N Touch

Lewis, Tyson in LA double-header

LOS ANGELES: A dream card featuring heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis in a title fight and Mike Tyson in a non-title preliminary bout has been given the go-ahead by the California State Athletic Commission.

The two fights will take place on June 21 and a news conference to announce the opponents will be held tomorrow, commission executive officer Rob Lynch told Reuters. Lynch said Britain’s Lewis will defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) title against either Canada’s Kirk Johnson or German-based Ukrainian heavyweight Vitali Klitschko. In January, Lewis called off a prospective bout with Klitschko. They had been due to meet this month. Tyson is expected to fight Russian Oleg Maskaev.

The fights will be held at Los Angeles’ Staples Centre, home of several of the city’s sports teams including NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers. A Staples Centre spokesman had no immediate comment. A double-header featuring Lewis and Tyson had been proposed for the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey on the same date, but that plan was dropped after the state’s governor James McGreevey made it clear that any application from Tyson for a boxing licence would be denied.

Tyson is a convicted rapist who infamously bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a fight. There have been no incidents during his last two bouts — his loss to Lewis last year and his 49-second knockout of Clifford Etienne in February. “Mike has not applied for a licence but we see nothing stopping him meeting the medical criteria,” Lynch said.

Spurs draw level with Suns

SAN ANTONIO: San Antonio didn’t stop Stephon Marbury, but the Spurs did make their free throws down the stretch on Monday, taking an 84-76 victory over Phoenix to even their playoff series at one match each.

Two days after the Spurs missed six of their eight free throws in overtime and fell to the Suns in Game One, Tim Duncan scored half of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. He helped San Antonio battle back from a seven-point deficit in the period.

The series switches to Phoenix for matches on Friday and Sunday. With the Spurs leading 77-76, Manu Ginobili made a three-pointer from the wing with 1:02 remaining. Marbury, the hero of Game One with a running three-point bank shot in overtime, missed a drive to the basket on the next possession. San Antonio then clinched the victory by making all four of its foul shots in the final minute. IN INDIANAPOLIS, Reggie Miller came off the bench in the final minutes to drill a three-pointer as Indiana beat Boston and even the Eastern Conference playoff series 1-1. Jermaine O’Neal scored 23 points and grabbed 20 rebounds for the Pacers.

Antoine Walker led the Celtics with 19 points, Walter McCarty had 16 and Paul Pierce, who scored 40 in the opener, finished with 16. IN SACRAMENTO, California, Peja Stojakovic scored 29 points, and Vlade Divac had 15 points and seven rebounds as Sacramento beat Utah to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Playing the aggressive, high-scoring style that put them among the NBA’s elite, the Kings took a 25-point lead early in the fourth period —- and they did it mostly without leading scorer and rebounder Chris Webber, who went to the locker room early in the second quarter with a strained lower back.

Bobby Jackson had 15 points and six assists for the Kings, who didn’t need Webber to better a dismal effort by the seventh-seeded Jazz in their fourth straight playoff defeat. Karl Malone scored 15 points for the Jazz, who have four days off before Game Three on Saturday at the Delta Centre, where Sacramento have won eight straight matches. Game Four is on Monday.

Real fancied to oust United

LONDON: Raul or no Raul, Real Madrid are still overwhelming favourites to oust Manchester United from the Champions League football tournament.

Called the “best player in the world” by United manager Alex Ferguson after Real Madrid won the first-leg quarterfinal, Raul Gonzalez underwent emergency surgery on Monday for appendicitis. Raul scored two goals in the dominating 3-1 victory in Madrid two weeks ago. Even without Raul for today’s return leg at Old Trafford, Real has superstars Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Luis Figo and remains a strong bet to reach the semifinals and win a 10th title.  Ajax play at AC Milan in today’s other second-leg quarterfinal after a 0-0 draw in Amsterdam.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson had joked last week that Raul should be banned from entering the country for the second leg. “Alex Ferguson didn’t want him (Raul) to be allowed into England and we’ve taken things a step further by not even letting him out of Spain,” Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano said. “All we can do is lament the situation and repeat the confidence we have in a squad that has won so much in recent years.”  Raul will be replaced up front by Jose Maria “Guti” Gutierrez. “It’s left me speechless,” Real Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque said. “There’s no doubt that losing Raul is a big blow for us. Now we have to act like real professionals. We can’t start crying about it.

