THE BODY of a man was found in the centre of the Queen’s Park Savannah early yesterday morning in what senior police officers believe was a well-executed assassination.
Police sources said the man had about 16 stab wounds about the body, his hands were tied with a piece of white cloth in front of his chest, his throat was slit and his mouth was gagged with a similar piece of cloth, believed to be cotton. Most of the stab wounds were on the man’s torso in the region of his kidneys. There were also wounds on his chest, hands and legs. He had not been identified up to late evening and officers of the St Clair Criminal Investigations Department (CID) are appealing to members of the public who may have missing relatives to go to the Forensic Science Centre to identify the man, who is of African descent.
One senior officer remarked that the man, believed to be between 25 and 32, appeared to have been tortured. They said after stabbing the man, the assailant(s) slit his throat to make sure he was dead and that his mouth had been tied so tight that he could not scream for help. According to reports, around 6.50 am Belmont resident Mariano Hospedales was walking through the Queen’s Park Savannah, about 550 feet north of a private cemetery owned by the Peschier family, when he stumbled upon the man’s body, which was clad only in blue and white plaid short pants and underwear. The hair of the dark-skinned man was cut very low and he is about 5ft 9ins tall.
Hospedales, who was at the time going to karate exercise, then made a report to the St Clair CID after which a party of officers headed by acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime/Operation), Glen Roach, and including Sr Supt Maurice Piggott, Insp Gopersad, Sgt Seepersad, Cpls Brian Mercer and Lawrence, acting Cpl Veronique and PCs Bacchus, Hood, Herbert and James visited the scene. No weapon was found at the scene, but there was blood around the grassy area and District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr David Ibeleme told police that the man was killed where he was found. Dr Ibeleme also estimated time of death to be around 4 am.
A SHOOTING spree in South Trinidad in which five people were shot early yesterday morning, has left one man dead and two others critically injured. One of the shooting incidents took place close to where a party was in progress at the Mon Repos Basketball Court in San Fernando, which left a disc jockey with a bullet wound in the knee, presumably caused by a stray bullet.
The man killed was identified as Kenneth Brown, 43, of Carlton Lane, San Fernando. He was shot in the chest while walking towards his home around 1 am. Unable to speculate the motive for the series of shootings, all of which occurred in the city, police said the incidents have left them baffled. Police reports stated that around midnight, a white B13 Sentra drove into Embacadere on Independence Avenue where the housing units are located and fired several shots at persons who were gambling under a tree. Shortly afterwards around 12:30 pm, the four men in the car journeyed to Carlton Lane where they shot another man on the road. He was hit in the knee but police said the man sought medical treatment at the San Fernando General Hospital then discharged himself. He refused to report the incident to the police. But a short distance away where the unidentified man was shot on Carlton Lane, the police report stated, Brown was walking along the pavement towards his home. Police are working on the theory that the men in the same white Sentra pulled up alongside him and shot him at point blank range in the chest. Brown collapsed on the road and died.
The shooting continued at Mon Repos close to the basketball court. There, Judah International Sounds of Marabella, were celebrating their fifth anniversary with a “fete” at the court. There were close to 300 people on the court which was barricaded with board and tarpaulins. Police said that preliminary investigations have led them to believe that the men stormed the party in search of someone. They then left but according to the report, shots rang out metres from along one of the three streets leading to the court. A man who was identified as Jassa Clarke, 21, of Roy Joseph Street, San Fernando, was shot in the chest. His condition at hospital yesterday was described as critical. Police said that arising from that same shooting incident, another man who was only identified as “Sunshine” was also shot. He was treated and discharged from hospital. But police investigators said yesterday that apparently, one of the bullets strayed and struck Roy Abraham, 23, who at the time was among persons operating the sound system inside the court. Abraham, of Rodney Street, Port-of-Spain, received a bullet wound in the right foot. No other person in the party which at the time of the incident was in full swing, was hurt.
Jason Braithwaite, one of Judah International Sounds’ managers, told Newsday what he witnessed. “We were at the side of the stage when I saw one of the men fall to the ground. Then, I see blood all over.” Police said that they were convinced that Abraham was struck by a stray bullet which originated from the shooting of Clarke and “Sunshine” in close proximity to the court. Police immediately stopped the party. “Well, police said they could not allow the party to continue so as to endanger people’s lives,” Braithwaite said. Police said that Brown who was killed on Carlton Lane, did not attend the party. Andy Brown, 47, said Brown who was his cousin, lived with him and worked as a loader at the port in Pt Lisas. “I cannot make head or tail of this. This set ah shooting thing had nothing to do with Brown,” Andy said. Detectives from the San Fernando Police Station are continuing investigations.
PRESIDENT George Maxwell Richards will open the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament today at 10 am at the seat of democracy, the Red House, Port-of-Spain.
