Police said that at about 6.30 pm, officers of PoS Division led by Sgt Lopez who were on mobile patrol, responded to a reports of shots fired at Production Drive and found the bullet-riddled body of Ronnie Hogan on the ground.

Nearby, an unidentified woman was also found bleeding from gunshot wounds. She was rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where up to press time, she was still being treated. Police said that Hogan was out on bail on the charge of shooting a police sergeant who was attacked while playing basketball in Sealots a few months ago. Only on Wednesday, Hogan was detained by Northern Division police with respect to ongoing investigations into murders and robberies.

Meanwhile, two Special Reservice Police (SRP) officers were yesterday pointed out during an Identification Parade and now face being charged this weekend with extortion and misbehavious in public office. A third officer who was also placed on ID parade, was not pointed out. He remains in custody.

It was reported that a Diego Martin businessman complained to officers of the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) that three officers were demanding money from him in return for not handing him over to the Immigration Department for allegedly keeping illegal Venezuelan immigrants at a house.

Speaking at a workshop aimed at bringing an end to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Discrimination yesterday at the Arnold Thomasos Room of Parliament at the Waterfront in Port of Spain, the Minister expressed her disgust with the unprofessionalism of the officers at the time.

“I remember the difficulty of having reported a peeping Tom to the police and not having them take the matter seriously,” Webster-Roy said.

“The officers were more interested in what the scoundrel saw and what I was wearing at the time than actually following up on the matter.

The only thing even remotely close to justice that I received was when my husband left the house in the middle of the night and went out, found the man and put a good beating on him.

I later told my husband that he was wrong to do what he did, because had he killed the man, my children would have been without a father and I without a husband.” Webster-Roy went on to say that the experience has only caused her to reaffirm her responsibility as a Minister, and as a woman, to ensure the protection of all women and urged men to step up and take responsibility as fathers and leaders.

“The Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago, acknowledges the unalienable rights of women and girls to be free of violence and intimidation of any kind. I am here to advocate for these rights and it is important for both male and female legislators join in on the discussion.” Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, Dr. Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, echoed the sentiments of her Cabinet colleague and called for more open discussion on matters of sexual abuse and gender- based violence and also urged men to become more proactive in the dialogue as progress can only come from both men and women working together. “Women play a crucial role in all sectors of society and across all boundaries.

We have women leaders, women Prime Ministers, who represent us at the highest levels, but GBV in Trinidad and Tobago remains a serious problem that must be addressed.

The inclusion of men into the discussion on violence towards women, represents a change in thinking and a fuller, multi-faceted approach to addressing the root causes of violence.” United Nations (UN) Women Acting Head of Office in the Caribbean, Tronni Ann Brodber, said that she had worked with police commissioners in training courses and encouraged them to place greater attention to cases of domestic violence.

“I’ve asked commissioners in the past, why they don’t place cases of domestic abuse as high priority issues and they would usually say that such issues are ‘soft’ crimes and that they have more serious crimes like murders to investigate.

But what I always ask is that officers should address these cases of domestic violence before they have the chance to become cases of murder.” Yesterday’s forum was part of the global ‘Orange The World’ campaign launched by UN Women, which sought to end the incidence of physical and sexual violence against women.

UN Women has partnered with regional bodies such as the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO) to enhance court response to gender-based violence, including sexual violence and to improve judicial responsiveness as it relates to violence towards women.

The ASP has been transferred to the North Eastern Division and Newsday understands that more officers are expected to be transferred in the coming days.

However, on Thursday, six officers from the rank of sergeant to constable were informed by McIntyre that they were to be transferred internally.

The Operational Unit will now be manned by other officers from within the Division and the new head is expected to be the son of a former senior police officer.

On Tuesday, during the weekly COMPSTAT meeting with the divisional commanders of the TT Police Service (TTPS), Williams indicated that he was receiving numerous reports of alleged corrupt activities involving police officers and had planned to shake up the division.

It is not known whether those transferred are linked to the reports received by Williams.

