FORMER President Arthur NR Robinson is of the view that the public disclosure of his request to Prime Minister Patrick Manning for various tax exemptions in purchasing two luxury vehicles was offensive. Robinson made the comment yesterday from his hospital bed at the Southern Medical Clinic where he was warded on Sunday night for bleeding along the urinary tract. Around 5.30 pm, the former President was visited by Prime Minister Patrick Manning, but both men chose not to comment on the matter. Robinson, who appeared to be resting comfortably, confirmed having sought Purchase and Value Added Tax waivers to purchase a luxury $1 million BMW and a $200,000 Toyota RAV4. Cabinet granted the request, which was presented to cabinet by PM Manning.

Robinson fell ill in Tobago at the Coco Reef Hotel where he was attending a private function to honour him staged by Trans-Global Communications. He reported having pains at 6.30 pm after which County Medical Officer of Health Dr Mentor Melville was seen being escorted to the hotel by police.  He reportedly attended to Robinson, who was flown by helicopter to San Fernando at 11.00 pm. On reaching Trinidad, he was immediately examined by consultant urologist Dr Lal Sawh. Yesterday, Sawh conducted a minor procedure to stop the bleeding and said that Robinson will continue to experience bleeding along the urinary tract as a result of radiation treatment he had many years ago on his bladder. Yesterday was the fourth occasion Robinson had to seek treatment at the clinic. He sought treatment twice when he was President.

Shortly after Manning left the clinic, Robinson spoke to the media and when asked about the purchase of the two vehicles he was seeking tax exemptions from, the former President said: “Yes, I’m aware of the matter being made public. It is accurate in most parts, but I think its imputations were offensive.” Robinson expressed gratitude to Manning for the visit saying that it was indeed kind of the Prime Minister. But the meeting, the former President said, was a private one which should not become a public matter. “Well you know prime ministers meeting with a former presidents is not a public matter. Conversations between me and the Prime Minister of the country or between me and the president of the country are between us,” Robinson said. After the visit, Manning declined as well to disclose the nature of his discussions with Robinson except to say that the former president was in high spirits. Manning said that like with all ex-presidents, the State will pay Robinson’s medical bills.

HIGH COURT Judge Joseph Tam yesterday refused to grant an injunction to Club Pigeon Point to stop the Tobago House of Assembly from compulsory acquisition of 60 acres of beach front property in Tobago. Following the decision the judge informed both parties that the matter would be heard on September 29. The decision came after lengthy submissions presented to the court by State attorney Dr Lloyd Barnett QC and Club Pigeon Point’s attorney Dr Fenton Ramsahoye over a three-week period. In presenting his judgment in the Port-of-Spain Fifth Civil Court yesterday, Justice Tam noted that there were two possible decisions that could have been made. He explained that the court could have granted an injunction, which would have blocked the State from making any attempts to acquire the lands, or grant a conservatory order, which would preserve the property. However, he pointed out that the court could not grant any of those judgments since there was no evidence that the State had either made an application for acquisition of the land or that they had intended to destroy, resurface or reorganise any part of the land.

He also noted that the decision made by Robinson Crusoe Limited, operator of Club Pigeon Point and subsidiary of ANSA McAL, to file the constitutional motion was based only on published statements made by the Prime Minister and the Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly that the State had intentions of acquiring the land. He said no evidence was presented by the operators of the Club to show that the State had filed for or was about to file for acquisition of the land. Dr Ramsahoye said that he could not say if his client would appeal the judgment presented by the court since he had to consult  them first. However, he noted that this was a case which had guaranteed rights of appeal. Asked if he was surprised by the judgment, Dr Ramsahoye stated that he is “never surprised with court. The justice system does not work that way.” Dr Ramsahoye and Rikki Harnanan instructed by Adrian Byrne appeared in the matter for Club Pigeon Point, while Dr Barnett, Karen Fournillier, Terrance Thorne and John Jeremie, instructed by Rohana Hosein, appeared for the State.

