TWO PERSONS, including a Trinidadian woman, have been jailed in Canada for three years for running a  human smuggling ring which transported Trinidadians and Guyanese into the United States and Canada.

Chandrica Gurprasad, 44, formerly of Guyana, must also forfeit $160,000 to the federal government, money he got from the people he was smuggling, after his November 29, 2002 conviction for conspiracy to violate US immigration laws. A co-accused, Nalinee Samaroo, 35, of Trinidad, was sentenced to house arrest for two years less a day, according to a report in yesterday’s Toronto Star. The majority of the 40 known illegal immigrants originally came from Guyana and Trinidad and paid a fee of between $2,000 US and $13,000 US. Another co-accused, Dasrath Balchand, 60, also of Guyana, received a six-month conditional sentence for an earlier guilty plea. A fourth man charged, Roy Morris, 52, a truck driver who is alleged to have made regular runs into the United States, is awaiting trial. Saying Gurprasad was “motivated by greed”, Judge J Elliott Allen on Thursday said “these are serious times.” Allen, presiding in a Brampton court, added that “people who suffer the most are the legitimate refugees and immigrants whose lives are complicated and made more difficult” by people such as Gurprasad.

Allen described Gurprasad’s crime as being “reprehensible” considering he had spent six months in jail in the US in 1998 for the same crime. Using a confidential source, the RCMP began their probe in October, 2000 after learning that Gurprasad and Samaroo used false documents to get the migrants into Canada and then arranged for transport trucks to carry them into the US charging a fee for each transfer. About 6,000 phone calls were intercepted during the RCMP investigation and hundreds of these phone calls revealed details involving the use of false refugee claims to enter Canada, the use of forged documents and fees charged to families and the migrants. The wiretaps also detailed methods and routes used by the accused. While under surveillance, the group was observed and videotaped making at least 20 trips with illegal immigrants inside transport trucks from Canada into the US.

Surveillance conducted by the RCMP observed Gurprasad meeting 12 migrants at Pearson International Airport upon their arrival in Canada, transporting them in his own vehicles to various locations in Greater Toronto, including his and Samaroo’s homes. Fees charged varied, depending on the point of origin and the final destination. A trip from Guyana to the US ranged from $10,000 US to $13,000 US and the cost from Guyana to Canada was $10,000 US. If a person had made it to Canada on their own, they were charged between $2,000 and $3,000 US to enter the United States. When the RCMP smashed the ring on September 27, 2001, it was alleged the group had transported at least 100 people from Toronto to New York in the previous year and hundreds since 1997.

TELETHON for the Arts, a whole day cultural and artistic presentation, takes place tomorrow at the Grand Stand, Queen’s Park Savannah, from 1 pm.

The telethon is to raise funds to assist Trinidad and Tobago artists who may be in need of financial assistance. Minister of Culture, Pennelope Beckles is expected to deliver the feature address. The Telethon is free to the public. All major winners of Carnival 2003 are expected to perform, together with other leading artistes.

OPPOSITION Members of Parliament yesterday staged a walk-out at the sitting of the House of Representatives, on a day devoted to them (Private Members’ Day).

Their action stemmed from the Deputy Speaker Hedwidge Bereaux’s refusal to allow Couva South MP Kelvin Ramnath’s request to adjourn the House to debate the retrenchment of 10,000 daily and monthly paid Caroni workers. As a result of the 2.15 pm walk-out Government was able to pass seven Bills which required a simple majority. Ramnath, in making his request, said the Caroni retrenchment was of urgent and public importance because the it dealt with the principles of government and its relations between the State and citizens. Ramnath further contended that the issue dealt with significant sums of tax payers’ money to fund a policy without a plan,  equality of treatment, freedom from discrimination and the emotional and psychological trauma of the workers. However Bereaux said after careful consideration of the request, the motion did not qualify and ruled against the request saying it should be brought under Standing Order 11.

