Two kidnappers, one armed with a gun and the other with a cutlass stormed a keep-fit class in progress at the Caroni Community Centre on Wednesday night, ordered all of the occupants to lie on the ground and then placed a gun to the head of 33-year-old accountant Shamshoon Mohammed. The two dragged the screaming woman out of the community centre and into a waiting B-15 car. Up until late yesterday, the kidnappers did not make any contact with relatives of the victim. Her kidnapping is the 179th for the year. Mohammed, who is an accountant with the San Juan branch of Mario’s Pizza, was described as a quiet and reserved person. The incident occurred around 7 pm while the keep-fit class was in full progress and made up mostly of women. Some of the women were treated for shock while others remained locked up inside their homes yesterday, fearful of going out. Up to late yesterday, worried relatives of the girl awaited word from the kidnappers to no avail.

Her father Shaffick, who operates a successful roti business at his home known as Rosie and Dudley’s, told Newsday that his daughter is in dire need of her medication since she is ill and her life could be in danger if she is not given the medication. He pleaded with kidnappers to return his daughter to him. The worried man told Newsday that his daughter has been attending the keep-fit class for the past two years. He added that he never for a moment thought that any of his children were targets for kidnappers, since the money earned from the business is enough to maintain his family and keep the business afloat. He added that when his daughter left home to attend classes at the community centre located close to their home, he never knew that her life would be in danger. He added that his daughter is a quiet person who has lived a sheltered life and he is still in shock over the situation. Mohammed said that after the kidnapping, he was told of the news by villagers who witnessed the incident, and almost all of the villagers of New Street, Caroni, gathered at his home on Wednesday to lend their support and await word from the kidnappers. He said that officers from Central Division as well as those from the Anti-Kidnapping Squad interviewed persons who witnessed the kidnapping.

PRESIDENT of the Republic, Professor Max Richards and his wife First Lady Dr Jean Ingrid Richards, have been sued in the San Fernando High Court by Mrs Richards’ brother Dennis Ramjohn, for breach of contract involving a house and land deal, four years ago. Ramjohn is contending in a High Court writ that he entered into an agreement with President Richards and his wife Dr Jean Ingrid, to sell a house located at Bel Air Gardens near San Fernando. First Lady Dr Jean Ingrid Richards, formerly lived at Cipero Street, San Fernando. According to Ramjohn’s writ, filed in the Sub Registry, San Fernando, in December, 2000, he entered into an agreement with the President and First Lady, that upon sale of the said house, they were to pay him (Ramjohn) $50,000. When the writ was filed, Richards was not President of the country.

Dennis Ramjohn had been living in the house which, at current value, is worth approximately $700,000. But Ramjohn stated in his writ, filed by attorney Margaret Shanta Parsad, that he was advised by his brother, Rolf Ramjohn, who is also the brother of the First Lady, to remain occupying the house until a buyer could be secured. That was in 1999, but according to Ramjohn’s (Dennis) writ, on Independence Day (August 31, 1999), he was asked by Rolf to give up possession of the house. Ramjohn stated in the writ that he complied and the house was sold. “The defendants (the President and his wife) have completed the sale of the property and despite repeated requests, have failed and or neglected and or refused to pay the plaintiff (Ramjohn), the sum of $50,000 or the sum of $1,500 per month,” Dennis Ramjohn stated in his writ. He stated that he had suffered loss and damage and is claiming against the President and his wife, breach of contract. He is seeking an order of the High Court that they pay him the sum of money.

The President and First Lady, however, have filed a defence to the action. They contended that Ramjohn breached the agreement of sale. Filed by the law firm Pollonais, Blanc, de la Bastide and Jacelon, of Port-of-Spain, Richards and his wife stated that Ramjohn breached the agreement by wrongfully remaining in occupation of the house. He did so without their approval, the defence of the President and First Lady stated. Accusing Ramjohn of breaching the agreement, the President and his wife stated that they are therefore not liable to the plaintiff (Ramjohn) for the sum of money he claims. The case came up for hearing on the Cause List on Monday before the Assistant Registrar of the High Court, San Fernando, Toolsie Ramdin. Instructions were given for attorneys to file summons for direction to set the matter down for trial within the next 42 days. Attorney Shanta Parsad has filed a summons in court, advising the registrar that the case is estimated to last two days.

