Opposition member for Couva South Kelvin Ramnath not only dared House Speaker Barry Sinanan to discipline him, but also shouted: “Barry Sinanan go to hell!”

Spitting fire and brimstone at the party’s Monday night forum at the Princes Town Junior Secondary School, Ramnath’s outburst brought a sudden silence to the hall where the meeting was held. And in case the audience could not believe what they had heard, he repeated: “And if you didn’t hear, Barry Sinanan go to hell!” Ramnath, who last Friday clashed with the Speaker in the House of Representa-tives, was joined by his political leader Basdeo Panday, who, referring to last Friday’s display, declared: “It is the beginning of things to come. Those who do not listen will feel.” Ramnath accused Sinanan of bias and said that he would not be muzzled. The Couva South MP then challenged the Speaker to take him before the Privileges Committee. He said the Constitution affords him free speech in public, a right no one can take from him. Ramnath said: “If Barry Sinanan wants to discipline me for something I said, let him take a chance.”

Accusing Sinanan of being a “PNM Speaker” who was yet to resign from the ruling party after his tenure as San Fernando West constituency MP, Ramnath vowed: “I will deal with him Friday after Friday until he changes his attitude.” Panday also accused Sinanan of bias and hinted of more clashes in the House. Panday said: “What happen last Friday…they felt an explosion. It is the beginning of things to come.”  The Opposition Leader, however, sounded the warning that if the conduct of the Parliament’s business is not changed, worse could develop. “If they do not change, things will get worse. Those who do not listen will feel,” Panday said. Other speakers were MP for St Joseph, Gerald Yetming, Kamla Persad-Bissessar (Siparia) and Subhas Panday (Princes Town).

The flight attendant who was killed in a freak motorbike accident 26 hours before she would have celebrated her 26th birthday, was laid to rest at the Tunapuna Cemetery yesterday, following a funeral service in Arima.

Yesterday, the chapel at Allen’s Funeral Home, Arima, was packed to capacity  as flight attendants, pilots, employees of Caribbean Star, friends and relatives of Beena Rampersad turned up to pay their last respects. Rampersad, a flight attendant with Caribbean Star, who was planning to marry her live-in boyfriend, was killed instantly in a freak motorbike accident at Mayfield Road, Valsayn. Her boyfriend Marvin Wilson, 28, is at the Intensive Care Unit of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex suffering from severe head injuries. Newsday learned that up until Monday he had not been told of the death of Rampersad.

Reports revealed that Rampersad, who lived at Greenvale, Avenue, Valsayn, with Wilson, returned from Antigua on Saturday. Around 9.30 pm, Wilson was riding his motorbike west along Mayfield Road in company with Rampersad, the pillion rider, when he lost control of the bike, and struck a palm tree. The bike then slammed into a wall and the two suffered massive injuries. They were rushed to hospital where Rampersad was pronounced dead on arrival. At the fuuneral service yesterday, Sharon Ramkisson, a relative of the deceased, cried openly as she delivered the eulogy. She said that she had planned to be one of the speakers at the wedding of Rampersad and never thought for a moment that she would be delivering the eulogy instead. She said that Rampersad was always a cheerful, happy person, and she considered her like “a little sister.” “Because of a senseless accident, my “little sister” who would have turned 26 on Monday is dead and it makes no sense,” she said.

Ramkissoon pointed out that Rampersad was noted for making a tasty “chow” and was the heart, soul and belly of her father. She added that based on the turnout at the funeral she is sure that Rampersad was loved and would be sadly missed. Pastor Ken Guth, who officiated at the funeral, asked mourners to pray for the grieving members of the Rampersad family. Newsday was prevented from taking pictures inside the chapel because a relative claimed that it was a private funeral.

A GARBAGE collector, injured in an accident while collecting bottles at the side of the road four years ago, was yesterday awarded $.5 million by a High Court judge.

Vishnu Rampersad, 42, of Vistabella, who was employed with Sanitary Disposal Services as a garbage collector, was collecting bottles at the side of the South-bound lane of the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway on December 29, 1999, when a car ran off the road in the vicinity of the Preysal Flyover, overturned and pinned Rampersad to the ground. He suffered a fractured skull, with resulting brain damage, a broken arm and fractured limb. Rampersad sued the driver, Clyde Mann and the insurance company, B & L Insurance.

