According to reports, a woman reported to police that last Wednesday night she and the top official, whom she has known for the past ten years, went on a date where they had something to eat, and a few drinks.

The woman added that during the course of Wednesday night she was invited to the home of the Licensing official where they had a few more drinks.

She said she became intoxicated and fell asleep.

When she awoke later that night she suspected that she may have been sexually assaulted. However the woman waited until Friday night, when she made a report to the Northern Division Police.

She was taken to a District Medical Officer, where she was medically examined and a medical certificate obtained.

On Saturday, at around 8 pm, officers under the supervision of Assistant Superintendent Daniel and led by ASP Mervyn Edwards and Inspector Birch went to the official’s home along with a police photographer and photographed the alleged scene of the sexual assault.

The house was also searched for any camera surveillance equipment that would assist in the investigation.

The official denied any knowledge of a sexual assault and is expected to be interviewed in a few days’ time. The police activity at the home of the official resulted in his neighbours gathering in front of his home to look on at the police activity. Yesterday, Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinnanan, under whose ministry the official reports to, said that he had no knowledge that the official was being investigated for an alleged sexual assault.

The other three quarter-final matches on Friday – all at the Tyro Sports Club in Bourg Mulatresse, Santa Cruz, required penalty kicks to determine the respective winners.

Young Guns got the better of Massive and Crew, after that game ended 2-2 at the end of regulation time, while Limited Edition and Future also advanced courtesy penalties, over Organs and Sweaters respectively.

The semi-finals will be staged on Wednesday, with Limited Edition battling Young Guns at 7 pm while Future will meet Fearless an hour later. The final is carded for Saturday at 8 pm.

Fixtures (40-and-Over Big 8 competition) – Quarter Finals – Today: Madrid vs Old Road United; Friends vs San Juan San Juan, 7 pm & 8 pm.

Tomorrow: Organs vs One Is One; St Francois Nationals vs Massive and Crew, 7 pm & 8 pm.

Semi Finals – Thursday, 7 pm & 8 pm.

Final – Saturday, 7 pm.

HERE IS NO gainsaying that an independent and functional Judiciary is seminal to the existence and operation of a democracy. It is the final interpreter of the laws of the country and primarily on such a basis it dispenses justice in disputes between citizen and citizen and citizen and the State.

Its reputation, among other things, rests on the quality of judicial personnel and the objectivity, fairness and impartiality with which justice is administered regardless of the rank, privilege and socio-economic circumstances of litigants.

There is also the imperative that cases before the courts be heard as speedily as possible and judicial decisions announced promptly in keeping with the maxim that justice delayed is justice denied.

In order to carry out its duty properly and maintain its standing and credibility, the Judiciary and, indeed, the administration of justice should enjoy the confidence and respect of the population at large.

In terms of the above criteria, the performance of the Judiciary appears to be wanting. The question for the authorities and the country is what measures can be taken to alleviate the problems confronting the Judiciary in order to improve its performance and reputation.

The fact that the Judiciary is in a fair degree of turmoil is not an issue of recent vintage with the appointment of former Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar as a judge and her subsequent resignation under curious circumstances as well as the conundrum of the 53 part-heard cases over which she had presided as a magistrate. At different times the Judiciary seems to have been embroiled in different challenges which have all affected its reputation and capability.

Twelve years ago in a column in the Sunday Newsday (19/6/2005), I mentioned that one of the assumptions underlying the effective operation of the Westminster model in this country is that there should be “an independent and respected Judiciary.” I stated then: “With respect to the functioning of the Judiciary in this country, we seem to have arrived at a sorry state of affairs aided and abetted by the actions and agenda of the Executive. The Judiciary is in turmoil and it is characterised by deep- seated animosity and conflicts, whether between the Executive and Judiciary or whether within the Judiciary itself.

“Its independence has been undermined and respect for it has waned. There is public anxiety over the quality of the judicial product. We have had a senior judge acting as Chief Justice advising a political appointee, the Attorney General, to approach the Prime Minister to have the substantive Chief Justice investigated.

“As a result, the mechanism for investigation has been activated.

And the latest development which is unprecedented in our history is that a group of judges has actually approached the President to question the application of his discretion to appoint an acting Chief Justice.

“One newspaper has remarked on the judicial crisis as follows: ‘…insiders point to ethnic and political factions, grumblings about appointments to the Bench, infighting and serious concerns about the competence of the Judiciary.’ No doubt, immense damage has been done to the institution.” Since 2005, there appears to have been little improvement in either the performance of the Judiciary or public confidence in it.

The backlog of cases to be heard both by the High Court and the Magistrates’ Courts has increased.

