A Point Fortin man appeared before Port-of-Spain Magistrate Ejenny Espinet yesterday charged with the kidnapping of 29-year-old construction worker Darryl Chotoo.
Lester Solomon, 22, labourer, was charged for the June 30 kidnapping by PC Snaggs following consultation with Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson. Chotoo, father of one, was reportedly taken from his El Socorro home by armed men who forced their way into the house and threw the man into a waiting car. Solomon is the third to be charged in the matter as Kasib Celestine, 21, labourer, of Pelican Road Extension Morvant and Nicholas Smith, 18, unemployed, of Malick, Barataria, were charged last month. Celestine was granted bail in the sum of $150,000.
Solomon, who was unrepresented, was remanded in custody pending tracing of his criminal record. The matter was adjourned to today. Solomon was originally arrested on an outstanding warrant for the robbery of a gold Cuban ring, gold ID band, $300 in cash and a Honda motorcar together valued approximately $57,000. In addition he was charged together with another man for robbing San Juan resident Afizar Kaizar of $10,000 in cash at Backchain street, San Juan on July 5, 2003. He was charged for this offence by PC James of the San Juan Police Station. He is expected to appear before a Point Fortin magistrate on July 15, on the charges stemming from the robbery.
THE long-awaited start to a second inquest about the death of 11-year-old schoolboy Akiel Chambers did not get off the ground yesterday because the 16 witnesses had not been summoned by the court.
In fact, just two witnesses turned up at the Port-of-Spain Coroner’s Court at NIPDEC House yesterday — