The officers including an Inspector with 20 years service, a Sergeant and a Corporal were ordered charged yesterday by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard, SC. The three were detained on Tuesday by officers of the Police Service’s Professional Standards Bureau led by Sgt Bryon Daniel.

They were taken to the Belmont Police Station and placed in a cell. The arrests came after weeks of investigation. The Inspector and Sergeant were charged jointly with with perverting the course of justice while the Corporal was charged with taking no action knowing that a criminal offence was being committed.

On January 30, the Inspector was driving a vehicle assigned to the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) when it was struck by another vehicle. The Inspector discovered that her driver’s permit was expired and called the Sergeant who was asked to accompany her (the Inspector) to the Central Police Station, to falsely report that she (the Sergeant) was the driver of the CTU vehicle.

A Constable at the police station was asked to enter a false report in the police station diary but refused. The Corporal was then asked to do the deed and she complied. The Constable later made a formal complaint to the Professional Standards Bureau and investigations commenced.

Yesterday, the three policewomen were placed on an Identification Parade and after they were pointed out, formal charges were laid.

Imbert also said contrary to claims made by CLF founder Lawrence Duprey, the true cost of legal fees in the CLF matter was $250 million and not $3.5 billion. In addressing these issues at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, Imbert identified Peter Permell and Carlton Reis as two of the “mouthpieces” for the shareholders. He said information available to Government shows Permell has no shares in CLF and cashed in his Clico policy in May 2012. Imbert said a search of the Companies Registry shows that Reis was appointed a director of Dalco Capital Management Company Ltd in 2015.

He said Dalco was incorporated in 1998 with Duprey listed as the owner. Last Jaunary, Imbert said Duprey transferred his shares in Dalco to Reis.

“All that is fine. There is one little problem. That the shares were transferred at a value of $99,” Imbert said. He recalled that Reis publicly claimed CLF was worth $40 billion. With Dalco owning 26 percent of CLF, Imbert said this worked out to $10 billion.

“The stamp duty on a transfer of shares worth $10 billion, is $50 million,” he stated. However, Imbert observed, “The stamp duty on a transfer of shares worth $99 is 50 cents.” On this basis, Imbert said his ministry will be investigating this matter to find out why a company supposed valued at $40 billion by one of its owners, had its shares transferred for $99, “instead of at a rate of $10 billion, attracting stamp duty of $50 million.” He said that $50 million was taxpayers’ money which goes into the Consolidated Fund.

Turning to CLWB, Imbert said money flows out of that company will be investigated too.

He said Government’s research has discovered that CLF owns a mere 17 percent in Angostura.

Imbert said 45 percent of Angostura is owned by a company called Rum Pro. This company, Imbert continued, is owned 100 percent by Scotland incorporated CLWB. He said CLWB is owned by Clico (42 percent), CLF (38 percent) and Clico Investment Bank-CIB (20 percent). He reminded reporters that CIB is in liquidation with Government trying to recover monies from it.

In spite of all of this, Imbert said, “For some reason, all of the profits flowing from these companies have been finding their way into the bank accounts of CLF.”

But unlike us, some very powerful women in the USA have recently been up in arms about it (just as well they are covered), causing the Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan to undertake to review and perhaps even modernize the archaic dress code that bans female sleeveless wear, unless a jacket or sweater is worn on top, and also open toed shoes. The rule is that men must wear suit jackets and ties in the House and the speaker’s lobby, and no sports footwear.

The revolt started on social media and heated up pretty fast, going viral. Then the TV channels picked it up and a week later Paul Ryan was forced to address the matter.

The irony is that Washington DC is blisteringly hot in the summer months and women, like here, are forced to carry jackets for two reasons: firstly, so as not to expose their innocent God-given, over-worked arms to weak-minded men, and secondly, not to lower the tone of the august institutions of democracy or quagmires of bureaucracy by showing off such functional things as upper limbs. In Washington, 14th July was dubbed “Sleeveless Friday”.

