GEORGE “JUNIOR” LANGFORD, a 14-year-old Form 2 student of the Tranquillity Government Secondary School was stabbed to death at the corner of Roberts and Alfredo Streets, Woodbrook on Wednesday night and the police are now looking for a woman, said to be a prostitute, with whom he reportedly had an argument minutes before the stabbing.

Police investigators said yesterday that the young woman is  often seen loitering in the Woodbrook area. The murder weapon, believed to be an icepick, was not recovered from the scene. Police interviewed an eyewitness who claimed that she saw Langford, who lived at Nizam Avenue, El Socorro and a woman arguing around 10 pm. She told investigators that she heard Langford tell the woman he had $80. The argument continued for more than five minutes, the eyewitness said. She added that Langford cuffed the woman. She attempted to hit him but missed. She then reportedly reached in her purse for an icepick and stabbed Langford once on the left side of the chest. As he slumped to the ground, the woman fled the scene.

Officers of the Woodbrook Police Station were contacted and a party of officers led by ACP Crime Oswyn Allard, Ag Supt Errol Denoon, Sgt Valentine Millette and others responded. The body was viewed by a District Medical Officer who ordered its removal to the Forensic Science Centre. Several women who are often seeing loitering in the area rushed to the scene and told the police that Langford provided protection for a woman known to him. They added that he was well known by several women in Woodbrook. An autopsy carried out yesterday by Dr Hughvon Des Vignes revealed that death was due to a stab wound which punctured the left side of the heart. At the Forensic Science Centre, Hazlon “Pinky” Langford insisted that her son went to cricket practice at the Queen’s Park Oval on Wednesday, and later went in search of a woman who once lived at their home in El Socorro. She said that it was while looking for the woman that he was stabbed and killed, and called on the police to find the person who killed her son.

Neighbours of the family expressed sadness over his death, and Keisha Reed, a close friend of the dead student cried. Reed told Newsday she was supposed to attend a sports day yesterday in company with Junior at Hillview College. At the Tranquillity Government Secondary School, Dr Mervyn Reddy, the Principal, said that the passing of any student of the school was a sad one. He added that he had not yet been briefed on the circumstances leading to Langford’s death. Reddy said that Form Two students did not have school on Wednesday and yesterday because of the CXC examinations. He said that as far as he knew, the school did not have cricket practice at the Oval. Students of the school who knew Langford said that he was a bright student, but he was always harassing the female students at the school. Relatives of Langford went to the Woodbrook Police Station yesterday where they collected a few items found in Langford’s pockets. Police investigators claimed that they know who they are looking for in connection with the fatal stabbing. Sgt Millette is investigating.

“I AM NOT in love with Wayne Prescott,” yesterday declared Michele Donavan. “I have no interest in him. The first time I saw him was on television and I never confessed to the police of loving him or wanting a relationship with him.”

According to the 36-year-old woman who lives at Circular Street, Ste Madeleine, she merely called Prescott to offer her assistance, having regard to the trauma he and his family were currently experiencing.  Prescott’s six year old son, Mark Prescott, was kidnapped more than two weeks ago and apart from a demand ransom of $150,000 nothing has been heard about him. Police charged Donovan with wasting police time when she called Wayne Prescott’s home pretending that she had information about the child. The police investigated her call and she was taken to court on Wednesday and fined $650. Donavan, the niece of former national boxer Matthew Donavan, told Newsday yesterday she had never confessed to the police of loving Prescott, or wanting to have a relationship with him as the police said.

Donavan admitted though, that she told the magistrate that she wanted to get closer to the father. “But I only did that to get out of the situation. At the time I was very frightened and confused. I thought I was going to jail.” she stated. “I am not an evil person, trying to convince Prescott to love me,” Donavan insisted yesterday while attending her 10-year-old daughter’s sports day at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadiun, at Marabella. The single mother is unemployed and lives with her aunt, Theresa. Donavan said she felt sympathy for the Prescott’s family, adding: “I thought that I could have helped him find his boy.” Recalling the telephone conversation she had with Prescott from a public phone booth on St James Street, San Fernando on Tuesday, she said: “I told him (Prescott) who I was and he asked me if I was the niece of Matt Donavan.” Donovan said that before she could say another word, she was held by the police. She denied that she had told Prescott that she knew where his son was being held in captivity. She also denied confessing to the police that she had feelings for Prescott.

