A TEN-YEAR-OLD boy who was walking to school was injured yesterday after an out-of-control van crashed into him when the driver “blacked out” at the steering wheel.
Before coming to a halt, police said, the vehicle crashed into a wire fence, a gate and into another car. The 43-year-old driver, his 22-year-old male passenger and ten-year-old Traven Cromwell were all taken to San Fernando General Hospital where they were treated and warded. According to police reports, around 7 am, the driver, of Boodoo Trace, Debe, was proceeding along Harris Village, South Oropouche, in his pick-up van accompanied by the 22-year-old Freeport man. At the time, Cromwell was walking on the side of the road en route to his school, Oropouche Government Primary. The van hit Cromwell after the driver lost control. Oropouche police are continuing investigations.
Parliament returns after a long recess with little to do — at least at its first sitting, which takes place tomorrow.
None of the things which Govern-ment promised to have ready at the resumption are ready: neither the bills required to make the Caribbean Court of Justice a legal reality nor the declaration forms for the Integrity in Public Life bill. The Report of the Airport Inquiry, which cost taxpayers over $5 million, will not be tabled on Friday. Furthermore, none of the pre-Budget papers would be laid although Parliament has to pass the Appropria-tion bill by September 30. Parliament would debate the relatively insignificant piece of legisation — the Supreme Court of Judicature Amendment Bill, which is designed to increase the number of judges. The debate on this Bill, once it stays on the issue at hand, is expected to be short. Asked to explain why after a six-week break there appeared to be no business on the Order Paper, Attorney General Glenda Morean assured there was “quite a bit” of legislation to come “but they were still going through the final stages.”
She added: “I can only do my part, which is to bring forward the legislation — and I have been bringing forward the legislation but it gets bogged down in (Legislative Review) Committee. I find sometimes too long.” The Legislative Review Committee, which is chaired by the Attorney General, comprises Cabinet members and the Chief Parliamentary Counsel. It screens all pieces of legislation before they go to Cabinet and then Parliament. The Attorney General conceded that at the end of the day, she has been “taking the blame” for the Committee’s tardiness. Morean stressed that several pieces of legisation were in the pipeline: the Firearms Bill, the CCJ Bills, Terrorism legislation, Amendment to Mutual Assistance, Extradition Amendment Bill, as well as the Insurance Bill and Amendment to the Industrial Relations Act. But all these Bills have to be “signed off” by the Legislation Review Committee and then the Cabinet.
On the Report of the Airport Commission of Inquiry, which was handed in last Saturday, Morean said there were several volumes of the Report and she hadn’t yet gone through all of them. It is understood that some of the considerations which the AG would have to make in examining the report is whether any of the statements are libellous and whether the release of the report could prejudice any future (court) action. Morean said yesterday, “So far, she had seen no problems in the Report.” Stressing that there was no minority report, she said the Report, which was signed by all the Commissioners, should be tabled in Parliament soon. Morean who had given an undertaking last month that the declaration forms required by the Integrity in Public Life Act would be ready for Parliament on its resumption, stated that the forms were being examined by the “new Integrity Commission.” “I don’t know that we have recieved them yet,” she said, adding quickly that she hadn’t checked for the last two days. “The last time I checked, which was last week, I was told that they had been sent for their (the Commissioners’) comment,” she said.
On the CCJ Bills, Morean said they were on yesterday’s agenda for the Legislative Review Committee meeting. The AG was also questioned on the Police Reform Bills, which are before a Joint Select Committee, which she chaired. That Committee was mandated to report back to the Parliament on July 31. At least one Opposition member raised concerns and noted that it appeared that the Government had taken a position that because the Opposition had reservations about the Bills, they (the Government) should not pursue the issue any further. The member said that the Chairman (the AG) had stopped calling meetings. It last met in May. But Morean said yesterday that the Opposition’s attendance was poor but the Committee had a quorum and proceeded to take certain decisions. Secretary of the Committee, Neil Jaggassar, said the reason why the committee had stopped meetings was because it had submitted all comments to the technical team which worked on the Bills. This team, which is chaired by Sir Ellis Clarke and includes Guya Persad, and Eric O’Dowd, were supposed to examine the comments and make a submission to the Committee.
THE funeral service and cremation of crash victim Aknath Basdeo were held yesterday without his wife knowing that he had died.