ATTORNEY GENERAL Glenda Morean-Phillip yesterday lashed out at critics of the proposed Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), describing them as ignorant and misinformed. Speaking at a public consultation of the CCJ at the Crowne Plaza Ballroom, Morean-Phillip said that despite the laying of documents in Parliament by former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj as well as public consultations, there were still persons who are commenting on matters pertaining to the CCJ who are doing so from a position of ignorance. “They should first read the documents, especially the lawyers and parliamentarians, whose duty it is to inform themselves before they open their mouths and embarrass the nation by making uninformed statements.” Morean-Phillip said since the last consultation held on July 28, the members of the Regional Judicial and Legal Service Commission were installed and they have embarked on their task of recruiting judges for the CCJ.

The Law Association, in a statement, believes that the ceremony in Port-of-Spain last Thursday  to install the Commissioners may have been illegal/unlawful in that there is no legislation in TT which recognises the proposed existence of the Commission. The AG added, “The controversy which has arisen from that simple ceremony is testimony to how critical this series of public education programmes is to the success of the CCJ and how much ignorance there is about the process of establishing the court, even in circles where such ignorance is least expected, despite the voluminous material that has been made available over the last five years.” In her opening remarks, Morean-Phillip said that TT and all other states who are hanging on to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Court as their last court, were hanging on by a thread. She said Britain was moving ahead to establish a Supreme Court to replace the House of Lords, signalling the way forward for the Caribbean.

She said the formation of the CCJ marked the final stage of a journey which has taken almost 100 years. The AG noted that during this period, TT and at least two Caricom neighbours have moved from colony to independent statehood to republican status without ever fully assuming the responsibility of our own governance. The AG said Caricom has agreed to the inauguration of the CCJ by November and work is proceeding apace in every Caricom territory to ensure that all is in place. “We fully understand, however, that there are some who are not yet ready to embrace the CCJ for any number of reasons. Change, especially when one is dealing with an institution like the Privy Council, which we have known all of our lives, can be traumatic, and there will always be those who would prefer to hold on to the status quo.” Morean-Phillip said the UNC Government signed the agreement establishing the court, volunteered this country as the seat of the court and committed financial resources to the provision and equipping of the facilities for housing the court. “There can be no turning back now.” Duke Pollard, special advisor to the Secretary General of Caricom, was the guest speaker. He dispelled the rumours that the CCJ was going to be “a hanging court.” He said the CCJ will be the only court of its kind in the world whose judges will be appointed by an independent panel. There is going to be a hands-off approach by the political directorate, he declared. He also stated that the CCJ will be financed independently.

A 24-YEAR-OLD fisherman of Carli Bay, Couva, yesterday appeared before a Couva magistrate charged with murdering his brother. Mesh Durbal appeared before Magistrate Gillian David on the charge of murdering his brother Sumarnath Santoo. The charge was laid indictably and Durbal was not called upon to enter a plea. While the charge was being read out in court, Durbal was seen busy consulting with his attorney Selwyn Ramlal, while several persons — relatives of both the murder victim and the murder-accused, sat quietly in the court. The charge facing Durbal is that during the early morning hours last Friday, he stabbed Santoo, 32, in the chest with a harpoon while he (Santoo) was sleeping in a hammock. Ramlal asked that an alleged confession statement be made available to him at the next hearing of the case. He also called for the autopsy report. His client is due to reappear in court on September 4.

AFTER being alerted by worried relatives, neighbours of primary school teacher Aleem Jaffarali, 49, discovered his decomposed body at the back of his Penal home on Sunday night. However, police do not suspect foul play in the teacher’s death since there were no marks of violence and he had recently been complaining of chest pains. Jaffarali was supposed to have met his relatives yesterday to go on a fishing trip. When he did not turn up, the relatives telephoned his home but there was no answer. Concerned that something may have happened to him, the relatives telephoned his neighours and asked them to check on him. Around 8.30 am, the neighbours went to the teacher’s Katwaroo Trace, Penal home where they found Jaffarali’s body lying at the back of the building, near some steps.  Jaffarali, a teacher at the Rock Road Presbyterian Primary School, lived alone.