EIGHT people have so far been questioned in connection with Sunday’s police shooting death of St Ann’s Hospital outpatient, Gideon Edwards.

Of the eight questioned, senior officers told Newsday yesterday that five are police officers. The other three are civilians. Senior police officers also told Newsday that several more people are to be questioned in connection with the fatal shooting of Edwards, which occurred on Kangalee Street, Valencia. Investigators also said that there is more field work to be done, and the investigations may be completed by Monday. ASP Errol Dillon, in charge of crime for the Northern Division, is lead investigator. Edwards, 45, of Kangalee Street, was shot and killed after he allegedly attacked an officer with a cutlass.  Officers of the Valencia Police Post had responded to a call that Edwards was threatening people in the area.

The St Ann’s outpatient was then shot in the hip and later died at the Sangre Grande Hospital. The officer who is alleged to have shot Edwards is reportedly receiving counselling. The shooting has left relatives and residents charging that the police used excessive force.  It was one of two police shooting deaths that left residents and relatives clamouring for a police probe. On May 14, Toco resident Glenroy Elder, 42, of L’Anse Noire was shot and killed after police said he attacked them.  The shooting incident sparked protests by villagers, some of whom have since charged that the officer who did the shooting was not rostered to work.

Justice Prakash Moosai yesterday sentenced two Caroni men to death after a 12-member jury found them guilty of the 1997 murder of Chaguanas businessman Ramcoomar Ramoutar.

Anthony Amogan and Michael Ramdawar, both 33, of Frederick Settlement, Caroni, were jointly charged with the murder of Ramoutar at Carlsen Field, Chaguanas, on February 22, 1997. The men were sentenced to be hanged after the jury comprising of five women and seven men found them each guilty of murder. The jury which spent two months listening to evidence and three days of listening to the judge’s summation of the trial, took 90 minutes to deliberate the verdict. Justice Moosai asked the prisoners if there was anything they wished to say before he passed sentence. Amogan replied, “There is nothing I can say at this point in time to the sentence passed on me, but I will prove my innocence at a higher court.” Ramdawar made no response. Moosai then read the death sentence to each of the men separately. As he was led out of the courtroom, Amogan looked across to his family and told them not to worry about him.

Moosai commended the jury on their exemplar service for the two-month period they served. He then exempted them from jury service for a period of two years. Upon hearing the sentence, Ramoutar’s wife, Ann, cried and fell to the ground. She and her daughter, Roxanne, were comforted by other relatives present at the court. Outside of court, Ann cried  and held onto State attorney Cherron Raphael who prosecuted in the trial. The State presented evidence indicating that Amogan and Ramdawar went to the Ramoutar’s home at Edinburgh Village, Chaguanas, on February 22, 1997. After robbing Ramoutar and his family, they kidnapped Ramoutar and took him to Carlsen Field where they shot him in each knee. Post mortem reports showed that Ramoutar died as a result of blood loss from the gunshot wounds to his knees. Amogan was represented by attorney Selwyn Mohammed and Owen Hinds Jr, while Ramdawar was represented by attorney Om Lalla and Shastri Roberts.

Police officers investigating the fatal shooting of Laventille taxi-driver Nicholai Win-chester on Wednesday afternoon said yesterday that they are yet to establish a motive for the murder of the country’s 89th victim.

An autopsy carried out yesterday on the body of Laventille taxi-driver Nicholai Winchester, revealed that death was due to shock and haemorrhage consistent with two gunshot wounds to the chest. The autopsy was carried out yesterday by Dr Hughvon Des Vignes at the Forensic Science Centre. Winchester, the father of a five-year-old girl died at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after being shot twice by a lone gunman.

Reports revealed that around 3.30 pm, Winchester who lived at Erica Street, was at Prizgar Lands, Laventille, when he was confronted by a gunman who shot him. Inspector Ramnarine, Sgt Boyce and a party of officers carried out inquiries. Relatives told Newsday that Winchester earned a living working as a taxi-driver, and as far as they knew he was not involved in any illicit activities and his taxi-was being repaired at the time of his death. At the Forensic Science Centre, relatives refused to divulge any further information and refused to be photographed.