Reuters reported as follows, Democratic Representative Jackie Speier circulated a flyer urging women lawmakers to wear sleeveless dresses on “Sleeveless Friday” …. Republican Representative Martha McSally noted she was wearing an outfit that violated the code as she ended a speech in the House chamber on Wednesday. “I want to point out that I’m standing here in my professional attire, which happens to be a sleeveless dress and open-toed shoes.” Then, Democratic Representative and only woman to have served as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted, “These unwritten rules are in desperate need of updates.” So, it is not even a law but a hangover from when men dominated that place and all such places and it has taken women a long time to feel secure enough to challenge it. I wonder how come legs escaped similar opprobrium? But if men invented such silly rules for women they certainly were not easy on themselves. At receptions and other events in TT I often fear that some slightly unfit man would pass out from the sweatbox that is his dark, lined, part synthetic or part wool (both make you hot) suit, buttoned appropriately, and set off by a silk (keeps you warm) tie with its own layers of fabric and tucked under a shirt collar that itself comprises several layers of material. A man’s shirt also has long sleeves with thick cuffs and his poor feet are hot like stones in tall socks and perfectly closed, lined shoes, preferably laced up to the near ankle.

To manage those unhealthy personal conditions derived from the uncompromising dress code that is seldom relaxed, men have invented two unlikely facts that are very costly: 1) That centrally controlled air conditioning cannot be adjusted to increase the room temperature; 2) Electronic and digital equipment require the temperature in buildings to be as cold as Iceland.

That is why every single official or commercial building in this country is so over refrigerated.

To stop bare-armed women complaining about the icy temperature indoors they created the silly dress code to keep us warm.

I don’t like conspiracy theory but this one appeals to me.

Car Insurance Update – Beware! A “new for old” and/or “loss of use” benefit in your comprehensive policy must be renewed each time you use it. If you get hit three times that could total several thousands of dollars in extra premium annually.

In a media release issued yesterday, Skeene said, “The TT Pro League continues to strive to become self-sufficient. The League has survived difficult times before and will survive these rough times.

“This current period that is as rough and tough as they come from an economic perspective,” Skeene pointed out. “It is a test of the League’s resilience, commitment and dedication to its vision and mission of becoming a sustainable and viable football industry, one that provides legitimate careers for young persons with football talent.” The ex-national striker noted that the challenges and difficulties faced by the League are similar to those faced by the local business community.

“I believe we will rise to overcome this temporary situation and we will emerge from these tremendously trying circumstances to become a vibrant, successful football League that is not dependent on the Government for its finances and revenue,” Skeene said. “The TT Pro League will overcome.

We will prevail.

Without a vision the people perish.” He ended, “Predictions and rumours of the demise of the TT Pro League are indeed premature. The League is having ongoing discussions with proposed sponsors, the Sport Company and the Ministry of Sport, and is assured of the support of the Minister, the Chairman and board of the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Acting Chief Executive Maria Cooper, in a short welcome address to the 21 interns drawn from secondary and tertiary institutions across the country, pointed to the risks of inaccuracies that occur because of the changed and sophisticated media environment both locally and globally. She described the project as one born out of Newsday’s commitment to the development of youth in society.

This is the second year Newsday is undertaking the project which will culminate with the young participants demonstrating their newly-acquired skills in both the regular Newsday publication and a special youth issue towards the end of August. Last year’s inaugural event saw a number of participants undertaking freelance assignments with Newsday in news and feature writing, design and layout and photography, and some have maintained a relationship with the newspaper.

Editor in Chief Jones P. Madeira, warned that today’s audiences are no longer passive recipients of information and opinion generated by the media.

He said the dramatic evolution of information technology and its shattering of the constraints of time and distance for the transfer and exchange of information have given the audience the immense power of proactively talking back, and it is to the peril of media that they choose to ignore this fact and not lend an ear.

He quoted a USbased journalist and author Jeff Ansell who had warned that “research on the run only gets it right some of the time, and truth and perspective become casualties of reporting.” Speaking with Newsday after yesterday’s launch, Cooper outlined the objectives of the NYLO programme which included to train participants how to communicate effectively with others using traditional and new media and to guide participants in the basics of journalism including how to write news stories, how to approach people and, how to ask questions. According to the Newsday acting CEO, the newspaper also wants to gain constructive feedback from its youth partners on how to report and disseminate the news for younger audiences.