The quality of many decisions leaves much to be desired. The unconscionable postponement of cases to unduly facilitate lawyers and the lack of preparedness of prosecution implies that this aspect of the culture of the administration of justice has maintained its virility.

In this scenario of the grave burden on and injustice to litigants, the frequent overseas travel engagements of the current Chief Jus t i c e without s u f f i – c i e n t justif ic a t i o n w o u l d app e a r to be a dereliction of duty.

Students are no exception.

Reading helps to build the skills students need to succeed in school and in life. Students also need books that will entertain and offer an escape from the pressures of their academic lives.

So, here’s the perfect end of the day and back-to-school leisure reading list for everyone. It features some of my favourite books that offer what I like to call a reading lift. The Beguiled by Thomas Cullinan – The Beguiled offers a tense story of deceit from multiple point of views. When a young student from the Miss Martha Farnsworth Seminary for Young Ladies brings a wounded Union soldier to the school, the Southern, Confederate women and girls smother him with charm. As the young soldier abuses their feelings, the girls’ goodwill takes an unexpected turn that causes everyone to fight for their lives.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly – The inspiring story of the Afro-American women who worked for NASA during the early days of the US space programme is a must-read, inspirational biography/ history for girls who study science and math.

Green Days by the River by Michael Anthony – Students are in for a big treat when Michael Anthony’s Green Days by the River opens in MovieTowne on September 27. This novel about a teenage boy trying to find his place in a new village is a timeless Trinidad classic because of the astute way in which Anthony deals with relationships and Shell’s dilemma about which of the two girls he will choose.

Paper Towns by John Green – Reluctant readers who wish to take a literary plunge can’t go wrong with a John Green, Young Adult (YA) novel. Here, a popular teenager girl runs away from home and leaves clues for the nerd next door to find her. Green presents a fun-filled mystery wrapped in a story about teen relationships.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King – Stephen King loosely based his Dark Tower series on the French classic The Song of Roland so that gives this fantasy/ alternative world thriller some important clout. Once again, students will learn how easy it is to build reading speed, comprehension and analytical skills while reading an entertaining novel. Talk about an escape. This book allows readers to escape to a parallel world where good vs evil at every turn.

Will’s Red Coat: The Story of One Old Dog Who Chose to Love Again by Tom Ryan – If you want a heart-warming, inspirational, non-fiction book, try Will’s Red Coat, the story of a blind, deaf and partly-crippled dog rescued by the author.

Will’s story, first featured in a blog, had thousands of followers.

The Promise by Robert Crais – An action-packed detective story can be the perfect skill-building escape at the end of a long school day.

When it comes to delivering a tense tale, The Promise never disappoints. Here, Los Angeles police officer Scott James fights his way back from an injury and the ambush of his police partner with Maggie, a marine dog who is traumatised after she loses her handler. You will also want to read The Suspect, a sequel to The Promise.

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Koreans by Barbara Demick – Through interviews with North Koreans who made daring escapes to live in South Korea, Demick presents a brilliant piece of journalism that presents the horrors of North Korea, a country that is in always in the news.

Happy reading! Next week: Look out for the 2016 Bocas Literature Festival-winning books.

We all know that managing stress is not always easy – it can be very challenging at times, but your quality of life can be enhanced by generating positive emotional responses instead of giving in to the negative feelings when faced with difficulties.

Mind you, I am not for one minute suggesting that this is easy to achieve because even the best of us have times when we succumb to anger or anxiety. Some days it is the slightest things, such as the discourteous driver who cuts in front of your car, or the uncouth work colleague’s inappropriate behaviour.

However, in cultivating emotional resilience, you are building a suit of armour and defence system to help you to cope with life’s up and downs. It is not about alleviating all stress or eliminating the difficulties that are part and parcel of everyday life, or even trying to face them with a stiff upper lip, instead it’s about regulating your responses and having the resolve to deal with the issues and problems that are posing to be challenging.

There are myriad of factors that can cause emotional frailty such as workplace stress, relationship difficulties, physical illnesses etc, but it helps to be able to bend but not break when they come at you like a gale force wind, and then being able to straighten up afterwards.

There are steps that can be taken to cultivate personal resilience, and one of the most important is developing self-awareness of your body and its reactions. Know when you are vulnerable, and when your emotional and mental health is being compromised.

It also helps if you soul search for your triggers, in other words identify the situations and experi- ences that cause increased anxiety, and start to challenge the ways in which you think and react to those situations. Because being self-aware means that you are able to take remedial action as soon as possible.

