On Wednesday, family members dismissed reports that Dumas had suffered a mild stroke, noting that his condition was still being analysed by doctors at the institution.
Yesterday, sources within the family circle told Newsday that the family met with doctors on Wednesday evening and his condition continues to be monitored.
The source said that while the symptoms being experienced by Dumas is associated with a mild stroke, Doctors have not given any assessments affiliated with a stroke.
He said that while Dumas was also unable to speak for a few days, his speech has begun to get clearer and he is responding positively to the treatment.
He (the source) noted that while family members continue to be mum on the situation for the sake of privacy, they are indeed hoping for a speedy recovery.
Newsday was told that Dumas complained of feeling unwell on Monday evening at his Plymouth family home and as a result was rushed to the hospital.
Attorney Prakash Ramadhar, leading attorney Michael Rooplal, told Deputy Chief Magistrate, Nanette Forde-John, in the San Fernando Magistrates Court, that Luke Campbell, one of the accused, was also struck with an object by one of the officers.
He said so hard was the blow, that one of Campbell’s arms was broken and he had to seek medical attention.
Campbell, 20, appeared along with Lance Maraj, 22, charged with larceny of the tubing valued $15,000. Both men are from Harmony Hall, Gasparillo. The court heard that Campbell is scheduled to undergo surgery today. Ramadhar asked Forde-John to have a note taken on the alleged atrocities committed against Campbell and Maraj who were each granted bail in the sum of $35,000.
The matter was adjourned to May 22.
According to a police report, at about 1.15 am, Kurt Miles, of Central Street, Vistabella was standing at Circular Road, Mon Repos when he was approached by two men, one of them armed with a bottle who hit him in the face. The man proceeded to rob Miles of his gold chain and identification band together valued at $18,000 and $1,000 cash before running away.
However Rambharat said he had difficulty reconciling that Parliament approved a sum of $1 million for overseas travel for the Office of the President for this fiscal year while the actual expenditure for overseas travel was $6.4 million.
He listed Europe, the United States, the Bahamas and China amongst the destinations visited.
When Rambharat asked about the frequency with which internal audits are done at the Office of the President, Secretary Gregory Serette indicated they were done on a quarterly basis.
Serette also said it was not unusual for additional funding to be sought for overseas travel if necessary. Independent senator Dr Dhanayshar Mahabir suggested there be a distinction between vacation and official overseas engagements undertaken by the Office of the President
Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar adjourned the matter in the absence of the murder accused who were not brought to court.
At yesterday’s sitting in the Port-of- Spain Eight Magistrates Court, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions George Busby indicated that on Wednesday, the prosecution had filed and served a third witness statement from one of its witnesses, and is expected to seek to have the statement tendered at the next adjourned date. He said a fourth statement from the witness, relative to DVD recordings, will also be filed in served in the coming days.
Testimony into the preliminary inquiry into the former Independent Senator’s murder resumed late December, after Magistrate Cedeno ruled that prosecutors will be allowed to bring witnesses to testify of the accused men’s previous crimes and police investigations which are relevant to the murder charges against them.
Accused gang leader Rajaee Ali, his brothers Ishmael Ali and Hamid Ali, Devaughn Cummings, Ricardo Stewart, Earl Richards, Stephan Cummings, Kevin Parkinson, Leston Gonzales, Roger Boucher and Gareth Wiseman are accused of murdering Seetahal on May 4, 2014, in Woodbrook.
A release from PTSC said that the board and management was working “assiduously to resume full service on all routes in Tobago, when the full complement of 35 buses will be operational.” The PTSC said that its technicians have been engaged in a comprehensive bus repair programme in collaboration with the Licensing Authority to complete the inspection of all units that are repaired and provide the necessary approvals.
The Licensing Authority has inspected and approved 13 buses to date.
The PTSC said that the refurbishment of the Tobago fleet is ongoing with five buses being repaired in the corporation’s Port-of-Spain garage.
The five buses will be inspected by licensing officials today (January 13) with the objective of returning them to Tobago tomorrow.
The PTSC said that five more buses are scheduled to be taken to the PTSC Port of Spain garage for repair works and inspection. When repairs are completed they will bolster PTSC Tobago operations, the release said.
PTSC is also in the process of procuring two 25-seater maxi taxis to service the L’Anse Fourmi and Charlotteville routes, the release said.
The units will replace contracted service providers who are currently servicing the routes.
She explained that the names of persons nominated by Pan Trinbago, the National Carnival Bandleaders Association and the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation to sit on the board of the NCC were sent to her ministry between December 15 and 19, 2016. Gadsby-Dolly added those names were forwarded for action on December 20, 2016.
This according to a press release issued on Tuesday by the Ministry.
Jemmott, Morris, Green, Dalrymple and Absalom lost their homes on January 1 when a fire, allegedly caused by fireworks, gutted their apartments in Building 55-57 Nelson Street, Port of Spain.
The victims, according to the release, “were also advised of other grants and social support services available to them including psychosocial support and counselling from the National Family Services Division.” Newsday made several attempts yesterday to contact the Ministry to find out if housing would also be provided to the victims, but all calls went unanswered.
Ten other tenants lost their homes on that day and one person, 37-year-old Jameel Allamby, who used a wheelchair, died.
The major issue in child marriages is child abuse and ought to be addressed outside of religion, custom, tradition or doctrine.
It is an issue related to a societal social problem. We must recognise that increasingly as the democratic process develops societies necessarily become more secular. Unfortunately, in the debate, several of our legislators invested time on irrelevancies of religious beliefs and doctrines none of which were challenged by the amendment proposed.
There is no attempt to interfere with an individual’s religious doctrines, beliefs and/or customs and they can continue to hold their beliefs. However, for the greater good of society in 2017, the State proposes that we would now universally adhere to the principle that marriages can only be legally contracted between consenting adults. We have already determined who are adults under previous amendments and logically the law now simply seeks consistency.
May I respectfully suggest that these principles be extended to decision-making as they relate to the nation’s development.
We are all overburdened by the pervasive indecisiveness in this regard.
Samuel B Howard via e-mail
I refer to my re-discovery today that there remains no policy for Paternity Leave in Trinidad and Tobago, according to the Gender and Child Division at the Office of the Prime Minister. I expect laughter and derision in some quarters for raising this, however consider a mother who has just had a C section as one example, who may not have the support of others beside her significant other? How does the lack of a policy help that family? Since there is no policy, anything can happen.
If, as has actually happened, a man takes the four (4) days leave offered at some workplaces, but this is rescinded, he is considered to have been “absent” for four days of work.
I will refrain from mentioning the names of those workplaces. Why is this even important? I will borrow from a May 2015 article in the Economist to highlight that research suggests that enabling fathers to look after their newborn children has positive knock-on effects such as: Fathers who take paternity leave are more likely to take an active role in child-care tasks. This early interaction has longer-term benefits for a child’s learning abilities. It lessens the long-term effects on women’s careers. If our society can only see the benefit of supporting policies that enhance the ability of our families to thrive, I believe that we will not regret it. However, as one friend of mine said when he heard of this issue “it is a man, a beast of burden, who really cares?” We can and should do better….Child and Gender Affairs Division, I look to you.
Marlon Bascombe via email
