Diaz: I have not quit

He was admitted to hospital last week and underwent successful angioplasty surgery to unclog blocked arteries in his heart. In the wake of Diaz’s health woes, Richard Forteau has been installed as Acting President of the pan body. On the weekend, Assistant Secretary Cindy Rosemin resigned from the executive citing lack of transparency and leadership as her reasons for doing so.

Also leaving the executive on the weekend was Aquil Arrindell, who quit as Education Officer.

Panmen have been demanding that Diaz and his executive tender their resignations and for a new executive to be elected citing several irregularities the latest of which was the issuing of cheques individually valued at $1,000 to panmen as appearance fees for the 2016 Panorama competition, but said cheques not being honoured and cashed when taken by the recipient to the bank. Panmen staged protests last week outside PanTrinbago’s office in Port-of- Spain.

An emergency meeting carded for Saturday last, was called off after Diaz collapsed. Yesterday, the remaining board members including Ag President Forteau, Michael Joseph (PRO), Keith St Cyr (External Relations Officer), Andrew Salvador (Treasurer) and trustees Allan Augustus and Trevor Reid plus regional chair persons Carlon Harewood (East), Gerard Mendez (North), Marie Toby (Tobago) and David Balbosa (South) were in a meeting for most of yesterday. Last year, Byron Serrette tendered his resignation as VP.

Pan activists Dane Gulston, Gregory Lindsay and a third person joined the meeting after lunch and remained there until very late yesterday. Contacted last evening, Gulston said that in his personal opinion nothing fruitful had come out of the meeting which lasted for several hours. A meeting with band representatives and the executive has been called for today to discuss the issue of the bounced PanTrinbago cheques.