As time passes, it is also important to figure out what works for you, and what is not helpful – bearing in mind that what may work for others may not necessarily work for you or vice versa.

An article written by Eric Barker on evidence-based ways to boost emotional resilience suggests the following: Be Optimistic Look on the bright side of the things that keeps you going.

Face Your Fears Face fears head on – fears that are faced are less frightening.

Have A Moral Compass Develop a strong sense of right and wrong even when in unfortunate situations.

Practice spirituality Much of the strength from religious activity comes from being a part of a community. Therefore, you don’t have to do anything you don’t believe in, but being part of a group strengthens your resolve.

Get Social Support Friends, family and loved ones can be key when life gets hard. Having that special ride or die friend often goes a long way Have Resilient Role Models It’s good to have a role model who can show positive examples and provide support Maintain Physical Fitness During vigorous aerobic exercise, the “anxiety-sensitive” person is forced to tolerate many of the same symptoms (that is, rapid heart rate, sweating, and rapid breathing) that frighten him or her during periods of anxiety.

Keep Your Brain Strong Resilient people are very often lifelong learners. They keep growing their mind, willing to learn, and adapting to new information about the world.

Be ‘Cognitively Flexible’ Be flexible in the way you think about challenges and flexible in the way they react emotionally to stress.

Find Meaning In What You Do Resilient people don’t have jobs — they have callings. They have a mission and purpose in life that gives meaning to the things they do. So, when times are hard, they feel a greater purpose is behind them, pushing them forward.

Remember, you do not always have control of what happens in your life, but you can choose how you respond.

Dr Yansie Rolston FRSA is a UK based disability and mental health specialist advisor. She is a social strategist and trainer who works internationally at various levels of government, business and civil society.

Contact her at yr@efficacyeva.com

Beharry was at at his business place when four men dressed in police uniform snatched him and took him away.

A TT$100,000 ransom was then demanded for his safe return.

Officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police Irwin Hackshaw, Acting Senior Superintendent Ajith Persad ASP Rishi Singh and others teamed up with other agencies and steps were taken to rescue the victim. Officers spent several hours on Saturday carrying out investigations and just as police were closing in on the suspects, Beharry was released.

He was taken to a medical institution where he was treated and reunited with his family.

Yesterday footage of the actual kidnapping was posted on social media. In the video, the two kidnappers dressed as police officers were seen running toward the back of the business place, then after a pause, the two “police men”, Beharry and another man dressed in a blue polo shirt were seen passing in the opposite direction. Beharry, dressed in a white vest and a pair of three-quarter pants, was being escorted by gunpoint by one of the men purporting themselves to be police officers, while the second man in police uniform walked at the back of the group, carrying a box under his arm.

Police are searching for two suspects in connection with the incident. Beharry is expected to be interviewed by officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad.

It is not simply that there is spiralling violence and increasing discontent. It is not even that there is a form of hubris that makes us think that God is a Trini and that hurricanes may wreak havoc and disaster on other Caribbean shores but we remain inviolate.

It is not even that some in our nation actually blame the current extraordinary spate of storms on the fact that we have people who are gay in our midst (believe it or not). What I find increasingly difficult to understand is the current aggression against elderly women.

This mounting violence and even hatred against older women suggests two things: first an unreasoning rancour against those who may be seen to have in some way laid the groundwork for the development of the nation and may therefore be blamed for our current situation. This is obviously irrational, but we all know that women and mothers are often blamed for what happens to the generations that come after them. It is one of the ways that patriarchy absolves itself.

There may also be a building resentment levelled at women who are now seen to be fast overtaking men in business, the professions and academia. We know that for whatever reason, young women in particular are excelling in areas hitherto dominated by men and boys.

This is not the fault of the women and the girls. Perhaps we need to look more closely at how our young men are taught to regard the females in their lives.

But there is perhaps more to it than this. About a year ago I interviewed a Trinidadian psychiatrist who claimed that the biggest problem that we face as a people is our inability to say thank you to the past. We prefer to hate it and ourselves. In other words the past and those who have helped to shape it have become burdens.

If one thinks about it, the women who have in recent times borne the brunt of irrational violence are those who came of age during the birth of our nation.

In a sense, these women are the mothers of our Caribbean State.

This suggests that we may perhaps not be able to accept the value of those who have shaped us.

But this really derives from our inability to accept responsibility for our own actions. We know that there are neurotics who actually begin to hate those who have shaped them and who, because they feel indebted and cannot tolerate this sense of indebtedness, turn their feelings around and into a symphony of blame against those very individuals who made them who they are. Is this at the core of our present spate of attacks on elderly women? I was particularly appalled at the murders of Dr Claire Broadbridge and Ramdevi Singh. But I also remembered the two women whose bodies were found in Siparia around Carnival time. They were pillars of society.

