ONE year after an attempt to kidnap prominent Princes Town businessman Teeluck Shirkis-soon failed, his 26-year-old daughter Tricia Suryadevera was snatched by three armed men during a daring early morning kidnapping at her Princes Town businessplace yesterday.

And in an immediate response to the kidnapping, Acting Commis-sioner of Police (CoP) Everald Snaggs yesterday morning ordered an islandwide road-block exercise in an effort to rescue Suryadevera. However, up to yesterday, Surya-devera was still a prisoner. After lunchtime yesterday the family received a phone call from the kidnappers, who confirmed that they had Suryadevera, and said that they would call again with their ransom demand. The country’s latest kidnapping came in the wake of a text message sent over the weekend via the Internet to thousands of cellular phone users, which seemed to threaten the abduction of someone’s daughter.

According to police reports, around 9 am, Suryadevera, who owns and operates Trinkets Ltd, located on the ground floor of her palatial home on High Street, Princes Town, had just opened the businessplace when the three masked gunmen stormed into the building. Four employees were ordered to the back of the building where they were told to lie on the floor. One of the men then grabbed Suryadevera and dragged her out of the store and into a waiting B13 Sentra. They then sped off with their victim. As soon as a report of the kidnapping was made to the police, Acting CoP Snaggs ordered heads of all Police Divisions in Trinidad to set up roadblocks and conduct car-to-car searches in the hopes of rescuing Suryadevera. On hearing of his daughter’s abduction, Shirkissoon, also known as Trevor Teelucksingh, proprietor of Teelucksingh’s Furniture Appli-ances and General Store, also on High Street, Princes Town, held a prayer service with relatives for the safe return of his daughter. When Newsday visited his businessplace located under his house, Teelucksingh made appeals to the kidnappers to “return the child safely.” The worried man told Newsday he was at his businessplace when someone in a car told him his daughter had been kidnapped.

According to Teelucksingh, both he and his daughter did not receive any prank calls prior to the kidnapping. He also said that he did not receive the threatening cellphone text message — “Aissa handle your REAL business before you lose your daughter….that is if you still care.” Teelucksingh said he did not know whether his daughter’s kidnapping was linked to the text message. Suryadevera lived with her husband, Ravi Suryadevera, whom she married seven months ago.  Teelucksingh escaped a similar fate on June 27 last year when around 9 pm, three masked gunmen accosted him while he was sitting in front of his businessplace and attempted to bundle him into a car.  Teelucksingh cried out for help as he struggled with the men, who retreated to the car and sped off. However, during the struggle, the men ripped off two gold chains valued $15,000 from Teelucksingh’s neck and dealt him several gun-butt blows to his head. One year later, police have not arrested anyone in connection with the failed kidnap attempt on Teelucksingh. Visiting the scene yesterday was a party of officers from the Princes Town police station and members of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) including Supt Mohammed, ASP Henry Millington, Sgts Maynard, Singh, Persad and Kowlessar. Investigations are continuing. 

Fire officers from the Four Roads Fire Station were called out to extinguish a fire at the Lady Hochoy Home, Cocorite, on Sunday night after a blaze was discovered in the laundry.

By the time fire officers arrived on the scene, the equipment housed at the laundry was already destroyed while two dormitories were water soaked. The lost equipment was valued at $2 million and up until late yesterday, it could not be ascertained how the fire started. Reports revealed that around 9.30 pm, smoke was seen coming from the laundry and officials of the home alerted the fire department. The children who are housed at the home were alerted to the fire and they were told to obey specific instructions to avoid being injured. After less than 45 minutes, the blaze was extinguished and the fire was prevented from spreading to other parts of the home. The laundry department houses special laundry units and equipment which are used for bulk washing of clothing.

Fire Officer Nanan of the Four Roads Fire Department interviewed several persons at the home on Sunday and statements were recorded yesterday. Fire prevention officers returned to the home yesterday and tried to find out how the fire started. The laundry, which is located on the north eastern side of the building, contained a quantity of expensive equipment and clothing. A faulty transformer is suspected as the cause of the fire but this could not be confirmed. The Lady Hochoy Home is valued at $3 million. It houses 120 children and five staff members who were at the home when the fire started. Sister Bertille who is in charge of the home could not be contacted yesterday for comment. Some of the children were relocated to other parts of the home yesterday as cleaning up operations started. Officials at the home told Newsday that the incident caused some of the children to become scared but they were comforted and the situation is now under control. Newsday learned that steps are afoot to have the laundry rebuilt and new equipment purchased.