It is the first ceremonial opening that President Richards will be addressing. The highlight of the event is expected to be his statement to the Parliament in which he will enunciate Government’s policy. Senate president, Linda Baboolal, who at last year’s opening, gave the “throne” speech, because then President Arthur N R Robinson was ill, will be missing this ceremonial opening. Baboolal, along with Independent Senator Ramesh Deosaran, left last weekend for Canada on a week-long attachment to the Canadian Parliament where they will be studying the operations of that Parliamentary system. Today’s ceremony will begin when the Clerks of the House of Representatives and the Senate simultaneously read the Presidential Proclamation. The Speaker of the House, Barry Sinanan will announce that the President desires to address Parliament. The Speaker will then suspend the sitting to meet and escort His Excellency to the Parliament Chamber. At this stage the sitting of both Houses will be suspended and Senators will enter the Parliament Chamber.
The President, meanwhile, will inspect the Guard of Honour during a military parade on the grounds facing Woodfood Square. The President accompanied by the Speaker of the House and the Vice-President of the Senate (Rawle Titus) will enter the Chamber and proceed to the Dais. During the procession to the Chamber a fanfare will be sounded and the National Anthem played. In the Chamber there will be the judges, who will have formed a procession from the Hall of Justice; diplomatics, MPs and their wives and other specially invited guests — all of whom will be waiting to hear the President’s address. Members of the Christian, Hindu, Muslim and Orisha faiths will say prayers before the President is invited to address the Parliament. The President will then leave the Chamber accompanied by the Speaker of the House and the Vice-President of the Senate. Members of the Senate will leave the Chamber after this.
Unit Trust Corporation Chairman (UTC) Hubert Alleyne wants First Citizens Bank (FCB) Chairman Ken Gordon to say where the money for FCB’s expansion is going to come from, if not the UTC. “If FCB is not going to use unit holders’ money to achieve growth, then where is the capital going to come from?” he asked in an interview yesterday.
Alleyne’s comment was in direct response to Gordon’s statement that the proposed merger between the UTC and the FCB would bring “accelerated growth” to both parties. On Gordon’s suggestion that UTC and FCB come together under a holding company, Alleyne questioned where the capital was going to come from, “since Gordon said he was not going to interfere with unit holders’ funds.” Gordon, in his statement on Friday, assured that in the event the FCB/UTC merger proposal was accepted, it “will not involve any interference with funds of unit holders.” But Alleyne said that in forming a holding company, things needed to be carefully worked out. He said he could not see a holding company “without interfering with unit holders’ money since all of the UTC funds belong to the unit holders.”
In his statement, Gordon admitted that he was the one who had suggested the idea of the merger to the prime minister. In an outline proposal, Gordon said the document indicated significant benefits could flow to both the UTC and FCB. It is important to realise, Gordon said, “that it is the ongoing obligation of every financial institution to constantly seek opportunities for growth.” Alleyne, however, is of the view that FCB appeared to be planning a hostile takeover of the UTC. “From what I have heard, and if I were writing a business case study, it would appear that one party was planning to effect a hostile takeover of the UTC and the funds of its over 400, 000 unit holders by stealth,” he said. Alleyne, in breaking his silence on the issue, said that in order to facilitate this takeover, it appeared that FCB was attempting to enlist the legislative powers of the government, “since FCB did not have the investment capital to effect the bid in the usual way.”
On the proposed FCB/UTC merger, Alleyne said he was not going to comment until he had more information. “My own view is that until I have more information, I really cannot comment.” He stressed though that under the UTC Act, the UTC is not allowed to invest in or buy more than ten percent of any company or corporation. “It is not wise to put all your eggs in one basket,” is all he would say. Under Part 3 of the UTC 1981 Act, paragraph 13, sub section 3, it states that: “In investing in securities, the Board shall not invest more than ten percent of the fund of any one unit scheme in the purchase of securities in any one company or other corporation, nor shall the investments of all unit schemes established by the Board include at any time more than ten percent of the securities issued by any company or other corporation.” Alleyne noted that while legislation can change the UTC’s ten percent bar, “people are going to ask, ‘Why is it that you are treating FCB differently than any other organisation.’”
Meanwhile, financial sources point out that it was FCB CEO Larry Howai who originally presented a paper to Gordon and who broached the idea that UTC buy some shares in FCB. “It was not an official document,” financial sources said. It was this document, however, that Gordon took and presented to the prime minister, sources said. Neither Gordon nor Howai could be reached for comment.
CHEQUES have been processed for payment to private schools which were owed money for August and September, the Education Ministry said in a media release.
The Ministry placed 7,171 students at 42 private schools at the start of the 2002-2003 academic year. Of this total 7,077 were from Secondary Entrance Assessment/14 Plus category. The other 94 students were placed at sixth form classes. This project is costing $30,564,120. The Ministry assured the public that a system is in place for the payment of fees to private secondary schools. This follows adverse reports in the media highlighting schools which are owed money, and the decision by TT Association of Private Secondary Schools (TTAPSS) not to allow students sent by the Ministry to continue their education at private schools.
In a letter dated September 19, Rev Errol Joseph, President of the TTAPSS informed the Ministry that 14 secondary schools had not been paid for August. The Education Ministry said under the current arrangement, private secondary schools which have accepted SEA and 14 Plus students are paid on a monthly basis. It said the complaints about non-payment were for August payments only.
