The PNM, which in opposition supported the Integrity in Public Life Act 2000, is  having “second thoughts” about the legislation. Prime Minister Patrick Manning stated yesterday that “on mature reflection,” the Government, which now has the responsibility for implementing the legislation, had doubts about whether “the net” of persons who must make declarations, was not cast too wide. Manning said the Cabinet wondered whether the number of people brought under the net (1,000) would prejudice the ability of the investigating body to properly discharge its functions. Attorney General Glenda Morean spoke of other difficulties. Citing the fact that many of the current chairmen of state boards had been saying that they would resign if they had to file declarations (of assets and liabilities with the Integrity Commission), Morean suggested that the Act would restrict the number of individuals of quality who would be prepared to serve in public office. The AG added that the Integrity Commission itself purported to act outside of the law when it determined that judges and magistrates were not included in the net, “although the law said they were. And this was part of the problem.”

However the Cabinet yesterday agreed to “beef up” the powers of the Integrity Commission in order to “transform” it into the “State institution” charged with the responsibility of leading the national strategy against corruption. The newly structured Commission would require new legislation being brought to Parliament. The legislation would require a special majority, Morean said. However, she promised that the declaration forms required for the current Integrity Commission to do its job would be brought to parliament as soon as it is reconvened on September 5. Contradicting statements made by the previous Integrity Commission Chairman, Justice Des Iles, who said that the forms were ready since September 2001, Morean said the forms were only submitted to the Attorney General’s office in early 2003 — “either late January or February.” The AG, who said that there was no dereliction of duty on her part, said that the forms were not available for the whole of 2001 and 2002. The forms then went to Cabinet, which sent it to the Legislative Review Committee, she said.

CANE farmers will, from this morning, receive a $42 million payout from Government as the balance of payment for canes supplied in this year’s sugar cane crop. The payments will continue next Monday and Tuesday. Some 7,000 cane farmers are to benefit from the payout. The farmers received the first interim payment of $93 per tonne for the supply of canes to the now defunct Caroni (1975) Ltd sugar cane factories leaving outstanding payments of $77 per tonne. The farmers are yet to be informed of the new price for canes for next year’s crop. Trinidad Islandwide Cane Farmer’s Association’s public relations officer Lallan Rajaram said the association’s executive would meet with Agriculture Minister John Rahael today to discuss a range of matters relating to next year’s sugar cane crop.

The Cane Farmers’ Association of Trinidad and Tobago has requested a meeting with the management of the newly formed Sugar Manufacturing Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SMCTT), which replaced the now defunct Caroni (1975) Ltd, to discuss the issue of existing contracts farmers have for the supply of canes to the sugar mills.  Farmers’ contracts range from one to five years and according to the association’s general secretary Dave Persad, an attorney, these contracts are still valid. The contracts are not invalidated by virtue of Caroni’s restructuring programme or closure, Persad said. “Farmers are in the dark about next year’s crop, land preparation, subsidies, etc,” Persad said. A meeting has been fixed for next week Tuesday between the association and Prem Nanlal of SMCTT.

“NO LEADS and no suspects.” That is the official word from police investigating the suspected arson attack which destroyed the Piparo mansion of executed drug lord Dole Chadee on Tuesday night. Fire officials said they have not yet determined the cause of blaze, but added that by Monday, the investigation was expected to be completed. Police believe the luxurious Chadee residence, located at Pascal Road, Piparo, was torched after gasolene was doused on the main part of the house. Around 9 pm on Tuesday, neighbours noticed the mansion on fire and contacted the authorities. The fire raced through the concrete and wooden structure for almost one and a half hours before fire services arrived and extinguished the flames. Even by midnight, after the fire services water supply had been exhausted, embers remained alight. The six-bedroom house was where executed drug baron Chadee and his family once lived. Princes Town police are continuing investigations.

THE Court of Appeal by a 2-1 majority, yesterday dismissed the appeal brought by environmental watchdogs, Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS), against the construction of a US $420 million (TT $2.6 billion) pipeline in South Trinidad. Acting Chief Justice Lionel Jones and Justice Rolston Nelson ruled that the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) breached no rules in awarding the Certificate of Environmental Clearance to bpTT to carry out the Kapok and Bombax Pipeline project. Justice Anthony Lucky, in a dissenting judgment, ruled that the EMA did not follow proper procedures and allowed the appeal, ordering costs for senior and junior counsel. The effect of the judgment allows bpTT to continue constructing the pipeline. Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC and Dr Rajendra  Ramlogan appeared for FFOS; Martin Daly SC and Maxine Williams represented the EMA, while Russell Martineau SC and Deborah Peake appeared for bpTT as an interested party. Following yesterday’s judgment, Maharaj said he intends appealing the decision to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London. He said he will seek conditional leave within days and ask for the appeal to be heard before the end of the year.