Newsday understands that during two (TTPS) town meetings in Enterprise, angry residents openly gave the names of officers who they claim were allegedly involved in illicit activities and even accused those officers of giving residents a hard time.

Williams promised to look into their concerns and gave them the assurance that action will be meted out to any of the officers named if they are found to be involved in any unscrupulous activities.

When the previous administration demitted office, he said, 78 schools were under construction, some were 95 percent completed, some 80 percent and some 50. “Finish the schools,” he said, “and don’t carry your spite as you did with Biche (primary) and now the Couva Children’s Hospital.” Claiming that the local government elections was an indictment on Government and hence the UNC won the popular vote, he said, the cutting allocations to vital sectors was the reason “why people did no come out to support you in this election.” Government, he said, cut $569 million from current transfers and subsidies. Grants to assisted-secondary schools, he said, were cut by $9.6 million; grants to assisted-primary school, $23.8; grants to government secondary schools, $10.1 million; grants to Servol Junior Life Centre, $2.5 million, and grants to Student Support Services which looks after students with disabilities, $3.5 million.

“They reduced ECCE (Early Child Care Education) by $9.2 million, and National Dietary Service, by $84 million,” he said.

Claiming that Government had money to spend during the last fiscal year, he said, that $185 million under the development programmes was returned to Consolidated Fund because of Government’s incompetence and lack of capacity to deliver.

The China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) and Aluntrint had in 2005 agreed a $3 billion deal for CMEC to design, construct, commission and conduct training for the planned smelter, he said.

However the new government of 2010 had cancelled the project but also seemingly failed to engage with CMEC which by 2013 had issued a final claim for compensation of $1 billion. While the then government had in 2014 set up a team to try to settle the issues, no progress was made, related Rowley. By 2015 CMEC said it would go to the Dispute Adjudication Board, but agreed to Aluntrint’s call for a time extension.

“The then government then did nothing further with CMEC which left TT exposed to over $1 billion in claims, despite an indication that CMEC was willing to discuss an amicable resolution of the matter,” said Rowley. On November 8, Finance Minister, Colm Imbert, chaired talks with CMEC whose claim now stands at $1.3 billion, but which wants an amicable solution and is open to options.

He said CMEC wants to be paid for onsite works such as compaction and pile-tests, construction of offices and workers camps, ground improvement, installation of a temporary batch plant, design work, and offshore support and visits from China.

“Cabinet has authorised the committee comprised of technocrats from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Energy to engage experienced legal counsel to advise on the claims made by CMEC and to attempt to negotiate a settlement in the best interests of the citizens of TT,” Rowley said.

Mother of six, Christine Nedd, 44, yesterday told Newsday that she learnt of the confirmation result from police detectives a few days ago.

“When I called police on Tuesday to get an update on my son, they told me to come to the office. When I went, the officer confirmed that the remains were Darian’s,” Nedd said.

Police discovered the remains of Darian, a pupil of the Siparia East Secondary School, in the ruins of the family’s wooden home located at Red Brick Trace, South Oropouche on March 19.

It is believed Darian was chopped to death inside the house which was then set ablaze. Police subsequently obtained DNA samples from relatives so as to match and make confirmation as he was burnt beyond recognition. With confirmation that the remains are that of her son, Nedd is now hoping to have a “proper funeral” for him.

“We will get the remains during the week so, as soon as we do, we will have a proper funeral. At least now Darian will be able to rest. I am happy for that but at the end of the day, my son is still dead and the pain is very real ,” Nedd added.

Police sources noted that they were awaiting certain documentation before the remains are given to the family.

PC Harrypersad, of the Homicide Bureau, Region III, charged a neighbour, Roger Ragoopath, 26, with the schoolboy’s murder, less than two weeks after the investigators found the charred remains.

The accused, a fisherman, is expected to re-appear in the Siparia First Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

The family now lives in a one-bedroom wooden structure constructed a few feet away from the original location.