According to court records in the Sub-Registry, San Fernando, the insurance company filed a defence. Earlier this year, Rampersad’s attorney Shawn Roopnarine, successfully argued before Justice Nolan Bureaux for the court to strike out the defence.  The judge ordered damages be assessed to compensate Rampersad for his injuries. Yesterday morning, Master of the High Court (San Fernando) Patricia Sobion, awarded Rampersad general damages in the sum of $250,000. The insurance company is to pay the sum with interest at 12 per cent per annum from the date of the filing of the writ — 2000. For loss of earnings, Rampersad was ordered to be paid $150,000. Master Sobion awarded him special damages of $44,310 with interest at the rate of six per cent from 1999. Since the accident rendered him unable to work, she further ordered Rampersad be paid for future loss of earnings in the sum of $116,418.

FOUR Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) agents are coming to Trinidad in early June to upgrade the training of  members of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS).

The United States Government are assisting the TT Government in providing the services of the agents to spend time in Trinidad in light of the increase in kidnappings across the country. This was revealed yesterday by National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee at Whitehall where he signed a US $941,800 agreement with United States Ambassador Dr Roy Austin to assist in the fight against drug trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago. Although he admitted that most of the money would be used in the fight against drug trafficking, Chin Lee said some of the funds will go to assist the AKS in updating its equipment and mobility as members fight the scourge of kidnapping. So far, 15 persons have been kidnapped this year with six-year-old Mark Prescott the only one who has not yet been found.

The National Security Minister also revealed that some of the money would go to the Coast Guard to strengthen its maritime capabilities. Money, Chin Lee added, would also go towards funding an inter-agency financial crime task force and the Customs Department. The signing ceremony took Chin Lee away from the Senate for a short while. Chin Lee filled in for Prime Minister Patrick Manning who was originally carded to sign the agreement. Instead, Manning was in discussions with Head of the Police Special Branch Assistant Commissioner Frank Diaz. Prior to signing the agreement, Chin Lee added, “The funding will therefore go very far in achieving the aim of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to eliminate the supply and availability of illicit drugs for use in or transit through Trinidad and Tobago and the elimination of drug trafficking and production in this country.”

Chin Lee assured the US Ambassador that the money will go towards the procurement of vessels to fight drug trafficking as well as providing technical assistance and specialised training to officials attached to the various law enforcement agencies in the country. Dr Austin said the agreement will allow the TT Government to fund port and security upgrades. This, he said, will allow the Defence Force and the Customs to improve border security. “We can assist health officials with tracking precursor chemicals that could be diverted to criminal purposes.” Austin said the money will also allow TT to provide computers to the courts to improve record keeping and assist with speeding up the administration of law.

Police officers investigating the theft of 10 guns and a quantity of ammunition from Property Protectors Limited at Colville Street, Port-of-Spain, said yesterday that they are yet to receive any key information about the whereabouts of the stolen guns and ammunition.

Senior officers said yesterday that two persons who were detained for questioning in connection with the stolen arms and ammunition were allowed to leave the Woodbrook Police Station on Friday. Investigators said that while they feel that the theft was an “inside job” they have not had any leads in the investigation.

Officers expressed fear that the guns and ammunition may end up in the wrong hands. ACP Crime Oswyn Allars yesterday called on members of the public with any information on where the guns and ammunition are being kept to inform the nearest police station. He added that the police are working feverishly to retrieve the stolen guns and ammunition and called for public support in making this a reality. According to reports, last Thursday night, four masked men armed with guns entered the security company and held up Glendon Charles and Caled Alexander, two security officers on duty at the company.

Both officers claimed that they were beaten and robbed of cash and jewelry. The gunmen then ordered the officers to hand over keys to a vault and took seven revolvers, three shotguns and a quantity of ammunition before escaping. Newsday learned that several persons associated with the security company were quizzed by the police but investigators were unable to receive any useful information. Ag Supt Denoon and a team of investigators returned to the scene of the robbery yesterday and carried out further investigations.