A 34-year-old ‘PH’ (private hire) driver of Ralph Narine Trace, Oropouche is expected to be charged with the offence. The father of two was arrested hours after the act was allegedly committed and up to late yesterday evening was still detained at the Oropouche Police Station. Police said it is his second such offence. According to reports, the officer boarded the PH taxi in La Romaine after being dropped off by a male relative. Thinking it safe, she boarded the car and asked to be taken to her destination.

She reported that the driver went off route instead and headed to Berridge Trace, Oropouche where he allegedly committed the act. According to reports, when she tried to escape, he took out a gun and fired two shots but missed his target. A report was made. Once charged, the suspect will appear before a magistrate in Siparia. Yesterday, her peers expressed outrage over the incident saying that women are rostered to work at “ridiculous hours” and no transportation is provided for them.

One officer, speaking on condition of anonymity said, “We are often told to comply and then complain.

In this instance the police officer complied but any complaints she might have now is of no consequence because it can’t undo what she had to endure on Monday.” She continued, “Carnival, Christmas, election and exercise duty, they are rostering you to work, three and four o’clock in the morning without even thinking how you are getting there. Sometimes when you finish duty at 11 and 12 in the night, you don’t know how you are reaching home. We sometimes ask to be transported home but we are told “no.”

A party of police officers including PC Adrian Moreno, 23, of Thomasine Street, Laventille, went to Hell Yard, Beetham Gardens, on August 3 around 7.20 pm in search of suspects in relation to a recent break-in at American Stores, St James, and the theft of goods valued at $100,000.

The officers were fired upon and Moreno of the Western Division CID suffered a graze to the left side of his head and a wound to his right arm. Woman Police Constable Rachel George of the Western Division Task Force also sustained a bullet wound to her left foot.

In a pre-action protocol letter sent to the Acting Commissioner of Police, attorney Bindra Dolsingh, who represents Moreno, said his client was with a party of officers in search of the suspects in the robbery when he was shot by one of his colleagues.

“Our client instructs he then felt a bullet enter his left hand.

This was the initial shot he felt and then several other bullets were felt by him,” Dolsingh said, adding that Moreno said some 20 shots were fired at him, even after he had fallen to the ground.

Moreno is seeking damages and compensation to cover his medical expenses, loss of earnings and future earnings as well as future care and pain and suffering.

He also says he is fearful he will be unable to compete in the discipline of karate for TT.

The statement added, “What is even more alarming about this latest abhorrent act is that last Friday the world stood in solidarity as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was observed.”

Urging Tobagonian women to take pride in their strength of personality and mental resilience, the PNM women said, “As a society, we must strive not only to be our brother’s but also our sister’s keeper. We must not turn a blind eye or deaf ear to any of our women who fall victim to any form of violence. We must also recognise that the wounds of violence are not only

Gordon appeared in the Fourth Court before Magistrate Margaret Alert who adjourned the matter to March 29. Police charged him with assaulting Police Constable David Nagassar, behaving in a disorderly manner, using insulting language and resisting arrest.

Gordon, of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, first appeared before a Justice of the Peace in the said court on Monday afternoon and was granted $25,000 own bail to cover all charges.

The matter was adjourned to yesterday for Gordon to appear before a magistrate.

It is alleged that on Sunday night, Cpl Brian Singh and PC Nagassar, both of the Ste Margaret’s Police Station, had responded to a report of a disturbance at Dave’s Bar located at Hermitage Road, Claxton Bay.

While the officers were carrying out their duties, Gordon allegedly intervened and committed the offences for which police charged him. Cpl Singh and PC Nagassar laid the charges.

Screams, hoots and jeers could be heard as reporters gathered for the weekly press conference.

Close to 20 protestors with placards loudly voiced their disagreement with the party’s candidate Marslyn Jack as they chanted, “we want Angus, we don’t want no Jack”, repeatedly.

At last Wednesday’s selection of candidates, Jack a former educator was given the nod over the current THA Councillor and Secretary of Community Development and Culture Dr Denise Tsoi-a-fatt Angus to contest the electoral district.