The participants toured Newsday’s prepress and press operations at its El Socorro headquarters as part of yesterday’s launch and they will continue at that venue today and tomorrow for sessions that further expose them to newspaper publishing operations as well as the rudiments of news and feature writing.

Police are saying that Akeem ‘Bean’ Reid, 25, and a group of friends left a house party on Monday night when he decided to pay a visit to a lady friend at her St John Road in St Augustine.

After liming for several hours, the woman invited Reid to spend the night with her, with his friends being told they could stay in the porch.

At 8 am on Tuesday, while the men were all asleep, the woman received a call from the father of one of her children informing her that he was on his way. The woman quickly woke up the men and told them they all had to leave. As the men were exiting the house, the other man was arriving. A heated argument ensued.

The man, livid at seeing the men in the house, grabbed the keys to Reid’s car and flung it through a window. The man then contacted his friends who live not too far. What at first started as a cuss-out with some jostling turned into a full brawl with the Reid and his friend fighting the woman’s child father and his associates on the roadway.

One of the child father’s associates, police said, grabbed the car keys, got into Reid’s car and drove at high speed towards the fighting men who scattered. The car bounced down Reid who was flung several feet in the air. He was later taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope where he was treated and warded. He died several hours later.

Reid’s mother Karen Henry yesterday said she used to joke with her son that his ‘hot-bloodedness’ would lead to his demise.

Describing her son as a jack of all trades, Henry said he recently registered a business and had tendered with several regional corporations seeking a contract.

“They killed my only child,” Henry said. “He went to YTEPP to make something of himself.

He learned business management and was innovative.” Henry said that her son and the woman were in a relationship for the past five months but she (Henry) was not aware that the woman had children for other men. No arrest has been made and Northern Division Homicide detectives are continuing investigations.

This is the second incident within the past month that a car was used as a murder weapon. On Sunday July 16, David Sancaro, 17, was knocked down and runover, twice, by a van driven by a man whom Sancaro and two other friends warned to stop beating a woman at the side of the road or they would call the police.

Sancaro was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital and the 38-year-old man was subsequently charged with the teen’s murder and has since appeared in court.

TT would have been disappointed as they were in a strong position against Guyana when their morning match was abandoned because of rain. TT posted a competitive 113 for five batting first at the National Cricket Centre in Couva, with Shania Abdool scoring 38 off 31 deliveries comprising six fours. Alysha Gomez was also among the runs cracking 28 off 36 balls with three fours.

Bowling for Guyana Plaffiana Millington took 2/14 and C Fraser grabbed 2/26. In reply, Guyana could only get to 6/0 when the match was called off.

In the other morning match played at Gilbert Park in Couva, the encounter between Barbados and Windward Islands was also abandoned. Barbados scored 55/7 with Shai Carrington scoring 15, while Qiana Joseph snatched 3/7 for Windward Islands. In reply, Windwards got to 17/3 after 3.4 overs when the match ended. Allison Gordon took 2/10 for Barbados.

Not a ball was bowled in both matches in the afternoon session.

Guyana were carded to play Windward Islands, while TT were scheduled to play Barbados.

REMAINING FIXTURES TODAY: Barbados vs Guyana, NCC; Windward Islands vs TT, Gilbert Park, 9.30 am; Guyana vs TT, Gilbert Park; Barbados vs Windward Islands, NCC, 2.30 pm.

SATURDAY: Windward Islands vs Guyana, Gilbert Park; Barbados vs TT, Preysal, 9.30 am; Guyana vs Barbados, Gilbert Park; TT vs Windward Islands, Preysal, 2.30 pm.

SUNDAY: Third place play off – Gilbert Park; Final – NCC, 9.30 am; Presentation of Awards, 2 pm.

When these teams met last Saturday, hundreds of supporters showed up to witness the match in which “Cool It” had only themselves to blame for leaving without any points.

Sean Reyes’ strike in the first half gave them a 1-0 lead at the half-time interval, but “Cool It” were then made to pay for their wasteful chances, including a second half penalty.

Dragon FC dug deep to find an equaliser through John Belgrave and, just when it seemed that both teams would settle for a point each, Ronald Boyce scored the winner for Dragon FC.

The result meant that Dragon FC moved to second on the points table, with “Cool It” slipping to third after suffering their first loss of the season.

Earlier on Saturday, Manzan United earned their first victory in the competition with a resounding 6-1 trouncing of Alescon FC.

Dragon FC were back in action again on Emancipation Day (Tuesday) and they showed that Saturday’s result was no fluke with a 9-0 mauling of Alescon FC.

That victory placed Dragon FC two points ahead of Dream Team United, who have a game in hand.

Game one on Tuesday featured home team Fishing Pond Youths versus Manzan United. A brace from Adrian Francis and a lone goal from Kendal Rivers saw the visitors with a comfortable 3-0 lead by halftime.

Darkiel Ferriera scored the fourth item for Manzan United but, despite a late double by Kern Benjamin, Manzan prevailed by a 4-2 margin.

Last Thursday, Fishing Pond Youths and Boys Town United played to a 2-2 draw.

The home team took the lead early in the first half through Rakeed Fields, and doubled their advantage when Zavier Penia netted before the half.

The interval seemed to inspire Boys Town United and moreso their striker Reon Moore who scored twice to earn a share of the points for the visitors.

Mother of two Zola Purah, 31, estimated the accommodation at US $20,000 as well as the airfare at almost TT $6,000 (return) per person.

Purah of Enterprise, Chaguanas, is hoping that with the assistance of some Good Samaritans, her son would no longer have to undergo another operation again in his life.

When he was two months old, Daniel fell and fractured his skull. Some months later an abscess formed on his right eye. Since then, Daniel, a pupil of the Cunupia Government Primary School underwent seven operations in Trinidad and two in Colombia.

“Since 2015, Daniel has had a silicone tube in his eye and the operation in Colombia will be his final,” Purah said.

Airline tickets are $5,936 per person and if people are willing to purchase them for us, we will be very grateful.” She said she must spend two weeks there for Daniel to recuperate before they return home.

“We don’t have that kind of money __ US$ 20,000 __ for accommodation.

Two years ago, we lost our home in a fire and had to start back from scratch. Daniel will be in standard five next month and he is a good boy.” She publicly thanked the Hope of a Miracle (HOAM) Foundation which paid for the operation via its children health programme founded in March 2006 by Hispanic Women in Trinidad and Tobago.

Anyone willing to assist Purah can send money to her RBC account number __ 100085172251431.

“Time is running out and we are trying to get the tickets by August 19. My son went through too much already. Please help us. We need the help,” Purah pleaded.

At these sessions, council members and staff are allowed to ask questions and voice concerns regarding the draft policy.

Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein said, “We have completed sensitisation sessions in six corporations so far and the remaining eight will be visited in the upcoming weeks.” Hosein also said the task force has also met with various government ministries which the corporations will have to liaise directly with, “once more responsibility is vested in them.” The task force is also working closely with the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs regarding the legislative amendments required for the reform to take full effect. The main ones include the updates to property tax legislation and the Municipal Police Regulations.

The latter deals with the establishment of constabularies of 100 municipal police officers in each of the 14 local government corporations.

This was one of the key campaign promises made by the People’s National Movement in the 2015 general election and 2016 local government election campaigns.

Hosein said the ministry will, “ also be holding further sensitisation sessions in each municipality for the burgesses to update them and seek their feedback and advice on how best to involve citizens more effectively.” He recalled last year the ministry held 15 public consultations on local government reform. “So we want people to now know that their voices are being heard and they are driving the changes that they want to see,” Hosein said.

“The main objective of local government reform is to engage all citizens on a greater level so that there are improvements in service delivery across the country.” The ministry indicated sensitisation exercises have also been held for key stakeholders such as trade unions, whose members will be directly affected by local government reform.