Discrepancies in an audit report on exactly how much cocaine was discovered washed up along the eastern coasts and Moruga for the past two weeks, has resulted in the report being shelved temporarily. Sources revealed yesterday that although one audited report revealed a certain weight and street value of the cocaine found, some senior officers feel that it does not reflect the true amount of cocaine handed over to the police. The officers added that certain guidelines were supposed to be followed during an audit of the drugs handed over or found by the police. In one instance, two officers attached to the office of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad claimed that they acted on a tip-off and went to Mayaro two weeks ago where they found 15 kilos of cocaine.

The cocaine was handed over to the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit. Members of the public who found cocaine also handed over the drugs to the police. In other instances, the drugs were found washed up on the eastern coast and Moruga. Ag Police Commissioner Trevor Paul said yesterday that he has not yet received the report on the amount of cocaine washed up along eastern coasts and Moruga during the past two weeks. The Ag Commissioner told Sunday Newsday that the report should have been handed in on Friday but it was not. He admitted that a problem existed which resulted in the report not being handed in, but Paul said he could not divulge what the problem was. However, officers of the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit said yesterday that the report will be handed in on Tuesday. On Friday, heavily armed police officers moved packages of the cocaine to their Richmond Street office. The cocaine which was found in Manzanilla, Toco, Mayaro, Moruga and Guyaguayare has an estimated street value of $71 million. The Spanish markings on the crocus bags which contained the cocaine were photographed and sent to the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Guardia Nacional. The drugs are believed to have originated in Venezuela.

Police investigations are now being conducted into an incident where a man collapsed in a police vehicle and later died. According to police reports, Sean McLeod, 23, was arrested around 9 pm Friday on Coffee Street by police officers of the San Fernando CID who were patrolling the area at the time. McLeod, of St John’s Village, South Oropouche, was said to be using obscene language. Reports stated that the police officers attempted  to  put the man into the police vehicle but he resisted and started behaving violently.

When he was eventually placed into the vehicle and being transported to the police station reports stated he continued to behave in a violent manner. According to reports as the vehicle approached Library Corner, San Fernando McLeod collapsed in the police car. He was immediately taken to the Accident and Emergency Department of the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) but was pronounced dead on arrival. Senior police officers  who  viewed the body at the mortuary claimed that no marks of violence were  found on the body of the deceased.

Tony Poyer and Courtnay Rooks of Paria Springs Eco Community copped gold for their outstanding talent and display of Trinidad and Tobago’s natural re-sources at the British Bird Fair 2003, held recently. The two members of a local contingent were sent courtesy the Tourism and Industrial Development Com-pany of Trinidad and Tobago (TIDCO). Out of indigenous foliage such as anthuriums, ginger lilies, ferns and heliconias, Poyer was able to create a colourful and unique floral arrangement. Rooks delivered the speech: “Why is Birding in Trinidad and Tobago so exceptional?” The basis of his well-researched argument rested on Trinidad’s natural history and other crucial contributory factors.

“This was an occasion for Trinidad and Tobago to hone in to one particular aspect of tourism — ecotourism — and reveal the strength of not only our natural resources but also the sheer talent of our people who are consistently able to creatively harness these resources,” said Neemah Persad-Celestine, Vice Presi-dent of Tourism at TIDCO. Poyer and Rooks’ achievement is a result of the partnership forged between TIDCO and the private sector. TIDCO extends its congratulations to the winners and its sincerest thanks for helping in the promotion of TT.

A 45-year-old man of Caratal Road in Gasparillo is to apppear in court tomorrow on  nine charges of having sex with a 14-year-old-girl who is now four months pregnant. The acts of sexual intercourse with the minor is  believed to have taken place between  February 1 and August 30. According to reports the teenager  while in school last Tuesday  complained of feeling  unwell. She was then taken to the Williamsville Health Centre for medical attention  where results revealed that she was four months pregnant. The accused was said to be sharing the same house with the teenager and her mother. Reports stated that the mother and daughter said they were in fear of the man. The man was arrested on Friday by PC Keith Ifill of the Gasparillo Police Station.

KEVIN SINGH was browsing the internet on Friday when he saw that he had placed first in the world in Advanced Level Accoun-ting and third in Mathematics. On Friday night Singh’s principal, Maureen Attwal of Naparima Collge, broke the news to her top student in Canada via a voice message on his telefax answering machine, that he had won the President’s Medal in Science and Mathematics. Singh was one of two students who won the President’s Medal. The other is Summer Alston Smith of St Joseph Convent, Port-of-Spain (Business/Modern Studies).

Singh, of Mendes Village, Siparia, is studying Actuarial Science in Canada. His parents, Tom and Romatee Singh, are currently holidaying in Canada with their son. Sunday Newsday was unsuccessful in reaching Singh at the Wall Par Hotel, Toronto, where the family is staying. Attwal described Singh as a mixture of brilliance and humility. His grades were always in the 90’s, she added. Singh gained four A’s at Advanced Level in Accounts, Add Maths, further Maths and General Paper. Singh is a devoted Hindu and is actively involved in a religious group at Mendes Village. His father, Tom, is an accountant at a commercial bank while his mother is a school teacher. A remarkable characteristic of Singh, principal Attwal emphasised, is his “unassuming nature.” Always a boy, she added, willing to help other students with their work. “We knew he was intelligent and was heading there, but he was always helpful and never above anyone,” Attwal said. She attributed credit to Singh’s maths teacher, Fyad Ali (Head of the Department), Hansragee Jaikissoon, Rodney Pardasie and Ramzan Ali. Naparima College copped 15 scholarships, including the President’s Medal. “I think the learning climate we created here at Naparima College and the dedication of the teachers who give of their extra time, have indeed paid off,” Attwal said.

An ambulance driver and an EHS employee suffered serious head injuries and were rendered unconscious when their ambulance overturned on the Churchill Roose-velt Highway in the vicinity of the Valpark Shopping Plaza yesterday. Reports revealed that around midday, the two EHS officers were responding to a distress call from a member of the public. The driver was proceeding east along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway when the driver of a car suddenly pulled up in front of the ambulance.

The driver of the ambulance pulled to the left of the highway in a bid to avoid colliding with the car. Reports revealed that the ambulance skidded and then overturned causing both occupants to suffer head injuries. They were rushed to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex where they underwent emergency surgery. ACP Winston Cooper and Snr Supt Farouk Ghany as well as Cpl Ignacio went to the scene and carried out inquiries. The incident caused a massive traffic pile up. Police officers went to the scene and attempted to restore the free flow of traffic. The overturned ambulance remained on the busy highway for more than 45 minutes before it was removed by a wrecker. Cpl Ignacio is investigating.

A high speed chase on Friday afternoon resulted in the arrest of three persons ages 28, 30 and 34, and the seizure of 15 kilos of marijuana with a street value of $100,000. Reports revealed that around midday on Friday, officers of Central Division were on patrol when they saw the occupants of a car acting in a suspicious manner. Officers, led by Ag Sgt Ajith Persad and including PCs Alexander, Toolaram, Basraj, Ramsook and others, ordered the driver of the car to bring the vehicle to a stop, but the driver continued driving at a high speed, resulting in a chase from Chaguanas to Port-of-Spain which lasted about 20 minutes.

Officers of the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit, Northern Division and E-999 officers also responded to the report and a high speed chase from the Uriah Buttler Highway to the Old Traffic Branch with blaring sirens continued until the car was intercepted. The three occupants were arrested and the compressed marijuana seized. The three will appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate tomorrow. Also on Friday, officers of the Sangre Grande Police Station intercepted a car with three occupants and seized a .38 revolver and six rounds of ammunition. Three occupants of the car will appear before a Sangre Grande magistrate tomorrow.

Former President of the American Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Catherine Kumar, has taken up a leading role as the Central Bank’s Inspector of Banks, replacing Henry Jeffers, who had been in the position for the past 18 years. Kumar told Sunday Newsday, once Government passes legislation for a proposed decision to incorporate all banks and insurance companies under one section, her title will be changed to “Inspector of Financial Institutions” — and she is ready to take on the challenge. Kumar, a dynamic business executive, resides in Westmoorings with her nine-year-old daughter, Cian, a student of the Bishop Anstey Junior School and her husband, Pat Huggins.

She revealed that her husband was quite “excited, happy and supportive” over her new position and boasted about the support she’s received from him over the years. Giving a background of her career and the other positions she held before accepting the new position, she said she was AMCHAM’s President between 2000 and 2003, an Audit Manager at Ernst & Young; Chief Operations Officer at Algico for 17 years; a Board member of both WASA and Petrotrin for five years each and she also served on the Board of CitiBank. Asked if accountancy was what she always wanted to do as a career, she said: “No, it was medicine.” She said, unfortunately, Physics was not available as a subject back then while a student of St Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain.

Straight out of High School, she got a job at Republic Bank at the age of 18, spent one year at the institution and entered the University of the West Indies, St Augustine. There she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Management and graduated with upper, second-class honours and later acquired her ACCA credentials in accountancy. It was just upward mobility from there on for Kumar. When she was AMCHAM’s President, it was the first time she held such a position and she was the only female executive on the Board of Directors. “The first time I was a woman President, I was initially intimidated, but now, it does not move me,” she said. She said she worked towards achieving respect and being accepted in the male-dominated field. Now, she no longer sees work specifically limited or defined as man or woman’s job. “As a matter of fact, I see my new position as just another professional going to do the job to the best of my ability,”Kumar said.