I have no idea if my analysis is correct. What I do know is that women who came of age in the sixties and who are now having their throats cut and their bodies stripped of clothing or who are being exposed to other indignities have become symbols in my mind of that sense of self-hatred that, I think, is at the heart of our diseased State.

There has to be a reason why those who have contributed to our society are now becoming subject to a level of humilia t i o n and anger that we have n e v e r b e f o r e experi – enced.

For the team, it was just reward for a near perfect tournament where they topped the preliminary standings for its entirety.

But for Man of the Match Kevon Cooper, the victory was his second breakthrough moment in a nineyear career that has had its ups and downs. The man dubbed ‘Super Cooper’ by Rajasthan Royals fans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over four years ago hasn’t been ‘Super Cooper’ for over four years. Problems with his bowling action which originated in the 2011 Caribbean T20 Tournament (which was replaced by the CPL) continued to surface, sidelining the Arimian for short periods and frustrating his promising career.

On Saturday night, Cooper continued his solid showing with the ball with match-best figures of two wickets for 12 runs, taking his tally for the CPL to 12 wickets (tied for fifth highest) with an economy rate of just 7.02 runs per over and the fifth best bowling average (15.41). All that good work would have been forgotten though had he not come to the rescue with the bat to save the Knight Riders. Cooper lashed an explosive 29 from just 14 balls, clearing the ropes for two crucial sixes and adding two fours as well. Bursting with joy at taking the Knight Riders across the finish line, Cooper also burst into tears while thinking of all he had been through.

“Well for me, I was being emotional because I’ve been here with this team from day one – five years.

I’ve been through ups and downs in my career with my bowling action. Went through (fixing) it many times and a day like this in a big final, to contribute to my team is always something special. It just shows I’m really a strong person.

No matter what comes my way I always try to overcome that hurdle,” he said.

Cooper came to the crease with the hosts slipping to defeat on 90 for seven in the 15th over in pursuit of 136. Alongside wicketkeeper/ batsman Denesh Ramdin, the pair batted sensibly but the equation was still tough with 33 needed in the last three overs. Patriots pacer Sheldon Cottrell, who had earlier done devastating damage with two wickets in the second over of the TKR reply, looked to be close to inflicting the fatal blow with a brilliant 18th over. Cooper would have none of it though, slicing a drive for an astonishing six over the point region, holding his pose for the cameras. This was his moment.

An over that was going for just five runs went for 11 and TKR were back in the match. Next over, Cooper dismantled a nervous Ben Hilfenhaus to send the Knight Riders fans in a frenzy as the match swung decisively in their favour.

Two wides, a no ball and a Free Hit did Patriots no favours – neither did the unforgiving blade of Cooper’s bat. He lashed the Australian pacer for a six and two fours to help win the match with an over to spare as Hilfenhaus went for 22.

As TKR players stormed the field to celebrate their amazing victory, an emotional Cooper bent to the ground and kissed the pitch as tears freely flowed down his face.

In euphoria, his teammates jumped all over him to congratulate him, while his captain Dwayne Bravo, perhaps sensing what this meant for him, pat him on the back.

“As I said before, I’ve been here from day one so you’ve seen the good side and the bad side. Our team spirit this year was something tremendous; the way Bravo led the team; our new coach (Simon Katich) coming in for the first time, and even our owners, the support they gave us throughout the tournament was excellent.” Is ‘Super Cooper’ back? “Hopefully he’s back. I haven’t scored runs in a long time. I started off my career as an all-rounder – a genuine all-rounder. My batting has falling off a bit but in a big final like this where my team needed me, I put up my hand. It is a great feeling,” he declared.

Speaking after the match, Ramdin, whose patient 26 not out from 31 balls (no boundaries) anchored the chase, paid tribute to Cooper.

“I knew once I bat to the end with someone to take the pressure off of me (we would win). Everytime I tried to accelerate wickets kept tumbling. I told Javon Searles to bat out to the last three overs. If we need 40 in three overs, it’s possible because it’s a very small ground and the ball is wet. I think Kevon Cooper really stepped up and took the pressure off me and he did it,” Ramdin said. The 32-year-old, winning his first CPL title after stints with other franchises, said he was elated to finally lift the trophy.

“This is my first title in five years.

This is my third final, I played two with (Guyana) Amazon Warriors and I think this is amazing.

I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Ramdin beamed.