Investigators said the deceased had spoken with his brother-in-law Fernando Ramcharitar, of San Fernando, last Friday and had agreed to go on a fishing lime with him yesterday. His relatives told police that ealier this month, Jaffarali complained of chest pains and they advised him to seek medical attention, but he refused. A team of officers headed by Sgt Wazir Mohammed and including PC Jagroop and others visited the scene. District Medical Officer Dr Carmona viewed the body and ordered its removal to the Forensic Sciences Centre where an autopsy was scheduled to be carried out yesterday. Police said nothing was missing from the teacher’s house. Sgt Mohammed is continuing investigations.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS Minister Knowlson Gift described yesterday’s signing of an agreement between Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada to establish a Grenada Consulate and Trade Office in Port-of-Spain as yet another important step along the road to regional integration. Addressing the signing ceremony at Knowlsey Building, Gift said the agreement was signed “in the Caricom spirit of good neighbourliness” to promote trade and investment between the two nations and represented another step towards regional integration. The Minister said given the numerous internal and external challenges facing Caricom, the strengthening of bilateral ties amongst its members was crucial. 

Noting the longstanding good relations between the two countries, Grenadian Foreign Affairs Minister Elvin Nimrod said Grenadians had contributed significantly to TT’s development over the years and vice versa. Nimrod disclosed that the idea of the office was first discussed between the two nations in June 2001 and he expressed his government’s thanks to Prime Minister Patrick Manning for bringing it to fruition. He agreed with Gift that yesterday’s agreement represented “a quantum leap to deepen integration” in Caricom. Nimrod disclosed that the two countries will also be studying means of closer collaboration in the areas of security, sports and tourism. Dr Vernon Scoon is the Grenadian Trade Consular-designate to TT. Nimrod estimated there could be some 25,000 Grenadians in TT at this time.

FOR almost a week, Vessigny labourer Alvin Celestine has been lying unconscious at hospital after being beaten on the head with a broken piece of pipe after a football game. Celestine, who sustained a massive skull fracture, remains at the Intensive Care Unit of the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH). A 20-year-old suspect, who was detained in connection with the wounding, was subsequently released following instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions who ruled that Celestine was beaten in self-defence since he (Celestine) had allegedly chopped the 20-year-old man with a cutlass.

According to reports, on August 19, Celestine and the 20-year-old man were playing football on Vessigny beach when Celestine became enraged following a heavy tackle during the game. Celestine reportedly stormed off the beach and returned with a cutlass which he used to charge at the 20-year-old man. Police reports said when Celestine chopped the man on his chest, his victim retaliated by beating Celestine with a discarded piece of water pipe lying in the sand. Celestine was dealt three blows on his head and fell to the ground unconscious. He was rushed to hospital. Sgt Jimmy Palloo and Cpl Anthony Monsegue of the Point Fortin police are continuing inquiries.

Officers of the Arima CID are calling on members of the public to assist them in identifying the body of a man which was found in bushes close to Pinto Road, Arima yesterday. Reports revealed that around 9 am, a man was walking close to an area known as “Orange Flats” when he smelled a foul stench emanating from the bushes. The man made a check and discovered the decomposed body of  a man clad in a multi-coloured jersey and off-white short pants. Officers of the Arima Police Station were alerted as well as District Medical Officer, Dr Emmanuel Hosein.

The area was cordoned off and officers of the Crime Scenes Unit carried out a check in the area. The body, which appeared to be of a slim built man of African descent, was ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre. ASP Fredericks, Sgt Garrick, Cpl Jones and others visited the scene and carried out investigations. Up until late yesterday, the body had not been identified. Investigators told Newsday that the body may have been in the bushes for more than one week.

