PATHOLOGIST Dr Neville Jankey yesterday testified that he “can definitely say that Akiel Chambers died by drowning.” Dr Jankey was testifying before a coroner’s inquest being held to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of 11-year-old Akiel Chambers, who died on May 23, 1998.

Chambers’ body was found on Sunday May 24, 1998 at the bottom of a swimming pool at a house at 23 Balata Terrace, Haleland Park, Maraval, where he had attended a birthday party the day before.  At the inquest yesterday, Jankey explained that he could not exclude the possibility that the child did not drown by accident or that he may have been submerged under the water by someone else, but he could say definitely that the cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning. Jankey explained that he examined Chambers’ body on May 25, 1998, and found that his knees were slightly bruised, the lungs were waterlogged and the body was cyanosed, which meant that the body was bluish in colour from a lack of oxygen. He said he also found that the anus was patulous and the anal canal was lax. He said based on the findings he concluded that the child was subjected to repeated anal intercourse. He explained that despite this finding he did not take any anal swab, since he did not believe that the anal intercourse was directly related to the cause of death. He also explained that his examination found that there were no abnormalities to the other organs in Chambers’ body, which could have led to death and no sign of decomposition, which meant that death could not have occurred more than 12 – 15 hours prior to the discovery of the body.

Jankey admitted that the findings of water logged lungs alone did not point to drowning, however his diagnosis was based on the fact that the lungs were waterlogged and no evidence of any natural disease or trauma was found in the vital organs. Asked by attorney Desmond Allum SC if he was aware that an anal swab was done, which revealed that there was spermatozoid present in the anal cavity, Dr Jankey said that he had read about those findings in a newspaper report. However, he was not aware that there was spermatozoid in the anal canal. He explained that it was impossible for a pathologist to find evidence of spermatozoid, until a microscopic examination was conducted. Dr Jankey also informed the inquest conducted by Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls, who is presiding as coroner at the inquest, that he was not told that the boy’s body was found in a crouching position in the pool. He said, had he been given that information he would have found that to be highly unusual, since a person who drowns is usually found stretched out. He also explained that a body could be found in a crouched position after drowning if that person was struggling to get to the surface. He said that the body remains in a crouched position and rigor mortis occurs instantaneously.

Court Prosecutor Sgt Kenneth Cordner asked Dr Jankey if it was possible for asphyxia to occur during anal sex. Dr Jankey explained that while it was possible for this to happen, the lungs would not be water logged and the neck would show marks around it. He said that strangulation during sexual intercourse could cause cyanosis, but not flooding of the lungs. He also explained that a person who has a heart attack may have flooding of the lungs, but with a heart failure, there is an abnormality of the heart. Another witness called to give evidence was PC Anton Mitchell, who testified that on May 23, 1998, he was attached to the Maraval Police Station. He said around 11.20 pm he received a wireless message to return to the police station where he spoke to PC Maraj in the presence of Valerie Pascall. After they left the station and went to a house at Maraval, owned by Anne James. He spoke to Anne and her daughter Carol James. He then requested permission to search the premises. He said that he observed that there was a swimming pool in the backyard. The pool was about 30 ft by 20 ft. He went to the pool area, which was lit by security lights and lights coming from the house. There he found a pool rod about 10 – 12 feet in length, with a circle mesh about 14 inches in diameter, which he used to search the inside of the pool to determine whether there was a body inside. He said he found nothing in the pool.

After the search he returned to the Maraval Police Station with Pascall. He said around 9 – 9.30 am the following day, he returned to the James’ premises in the company of PCs Alvarez, Frit and Joefield. He said that Alvarez spoke to James and then they went to the back of the house. There Alvarez alerted his attention to something in the pool. He said when he looked inside the pool, he saw a silhouette (Chambers)  located to the centre of the pool. He said Chambers appeared to be in a clenched position. The body, which was clad in a red and white swimming trunk type shorts, was placed on the side of the pool. He said there was froth coming from Chambers’ nostrils. The body was then removed to the Port-of-Spain Mortuary where a post mortem was later performed. He also testified that the body was viewed at the scene by DMO for the area, Dr Assing. Other witnesses to testify at the inquest included Cpl Husbands and police photographer WPC Derril. The matter was adjourned to Monday.

DESPITE being nearly electrocuted and then falling 35 feet from a building, father of three Sherwyn Joseph, 41, is thanking the Almighty for sparing his life.