Dr Dave Mc Intosh, Chief Executive Officer of the EMA, said he was greatful and pleased with the decision of the court. In his 24-page judgment, Justice Nelson agreed with the decision of High Court Judge Nolan Bereaux, who on August 30, 2002, dismissed FFOS’s application for judicial review. Justice Nelson found that FFOS sought judicial review outside the three-month period. He said if the time for applying for leave was extended, the application for leave may be defeated if undue delay would cause substantial hardship, or prejudice to third parties, or detriment to good administration. Justice Nelson said the EMA properly and lawfully put in place procedures for dealing with applications in progress. He pointed out that the trial judge took into account that bpTT had entered into sub-contracts with 25 contractors. He took into account that bpTT, a third party, had consulted with the EMA and the Ministry of Energy at all material times during the project. Justice Bereaux revealed that the Bombax pipeline was 70 percent complete and the Kapok Project 42 percent complete. The judge weighed in the balance that US $213 million had already been spent, and any delay in completion of the project would result in significant losses running into million of dollars per month. Counsel for bpTT indicated that of July 2003, the project was complete and that testing was underway.

Justice Nelson said if the EMA has to re-open the matter, five other companies in the oil and gas sector would be affected. In his 15-page dissenting judgment, Justice Lucky found that the grant of the Certificate of Environmental Clearance was invalid and the matter ought to be investigated. He said the crucial question was whether the EMA followed the procedure set out in the EMA Act before granting the certificate. “It seems to me that the judge did not address this issue because he had pre-empted the determination of those issues by refusing to grant an extension of time,” Justice Lucky added. On the issue of the trial judge not granting an extension of time for FFOS to file the application, Justice Lucky said he did not think that Justice Bereaux had all the evidence before him to make a proper assessment at the leave stage.

Five persons accused of staging the kidnapping of Renee Hickson were granted bail yesterday by Magistrate Jo-Ann Connor at the Tunapuna Magistrates’ Court. Hickson, 17, UWI Sixth Form student; Carlbert Audain, 23, PH taxi-driver, of Basilon Street; Michael Edghill, 20, PH taxi-driver, of Henry Road; Kenyouth Mc Bernie, 21, machine operator, of New Street and Allister Bones, 22, of Achong Trace, were charged on Monday with conspiracy to extort the sum of $500,000 from Arthur Hickson (Renee Hickson’s cousin and guardian) during the period July 21-24. They are also charged with wasteful employment of police during the same period, and fraudulently obtaining $20,000 from Arthur Hinkson on July 24. They are also charged with demanding $500,000 by menaces from Hinkson at Gulf City, San Fernando on July 24. The charges were laid indictably by PC Nirmal Ramjattan of the St Joseph CID following consultation with Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Carla Browne-Antoine and ACP Crime Oswyn Allard.

Hickson was represented by defence attorney Samantha Lawson, Mc Bernie by Ulric Skerrit and Edghill and Bones by Varoude Badrie-Maharaj. Audain was not represented by an attorney. Connor had denied bail on Tuesday, saying that she would need to review the defendants’ criminal records before she could do so. The tracing showed that none of the accused persons had any previous or pending matters before the Courts. She granted bail in the sum of $25,000 to Hickson and $75,000 to the others. The matter was adjourned to August 22. The five are expected to appear in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court today for demanding money by menaces charge.

In an effort to curb the contraband trade between the two countries, Prime Minister Patrick Manning proposed to Venezuela President Hugo Chavez that a college of the maritime university in Venezuela be established at Cedros in which students of Venezuela and students of Trinidad and Tobago can pursue environmental studies, while learning each other’s language. So stated Manning at a post-Cabinet news conference yesterday at Whitehall. He said this was part of a plan to deal with the regular contraband trade between South Trinidad and Venezuela. He said the other elements of the plan were to make Cedros a full port of entry, and to establish at Cedros a naval base for coast guard boats. Manning also announced that the two countries had signed a letter of intent in which there would be a conversion of the current arrangement whereby Venezuela would supply crude and crude products at concessionary terms and conditions  to Caribbean countries by refining its crude oil in a Trinidad and Tobago refinery at costs, with Trinidad and Tobago distributing these products up the islands. Trinidad and Tobago would get “significant benefit” from this arrangement, Manning stressed.

Manning said that as a result of the signing in Caracas of a letter of intent between the two governments, technical terms would be designated to evaluate the feasibility of the following opportunities:
a) Participation by Trinidad and Tobago state firms in conjunction Petrol de Venezuela in the development of the Platforma Deltana
b) Monetarisation of volumes of natural gas from PD in LNG trains in Trinidad and Tobago.
c) Joint refining and commercialisation of crude oil destined for Caricom member states under a supply, refining and commercialisation agreement between both countries.
d) Joint exploration of new petroleum discoveries in Venezuela.
e) Participation by Venezuela in the development of and supply of gas to the intra-Caribbean natural gas pipeline project.
f) Utilisation of the capacity of the Venezuela steel industry to build a joint venture platform fabrication industry between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
g) Re-activation of the Trinidad and Tobago/Venezuela bilateral oil spill contingency plan.
h) Technical and cultural exchanges using educational institutions in Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
i) Consideration of the concept of the creation of Petro-america, an energy company as a mechanism to promote cooperation between state oil and gas companies of Latin America and Trinidad and Tobago.
Manning said he was very pleased that Chavez agreed to accept Trinidad and Tobago’s invitation to visit unofficially.
He said an unofficial visit, such as the one that took place last Friday/Saturday was different. “President Chavez came for dinner and we engaged in discussions on the energy sector and the promotion of energy cooperation between the two countries,” Manning said, adding that the discussions were successful.