Rowley, last week, slammed OAS secretary general Luis Almagro for the “very derogatory manner” in which he engaged Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and called for the OAS official to be changed “so that the institution can return to having the potential of being an honest broker to intervene and to provide a pathway for peace and progress in situations as they exist in Venezuela now.” Accompanying Prime Minister Rowley at the meeting on Friday were Foreign Minister Dennis Moses, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi and Minister in the Office of the Prime Min ister, Stuart Young.

Accompanying Palmieri, who is assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, were his chief of staff Stephanie Powers, and Charge d’Affaires, John McIntyre. The talks also addressed ongoing collaboration on security initiatives and the importance of T&T as a partner of the United States.

The minister issued the warning during a recent tour of her constituency in Maloney.

According to Robinson-Regis, there will now be focus on an enforcement drive to have citizens employ best practices and proper construction methods.

“Many individuals are building without approvals and those who seek approvals from the TCPD are building outside of the remit of these approvals.

There are instances of people building in river courses, building two storey structures in areas where approvals have been granted for one storey, do not provide adequate parking and a host of other ill-advised developments in Trinidad as well as Tobago,” she said.

“This wanton disregard for planning policies creates environmental problems, challenges with dealing with sewerage, are safety hazards for patrons, residents and the general public and contribute to the degradation of our environment,” the minister added.

Robinson-Regis also disclosed that the TCPD has issued a number of enforcement notices while there were several matters before the court. Some 35 matters have been considered and are to be enforced for the first quarter of 2017, she disclosed, while from September 2015 to December 2016, some 41 matters were brought to her attention for enforcement.

“Citizens are given the chance to mediate with the TCPD and follow procedure, and in many cases still do not comply,” she said. In the past, the Planning Ministry was successful in prosecuting non compliance in the magistrates court.

In those matters, offenders were convicted and fined $750 each for an initial offence and the further sum of $815,000.00 for the continuing offence for the period January 2006 to March 2017, a period of 11 years.

There has been another case before the courts since 2007 regarding a wall that contravened the 2.1 metre height requirement, and the owner has recently complied with TCPD regulations and the matter was withdrawn in May.

“As the Minister of Planning and Development with responsibility for development as described under the Town and Country Planning Act, I would like to advise that citizens desist from carrying out unauthorised development across Trinidad and Tobago since failure to comply with stipulated regulations will result in enforcement proceedings being initiated against the owner(s) or occupier( s) of the subject land,” she warned.

Referencing the hospital’s explanation of the events which preceded Phillip’s death, Abdulah said the particulars of them were “not the fundamental point.” “The fundamental point is that someone must have noticed this gentleman in distress on the compound of the hospital just metres away from what we properly call the casualty department or the accident and emergency department of the hospital,” said Abdulah.

Acknowledging that medical care may not have guaranteed Phillip’s life, Abdulah said, “We have a situation in this country where there are some people who count – and those number the very small minority and the large majority of the citizens do not count except at election time, their votes are needed to be counted in the ballot box.” Speaking after Abdullah, chairman Gregory Fernandez called for the installation of a special prosecutor to investigate corruption under the former government

The employee, Gary Mohammed, 32, died one week after an ammonia gas cylinder exploded while he was on duty at the job site in Savonetta, Couva on May 31 .

Reports said that when the cylinder exploded Mohammed was struck and sustained massive internal injuries .

Last Friday morning, Mohammed, who was undergoing treatment for the past few days, died at the Southern Medical Clinic in San Fernando. In a statement, Massy Gas said the cylinder, which was previously filled and was being held in storage for sale, contained anhydrous ammonia .

The company also confirmed another employee sustained injuries during the incident and is being treated by a team of specialist doctors. Mohammed’s family yesterday spoke to Newsday at their Mon Desir, South Oropouche, home. His brother Richard, 30, told Newsday the family still could not come to terms with the sudden death of his brother .