The Met Office at Piarco yesterday stated that a tropical wave moving across the Eastern Caribbean was responsible for damage to some houses in the Bamboo area following heavy showers and thunder showers around midday. Speaking to Newsday, Chief Meteorologist, Emmanuel Moolchan, explained that favourable upper level winds contributed to conditions associated with the tropical wave. He stated that certain winds  caused clouds to build to significant vertical depths resulting in thunder clouds being formed. A down draft consists of a strong wind blowing straight down and upon reaching the surface, it spreads out thus creating gusty winds. This, Moolchan claimed, was responsible for the damage to some houses in the area as several persons had their roofs blown off while a tree fell on the house of Bamboo resident, Gloria Bhulawan. He added that once there are electrical discharges in the atmosphere, there is always the chance or possibility of strong gusty winds caused by down drafts.

Admitting that the MET office had spoken with the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) with regards to calls from persons in the Bamboo area, Moolchan predicted that the weather would have improved by nightfall. Checks with NEMA’s Director, Colonel Dave Williams, revealed that they were notified of  the damage to the houses in Bamboo, and that Level One Emergency measures had been implemented. A Level One Emergency measure consists of a response from fire officials, as they are the first response agency who checks with the MET Office, Williams stated. In a damage report release from NEMA late yesterday afternoon, Williams confirmed that two homes of Temple Street, Bamboo Settlement No 2 had their roofs blown off, and that the electricity loss in the immediate area was associated with damage to power lines caused by flying debris. He also revealed that one home in Morvant was affected as its roof was also blown off due to the gusty winds.

Williams stated that the  Fire Service, TTEC and the respective Regional Corporations had been contacted to provide assistance to the affected parties, whilst the MET Office advised that an improvement in the weather was expected towards evening. A call to the San Juan Fire Station revealed that one fire tender responded to calls from residents in both Bamboo Settlement’s 1 and 2, where a  total of seven homes were affected. A fire official at San Juan told Newsday that luckily, no one was injured, and that up to 5 pm yesterday, TTEC and TSTT were both working on restoring power to the area. He added that most persons of the affected homes were already working on patching up their roofs, and that fire officials had assisted in lending tarpaulin and salvage sheets to some persons. A tree also fell across the Uriah Butler Highway in the vicinity of Bamboo, around the same time creating a slight traffic pileup, said the officer.

HEALTH MINISTER Colm Imbert yesterday disclosed that all the mechanisms will be in place by December 31 for tissue transplant procedures to be undertaken in Trinidad and Tobago. The Minister told Newsday that when Parliament resumes next month, legislation to effect the necessary regulations attached to the Human Tissue Transplant Act 2000 will be laid, and he is optimistic that Parliament will approve that legislation either by the end of September or early October. He expressed optimism that all the necessary groundwork would be completed by year’s end to allow persons requiring tissue transplants to have the procedures done locally. On July 4, the Minister indicated that he had seen the final version of the legislation and that legislation would be brought to Parliament very soon.

Imbert described comments from former Junior Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan and others that the Ministry was doing nothing regarding tissue transplant legislation as unfair and misleading. He said Khan was trying to cover up his and the UNC’s incompetence in passing this legislation while the UNC was in government.  “Just last week, I approved regulations concerning brain-stem death. All the conditions and regulations are being sorted out,” Imbert disclosed. Khan told Newsday on Sunday that the Act was passed in 2001 but the attached regulations were never approved by Parliament due to general elections in December of that year. “They (UNC) had one year (2000) to bring that legislation to Parliament and five years before that to draft it,” Imbert declared.

The Minister rejected Khan’s statement about the Trinidad Public Health Laboratory (TPHL) not being the only authorised lab to release test results on a “mystery virus” which caused several persons to be recently warded at the San Fernando General Hospital. Imbert said given Khan’s status as a qualified doctor and former minister, Khan “knows that private labs are unregulated and not authorised to give data” of the kind he (Khan) is alleging they can and the UNC MP was just politicking. He however confirmed Khan’s statement that the TPHL had been run down while the UNC was in office. “They left it in a mess. One of my projects is to revamp it. So many things that were wrong in health were being swept under the carpet,” Imbert declared. The Minister also revealed that a budget of $10 million has been approved to procure modern equipment for the TPHL in order to improve the quality of the tests done, its accuracy and the time taken to release the results.