According to police, at about 5 pm, Kurban and friends were in the sea when he got into difficulties.

Minutes later, Kurban’s body was found floating in the water.

He was rushed to the Princes Town Health Facility but was pronounced dead on arrival. His sibling Ashmeed Kurban, 60, said his brother decided to venture out into deeper water.

“This is not something new, my brother was a great swimmer and he always used to like to go into deeper waters, so his friends were not worried when he swam out,” Kurban said. He believes his brother may have suffered with and drowned. “My brother has been swimming all his life. The sea was his world, so the only reasonable explanation I can give, is he got cramps and was pulled under.” Kurban’s nephew David said whenever his uncle was not at home, he could be found at the sea. “The beach he drowned at was one of his favorites. He loved the waters there so he died in the place he loved most,” David said.

“He had a heart of gold and was the type of person who would do without just to see someone else smile or happy.” An autopsy performed at the San Fernando Mortuary yesterday confirmed Kurban died as a result of drowning. Funeral arrangements are being finalised.

Khalid Abdul Malik, 19; Shakeel Hernandez, 19; and Jonathan Lawrence Johnson, 20, stood before Deputy Chief Magistrate Maria Earle Busby-Caddle charged with the murder.

The teens have appeared in court several times since their arrest in 2013, but yesterday’s sitting was the first in which evidence was submitted as the Preliminary Inquiry began.

Prosecutor Angelica Teelucksingh-Ramoutar submitted over ten statements from investigators and witnesses before the court.

Investigating officers Sgt Cornelius Samuel of the Homicide Investigations Bureau (Region II) and former Police Constable, now Regimental Captain Sheldon Quash-Boxhill, were present for testimony but defence attorneys Keston Pope and Abigail Roach-Thomas declined to cross-examine them.

During the opening remarks of the proceedings, attorneys raised issues as to when the date of the second hearing should be scheduled as Pope explained that he would not be in the country until September.

The matter was adjourned to August 14.

The charge alleges that in October 2013, David was chopped and beaten to death.

He was buried in a shallow grave near Maracas Bay.

Williams was found dead on Sunday at about 11.30 pm, at the side of Caratal Road. His brother in law Quacy Straker was also found shot multiple times and is now warded at hospital in a critical condition. Relatives were yesterday reluctant to speak to reporters but police reports indicated they received a report of a crash on Lightbourne Trace, Gasparillo.

When police checked they saw a silver Mitsubishi Lancer and in it, Williams and Straker were found.

Crime scene investigators recovered 15 bullet casings from the scene.

Pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov confirmed that Williams was shot five times.

The pathologist determined that the man was attempting to run away from his assailants when he was shot as entry wounds were found to his back with exit wounds to the chest. On May 22, a man bearing a similar name to Sunday’s murder victim, sought refuge at the home of recently retired ACP Santana saying he had just been shot by a Gasparillo businessman who was chasing after him in his (the businessman) vehicle.

Santana subsequently detained the businessman who has since been slapped with several charges.

This particular individual seems to have an obfuscated perception, devoid of any inkling of correct historical analysis.

His reference to labour, employer and government as stakeholders in the “labour justice system” is based on a perception devoid of class analysis or class realities. As any student of sociology will tell you, society consists of classes.

Trade unions do not have to apologise to anyone for its role as a defender of the interests of workers both within the workplace as well as in the broader society.

Trade unions therefore are much more than mere stakeholders.

The labour movement is the most dynamic sector of society and its historical mission should not be confused or limited to its handling of industrial relations matters.

The description of trade unions as bellicose reflects the unwise application of an extremely wide brush to describe trade union organisations.

It is my considered view that trade unions are as aggressive as is necessary to deal with aggressive employers. Where employers behave in a reasonable manner trade unions do likewise.

Employers who display a negative and hostile attitude to trade unions and their members simply have the favour returned in equal measure.

The commentary’s analysis lacks an international perspective.

Lets us not forget that in an age of global capitalism trade unions in Trinidad and Tobago are no less relevant than trade unions in the international sphere.

