A TEENAGED son of a policeman has drowned.  Adrian Sylvester, 19, the younger son of Ag Inspector Glenn Sylvester, drowned during a public poolside fete at Petrotrin’s Beach Camp Sporting Club facilities at Santa Flora early yesterday morning. Ag Inspector Sylvester is the third policeman to have lost his son by drowning within the last three months. On August 4, Dwight Alvarez, the 17-year-old son of police corporal Matthew Alvarez drowned at Petrotrin Staff Club Pool at Pointe-a-Pierre. In June, Govindra Singh, 16, son of PC Jaglal Singh, drowned while bathing in a river at Woodland, La Romaine. Ag Insp Sylvester told Sunday Newsday from his home at Pepper Village, Fyzabad, that he did not even know that Adrian was going to the party on Friday night. “I woke up about 3 am (yesterday) and saw the lights on in his room, so I thought he was at work because he told me he might work a double-shift,” the grieving father said. 
 
Police reports on the incident said that around 3.30 am yesterday, persons attending a party hosted by CB Promotions at the Petrotrin grounds spotted a body at the bottom of the pool. According to reports, Adrian’s body was pulled out of the water and attempts to resuscitate him proved futile. The body was examined by District Medical Officer Dr Furlonge, and removed to the San Fernando mortuary. An autopsy is expected to be performed tomorrow. Ag Insp Sylvester, who is attached to the South Western Division, said around 5 am he received the tragic news by telephone. The police officer said he immediately went down to the pool and started making inquiries to find out  what had happened. He said: “From what I am hearing there were no lifeguards on duty,” adding that his son was not a competent swimmer.

Sunday Newsday was unable to reach a representative of CB Promotions to comment on the incident. Only last month, Adrian started working as an operator at Carlisle Tyre and Rubber factory at Point Fortin. On Friday, he left to work the 2-10 pm shift, telling his father he might work an extra shift from 10 pm to 6 am. The elder Sylvester said: “I told him to forget about working extra and to come home. But now I think he told me about the extra shift to throw me off from his plans.” A childhood friend of the deceased, Kern Julien, said he spoke to Adrian while he (Adrian) was waiting for a taxi to go to work on Friday. Julien said: “He told me he wanted to go to the pool party. But I told him to save his money and we will go to another lime at La Brea on Sunday. He said ‘all right’ and he left. So I don’t know how he ended up there”. The teenager was described as an avid sports fan, and a keen and talented football player who played on the secondary school team for Fyzabad Composite, and who recently joined the Juventos football team in Fyzabad.  Santa Flora Police are continuing investigations.

Warrants have been issued for the arrest of three Trinidadians after Canadian authorities smashed what they have called one of the biggest drug smuggling rings ever between the Caribbean and Toronto. The warrants were issued for the three following the end of an investigation which unearthed evidence of hundreds of millions of dollars worth in heroin and hash oil being smuggled into Toronto over a one-year period. Canadian authorities did not say if the three wanted men are in Canada or Trinidad, or where in Trinidad they are from, but they did say that the authorities in Trinidad have been notified and are continuing investigations. The Trinidadian trio is among several Caribbean nationals from Bermuda, Antigua, Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana, who have been involved in the drug smuggling operations. Canadian police said that the racketeers used a network of high school buddies as mules to bring suitcases of cocaine from Trinidad, paying them around TT $20,000 per trip.

They also had contacts within Canadian Customs and workers at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport to ensure the safe passage of the narcotics. On Friday, Staff Inspector of the Toronto Police Drug Squad Dan Hayes said that the smugglers were also using airport workers at the Piarco International Airport to conceal drugs in cargo containers on commercial flights to Toronto. Inspector Hayes said that workers at Pearson Airport would then remove the drugs and deliver them to members of the criminal organisation in Toronto. The investigation started last April after Canadian authorities were notified by their Trinidadian counterparts of the arrest of a ramp worker at Piarco. This was followed by a tip to Canada Customs that 102 kilos of cocaine had been concealed in two cargo containers from Trinidad to Toronto. The cocaine was discovered on the arrival of the aircraft, 42 kilos concealed in the false bottom of one container, and 60 kilos hidden in the roof of another.

A 40-year-old woman, her 18-year-old daughter and a 28-year-old woman of Valencia were raped by two men on Friday night in two separate incidents. Up until late yesterday, officers of the Eastern Division were searching for a stolen car used by the rapists. The first incident occurred around 8.45 pm while a 43-year-old man of Cunupia and his 28-year-old female friend of Valencia, were seated in a car at the new Valencia Housing Development, when they were confronted by two men armed with guns.

The men robbed the couple of a quantity of cash and jewelry and then ordered the man out of the vehicle. He was tied up and the two men took turns in raping the 28-year-old woman inside the car. The then ordered the woman out of the vehicle and drove away with the car. A report was made to the Valencia Police Post and an All Points Bulletin was sent out to all police divisions to be on the lookout for vehicle PBA 815. Reports also revealed that around 11.50 pm, a 40-year-old woman and her 18-year-old daughter were at their home at the Valencia Old Road, when two men armed with a gun broke into the house and robbed the two of a quantity of jewelry, $1,600 and some US currency. The men then raped the teenager and her mother.