THE threatening text message that went out to thousands of post-paid mobile phone users between Saturday night and Sunday morning did not originate from the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TSTT) server.

Stephen Sheppard, TSTT’s Vice President Customer Relationship Man-agement said this yesterday while updating the situation which left several people traumatised. The strange text message which was circulated read: “Aissa handle your REAL business before you lose your daughter…that is if you still care.” Sheppard said while the message did not originate from its server, it does not mean that it was not a TSTT customer who committed the act. Sheppard said a TSTT customer could have gone onto another website in any part of the world to send the threatening text message. He also dismissed any suggestions that the message might have come from employees within their Internet area. Sheppard said no one was on duty in the Internet area at the time, and in any event, he said, not many people work in the Internet area.

TSTT is working along with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to find the source of the text message which went out to over 40,000 post-paid users. The telephone company stated that it has been able to identify that the text message came via the Internet and has since shut down the Internet server that is being used to send text messages. This, according to TSTT, means that customers who send text messages from a computer to a mobile telephone will not be able to do so. However, customers can still send SMS text messages from mobile phone to mobile phone. The matter was discussed at length during yesterday’s police executive meeting, headed by Acting Commis-sioner of Police, Everald Snaggs. Sources said police do not believe that the threatening message was an external one, but a local one, and that the matter will be thoroughly investigated.

Sources also said that the police investigations will not be an easy one and that they will need people with technical knowledge to assist them. Sheppard told Newsday that several post-paid number ranges were affected, including codes 680, 620, 682, 684, 678 and 685. Sheppard said each number range has a possible 10,000 numbers, but he said not everyone may have received the text message for several reasons. Newsday was reliably informed that some of the affected customers were High Court Judge Allan Mendonca, attorney Guy Hannays and acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime/Operations) Glen Roach. “It was a bit unsettling at first, but it could not have been related to me because I knew where my daughter was,” Hannays said. Sheppard continued that the person or persons responsible for the text message do not necessarily have to know an individual’s mobile number.  He said the technology exists to do something of that nature, and that it could have been sent from any part of the world.

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday yesterday said he may remain as Couva North MP even if the United National Congress (UNC) elects a new leader when it holds internal executive elections later this year.

Asked by Newsday about whether he would remain an Opposition parliamentarian when the party elects a new leader, Panday replied: “Possibly.” However the UNC leader said it was “very difficult” at this time to say whether he would still be Opposition Leader in such a scenario. Traditionally, the Opposition Leader is also the political leader of the party in opposition. “I would like to enter into a new phase of politics,” Panday said. He explained that this would basically entail “non-electoral” political activities such as charity work, writing and possibly the occasional lecture.

The UNC leader also said he was not upset about the contents of St Augustine MP Winston Doo-keran’s document “An Agenda for Transformation.”  In that document, Dookeran criticised the UNC’s policies of civil disobedience and non-cooperation and said the UNC was widely perceived as Panday’s personal property. “We try to encourage free and open discussions within the UNC. That is the whole point of democracy,” he declared. Panday added that in making his analyses, Dookeran had to be “big enough” to stand whatever scrutiny those analyses came under. Dookeran has been touted as Panday’s likely successor, but has publicly denied having leadership ambitions. Asked whether he approved of a proposal for the UNC to have three deputy political leaders, similar to the People’s National Movement (PNM), Panday said that party elections officer Dr Tim Gopeesingh’s constitutional review committee would consider all views on that subject.

UNC chairman Wade Mark meanwhile said people were “making a mountain out of a molehill” as far as Dookeran’s report was concerned. “This is not a party position. This is purely a discussion paper. Nothing more, nothing less,” he stated. In his report, Dookeran said there was growing public disillusionment with the UNC and PNM on the issue of corruption. Panday has consistently denied that any corrupt activities took place during the UNC’s six-year period in government.