RELATIVES of part-time mason Kerry “Jiggers” Joseph have charged that the police changed the bullet that killed the Petit Valley resident.

Joseph’s common-law-wife, Althea Marcano made the statement yesterday following a preliminary investigation by the police that the lone slug that entered Joseph’s head did not come from a police gun. A .380 slug was removed from Joseph  on Monday, the day he died at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, after a shootout in the Petit Valley area on May 22. An off-duty police constable was also grazed in the head and is now on injury leave.  He had been issued with a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver. Senior police officers said the officer’s revolver could not hold the .380 slug. “The bullet was changed but everything will come out in the open,” Marcano, mother of one of Joseph’s two children told Newsday yesterday. Marcano added: “We leave everything in the hands of God. God doesn’t sleep.”

Meantime, officers of the Western Division said yesterday they were pursuing certain lines of investigations to plug what they said are the legal holes in charging people with Joseph’s murder. As investigations continued, senior officers of the Western Division said police were on the field yesterday gathering evidence that could lead to an arrest and conviction in the killing. Two people have already appeared in court as a result of the Petit Valley shooting.  One of them has been charged with attempting to murder the policeman, while the other has been charged with ammunition possession. Sgt Anthony Lezama of the West End Police Station is continuing investigations.

A MAXI taxi tout was yesterday shot and killed outside the Port-of-Spain Rosary Boys RC School in what police suspect as the result of an incident Wednesday night in which a woman was beaten in the Belmont district.

The dead man has been identified as Dion Manson, 28, aka Shabazz, of Building A-108 Charford Courts, Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain. Another man, who police identified as Justin Jobe of Belle Eau Road, Belmont, is believed to have been shot by the same suspect, police said.  Jobe is warded in satisfactory condition at Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Reports are that around 4.30pm yesterday, Manson, father of one four-year-old son, Dishawn, was on Charlotte Street in the vicinity of the Rosary Boys RC School, when a white vehicle, in which there were three male occupants, pulled up alongside him and two shots were heard.

An eyewitness, who was washing a vehicle at the time, told police that the white vehicle, believed to be a new model Sunny, came from Observatory Street, turned into the nearby gas station, and made a slight turn onto Charlotte Street. The 45-year-old man said one of the male occupants in the front seat, fired two shots at Manson.  He said the vehicle then passed a line of cars and turned up the East Dry River bridge and escaped. After, the eyewitness said, Manson was seen lying on the ground in a pool of blood, nursing gunshot wounds to his back.  He added that a nearby vendor placed Manson into a maxi taxi which took him to the city hospital, where Manson was pronounced dead on arrival. “He was a real cool person,” the eyewitness told Newsday.  The man told police that the shooting stemmed from an incident Wednesday night when the suspect’s girlfriend was beaten up by a group of men.

At Manson’s home yesterday, his 53-year-old mother, Josephine Manson, said her son had just left home to go and hustle to get milk for his son.  The mother of eight also said that her son had just helped an elderly woman with a bag. “He was no bandit and no drug lord.  He was loved by all the people in the yard.  He disrepected no one,” the woman said.  She added that he worked with the URP and City Council. Josephine said she learned of her son’s death when a neighbour shouted: “Shabazz just pick up two.”  His sister, Minisha said the most her brother would do is gamble, curse and tout to make sure his son had food. Another relative said children from the Rosary Boys school said they heard two gunshots, and that teachers told them not to look outside. Relatives were also hoping that the suspect is picked up shortly, since they said he is the holder of a United States visa and can flee the country. A party of officers from the Belmont Criminal Investi-gations Department (CID), under acting Insp Glen Sylvester visited the scene and are continuing investigations.

GOVERNMENT succeeded yesterday in getting 120 days (four months) of breathing room for BWIA to clear all of its outstanding liabilities and Prime Minister Patrick Manning announced that immediate changes must be made in the national airline’s existing management structure.