“We thought he was coming along just fine and then to get the news that he died. I still can’t believe it,”Richard said .

He remembered his brother’s final words to him .

“He told me to move his car from the compound and he asked about everyone. I really thought he was coming along,”Richard said .

He said he was told by officials at the company that ammonia entered his brother lungs which became inflamed leading to a lack of oxygen .

“My brother has such a bright future before him. He purchased his car and was looking forward to buying his house and in the near future get married to his girlfriend .

I knew of his plans because he would often speak of them,”he said. Mohammed was employed at Massy Gas for the last eight years .

Richard said once the autopsy confirms the cause of death, funeral arrangements would be made .

He described his brother as loving and kind-hearted. Investigations are ongoing

A media release issued by the Ministry of National Security yesterday told people living near the camps they might notice the sound of explosions, blank gunfire and occasional flares from June 13 to 17, but said: “Citizens, residents, tenants and visitors to the area should not be alarmed as this would be part of ongoing exercises and controls are in place to ensure that there is no risk to persons or property.” Newsday spoke to Major Al Alexander, senior public affairs officer with the Defence Force, who said all exercises were taking place within the confines of the camps, and the National Security Ministry continued to make civilians’ safety a high priority.

The exercise is expected to see local national security agencies partneringwith over 20 regional affiliates, as well as the United States, Canada, Mexico, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and is aimed at strengthening local capacities with respect to disaster management and response, as well as counter-terrorist training.

In a release, the Office of the President sought to clarify comments made in the media yesterday that alluded to his delay in appointing a new Deputy Director. These comments contended that unless the President appointed the new Deputy Director, the PCA cannot initiate any investigations against police officers, including complaints of corruption and serious misconduct.

“It is to be noted that the Director and Deputy Director of the PCA are not appointed on the sole discretion of the President but instead are appointed as a result of joint advice from the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition in accordance with section 6(1) of the Police Complaints Authority Act, Chap. 15:05 (“the Act”), or alternatively, after consultation with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition by virtue of section 6(2) of the Act,” the release stated.

The Office of the President then set out the process undertaken in pursuit of the Deputy Director’s appointment. The release said Stroude informed Carmona of his resignation on May 8 and on that date, the President dispatched letters to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar informing them of the resignation. He also informed them of the requirement of section 6 (1) of the PCA Act for joint consultation which states, “The Authority shall comprise a Director and a Deputy Director to be appointed by the President on the joint advice of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.” The letter also referred to section 6(2) of the Act, which states, “In the event the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition cannot agree on the joint advice, the President shall appoint the Director and the Deputy Director, after consultation with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.” Carmona also indicated that the joint advice was a matter of urgency as the Authority requires the appointment of a Deputy Director to be properly constituted for the purposes of the PCA.

Making reference to the present economic climate, Primus told the graduates that whenever a person keeps a job, some other person also loses a job. “In the economy of the future, everywhere you go, people are creating jobs. The only safe job is when you are your boss. Make that degree work for you. You should decide what you are going to do with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented to you by bpTT.

Beyond gaining employment, think about being an employer,” Primus challenged the graduates.

The degree they obtained, he advised, was just the preliminary tool in shaping the real person they could become. He also appealed to them to make a real difference in their communities.

Voicing the gratitude of his peers was valedictorian, Dinesh Boodoo, who graduated from The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

“The youths of Mayaro and environs have a distinctive advantage over others with respect to access to higher education through this Brighter Prospects programme.

Therefore, we should not waste this opportunity given to us.

What bpTT is doing through this initiative is building a stronger community through education.