“The team has lost its flagship but we all hope that with the squad the club has we will overcome this setback,” said Madrid’s Spanish international goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Casillas warned of overconfidence and said this match may be different. “The English fans are incredible; they cheer their side non-stop. They could be losing 3-0 and they still keep on trying to lift their side. Manchester are transformed in Old Trafford. It’s like a going from day to night or Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde and when they attack you, it’s like having to stand up to a train.” Italian referee Pierluigi Collina will handle the match before a 67,500 sellout at Old Trafford. Collina refereed the World Cup final last summer between Brazil and Germany and is considered the game’s best.

Manchester United is the decided underdog but would advance to the semifinals with a 2-0 victory on the away-goal rule.   English bookmakers have the Spanish as 1-7 odds-on favourites to reach the semifinals, with Man U at 4-1. One thing is certain: one of the sides won’t be playing in the May 28 final at Old Trafford. Real Madrid and Manchester United have played seven times dating back to 1957, and the English team has won only once. That came in 1968, a 1-0 victory en route to the Reds’ first of two European Cup titles. Man United will be without midfielder Paul Scholes and defender Gary Neville —- both suspended. Goalkeeper Fabien Barthez is nursing a thigh injury, while Argentine midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron is expected back after missing six weeks with a knee injury. 

Rousillac bat slams 213

Rousillac batsman Kevin Acharaj slammed a brilliant 213 against Mafeking in the latest round of matches in the Southern Superleague cricket series.

Acharaj guided his team to 327 all out, striking 20 fours and 10 sixes. He was well supported by Randy Mohammed who got 42. Mafeking, the South East champions from Mayaro, then replied with 140. They had no answers to the wiles of Dave Boodram who took four wickets for 21 runs and Rawlston Singh, three for 59. Trailing 187 runs behind on first innings, Mafeking were forced to follow-on and were dismissed for just 99 runs — going under by an innings and 88 runs. Singh, the former Central Sports player, was the main wicket-taker with four for 19. Rousillac got 28 points for the victory that takes them to 64 after four rounds. Mafeking got four points that pushed them to 58.


SUPERLEAGUE SCORES


At Rousillac: Rousillac Utd 327 all out (Kevin Acharaj 213, Randy Mohammed 42) def Mafeking 140 & 99 (Dave Boodram 4/21 & 3/12, Rawlston Singh 3/59 & 4/19) — By inns and 88 runs.

Bolt outstanding at Carifta

JAMAICAN athlete Usain “Thunderbolt” Bolt was awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy as the Most Outstanding Athlete when the 32nd annual CARIFTA Track and Field Cham-pionships ended at the Hasely Crawford Sta-dium, Mucurapo, on Monday night.

The beanpole 16-year-old captured gold medals in the four Boys Under-20 events in which he participated, and three in new Carifta record times. On Saturday night, Bolt won the 400 metres in 46.35 seconds, wiping out the 2001 standard of 46.51 set by Trinidad and Tobago’s Damion Barry. Twenty-four hours later, he guided the Jamaicans to another gold in the 4×100 relay team in 39.43, well below the 40.19 time by Trinidad and Tobago in 2001. On the final night of action, Bolt won the half-lap in 20.43 seconds, .05 seconds below countryman’s Roy Bayley’s 1987 mark. And his gold medal exploits were completed when he led his team to victory in the 4x400m relay in three minutes 9.70 seconds, ahead of Trinidad and Tobago 3:12.46 and Bahamas 3:13.72.