Concern has grown into worry for several families of Grand Chemin in Moruga where nine fishermen along with three boats have gone missing since Friday morning. The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard has been called in to conduct a flight search of waters off Grand Chemin for the missing men and the vessels. Speaking to Sunday Newsday yesterday one the residents of Grand Chemin Akbar Kismatali said that the nine men left Grand Chemin coast some time between four and  six am Friday in three boats named ‘Marissa’, ‘Cobra’  and ‘Mr Cola’. Among the missing are captain of ‘Marissa’ Jerry Silverto, another called ‘Ling’ from Gasparillo and one man known as ‘Brain.’

The Cobra carried the captain who is known as Dundee,  his 22-year-old son and one man called Vincent. The Mr Cola vessel was occupied by the captain who is known as ‘Mardo’ and two other men, one known only as Julian. “When they leave at this  hour (4-6am),” Kismatali said, “the latest they may return is around 6pm.” However when  by 10 pm Friday they were not seen, Kismatali said: “By then we realise that something had to be wrong.” He said the villagers contacted officers at the Moruga Police Station. Yesterday around six am ten villagers in three boats conducted a search for the missing men and the vessels some 19-20 miles from the Grand Chemin Coast. It was here that they found the only link to the missing men, two  fishing nets with a catch that was already beginning to spoil.

Some of the  villagers returned  afterwards in search of the third missing net. This  discovery, Kismatali said, was made between two points named the Scattermang — a Venezuelan mangrove area and another point named ‘The Pole’. Another La Lune resident Cyrus Baptiste speaking to Sunday Newsday said the  situation has caused many of the family members and relatives to become very worried, not knowing what has become of their loved ones. When asked as to what he thinks may have happened, Kismatali responded: “Everybody just speculating, Some say the Guardia Nacional has taken them, others say is piracy.” Earlier this month three Tobagonian fishermen were discovered off the coast of Mexico after disappearing  off the Tobago coast some 33 days earlier.

Last month two fishermen  left the seaport at Waterloo to go Venezuela, and to this day are yet to return. Both Baptiste and Kismatali said that the villagers would continue to search for the men. When contacted officials at the Moruga Police Station said that they are working closely with the Coast Guard. PC Nurse, among others are assisting in the investigations. The Coast Guard, when contacted by Sunday Newsday said that they were still carrying out flight searches in the area where the men are believed to have gone missing. They also revealed that yesterday morning they sent a fax to the  Guardia Nacional relating to the matter but up to 3.45 pm they had received no response. Still though, the Coast Guard continues to search and  friends and  family  continue to hope that the fishermen would soon be found, unharmed.

Chief Justice of Barbados Sir David Simmons yesterday refuted claims that the ceremony held and the oath taken by the members of Regional Judicial and Legal Service Commission (RJLSC) represented a legal oversight. The Council of the Law Association sounded a warning to the Government to tread carefully with respect to the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice. However Simmons made it clear that the oaths taken by the eight Chief Justices were not illegal. “I was very disappointed to read a comment by one of your senators that suggested that the members of the commission were political appointees. Nothing could be further than the truth.” said Simmons.

He said that the comment was born out of ignorance of the treaty which was established by the CCJ. According to Simmons, the treaty has been on the internet on the Caricom website and other public forums since 1998. He added that the treaty is in force due to the consent given to it by the participating countries. Simmons pointed out that the CJ of Belize and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Judiciary of the Caribbean, Abdullai Conteh, was unable to attend and as a result asked CJ Sat Sharma to fill in to facilitate the taking of an oath. This was in accordance with Sharma’s statement that he was “merely the conduit” for the ceremonial swearing in. Regarding the establishment of legislation in Trinidad in preparation for the CCJ, Simmons said, “irrespective of the fact that Trinidad has not done what it has to do, it doesn’t matter.

There are other countries which have satisfied the criteria for the setting up of the Court. We are going ahead. one day Trinidad may decide to get in line, but that’s a matter for you in Trinidad, the rest of the region is going ahead.” Simmons indicated that the fact that proper legislation is not in place in Trinidad and Tobago does not affect the establishment or functioning of the Court. “We have authority under the treaty established in the Caribbean Court of Justice full stop!” exclaimed Simmons in response to the suggestion that the CCJ had no authority because CJ Sharma performed the ceremonial swearing in. The United National Congress is strongly opposing the CCJ. Fyzabad MP Chandresh Sharma filed an application for judicial review on Friday asking that the appointment of the eight judges be declared null and void.

A 15-year-old boy was up to late yesterday warded in serious condition at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Mount Hope Medical Sciences Complex after he was shot in the chest Friday night. However, senior police officers said they were very curious about the explanation given by three young men, with whom the victim, Randy Stewart, of Second Street, Barataria, was with. The three, among them two brothers, ages 19 and 17, of Malick, and another 15-year-old, of Barataria, were up to late evening assisting officers of the Morvant Criminal Investigations Department (CID) with their investigations.

