Three school girls charged

A COLLEGE student is among three pupils charged in connection with the fracas which occurred at the Ministry of Education’s School’s Soca Storm held Friday at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, Tunapuna. The melee resulted in WPC Sherma Titus receiving injuries to her knee. Teachers union president Trevor Oliver yesterday called for the Education Ministry to re-visit the show which he said is inappropriate for children.

The college student, 16, of Quarry Drive, Champs Fleurs, is charged with resisting arrest and using obscene language. She attends the St Joseph College.
Two other students, also 16, of Prescott Lane, Pasea Village, Tunapuna and Ramdass Road, San Juan, have been charged with a total of four offences.

The San Juan student, who attends the San Juan Secondary, is charged with three offences: assaulting the female officer, obscene language and resisting arrest. Charges were laid by Cpl Patrick, PC Hoyte, and WPCs Lezama and Titus.

They are due to appear tomorrow before a Tunapuna Magistrate to answer the charges. The charges were laid following an incident in which it is alleged that WPC Titus was beaten by a group of students at the Soca Storm show on Friday.

The uniformed officer was treated for injuries to her knee and later discharged. Senior officers told Sunday Newsday she is in good spirits.

Show promoters were quoted as saying that the police used excessive force on the students, but senior officers said yesterday that if they had not intervened, the situation would have been more chaotic.
Oliver, in a telephone interview, said the show is inappropriate for both schools and school children, since it creates a disruption and fosters indiscipline at a time when there is need to have schools run in a disciplined fashion. Oliver said the whole show facilitates cavalier, wild and outlandish behaviour on the part of the students.

As a ‘Trini to the bone’, Oliver said he appreciates all kind of music but that the show’s format needs to be changed. He suggested that parents accompany their children, who he said must not be clad in their school uniform.


Panday on trial tomorrow

LEADER OF the Opposition and former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday makes his second appearance in court tomorrow charged with breaching the Integrity in Public Life Act 1987 for failing to declare to the Integrity Commission, a parliamentary watchdog, a bank account at NatWest Bank, Wimbledon, London, UK, held in his and the name of his wife Oma Panday. Facing three charges of giving incorrect declarations for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999, at his first appearance last November Panday had pleaded not guilty to all charges.

If found guilty, Panday could be fined $20,000 and imprisoned for two years. This is the first time a former prime minister has appeared on a charge.

The complainant is Fraud Squad head Snr Supt Wellington Virgil, the trial is to be prosecuted by British Queens Counsel Timothy Cassell, and three British bankers are to testify. Panday is being defended by Desmond Allum SC, Allan Alexander SC, Prakash Ramadar and Rajiv Persad, instructed by Devesh Maharaj. When Panday first appeared the case was before Deputy Chief Magistrate Deborah Thomas-Felix. However Chief Magistrate Sherman McNichols took over the case and he will now hear the case tomorrow.