Bolt currently holds five Carifta marks, including the U-17 200m (21.12) and 400m (47.33) times at last year’s competition in the Bahamas. The Jamaicans also swept to glory in the remaining 4x400m relays on Monday – the Boys Under-17 in 3:19.17, with Barbados 3:21.19 and the Bahamas 3:21.25 trailing; the Girls Under-17 in 3:39.50, erasing their 2002 Carifta mark of 3:44.18, with the Bahamas 3:48.23 second and TT 3:49.29 third; and the Girls Under-20 in 3:36.20, followed by TT’s 3:40.08 and Bahamas’ 3:53.86. As anticipated, Jamaica ended the meet with the most gold medals (39) and the most medals overall (78), with the hosts following in both departments with six and 28 respectively.

The Jamaican dominance was such that they set 10 out of the 13 records set at the event. In addition to the four previously mentioned, they erased four other marks on Monday, with Romaine Gordon winning the Boys U-17 100m hurdles in 13.12 seconds, .02 seconds below countryman Matthew Palmer’s time in 2002. He was followed by teammate Akeil Facey 13.44 and Stevy Theliam of Martinique 13.70. Kimani Kirton claimed the Boys Under-20 shot put with a throw of 17.33m, ahead of the 15.39m distance in 1985 by Ronin Sharpe of Guadeloupe, with fellow Jamaican Fabian Morgan 16.78m and Martinique’s David Villeneuve 16.62-m taking silver and bronze respectively.

In the 2002 Girls Under-17, the triple jump mark of 11.58m by Jamaican La Toya Heath was bettered by compatriots Kimberly Williams (12.18m), Kimona Smith (11.98m) and Guade-loupe’s Lorrie Hamony (11.75m). Joint gold medallists Peaches Roach of Jamaica (1.86m) and Lavern Spencer of St Lucia went past the previous best of 1.84m in the Girls Under-20 high jump set last year by the 2003 bronze medallist Jamaica’s Shaunette Davidson, who also equalled her Carifta mark. And the 1979 mark of 16.16m, set by Bermuda’s Michael Sharp in the Boys Under-20 triple jump, was erased by Ayata Joseph of Antigua (16.20m), with silver going to Carles Mattis of Jamaica 15.19m and bronze to Jamal Cumberbatch of Barbados 14.80m. The next Carifta Track and Field Champio-nships will take place on Easter weekend next year in Bermuda.


TT medallists —
Gold: Rhonda Watkins (Girls U-17 high jump and long jump); Sheron Mark (Girls U-20 triple jump); Jamal James (Boys U-17 800m); Darrel Brown (Boys U-20 100m); Carlan Arthur (Boys U-20 1,500m).
Silver: Pilar McShine (Girls U-17 800m); Annie Alexander (Girls U-17 shot put); Lok Toya McShine (Girls U-20 discus); Charisse Bacchus (Girls pentathlon); Renny Quow (Boys U-17 400m); Sandino Nero (Boys U-17 3,000m); Jamil James (Boys U-20 400m); Diana Cooke, Wanda Hutson, Monique Cabral, Kelly-Ann Baptiste (Girls U-20 4x100m relay); Crystal Skeete, Abigail David, Josanne Lucas, Kyesha Hills (Girls U-20 4x400m relay); Marcus Duncan, Dion Rodriguez, Mark Phillip, Darrel Brown (Boys U-20 4x100m relay); Joel Pile, Kellon Francis, Deverne Charles, Jamil James (Boys U-20 4x400m relay).
Bronze: Wanda Hutson (Girls U-20 100m); Denelle De Verteuil (Girls U-20 800m); Josanne Lucas (Girls U-20 400m hurdles); Charisse Bacchus (Girls U-20 long jump); Cuquie Melville (Girls pentathlon); Carlan Arthur (Boys U-20 800m); Shawn Thomas (Boys U-20 long jump); Mikel Courtney (Boys heptathlon); Karla Hope, Gineille Felix, Sade St Louis, Pilar McShine (Birls U-17 4x400m relay); Kester Charles, Kern Mapp, Jamal Clinton, Kashif Williams (Boys U-17 4x100m relay).


