According to reports, at about 11.30 am yesterday, PCs Ramnath and Kangalee were on patrol along Benny Trace when they saw a man riding a bicycle and acting in a suspicious manner.

Officers made attempts to apprehend the man but, he got off the bicycle and ran away.

While running away he dropped the gun and ammunition.

The gun will be sent to the Forensic Science Center, St James for ballistic testing and to determine if it had been used in any shootings or robberies.

According to reports, Ramdial was at home in company with her husband and two children ages eight and three when the bandits struck.

Ramdial told Newsday her husband had left the front door slightly open and had returned to the upstairs of their home when the intruder(s) gained entry and took possession of her Ipad and $800 from wallets belonging to her and her husband.

Ramdial said she did not realise that the Ipad was missing or even the cash until she began preparing for Parliament and discovered that the tablet was nowhere around.

A report was made to the Arouca police Station and fingerprint experts went to the scene.

Ramdial told Newsday that Millennium is a gated community with CCTV camera footage and that footage will be handed over to police to assist in the investigation.

She is hoping her Ipad would be found because it contains a lot of important information.

He told MPs, “It was this House that gave the CoP under the Police Service Act 2006, the authority and responsibility to manage the TT Police Service.” Dillon said Williams and all of his predecessors have been doing so under Section 74 (2b) of the Act. “He has the autonomy and the responsibility and as such the Police Commissioner has done what he did in his own discretion,” Dillon concluded.

Speaker of the House, Bridgid Annisette-George, disallowed a question from Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal to Dillion as to whether Dillon was aware of the process used by Williams to terminate senior police officers. Later in the sitting, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Stuart Young said 65 officers of the Special Security Unit (SSU), formerly assigned to the OPM, were terminated on November 21, 2016.

Young said the cost of the termination of that employment was $507,333.24. However Young was unable to indicate how many police officers have taken up the former duties of the SSU at the OPM.

He indicated that information was not available to him at the time.

“Let us remember to be thankful for each other, the family that we have created here. Let us remember to be thankful for the opportunities we have to make tremendous differences in people’s lives as we serve them through good economic times and bad. May we always strive to be deserving and grateful for the honour of serving their needs,” he said.

Baptiste was speaking at the bank’s annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, held at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, Abercromby Street, Port-of- Spain.

He emphasised to staff members, it does not matter how busy or hectic things become, they must take time as a family to reflect, not only on where they have been, but also on where they are going.

“We often get caught up in planning and working toward our achievements. We have our goals and focus our energies on attaining them and when we do attain them, our focus then shifts to what will be our next achievement.

“In living like this, it is easy to lose our sense of gratitude, as we get caught up in acquisition and not appreciation.” He continued, “I therefore want us to take the time today to reflect on some of our accomplishments in 2016 and for us to give thanks for them. I also want to take the time to focus on our hopes for 2017, and ask for God’s guidance as we work together to bring them to fruition.” He noted that at Republic Bank they have been very blessed in the midst of a very challenging recession.

Baptiste indicated that there is a spirit of fear and discontent in the society, as the uncertainty about the country’s economic reality continues, but in the midst of these challenges, in 2016 Republic Bank continued to enjoy success. “That for me is very humbling. When I think about that __ almost two centuries of receiving God’s love and guidance __ I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I also feel somewhat chagrined I must admit, because I know we have not always given proper thanks. As we move forward in 2017, let us not forget to pause often and reflect with gratitude on God’s benevolence in our lives,” he said.

He said his hope for Republic Bank in 2017 and beyond is that they always remember to reflect on, “God’s goodness to us and that we practice gratitude with every breath. On behalf of the executive, I want to ask each of you to pray for us as we work hard toward navigating the challenges ahead of us, so that we can best embrace the opportunities that come our way.”

Minister of Works and Transport, Senator Rohan Sinanan, said at the launch at the ministry’s Headquarters on Richmond Street, Port of Spain, that the new permit will be part of a new centralised digital system aimed at making the licensing process more efficient.

The new permit, he said, “is embedded with bar code technology” and “will allow authorise officers to scan permits on the scene and obtain all relevant information about the holder of the particular driver’s permit.

“The relevant information includes whether the holder has any recorded and/or outstanding infractions of the law thereby establishing an independent and reliable tracking system for those who have had any interaction with the legal system.” In a few months, Sinanan explained, he will take legislation to Parliament that will permit the relevant officers to scan the permits on the scene.

