Contacted for comment, Ali was thanking God for sparing his life as the stab could have easily severed a vein leading to his heart. Ali returned to the San Fernando General Hospital yesterday for a review of a 5 cm stab wound under his left shoulder blade. On Thursday morning he was rushed to Couva District Health Facility and then transferred to the Hospital where he was treated and later discharged.

It was at 8 am when Ali who owns and operates Old Mac Agro Supplies Limited and Trinidad Parboil Limited, was speaking to an employee about his conduct at the workplace when tempers flared.

Ali asked the worker to leave his office. The man snatched a knife and stabbed Ali under his shoulder blade.

Ali thanked doctors and nurses at both the Couva health centre and San Fernando General Hospital for the “excellent treatment” given to him. Ali’s stabbing comes less than a week after President of the Chaguanas Chamber of Commerce Vishnu Charran called for changes to be made to legislation to allow easier access to licensed firearms for members of the business community.

Couva police are continuing investigations.

“But, if you have a blunder you must accept responsibility for the blunder. I think one of the things that impressed the meeting was the fact that there has not been any acceptance of responsibility by the JLSC, or apology, or as I like to say, beg pardon,” Daly said.

Daly said he believed Thursday’s vote of no confidence was because people felt that they had been disrespected.

“As far as I am concerned, this is a very, very important moment to the pressure of public opinion,” he said. Daly said the CJ would have to decide whether he would resign from his post.

“All along we have been saying do the honourable thing. If people lose confidence in you it does not mean that you have committed some constitutional wrong.

You have conducted yourself in such a way that you have destroyed people’s confidence in you, and therefore you can’t can’t continue to preside if people have no confidence in you,” he said. Daly said people did not understand that the confidence in power had two components.

He said legal authority meant people had the law behind them, and moral authority.

When asked what this decision meant for the CJ, Daly said the moment one exercised legal powers without legal authority, they became illegitimate.

“He has to decide what he wants to do, I can’t speak for him,” he said.

“Do the honourable thing. Save the country from further fracturing, from further trauma. Do that thing.

Do it now,” she said.

She said she can understand and sympathise with Archie who would want to balance his own interest, his career and to take care of his family.

However, she said, she believes the interests of the country and the justice system outweigh whatever disadvantages may accrue to the CJ in these circumstances.

Speaking with the media during the tea break of yesterday’s sitting of the House of Representatives, Persad- Bissessar said the decision taken by the members of the Law Association expressing no confidence in the CJ was a “a historic development in Trinidad and Tobago” calling on the CJ to demonstrate transparency and accountability.

In the past, a previous government attempted to run out a chief justice, she said, “with respect to Chief Justice Sat Sharma, but we have never seen this.” Countries where a vote of confidence by the law association in a chief justice are usually taken, she said, are “fourth world countries” with strong dictatorships where there are serious violations of the rule of law.

The unfolding of events each day, she said, seems to get worse.

“When you think it was bad enough, by Monday we are told of a meeting having been convened and where no decision was taken about restarting all these cases,” she said.

The situation, she said, “is a very sad state of affairs for the administration of justice where the Chief Justice now has this major cloud hanging over his head with respect to presiding over the justice system in Trinidad and Tobago, the Judiciary.” Noting that the issue involved constitutional matters, she said, the Prime Minister can initiate proceedings for removal of a CJ.

To avoid “further entanglements and trauma the country may go through should it reach to the point where a tribunal is established or proceedings are taken to remove the Chief Justice from office,” she said, the Chief Justice should “do the right thing, and of his own volition resign.” She continued, “I do believe that the JLSC (Justice and Legal Services Commission) and the Chief Justice have a lot to answer for in this whole impasse that has transpired.”

Sources said he was expected to attend the Barbados Bar Association’s Inaugural Weekend Law Conference at the Barbados Hilton.

But calls to the Judiciary’s Court Protocol and Information Manager Alicia Carter-Fisher went unanswered.

The conference began yesterday and ends today and is expected to cover a range of topics including the Future of Legal Education, corporate governance, legalising marijuana, computer and technology misuse the right to privacy and practice management.

Up to late yesterday there was no statement from the Judiciary but Newsday understands that Court of Appeal judge, Justice Allan Mendonca was appointed to act as chief justice in Archie’s absence.