Other Results —
Girls U-17 200m: 1.Tavara Rigby (Bahamas) 24.29 sec; 2.Shaunetta Stewart (Jamaica) 24.43; 3.Tamara Rigby (Bahamas) 24.66.
Girls U-17 800m: 1.Jodran Richards (Jamaica) 2:14.57; 2.Pilar McShine (TT) 2:15.49; 3.Nicola Ledgister (Jamaica) 2:16.71.
Girls U-17 100m hurdles: 1.Natasha Ruddock (Jamaica) 14.42 sec; 2.Tavia Burke (Jamaica) 14.51; 3.Michelle Cumberbatch (Bahamas) 15.42.
Girls U-17 javelin: 1.Amanda Edwards (Antigua) 39.06m; 2.Tracy Morrison (Bahamas) 38.48m; 3.Laurence Germany (Martinique) 37.16m.
Girls U-20 200m: 1.Tiandra Ponteen (St Kitts) 23.71 sec; 2.Nickeisha Anderson (Jamaica) 23.76; 3.Kerron Stewart (Jamaica) 23.93.
Girls U-20 800m: 1.Carlene Robinson (Jamaica) 2:07.56; 2.Kayann Thompson (Jamaica) 2:07.94; 3.Denelle De Verteuil (TT) 2:14.04.
Girls U-20 100m hurdles: 1.Nadina Marsh (Jamaica) 13.89 sec; 2.Keisha Brown (Jamaica) 13.96; 3. Geraldine Lecefel (Martinique) 14.56.
Girls U-20 javelin: 1.Nathalia Vincent (Grenada) 43.53m; 2.Erma-Gene Evans (St Lucia) 43.08m; 3.Melinda Bastian (Bahamas) 40.91m.
Boys U-17 200m: 1.Mekel Downer (Jamaica) 22.25 sec; 2.Akeem Forde (Barbados) 22.27; 3.Jerraine Downie (Jamaica) 22.30.
Boys U-17 800m: 1.Jamal James (TT) 1:56.15; 2.Kemar Ellis (Jamaica) 1:56.92; 3.Melvin Weller (Jamaica) 1:57.27.
Boys U-17 long jump: 1.Joel Phillip (Grenada) 6.98m; 2.Alain Bailey (Jamaica) 6.92m; 3.Claude Paul (Netherlands Antilles) 6.75m.
Boys U-17 discus: 1.Sharif Small (Jamaica) 47.39m; 2.Tyron Benjamin (Dominica) 44.12m; 3.Raedon Gill (Grenada) 40.49m.
Boys U-20 800m: 1.Mellard Brown (Jamaica) 1:50.49; 2.Daylan Parker (Jamaica) 1:52.08; 3.Carlan Arthur (TT) 1:52.22.
Boys U-20 5,000m: 1.Cleveland Forde (Guyana) 15:27.42; 2.Jason Elleson (Jamaica) 15:35.64; 3.Kerone Fairweather (Jamaica) 16:14.24.

Caribbean jockeys star at Woodbine

TORONTO, Canada:  Caribbean jockeys Patrick Husbands and Emile Ramsammy shared nine weekend winners at Woodbine while maintaining spots close to the jockeys’ championship lead.

Barbadian Husbands, Canada’s Sovereign Award outstanding jockey for the past four years, had five wins and Trinidad and Tobago’s Ramsammy landed four. Todd Kabel is current leader with ten wins after a month in the new season,  one ahead of Husbands, with Ramsammy a close third. Husbands’ five wins included four on Friday — when Ramsammy had a double — and he also scored by a neck with Secretsafe Withme on Sunday. Ramsammy, who had a win on Saturday, landed the featured Lady Angel Stakes aboard Deputy Cures Blues.