In a final featuring T20 stars such as Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis and Sunil Narine, it was 28-year-old Kevon Cooper who proved the hero with the ball and more decisively with the bat to take the hosts to victory by three wickets with an over to spare.

Chasing a modest 136 for victory, the Knight Riders struggled badly and needed 33 from 18 balls with Cooper and Denesh Ramdin at the crease.

TKR needed a super knock from one of the two and the man nicknamed “Super Cooper” during a past Indian Premier League (IPL) stint duly obliged.

He hit a whirlwind 29 from 14 balls including two fours and two sixes to swing the match decisively in TKR’s favour. Australian pacer Ben Hilfenhaus felt the brunt of his bat, conceding two fours and a six in an error-strewn 19th over that cost 22 and included two wides and a no-ball.

Although it was Ramdin who hit the winning run, Cooper’s brilliance was the difference on the night. An emotional Cooper dropped to the ground and started crying immediately as his teammates ran onto the field to celebrate. Ramdin finished on 26 not out.

Earlier, Bravo won the toss and decided to bowl and TKR were in full control for the first 19 overs.

The hosts strangled the Patriots batting with incisive bowling and inspired fielding, removing their prolific openers Chris Gayle (one) and Evin Lewis (16) cheaply as their rivals lost their way.

But a poor final over from Bravo went for 21, battered for two sixes and a four by Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi (18 off five balls) as the Patriots posted a competitive 135 runs for six wickets in their 20 overs. Top scoring for the Patriots was Carlos Brathwaite with 30 not out from 25 deliveries.

Cooper took two for 12 while Narine was at his frugal best with one wicket for eight runs from four economical overs.

Knight Riders captain Dwayne Bravo has come in for some criticism for persisting with Narine as a pinch hitter but insisted he would not change the strategy for the final. And for the 12th time in 13 matches, the plan failed with Narine out for three, top edging left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell in the second over to be dismissed caught and bowled.

Apart from a chance-filled 79 vs the Barbados Tridents, the lefthander has scored just 80 runs in 12 innings at an average of 6.66.

Although telling the media he would not change the formula for the final, Bravo promoted himself to No.3, and lasted just one ball, bowled comprehensively by a fierce swinging delivery from Cottrell that cannoned into his leg stump. The wickets kept tumbling for the Knight Riders despite chasing the small score with Colin Munro (29), Darren Bravo (one), Hamza Tariq (18), Daniel Christian (eight) and Javon Searles (two) all finding it difficult against disciplined Patriots bowling.

But with Cooper’s entry and the calmness of Ramdin to push the ones and twos, Knight Riders avoided calamity to bring cheer to their fans and give national hero Brian Lara, whose name is etched on the venue, something to smile about as he looked on in attendance.

After the game, Patriots captain Chris Gayle lamented his team’s failure in their first-ever CPL final.

“We had a foot in at one stage but couldn’t get past the line. All I have to say is congrats to Bravo and Trinidad, they’ve been playing good cricket and they got the better of us in the final. It’s disappointing but one team has to lose and unfortunately that’s us,” he said.

Gayle, however, thanked his players for a tremendous season and hopes they can build on their showing for the future.

Saunders, who also held a coaching role at the now defunct Joe Public, replaced current Trinidad and Tobago’s goalkeeping coach Ross Russell at the helm of Central FC in December 2015.

But Stern John, another member of the national men’s team technical staff, was seen giving instructions during Friday’s Pro League encounter between Central FC and North East Stars at the Arima Velodrome, while rumours were abound that Saunders had parted ways with the three-time Pro League kings.

Contacted for a comment yesterday, the 43-year-old Saunders admitted, “The rumour is out.

I’m not with Central FC anymore.

They had some outstanding payments and stuff.

“I made a decision to leave the club. I think I had enough. It’s time for me to move on. And I have some things happening right now.” Asked to elaborate on what he has planned for the future, Saunders replied, “Some things on my own initiative.” During the past few months (after Central FC completed a Pro League three-peat), a slew of players have either left the club or signalled their intentions to move on, due to the financial struggles at the Brent Sancho-owned club.

Among the players who have left are Jan-Michael Williams, Keron Cummings, Rundell Winchester, Julius James, Keion Goodridge, Darren Mitchell, Marcus Joseph, Kevon Villaroel, Willis Plaza, Leston Paul and Carlos Edwards, as well as the Antiguan pair of Vashami Allen and Walter Prince.

John now becomes the sixth official coach at the club, in its fiveyear- long existence.

The previous coaches at Central FC were Englishmen Graham Rix and Terry Fenwick, Zoran Vranes of Serbia, Russell and Saunders.