The Attorney General made the comments while winding up debate on the legislation in the House on Thursday night. He said that 95 per cent of prosecutions are dealt with by the police in the magistrate’s courts. He said the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has a sanctioned strength of 7,884 officers but as of March 2017 there were 5,000 persons in the service.

However, he said that at February this year there were 53 court prosecutors in the service and only eight lawyers among them while there were 24 lawyers in the service.

He said the Government has started a Manpower Audit in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to determine the efficiency of the service in terms of prosecutions.

He said that unless the Government knew this it was “spinning top in mud.” Al Rawi said that within a six-year period the Government had spent $15.1 billion on the police and had spent an additional $27 billion in dealing with national security and crime and questioned what progress had been made for the money. He said that too many people hide in “dark spaces” because they are not prepared to give a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay and the Government was not satisfied with that. He said with the advent of the Criminal Proceeding Rules, the Government conducted a Prosecutorial Audit in the police service by creating prosecutorial centres and case management centres in the Police Service.

He said the Government had also drafted file management manuals for investigators and prosecutors, given case management in the service management committee reports and brought the Compass Tracking Case System up to date.

He added that in order to ensure the integrity of cautionary statements to be used in evidence, the Government had bought video recording suites which have been installed and are in operation. He said this was to prevent witness statements being given before a Justice of the Peace where one is uncertain whether the witness was beaten or threatened to give the statement. He said after the Government bought the video recording suites, it found another 14 video suites which had been bought but never put into use. He said the Government is now insisting that every statement that is given will be recorded on video because the Government must balance the rights of the individual against the right of the State to protect itself.

He said the State had also brought in the DNA regulator to assist with dealing with firearms, narcotics and thousands of sexual offences and is speeding up the procurement of the entity to provide the services to the DNA bank and DNA testing because the Government wants this completed by September and has determined that it will take just six weeks to get DNA samples from the entire prison population.

He said the Government is also taking steps to manage the public prosecution service to manage cases so that they are ready to begin when court starts. He said that policemen arrive at court with long lists of cases to be adjourned because the system is not being managed at present. He said this has been one of the reasons why cases do not get started.

He said the Government has also instituted a Public Defender’s System for the country after a visit he made to the U.K during which he met with the U.K’s Director of Public Prosecutions and the head of the Public Defender’s Service in the UK.

He said he had arranged for assistance in prosecutions and Public Defender oversight from the UK.

He said the Government is going to upgrade the Legal Aid Authority into a Public Defender’s System so that when an accused person’s attorney of choice is not available, the State will provide a competent attorney.

Crosby who owned a music store and producer a lot of music for decades, passed away last August.

At the We Kaiso event, hosted by the WeBeat St James Live17 committee, a number of top entertainers remembered Crosby in song on June 9.

Young Lani K (Jelani Kojo), opened the show with his own Fight, then followed it with David Rudder’s Engine Room.

He made way for Errol “Bally” Ballantyne who sang his popular Party Time, Queen’s Canary (Sparrow), Maxi Dub and Ten to One (Sparrow).

Entertainer Relator (Willard Harris) did a number of oldtime calypsoes from some of the greatest masters of the art form like Sparrow, Kitchener, Terror, Blakie, Roaring Lion and Nelson, and had the crowd singing along with him from the first number. Those gems included PAYE, No Money No Love, Maria, Hold the Pussy Cat, Had a Little Monkey, Pan Talent and Lizard, before taking a “commercial break” to sing an old Nagib Elias jingle.

He continued with Sugar Pie, Santa tief ah big man from St James, Morvant, Mas in Madison Square Garden, Rainorama, The Road, Ugly Woman, and closed with La La.

