The report, which was laid in Parliament in September last year, said Hart should be held responsible for the failed $26 million towers.

While the report advised that no criminal action should be taken against anyone, Hart was singled out under the heading “civil liabilities.” The report said, “Mr Calder Hart was clearly the mind and the management of Udecott with respect to this project. He failed to do that which a prudent buyer would have done in the purchase of the land.

He was required to do an inspection of the land before purchase and if he had done that he would have seen all the facts that operate against its suitability for the project.

He therefore should be held accountable and liable for the losses sustained in the execution of the project.” Hart has gone on record to say he did not find the report fair. He also labelled the report as “procedurally flawed” and “defective in substance.” The former Udecott boss’s lawsuit against the commission came up for hearing yesterday before Justice Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell and was held in a small, private chamber court on the second floor of the Hall of Justice in Portof- Spain. Details of the hearing were kept private.

The commission of enquiry was set up to investigate “the entire process which led to the construction of the Las Alturas Towers at Lady Young Gardens, Morvant, and all other acts, matters or decisions done or undertaken incidental to and including the construction” of the project, which included the procurement process.

Two multi-storey units of the housing project began falling apart after construction and the $26 million towers were earmarked for demolition. They were part of a larger project, which was originally budgeted at $65 million and then rose to $90 million.

The commission was chaired by former Justice of Appeal Mustapha Ibrahim and included civil engineers Dr Myron Wing-Sang Chin and Anthony Farrell.

A statement issued by Marcia Hope, manager of the Corporate Communications Unit at the Ministry of National Security contradicts information given from one pathologist.

Hope said the FSC received nine bodies on Monday and, although the scheduled pathologist called in sick at about 10 am, had performed all nine autopsies and released the bodies to their respective families by 4 pm. Hope said arrangements were made within minutes for the scheduled alternate pathologist, who was in Tobago at the time, to conduct autopsies and that management informed police officers present that autopsies will begin at midday. While they awaited the pathologist’s arrival, interviews were conducted and paperwork was completed. However, pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov contradicted the details given in the release yesterday and blamed a senior official at the FSC for the distress endured by the families awaiting the results of autopsies on Monday.

“This could have been avoided if the administration would have some vision,” Alexandrov said.

“We pathologists come in every day and do our jobs as best as we can.” Alexandrov told Newsday that a total of 15 bodies were received at the FSC on Monday. These included the several murders committed over the weekend. When the pathologist on duty called in sick, persons requested that he take her place but they were told that he was out of the country.

Up to midday on Monday, no pathologist was available. However, Dr Hughvon Des Vignes, who was in Tobago at the time, was called to Trinidad to conduct the autopsies. Alexandrov said the autopsies commenced at 2 pm. He said that of the 15 bodies received, nine were examined.

The first will take place on February 7 at the amphitheatre in the Arouca/Maloney constituency from 7.30 pm.

“Throughout 2017, the Prime Minister is prioritising these conversations and looks forward to engaging the people of Trinidad and Tobago as we work together to navigate our challenging circumstances towards a brighter future,” said the statement

The woman, who is employed by the US Department of Defense, along with her sister and two brothers, arrived in the country on Monday evening and went to a funeral home yesterday to view their mother’s body and to make funeral arrangements.

The four broke down and sobbed uncontrollably during the viewing.

Contacted yesterday, former director of the National Operations Centre (NOC) Garvin Heerah, a close relative of Matthews, confirmed that his aunt’s children were contacted by officials of the Embassy but he said he did not wish to disclose what was discussed. The funeral is expected to take place at 3 pm on Friday at the Faith Assembly in Arouca.

The Arima house where Matthews was found dead on Saturday afternoon still remains a crime scene and the house is yet to be handed over to relatives.

Newsday understands that Matthews, a former factory worker, used her savings to build the house, had told her children that she never wanted the house sold and asked that on her death that the house remain with the family. An autopsy at the Forensic Science Center on Monday revealed that Matthews was stabbed eight times in the chest and neck.

“Let us amend this retirement act, not because it is the right and just thing to do,” he said, but because of the need to conform with international treaty obligations.

All senators not being part of the plan as legislators, he said, violates article C11 of the International Labour Organisation to which Trinidad and Tobago is a signatory.

Mahabir, the mover of the motion – which stated that the principle of the elimination of all forms of discrimination in the workplace was an established policy position of Government – called on Government to present the required legislative amendment to the Parliament before the end of the 2016-2017 session. Speaking to the motion in the Senate yesterday, Mahabir noted that all senators are not contributors to the MPs retirement fund.

