FORMER NATIONAL Under-20 football captain Marvin Lee died at the Arima Hospital yesterday after suffering from a cold. The 21-year-old, who was a resident of Santa Rosa Heights, Arima, will be buried on Thursday, following a funeral service at the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence, Macoya, Tuna-puna. No word has been given on the time of the nor service or the place of burial. An official report on the cause of Lee’s death has not yet been given by doctors.
According to his mother, Dawn Warrick, Marvin got a cold a few days ago but the family thought nothing serious about it. After praying with his mother on Saturday night he went to bed. Warrick said Lee then took a turn for the worse and she called for an ambulance. “The doctors did all that they could have done,” she said. “I’m coping alright. I trust in God and I know there will be a resurrection and one day I’ll see him again.” Warrick thanked FIFA vice-president Austin Jack Warner for his help, saying, “he had been taking care of Marvin from day one.” On March 20 2001, Lee sustained neck and spinal injuries after colliding with American striker Landon Donovan during a CONCACAF Under-20 World Cup qualifying match. The incident left Lee paralysed from the neck down.
Lee attended therapy treatment three times per week at the UWI Sports Centre up to the time of his death. Through the assistance of Warner, Lee was sent to the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami but failed to regain the use of his limbs. Warner has agreed to fit the bill for all funeral arrangements for Lee, who would have turned 22 on November 22. Sports Minister Roger Boynes also offered Govern-ment’s help in meeting funeral arrangements. “We lost a son of the soil,” he said. “He really developed a fighting spirit and we all admired him.” Expressing their condolences were TTFF president Oliver Camps and George Joseph, current senior team manager who was also manager of the U-20 team led by Lee. “This is most sad for us at this time. We know what Marvin has passed through and now this is a major shock. I extend great condolences to his family,” stated Camps. “Up to a week ago, I took the barber to Marvin’s home as I did so often and he was in his usual high spirits. This is just a major shock to us all,” said Joseph.
The former Tranquillity Government and Defence Force youth team player received the FIFA President’s medal from Sepp Blatter at the 2001 awards ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland for his determination and courage displayed since the injury. A month ago, he was made an honorary member of the TT Pro League. And Lee was presented with an autographed jersey by Donovan and members of the United States senior team, during the 2002 World Cup qualifiers on November 11 2001 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium — a match labelled “The Marvin Lee Day.” An autopsy on Lee’s body is expected to be done today.
The petition of prominent citizens, including wife of former President Noor Hassanali, has not deterred Prime Minister Patrick Manning from his position that the Parliament should be moved from the Red House. Speaking at a public meeting at the Hilo Car park on Saturday night, Manning also announced that planes will soon be taking off from Waller Field. But the Prime Minister noted that “a new brouhaha” had broken out over government’s decision to relocate the Red House.
He said many people “to whom we look up are advancing points of view on the basis of emotion.” He told his supporters that over the next few days “you will see a lot of prominent people saying put it back and so on” “but”, said Manning, “the fundamental error they are making is that the Red House was not traditionally the seat of parliament. “It is the seat of government and it is to those historic roots that we are determined to return it.”Earlier in the meeting, a supporter carried a placard saying “build the blasted parliament.” Manning said that the media were complaining of the inadequate arrangement in the current chamber and it was generally felt that the public gallery was also too small. “As historic as the building is, it did not meet the requirements of parliament and the requirements of a country that is heading for developed country status.” Manning dismissed reports that he wanted to live in the Red House.
The other crowd pleaser which Manning threw out was that the PNM, whose Ministers had been warned by Couva South MP Kelvin Ramnath that their safety could not be guaranteed in the sugar belt would be holding their next public meeting in Ramnath’s constituency. Manning, to loud applause, said he wanted to assure Ramnath that their safety would be very well guaranteed “as the people of Central Trinidad opened their arms more and more to the PNM”. The Prime Minister added, “and when they (the UNC) don’t talk foolishness inside the Parliament, they walk out,” he said to thunderous applause. “If they want to stay out let them. They are largely irrelevant to the politics of Trinidad and Tobago.” Manning, who chastised the UNC for not wanting to support the police bill, recalled that he put his “political tail between his political legs” and approached Panday after the Ramdhanie escape in a bid to find a bi-partisan solution to crime. Manning also defended the CEPEP programme saying that only last week it received an international award for quality and leadership in Germany. Manning said that those who were attacking him for CEPEP were upset about the fact that the PNM had democratised the programme to give all people a chance.
He said that as the programme is expanded from 110 to 360 contractors, the new contractors would be sourced from community based organisations and village councils. Continuing the theme of job creation Manning said that government was about to launch an industrial estate at Waller Field. He said that of the two runways currently at Waller Field, one would be upgraded so that businesses will be able to export directly from Waller Field and not have to transport their goods to Piarco.
A relative of a calypsonian was arrested by fraud squad officers on Saturday and charged with fraud offences.
Newsday learned that the man was charged with falsely converting $58,000 for his personal use. He was jointly charged with his girlfriend.