In memory of the schoolboy, relatives constructed a mini shrine on the same location where his remains were found. The shrine, constructed in June, contains personal items of the schoolboy including partially burnt toys retrieved from the ruins of the original house.o

It was reported that the man walked up to him and shot him in his foot before escaping in a waiting vehicle.

Cpl Flaviney of the Ste Madeleine Police Station is continuing enquiries.

Senior Magistrate Armina Deonarinesingh, in the First Court, ruled that a prima facie case was made out against truck driver Shamnarine Rambally and, as such, he is to stand trial before a judge and jury.

The prosecution contended that on January 26, 2012, at the intersection of the SS Erin Road and the Penal Rock Road, Rahamut was knocked down by a truck and killed.

It is alleged that the woman was attempting to cross the SS Erin Road, near the Penal Police Station, on Penal junction, when the incident occurred.

Rahamut lived at Laltoo Trace, Penal. Sgt Jaggernauth of the Penal Police Station laid the charge against Rambally in July 2012.

Before making her ruling yesterday, the magistrate remarked that based on the evidence heard during the preliminary inquiry, the court was unable to find answers to many things. However, she noted that there was sufficient evidence to commit Rambally to stand trial for the woman’s death.

The magistrate further granted him fresh surety bail in the sum of $100,000 to be approved by a Clerk of the Peace.

“People in the village talking and fingers are pointing but their family members are protecting them,” one aggrieved relative told Newsday yesterday. “It was a wicked act but we not taking that so and will talk to whoever we have to talk to, to get justice.” The men’s faces were painted with make-up, their eyebrows were shaved off and one of them had their hair fashioned into a pony tail. An autopsy performed at the Forensic Science Center, St James revealed that death was due to acute poisoning. It is believed that the men had ingested deadly cocktails after eating a meal. Both were known alcoholics in the village.

Relatives believe the men were too drunk to notice that their drinks were poisoned. Maharaj, a father of three and grandfather of one, and Motilal who was single and unmarried, both lived in Tarouba Village, Tarouba and were last seen, hours before their deaths, drinking outside their favourite village watering hole “Las Vegas Recreation Club” which is located a short distance away from their respective homes. It was reported that at about 6.30 am on November 24, officers of the Marabella Police Station on were on mobile patrol and observed two men lying in an embrace on top of each other.

Their bodies were held together with a piece of rope which passed through the loops of their pants.

Further checks revealed that the men were dead. The rope had been cut from a Local Government election United National Congress (UNC) banner which was strung between two utility poles near the bar.

The relative said there are as many as three cameras installed on the junction where the incident occurred.

He said, “We were hoping that at least police could get something from one of the cameras.

Every time we ask them they say they are still investigating.” When contacted yesterday, a senior police officer said that investigations were still continuing along certain lines to determine whether or not the men committed suicide or were murdered.

On December 1, I visited your Montrose branch; I was running errands with my grandfather, Kenneth Alexander Marcano.

I must say I was impressed with the welcome and the transaction was facilitated with great ease.

My granddad, an 82-year-old pensioner, was offered a seat and then attended to from that seat. I applaud you for that.

Unfortunately, my granddad had gone to request a bank statement and was charged a fee of $25. I find this very unacceptable.

Following are several reasons why this fee should not exist for pensioners: (1) My grandfather and the majority or pensioners are not computer literate and therefore cannot use online banking to access statements and balances on their accounts.

(2) The majority of accounts have service fees. Why isn’t this facility (printed bank statement) covered by that overhead cost? (3) I am certain the three sheets of paper, the ink on the paper and the two minutes your customer service representative took to print this statement didn’t cost $25.

(4) With the rising economic costs and pensioners’ income generally, they don’t have the money to provide for all their needs and definitely not the luxuries of life. Why does a multimillion- dollar — maybe billion-dollar — company think it necessary to take advantage of our elders? Overall, I don’t agree with this charge for any age group (minors, adults or pensioners), but especially for pensioners. Please let me know why First Citizens Bank sees this as a necessary charge.

RHEA MARCANO via email