Senior Police officers told Sunday Newsday that they will consult with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) tomorrow for further directions on how to proceed with the investigations. Reports on the shooting are that around 9pm Friday, Stewart and three young men went to the River Bank at Seventh Avenue, Malick. Senior police officers said they received information that sometime after they got to the River bank, an explosion was heard. Stewart received a bullet a wound to the left side of his chest. Police said the bleeding teen then ran to his home, where his stepfather, Robert DaSilva took him to the Mount Hope institution. A report was made and a party of officers headed by acting Snr Supt Waldron Bishop and including acting Supt Wayne Gilbert, ASP Gregory Correira, Cpls Patrick Thomas and Anand Ramjit visited the scene and seized a homemade shotgun and one spent shell. Cpl Ramjit of the Morvant CID is continuing enquiries.

ALMOST in tears, a sad-faced couple said Friday that together with their two children, aged 4 and 6, they have been thrown out of their home by the National Housing Authority (NHA) and now they have no where to go. Deana Loraine, 36, an employee of a private janitorial services company and  her common-law husband an MTS security guard, Ken Towine, also, 36, lived in an apartment at Almond Drive, Morvant for a number of years. Although they were not NHA tenants, they said they shared the apartment with Loraine’s godfather. Loraine said her godfather acquired another apartment and decided to transfer the tenancy to her. “We agreed to work on the arrangement, prepared all transfer documents and took them to the NHA where I saw the Minister, Martin Joseph. “He handed over the matter to the NHA’s Public Relations Officer and assurances were given that the matter would be handled at that level. “The next thing I know is a bailiff and three police officers came and threaten to evict us, because we were occupying the building ‘illegally’. We had to leave.”

In a state of confusion, Loraine said she got in touch with her constituency representative, Fitzgerald Hinds “who gave the impression that he would help.” “They seem to be helping people who they want to help, but we will know better the next time around.” Efforts to contact NHA officials for comment proved futile. However, when contacted, Hinds said: “These people are strange.  I am a busy man, if they don’t see me in any of my offices, then they should leave a message saying how they can be contacted. “I tried my best and I will continue to do my best to help, if even to help find an alternative home.” But right now both Loraine and Towine said they don’t have a home and a virtually on the street. They said all their household effects are lodged at a workshop at Caledonia, courtesy a kind gentleman. Although contented, they are not comfortable with this arrangement. They want a home.

Leslie Ann Lewis, whose house was shot up in Laventille earlier this month, yesterday admonished her own Laventille people, for not taking part in the march against crime through the streets of Port-of-Spain. She said: “I am very disappointed in this march today. Where are the people from Laventille? There is more crime in Laventille than anywhere else and is mostly white people in this march. The people from Laventille should have cared even more and should have been here!” This statement brought sound applause from the audience which included Lincoln Meyers, Peter O’Connor, Diane Dupres, DOMA official William Lutchman and Imshan Ishmael of the Islamic Relief Centre. The march was organised by the group Citizens Speak Out (CSO), as they sought to address the issues of criminality, lawlessness, apathy and personal responsibility.

Lewis said too, that if the country is to see an end to crime in our country, we have to help National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee and the police since they alone cannot do it. She urged parents to talk to their children to bring about positive actions from them instead of falling into delinquent patterns, and by doing so, they too can help with the crime situation and bring back Trinidad and Tobago to the lovely place that it was before. Lewis also took the opportunity to thank the Besson Street Police for looking out for her since the shooting incident at her home. Her short, emotional and arguably the most effective address of the day was well applauded by the audience. Preceding Lewis, television personality Allyson Hennessy appealed to the gathering to adopt one less unfortunate person in their community and ended by saying: “Let us love one another, let us love TT and we will survive”.

Earlier, the march of approximately 150 concerned citizens, led by flagman Peter Diaz, left Woodford Square to the strains of “Trini to de Bone” played by the DJ operating from the bandstand. They were then escorted by police as they proceeded up Abercromby Street, across Keate Street, down Frederick Street before making their way back to the square. On their re-entry to the square, pores raised as Mavis John’s remake of Marjorie Padmore’s “God Bless Our Nation” blared from the speakers. Cherise d’Abadie of the CSO organisation said that the main purpose of the march was to gather people form all parts of the country who had expressed how concerned they are about the levels of violent crime in the country, and give them a forum to come out and express their discontent. At the square, petitions in the form of two banners were placed for signatures from all concerned citizens, while a number of periodicals with news from CSO were distributed  Other speakers at the rally were Mtima Solwazi (Muslim Youths in Action), Ernesto Kesar (Trinidad Youth Council), Sheila Solomon (Citizens Agenda Network), Gregory Sloan-Steele (YMCA) and Lennox Smith of the Morvant/Laventille Improvement Organisation (MLIO). Entertainment afterwards included Brother Resistance and the St James Tripolians.