Nest was 3canal, featuring Wendell Manwarren who was celebrating his birthday, Stanton Kewley and Roger Roberts. They began with Walk in Beauty, followed by Memories (Sparrow), dedicated specifically to Crosby, that left some tearful eyes in the audience. But soon enough they got the party started with Good Morning, but had to make way for a presentation to the Crosby family. The live entertainment restarted with reigning Calypso Monarch Chalkdust (Dr Hollis Liverpool) who sang Doh See African, 75 Can’t Go Into 14 and Speaking Frankly, then from Explainer (Winston Henry) who left the stage and went down to the audience to deliver Doh Touch Meh Ras, No Guns in the Party and Lorraine. The audience danced to all of his selections.

Multiple Soca Monarch winner SuperBlue (Austin Lyons), kept the party going with Soca Baptist, To Love Somebody (Bee Gees), Nature’s Plan (King Austin) and Ethel, and left Crazy (Edwin Ayoung) to close the show with a number of his ditties including Drive It, Cold Sweat, Crazy I Don’t Know Why, Paul Yuh Mother Come, and OPP in the Party.

MCs Nikki “Granny” Crosby and Errol Fabien entertained the audience while Errol Ince & the Music Makers accompanied all the artistes on the night.

According to a release sent to the media yesterday by the police, 30-year-old Andy Gormandy was arrested and charged by officers of the Central Division on Wednesday afternoon along Tee Lane, Enterprise. Newsday understands Gormandy was sitting in a Nissan Tiana car, when he was stopped by police. The police searched the car and found a revolver of an unknown make.

Gormandy was charged by PC Jason Chaitlal of the Central Division Operational Base

Four teams, namely the Under- 15 Male, Under-18 Male, Senior Female and the Senior Men, represented the host nation (Team TTO) on the opening day.

The tournament’s first match saw Puerto Rico dominating Jamaica 16-9 in the Under-18 Male category. Team TTO’s Under-15 Boys were evenly matches against the Bahamas and lost a close encounter 12-11, in their first round game of the best-of-five series. Ross Gillette scored three goals for the hosts while Everson Latchman and substitute Yannick Robertson scored two apiece in the losing effort. The local boys will be looking to level the series at 1:30 pm today.

Team TTO’s U-18 Male, looking to make a positive start to their campaign, thumped Barbados 24-8 in their opening match of the preliminary rounds. Chad Rowley led the offensive charge, scoring 11 goals in the process and Jean Luc Hinds contributed nine as Team TTO cruised to victory. Also getting on the scoresheet for Team TTO were Joshua Welsh and Jason Hackett, both ending with four goals.

In the other games contested, Cuba defeated Mexico 10-6 in the Open Senior Female category and Jamaica emerged victorious over Barbados 14-7 in the Open Senior Men’s.

Team TTO’s Senior Female team were set to battle Venezuela at 4pm, however, the match was rescheduled to 7:15pm, due to the Venezuelan team’s late arrival.

Team TTO’s Senior Men faced Cuba at the same time last evening as both games were being played up until press time.

He was especially concerned that the new bill ditches provisions in an existing 1999 Act that mandates sanctions against prosecutors caught abusing the system such as by offering improper inducements to defendants.

Sturge said that on one hand prosecutors seek to lift up such persons to ask juries to believe their word, yet will not themselves enter plea-deals with them due to fears of facing penalties under the 1999 Act, noting that four past Directors of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) had stayed far from using the Act.

Sturge said that just as such accused persons had snitched on their former partners in crime, so too were they likely to also turn on the prosecutors with whom they had struck a plea-deal. “You are dealing with the scum of the earth who will turn around and bite you.” Sturge cited the British case of the “Guildford Four” and the American case of the “Central Park Joggers” to show that prosecutors have knowingly pursued false prosecutions against persons later proven to be innocent.

He cited a local case, “Barry Brown and Others”, where it was later proven that the police and prosecutor had knowingly set up suspects, but without consequence when unearthed. “You know what happened to them? Nothing. That’s a lie. They got promoted.” He said one officer got promoted to be one rung away from being a Commissioner of Police, and could still fill that spot one day. Sturge feared that the current bill eviscerates the existing Judges Rules that has safeguards against involuntary statements being taken from suspects for court evidence. Sturge also warned of the plight of accused persons being defended by “green” lawyers from the Legal Aid scheme, who could easily be intimidated by the police when visiting his client in a police station.