The arrests came after investigations were carried out by officers of the Fraud Squad over the illegal sale of tickets for the Soca Monarch Competition. The two were granted bail on Friday and will appear before a Port-of-Spain Magistrate today.
A-25-year-old man who was arrested half an hour after he held up a taxi-driver and robbed him of his car on Saturday, was discovered dead in the cell at the San Juan Police Station two and a half hours later. Police sources revealed that Lewis committed suicide.
Reports revealed that the prisoner Gerad Lewis, of Prizgar Lands, Laventille, was arrested around 11.45 am on Saturday. He was taken to the San Juan Police Station where he was interviewed and placed in a cell at the station. Relatives of Lewis visited him at the San Juan Police Station. He was due to appear before a Tunapuna Magistrate today. According to reports, around 11.15 am on Saturday, taxi-driver Gabriel Mejias was plying his taxi for hire, when Lewis asked to be taken to Alberto Street, St Joseph. On reaching Alberto Street, Lewis pointed a gun at Mejias and robbed him and two other passengers of cash. He then ordered them out of the vehicle and escaped in the car. A report was made to the San Juan Police and An All Points Bulletin was sent out to all police stations.
Around 11.30 am, the car was seen in San Juan and Lewis was arrested. A .38 revolver was found in his possession. Lewis was supposed to be placed on identification parades for other offences on Saturday but he complained of feeling unwell. Officers at the charge room at the San Juan Police Station claimed that Lewis was last seen alive around 1.30 pm on Saturday. Around 2 pm, when they made a check, Lewis appeared to be dead. Snr Supt Desmond Lambert and other senior officers of the North Eastern Division along with a District Medical Officer visited the scene and the body was ordered removed to the Port-of-Spain Mortuary. Attempts to reach relatives of Lewis at Prizgar Lands Laventille yesterday proved futile.
A 35-year-old su-permarket proprietor was shot in his abdomen when he attempted to foil a robbery at his businessplace in which three armed men escaped with $7,500. Danesh Persad, owner of Lall’s Supermarket Ltd, who was shot as the bandits were making their escape, is warded in a satisfactory condition at the San Fernando General Hospital.
According to police reports, around 7.45 pm, three men armed with guns entered the supermarket, at New Colonial Road Barrackpore. Reports there were three cashiers on duty and several customers in the building when the bandits fired a shot in the ceiling and announced a hold up. While one of the bandits remained by the door, the other two ordered the cashiers to dump all the money from the cash registers into a bag. Police said, Persad was walking into the building when the bandit at the door fired a single shot. The pellets from the shot gun scattered and struck Persad about his abdomen area.
The men then ran out of the building, jumped the wall and escaped. Investigators suspect that the men had a car waiting for them. The EHS ambulance arrived shortly after and rushed the injured man to the hospital where he was treated and admitted to Ward Three. Visiting the scene was a party of officers led by Ag Sgt Rajkumar and Ag Cpl Ramdeen attached to the Barrackpore Police Station. Officers recovered a spent shell inside the supermarket. Sitting up on his hospital bed yesterday, Persad told Newsday that this was the first time that his businessplace was robbed. Persad said he was about to drive his truck, which was on the roadway, into the supermarket’s car park when he saw the men enter the grocery. The businessman said the first thing he thought about was the protection of his workers and businesspace and armed himself with a piece of iron.
“I had to defend my workers and my business,” he said. As he walking towards the building the bandit at the door fired a shot and the three bandits ran off. “I did not even realise that I was shot until I saw the blood running down my hand,” he added. Persad said doctors told him he was lucky the pellets did not hit any of his vital organs, and that it would not be wise to remove the pellets because that could cause extensive muscle and tissue damage. Investigations are continuing.
A house occupied by an 80-year-old man was completely destroyed by fire yesterday.
Reports revealed that around 2.45 pm, Carlton Arindell of Laventille, was boiling dasheen in a makeshift stove outside his home, when he observed smoke coming from the wooden structure. On checking, he discovered flames inside the house. The house which was located close to the Tokyo Pan Tent at Laventille burned quickly, although residents formed a bucket brigade in an attempt to extinguish the fire. Arindell said that he lost everything in the fire and estimated the damage to the house and his valuables to be in the vicinity of $15,000. Fire officers from the Wrightson Road Fire Department who responded to the call were unable to save the house. It was already gutted by the time they arrived. The fire officers concentrated on ensuring that the flames did not spread to the nearby homes.
SEVERAL HOTELS in Tobago have been affected by a mysterious disruption in their regular water supply which has left hotel officials baffled. Checks by Newsday with hotels in the sister isle revealed that different hotels have been affected in varying degrees by the water disruption.
Officials at the Kariwak Village Hotel at Crown Point said the water supply from the mains has been low for the past week and attempts to ascertain a reason for the shortage from the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), have been unsuccessful to date. They said it was “a little curious” why there was a disruption in the water supply since Tobago has not experienced a drought within recent times. Asked if the poor water supply was affecting occupancy levels at the hotel, the officials said it had not and the hotel had sufficient reserves. They added that while the Kariwak could withstand a prolonged water shortage, smaller hotels and guest houses may not be so lucky.