Ramnath stood his ground and refused to sit down, maintaining the issue was important. He was ordered several times to “take your seat” by Bereaux, but the defiant MP raised his voice louder than Bereaux’s and announced he was leaving and he had no intention of staying. In the ensuing chaos with raised voices, Ramnath pointedly stated that he wasn’t even going to take his off his jacket, in obvious reference to Bereaux’s stance a few years ago, when then Speaker Hector McClean ruled against a request by Bereaux to debate water problems in his La Brea constituency. Ramnath’s Opposition colleagues followed his lead and picked up their belongings and left the Chamber. Appearing reluctant to leave were the MPs for St Augustine and St Joseph, Winston Dookeran and Gerald Yetming. However within seconds of the departure of the other UNC MPs they too left. Bereaux then suspended the sitting for five minutes. When it resumed at 2.35 pm, Acting Leader of Government Business, Health Minister Colm Imbert, announced that in the absence of the Opposition MPs, he proposed that the sitting proceed with Government Business. The government MP’s agreed and they proceeded to deal with seven Bills, which were all passed. The House was adjourned at 3.45 pm. The UNC MPs at a press conference in Committee Room No 4, later told reporters that with the passage of the Bills, they didn’t think they had “played into government’s hands”.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, MP for Siparia, insisted it was merely a demonstration of government’s “bull dozing of the people”. She described their actions like that of a steam roller going through the Parliament. She added, “the Government does not care for dealing with the people’s business or matters of Parliament”. Asked if the walk-out was planned, Ramnath said he certainly didn’t plan it. He said the UNC couldn’t tolerate government’s high handedness especially on Private Members’ Day. He said it was his responsibility to articulate a major concern, which not only affected his constituents, but those of almost all of the UNC MPs except Yetming. He said he would not be re-filing the motion, because it would be a waste of time. He said he considered the Cabinet decision on the issue to be “a nefarious and diabolical plot to use politics to settle politics of the South and Central region”. Ramnath referred to a letter to a Caroni official from Public Administration Minister Dr Lenny Saith, in which he said Saith instructed the official to proceed with the retrenchment. Ramnath said daily paid workers were to be retrenched on July 10 and monthly paid workers on August 2.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning said that the UNC came to the Parliament with a “set plan” to walk out. “It is quite clear that they are seeking to up the ante in relation to the Caroni issue and they sought to dramatise it by walking out of Parliament this afternoon,” Manning told reporters after the adjournment of the sitting.

He said the walkout was fuelled by Local Government elections and the desire to make the Caroni restructuring an issue. Asked whether Kelvin Ramnath, who led the walkout, was angling for the UNC leadership, Manning said: “I have no doubt about that. That has always been the case. What we see week after week in this House suggests that”. He said the PNM had learnt over the years that walking out of the Parliament is never the answer. “The people who elect you, elect you to serve their interests in the Parliament and when you take the unilateral decision without consulting them of absenting yourself from the Parliament, what in fact you are doing is prejudicing their interests. And therefore the Opposition was entirely out of order,” he said. Manning said the PNM Government would not allow the Opposition to disrupt the work of the Parliament and it therefore continued with the people’s business. “And in fact we have cleared the agenda of all the legislation,” he said.

Manning added that the check and balance (on Government) would still exist because all bills also have to go to the Senate. He said if the Opposition senators did not want to discharge their duties, the Independent Senators, “whose responsibility it is to bring that balance into the system”, would discharge their responsibilities and the national  interest would be served. Manning said that under the Standing Orders debate on a motion of urgent national importance was only invoked under special circumstances. “In particular, you must not have no other opportunity to raise a matter you want to raise under that agenda item,” he said. Manning said the Opposition had all the time to raise the issue. He said the Deputy Speaker acted quite properly. Health Minister Colm Imbert noted that the Caroni VSEP went out since February 17 and therefore the Opposition had three weeks in which a substantiate a private motion or a motion on the adjournment could have been tabled.

Imbert said it was “gallery and grandcharge,” which motivated the walkout. The acting Leader of Government Business added that when the PNM was in Opposition its members sought to have hundreds of motions raised as definite matters of urgent public importance and none was ever debated. He noted that the first such motion to be debated was brought by UNC’s Hamza Hafeeq a month ago on the health sector. “So I don’t know what they are fussing about, “ Imbert stated. Imbert said it was a very productive afternoon. “We passed seven pieces of legislation in about two hours,” he said, adding that the bills which were not dealt with were those which required a special majority such as the Police Bills and the Rent Restriction bill. On the apparent reluctance of Gerald Yetming and Winston Dookeran to participate in the walkout, Manning said this  suggested their “maturity”. On the question of Local Government election, Manning hinted that the date of the local polls might be announced at the PNM meeting in Hilo Carpark tonight.

Women have come a long way in society but much more needs to be done to achieve gender equity in society.

This view was expressed by Minister of Community Development Joan Yuille-Williams at the launch of activities to mark today’s International Women’s Day observance. She lauded the work done by the private sector, non-governmental organisations and religious bodies in enhancing the status of women. However, she said too many women because of the realities of their lives were still unable to celebrate IWD. Her Ministry is strengthening mechanisms to redress discrimination against women. She said this year the focus is on accountability because despite what is known about women’s issues, action has not been taken. Yuille-Williams said the number of cases of domestic violence and sexual abuse were indicators that an environment must be created where men respect laws that protect women and children, and women’s personal security must be ensured in homes and public places. She also referred to the dramatic increase in HIV/AIDS among women, saying they had moved from being on the periphery of the pandemic to the centre.