Overall, the new system will create an efficient licensing service where authorised licensing staff can easily access and provide information to permit holders and where permit holders can easily access their information online.

It will be implemented in Tobago on Monday and will include the same-day production of certificates.

However, the system will be introduced into Trinidad on a phased basis, but the Ministry could not say when.

The new system does not invalidate, the Minister said, existing permits.

“In recent times, statements have been made that do not align with what the Association knows to be the facts concerning its industry,” James argued.

He pointed out that statistics from TripAdvisor, the world’s largest, independent review site, “shows clearly…that Tobago performs better in all areas than the regional (Caribbean) average.” James said based on the TripAdvisor data, “it is clear” that Tobago ranks above the regional average in terms of Cleanliness, Location, Room Quality, Sleep Quality, Service and Value.

While acknowledging that there is always room for improvement, James reiterated his call for urgent attention to be paid to proper destination marketing.

“Tobago’s decline can be attributed mainly to the lack of destination marketing. At World Travel Market in November 2016, tour operators complained that in the past 12 months, little to no Tobago destination marketing had been undertaken. Money has been spent, but it has been wasted.” James cited the June 15 to 22, 2015 inaugural edition of the British Airways (BA) Tobago Football Legends Challenge at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet.

According to James, “the BA Legends promotion, with its heavy price tag, resulted in no tangible benefit to the industry in Tobago.

“The THTA has been repeating, for the past ten years, that without true and meaningful collaboration with private sector stakeholders on all marketing initiatives, money will continue to be badly spent.” James cited the February 2007 Land Licence Order which prevents foreign direct investment in Tobago without a licence as when the problems really began for the tourism industry.

“The process to obtain a licence is slow and a major disincentive which has had a knock-on effect with local investors…Ten years on, and with international arrivals a massive 80 percent down on 2007 figures, we have an industry in Tobago that is barely surviving and yet still finds itself under further attack for lack of re-investment.” Referring to the ongoing low energy prices, James noted that tourism now has an even more important role to play in the national economy.

Cordner said he was asked by then national security minister Jack Warner and former head of the National Security Operations Centre, Garvin Heerah, to prepare a template and crime plan to assist in crime reduction through the covert unit.

He said he did so in August of 2012.

Cordner, of Four Roads, Diego Martin, filed the lawsuit in December and is represented by attorneys Thomas Cunningham and Stefan Mungalsingh.

In his lawsuit, Cordner claimed in furtherance of the initial agreement with Heera and Warner, he and his unit, which comprised of two other persons, were tasked with investigating several murders, including those of two Chinese nationals in Cunupia; was instrumental in the arrests of the suspects in that murder as well as monitoring gang activity in several areas in Trinidad and the planting of marijuana along the eastern coast-line and human trafficking.

He said in November of that year he made numerous requests for payment to further the development of the covert unit, and made a final request a month later and received promises from Heerah that payment would be made.

Cordner said in December, 2012, he returned eight vehicles to the ministry and claims in his lawsuit the Minister had every opportunity to reject his services but he was allowed to do the work asked of him, without compensation.

He insisted that it was agreed he and members of the unit would be remunerated for their services.

Cordner’s proposed a monthly salary of $65,000 for himself, which he said was reasonable.

Cordner, a trained lawyer, in his lawsuit also noted that an investigation into the alleged establishment was conducted by the TTPS and he will rely on the document to support his claim He also said a similar investigation was conducted by the Police Complaints Authority.

Cordner said his attorneys sent a pre-action protocol letter to the Ministry of National Security but has received no response, which led to him filing the claim in the High Court.

Cordner is also seeking interest and costs.

Speaking to a small but enthusiastic crowd of supporters at Riseland Hill, Bethel, to endorse Christlyn Moore, the party’s political leader and candidate for Bethel/Mt Irvine in the January 23 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election, Richards urged Tobagonians to reject what he called the “mafia” project.

“If we play stupid and allow (Prime Minister) Dr (Keith) Rowley to use Tobago as a bargaining chip to justify that mafia infrastructural development in Trinidad, and allow them to move the fast ferry terminal from Port-of-Spain to Toco with this crazy idea that this will boost tourism development in Tobago, I want to give you notice tonight that that will destroy the economy of Tobago because there is nothing in Toco,” he said.