It is a fact that this ‘little fishing village’ of Mayaro is well equipped with brain-power. We have qualified teachers, doctors, engineers and other professionals who have beneffited through this programme. Many of us may not have reached this far without this far-sighted programme.” Open to residents of Mayaro and environs, Brighter Prospects is one of bpTT’s flagship programmes in its policy of investing in human capital development. Started in 2003, the initiative provides financial assistance to students who gain access to tertiary education at approved institutions. The programme has fostered over 185 successful graduates since its inception Inspiring the graduates to even greater achievement was Dr. Jared Brewster, himself a graduate of the Brighter Prospects programme and is a surgeon at the Sangre Grande Hospital. “You graduates are no less the local heroes. Against the odds you have acquitted yourselves with excellence.

BPTT has flexed its corporate muscles to break barriers and create opportunities to make it less daunting for you to achieve your educational goals. I urge you to be lifelong learners. I challenge you to be conscientious citizens as you embark on this most important journey that awaits you,” Dr. Brewster exhorted the graduates.

Earlier, Matthew Pierre, Community Liaison Officer, bpTT, said that the Brighter Prospects scholarship programme, which focussed at the beginning on energy-sector disciplines, had broadened over the years to cover a wide range of tertiary education studies, such as medicine (with at least four doctors already qualified), IT and computer studies, and social sciences.

The programme covers disciplines from several tertiary institutions, such as the University of the West Indies, the University of Trinidad and Tobago, Metal Industries Company, the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago and the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute.

Police say that the driver was in a white van driving along the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway, just below the walkover at the Pasea intersection, at about 10.30 pm on Friday, when his van slammed into 33-year-old Fayard Ahmed, who was trying to cross the highway.

Newsday understands that the impact was so great that Ahmed was thrown several feet into the air and landed on the side of the road, dead. The driver stopped his vehicle and remained at the scene until police officers arrived.

Police detained and questioned him, and he was later released.

An autopsy is expected to be performed on Ahmed’s body today at the Forensic Science Centre in St James.

Over 200 police and soldiers cordoned off several parts of Carenage from as early as 3 am. Officers searched homes, drug dens and abandoned houses for arms ammunition and illicit drugs.

During the searches two kilogrammes of marijuana were seized in a house and six people were detained. The exercise was also aimed at forcing out people suspected to be involved in several shootings and serious crimes.

The exercise was ordered due to an upsurge of shootings in the Carenage district over the past few weeks.

Only on Saturday, three people suffered gunshot injuries at Haig Street, Carenage, and were up to yesterday nursing gunshot injuries at hospital.

The anti-crime initiative also resulted in several vehicles in Carenage being searched while K-9 dogs, along with their handlers also searched for drugs.

While this was taking place, officers in a Viper 1 helicopter hovered above to provide air support to the officers on the ground. Carenage residents thanked the police and soldiers for the searches yesterday claiming that the area had been under siege by gunmen.

The exercise was co-ordinated by ACP Irwin Hackshaw, led by Senior Superintendent Boxhill and ASP Ajith Persad, and included ASPs Samaroo, and Dominc, Insp Prescott and Cpt Gibbs of the TT Defence Force.

“We hope very soon that some of our nationals would be able to graduate with degrees in sport management,” he said.

Rowley spoke yesterday at a large gathering of supporters of the PNM at its annual Family Fun Day held at the Eddie Hart Ground, Tacarigua.

In Tobago, he said, discussions were held this morning with Sandals Resort and one aspect of the project is the development of a world class golf course.

Noting there are two other golf courses in Tobago, he said that when the Sandals project is completed, the golf courses would complement those in Barbados and Jamaica so that the Caribbean can host international golfing tournaments at the highest level.

The prime minister further assured that recommendations on the way forward for Stateowned Petrotrin will be implemented in the shortest possible time, once they are acceptable.

As he addressed party supporters, he urged them to hold their members of Parliament accountable, advising that sometimes the elected reprepresentatives ‘need guidance’.

He also reminded elected MPs and other party members that the PNM also represented all of Trinidad and Tobago and as a government they are to take that responsibility seriously.

According to Rowley, citizens of TT put the PNM in government and if not handled carefully, they [citizens] would take the Government out of office.