The two-time Canadian champion jockey rallied the 2-1 favourite to a narrow  victory in a three-horse finish of the Can$130,000 event over seven  furlongs. Deputy Cures Blues won by a neck in one minute 24.62 seconds, beating the  9-2 chance Stop Looking, while Barbadian jockey Slade Callaghan was only a further neck behind in third aboard Macdashi (9-1). Jamaican Shane Ellis also had a weekend winner, scoring on Sunday aboard  11-1 chance Five Travoltas by 3-1/4 lengths for Jamaican trainer Norman  DeSouza.

Granny killed by jet ski

A grandmother looking on at the activities at a Penal waterpark on Easter Monday was killed after she was struck by a jet ski that went out of control. 

Boodhanie Heeralal, 55, of Seurage Trace, Debe, died on Monday at the Accident and Emergency Department of the San Fernando General Hospital even though doctors worked furiously to save her life. According to Heeralal’s daughter, Patricia Samaroo, her elderly mother was pitched some 15 feet into the air after she was struck before crashing to the ground. The accident occurred at the Jovi’s water park at Well Road, Charlo Village, on Monday afternoon around 5.30. Heeralal had gone with her daughters and their family for an evening of fun and relaxation.

Police reports said that a 19-year-old man of Savonetta, a customer at the park, had rented a Yamaha twin-carburettor “Wave Runner” and was driving it around the water facility when he lost control of the recreational vehicle and crashed on an embankment, striking Heeralal and Dianne Bispath, her 10-year-old grandaughter. Bispath and the driver of the jet ski were treated and discharged with minor injuries. Samaroo said that the owner of the water park, Sookhoo Seegobin, had stayed with the family throughout the ordeal and had offered to pay the funeral expenses. The family has declined his offer and will finance the last rites of their mother.

For Samaroo, her mother’s death was an unfortunate answer to her prayers. She said yesterday: “I always prayed to Lord Shiva never to let my mother suffer and die from sickness because I could not bear to see her lie down in a bed and die. But I could never believe that my mother would pass on his way.” Contacted yesterday, See-gobin disclosed that the minimum age limit to drive the water ski was 12-years. The water park was closed for business yesterday as a mark of respect, Seegobin said. Samaroo recalled that the family had arrived at the facility and not even 20 minutes had passed when the incident occurred.  She explained that her mother had taken Bispath for a walk, and from the river bank they were watching the other visitors. Other realtives were “liming” on the benches. “Dianne wanted to walk on the other side, but Ma insisted that they walk over on the side facing the setting sun, which was lit more brightly,” Samaroo told Newsday. 

Within moments of stopping on the river bank, Heeralal and Bispath were hit by the jet ski. “We rushed down to see what happened. Ma was unconscious on the ground”, Samaroo said. Relatives said that even as the crowds gathered around the injured, the rides continued around the park. The Emergency Health Services were alerted and Heeralal was rushed to hospital, but doctors could do nothing for her. The family said yesterday that the driver of the boat had not contacted them. Investigators said they were continuing their inquiries, and are uncertain if charges will be laid against the driver of the jet ski. Cpl Minors of the Siparia CID is leading investigations.

Guard, 60, shot dead

MERE weeks before he was supposed to go on retirement, a 60-year-old Pentagon Security Services security guard was shot dead inside a Barataria pharmacy yesterday by two gunmen, who stole his loaded semi-automatic pistol.

The murder of veteran security guard, Estate Constable No 7564 Rajkumar Maharaj, a father of three, was witnessed by several customers including a police inspector, inside Health Net Pharmacy and Laboratory, located off the Eastern Main Road in Third Avenue, Barataria. Maharaj was one of two persons murdered within the space of 30 minutes yesterday, which has pushed the murder rate for this year to 66. In the other incident, a URP workman was fatally stabbed outside NHA offices in Lady Young Avenue, Morvant.