Labelling the screening process as unfair, one spokesperson for the group, James Trim said that Dr Tsoi-a-fatt Angus was favoured by the majority as she received the highest number of votes, causing her to secure three of the four party groups, but according to him, “this was not enough to satisfy the screening committee.” He claimed that Tobago party members are breaking the Party’s constitution. “We believe the rules are being broken.

The deceased Political Leader Patrick Manning had the power to veto anybody who was not on his side, that law has now changed. But today we are seeing people being selected despite not being accepted by the votes of party groups.

Imagine if this is how they are behaving as heads of the PNM Tobago Council, how would they behave if they are elected into the THA, a protestor said.

Another protester shouted a warning to the PNM. “Anytime they don’t give us Angus, we are prepared to vote for the PDP (Progressive Democratic Patriots)…we have to teach them a lesson. We want Angus, we don’t want no Jack!” But PNM Tobago Chairman Stanford Callendar, when questioned on the issue, said the party remains unmoved by “these protestors”, as he stressed the party executives will not be intimidated.

“The screening committee of the Tobago Council is the authority in terms of selection of candidates.

What is happening is a clear demonstration of our democracy.

People are free to demonstrate, but one of the things I can tell you as chairman of this party is that the Chairman and this party by extension will not be intimidated by those type of conduct.

“You see, the party’s constitution is crystal clear, the members, whether it is at the party group’s level or the council’s level can make their recommendation but the authority is with the council’s screening committee of the Tobago arm of the PNM,” Callender said. Questioned further on the issue of democracy, Callendar said the decision of the screening committee is final.

Making an entrance during the protest was Political Leader of the PDP Watson Duke. He told the protesting PNMites that they are welcome to join his organisation.

“They have a right to choose who they want to represent them and they who are in charge have a right to listen to these people.

I am saying, if they do not get who they want, they can come by the PDP, we want to represent them and we want their support,” Duke said.

In a statement, the COP said, “Despite the spending of millions of dollars by both the PNM and the UNC in this campaign with non-stop media advertisements, broadcasts and major meetings and rallies, these parties have not been able to motivate even their own supporters to come out and cast their votes in the kinds of numbers that they would have expected.” The COP said this is a clear signal that the gatekeeper politics of these parties and their versions of “good governance” are not satisfying the people’s demand for real choice in elections, for real participation in decision-making that affects their lives and for genuine accountability from elected officials at all levels.

The party claimed the low voter turnout caused Prime Minister and PNM political leader Dr Keith Rowley, during a news conference at Balisier House on Monday night, to ask a reporter, “You in politics? Which party you leading?” Similarly, the COP questioned Opposition Leader and UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s logic for claiming victory because of a “gain of half a corporation.” The party added, “This is unprecedented that a party leader would be boasting about winning a fraction of a corporation.” The COP said the results “convince us in the COP that the electorate has not lost hope in looking for a real alternative to the two ‘major’ parties whose turns in government have not lived up to their expectations.”

This is the view of Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah yesterday, in the wake of Monday’s local government election.

Recalling that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar each declared victory for their respective parties as the results came in, Abdulah told Newsday both leaders were glossing over what the facts of Monday’s low voter turnout mean for the PNM, UNC and the country in general.

He said the results and the low voter turnout clearly show “the country is split in three.” He said one segment of the electorate supports the PNM, another supports the UNC and the other is disillusioned with both of them.

While the official results are still to be released by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), Abdulah said the preliminary information resonates with the feedback the MSJ got during the local government campaign about a lot of pain and anger among the citizenry.

Roberts came up against People’s National Movement (PNM) candidate, Christine Neptune (1,845) and the United National Congress’s (UNC) Abigail Alexis (537) in a three way fight in the district of Palo Seco to sit on the Siparia Regional Corporation.