“If the police just opens his mouth too hard, he (lawyer) would run out of the station.” Sturge urged that a fresh provision to mandate that an experienced lawyer be given to a suspect on a murder charge.

The trio are assistant referees Joseph Bertrand, Ainsley Rochard and Rodphin Harris. Harris is one of 12 members of the Targeted Advanced Referee Programme (TARP). TARP referees are part of the development strategy of the Confederation to provide an opportunity to work with elite officials in order to prepare them for future competitions.

For the first time in the tournament history, all match officials will be stationed at a referee headquarters in Dallas, Texas, and travel to assigned games across the United States These elite match officials were required to pass several assessments including the FIFA World Cup Candidate Fitness test, so that they could potentially be considered for an appointment to CONCACAF’s most important competition. The tournament will be played from July 7-26, 2017 in 14 stadiums in 13 metropolitan areas across the United States.

“CONCACAF has selected topclass referees to officiate at the Confederation’s premier championship.

These officials have undergone strenuous preparation and vetting as our commitment is to ensure consistent high-quality performance on the field,” said CONCACAF Director of Refereeing, Brian Hall. “For the 14th edition of Gold Cup, officials will be based in Dallas in an effort to maximise the training and flow of crucial information to enhance game management.” The CONCACAF Referee Committee approved the list of participants, who were reviewed and selected by the CONCACAF Referee Technical Advisory Team, a cross regional group of refereeing experts. This team includes 60 participants, 17 referees, 25 assistant referees, six assessors and 12 members of the Targeted Advanced Referee Program (TARP).

Taking place every two years, the CONCACAF Gold Cup is the official national team championship of the region, which includes North and Central America and the Caribbean, and will be broadcast in the United States on the FOX and Univision family of networks

This event will form part of the TTO C’s Olympic Month activities and, according to a media release, “a number of National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) will use (the day) to create awareness about their sport, programmes and national athletes.” NSOs, schools, Olympians (past and present), athletes and members of the public have been invited to participate in the Olympic Day celebrations.

“Olympic Day will give participants the opportunity to learn and discover new sports as various NSOs will provide information and demonstration opportunities,” the media release continued.

“Team TTO Cultural Ambassadors Keron “Sunny Bling” Sealy (master of ceremonies) and Sekon Sta will be at Lord Harris Square. Also appearing will be the Drama Making A Difference Company.” Every year on June 23, Olympic Day is celebrated all around the world: hundreds of thousands of people – young and old – get moving and participate in sporting and cultural activities, such as runs, exhibitions, music and educational seminars. Over the last two decades, the event has helped to spread the Olympic ideals to every corner of the world.

The theme of Olympic Day all around the world is “Move, Learn and Discover”.

Olympic Day was introduced in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games on June 23, 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris. The goal was to promote participation in sport across the globe regardless of age, gender or athletic ability.

Sponsors of today’s Olympic Day proceedings include Olympic Solidarity, BPTT , FLOW, Toyota, Guardian Group, Puma, National Lotteries and Control Board (NLCB), Port of Spain Corporation, Ministry of Sport and the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago

It’s difficult to implement change in the education system of TT and the region because the decision makers are beneficiaries of the present system.

They blame the individual for their inability to progress in the current system. Teachers are also blamed for students’ poor performance. The system is doing what it is designed to do — create a ruling elite and a majority servile class.

The ruling class thinks there is nothing wrong with the system but that there are lazy people who cause trouble to the society.

When I used to mark the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate I tried to convince some higher-ups that the examinations needed reform but was unsuccessful. Since that is the examining body for the region it is integral to educational reform. Teachers teach students to pass the test and the test is designed to discriminate.

A plan must be developed and implemented to change TT’s education system. It cannot just be superficial like teacher training and remedial classes for students.

The system must aim at developing students’ abilities.

The present system aims to select the better students which is inherent discrimination. I contend it is an unjust system. No justice, no peace.