Basdeo’s wife, Rafeena, 18, who was also involved in the accident, is yet to regain consciousness — five days since the accident which occurred last Saturday afternoon along the Manzanilla stretch. Rafeena, Basdeo’s wife of four months, sustained head injuries and a punctured lung and continues to battle for life at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Basdeo, 22, and his aunt-in-law, Sally Kistow, 24, died in the three-car smash-up. While there were separate funeral services for Basdeo and Kistow at Tableland and Sangre Grande at their respective parents’ homes, a joint cremation service was held at the Mafeking Cremation site, Mayaro.
At Basdeo’s funeral service at his Branch Road, Tableland home, almost the entire village turned out to pay their final respects with many of them describing him as a “kind, hardworking and respectable” individual. Emotions ran high among Basdeo’s family members, especially from his mother Samdaye and youngest sister, Anjanie, with whom he shared a close relationship. His father, Deochan, and sisters, Ousha and Asha, flanked the coffin and touched his face often as they whispered their last goodbyes. Officiating at the funeral according to Hindu rites was Pundit Balirath, who sought to console the family that the deceased was “fortunate” since he had died on the day of the birth of Lord Ganesh (a Hindu God). “What has happened is the work of the Lord. It was not a mistake, but it was the time the Lord had allotted for him (Basdeo) to pass away from this life,” Pundit Balirath said.
HUNDREDS of housewives jammed the First Choice Leading Chicken Depot at Saddle Road, San Juan, yesterday to grab the low price offer of $2 per pound for chicken.
In the local market, the price being paid for chicken is $4 per pound.
Owner of the First Choice Leading Chicken Depot, Kayim Ali, said, “before we opened at noon today, hundreds of people were jostling outside for position to get their supply. “We have an unlimited quantity in stock and could supply people from all over the country for days to come,” he said. He could not underestand why “the chicken war is taking place” and said that his company was being supplied by Super-Mix Poultry Farm, owned by “an entrepreneur who had tremendous stock willing to feed the nation.” What he wants to destroy is “any concept of a chicken war in the land because of some fancy by a few chicken farms,” Ali said.
THE Poultry Association of Trinidad and Tobago (PATT) is asking Government not to remove the surcharge on imported chicken, saying it will impact significantly on the country’s economy and result in the loss of over 10,000 jobs.
As a result, the Association has written to Prime Minister Patrick Manning, seeking a meeting to discuss the matter 2nd “to avert what may become a national crisis which goes beyond the objective of an affordable price of chicken to consumers.” The letter dated August 29 was copied to the Minister of Agriculture, John Rahael and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Camille Robinson-Regis. Robinson-Regis last week said because of the increased price of chicken, which was unfair to the consumer, Government would look into removing the surcharge on imported chicken, to ensure more affordable chicken on the local market.
The Association’s interim President Ezack Ali, said the Association agreed with Government that chicken prices should be more affordable, and effective Monday Sep 1, poultry producers had started to reduce the wholesale price of live chickens to poultry depots. He said as a result it would not be in the “best interest of the country to punish all of the producers for the unfortunate actions of some.” Ali said over 600,000 heads of chicken are sold per week and only ten to 15 percent of those sales were at the “very high end of the scale, and therefore approximately 85-90 percent are now being sold at reasonable market prices.” He added that market trends for the next three months show that prices are to move lower by as much as ten percent. In the letter to Manning, Ali said the proposed removal of the 80 percent surcharge “will not only punish the producers who increased their prices, but will unfortunately affect those producers who have made good on their commitment to hold their prices.”
Ali said the removal of the surcharge will only apply to frozen chicken parts, which he said constituted “only about 20 percent of total sales of chicken products in the country.” Ali said the removal will have a direct negative impact on hundreds of independent pluck shops (depots), who only sell live chickens “and have no facilities to accommodate frozen chickens.” In addition, Ali said the move will result in “the total collapse of our local poultry industry, including the direct loss of over 10,000 jobs and capital investment base of over $1 billion.” Ali deemed Government’s proposition to remove the surcharge as “risky” and a movement “away from, rather than towards greater food security.” He said the surcharge which applied only to the chicken parts was implemented to ensure “the poultry industry was not put at additional risk, by the grave threat posed by the dumping of residual parts.” Ali said he trust that “reasonableness, fair play and good judgement will prevail.”
