SECURITY was extremely tight yesterday when Jamaat Al Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr appeared in court charged with conspiracy to murder. The morning started off normal around the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court but suddenly everything changed. Two van loads of policemen from the Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB) suddenly appeared in front of the courthouse on St Vincent Street. It then became obvious that there was a high profile matter listed for hearing. The police blocked traffic at the corner of Duke and St Vincent Streets. The sight of the heavily-armed GEB officers prompted many pedestrians to ask “who is appearing here today, Bakr or Skelly?” Coincidentally, Sheldon “Skelly” Lovell was also due in court to answer a charge of kidnapping.

With the security men on alert, Bakr suddenly appeared on the scene with attorney Wayne Sturge at 8.45 am. There was then a heavy flow of Muslimeen supporters including three of Bakr’s wives and son. Everyone entering the courthouse was subjected to a search. The upstairs corridor suddenly became crowded. The courtroom was finally opened just after nine o’clock with a sudden rush for seats. Eventually, a policeman said firmly “no more room, the court is full.” Bakr was inside the room with his lawyers Ian Brooks and Wayne Sturge. Acting Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington entered the Eighth Magistrate’s Court at 9.07 am and called the case. The charge was not read to the Muslimeen leader. It is alleged that on June 4 at Citrine Drive, Diamond Vale, Diego Martin, Bakr conspired with others to murder Salim Rasheed and Zaki Aubiah, two members of the Muslimeen who were expelled by the leadership in May. The house at Citrine Drive is owned by David “Buffy” Maillard, also known as Abdullah Mustafa Muhammad.

Rasheed was shot and wounded outside the Movie Towne Cineplex on the night of June 4. A woman, Jillia Bowen, was killed in the hail of gunfire. Brooks indicated to the magistrate that he was ready to proceed, but the court prosecutor Sgt Kenneth Cordner pointed out that no one had yet been appointed by the State to prosecute. Brooks said Bakr was anxious for the case to begin. The magistrate stood the case down for a while and left the court. When he returned, State attorney George Busby was present. He indicated that he was on his way to another place when he got a call to attend to this case. Brooks then suggested that both sides had agreed that the case be adjourned to September 29. The magistrate agreed and the hearing was over within minutes. The court was cleared as quickly as it was filled. Bakr left the precincts of the court within minutes. Unlike last week when he was kept in jail for the entire Friday, Bakr was off to preside at Friday juma at the Mucurapo Road mosque.

In preparation for schools’ opening, scores of parents and teachers on Tuesday attended meetings at various primary and secondary schools across the country to discuss a number of issues including expectations, procedures, rules, regulations and orientation programmes. At the new schools, scores of parents turned out to collect book lists, as well as information on school uniforms. One new primary school and six new secondary schools will open their doors to the new intake of students (Forms I and IV) on Tuesday, the Education Ministry assured yesterday. The schools are located in Chaguanas, La Romaine, Preysal, Bon Air, Rio Claro, and in Tobago at Mason Hall and Goodwood. New schools at Guayaguayare and Speyside will be opened later in the year.

At the new La Romaine High School, teachers, parents and students met for the first time at St Benedict’s College, while both a male and female student displayed the school uniform, and parents who did not sign the book grant application forms did so. The school will be opened on September 2, with 175 students in Form I and an additional 60 students in Form IV. School Principal Wilfred Lyons told parents and teachers that La Romaine High would be a caring school embracing all. He stressed that the emphasis would be “on teaching children and not necessarily rigidly following a curriculum and school syllabus,” as well as teaching good morals and values. Teachers will be meeting today to tour the school complex and to engage in an exercise to develop a mission statement and vision for the school. Principal of the Preysal High School, Ashram Deoraj, met with teachers to finalise arrangements for the orientation programme for students entering Forms I and IV. They have also agreed on a uniform, and a mission statement and vision for the school. The Preysal High School will open on Tuesday, with 294 students in Form I, and an additional 124 students in Form IV.

WESTERN Division police and family members of ceramic worker Khalid Ali were fearing the worst last night after the family vehicle he was last seen in was discovered yesterday — minus Ali. Police found the gold and beige vehicle, in the Cocorite Terrace area yesterday and officers under Sgt Nandram Moonilal later inspected the vehicle, but found no traces of blood. His family are now of the opinion that Ali, 46, of Swami Avenue, El Socorro, had been kidnapped, but up to late last night no ransom calls had been received. “We are keeping the lines open and hoping that he is returned to us safely.  We are scared.  You hear these things on the news but you never believe it would reach your home,” Ali’s sister, Sharieen said from their El Socorro home.