Police probing the murder of the security guard, told Newsday, they strongly believe the bandits had targetted Maharaj for his firearm and did not intend to rob the pharmacy. According to police reports, around 11 am, two men entered the pharmacy and spoke to a female clerk, enquiring about the cost of pharmaceutical drugs. While one of the men kept the clerk’s attention, his cohort ran up to Maharaj, pulled a gun and shot the security guard through his mouth at point blank range. Maharaj slumped to the ground and died almost instantly, with blood forming large pools around his body.

The bandits retrieved the dying officer’s Ruger nine millimetre semi-automatic pistol which was loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition. They then ran out of the pharmacy and escaped. The police inspector, who at the time was in full police uniform and at the back of the pharmacy, ran to the front after hearing the gunshot and saw the gunmen fleeing the scene. The officer contacted Morvant police to report the incident. Snr Supt Desmond Lambert, Supt Waldron Bishop, ASPs Gregory Correia and Phillip, Insps Dave Hilaire and Lester Hutchins (Homicide Bureau), Cpl Patrick Thomas and WPC Suzette Martin (Homicide Bureau) visited the scene.

Officers quickly cordoned off the area and carried out an unsuccessful mobile search for the killers. “He was a truly professional security guard and a nice person,” stated a dazed-looking Raymond Paryag  — owner of Pentagon Security Services — where Maharaj worked for the past ten years. Paryag later spoke to a shaken Karen Smart, manager of the pharmacy. He told Newsday that for the past five years his company had provided security guards to Health Net and that this was the first time an officer from his security firm had been killed in the line of duty. DMO Dr Iqbal Ackbar arrived on the scene, viewed the body and ordered it removed to the Port-of-Spain Mortuary. An autopsy will be carried out on Maharaj’s body today at the Forensic Sciences Centre.

Police officers theorise that the bandits may have gone to the pharmacy prior to the murder to study Maharaj’s movements including where he stood in the pharmacy and what type of weapon he had. Newsday was told that Maharaj who lived at 80 Mausica Road, D’Abadie recently transferred from a posting in Maraval to the Health Net Pharmacy. He was supposed to have gone on retirement in a matter of weeks. Senior police officers told Newsday they were worried that rival gangsters are targetting precepted security guards, for their weapons, especially since Commissioner of Police Hilton Guy announced that his latest three-month anti-crime initiative would focus on ridding communities of illegal firearms.

At least three persons have been killed in gang-related incidents within the past month. Up to late yesterday no arrests had been made in the Maharaj murder and Cpl Patrick Thomas of San Juan CID is continuing investigations.

Prisoners free by weekend

President George Maxwell Richards is to pardon 18 prisoners serving consecutive sentences, where the sum of these sentences exceeds the three-year limit which Magistrates may lawfully impose. The men could be free as early as this weekend.

This was announced yesterday by Attorney General Glenda Morean-Phillips at a media conference at her Cabildo Chambers office. She noted that President Richards should receive the documents to free the prisoners by the end of the week, and that they could be set free as soon as a day later. Morean-Phillips explained that cases had recently been brought to her attention of convicts serving sentences exceeding the three-year limit imposed by Section 72 of the Summary Courts Act. “We have identified 18 people serving over the three-year period. It took over a week to get the information”.

She said that to identify these prisoners, the Commissioner of Prisons had to go through a list of  4,000 prisoners incarcerated, the sentences and any time off for good behaviour, to determine the date a prisoner should be released. Morean-Phillips announced that the legal device she would use to remedy these unlawful sentences would be a presidential pardon, allowed under Section 87 of the national Constitution. “The President can remit sentences on the advice of the Minister of National Security. That’s the process we have advised should be adopted”.