Addressing a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Planning Minister Dr Keith Rowley said talks earlier in the day between Government and lessors International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) at the Finance Ministry resulted in ILFC agreeing to give BWIA “120 days of breathing space” to deal with its outstanding liabilities. He explained that BWIA has from now until September to use revenues from its most profitable season to pay its outstanding debts and ILFC would make no attempts to seize its aircraft during this time. Government, Rowley continued, assured ILFC that BWIA “would be able to meet its liabilities for the coming months” and also secured the immediate release of two BWIA 737 jets seized recently in Miami. The Minister said ILFC officials told Government that its actions were precipitated by empty promises from BWIA about dealing with its liabilities and Government will pay some US$ 5.5 million of the airline’s outstanding arrears from March to May and back up BWIA’s ability to pay a US$ 2 million monthly lease to ILFC.

Manning said the due diligence at BWIA will be completed within the next three weeks. “The Board of BWIA will be asked to make immediate changes to the company’s management. The management of BWIA has to be restructured with immediate effect as a condition of the Government’s further funding of the airline,” the Prime Minister declared. Asked if this meant the imminent dismissal of BWIA CEO Conrad Aleong, Manning said “this is not a personal thing” and that was a matter for BWIA’s Board of Directors. Recalling plans to form a regional airline from a BWIA-Liat merger, Manning reiterated that BWIA was not viable in its present form, but regional governments were prepared to purchase shares in a viable regional airline that emerges from the two carriers. He was confident that BWIA would see profits over the next four months to offset its debts and reminded reporters that the nation’s 60-year confidence in BWIA would not be eroded in a mere four months and he would continue to fly on BWIA.

Manning dismissed suggestions that Government would seek controlling interest in BWIA, adding that such a scenario would be temporary, if it arose. The PM said while BWIA and Caroni (1975 Limited’s current financial situations affected Government’s budgetary projections slightly, the local economy could handle such “temporary aberrations.” Reminded about his previous statements that Government seemed prepared to wash its hands of BWIA, Manning said while there were many ways that an airline could fold, he was  optimistic that “a brand new BWIA Limited 2003” would emerge at day’s end. The PM said BWIA’s current situation could accelerate the introduction of Chapter 11 legislation in Trinidad and Tobago and he had no evidence of questionable activity at Tobago Express.  Rowley said forensic auditing firm Zwaig International is assisting in BWIA’s financial review, and could be paid up to US$25,000 for its work thus far. Zwaig is continuing investigations into the InnCogen deal.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday expressed his regrets that a group of disabled persons protesting outside National Flour Mills (NFM) for employment had allegedly been assaulted by police/security officers.

Manning told yesterday’s Post-Cabinet Media Conference at Whitehall: “I regret that incident had taken place, that disabled persons were subjected to unusual attention.” He said he had just spoken about the matter to Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister for Social Delivery (Senator Christine Kangaloo). Describing the disabled as a very special group of persons, Manning said: “We discussed further ways to help ease the plight of the disabled.” He said that State enterprises have been employing disabled people and he promised to look for ways to further their employment. He was asked about former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj’s threat to bring a constitutional motion to compel the Government to implement the Equal Opportunities Act which would protect the disabled.

Manning replied that the Act had not yet been proclaimed because the Government perceived it to have certain shortcomings. He said: “Some amendments must take place to the Act before it is implemented.” On another constitutional issue about the Opposition’s allegations of bias against Speaker of the House of Representatives Barry Sinanan and President of the Senate Dr Linda Baboolal Manning said: “Are you surprised by it? There’s a history to it. I’ve seen it all before.” He said he hoped the Opposition MPs would realise their responsibility to those who had elected them. Maning brushed off the Opposition’s threat to take their complaints to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), saying: “That again is not new.  It’s standard. If they tell you ‘Good Morning’, go home and switch on your house lights.”

Manning disgreed with Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s suggestion that he should suspend the Board of Directors of WASA until forensic investigator Bob Lindquist had completed his probe into payments made by the company. “We have to be very careful especially when dealing with an irresponsible Opposition. The Opposition can raise spurious allegations. Let the investigation take place, we will have a report, and we will act appropriately.”