Speaking with Newsday yesterday, campaign manager Knolly Marshall believes that Roberts would have performed much better had the campaign not be derailed by the shooting incident which left him nursing gunshot wounds to the chest. Up to yesterday he remained in stable condition at the San Fernando General Hospital. According to reports, at about 6 pm last week Saturday, Roberts was in the tray of a pick-up van going through the district when a loud explosion was heard. He fell and those with him observed blood oozing from his chest.

He was rushed to the hospital where he was treated and placed on a ward.

Marshall said, “The results didn’t come out as we wanted because the incident affected our entire election day machinery.

We had to work even harder on Monday as that interfered with a lot of things.” A motive is yet to be established for the incident. .

Marshall is hoping for a full recovery as he said the aspiring politician will not be deterred by what happened and will continue to work in his community. .

He added, “I want to extend my gratitude to all those who supported him in his campaign and those who continue to pray for him and wish him well. Be assured that he will continue to work for the people.” Roberts is a well-known activist and has been the man behind several protests for jobs and better infrastructure in Palo Seco and environs. .

Balliram complained on Monday that the EBC notified them of a change in the polling station, usually set at the Freeport Presbyterian School, to the Upper Carapichaima Presbyterian School. But by the end of the night, he was celebrating his victory in the Freeport/Chickland electoral district with the widest margin in the Corporation. The UNC captured all 14 seats in the Corporation and Balliram won with a landslide 3295 votes over the People National Movement’s (PNM) Allison Thomas’ 432.

Asked whether he still thought the EBC was actively working against him, Balliram said, “You see, when you have a proactive approach to the election, it works out in your favour. I had to go around with my car to get people to the polls.” On the other hand, Rajbal’s win was not so easily won, wresting the California/Point Lisas district from the hands of the PNM, earning 1930 votes to the PNM’s Dina Thurton’s 1812. He complained on Monday about the locations of polling stations 3190 and 3185 being switched and only receiving notification on the morning of the election.

The environs of the polling stations, it was said, was known to be a UNC stronghold. Rajbal also drove around to transport frustrated voters to the correct stations throughout the day. He believed it was his legacy as the first Chairman of the Corporation in 1992 that earned him the historically marginal seat. “As I said yesterday, I was confident that I was going to win, but I did not realise it would have been so close,” Rajbal said. “I credit the victory to the leadership of Kamla Persad- Bissessar and the campaign to ‘send them a message’ and my personal involvement and work I have done with all the people of the Corporation.”

Patricia Paul-McDavid, Director of the Scholarship and Advanced Training Division of the Ministry of Education, advised them that if the documents are not received on time it is the scholar who will suffer the consequences. She said that there is a process for the paying of their stipends, this process was approved by Cabinet and it is in the interest of the scholar to make sure the documents are submitted in time.

She was addressing about 400 scholars and their parents at the ministry’s Advanced Level and Postgraduate Scholarship Seminar 2016 at the auditorium of the O’Meara Campus of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).

She said the option is theirs as to where they chose to study but advised that depending on the type of scholarship they do not have to go abroad. Delivering the feature address, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Lovell Francis, said the scholars were embarking on a social contract with the nation.

He said the country has made a serious error by telling young people that they are getting free education because when people hear the word “free” they do not take it seriously. He said the education they have received and will receive is very expensive. In fact, he said this country spends well over the benchmark nine percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that the United Nations recommends should be spent on education.

According to Dr. Francis, in the typical budget the country spends close to or more than fifteen percent of its GDP on education.

“So we invest a lot of money on educating our young people because we understand that education is the singular most important factor that leads to human and national development.” He said last year the government would have spent $9.4 billion on education and this year it may end up being something similar if not more.

He told the scholars that their scholarships are individually significant costs “more so given the serious and dire economic circumstances that we face. They are a substantial cost. They are given to you because you worked for them and you deserve them but they are given to you with a particular and important understanding.” He said that understanding was that their education had been paid for by the taxpayers of the country and they owed something to the country at the completion of their studies. He said that “something” was dedicated and high quality service and they should come back home and serve their country when their studies are completed.