JUSTICE PETER Jamadar has instructed the State to have a psychiatrist medically examine a convicted killer who is in prison at the mercy of a “President’s Pleasure” sentence, in order to determine his fitness for release from jail.
Jamadar made the order in the San Fernando High Court on Friday in the constitutional motion attorneys have filed on behalf of John Lewis, 54. Lewis has been in prison for the past 28 years after he was found guilty but insane, for chopping a man to death. aAttorneys Mark Seepersad, instructed by Gerald Ramdeen, are contending that three recommendations have been made by prison authorities for Lewis to be release, yet he remains incarcerated. A “President’s Pleasure” sentence does not constitute an indefinite period of incarceration, the motion stated. Rather, a guilty but insane “President Pleasure” sentence is for a period until the prisoner is found, based on a medical examination, no longer to be insane.
At Friday’s hearing in the First Civil Court, the prison reports and recommendations were produced by State Attorney Sanjeev Lalla. In three reports between March 2002 and August this year, the prison welfare officer recommended to the Prison’s Commissioner that Lewis be granted a “Presidential Pardon”. The report stated in part, “He should be granted a ‘Presidential Pardon,’ $2,000, clothing, shoes and his earnings as provided for by the prison rules to tidy him over his period of adjustment.” Justice Jamadar ordered that a psychiatrist report be forwarded to the court upon examination of Lewis by a psychiatrist to be agreed to by the State and the prisoner’s attorneys.
The family of kidnap victim, Shakti Pooran, has been given until today, to raise the ransom money needed to secure his release.
Shakti, 19, the son of Gopaul Pooran, proprietor of Pooran’s Glass Suppliers of San Fernando, went missing on Thursday and his kidnappers have since demanded $200,000 for his return. Contacted yesterday, Pooran’s aunt, Jassodra, said that the kidnappers had again contacted the family late on Saturday evening and delivered the ultimatum to father, Gopaul Pooran. She said that the kidnappers refused to lower their demands or allow the family to speak to the young man. “They did not want to compromise on how much money they were asking for or even to allow the father talk to Shakti,” she said.
A POLICE officer attached to the Besson Street Police Station has been arrested and charged for a series of offences arising out of an incident Saturday night at the Piarco International Airport, police sources said.
It has been reported that the officer, who has approximately ten years service had parked his vehicle in a restricted area at the airport to meet his wife. Police sources told Newsday that security officials at the airport ordered him to remove his vehicle, but he refused, saying he was not moving. The officer was also asked to produce his driver’s permit and name, but he also refused, saying he was the police. Airport security officials proceeded to arrest the cop but he used obscene language. Officers of the Piarco Police Station were called in and it is also alleged that the policeman assaulted an officer in order to prevent lawful detention. The officer was later taken to the Piarco Police Station where Sgt Price charged him with several offences including failure to present a driver’s permit on demand, obscene language and assault with intent to prevent detention.
The officer later appeared before a Justice of the Peace and was granted bail. He is expected to appear before an Arima magistrate today to answer the charges. In confirming the report, acting Commissioner of Police Trevor Paul told Newsday yesterday that the alleged behaviour of the officer is not “police behaviour” but some other kind of behaviour. “Any man behaving that way will be treated in accordance with the law and the courts will determine if he is a hooligan or otherwise,” Paul said. He also said that the suspension process has not yet been completed.
AN ALLEGED bandit was up to late evening warded in “stable but critical” condition at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital after he jumped off a roof at the St Augustine Poultry Depot, police sources said.
Before he landed on the ground, police said the alleged bandit got caught between some telephone wires. He was then rushed to the medical institution via an Emergency Health Services ambulance. He is reported to be suffering from back and neck injuries. It was around 12.30 am yesterday that a man was seen cutting the roof of the Poultry Depot, situated on the Eastern Main Road, St Augustine. The Depot is next to Native’s Night Club. Police said people in the area heard the noise and on checking spotted the alleged bandit. They shouted at him to get off the roof. He ran, then jumped. A report was made and a party of officers from the St Joseph Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headed by Cpl Anthony Remy, and including PCs Dardaine and Bayne visited the scene and conducted investigations. Police speculated that the man may have been trying to get his hands on some meat. If he survives the incident, police said the alleged bandit will be charged with attempted break-in with attempt to steal. PC Dardaine is investigating.
The semi-final round of the Miss La Reine Rive Talent Competition began last Saturday afternoon with 52 queens vying for a chance to appear in the finals.
Patrons filled the Queen’s Hall Auditorium for the show. Even the lobby of the auditorium was congested as some waited to view the queens.
Meanwhile, talent reigned supreme on the inside as the young queens entertained the audience. Screams, whistles and non-stop applause and laughter was the order of the day as supporters backed their favourites. With song, monologue, dance and on many occasions a combination of all three, the queens tried their best to do their various communities proud. Some of the more outstanding performances came from Candy Douglas (Miss Five Rivers Community Council Cultural Karavan), Rae Ann Barras (Miss Maloney Rising School for the Arts), Petellia Allyene (Miss Pembroke), Melissa Bernard (Miss Vessigny Village Council) and Karissa Charles (Miss Indian Walk Village Council).
Here are some highlights:
