“I will not respond to that, I will respond next week ….because next week, he will not be the PCA director anymore,” Seales declared yesterday On Friday, West had said, “this gang” , in reference to the TTPS, “is left untouched and there have been no prosecutions”.

He made the statements at a discussion titled “Eat and Tweet: Anti- Corruption Debate” held at the British High Commissioner’s Residence, Beaumont Road, Maraval.

The debate was held in observance of International Anti-Corruption Day. Stuart Young, Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Dion Abdool, chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute, and Richard Blewitt, UN Resident Co-ordinator and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, sat on a panel leading the debate on corruption in TT.

In an emailed statement yesterday, the Communications Unit of the PCA quoted West as saying, “I apologise for the statement as having come over as an indictment against the entire TTPS. I ought to have said that there is an element of rogue officers within the service who have to be removed and brought before the courts.” The Communications Unit went on to say that “the director recognizes that there are many committed, honest and law abiding police officers who put their lives on the line every day in the fight against crime. The Director reassures the public that matters that come to the PCA are dealt with independently and impartially and that the Authority allows the rules of natural justice and due process to prevail.” Seales told Sunday Newsday, West phoned him yesterday morning to “unreservedly apologise” for calling the TTPS the “biggest gang” after social media went abuzz and the story was highlighted in the newspapers.

Seales said the statement went viral and he was “inundated with telephone calls .” He declined to give details of the conversation with West but said he “expressed regret for making the statement.” Asked whether the apology was accepted, Seales said it was not up to him but the general membership of the TTPS to either accept or reject it. He said a decision will be taken following the determination of a court matter involving Ag Inspector Ian Carty on December 19.

“I have nothing to say as yet, after the 19th (December), because there’s a case that is going on, that is to be completed in which he (West) is the complainant, after that he may not be the PCA director.” Seales was referring to a matter involving Carty of the Court and Process Department in Port-of -Spain which is expected to end on that date. Carty’s charges relate to failing to co-operate with the PCA on the Day of Total Policing which was held on March 23, 2015 and which resulted in traffic gridlock virtually shutting down the capital city. Carty, who is also a trustee on the PSWA, was subsequently arrested and charged . The PSWA president said he is expecting a favourable outcome. Following the court’s ruling , Seales said he and his executive would meet to discuss the way forward.

Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams also did not respond, only to say West had called him and apologised also, when questioned during a Christmas children’s party hosted by the police in Laventille yesterday.

When will the murders end? When will women, in particular, be able to walk the streets again feeling safe? The matter is under intense investigation and the authorities must leave no stone unturned.

Questions will be asked given the location of the discovery of Shannon’s body. On Tuesday, relatives told the media that Shannon had indicated she would be visiting stores, including the company in which her body was eventually found. Two days later, on Thursday, the body was found in the same spot that relatives stated was supposed to be Shannon’s last stop before leaving for home.

Speculation is rife over the circumstances of the death, but a big question that will have to be asked is whether adequate checks were done at Charlotte Street and whether Shannon may have still been alive while checks were being made. We simply do not know — that is a matter for the authorities.

What we do know, and what many have observed, is women seem to be under siege.

Shannon’s disappearance brought back memories of that of Ria Sookdeo, whose fate is still unknown. Ria appeared to vanish on September 22 while doing a regular family run, returning from dropping her children to school. Reports have placed her at all sorts of locations, from the forest to Venezuela.

Shannon’s death also resurrected questions about the death of another woman, Shanese Samuel, who was employed at the same store in which Shannon’s body was found.

The latest developments on Charlotte Street came as another woman, mother of five Cheryl Aberdeen Cooper, was gunned down in broad daylight in a car, seated next to her husband.

There has been no determination of a motive.

She was due to testify in court due to a land dispute, but whether this is germane will be a matter, again, for law enforcement authorities.

It seems it is dangerous for women on our streets. People are disappearing doing everyday things: shopping, sitting in cars on the road, dropping children to school. This is an assault on our society of epic proportions.

Given the levels of fear that have been generated — as expressed on social media and elsewhere — terrorism is the only appropriate word.

We join the police in calling on all citizens to report matters to the police. We are not saying citizens must risk life and limb to testify in court – indeed they do not have to as our witness protection programme has maintained a good record, despite claims to the contrary by people who are not in the programme.

We are simply pointing to the role that is played by communities.

Cooperation with police is essential. If you see anything suspicious, report it. Without the help of the man in the street, crime is not going to go anywhere.

Everyone has a role to play. Educators, local government bodies, businesses, even religious leaders.

Not only are there murders, but sacred spaces like churches continue to be vandalised.

There is a lot of concern about human trafficking in our society, and rightfully so when people seem to vanish out of thin air.

Today, as we mark World Human Rights Day, we note that the basic human right is the right to life. Another right is to a life free from discrimination, regardless of gender, race, creed, class, sexual orientation or otherwise. Sadly, these rights all seem to be under attack. We must work better to safeguard each other.

The games are slated for December 27 and December 30 and the TT team will return home on December 31 to continue its build up to the two CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifying playoff matches against Suriname on January 4 and Haiti on January 8 at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.

Trinidad and Tobago’s newly installed head coach Tom Saintfiet said that these two games have come at an ideal time as he prepares the team for the two CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifiers.

“First of all I am very happy that the Football Association has been able to arrange these two friendly matches at such short notice because these will be important preparation games for us before the important Gold Cup qualifiers in January,” Saintfiet told TT FA Media.

Saintfiet is on the hot seat after replacing Stephen Hart at the helm of the national team. And David John-Williams, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TT FA), has already given the 43-year-old Belgian to kickstart this country’s World Cup campaign or face an early exit.

These two matches vs Nicaragua will be used by Saintfiet to quickly get his ideas across to the players at his disposal.

“It also helps me as coach to analyse the players we will select and as well as to implement and try out possible strategies which we will want to use in our matches to follow. It will also help us in the development of the team for the future.

“I hope we can have the best possible squad for the matches.

We are still not sure about the availability of some of the European- based players and whether they will be released by their clubs because these two games and also the ones in January are not within the FIFA dates but I promise you that the players who will be selected from both foreign and local teams will form a strong squad to give us decent results in Nicaragua and to help us prepare for the important matches in January,” Saintfiet stated.

Saintfiet will announce the squad for both games in due course once the availability of the players have been confirmed.

Nicaragua and TT played to a 0-0 draw in a friendly at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on October 13, 2015 In March, 2016, Nicaragua defeated Panama 1-0 in a friendly in Managua and also drew 1-1 with El Salvador in another friendly that same month. They lost 1-0 to Honduras in a friendly in San Pedro Sula in August and drew 0-0 with St Kitts/Nevis in August.

Back in December of 2015, they recorded 1-0 and 5-0 victories over Cuba at home before suffering a narrow 1-0 loss away to Costa Rica.

Meanwhile, Minister of Planning and Development, Camille Robinson- Regis, has said the codes for developing earthquake-resistant buildings should be finalised in the first quarter of next year and presented to Cabinet for approval.

Speaking with reporters yesterday following the ground breaking ceremony to mark the construction of a car park facility in Port-of-Spain, Robinson-Regis said that as a result of the building codes, all building plans “that we approve will have to have a certain level of earthquake resistance.” The codes are being developed as part of the ten-year Trinidad and Tobago Microzonation Project being undertaken by the University of the West Indies and Ministry of Planning and Development.

Newsday was told that in addition to a second autopsy being ordered – to be done either by Dr Valery Alexandrov or Dr Eslyn McDonald Burris – swabs and tissue samples taken from Banfield’s body, will be examined in minute detail to try and get answers on Banfield’s death. The second autopsy could take place as early as today.

Banfield left her workplace, Republic Bank’s Independence Square branch last Monday to shop at Pennywise and IAM & Co Ltd before boarding a taxi to be taken to her Santa Cruz home. She never made it home. On Thursday, her bloated, decomposing body was found on a shelf in a store-room on the third floor of IAM & Co Ltd’s Charlotte Street outlet. Cardboard boxes were used to conceal her body. A security guard discovered the body after deciding to check the source of a foul stench, which at first was thought to be a dead rat.

Two male suspects, from El Socorro and San Juan, yesterday remained in custody at different police stations as they continue to assist police in their investigations.

One of the men was visited by an attorney and sources revealed that both have refused to co-operate with police thus far. Two other persons – a man and woman – who are employees of IAM & Co who were detained Thursday night, have since been freed after being questioned at length.

Newsday was told that police have evidence of the time that Banfield entered the store and who she was last seen with. Police also have in their possession camera footage that could prove useful to the investigation.

Yesterday afternoon, homicide investigators returned to the crime scene to re-interview several persons.

Officers of the Cyber Crime Unit are also assisting in the investigation as police continue to search for Banfield’s cellular phone which is missing. The homes of the two detained suspects were searched.

News of the discovery of Banfield’s body rocked the country resulting in hundreds of people taking to social media to vent their feelings of anger, outrage and fear at the worsening crime situation plaguing this country.

The owner of IAM & Co Ltd, Ishmael Ali, said yesterday that police investigators came to his businessplace on Tuesday and requested camera footage. He clarified claims that he refused to cooperate with police.

Ali said that when officers visited IAM & Co Ltd on Tuesday and requested CCTV footage, the supevisor asked the men (who were in plainclothes) to show proper forms of ID to prove they were indeed police officers.

Ali said the supervisor also said that a call would have to be made to his (Ali) son who is the one who has the password to access a computer that stores the CCTV footage recorded by cameras. Ali said the officers left without showing their Police Service ID.

However, a release issued last evening by the TT Police Service (TTPS) stated that officers acted swiftly and followed strict protocol with respect to the investigation into the disappearance of Banfield.

The release, issued by Ellen Lewis – Head TTPS Corporate Communications -stated that a request made to IAM & Co, to access CCTV footage on three separate occasions, was not readily forthcoming.

“Police investigators visited the business establishment over the course of the three days since Ms Banfield was reported missing by her mother, Ester Sherry- Anne Lopez, to the Santa Cruz Police Station, at 12.15 am on Tuesday 6th December, 2016. All the other business establishments, in the area where Ms Banfield was last known to have been, including Pennywise, were approached for access to their CCTV footage and this was immediately forthcoming.

“The Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the Criminal Investigations Department actively pursued the disappearance of Ms Banfield as they sought to have her safely return home.

Photographs of Ms Banfield were circulated early Tuesday morning and were later that day broadcast on outdoor billboard screens, released to the media and on social media,” the release stated.

Dillon was asked whether he thought the police had “fallen down” with respect to their handling of Banfield’s disappearance and surveillance in the area where she was last seen.

“I have not received an in depth investigation to see whether they have fallen down,” Dillon said.

“I know they have looked at camera footage in respect of the Banfield murder, they have questioned about 14 people.” Dillon added, “I must say that the people are cooperating with the police. You have a lot of cooperation.” Asked whether Banfield’s murder suggests a review of surveillance in urban centres in the country, the minister said security is dynamic and all strategies must be reviewed on a regular basis. He explained this would ensure that such strategies and measures, “are applicable to what is happening on the ground.”

The bill is essential to this country being Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) compliant with the United States.

The walkout by Opposition MPs occurred after Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George rejected a request by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to adjourn the House to discuss what Persad- Bissessar described as Government’s failure to address an unprecedented number of murders and missing persons in TT.

This came 24 hours after Republic Bank Ltd employee Shannon Banfield, 20, who went missing on Monday, was found stuffed on a shelf and hidden by cardboard boxes on the third floor of the IAM & Co warehouse store off Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain.

On Wednesday in the House, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said reports of missing persons in TT were, “a matter of national concern”, and law enforcement agencies in this country are doing what they can to locate these persons.

Rowley, who was not in the House yesterday, has condemned Banfield’s murder and extended condolences to her family.

As she outlined the reasons why this matter qualified under Standing Order 17 of the House, Persad- Bissessar declared, “We are losing our citizens each day and there could be no more important matter than protecting the lives of our citizens.” She also said every day the bodies of persons which cannot be identified are being found, even as more persons are reported missing. Persad-Bissessar warned if nothing is done to arrest this situation, the criminals will see it as a signal that their crimes will go unpunished and the country’s international reputation will be damaged.

However, Annisette-George ruled that the matter did not qualify under Standing Order 17 and advised Persad-Bissessar to raise it under Standing Order 16.

At this point, Persad-Bissessar stood up and argued with Annisette- George. The Speaker then ejected Persad-Bissessar from the Chamber. Persad-Bissessar replied, “I will withdraw.” Naparima MP Rodney Charles also protested the Speaker’s ruling and Annisette- George threw him out as well.

Other Opposition MPs immediately packed up their bags and followed Persad-Bissessar out of the Chamber, leaving Government MPs to continue debate by themselves. After Opposition MPs left, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi declared the Opposition had “walked out again on FATCA”, having done so previously on September 23. Saying that former Speaker Wade Mark made similar rulings on similar motions and no walkout ensued, the AG quipped, “This is the Christmas gift to TT (from the Opposition). I cry shame on the Opposition!” Public Utilities Minister Fitzgerald Hinds expressed Government’s condolences to Banfield’s family and disclosed that he had spoken with Banfield’s mother on Thursday.

Describing the Opposition’s action as “a manufactured walkout”, Hinds observed that several Opposition MPs were prepared to leave long before Persad-Bissessar challenged the Speaker’s ruling.

Declaring that he has never blamed any government for crime in TT, Hinds said the United National Congress (UNC) was dealing with crime in the wrong way.

He said partisan interests must be set aside, “we have to pull ourselves together”, pass legislation and give law enforcement agencies, “the best shot” to bring crime under control.

“This was within the expected range of aftershocks following Tuesday’s 6.2 magnitude earthquake. It is not unusual from what we would have expected,” education and outreach practitioner attached to the Seismic Research Centre, Clon Ash, told Newsday. The earthquake occurred at a depth of nine kilometres in the same western area of Tobago where Tuesday’s occurred.

Because of the shallow depth, some people in Scarborough and Carnbee in Tobago and along the north coast and western Trinidad would have felt the tremors, Ash said.

Since Tuesday’s massive earthquake, he said, “We would have had hundreds of aftershocks.

It is expected to go on for a few months after an event like that.” “Every 20 minutes or so,” he said, “We would get an alert.” Noting that Trinidad and Tobago is in an active seismic zone, he said, “We get earthquakes every day.

When I say that, I am not saying it lightly.” He said that many of them would not be felt, but anything above 3.5 magnitude has to be reported.

Following the 6.2 magnitude earthquake, a 4.4 magnitude was recordedthat night before midnight and a 4.9 was recorded shortly after midnight all in the same region.

“If we could follow that single rule, we won’t have crime anywhere,” he said. Maharaj questioned the value systems of those who would have committed the murder.

“Value systems have been lacking from homes. If they were brought up with a certain value system, they would have seen her walking along the street and shown her love and respect. It’s a whole value system, right now we don’t have value for human life. Human life is being lost in a variety of ways in this country,” he said. He called on citizens to bring about collective positive responsibility.

“Let us once again bring value to human life and I’m sure with this, we will bring about something good,” he said.

Persad-Bissessar held a news briefing with her fellow Opposition MPs, after their earlier mass exit from the Lower House in protest at Speaker Bridgid Annisette- George’s denial of her call for an urgent debate on crime. Persad- Bissessar said Banfield’s death placed crime as the top issue for Parliament to debate, ahead of the foreign tax-evasion treaty known as FATCA which she wanted curtailed at 6 pm.

She lamented the “stark, brutal, brutish” reality that the Government has collapsed by failing in its core duty to ensure the safety of citizens such as Banfield. “I can see no issue but dealing with crime,” Persad-Bissessar said. “We are receiving reports of others being brutally slaughtered. I’m not speaking of engaged in criminal activity but people carrying out their ordinary business as citizens,” she related.

“Lloyd Best would have phrased it to say the Government has ‘pre-collapsed’ in office having failed in its very core duty. Crime and the fight against crime is the paramount issue facing our nation today.” Persad-Bissessar justified her motion by mulling the role of an MP, who is also a mother, father, grandparent or sibling. “You see a twenty-year-old murdered, a young woman in the prime of her life…and it’s not important for discussion?!” Persad-Bissessar asked if the Speaker knew that the viral effect of Banfield’s death on social media? She said the Government’s forecast of doom and gloom over any delays in the FATCA Bill had not happened, but that many people are dying violently. Persad-Bissessar said in its 15 month term, the Government had offered the House no legislation to “help the small man”.

Urging a serious Government intervention on crime, Persad- Bissessar said, “We gave them numerous suggestions but not one has been dealt with.” Scoffing at Government claims that Opposition MPs dislike FATCA because they have monies to hide, she declared that TT’s MP’s declare earnings to the Integrity Commission and not the United States tax office, she said, “I have no money to hide anywhere.” Persad-Bissessar vowed to not let the matter rest but to raise it again on Monday in Parliament.