While he has been told that he was not an MP, Mahabir argued that according to the Constitution, he was one even though he was not elected like MPs in the House of Representatives. Senators are appointed.

While the basic salary of a Cabinet minister is $41,030 a month, and the salary of a minister without Cabinet rank is $33,940, he said, the salary of a senator other than a minister and parliamentary secretary, was $13,060 a month.

Whether fair or unfair, just or unjust, he said that the Salaries Review Commission has determined a $28,000 difference between senators and a Cabinet ranked minister who has other functions apart from legislating.

While the $28,000 difference was not the issue, and while all MPs earn a salary, he said, “what we find is that all MPs do not have the right to participate in the pension plan for officers who are legislators.” The plan is a contributory one similar to the National Insurance Scheme. Members contribute on a monthly basis.

At present, some 24 members, who are not holding executive positions with Government are excluded. This includes all Opposition and Independent senators.

Based on the ILO convention, he said, exempting local legislators in the plan nullifies or impairs equality of opportunity or treatment in employment.

“Once it is accepted that legislators are entitled to a salary, there is no justification for exclusion from the pension plan,” he said.

Among those in the Senate contributing to the plan are the President of the Senate, ministers and a parliamentary secretary.

The Speaker of the House, and the Deputy Speaker, who were not elected are also included.

Mahabir said, he was aggrieved that the Vice President of the Senate was not included in the MPs pension plan. “If you have to discriminate, discriminate with style, class, panache and finesse. Do not discriminate sloppily,” he said.

If there is one person to be included, he said, it must be the office of the vice president.

She shot down arguments that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 111 against discrimination means that non-portfolio Senators must be treated equally to other legislators.

“Being a Senator you are not ‘employed’ and it is not an ‘occupation’,” asserted Baptiste-Primus. She also doubted that Parliament can be defined as a Senator’s “workplace” She also said Convention 111 is given effect in TT by the Equal Opportunities Act (EOA), which states “who” must not be discriminated against and “how”.

Saying the EOA bans discrimination on grounds such as sex, race and disability, she said there is no evidence that any Senator is discriminated against on any of these grounds. Secondly, saying the EOA bans discrimination in job, accommodation, education or the provision of goods and services, she said, “Senators do not have full time positions and are not stopped from having substantive jobs.” Baptiste-Primus declared, “It is also an unreasonable expectation that a part-time office should have equal retirement benefits as a fulltime office”.

Earlier, Opposition Senator Khadijah Ameen noted that Senators were not seeking “free money” but simply a chance to contribute to a retirement scheme.

Independent Senator David Small lamented the case of a former senator reduced to a state of mendicancy after years of service, empathising, “It is with a sense of shame that I stand here”. Saying he spends more than 40 hours per week in research and attendance at Parliament (including 20 hours each weekend), Small said the nation will benefit if such contributions are valued. This debate resumes next month, while the Senate will mull Government business on February 7 at 1.30 pm.

In a media statement yesterday, Maharaj, who is also political leader of the National Solidarity Assembly (NSA), also declared support for the implementation of the death penalty and for citizens to bear arms.

He observed that an “aura of abject fear and terror” is stalking the land and called on both parties to “rise above the pettiness of scoring cheap political points against each other and immediately come together across the table of brotherhood and, in the national interest, find a way to deal with the savagery and brutality of a crime scourge never before experienced in this country.” Maharaj noted the time has come for Parliament to consider a reform of the Constitution to allow “after proper checks and balances, for the right of our citizens to bear arms.” “It cannot be that we are going to allow innocent law abiding citizens to be sheep and fodder for criminals to whom the ownership of illegal firearms is a norm without fear of the law. Citizens must be given a fighting chance to defend themselves, since there cannot be a police officer in every home.

“The law cannot continue to operate to the detriment of our law-abiding citizens by stripping them of the means of defending themselves,” he stated “I also agree with the Leader of the Opposition that our women, or sisters and daughters and wives and nieces and our mothers be allowed to protect themselves with pepper spray and tasers.

They must be given the chance to at least have a chance to escape from the human predators that seek to hunt them,” Maharaj stated.

“We cannot continue to sacrifice the safety of our people on misused theoretical concepts of human rights for criminals who violate the rights of others without remorse, otherwise we may very well lose our nation and the safety of our people on the altar of misguided liberalism and humanist thought.

The victims of crime and the families of those murdered are the ones who know the difference between theory and the practical reality of a criminal animal,” he stated.