She praised Jeffers for his outstanding contributions in the banking sector. But as the new Inspector of Banks, Kumar has several objectives she hopes to fulfill, including, taking over from Jeffers in the area of “integrated supervision.” “I hope to keep all the banks in line with best practices and keep them well-regulated, as well as work together with Government in keeping with their 2020 vision for TT to be the leading, financial hub in this part of the hemisphere,” she said. Jeffers, who is out of the country on vacation, left the CB on August 29. According to the Central Bank, Jeffers had been with the financial institution for the past 38 years, having joined the Bank almost from its inception in 1965. During his tenure, he is reported to have overseen the introduction and management of the Exchange Control system during the difficult years when tight control of the country’s foreign reserves was necessary. He assumed the role of Inspector of Banks in 1985 and was instrumental in the forging of the Financial Institutions Act in 1993. The Central Bank also said, Jeffers was responsible for the introduction of the Prudential Criteria and other operating guidelines for financial institutions in TT. He was said to have played a major role in the restructuring and merger of the three commercial banks into the now established FCB Bank Group.

A senior Health Ministry official said the Ministry expected some Trinidad doctors to “give thunder” to the Cubans recruited to work in the health sector. He was responding to a question on whether he received any complaints of bad treatment from the Cuban doctors and nurses working at the Chaguanas Health Centre. Although the Ministry has not received any adverse reports, the official in a telephone interview last week said he expected some resistance from local doctors in “certain places” but added “that is a minority.” He assured that once the Cubans are on the job they are workers like anyone else.

“We don’t shield Trinidad workers,” he said. However, while working here they are not to become involved in trade union activities or the political affairs of TT. This was one of the terms in the agreement with the Cuban government. Questioned about local doctors showing opposition to the Cubans because of the Medical Professionals Association’s stance on their recruitment, MPATT vice president Dr Lakhan Roop said: “We are not questioning the doctors themselves but the process under which they are being allowed to practise in TT. The Medical Board was bypassed and the Panel to deal with shortages was used.” Roop said MPATT never advised its members to take an “adversarial approach” to the Cuban doctors. He stressed that junior doctors should not be expected to supervise Cuban doctors who are on the same level, and in some cases older than them. He said it is the responsibility of the senior doctor to supervise. Roop said MPATT is making a fuss about the Cubans because it is trying to ensure proper standards of health care is maintained.

Indian business people exhibiting at the Divali Nagar are not here to make a quick rupee by undercutting local retailers but rather, see their long-term success as relying on partnerships with Trinidadian importers. This assurance came from visiting Indian manufacturer Archana Bhatnagar of Jabalpur, addressing a reception for the trade mission held on Thursday at the residence of Indian High Commissioner, Virendra Gupta. She said: “Our aim isn’t to come here for ten days days and gain  immediate profits. We want a long-term sustainable relationship and that will only be possible if the business community here are our partners.

There are no immediate profits. We are not here to cut them but to do business with them.” She said locals now had the opportunity to interact in one day in Trinidad with more Indian business people than if they had visited India. “We want a prolonged, sustainable relationship, and they should make the most of it.”  Mrs Bhatnagar explained what advantages India-based businessmen could offer in sourcing items compared to Trinidad-based imp-orters, some whose shops she had inspected. She said: “We are here to showcase products with a difference. We who live in India can get into the nitty gritty. We are trying to get products straight from the weavers and producers which will be available to you from your local partners.”

Head of the trade delegation, Ajay Singh, reiterated Mrs Bhatnagar’s point saying: “We are not bringing hundreds of containers but just samples.We want to help not hurt our brothers (in Trinidad) who are in business. They can get better prices. Most are buying from the United States which is more costly than buying from the manufacturers (in India). Wholesalers and retailers (in Trinidad) are now going to have the connection with India.” Saying the visitors were bringing items like saris, which were exclusive in both craftsmanship and price, he said the goods to be displayed would be a small representation of what India had to offer. Singh explained why some delegates had been delayed in arriving. Not betraying whether he was half-joking or deadly serious, Singh said that several traders were experiencing problems ob-taining in-transit visas for the UK because they happened to be bachelors.

His remarks caused several chuckles and good-natured comments from females present about the desirability of Indian bachelors. High Commissioner Gupta said that unlike previous trade missions which focused on larger-scale areas like pharmaceuticals, information technology and tourism, this group offers consumer goods, to which Trinidad, he said, needed to be more sensitised. “India has acquired a very good reputation as a producer of quality goods at competitive prices.” Gupta lamented that some businessmen had experienced travel delays in reaching Trinidad via the UK, and he noted: “I met a gentleman just this afternoon who wants to create direct air connections between India and Trinidad and Tobago. He would receive my full support.” He said some 40 to 50 business people were among the delegation visiting Trinidad for ten days, but that only half the delegates had so far arrived. The trade fair opens today at the Divali Nagar site, Chaguanas.