Guests were in awe at the decorations outside the Valsayn home which Azad Mohammed having a hand in, and once inside, they marvelled at the “Christmas Village” and the giant Christmas tree in the living room.

Once again the Mohammeds had parang band Fuego Caribena perform both authentic and soca parang numbers, much to the delight of guests, while Baron (Timothy Watkins) delivered all his favourite parang soca songs.

Guests included Dr Terrence Deyalsingh, Minister of Health; Martin George, Om Lalla, Herbert Volney, Cascadia director, Peter Pena and MTS chair, Jackie Lazarus-Harding.

Sumptuous dishes were prepared by chef Debra Sardinha-Metivier, owner of Creative Cuisine. She did not disappoint guests who had their fill of a multiple-course Christmas dinner that lifted their spirits even more.

The parang lime continued into the wee hours of Sunday morning.

The subpoenas were issued to the three who are expected to appear before the court next Tuesday.

The Chamber is also expected to furnish the court with copies of all reports, interviews, inserts, programmes, audio visual clips and CCTV footage in prints and electronic, inclusive of blogs, and commentary pertaining to a breakfast meeting held by the Chamber on November 30, under the theme “The Impact of Industrial Court Judgments on your Business.” At the panel discussion, Mouttet and Ali were critical of the court.

Mouttet blamed the Court for low productivity in the country and described the court as harsh and oppressive in its judgments, favouring workers and unions against employers while Ali called for a lobby for pro-business judges on the Industrial Court bench.

Earlier this week, the National Trade Union Centre issued a statement challenging Mouttet for his statements while head of the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) Ancel Roget on Wednesday demanded a retraction.

Roget said the comments by Mouttet showed a gross disrespect for the court.

In May, president of the Industrial Court Deborah Thomas-Felix defended the partiality of the Court against claims that it favours workers and said employers lose cases because of “harsh and oppressive” conduct.

She stressed that people may disagree with some rulings of the Court “but to seek to impugn its impartiality or diminish the importance of its role and function, is simply not the way to go.” Employers, she said, allegedly claimed “that the judgments coming out of the court favoured the worker at the expense of the employer and the survival of the business as a going and profitable enterprise”.

Thomas-Felix reported that for the period 2014-2015 there were 2,744 matters and of these 747 were disposed by the adversarial process.

Out of these, 230 judgments, or 30 percent, were in favour of employers.

She also reported that of the withdrawn matters 24.9 percent were withdrawn by unions and therefore the employer won.

“If you do the math it will answer the question whether the judgments of the Court favour workers,” she added.

The total percentage of disputes resolved in favour of employers during the period 2011 to 2015 was 54.9 pecent.

Singh said, “2016 has been a year of transformation, as we focused on enhancing the travel experience of all our valued customers.” Revealing that a new strategic plan for the period 2016 to 2019 has been approved, Singh said it comes with “a new mission: Connecting People, Realising Dreams, and a new vision: to achieve sustained profitability through becoming the preferred airline serving the Caribbean.”

At a news conference at Scotiabank’s headquarters at the corner of Park and Richmond Streets, Port of Spain, they all stressed the urgency of passing the legislation by the new deadline __ the end of February 2017 and said they will hold a meeting with the Opposition next Monday to try to persuade them to support the legislation.

President of the Bankers Association, Anya Schnoor, said that the association began discussing this issue with the previous government from 2012 to 2014 when the then government accepted the “Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) 1” option and entered into an “agreement in substance” with the U.S. Treasury Service, a first step toward adoption of the legislation.

She said the IGA 1 requirements were clearly spelled out by the U.S. and allowed for the reciprocal agreement between the two countries for the exchange of tax information on citizens or persons connected with the respective countries in the interest of combating tax evasion and promoting efficient systems for the collection of tax.

She stressed that “as a country, we knowingly entered into the model 1 IGA and we clearly understood the implications of doing so.

Indefatigable Chairman Martin Terry Rondon is seeking re-election in order to keep this corporation under the PNM.

Meanwhile the political and administrative arm is holding the fort efficiently, as though the council is in regular session.

My congratulations to dedicated CEO Angela Guerra, who is commanding heads of all departments.

Chaitram Ramnarine (county superintendent) continues to ensure that all operations are meticulously executed. Vijay Baran, public health inspector, champions the health services, garbage collection, and vending.

Oma Gadajar maintains a watchful eye over the treasury to avoid any financial mismanagement while Ms Buchoon and Ms Mohammed continue to demonstrate first class management skills.

I salute office staffers Jermaine Locario, Claudia Bailey, Nandini Ramsubhag, Claudia Thomas, and also Jolene Le Blanc Green, the personnel and industrial relations officer.