Joseph, who through his pain spoke to Newsday yesterday from his bed at the San Fernando General Hospital, sustained serious burns about his body after a steel rod he was holding came in contact with high tension wires, causing him to fall some 35 feet off a building. His co-worker, Brian Baptiste, who was also holding the end of the steel rod narrowly escaped being electrocuted. Joseph, Baptiste and another man were installing a steel roof on a house at St Mary’s Village on Thursday, when the incident occurred. Wearing a neck brace and with his chest covered with scars and dead skin from the burns, Joseph was surrounded by relatives and friends who visited him yesterday at Ward 3 of the hospital.

Recalling the frightening ordeal yesterday, Joseph said around 5.30 pm he was on top of the house assisting in putting up the steel roof. Joseph said Baptiste was standing on the ground below and handing him a length of  Z-Purlin (a metal part of the roofing), which Baptiste passed through a window of the house to reach Joseph. “Like it (the rod carrying the Z-Purlin) pass bad and when I take it up, the rod off-balance and touch some TTEC wiring  that was close to the house. I get shock for about a minute and after I let go and fall down. I don’t know what happened after because I blacked out,” Joseph said.

THERE has been yet another kidnapping in the southland. One day after 19-year-old Shakti Pooran went missing, his relatives received a telephone call, with a male voice demanding $200,000 ransom for the teen’s safe release.

Pooran, is the son of Gopaul Pooran, proprietor of Pooran Glass Supplies, located at Southern Main Road, Marabella and Rushworth Street, San Fernando. The teenager lives with his ailing mother Indira Nanan, at Aripero Village, Esperanza. He went missing since Wednesday evening and a missing person’s report was made to the Oropouche Police Station. Relatives only became aware that Pooran had been abducted after the kidnappers called his father on Thursday evening. So far the kidnappers have made four telephone calls to the boy’s father, demanding the money. Pooran is the second person kidnapped within the month.

On September 15, Princes Town businesswoman Tricia Suryadevera, 26, was snatched from her businessplace — Trinkets Ltd — and a ransom was demanded for her safe release. Eight days later, she was released after an undisclosed sum of money was paid. Speaking from his San Fernando businessplace yesterday, the elder Pooran said he received the first call around 7.30 pm on Thursday. “They say they have the boy and they hang up. They called about ten minutes later and demanded $200,000, for his safe return.” He said the kidnappers called twice yesterday to find out whether he had raised the money. But , according to Pooran, he had only been able to raise $40,000. When he told his son’s kidnappers that was all the money he had, they said they would call later. Pooran said he has asked the kidnappers repeatedly to speak with his son, but they have refused. The father made an appeal to the abductors not to harm his son, and to release him.

Newsday understands that since last September the teenager had been staying by his girlfriend’s relatives at Esperance Village, and had returned only on Wednesday. He left home around 4 pm, telling his mother that he was going to visit his friends. When he did not return home, his mother assumed that he had gone by his girlfriend’s relatives home. However, when Nanan called the relatives they informed her that Pooran was not there. Nanan and other relatives mounted a futile search for him. The worried woman then made a report to the Oropouche police station. Almost two hours later

SIR David Simmons, Chief Justice of Barbados, has sued Senator Robin Montano for statements made by Montano and published in the Trinidad Guardian.

The statements were also made on television and radio. The Trinidad Guardian and its Editor, Dominic Kalipersad, have also been sued. The writ was filed by Phelps and Company, attorneys at law. Simmons is claiming damages including aggravated and exemplary damages for libel and slander for words spoken and published on or about August 23, 2003, and broadcast on a morning talk show programme on radio I95.5.

The writ, which was filed yesterday, also states that the libel and slander were broadcast on the evening news programme on CCN TV6 on August 23, 2003 and the words printed and published and contained in page 3 of the Trinidad Guardian dated August 26, 2003, and contained in page 8 of the issue of the Sunday Guardian, dated September 21, 2003. Simmons is also seeking an injunction to restrain Montano, whether by his servants or agents or otherwise, from further speaking or publishing or causing to be spoken or published the words complained of or any similar words defamatory of him.

Chairman of First Citizen’s Bank Ken Gordon is the one who came with the controversial idea to merge Unit Trust Corporation and FCB.