CHIEF MAGISTRATE Sherman McNicolls is confident that the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court will be up and running by Monday although the source of the plumbing problem had, up until yesterday, not yet been identified. Chief Justice Sat Sharma had on Tuesday ordered that the St Vincent Street courthouse be shut down until Monday as a result of plumbing problems that had flooded out the basement of the new wing of the building. Additionally, the building had been without a supply of water since Friday. McNicolls showed up at the old wing of the building shortly after 9 am yesterday where over 100 people, comprising litigants out on bail and the relatives and friends of those imprisoned, assembled outside the gates of the courthouse. McNicolls said he wanted to ensure that everything was running smoothly as he surveyed the sombre faces of the waiting crowd.

Some of them were aware of the situation and others did not have a clue about what was going on as they received instructions on what they were supposed to do from the MTS security officers on duty. They were allowed into the lobby area in small groups based on the court number in which their matters were supposed to be heard, where they were briefed by Clerk of the Peace, Eugene Prince, on the new dates on which they were expected to re-appear in court. Despite a few complaints about the “waste of taxpayers money” and the “heat,” the chaotic situation that had been predicted never materialised, as the majority of them waited in an orderly manner. All charge cases were transferred to the Chaguaramas Magistrates’ Court.

THE COUNTRY’s murder tally continued to climb yesterday following the discovery of the headless corpse of Derrick Lalla, the Maloney man who went missing on September 21. Lalla, 29, of Couva Avenue, was found just before 7 am yesterday by a joint police party from the San Rafael and Cumuto Police Stations. Police said they received information around 5 am yesterday after which the party of officers including ASP Wesley Moore, Sgt Osmond Williams, Cpls Winston Gomez and Charles journeyed about two miles into a forested area off Balata Trace, Tumpuna Road, San Rafael. There, the officers found the decomposing body of Lalla, who was clad in a denim three quarter jeans, white T-shirt and black slippers. The long-time auto-mechanic’s head was completely severed from his body and District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr Emmanuel Hosein told police that he had been shot in the head.

He also had two cellphones in his possession — a Nokia and Ericsson.  Because of this discovery, police said they do not believe robbery was the motive, which could not be ascertained up to late evening. Police said while Lalla did not have a criminal record, he hung out with associates of “questionable character.” After viewing the body, DMO Hosein ordered it removed to the Forensic Science Centre, where a post-mortem was carded for yesterday.  It was there that Lalla’s relatives positively identified him. Lalla went missing on September 21 after he visited a friend in Arouca. The vehicle he was driving was found burnt in Wallerfield on Monday. His murder is now the 174th for the year.

SEVERAL workers of the Piarco Air Services were yesterday questioned in connection with a multi-million dollar cocaine find at the Piarco International Airport, high-level police sources told Newsday. The cocaine was found in mail bags around 9 am Wednesday and weighed approximately 56 kilogrammes, which police sources said has an estimated street value of $10,080,000. Sources at the Organised Crime and Narcotic Unit (OCNU) told Newsday that the estimated street value of one kilogramme of cocaine is $180,000, but that the wholesale price is $28,000 per kilogramme. The cocaine, was discovered during a random operation carried out by OCNU officers and members of the Customs Interdiction Unit. Police said some of the cocaine was in envelopes, while some was in parcels wrapped with tape. The whole lot was then placed in mail bags and at the time of the discovery was already packed on trolleys to be loaded on various planes destined for the United Kingdom and the United States. 

Police sources believe Canada was another intended destination. When contacted, a female worker at Piarco Air Services confirmed the cocaine seizure, but said that no “directors in managerial positions were available to speak to the media at this time.” Police said they had no idea where the cocaine came from in Trinidad, but said they did not believe it was linked to the million-dollar cocaine find along the Mayaro and Manzanilla beaches in August. However, police sources said they were watching with growing concern the amount of illegal drugs that has been seized at Piarco. They referred to instances where cocaine has been found in steelpans and fish containers. While several people have been questioned in connection with the latest cocaine find, police said no one had been charged up to late evening. Investigations are continuing.

Saying that Government would be announcing the expansion of the controversial CEPEP programme in the Budget, Prime Minister Patrick Manning also announced that Cabinet yesterday approved $29 million for the continuation of the CEPEP programme to the end of this month. The PM reiterated that the programme, which had been closed for two weeks, was one of the more successful programmes that the Government had ever put in place because it “empowered people who had been dispossessed and unemployed.” Addressing a post-Cabinet news conference, Manning declared: “It is really a success story and let us not be sidetracked by all the negative talk we hear from those who are opposed to us and who wish they were the originators of the idea.” He added that phase which would be implemented after the Budget would involve landscaping.

Manning however regretted that the murder figure for this year had exceeded last year’s record high. Commenting on statements made by Terrence Farrell suggesting that the growth rate required to achieve Vision 2020 was highly improbable, the Prime Minister said, he would be devoting the next three days “exclusively” to looking at the Budget speech. He said a “major error” had been made in the past in computating the “growth figures.” “Natural gas production and exports have not been taken sufficiently into account,” he said, adding that when the figures are corrected, it would surprise many. Manning, who said the Government had reason to believe that a UNC Minister “interfered with the CSO,” stated that his Government was thinking of having the CSO figures tabulated under the ambit of the University of Trinidad and Tobago when it gets of the ground. On the issue of Carlisle Tyres, Manning defended Government’s decision to take the issue to Industrial Court. He said Government felt it was necessary to preserve the interest of the workers.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday described himself “dodging water” from a leaking roof at his Whitehall office whenever it rains. The problem exists he said, after $34 million of taxpayers money was spent on the refurbishment of the building, he noted yesterday, as he commented on the fact that the new wing of the  Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court had to be shut down because of a plumbing problem. There was controversy last year when the idea of relocating the Parliament and having the PM’s office at Red House was floated by the Prime Minister. Speaking at a news conference at Whitehall, Manning did not directly revive the idea, but  stated: “The Prime Minister has to move his desk and he has to collect water in dustbins. The conference table in the Prime Minister’s conference room has been badly damaged so we have to put felt on the table. The rug in the Prime Minister’s office has been damaged by water.”

Asked whether he was contemplating leaving Whitehall, Manning, who had conceded that he has always felt that Whitehall was inadequate, and who has expressed a preference for the PM’s office to be located at the Red House, said Government would have to look at what is involved in repairing the building. “What we are reluctant to do is to embark on any major expenditure in Whitehall again,” he stated. On the World Cricket Series, Manning said Cabinet yesterday considered a report of the team (headed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports) which went to St Lucia.  Stating that while Government was yet to determine which of the games Trinidad and Tobago would submit a bid for, Manning said he told Chairman of Caricom, Jamaica’s PM PJ Patterson, the undertaking was so large and costly that the Caribbean states should collaborate “rather than compete.” Manning said he suggested to Patterson that the World Cricket Series be put on the agenda of the November meeting of Caricom States. “It is very big and the expenditure is large,” he reiterated. He said the Government had asked the company, World Series Cricket, to come to Trinidad and Tobago and make a presentation to Cabinet so that it can have a proper perspective on the issue. Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Christine Sahadeo announced Govern-ment had mandated State enterprises “with immediate effect” to publish a summary of their audited financial statements in at least one of the daily newspapers within four months of the end of the financial year. They must also publish a summary of their half-yearly unaudited financial statement in the middle of the year, Sahadeo added. This is aimed at improved governance in this sector, she said. Currently, State enterprises can have their audits done by any chartered accountant.

The local Manufacturers Association (TTMA) yesterday voiced outrage over what it desrcibed as the imposition of “arbitrary charges” by “agents of the Shipping Association” on all shipments, whether imported, or for export. THE TTMA, in a statement, said one of its members estimates that there are 17 agents of the Shipping Association who stand to share some $47 million in additional revenue from the local administrative charges fixed by local agents. “This will result in substantial increases in the cost of basic commodities to consumers,” said the statement. These charges are applied to both exports and imports, and will result in significant price increases to consumers, the TTMA said. “They drive up the cost of raw materials and have a severely negative effect on the competitiveness of all regionally produced products,” the TTMA statement said.

It added, “In the economy of Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean, such increases will ricochet adversely through the system, increasing prices with the worst effects on those least able to support rising costs for basic commodities. Within the last six months, the TTMA said that the Local Administrative Charge (LAC) was implemented: $126 TT +VAT per import container and $157 TT +VAT per export Bill of Lading Terminal Handling Charge (THC) or Destination Handling Charges are charged by individual lines and range anywhere from $350 TT to $945 per shipment for imports, said the TTMA. General Rate Increase (GRI)), the TTMS said, was also announced in September, 2003, by the Caribbean Shipowners’ Association (CSA), noting that this applies to all inter-Caribbean shipments to and from Trinidad, as well as all northbound and southbound traffic with North America. The TTMA argued that the imposition of this charge amounts to “anti-competitive conduct” and offends the spirit and intent of the Chaguaramas Treaty. The unilateral fixing of prices, said the statement, “can have the  effect of monopolising the market.”

Several airline flights were delayed and passengers had a three-hour wait yesterday after the Airports Authority of TT (AATT) closed the runway at Piarco International Airport. In a media release, AATT said at 1.30 pm after the take off of a regular flight, “foreign object debris” was observed on the runway. The entire area was immediately closed and the Authority’s duty manager and engineers carried out an inspection, following which contractors of Jusamco Pavers Limited were called in to assess the damage and do repairs. “As a result of this inspection, the affected portion of the runway was taken out of service, thereby reducing the effective length of the runway by 150 metres,” AATT said.

The remaining portion was subsequently re-opened at 4.30 pm to both incoming and outgoing traffic. AATT assured that the available runway will permit safe movement of aircraft including the Airbus (the largest commercial aircraft using the facility). It said the overall impact of the closure was a delay of approximately three hours. AATT said all efforts were made to keep passengers informed and as comfortable as possible during the period. Contacted for comment yesterday, an official at BWIA said a number of flights were delayed but “things were getting back to normal.”

STATE ATTORNEY Dr Lloyd Barnett yesterday said that the claims made by Club Pigeon Point that they were denied due process, were “factually incorrect.” Dr Barnett made this remark while presenting submissions before High Court Judge Mira Dean-Amorer in the Port-of-Spain Third Civil Court, in response to Club Pigeon Point’s attorney Dr Fenton Ramsahoye. Dr Ramsahoye, Rikki Harnanan and Adrian Byrne are representing Robinson Crusoe Limited, operators of Club Pigeon Point and subsidiary of ANSA McAl, while Dr Barnett, Karen Fournillier, Terrance Thorne and John Jeremie, instructed by Rohana Hosein are representing the State. In his submission, Dr Barnett explained that Club Pigeon Point has had considerable opportunity to be heard on the issue, prior to the public notice for compulsory acquisition of the beach front property.

He pointed out that protracted negotiations had taken place between the Tobago House of Assembly and Club Pigeon Point. These negotiations, he explained, went on for two years under the present administration and prior to that, were held with the previous THA administration. He also noted that there were no constitutional rights to a perpetual negotiation, and explained that even at this stage, Club Pigeon Point could continue to make submissions to the Government. “There is nothing to prevent them from continuing to make submissions to the Prime Minister, the Parliament or any other authority who possess constitutional responsibility on the subject,” explained Dr Barnett. On the issue of the complaints made by Club Pigeon Point and the allegations of irrationality, breach of natural justice and excess of jurisdiction, Dr Barnett said that these were all “premature and speculative.”

He noted that “it is clear that the respect of any such complaints by Club Pigeon Point has a common law remedy by way of judicial review, if they can establish any such grounds.” Dr Barnett told the court that the complaints being made concerning the “threat” of losing the land through compulsory acquisition by the State, has no basis on any branch of public law. He explained that the State has the rights to acquire land, vessel etc for public purpose once the applicant is adequately compensated. Asked by Justice Dean-Amorer about the reasons under which land can be acquired, Dr Barnett explained that lands must be acquired by the State for public purpose. He said that where it was realized that there is no genuine public purpose or there is no purpose authorized by a specific land acquisition statute, then it cannot be enshrined.

He further explained that the court did not make the policy decision as to the justification of public purpose. Justice Dean-Amorer pointed out that the constitution provided grounds for “it to be alleged that a rights is being contravened,” and enquired whether Dr Barnett had a remedy for judicial review with regards to the “threat” of land acquisition. In response Dr Barnett pointed out that Club Pigeon Point has already claimed to have suffered a breach of natural justice and has stated that the decision to acquire the beach front land was irrational. In definition Dr Barnett remarked, “there is already a breach of natural justice.” Dr Barnett also pointed out that the complaints being made by Club Pigeon Point was against the THA’s decision to recommend to Cabinet that steps for the acquisition of the land should be undertaken. The matter continues today in the Port-of-Spain Third Civil Court.