Vernon Roopnarine and the abduction of Tricia Shirkissoon Suryadevera show that TT is “on the fast track to Guyana and Colombia where thousands of businessmen have migrated in frustration to escape crime and kidnapping only to leave behind an entrepreneurial vacuum and precipitate capital flight.” The UNC called upon Manning to tell the nation and the police how to distinguish between these two groups of kidnappers. Panday dismissed reports that the UNC had softened its position on the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and said the party is currently educating its members on the matter. “The question of softening the stance does not arise because no other decision has been taken other than the one taken by the party. It is widening in that we are hearing from the lawyers. Our own position is that you can’t trust this Government without constitutional reform,” the UNC leader stated. Panday also insisted that there was no rift in the UNC over the contents of a 12-page report submitted by St Augustine MP Winston Dookeran, suggesting a way forward for the party.  “TT is not accustomed to a democratic political party. We encourage a discussion of views,” he said. Panday quipped that unlike the UNC, the PNM was not a democratic party.

Best practices in phone service, and in electricity and water supplies, will be shared among Caribbean and international utility regulators during a conference hosted this week by the Trinidad and Tobago Regulated Industries Commission (RIC) and regional regulatory bodies. Organisers expect the conference to elaborate on a regional action plan for, among other things, reducing the high volume of water lost by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and sister regional utilities, through leaks and theft. The three-day conference opens today at the Hilton Trinidad. It has been jointly organised by the RIC and the Organisation of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR).

The RIC, established under the 1998 Regulated Industries Commission Act, to regulate TT utilities of electricity, water and sewerage, telecommunications, and power generation, is also the local base of the Secretariat of OOCUR, a non-profit organisation comprising RIC’s Caribbean counterparts. Minister of Public Utilities, Rennie Dumas, will address this first annual conference. The event brings together delegates from the Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, the OECS and Trinidad and Tobago. Experts from the US, Canada, South Africa, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Detecon, and regional utility companies are also scheduled to give presentations. The theme of the conference is “The Challenge for Utility Regulators in the Caribbean.” Topics include lessons to be drawn from Trinidad and Tobago’s experience with  privatisation of electricity generation through PowerGen and InnCogen, and the challenges of providing a telephone service at an affordable cost to all. Jamaica’s experience with telecommunication liberalisation will feature in discussions on respective charges for calls between cellular and  “land-line” telephones. Conference sponsors include the US National Associations of Utility Commissioners, the University of Florida’s Public Utility Research Centreand the US Agency for International Development.

A 27-year-old Diego Martin man is contemplating legal action against a police officer who allegedly shot him in the right leg on Saturday. Limping and grimacing in pain, Derwin Phillip told Newsday that on Saturday around 8.15 am he was walking along the Diego Martin Main Road when he observed an altercation among several persons. He also observed a man in civilian clothes ordering persons away from the scene. Phillip claimed that he looked on at the activities and then made his way into the roadway. He claimed that the man who was ordering persons away from the scene pulled out a gun and fired three shots in the direction where (Phillip) was standing.

He said that he felt a burning sensation in his right leg and realised that he was shot. Phillip added that he turned to the man who identified himself as a police officer and informed him that he was shot. He claimed that the officer ignored him; they later engaged in a heated war of words and an attempt was made to arrest him. The angry man said that he was advised by members of the public to lodge a report at the Four Roads Police Station. He was interviewed at Four Roads by Sgt Hosein and later treated at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. The father of one said that he is employed at Waste Disposal Limited and is a single parent. He feels that he should be compensated for his injury and loss of income as a result of the injury. Phillip has also referred the matter to the Police Complaints Authority.

A FIREMAN with 23 years service has filed a constitutional motion against the Chief Fire Officer, alleging discrimination after not being promoted to a higher rank in the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service. Michael Dindayal, 49, of Bertrand Street, San Fernando, filed the motion yesterday. He is contending that although he holds a certificate from the Institute of Fire Engineers in the United Kingdom, he has been constantly denied promotion each year for the past 23 years. The writ was filed by attorney Anand Ramlogan in the Sub-Registry in San Fernando. Dindayal stated in an affidavit filed along with the motion that he completed numerous other courses in fire-fighting geared towards enhancing his chances of promotion. He exhibited seven letters of commendation for outstanding service as a fireman.