In a release to the media, in which he attempted to give a justification, Gordon admitted that he was the person who “wrote to the Minister of Finance (and Prime Minister)” on the issue, “attaching an outline proposal for the Government’s consideration and study.” Stating that his document indicated the “significant benefits” that could flow to both institutions, Gordon said the plan envisaged the two companies coming together under a common Holding company while maintaining their “separate identities and functions.” Obviously seeking to assuage the fears of the depositors of UTC, he assured that one of the terms of such a merger would be that “it cannot and will not involve any interference with the funds of Unit Holders.” But he inadvertently acknowledged that public reaction to the proposal has been almost entirely negative. In fact, when the prime minister casually floated the idea last Thursday, offering no justification, it caused a certain amount of consternation, anxiety and alarm, with people raising questions about the financial, political and legal merits of the scheme. But, in defending the recommendation, the former media boss, who has an expanionist philosophy, lamented that “so much misunderstanding has been generated by a proposal which has distinct possibilities for strengthening both the UTC and FCB with significant benefits to the respective stakeholders.”

When Prime Minister Patrick Manning first disclosed that government was studying such a proposal, he did not divulge that it came within one of the two institutions involved. In fact, all Manning said was that the proposal came “from a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.” It was only on Thursday, in commenting on the furore which the idea had generated, that the Prime Minister confessed that the suggestion came from within FCB. But even then, he declined to say who in FCB made the proposal. Gordon, who replaced Barry Sinanan as chairman of FCB in October last year,  emphasised that it was the “ongoing obligation” of every financial institution to “constantly seek opportunities for growth.” He added that this became even more important when the opportunity offered accelerated growth to both parties to the transaction. “While we await Government’s response, there are two points which must be clarified,” Gordon, who is also chairman of a crime committee, noted. The first point, he claimed, was that FCB had grown into a strong financial institution. “That has been confirmed by International Rating Agencies. In fact, First Citizens Bank enjoys the highest rating among local banks,” he asserted. Secondly, he pointed out that as in the case with all financial institutions which offer investment in mutual funds, the proposal, if accepted, “cannot and will not involve any interference with the funds of Unit Holders.” The flow of information on the proposal is still somewhat slow. Manning has stated that the public has only heard one side of the story. “We are examing both sides. It may well be that having examined that issue we see angles to it that have not found their way into the public domain,” he said. Gordon, who is “out of town,” could not be reached for comment.

WITH only two votes required for Trinidad and Tobago to become the headquarters of the Free Trade Areas of the Americas (FTAA) Secretariat,  next week will “make or break” this country’s FTAA aspirations.

This was the disclosure yesterday by Trade and Industry Minister Ken Valley at a news conference at Riverside Plaza to announce the staging of the 15th meeting of the Trade Negot-iations Committee (TNC) of the FTAA from September 30 to October 3 at the Hilton Trinidad. “Next week is extremely important for us. TT continues to be the frontrunner. This is going to be a make or break conference for us,” he declared. Valley said TT currently has 14 votes from Caricom plus two additional votes from Venezuela and Costa Rica supporting its bid for the FTAA Secretariat.

Trade Ministry officials explained that TT needs the support of 18 of the 34 FTAA nations to become the base for the Secretariat. The Minister recalled that the initiative to establish the FTAA Secretariat in TT was first started under the former UNC Government and said it “is a TT challenge.” Valley first launched TT’s bid for the FTAA Secretariat at the last meeting of the FTAA Ministers in Ecuador in October 2002.  TT’s main competitors are Miami (USA), Cancun (Mexico) and Panama City (Panama). Asked if former UNC ministers were assisting Government’s FTAA negotiations, Valley said the talks were being handled by public servants.

Noting concerns raised by trade unions and other NGOs about the FTAA, the Minister said this was the reason behind a special consultation at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Monday at 10 am, 24 hours ahead of the TNC conference. He revealed that the annual cost of running the FTAA Secretariat (if TT is successful) will be US$3.5 million and this will be divided up among all 34 FTAA member nations. Valley said the presence of FTAA Secretariat in TT has numerous benefits for the country in terms of job creation and foreign exchange inflows. He hinted that after the FTAA and the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) establishment “the  next logical step is political union because that is what is going to happen. It’s a natural progression,” Valley stated.

The Minister spoke about plans to modernise the Port-of-Spain waterfront to accommodate the FTAA Secretariat and for the city to become bi-lingual by January 2005. Valley disclosed that $1 million has been allocated in the 2003/2004 Budget to achieve the latter objective and the initiative could involve student exchanges between UWI and Latin American universities.