THE Ministry of Health yesterday advised the general public that recent random sampling of products from Erin Meat Packers Limited has confirmed that several of these items have been infected with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said: “The public is hereby advised to immediately dispose of the following products from Erin Meat Packers Ltd if they have them in their possession: Chicken Franks (Code Numbers 230-235, 237, 238, 240-242, 246, 248, 249, 253, 254), Spiced Ham (Code Number 240) and Turkey Ham (Code Numbers 231, 238, 245 and 252).” The Ministry stated that it is now working with the company and plant operators to ensure that steam cleaning, hot water treatment, fumigation and sanitation are effected in order to bring the plant to acceptable standards.

The Minister added that retailers must not sell products of this description bearing the above code numbers. In addition, the public is advised to take note of the following steps before they prepare “ready-to-eat foods”:
(1) Reheat until steaming hot the following types of ready-to-eat foods: hot dogs, luncheon meats, cold cuts, fermented and dry sausage and other deli-style meat and poultry products. If you cannot reheat these foods, do not eat them.
(2) Wash hands with hot soap water after handling these types of ready-to-eat foods. Wash at least 20 seconds. Also wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils. Thorough washing helps eliminate any bacteria that might get on your hands or other surfaces from food before it is reheated.
(3) Do not use any perishable pre-cooked ready-to-eat products after the date of expiry.

ALICIA SEERATTAN, sister of slain teenager Phillip Seerattan be-lieves that her brother was killed at the Inter-national School premises at Westmoorings. She does not believe that he died at the St Clair Medical Centre.

Alicia said when she arrived at the Internation-al School on November 20, 2002, Phillip was being carried on a stretcher. “He was bleeding. He was bleeding through his eyes, neck and head. He did not respond to me; he was just cold.” Alicia said she accompanied her brother in the ambulance to the St Clair Medical Centre. “I was told that he died there. I don’t believe that, I believe that he died upstairs (International School).” Alicia described her dead brother as a quiet and shy person. She denied that Phillip exhibited any unusual behaviour. She also denied ever hearing her brother use racist remarks. Chief Magistrate Sher-man Mc Nicolls, presiding as Coroner, is conducting an inquiry to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of 17-year-old Phillip Seerattan. Patricia Roberts is looking after the interest of the Seerattan family. Martin George represents the two police officers involved in the shooting — PC Gary Moore and WPC Suad Weekes. Lydia Mendonca appears for the Inter-national School, while Inspector Lynette Fergus-son is the court prosecutor. Hearing resumes on September 25.

Alicia, who is a director of her family business, said that on November 20, 2002, she was in her office when she received a telephone call from Phillip around 2.08 pm. “I asked him if he wanted me to take him to classes. He did not respond. He then responded ‘come straight home’. I told him okay.” Two minutes later, Alicia said she received a call from her father Jadoonanan Seerattan. She found out that Phillip had taken her father’s car — something which she found to be unusual. She called her other brother, Stephen and spoke to him. She remained at the office while her father went in search of Phillip. “It was about 15 minutes after, that I received a call from Phillip. I overheard someone in the background arguing. I asked Phillip who that was. He just replied, ‘some guy.’ Phillip told me to come and pick him up…that he was at the International School. He told me if I did not come and pick him up, he will die.” Alicia said she tried to question her brother, but the cell phone was giving trouble. Alicia said she headed for the International School.  When she got there, there were a lot of police officers. “I asked where was the shooting and where was the gunman?” The witness said she then saw her brother on a stretcher being taken to the ambulance.

Seerattan’s brother Stephen also testified yesterday. On the fateful day, he was attending a function at the Centre of Excellence when he received a call from his sister Alicia. “She told me that Phillip took daddy’s car and went off with it. I asked her why he did that, but she said she did not know. I asked her to keep me informed. She called me back five minutes later and said Phillip was down at the International School at Westmoorings.” Stephen said he called his brother and asked him what was happening and where he was. Phillip did not answer and the cellphone went dead. Stephen was unable to reach his brother again. The witness said he went to the International School. When he arrived there, the ambulance was ready to leave. He did not see his wounded brother. The following day, he accompanied his father to the Forensic Science Centre where he saw Phillip’s body on a trolley. His father identified the body to pathologist Dr Hughvon Des Vignes. On November 22, Phillip was cremated at the St James Cremato-rium after a funeral service at the All Saints An-glican Church, Newtown.