THE Church of God at Woodbrook, was yesterday packed as relatives, friends and colleagues of Uwaine Ray Anthony paid their last respects to a man who was described as jovial and a lover of Latin dancing.
Anthony, 35, a sailor who worked on the MF Panorama, was crushed to death last Friday at the Port in Scarborough, when a cable to the vehicle ramp in the cargo area snapped, pinning him to the floor. At the time the vessel was about to leave for Trinidad. The freak accident left many port workers and Anthony’s colleagues shocked, while some passengers cancelled their trip Anthony, Tobago-born, lived at Valsayn with his sister Nathalie, who delivered the eulogy at yesterday’s funeral service. Nathalie said her brother loved music and was especially passionate about Latin dancing, so much so that he became a member of the Amigos Baila Dores Dance Association where he danced to his heart’s content. She said Anthony was also always helpful to anyone needing his assistance and was an extremely jovial person who, although unmarried, would have made a wonderful husband and father. She underscored a point many mourners agreed with, “he will be sorely missed.” The management of the Port Authority cancelled regular sails of the Panorama to Tobago yesterday, to facilitate a request by Anthony’s colleagues that they be able to attend the funeral service.
Many sailors, dressed in their uniforms and other members of the Panorama crew were seen crying openly during the service, like his friend Curtis “Beenie Man” Lewis, who was also a pall bearer. Officials of the Port Authority also attended. Officiating at the service were Rev Carlton Cumberbatch and Rev Clifford Payne. An instrumental solo was delivered by Sean Mitchell. Anthony leaves to mourn his parents James and Dulcie Anthony, his brother Patrick and sisters Allyson and Nathalie, nieces and nephews Antonilia, Bria, Ayana, Ashan, Askeem and Dannell. His sister-in-law Gail and grand nephews Aziah and Tyshawn. Following the service he was cremated at Belgrove’s Crematorium in Trincity.
A 17-YEAR-OLD boy and his mother both broke down in tears yesterday after they walked into the Point Fortin police station and were told by police that the teenager would be charged with murder.
The youth, of Vessigny Village, La Brea, was late yesterday afternoon charged for the murder of fellow villager, Alvin Celestine. The youth is expected to appear before a Point Fortin magistrate today. Celestine, 21, died at the San Fernando General Hospital last Friday, some ten days after he and the youth were involved in a scuffle at Vessigny beach. Celestine died at the Intensive Care Unit without regaining consciousness. Reports revealed that Celestine and the 17-year-old were playing football at the beach on August 19 when Celestine became enraged after a tackle during the game.
Celestine reportedly attacked the youth with a cutlass and the youth in turn dealt Celestine three blows to his head with a broken piece of pipe. The day after the incident, police took the youth into custody but released him after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) ruled that Celestine was beaten by the youth in self-defence. However, on Celestine’s death last Friday, investigators revisited the DPP’s office for further consultation. Following an autopsy at the Forensics Science Centre on Tuesday, which concluded that Celestine’s skull was fractured and death was due to blunt cranio-cerebral trauma (multiple head injuries), investigators were instructed to charge the 17-year-old boy with murder. Police contacted the teen and asked him to visit the police station. He did so accompanied by his mother. Moments later, he was taken into custody and formally charged with murder.
HIGH COURT Judge Paula Mae Weeks yesterday granted a request by defence attorney Ian Brooks to defer the sentencing of his client, Zenovia Susan Edwards, until a probation officer’s report is obtained. Justice Weekes adjourned the matter to September 30.
Edwards, who was employed as a Clerk I at the PoS General Hospital with the Ministry of Health, pleaded guilty to falsifying a paysheet in the sum of $392,832 when she appeared in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court yesterday. The facts were, presented by State attorney Nadia James, that some time between October 1 and November 19, 1998, Edwards prepared and submitted, without authority, a paysheet for 36 “employees” for the period October 1, to November 30, 1998. The paysheet totaled $392,832. Whilst the paysheet was being processed, it was discovered to be forged and the submitted names fictitious. As a result of this discovery, no payments were made and the matter was reported to the Fraud Squad. Sgt Mervyn Welsh, who was at the time attached to the Fraud Squad, conducted an investigation and interviewed several persons in connection with the report he had received.