Inspector Baran and his squad of municipal police, though understaffed, maintain law and order while Mr Maxime anxiously is standing by for any emergency.

Indeed, the Grande Corporation is doing well. Keep up the good work.

Gabriel Henderson Sangre Grande

Those concerned about the nation’s welfare, God’s judgment as recorded is clear, Worshippers with doors open to hatred must fear, No love for sister or brother? That’s murder, beware! Search your hearts, “perfect love casts out fear,” “Love your neighbour as yourself” is elementary fare.

Spiritual warmongers, arm yourselves, stand up and fight, Deliver the nation from darkness into light.

Speak truth, lies are abominable, they’re hell-benders; Make the blind see, the deaf hear, follow the Master; Feed hungry multitudes, give freely from the heart; Don’t close your doors to the poor, charity endures.

Expect to be despised, afflicted, rejected, and crucified; Proof that you’re on the heavenly pathway, the road to paradise; One can win a thousand, faith is the key; Save the nation from damnation, it’s your time to shine.

MARY BAPTISTE Barataria

Rather than election proceedings being chaired by the Corporation’s CEO, outgoing SGRC chairman, Terry Rondon, took the chair and used a purported casting vote to break a tie and name a presiding officer to oversee his (Rondon’s) “re-election” to office, prompting the UNC’s mass exodus.

Lee yesterday told Newsday that the party has been in touch with Persad-Bissessar who was attending a Commonwealth event in London, England.

He said she is due back this weekend, at which time he would like to meet her.

Lee raised the possibility that Persad-Bissessar might have even sought legal advice in England on the controversy which the UNC has described as “thuggery”.

He added, “That is exactly what happened in Sangre Grande yesterday (Thursday).

” Young observed that while Ramdeen referred to a breach of protocol regarding the conduct of Thursday’s meeting, “this is grasping at straws.” He explained this was because no such protocol or convention exists and the parent and subsidiary legislation clearly says that what happened yesterday is legal.”

Young said Ramdeen also accepted that, “a chairman is incumbent until a new one is elected, accepts and makes a declaration as per Section 15 (2) of the Municipal Corporations Act.”

The minister explained the legislation shows that the chairman has a casting or second vote and this is specifically referred to in Section 67 (2) of the Act. Referring to two walkouts staged by the UNC in Parliament with respect to FATCA legislation, Young said, “ The PNM continues to abide by the law whilst the UNC continues to mislead people and stage walkouts.”

He added, “They have now walked out of the Parliament and the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation. Young reiterated that while other persons behave in a “negative, destructive and unproductive manner, “the PNM is confident that it has followed the law as advised and will continue to represent all citizens.

Robinson-Regis alleged that Persad-Bissessar, who is attending a Commonwealth event in London, while there has badmouthed the Government and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, but had herself presided over the country’s most misogynistic administration.

She criticised Persad- Bissessar over the recent naming of Dr Glenn Ramadarsingh as chairman of the Siparia Regional Corporation.

The Planning Minister also said the former prime minister had fired women from Cabinet. Further Robinson-Regis hit the denigration of Rowley’s parents by a former member of Persad-Bissessar’s government.

“The country can compare this with the track record of the PNM (People’s National Movement) which has elevated two women to mayor and chairman, and four to deputy mayor and vice-chairman after the recent Local Government election.

Robinson-Regis said the league is proud of those PNM women and supports Rowley who leads a party and government committed to women’s elevation.

In a statement, she told investigators that she was abducted and assaulted by a group of men after she boarded a PH (private hire) car in San Fernando. Barriteau said that the men had kept her hostage in an abandoned house in Marabella.

The men then dropped her off in Marabella. Barriteau also told investigators that she travelled to the San Fernando General Hospital. Later that day medical personnel contacted police officers. A statement was recorded from Barriteau at the hospital.

However the story changed when CCTV footage surfaced showing the woman in company with a man at a parang lime in Marabella.

At the time she was reportedly missing, her common- law husband Devon Paul made a report at the La Brea and San Fernando Police Stations.

In a previous interview with Newsday, Paul said calls to his wife’s cell phone went unanswered.

When Barriteau was found, there were also reports of “bite marks” on her chest.

Barriteau and Paul had been living together for seven years. Paul had also told Newsday that his wife “is not the type to go with another man” and he believed that she had been abducted.

CCTV footage was subsequently circulated of Barriteau entering the Carrat Shed Pub in Marabella and liming with an unidentified man for hours.

She later confessed that she had left the family home to lime and was not expected to return home till Monday.

Paul had told Newsday that despite what people on social media were saying about him and his wife he was “thankful to have her home alive.” When Newsday visited the family’s Sobo Village, La Brea home yesterday, a teary eyed Paul said he could not comment further on the matter.