By branding Butler as brash, and couching his arguments based on his experience or inexperience in the Industrial Court, the article robs the readers of any understanding of the hellish nature of British colonialism as it impacted on the British owned colonies during the 1930s and of the context in which an Industrial Court was established in the first place.

And so, he postulates that trade unions that cause any form of work shut down is an enemy of the people. If that is so then any strike in any part of the world must cause the same conclusion.

This author is ignorant of the fact that in democratic societies the right to withdraw labour is an inherent right of workers.

Without that right collective bargaining is reduced to collective begging.

It should be noted that workers stand to lose income when strike action is taken and workers resort to that remedy only in extreme circumstances.

Is he saying therefore that refusal to work under certain prescribed circumstances as is enshrined both in the Industrial Relations Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act makes those who are legally entitled to so do, enemies of the people? He attempts to preach diplomacy to trade unions without noting that trade unions always attempt to treat and discuss matters before applying any other measure.

His real intent is found in his conclusion as he seeks labour legislation which will allow this type of practitioner, full access to the Industrial Court without any reference to trade unions.

No attempt is made to deal with the archaic system of certification of trade unions which is the real reason why there are so many non-unionised workers in the country.

It will be useful if he would research the original use of the term “labour dinosaurs”. It came from those same elements who incorrectly predicted the end of history, but then neither history nor the labour movement has ended.

Vincent Cabrer a BIGWU President

In a statement, Amcham called on the trade unions to return to the Tripartite Council and said that economic and social decay has been the result in every country where a minority has been persecuted, in an attempt to shift power or influence to another group.

The business group also said that Roget’s call was not in the interest of the very workers that the unions are supposed to represent.

Amcham, in the release said, “We acknowledge that trade unions have a very important part to play in protecting and promoting the rights and best interests of their members.

“This can only be done through dialogue leading to constructive solutions. In that regard, we too would like to see a return to multi party dialogue in a manner that allows all stakeholders to participate in a meaningful and constructive way.

The National Tripartite Advisory Council (NTAC) was that vehicle, but it is not functioning as intended.

Amcham stands ready to assist and participate (in) its reformation to facilitate meaningful dialogue and a path forward.” The statement said that the world is in the midst of an economic crisis, with new political and social disruptions occurring almost daily and that at this time, the country needs leaders including those from within the trade union movement, who are willing to look past all differences and seek solutions to the challenges faced by the country.

“We believe that this is not the time for pointing fingers, but instead a time of increased collaboration and dialogue. Myopic viewpoints and unreasonable demands that seek to promote specific agendas rather that finding innovative solutions should not be the first course of action,” Amcham said.

Pollard of Cocoyea Village, San Fernando has been missing since July 31 and was last seen at his home at 1 pm that day.

On August 4, his mother Alisson Alexis reported him missing to the Mon Repos Police Station. Pollard is described as being of mixed descent, slim built with a dark brown complexion.

He sports a braided hairstyle and was last seen wearing a pair of dark coloured three-quarter jeans, a red v-neck T-shirt and a pair of red sneakers.

Speaking to Newsday yesterday, Sookram’s brother Stephen said that at about 6 pm on July 29, Shannon left the family’s home at Carolina Village, Couva to visit a neighbour a mere three houses away. He never arrived at the neighbour’s home.

He was seen by passersby walking in the opposite direction.

Stephen said that so far, all checks with relatives and friends and calls to his cellphone have proven futile.

Shannon who is an electrician employed in the Point Lisas Industrial Estate, is of East Indian decent, medium build and dark in complexion. He was last seen dressed in a brown three quarter pants, grey jersey and black slippers.

Ramsingh, police reported, was last seen on Friday leaving a liming spot in Felicity at about 10.30 pm.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the young men is asked to call 800-TIPS or contact the police at 555, 999, 911 or any police station.

He said the ministry discriminated against several organisations including The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, International Day of Yoga Committee, Caroni Hindu Mandir and The UWI’s Film Programme Department.

“The omission of 11 major Indo-Trinidadian cultural events is a damning exposé of the narrow conscienceness of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts.