At a press conference held on Monday, Persad-Bissesar called for several measures to address the crime situation, including a change in the regime for licensing firearms so that access for citizens is made easier.

“We are here to celebrate the life of a man who made a significant contribution to the Commonwealth in particular,” said Regrello, speaking at the opening ceremony of a photographic exhibition titled “The Life and Times of Mahatma Gandhi” held by the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Co-operation of the Indian High Commission in collaboration with the San Fernando City Corporation on Monday evening at City Hall.

“His mannerism, his attitude, his approach to politics, without picking up a gun, without firing a bullet, he transformed India and transformed the Commonwealth, and he triggered off a string of independence across the commonwealth countries that followed.” The exhibition was held on the 69th anniversary of Gandhi’s passing in 1948 and displayed photographs depicting moments across the life of the celebrated Indian civil rights leader.

Asked whether he believed Ghandi would have supported Persad-Bissessar’s call, Regrello responded , “Gandhi showed that it was possible to change a society without ever picking up a gun.

Guns can’t be the answer.

Gandhi is of the same ilk as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela who preached non-violence as a force for change. We can do it by taking a non-violent approach.” Also present at the exhibition was Indian High Commissioner, Bishwadip Dey.

Dey declined to comment directly on the internal affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, but he said, “Gandhi becomes much more relevant when his teachings of truth, non-violence and co-existence comes in. When you practice non-violence, when you practice truth, when you practice peace, there can be no crime situation.”

Sydney explained that for more than a year, the 36 students and three teachers of the school have have been subjected to serious health and safety issues. He identified the major issue as an open sewer which emits methane gas and forced the closure of the school three weeks ago.

Coupled with that, there is an electrical problem and lack of toilet facilities to accommodate the existing school population.

However, the union learnt that an administrator “with two teachers from another school” reopened classes on Monday and yesterday despite the “unbearable stench”.

“There must be no school in this building where there is an open sewer and where a little child can fall in.

There should be no school in this building where there is a failed fire and electrical certificate and one toilet working for 36 students,” Sydney said. ECTTU was told that eight students showed up for classes on Monday, and 15 children yesterday, some of whom were seen eating cake in the building.

“We cannot tell the parents, who neglect their children and bring them to school, what to do.

But what I can say is our members, the teachers, stayed away from the compound ensuring that OSH personnel and the Ministry of Education officials fix and secure the building,” Sydney said. Speaking with reporters outside the school, the president charged that the decision to reopen classes is a breach of the Children’s Act, Chapter 46:01 (Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Young Person.

“We expected that charges be laid but for some strange reason the officer was given directives to stand down on that and take further directives.

We are very upset at this time.

We would like to see this sorted out and the union is going to take action through legal means to ensure that no one escapes judgement based on these horrible and rogue practices,” Sydney said.

Following the report yesterday, a police officer was seen leaving the school’s compound Police sources confirmed that an investigation was launched to determine if the administrator in question is culpable of the alleged offence.

PC Lara of the Santa Flora Police Station is continuing investigations.

I believe in giving credit where it’s due but National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, “What’s really going on?” I hate to join the bandwagon lobbying for your dismissal but again I ask, “What’s going on, chief?” All the police, intelligence gathering and consultation mean nothing if this wanton disregard of life by these monsters continues.

Yes, you live by the sword, you die by the sword but what about everybody else? The innocent daughters and mothers being advantaged? The hard working entrepreneurs being slaughtered for their life’s work? Is it just a case of bad luck? It’s pointless quoting the current murder toll, it would have increased by the time this is published.

Brawls at the airport and gunfights at Clifton Hill. These are things you see on the Internet and wonder what’s going on in the world. It’s scarier when you realise it’s your airport and your beach.

This is in no way to be misinterpreted as hate mail but things have gotten out of control. I understand that it isn’t an easy job but it’s still the Minister of National Security’s job. It’s obvious his boss believes in him but that’s not enough. Not when taxpaying, law-abiding citizens have to cower to these vile creatures.

There is no need to use quotes and statistics to support my point.

Things are bad and everyone can see it. The sad part about this is if I get caught with an ounce of marijuana, I get lost in prison. If I raise my voice at a police officer because I really don’t think he is doing a stellar job, I might get some blows and spend the night in a cell. Conversely, if I get robbed, hard luck, you shouldn’t go to bars with your wallet.

The problems are simple: guns and drugs. The solution may seem impossible but that’s why the Ministry of National Security was allocated billions of dollars.

So please, sort it out.

Alvin Daniel via email