The virus highlighted “gender issues” showing women are biologically, culturally, and economically more vulnerable. Yuille-Williams said the national plan to address HIV/AIDS took into account the unequal correlation between men and women. She acknowledged that achieving equity for women cannot happen if some of them did not have the basic necessities of life — water and electricity. The Community Development Minister extended an invitation to the public to be part of the symposium on “Women’s Intervention—2020 Vision Through Gender Lenses.” (Wednesday at Hilton, 9am to 1pm). She said it is an opportunity to comment on the National Gender Policy and point out the constraints women faced, as well as comment on other issues including environment management, health and employment generation. Yuille-Williams launched the Women in Protective Services Association which has as its aims to promote women’s perspectives, and network for professional development. Snr Supt June Young-Kendall said a female voice is needed in policy making.

While women in the police service “can have a say” in policy, those in the Defence Force and Fire Service do not have the same benefit as they were in the lower ranks. Police Commissioner Hilton Guy in his greetings said women have performed the “the most important function of nurturing the nation and children” and said he would ensure that women promoted the interests of their colleagues in the service. Brigadier Ancil Antoine, Chief-of-Defence Staff lauded women in the defence force as bringing a “mellowing” of the “boys club that was the military.” He said the presence of women continue to mould the men in ways they have not envisioned.

The Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA) yesterday joined the anti-war outcry expressing its dismay with the United States and Britain’s plans to start a war with Iraq.

In a media release yesterday CAFRA said the unleashing of weapons of mass destruction will destroy the livelihoods of many Iraqi women, men and children. It will also devastate the lives of members and their families of American and British military engaged in the proposed war. CAFRA said today—92 years after International Women’s Day was first established, there are many more worthwhile battles especially in relation to women’s rights and the poor rather than engage in the self-interested preemptive war. It referred to the disregard for agreements reached in the Beijing Platform for Action to honour women’s rights and put programmes in place to improve their lives as the poorest of the poor. CAFRA congratulated CARICOM for its position against the war against Iraq. “The power of the military must be reduced and the resources allocated into implementing the high goals of the Beijing Platform for the Advancement of Women and similar developmental peace instruments.” CAFRA said the world needs to spread peace and prosperity more than war and weapons of destruction.

Government has approved $378  million for the Ministry of Education to launch the 2003 — 2006 Construction Development Programme, which includes the upgrade and rehabilitation of existing buildings, construction of new buildings and general improvements to structures which fall under the Ministry’s portfolio.

This was yesterday revealed by Education Minister Hazel Manning as she stated that the estimated cost of the programme titled “Ready To Move” was in excess of $2 billion. Manning made the disclosure before Ministry officials, TTUTA representatives, teachers and students, as well other key stakeholders in the education sector, at the official launching of the project at the Crowne Plaza Hotel yesterday. In delivering the feature address, Manning assured persons the ministry was “ON THE MOVE,” but added that in implementing the project, she would not “tolerate another Biche fiasco” and that “professionals must do a proper job.”  Implementation will be carried out by two main agencies, the National Maintenance Training Security Company (NMTS) and the National Insurance Property Development Company (NIPDEC). Other strategic partners for this construction programme include the Petroleum Company of TT (PETROTRIN), the Secondary Education Modernization Programme Coordination Unit (SEMPCU), the Education Programme Coordination Unit (EPCU) and the Education Facilities Maintenance Unit (EFMU).

She re-emphasized that government had ranked Education as the top national priority, and stressed that the majority of primary schools were old and technologically outdated.  NIPDEC will oversee the construction of five new secondary schools, the Malabar Secondary School, two secondary schools in Westmoorings, Parvati Girls Secondary School and the Shiva Boys Secondary School,  which will begin this year. Construction work is due to begin in may 2003 on 13 replacement Primary Schools, at an estimated cost of $130 million, claimed Manning. NIPDEC will look after the technical upgrade programme for the transformation and modernization of over 100 secondary schools over the next three years. The average cost to improve each secondary school will be approximately $10 million, while the total aspect of the programme would be approximately $1000 million over a period of three years. At least 100 schools will be upgraded by SEMPCU and NIPDEC, and will be funded by both the government and the Inter American Development Bank, Manning stated.

MTS will be looking after the security and fencing aspect for 33 secondary schools, five of which are already under way. A minimum of 20 registered local contractors are to be used, at an estimated cost of $28 million, and will be completed by July 2003. To ensure Transparency and Competitiveness, Manning said they had requested NIPDEC to open their registrations of contractors and consultants in 2003, so that additional contractors can register and be pre-qualified. Manning concluded that experience has shown that productivity increased and quality improved when payments were made to contractors, and assured persons that payments would be timely. Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly Orville London said he was happy to have been invited to deliver remarks at the ceremony, as it indicated that development was taking place both in Trinidad and Tobago. He said the Education Minister was finally “walking the talk,” and added that this signaled the beginning of a long process which would be a challenge to everyone involved.