Staffers at the Blue Waters Inn at Speyside said they too were experiencing water problems and the water coming out of the taps was sometimes discoloured. Water shortages were also reported at the Mount Irvine, Golden Thistle and Tropikist hotels. Two hotels, Arthur By The Sea and Bacolet Bay Apartments, said they experienced water supply problems during the week but the situation had returned to normal yesterday. Attempts to contact WASA officials for comment were unsuccessful.
When the PNM government of 1991-1995 restructured the Port, PTSC, IDC and the Tourist Board and privatised Printing and Packaging nobody from the UNC or outside tried to inflame passions in the way it is now being done now that Caroni Ltd is facing the same restructuring process.
So said Planning Minister Keith Rowley as he addressed a large public meeting in HiLo Car Park, St Augustine, on Friday night. Rowley said Caroni seemed to be a Republic unto itself. In its entire life it never once filed an Income Tax Return. Rowley attacked Sat Maharaj for saying that the lands at Caroni rightfully belonged to the workers saying that the government owned Caroni and therefore all the assets belonged to the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
Rowley stated that he never heard that kind of argument with any other of the State companies which were privatised and restructured for the same reason — economic public policy. “But you have people trying to tell you “don’t touch Caroni they will create problems and government ministers cannot walk in Central,” But Rowley charged: “I want to tell Kelvin Ramnath tonight that if he could walk in the UNC I could walk anywhere in Trinidad and Tobago because I was not the one who had a placard in front of my platform saying ‘Indians for sale check out Panday.’ It was Kelvin Ramnath,” he said to loud cheers.
Rowley went through the accounts of Caroni in painstaking detail. He said the January 31, 2003 account showed that Caroni’s liabilities to First Citizens Bank was $35 million; unpaid interest to FCB $8.4 million; liabilities to FCB Merchant Bank $65 million; Republic Bank $130 million; Republic Bank $483 million; interest on all those loans $40 million making a grand total of $764 million. In addition to this they also owed Republic Bank $100 million and they owed $438 million in Caroni guaranteed fixed bonds and as well as $120 million in restructured loans making a total of $658 million. Rowley said Caroni also owed staff through the pension fund $119 million; the company owed government for PAYE) which was held and not remitted) $90 million; even arrears on garnishee $10 million Health Surcharge withheld and not remitted $54 million; VAT $10 million — green fund $36 million. “They owe WASA $26 million Rowley said provoking cries of surprise from the crowd. They owe NGC $68 million and the interest on all their statutory liabilities Rowley said was $267 million making a total of $495 million.
Rowley added that under their trading arrangement Caroni also owed $228 million “and this is the company the government is trying to restructure and their spokesmen are saying give the workers the land.” Rowley promised that Government will spend half the money which had been spent over the years on Caroni in a different way and still make Central Trinidad a paradise. Rowley said his ministry was currently identifying uses to which land could be put. He cited a programme of afforestation as one of the plans being considered.
After almost their entire school was ravaged by fire last Friday the students of the Rousillac Hindu are receiving assistance from various quarters. As of today the classes will be held at the mandir adjacent to the school compound and they are also receiving furniture from other schools.
Speaking to Newsday yesterday Satnarayan Maharaj, Secretary of the Maha Sabha, said the school is to receive desks and blackboards from the Longdenville Presbyterian School. They were being moved to the mandir yesterday in preparation for today’s classes. The Education Ministry, he said, is assisting in the transportation of the desks and blackboards to the temple which would now be the accommodating area for the the 231 students. Maharaj noted that they have been “co-operating very well” and doing all they can. He also stated that the Principals Association of the Maha Sabha is in the process of accumulating funds to purchase stationery for the school.
LESS than 24 hours after the Edwin family’s house was gutted by fire, they were hit by another misfortune when one of members was hospitalised yesterday after suffering a heart attack. Relatives believe that the heart attack was triggered by the fire on Saturday at Union Road, Marabella, which left 64-year-old Ena Edwin and seven other family members homeless.
Speaking to Newsday yesterday while going through the charred remains of the house, the elderly woman’s son, Robert, 34, said that his mother was adversely affected by the fire which completely destroyed the house they lived in for the past 22 years. Robert said around 4 am, Edwin complained of feeling unwell and experiencing chest pains. Shortly after her condition worsened and she was rushed to the San Fernando General Hospital where she was treated and admitted to Ward 12. Robert believes the fire was caused by an electrical problem. He added that in the past they had experienced flunctuating voltage and is seeking compensation from the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission. TTEC officials, who had visited the family three times since the fire, had promised to return today to discuss the question of liability and compensation. Damages to the two storey house is estimated at $450,000. Until better arrangements could be made, the family is staying in a small one room structure, next to their burnt home.