The fireman stated that over the years, he had witnessed other firemen of his rank promoted above him while others, junior to him, were given acting appointments in a rank senior to him. Dindayal stated that his staff reports gave him an excellent performance rating as a fireman. He stated that during his 23 years in the service, he has never been the subject of any disciplinary action. Dindayal is seeking to have the High Court grant him a declaration that the TTFS has treated him unfairly and has discriminated against him. This, he contended, is unconstitutional. Dindayal is seeking damages. Hearing of the motion has been fixed for next month.

CHIEF JUSTICE Sat Sharma is pleading with the Government to rescue the Office of the  Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and hire a cadre of experienced and skilled prosecutors if the fight against crime is to be successful. Sharma said this was not intended to be an attack on the present crop of State prosecutors, but pointed out that there really is no substitute at the end of the day for experienced counsel. To illustrate his point, Sharma used a sporting phrase and said, “You cannot send a batsman with a coconut bat to open the innings at Lords.” Sharma was speaking at the ceremonial opening of the 2003-2004 law term at the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain.

The DPP’s office has suffered a tremendous loss in the last two years with the departure of DPP Mark Mohammed (to become a judge), Rangee Dolsingh SC, who went into private practice, and Anthony Carmona SC, now a prosecutor for the United Nations in the Hague. The Chief Justice feels there should be experienced and skilled prosecutors to handle the more serious criminal prosecutions before the Magistrates’ Courts and Assize Courts. He found that in many serious and complex criminal matters, the accused is represented by Senior Counsel. The State on the other hand is unable to match with counsel of even roughly equivalent forensic skill. Sharma said the Government has a duty and responsibility to ensure that the DPP’s office is properly staffed and the officers properly renumerated to attract lawyers of a high calibre to take on the heavy responsibilities which they have to discharge.

“There is no doubt that guilty persons have been acquitted in the past because of the inexperience of counsel for the State. This tends to undermine the criminal justice system. It is perhaps a sad fact that this will continue in the future and some may argue that this is inevitable, in any system of justice — but at least an effort should be made to minimise such occurrences.” The Chief Justice said Government has focused its attack on crime by concentrating on the investigative arm of the State. While this is commendable, Sharma feels that the other arms of the State need to be involved. He said there must be a concentrated effort by all concerned. Therefore, he feels the Government must come to the rescue of the Judiciary and equip the courts. When contacted, DPP Geoffrey Henderson welcomed the Chief Justice’s warm words of suggestion about better terms and conditions and the increase in the cadre of attorneys in the department. However, Henderson noted that his team has experience and has been performing well, notwithstanding the fact that they have been fighting in a class above their weight.

THE SON of the owner of a southern oil company narrowly escaped death yesterday when the Rover sedan he was driving slammed into a 25-foot lightpole and careened down the side of the Solomon Hochoy Highway, the lightpole pinning the driver in the mangled wreckage. Scott Tucker, 21, son of Christopher Tucker, who owns and operates Tucker Energy Services Ltd, arrived at hospital suffering serious internal injuries and a broken leg and is now in a battle for his life. Tucker remains warded in critical condition at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH). Tucker was rescued after the driver of a tractor, who was proceeding along the highway when the accident occurred, used the tractor to lift the lightpole off of the car, while firemen using a hydraulic cutting device known as the “jaws of life” freed a badly bleeding  tucker from the mangled wreckage.

The incident occurred shortly after 10 am when Tucker, the lone occupant in the car, lost control of his white Rover sedan which was proceeding along the southbound section of the highway in the vicinity of Gasparillo and slammed into a lightpole on the left side of the highway. Steve Williams, driver of the tractor, who witnessed the accident and was the first person to render assistance to Tucker, recalled the incident to Newsday, “I remember when he went flying past me on the road. I saw his car swerve across the road and hit the post…then the car went off the road. The post had fallen across the car and was pinning him at the stomach.” Williams, a contract worker with WASA, said he tried to pull the iron lightpole off Tucker with the assistance of other persons who had stopped when they saw the accident. “But it was too heavy. He (Tucker) was bawling for help and he was bleeding from his nose and mouth. His legs looked like they were broken,” Williams said.