A statement issued supplementary to the media conference elaborated: “Upon the advice of the Honourable Minister, the President may issue a Presidential Order remitting the sentences of each prisoner so that the term of imprisonment to be served by him/her now becomes the concurrent term. Whereupon calculation the prisoner has already served a term in excess of the appropriate term, the President may order the immediate release of the prisoner. Prisoners whose concurrent terms of imprisonment require that they serve the remainder of their sentence will continue to be kept in custody as the law requires”. Morean-Phillips said she would have to look at claims for compensation, but acknowledged it could be greater than the $5,000 being currently mentioned.  She thought such compensation could be promptly paid, saying: “We are not in virgin territory. The State has been paying compensation. The Court has set yardsticks and we’ll be guided by what has been done before”.

But while the Government was seeking the current presidential pardons, Morean-Phillips said she will legislate to increase the length of aggregate sentences which magistrates could impose, possibly up to 10 years. “You have to put a limit. You can’t have magistrates sentencing up to 20, 30 or 40 years. There had been a suggestion as to 10 years. We have not yet decided”. She said she had already reported in Parliament that she had instructed the Law Reform Commission to draft legislation to thus amend section 72 of Summary Courts Act. Pressed as to whether a repeat of the over-sentencing could occur even with this 10 year limit, she remarked: “Yes they could, but now that this has happened you would expect that magistrates would read the law and be more careful in the way they dispense justice”.

She then announced that the Government would amend  section 156 of the Summary Courts Act to prevent judges from imposing sentences which disregard jail time already served awaiting appeal. She said she had not detected any opposition from the Judiciary/Magistracy on this matter. She was asked about the 21 prisoners whose appeals had been dismissed because, although duly filed by the convicts within the statutory seven day limit, the prison authorities had failed to forward them to the Court of Appeal within that time. Morean-Phillips replied: “Their lawyers can claim compensation. Some prisoners will be pretty satisfied”.

More than 100 stranded in Tobago

Terminal Manager of Government Shipping Services (GSS) Michael Samuels yesterday confirmed that over 100 persons had been stranded in the sister isle on Easter Monday, following the hectic holiday weekend.

However, Samuels could not furnish a reason for this occurrence, but instead offered an explanation as to the possible causes. He stated that unconfirmed ticket holders may have gone to the port in Tobago hoping to get on the MV Beauport’s scheduled 11 pm sailing, but that they were turned away, which resulted in their being stranded. He assured persons that a thorough investigation would be conducted to determine whether persons who were stranded on Monday had been the holders of confirmed tickets or not. Samuels revealed that the Panorama had been commissioned to sail yesterday only, in order to alleviate the situation.

Questioned as to whether the Panorama had been insured to carry persons, Samuels replied “As far as I know, everything is in place for them to operate,” adding that this was not the first time a situation like this had arisen. Last Thursday, the scheduled sailing of the MV Beauport was delayed by some three hours after the 40-member crew withheld their labour to protest the non-payment of wages. Executive Manager of GSS Leon Grant stated that following a meeting between the union and the Port Authority of TT (PATT), an interim payment had been agreed upon. Calls by Newsday to Tobago to obtain a comment from Grant on Monday’s situation proved futile.

In a release late yesterday afternoon, Public Relations Manager Betty Gibbons said this Easter season, the PATT recorded an unprecedented number of passengers travelling on the Beauport and Panorama. While thousands of passengers from Trinidad made their outgoing trip to Tobago last Wednesday, the majority of persons wanted to return by Monday, claimed Gibbons. She stated that “this unfortunately caused a bottleneck, with some passengers not being able to get on board the Beauport for Monday night’s sailing from Tobago.” As a result, the PATT put on an extra sailing of the Panorama early yesterday, which left Tobago at approximately 7.45 am, carrying passengers who had been unable to return before.

Gibbons revealed that in light of this, the PATT decided to speed up the turn around times of the two ferries, to ensure that all passengers vacationing in Tobago could be accommodated. The PATT apologised for any inconvenience caused, and sought to assure persons that measures were being put in place to ensure that problems of this nature do not arise in the future. These include a new computerised system which will be launched on April 28, which will make the PATT’s ticketing system much easier and more efficient.