Ali disappeared Wednesday night from outside the Seventh Day Adventist Community Hospital, Western Main Road, Cocorite, St James. Sharieen said Khalid and another brother, Afzal, along with their father, Rafik Ali left their home around 8 pm Wednesday to take their father to the St James institution after he suffered an asthma attack. From their home, Sharieen, surrounded by relatives, said their father was taken into the Emergency area, where Rafik was attended to and warded.  He was discharged Thursday. She told Newsday that Afzal then went to do some paper work, leaving Khalid in the vehicle a short distance away.  “I told him to stay and breeze off,” Afzal said yesterday. After Afzal completed the paper work, and on checking, Afzal said his brother and the car could not be located.  Checks were made but they came up futile, and as a result, a report was made to the St James Police Station.

Both Afzal and Sharieen said their missing brother would never leave to go anywhere without letting family members know. “He would never do that.  Please return him safely. He has a hole in his heart,” she pleaded, pointing out that he does not have a mental condition. Another family member said security officials at the Community Hospital told relatives they saw when Khalid left the hospital, and that he was alone in the car. But Sharieen reiterated that her brother would never leave without telling family members. “He does not have friends and does not fete.  We live a very quiet and peaceful life,” Sharieen said. In yet another missing person incident, officers of the Carenage Police Station were exploring all avenues to locate an African national, Jean Jacques Asseu, who went missing at sea on August 20. A report was made only on August 22, police said.  Asseu, 20, came to Trinidad with a relative aboard a yacht, Soltana, on July 22. On August 8, police said Asseu went with a dinghy to purchase foodstuff at Powerboats. Since then he has not been seen, but police said his dinghy was located, tied up at Powerboats. After making several futile searches, police said Asseu’s brother-in-law, John Norman Hasen, reported the matter on August 22. Acting Cpl Francis of the Carenage Police Station is investigating.

Republic Bank Limited has agreed to purchase 93 percent of the shareholding of Banco Mercantil, the sixth largest bank in the Dominican Republic (DR). Banco Mercantil is a commercial bank which offers multiple services to retail and corporate clients. The announcement comes one month after Republic Bank signed the Sale and Purchase Agreement for the acquisition of the majority shareholding (57 percent) of the Barbados National Bank (BNB). Banco Mercantil has 26 branches operating from the Dominican Republic with a staff of approximately 700. According to Republic Bank, the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic has welcomed the investment, which will strengthen the DR banking sector. Technologically savvy, with credit card operations throughout the DR and a strong brand image, Banco Mercantil has been in existence since 1984.

The Board of Directors of Banco Mercantil stated that: “The entry of the significant Trinidad financial banking institution in the DR will initiate a new era in the business relationship between both countries in which Mercantil will play an important role.” Former deputy managing director, Republic Bank Ronald Huggins has been carded to head the DR operations together with Alberto Tarabotto, Banco Mercantil’s recently appointed chief operating officer, who has over 20 years experience in the banking sector. Republic’s chairman and managing director, Ronald Harford said the bank was delighted to have this opportunity to be a part of the DR economy. “We have been doing business there for the last five years and have found it to be a country with significant opportunities for TT business.”

He added that this expansion is consistent with our strategy of expansion into the Spanish speaking Caribbean and will also allow Republic customers to deepen their ties with one of the largest markets in the Caribbean. In its continued expansion into the Spanish-speaking market, Republic Bank opened a representative office in Cuba in 2002 in Havana which is making the Cuban market more accessible to Caribbean manufacturers desirous of exporting their products, as well as assisting Cuban companies in developing their Caribbean trade.

STRESSING the crucial role of air links to TT’s trade with the rest of the world, Trade Minister Ken Valley was optimistic that BWIA’s financial fortunes would turn around by year’s end and announced that plans were afoot for the national airline to fly to the Dominican Republic from November 18. Addressing Thursday’s post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Valley expressed cautious optimism that BWIA was “past the worst” regarding its economic woes. The Minister revealed that together with Government Ministers Dr Keith Rowley and Junior Finance Minister Christine Sahadeo, he held talks on Tuesday in Miami with BWIA’s lessors International Leasing Finance Corporation (ILFC) “to work out a plan for the sustainability of BWIA”. He said that meeting “went quite well” and Government is awaiting ILFC to respond to certain proposals which were made.

Valley also indicated that the dual restructuring of BWIA and Liat is ongoing with the ultimate goal of a merger of the two airlines still on the cards. The Minister hinted that the public may be asked to invest in BWIA once again. He said BWIA chairman Lawrence Duprey’s term has not expired and allegations of him being illegally re-elected were baseless. Valley also spoke of a series of ongoing trade initiatives being undertaken by his Ministry, including one to Canada headed by Junior Trade Minister Diane Seukeran.

He announced that the Regional Trade Negotiating Committee will hold a conference in Trinidad from September 29 to October 3 and this meeting could very well cement Port-of-Spain as the site for the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Secretariat. Valley said TT has the support of Caricom and two Latin American nations to become the FTAA’s headquarters and is optimistic of gaining the support of at least two more Latin American countries. The Minister disclosed that TT is ahead of Miami in the race for the FTAA’s headquarters and the United States is seeking regional consensus on the matter.