The revelation opens a can of worms about the practices and policies of the ministry.

The disclosure in the calendar raises a number of critical questions.

For example, is there ethnic equity in the top hierarchy of the ministry’s staff,” he said.

He said the failure to recognise these events is also an indication the ministry is not likely to provide funding to the organisations.

They believe that the key to successful policing is tied to information from a willing public.

In the First World it has been discovered that in order to rationalise complaints from the public about police brutality, body cameras would supply evidence to either clear or smear officer or victim. Can anyone see where I am heading? Fast forward to the police in TT being equipped with body cameras and the now seeming reluctantance to wear them.

Can it be alleged that officers want to be free to rough up the public when they feel like it? Plant evidence? Change times of aggressive confrontations with alleged criminals? Why ask for instructions about when, where and how the cameras must be used? This means apart from spectators recording confrontations with phones, the body cameras will produce more evidence beyond any reasonable doubt. The Police Welfare Association would have us believe that all members of the public must be mistaken about officers doing them physical, emotional and mental harm.

They are not “happy” with the cameras.

Can anyone see why the public does not trust the police enough to tell them anything? It is my unsolicited and private view that the only police willing to leave their body cameras turned on might just be the officers assigned to Traffic Branch. Body cameras will be for posing with at a march past.

Yes, I know that some persons believe me to be a cynic to the core, but, do I care? Lynette Joseph Diego Martin

The game was confirmed by the TT Football Association (TTFA) yesterday and will serve as a final build up for coach Dennis Lawrence and the Warriors ahead of there all-important September 1 World Cup qualifier at home to Honduras.

Jamaica are coming off their CONCACAF Gold Cup runners- up performance after losing 2-1 to the United States in last month’s Final and their coach Theodore Whitmore will be hoping to avenge his team’s 2-0 defeat to TT when both teams last met, in a friendly, in the Mucurapo venue on November 19 2013.

For TT, the game is all about preparations for Honduras and Panama in early September.

“This game comes at an ideal time for us in preparation for Honduras,” Lawrence said yesterday.

“Jamaica are in a good moment after coming off a very positive showing at the Gold Cup and they will come here looking to maintain that form which means they will give us the kind of test we are looking for at that stage of the preparations, a week before we face Honduras.

“We will start training on August 14 for the matches coming up and this will obviously be a critical period for us which we are all anticipating a great deal,” Lawrence added.

TTFA president David John-Williams relayed that both the TT and Jamaica governing bodies are discussing the possibility of turning the encounter into an annual affair to mark their respective Independence Days (Jamaica – August 6; TT – August 31).

Tickets for the T&T versus Jamaica friendly will cost $100 (covered stands) and $50 (uncovered) and will be available at all NLCB Lotto Locations nationwide from tomorrow.

Graduating from the University of the West Indies two months ago with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees, Hosein yesterday attended his first assignment in the San Fernando Magistrates Court where he observed how the judicial system functions and even reported on two cases.

Hosein, having been granted provisional registration as a medical doctor, is part of the Newsday Youth Lens and Opinion (NYLO) project, launched last week Thursday, for students who are desirous of learning how the media functions.

The NYLO programme trains participants, many of them University students, in the basics of journalism and Hosein is one of several chosen for the second instalment of the programme. He is dedicated to his chosen career in medicine, but his reason for joining the programme is because of the exposure it offers in what he describes as a new dimension in understanding the world of the medical profession and medicine as a whole.

Hosein, 25, is from Debe, near Penal and will be in the next batch of doctors who will begin his internship in October at the San Fernando General Hospital. “I’m anxious,” he said, “But why stay home and do nothing until October?” Yesterday he had his day in court and in the coming days this week, he will accompany our newsroom reporters on other beats.

A man appeared charged with fraud and was sentenced.

He was in awe when he walked into the court and saw the prisoners in the dock.

He immediately sent a text message to his fellow medical colleagues, “Imagine they all pack-up inside a cage. That’s so sad.” His colleagues admire his decision to become a reporter, albeit until October. They told him, he said, that he is brave, committed and will develop into a “doctor with a difference”.