THE Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TSTT) yesterday moved one step closer to finding the source of a strange text message that infiltrated thousands of post-paid cellphone users between Saturday night and Sunday morning. So said Stephen Sheppard, TSTT’s vice president customer relationship management, as he sought to keep the nation up to date on the latest development, which is still causing concern to many who got the text which read: “Aissa handle your REAL business before you lose your daughter…that is if you still care.” Sheppard told Newsday yesterday that they have identified the “port in the network” which the person (s) used to send the text message. This, he said, means that they are narrowing down the search.

Sheppard also said that TSTT is examining activity logs on firewall, which he said will also help to identify the source of the attack. TSTT has so far been able to determine that the text message came from a computer and has since shut down its Internet server that is used to send text messages. Sheppard also said that they were unable to say if the text message was sent locally or internationally, and are working together with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to find the origin. Yesterday senior officers said they received information that the text message might have come from the website “http://www.informationwave.net, and that the perpetrator used an IP identified as 216.226.142.3. Police sources said that the perpetrator sent the strange text message between 8.35 am and 11.40 pm on Saturday. Senior officers said they are trying to find out from the website who would have been on the website at that time. They said they would also want to know from the website if the perpetrator is based overseas, or  locally. Sheppard told Newsday that several post-paid number ranges were affected including codes 680, 620, 682, 684, 678 and 685.
Lawyers, judges and senior police officers were among the 40,000 affected people.

Parliament is prorogued from today, the necessary document having been signed last evening by acting President Dr Linda Baboolal. On September 29 there will be a ceremonial opening when Parliament begins its new session. At the ceremonial opening President George Maxwell Richards is scheduled to deliver an address. It will be the first time he will be addressing a ceremonial opening of Parliament.

The National Library (NALIS) Port-of-Spain was the venue for the launch of the second annual Animation Film and New Media Festival, Animae Caribe, which takes place from September 25-27. By 10 am the Library’s Seminar Room was moderately filled with members of the media, spectators and specially invited guests Marie Abraham, Deputy Executive Director NALIS (acting) and Michelle Boyd, Technical Advisor from the Ministry of Science and Technology and Tertiary Education, who filled in for an absent Minister Danny Montano. “NALIS recognises that animation is a very powerful medium which can be used not only to send messages and to provide information to the public, but also to create information,” said Abraham.

“Art and animation are useful media which can be used to record our history and which can help us to look at ourselves critically by reflecting our lives. Animation is a medium that has a tremendous impact on young people and educational material provided in animated and new media can be very effective in education.” According to Animae Caribe’s Founder and Creative Director, Camille Selvon-Abrahams “This year we are having none other than the producer/creator of the Disney animated series, The Proud Family, Bruce Smith, who will deliver a motivational presentation guiding students towards careers in animation, film and graphics. “With the success of last year’s show and having actor producer Robert Townsend here, we decided to follow in that tradition,” she said.

Selvon-Abrahams is an award winning  multi-media producer and animator who returned to this country after completing her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications, specialising in animation. She won the Royal Television Society Award for her animated short film, The MasterPEACE, which has been screened in festivals across the globe. It is her wish to make TT the centre for 3D and 2D Animation production, and is working towards the  development of a multimedia training facility and studio. The quality of animations that will be showcased over the three days of this festival will be clear evidence of the potential of the Caribbean to play a role and respond to the international demand for this technology.”

Animae Caribe provides a platform to budding film makers, graphic artists and animators from the Caribbean to showcase their works, for a chance to win coveted awards, learn new techniques and network with multimedia professionals, animators and graphics professionals from the US, UK and the Caribbean. Visitors to the festival can also look forward to participating in their many workshops, including one in stop motion animation by Loose Moose of the United Kingdom whose creations include the Lipton’s Brisk Iced tea commercials. As a fitting end to the proceedings, dramatist Theodora Ulerie did a short skit on the upcoming show, drawing smiles from all present.