On December 31, 1998, Sgt Welsh interviewed Edwards at the Police Training College in St James and told her of the report he had received, showing her certain documents, including the paysheet, that were in his possession. Edwards admitted to Welsh that she had in fact prepared and submitted the paysheet for payment, however, she refused to give a written statement. On June 25, 1999, a warrant was executed for Edwards’ arrest. she was later arrested and charged for the offence. Following the reading of the facts yesterday, the judge ordered the jury to return a guilty verdict against Edwards.
While officials of primary schools in the East/West Corridor anxiously await the delivery of the promised textbooks to their respective institutions, one school in Carenage has admitted to actually receiving some of the books.
Speaking to Newsday yesterday, officials of the Carenage Girls Government School said they had received the Language Arts and Mathematics textbooks, as well as the dictionaries and atlases promised to students of Standards II and III, respectively. However, the official said they were hoping to have both the Reading and Science books by the end of the week. To parents who are wondering what their children are being taught in the interim, you can rest assured that they are not “skylarking.” Instead, as Newsday found out, this week is being referred to as “Revision Week” by teachers. Following a visit to the Nelson Street Boys and Girls RC Schools, we were told that teachers would be using material from books they previously used in addition to “doing a revision of last term’s work.” Stating that schools’ opening on Tuesday was “rather smooth,” Principal of Nelson Street Boys RC, Leslie Joel, said his school had definitely been ready for this term’s start as they had “orientation” for the new students to familiarise themselves with the school’s layout. Principal of Nelson Street Girls RC, Claire Charles, said she remained hopeful that everything would be alright by next week and that all schools would get their books.
Speaking with some schools in the East, Newsday was told by a principal that while a teacher can efficiently conduct classes without the use of a textbook, it would hinder homework exercises as the children would be without their personal copies. While admitting that there were some teachers who would flatly refuse to teach without textbooks, the official stated that his school was operating “quite efficiently without books” but “I still want them.” Officials of Belmont Girls RC said they had no idea when they would be getting books, and that they were administering revision work and aptitude tests to children. The school is still lacking a number of teachers in pertinent areas, claimed the official, and revealed the new intake of students for this term was 75. Chaguanas RC School said while they have yet to take possession of their new books, their old textbooks were being used to facilitate classes. Blackman’s Private School in Maraval said while they only opened yesterday, they had not received any books, but that if they didn’t get them by next week, it would not be a problem for them as they were prepared.
PROTEST action spread to the Point Lisas Industrial Estate on Tuesday as some 50 workers employed by Caribbean ISPAT Limited staged a peaceful placard demonstration at the Point Lisas roundabout, Rivulet Road, Couva.
The demonstration, involving the 11 am-7 pm shift, was led by the Steel Workers Union President Grafton Woodley and General Secretary Wayne Roberts. With both trade unionists noting that no aspect of the company’s operations had as yet been affected by the demonstration, Roberts said workers were “dissatisfied” with ISPAT’s refusal to discuss pension improvements with the union. “Every pension plan in this country had several pension improvements over the past few years, but not ISPAT’s pension plan fund,” Roberts said. “Our pension plan can more than afford the increased pension benefits as its surplus stands at $233.8 million dollars,” he added.
Roberts pointed out that, at present, retirees receive the “barest” minimum of $1,000 and the union is seeking an increase to $1,500. He said the demonstration was the first in a series of action by workers and that at tomorrow’s general council meeting, a decision would be taken on further measures to be implemented by workers. This could include “work-to-rule” action. Roberts also cited the Company’s “dismal” record on Health and Safety, saying the union also intended to raise this matter at its next meeting. “Expect serious clashes with ISPAT Limited over these and other outstanding issues,” Roberts concluded.
Speaking to Newsday yesterday, President of the Steel Workers Union of Trinidad and Tobago (SWUTT) Grafton Woodley said, “The pension plan is one of the many issues the workers are seeking to bring up with the management of ISPAT.” Woodley said the Union wrote to the International Metal Workers Association for assistance in the matter. “In protesting, we have not attempted to disrupt operations,” Woodley assured. He said the Union wanted the public to be aware of the conditions workers faced daily. Attempts to reach managemant at Ispat yesterday for comment were unsuccessful.