At a well attended meeting on Thursday, members of the association called on Archie to step down as Chief Justice expressing their loss of confidence in him.

They have also called for the resignations of the members of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLSC) of which Archie is chairman.

At the meeting on Thursday, there were repeated calls for an investigation into the appointment of former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar to the High Court.

Archie has said that the JLSC does not appoint judges as this is done by the President, but Senior Counsel Alvin Fitzpatrick said ‘strictly speaking’ that was not accurate as it was the commission that makes the recommendations to the president.

“The process of appointment is made by the president,” he said. He said the consequence of Ayers-Caesar’s appointment with 53 part heard cases left behind was ‘catastrophic.’ “It was after the bag buss, the JLSC and the Chief Justice were able, in a matter of days, to get information as to the state of the magistrate’s list,” he said. He also questioned what was referred to by many at the meeting as the ‘flip flopping’ of the JLSC after it became known of the number of Ayers-Caesar’s part heard cases and the haste to reappoint her to the magistracy to complete them.

“How could they do that?” he asked, while Senior Counsel Israel Khan said the legal fraternity wanted to know the truth. Contacted for comment in Barbados yesterday, Chief Justice Archie said he had no comment to make and would not be giving any response on the actions of the Law Association.

One young attorney said the JLSC did not act ‘rationally’ or in the highest standard expected them and senior criminal attorney Ravi Rajcoomar bemoaned the ‘serious miscarriage’ cased to persons before the courts by the appointment of Ayers-Caesar.

“This led to expected riots and we can expect more riots in the future,” he warned.

Rajcoomar also disclosed that information on outstanding cases is sent monthly to the JLSC from the magistrates’ court, manually.” Noting that not only had the criminal justice system ‘collapsed’ and was in a ‘disarray’, he said the public no longer had respect for the legal profession or the Judiciary.

“And if something is not done it is going to get worst,” as he also warned about the possibility of persons resorting to vigilante justice.

Senior Counsel Martin Daly — who was one of the first to call for Archie’s and the JLSC’s resignation — said the statements of the JLSC were tantamount to ‘confessions’ of the ‘huge administrative blunder’ which stemmed from Ayers-Caesar’s appointment.

“The first person responsible is the JLSC. I kept hoping they would hear our cries and say beg pardon,” he said.

He admitted what angered him the most was that the JLSC has refused to take responsibility for its ‘blunder.’ “They have tried to put it on everybody but themselves,” Daly said.

Seepersad, 35, of Diamond Village near San Fernando, had been warded at the San Fernando General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit following the incident. Since the incident, Seepersad had been handcuffed to his hospital bed after he had surgery and on Wednesday when he was discharged by doctors, police went to get him. Seepersad was escorted to the nearby San Fernando Police Station where he was placed in a cell. He was then slapped with the five charges.

Yesterday, Seepersad was taken before Senior Magistrate Cherril- Ann Antoine in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court who read to him the charges, the first of which alleged that on May 24, at Coffee Street, San Fernando, he parked his vehicle on the Diamond Village Taxi Stand. The second charge alleged that Seepersad, being a person in charge of a vehicle, by furious driving, caused bodily harm to Woman Police Constable Francis Benjamin.

That charge was laid indictably contrary to Section 26 (1) of the Offences Against the Persons Act.

Antoine read a third charge to Seepersad that he assaulted Benjamin in the execution of her duties. And a fourth charge alleged that on the same day and place, he assaulted Police Constable Shiva Ramnarine in the execution of his duties. A charge that by furious driving, he did attempt to cause bodily harm to Ramnarine, was read to the defendant.

The charges relating to the assault on the two police were laid indictably and Seepersad was not called upon to plead. On the other charges, he pleaded not guilty. Attorney Alvin Pariagsingh pleaded for bail on the ground that the “PH” driver was the father of two young children and had been shot and wounded shot in the stomach. He had a previous conviction for driving under the influence alcohol for which he was fined, and, an obscene language charge as well.

Pariagsingh was told by Antoine that the two charges were not of such a serious nature that would have influenced the quantum of bail.

The magistrate fixed bail in the sum of $50,000 to cover all the charges, with a surety.

He is to reappear on July 2. The alleged victims were not present in court for yesterday’s hearing.

Last year the young pannists from Flabej had their dreams crushed when they were not able to participate in the 20th Annual World Championship of the Performing Arts due to a lack of funds.

This year they are hoping their dreams become reality as the 21st edition of the championship comes around.

According to leader/ manager John Douglas: “We are at it again hoping to acquire the necessary funds to take 15 members of the band and five parents to the World Championship of the Performing Arts in Long Beach, Hollywood, California, USA.

“It has not been an easy task raising the funds, I have written to many companies seeking assistance and to date they all blanked us. I am now seeking help from the government through one of their funds.” But the management is not just begging, they held two concerts over the past weekend in an effort to help themselves.

Last Friday, Newtown Playboys Pan Theatre on Tragarete Road was vibrating as the Single Pan Champions and Flabej Now performed for patrons.

On Saturday, the Arima Angel Harps Pan Theatre was the venue for the second concert. The young pannists from Flabej Now ranging in ages from five to 24 performed various symphonic melodies at both concerts as did both bands which hosted the events.

Douglas says it will cost each person US$3,400 for the trip to California for the World Championship, this includes airfare, accommodation, ground travel and meals. The event runs from June 30 to July 9.

He is hoping he will be able to take his young charges to show off their musical prowess and bring their dreams to reality.

Here are some highlights from the concert at Newtown Playboys.

The event was hosted by the National Council of Indian Culture of Trinidad and Tobago (NCIC),

Addressing the gathering, Dey said that while he is sure the “Indian- ness” is there, one of his disappointments is that East Indians in this country need to know Hindi, “a bit more.” “The easiest way to do this, is to incorporate it in your language. So please try and preserve what you have. We at the High Commission are committed to promoting and assisting you with this…I request that you retain the Hindi you have and build on it,” Dey said,

He also pledged to donate 200 books from the High Commission to the NCIC’s Heritage Library,

Saying he did not want to dwell into the hardships experienced by indentured labourers, Dey said members of the diaspora have been successful in various fields including business, politics and economics among other fields,

Also speaking at the celebrations, NCIC President Dr Deokinanan Sharma described the ancestors as being a resilient people strengthened by their religious beliefs and culture. “We are extremely grateful to our indentured forefathers to whom we pay our deepest homage for their persistence in ensuring that their offspring did better than themselves,” Sharma said,

Life for the indentures was difficult and degrading, Sharma noted, and they suffered great deprivations,

“Yet they chose to stay. Having made the decision either by coercion or of their own free choice they made every effort to develop their newly adopted homeland,” Sharma added,

Several groups entertained the gathering among them the Artistic Cultural Theatre which presented ‘Jahaaji’, a play written and directed by local playwright Wahid Baksh,

The comedy-drama is based on the observance of the centenary of the end of indentureship,

An hour later, an annoncement was made that the TT Express, scheduled to leave Tobago at 6.30 am, had to be rescheduled as it remained docked at the port in Port of Spain for mechanical reasons.

A passenger, Juliet Nimblett who had a confirmed ticket in hand said, “I reached the port early and sat down waiting for the boat only to be told that it was delayed. I sitting here and I don’t even know when I would be leaving Tobago. This is absolutely poor,” she said.

Nimblett then appealed to Rowley.

“Lawd…the system needs help, this is not good enough.

Where are the decision makers, where are the policymakers. I realise the Tobago House of Assembly cannot help so now they have left me with no choice but to call on the Prime Minister.

“Where is the Prime Minister who claims he is Tobagonian… we need to see his ‘Tobago-ness’.

The people of this island are really going through some trying times.

We need him to come and deal with these issues,” Nimblett said.

At about 1.30 pm, the water taxi Paria Bullet, used to service the North/South Trinidad route arrived at the Scarborough Port filled with passengers. It departed at 2.45 pm with a full complement of passengers. The TT Express is currently the only vessel being used to service the seabridge as the TT Spirit is undergoing emergency maintenance repairs.

PAIN ALSO IN TRINIDAD Stranded for more than 24 hours at the Port-of-Spain Ferry Terminal, a Tobago businessman yesterday called on Government to, “Buy new boats and soon”, as a way to put an end to the chronic breakdown of the TT Express and TT Spirit. The businessman from Calder Hall, who gave his name as Stephan, told Newsday that after conducting business in Trinidad on Wednesday, he was scheduled to return home on Thursday on the 6.30 am sailing. However, the TT Express developed problems with its electronic systems” on June 1 and was unable to complete the sailing from Port-of-Spain as scheduled.

Almost nine hours after he was originally due to depart PoS, Stephan and other passengers with vehicles were allowed to board the ferry at 3 pm Thursday, ahead of a planned 4 pm sailing.

Unfortunately that didn’t happen.

Stephan said, “At 4.15 pm, they apologised for the extended delay and asked us to hold on for half an hour while they attempted to finish fixing the ferry. When the time was up, they asked for another half hour. They ended up giving us that same excuse about four times.” “Then, after 11 o’clock Thursday night, they tell us the sailing cancelled. Eleven o’clock in the night eh! They offered us water and sandwiches but no accommodation, so I and many others slept on chairs in the passenger area.

There were 180 vehicles and about 30 had come off before they really decided to say the sailing cancelled.

Most of the passengers that remained on the boat were those who were travelling with their vehicles.” After an uncomfortable night sleeping on a chair and a morning spent trying to get answers about when the ferry would set sail for Scarborough, Tobago, Stephan’s reaction to what he said has become a regular occurrence had moved from anger to resignation and a deep yearning, “to go home.” “This is real stupidness. I asked everybody I could think about asking – the manager, a supervisor, port police. One minute they telling you the boat will leave at noon, then when 12 o’clock come, they telling us something different.

But I see they now starting; after 1 o’clock in the afternoon, to take vehicles on the boat. Hopefully we will actually leave PoS this afternoon.” The non-sailing of the TT Express affected the 4 pm sailing from PoS on June 1 and the 6.30 am sailing on June 2 from Tobago. This weekend’s sailing schedule was adjusted so that today, the ferry will depart PoS at 4 pm and from Scarborough at 7 am. Tomorrow, passengers will leave from PoS at 6 am; using water taxi operations and at 3 pm on the ferry. Meanwhile passengers in Tobago will leave the port in Scarborough at 9.30 am on the ferry and at 4 pm on “water taxi operations.”

Saleem’s 2018 collection entitled Monte Carlo is reflective of the Circuit de Monaco which is synonymous with prestige, royalty, luxury and the international crossroads of style.

This collection attempts to highlight these features through fusing quintessential fashion elements reflected in elegant, trendsetting designs, creating a fantasy that transports the mind of the user to another place and gives an insight into the future, said a media release.

The selection of fabrics such as chantilly lace, stretch mesh, silk organza, twill and reflective fibreglass organza and silk chiffon are rich in texture, soft and easy to wear.

The array of ensembles symbolises resort wear, bridal, work and fun weekend getaway that speak to the various needs of today’s generation with a penchant for mixing and matching pieces to suit their own personal taste and style.

The collection also portrays the man who is bold and confident, one that does not shy away from vibrant prints, colour and alternative fabrics.

The classic palette of black-and-white designs are interspersed with the occasional burst of colour designed to appeal to the Caribbean man and woman.

Monte Carlo will be held on June 18, at 6.30pm, Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s. Tickets are available at Queen’s Hall Box Office and The Bridal and Curtain Shoppe.

For more info: 461- 3987

The exercise began shortly after 10 am and saw 150 police and soldiers engaged in door to door searches as well as a search of cars.

While the officers were on the ground, they had aerial support from National Security helicopter Viper One. Officers of the Police Canine Unit accompanied by sniffer dogs entered apartments and houses as searches were carried out for arms and ammunition as well as illicit drugs.

Twenty persons were detained for possession of illegal narcotics while others were held on outstanding warrants for serious crimes such as shootings and robberies in the East Port of Spain and surrounding areas.

Officers were led by Snr Supt Radcliffe Boxhill and ASP Ajith Persad along with Inspectors Mc Girk and Bruno, Sgt Austin, Cpl Budree and others. Five sniffer dogs were used in the searches. While this was taking place, soldiers stood at strategic positions to ensure no one entered or existed the locked down areas unless authorised by the police.

Police sources said that the exercise was incident free and those arrested were taken to Port of Spain CID and the Besson Street police station for questioning.

While some of the detained people have since appeared in the Port of Spain magistrates court to answer to charges, others remain in custody and are expected to be placed on ID parades.

The exercise was coordinated by ACP (Crime) Irwin Hackshaw.