PRIME MINSTER Patrick Manning is expected to deliver the feature address at a ceremony being held by the Trinidad and Tobago Insti-tute of Technology (TTIT) to mark the beginning of construction of the Laventille Technology and Continuing Education Centre. The ceremony is expected to take place today at the centre’s compound at Eastern Main Road, Laventille. The TTIT, a division of the National Energy Skills Centre, was established as a training institute of higher education and offers applied degrees, diplomas and certificate programmes in the various disciplines of technology, engineering and sciences. TTIT functions as a corporate university and utilises industry-relevant curricula, industry-experienced faculty and programme scheduling responsive to the needs of the industry and its employees.

Other speakers expected to address the ceremony today are MP for Laventille West/ Morvant, Eulalie James; MP for Laventille East/Morvant, Fitzgerald Hinds; MP for Port-of-Spain South, Eric Williams; CEO of the NESC Dave Bhajan and Chairman of the NESC Professor Ken S Julien. The NESC, which was established in July 1997 as a partnership between the industry and the government, is managed by a Board of Governors which includes Professor Julien, Atlantic LNG, National Gas Company of TT Ltd, Petrotrin, TT Methanol Co Ltd, PCS Nitrogen Ltd, Caribbean Ispat Ltd, Cliffs and Associates Ltd, Bechtel International, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, Ansa McAL Ltd, SM Jaleel Ltd and Atlas Methanol Company Ltd.

THA’s Chief Secretary, Orville London, has pledged the Assem-bly’s support in the fight against HIV/AIDS both nationally and regionally. London made the declaration at the weekly post-Executive Council Media Briefing on Wednesday. He was scheduled to meet with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and the Chief Medical Officer on Thursday to discuss a number of issues, chief among them the funding for initiatives started in Tobago in relation to the pandemic.

London felt that they (THA) had come a long way in coming up with a plan of action that stood a chance of having an impact on the disease “that is attempting to destroy us.”  He said that the information gathered should be used as a guide to assist the entire island. “Some of the things we are doing in Tobago we will consider them pilot projects and therefore the information that we get here on the problems that we encounter, these should be used to inform the entire national effort. Because we look at the fight against HIV/AIDS as a national, regional, international affair and I think everybody should be involved in the process.” London said. Chief Secretary London stressed that the THA intended to aggressively tackle the entire health sector on the island and was putting in place the necessary process “to do it sooner rather than later.”

The Tourism and Industrial Devel-opment Company of TT Limited (TIDCO) yesterday met with various stakeholders to discuss and prioritise plans for the Maracas Beach Facility. The meeting included representatives from the Vendors Association, the Maracas Village Council, the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation, Fishermen and Friends of the Sea, users of the beach and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The aim of the meeting was to reach a decision to ensure that Maracas becomes a state-of-the-art beach facility based on international standards in sync with the company’s vision to promote and market Brand TT.

It was also in keeping with Government’s initiative to achieve developed nation status by the year 2020. Participants stressed the importance of ensuring sustainable quality standards at the facility as well as maintaining a pristine environment that is safe and friendly and which caters to a diverse, indigenous, cultural and recreational experience. Discussions were also held to determine a plan to deal with outstanding rent due to TIDCO from several vendors. The plan for long-term development will be based on studies submitted to address issues of environmental management, social and cultural protection, recreational preferences, natural resource protection, general health and safety and continued input from stakeholders.

Five mobile service providers from North America and Europe have signed GSM Roaming agreements with the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT). Cingular West US, Rogers Canada, T-mobile UK, Connect Austria and TME Spain concluded roaming agreements with TSTT, which will go into effect from next Tuesday. The agreements will allow TSTT customers to use their GSM handsets in the areas served by these carriers and reciprocally, customers of these carriers will be able to use their handsets while in TT. In both cases, customers will be billed in their respective home markets.

With the addition of these five carriers, TSTT now has agreements with most of the major mobile companies in Europe, Asia and North America, including AT&T, Vodafone and 02. In the Caribbean, agreements with carriers including Digicel, have increased the capability for roaming in these islands with GSM networks. These include Aruba, Jamaica, Bermuda, St Lucia, Dominica, St Vincent, Martinique, St Martin and Guadeloupe.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources has lifted the ban on poultry and poultry products from Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Oregon. The ban was placed due to the occurrence of the Exotic Newcastle Disease in these areas. However, the ban remains in effect for all poultry and poultry products from California. Therefore, Health Certificates must state that products did not originate from California.

Exotic Newcastle Disease (END) is a contagious and fatal viral disease which affects all species of birds. It can infect and cause death even in vaccinated poultry. Mortality is up to 90 percent of exposed birds. An outbreak of the disease was confirmed last October in Los Angeles.