Richards argued there is no economic activity in Toco that will “serve as an impetus for the development of the Tobago economy.” Scoffing at the project, he added: “The only road that the PNM proposes to construct for the people of Tobago is the one from Valencia to Toco. And he is proposing to put the fast ferry terminal in Toco.

“So, when you leave Tobago to go to Trinidad, you must disembark in Toco. What are you going to Toco for? You going in the lighthouse to cook duck.” Richards, a crime economist and onetime member of the Tobago Organisation of the People, said crime and traffic congestion will compound the problem. During his address, Richards also attacked the PNM’s 16-year stewardship at the helm of the THA.

He alleged that the period, under outgoing Chief Secretary Orville London, was tainted by “corruption, mismanagement, victimisation, wastage and nepotism.”

Addressing supporters at a political meeting in Riseland Hill, Bethel, which she is representing in the January 23 THA election, Moore said the salaries currently being paid to workers in Tobago are totally unacceptable.

“It is time to bring CEPEP workers into the now with regard to paying them a living wage,” said a fiery Moore. “No more slave wages. We say immediately increase CEPEP wages by 40 percent across the board. No questions asked.” Saying that Tobagonians needed their dignity, Moore related a story about an encounter with one of her clients who had not gotten paid since last November. “It is not fair. It is wrong.” A former justice minister in the People’s Partnership administration, Moore said too many Tobagonians are struggling to enjoy a decent standard of living because of their commitments.

“They have school fees. They have nursery fees. Some of them are sick.” Moore said while many Tobagonians are suffering, assemblymen, councillors and administrators are being paid.

“But the CEPEP workers begging like slaves.

We say no, it must done.

Forty percent immediate increase.” Moore revealed that the party’s proposed CEPEP plan also will carry an optional, nine-month training component.

“You might feel you too tired to train, too young to train, too old to train. You might feel you don’t want to train on a Wednesday. That is your business,” she said.

“You don’t want to train, that is your business.

Your salary just get a 40 per ent bump.

You can take that but if you want to train, we say we will provide training and re-training for nine months, minimum.

“We will pay a stipend for you to train over that nine months. That is equivalent to the salary we just increased. So, Bethel, You inside.”

The meeting of the two organisations was the first in recent years and was held during the sitting of a NAAA Technical Development Committee. The TTSSFA delegation was led by president Phillip Allard and included Second Vice-President Janelle Edwards, Secretary Andy Joseph and Public Relations Officer Indra Ramsingh-Geoffrey.

The NAAA team was headed by its president Ephraim Serrette, Second Vice President Allan Baboolal, Secretary Dexter Voisin, Board members Durly Lucas and Dawn Washington. Also present were several technical officials.

Among the issues discussed were: officiating, timing, photo finish and results, scheduling and sanctioning. Both parties agreed that the officials to operate at secondary schools track and field meets will be trained through seminars and workshops. Some of the workshops will be held on the days of Development meets, two hours before the starts of the meets and the participants will use the meets to do the practical aspects.

The first workshop is set to take place at the first Development Meet in January set for today.

Also agreed upon is the setting up of a database of officials from the NAAA, Primary and Secondary Schools and volunteers. In addition, students of secondary schools will also be trained to assist in the event of shortage of officials at a meet.

The NAAA has agreed to assist with this by providing its timing and photo-finish system to record results. The NAAA also suggested that the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago and the Ministry of Education can be approached as well to utilise their timing and photo-finish systems. The zonal championships will be included on the NAAA calendar. One of main outcomes of the meeting is the decision of the NAAA to sanction all the TTSSTFA meets.

Sanctioning is to be done by the NAAA’s Technical Development Committee headed by Durly Lucas who indicated the Committee’s availability to work with the TTSSTFA in the formation of its programmes.

The TTSSFA and NAAA also plan to meet with the Ministries of Education and Sports and Youth Affairs to discuss the following: (1) Modelling of the University of the West Indies and University of Trinidad and Tobago’s Physical Education (P.E.) programme to that of the G.C. Foster Teachers College in Jamaica with the aim of improving the skills of of P.E.

teachers.

(2) Teaching scholarships to G.C. Foster Teachers College.

(3) Formulation of relationships between clubs and schools in their areas with the intention of resolving the challenges of students are forced to decide to compete in NAAA meets ahead of those held by TTSSFA.

(4) Inclusion of the Primary Schools Track and Field Association in further discussions.