DESPITE having dealt with the price of chicken last week, Government may have to face a looming problem regarding the price of bread.  This was disclosed by Legal Affairs Minister Camille Robinson-Regis when she addressed the launch of a National Flour Mills (NFM) training seminar at the San Fernando Technical Institute last Saturday.

The Minister expressed optimism that producers “will do all in their power to keep the prices down as much as possible, especially as we come down to the latter part of this year and look forward to the Christmas festivities.” Reiterating that one of her Ministry’s main objectives is to educate consumers to make appropriate choices regarding quality goods and services, Robinson-Regis said the Ministry tackled these issues when NFM increased the price of flour in January due to a worldwide shortage of wheat. She stated that following talks between the relevant stakeholders, NFM effected reductions of between ten to 17 percent in the prices of flour and flour-related products in May. “Investigations by officers of the Consumer Affairs Division of the Ministry of Legal Affairs had indicated that most supermarkets had passed these savings on to their customers. However, the producers of bread and other flour-based products had not made similar concessions,” the Minister said.

Robinson-Regis said Government cannot implement price controls in a liberalised economy and “can only rely on moral suasion and the integrity of producers to pass savings on to customers.” “Consequently, the onus falls on consumers to exercise the power of choice and patronise only those businesses that operate in the interest of consumers by passing on savings to them,” she added. Robinson-Regis said meetings between her Ministry and the Bakers’ Association have acknowledged that increased prices on their products would impact severely on both consumers and the local baking industry. She noted that over a 15-year period, 37 bakeries have closed down and unless costs are stabilised, another ten are likely to follow suit this year. The Minister said the option of importing cheaper flour was explored previously but flour from Barbados and Venezuela were deemed unsuitable for this purpose.

OFFICERS of the West End Police Station have questioned Earl Banfield, the owner of Rottweiler “Sampson,” who severely bit nine-year-old Rishie Jaggernauth about the body last Saturday night.

A lab technician with Ferreira’s Optical, Banfield, 35, of Gopaul Avenue, Diego Martin, yesterday confirmed that he was questioned by the police on Sunday night. Rishie, Second Standard pupil of Diego Martin Boys RC, was bitten on the head, hand and shoulders when he went to visit friends a short distance from his home. The child received 15 stitches to the right side of his head, three to his right ear, one to his right index finger and two bites on the shoulder. But Banfield, a father of three, sought to defend his dog, saying “Sampson” does not attack anyone unless harrassed. This, he said, is the reason why the dog is never tied.

Banfield charged that little Rishie is one of several people that harrasses his four-year-old dog.  Nonetheless, he said, the incident was not a nice one and that he was extremely sorry for what had transpired. He said he has so far given $360 to Rishie’s mother, Rebecca Jaggernauth, in a bid to settle medical and transportation expenses. However, Rebecca said that the money given is not enough because she was advised by doctors at the Mount Hope Hospital that her son should have a CAT Scan. The CAT Scan, she said, costs in excess of $1,000. Rebecca said when she told Banfield about the CAT Scan, she was told that it was not needed, and that he (Banfield) would take Rishie to his (Banfield’s) physician to get a second opinion. Rebecca also said that Banfield told her that he was “just as poor” as she was. Banfield confirmed all this. “My son could have died and no one came to his rescue,” Rebecca said, pointing out that she does not want any “drastic action,” just full compensation. Police sources, meanwhile, said they are continuing to investigate the matter.

One of the main reasons for the inclement weather being experienced for the last month or so is a combination of the light or weak level winds and warm mornings.

Chief Meteorological Officer at Piarco, Emmanuel Mulchan, said yesterday that certain parts of the country are in a light regime where light or weak low level winds prevent proper ventilation thus causing the heat to remain close to the surface. Mulchan explained that with the land warm during the morning and the air closest to the land becoming buoyant, it could easily rise. As a consequence, a westerly wind develops, bringing mostly air from the Gulf of Paria over Trinidad. “Where the light easterly flow meets the westerly flow, there is mixing and rising. What compounds the matter is if there are high upper level winds. This will cause condensation and hence cloud formation, ” he said and added that thunder clouds will then develop and this can result in locally heavy showers and gusty winds. “Usually the showers dissipate by late afternoon or as soon as the land cools, and this has been the trend over the last month,” said Mulchan.