BRIAN PLUMMER via email

In reply to Mark’s listed question on an emergency fund to help flood victims, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said $25 million was alocated for distribution via the Ministries of Works, Social Development, Rural Development and Local Government, and Agriculture.

Mark asked that given the severity of dislocation, could the sum be increased to $100 million.

Young replied that Cabinet has decided on $25 million, and asked if the Opposition is aware of the country’s financial state.

Saying the sum is now $35 million, he said the Opposition used to work in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Mark pressed, to ask if the sum could be reviewed.

Young replied, “The Government is always reviewing its position.

At this stage the allocation is $25 million.” In a separate question, Mark asked of the number of schools still shut due to Bret? Education Minister Anthony Garcia replied that originally 10 schools were shut but most had since reopened.

Five schools had stayed shut due to inaccessibility due to flood waters, including Warrenville TIA and Warrenville Presbyterian which shut yesterday because the Caroni River had overflowed its banks. He added that three other schools had been used as shelters, of which one (Valencia Government School) has since returned to use by pupils.

Works Minister Rohan Sinanan told Independent Senator Paul Richards of works on watercourses, namely clearing Tacarigua River, de-silting Cipero River, and river control gangs clearing debris. He is waiting for water levels to fall before decisions are made on the Oropouche Lagoon, Caroni Basin, North Oropouche River Basin and Caparo Water Basin.

Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat, in reply to a query by Mark, said his ministry has already received hundreds of applications for relief assistance from farmers especially in Tabaquite, Orange Grove, Penal and Woodland.

ustice Frank Seepersad, in delivering a judgment, cited negligence by the Corporation in failing to respond in a timely manner to remove the dogs from the premises which could have avoided such tragic circumstances. The dogs , at the time of the attack, were on a portion of property which belonged to resident Darryl La Pierre under the HDC’s control. The judge said the Corporation knew that the dogs were dangerous and capable of causing injury as there were previous incidents where the dogs had attacked persons in the area. In addition, Seepersad said that as a consequence of the failure of the HDC to take action so as to prevent the presence of the dogs on Flamboyant Avenue, security was denied to the deceased woman and she was mauled to death in a horrific and tragic way.

It is the first time that such a lawsuit has been filed against the corporation. The case was filed by widower, Lionel Rackal, 54, of Indian Trail, Couva.

Denise Rackal was 47 years when she was mauled to death by four pitbulls on May 9, 2011. On that day, Denise was walking along Bengal Avenue, Edinburgh South Gardens, which is one of the HDC’s housing developments in Chaguanas, when she was attacked by the dogs named “Obama”, “Champion”, “Zola” and “Fella” which belonged to resident Darryl La Pierre, the occupier of a HDC lot at Edinburgh South Gardens. La Pierre was named as the first defendant in his lawsuit for negligence while the HDC was named the 2nd defendant.

There were also holes in the fences of the property which is where the dogs escaped.

Seepersad said the HDC failed to address the issue and took no steps to have the fence repaired nor did it mandate La Pierre to do so. In addition, he said no steps were taken by the HDC to have the dogs removed. The judge said that there were options available to the HDC which were not explored which could have prevented the tragedy. “The HDC had knowledge of the threat that the dogs posed and the substantial threat which these dogs posed was not fanciful or farfetched and the HDC had an obligation to ensure that common places such as Flamboyant Avenue was safe and to circumvent the evident danger,” he stated.

On the day in question, Denise was walking on her way to work when the dogs near Lot No. 65 on Flamboyant Street attacked and mauled her. The mother of two died after her Carotid artery was punctured by several bites and she bled out. Rackal, the widower, stated then that the HDC’s Programme Project Manager Christopher Booker, had spoken to La Pierre about the pitbulls. He also stated that former HDC managing director Jearlean John had stated in an interview, that La Pierre had breached his contract with the HDC as occupier, because no such dogs were allowed on the premises.

Damages were awarded for loss of expectation of life, loss of earnings for the lost years, pain and suffering along with other aggravated and special damages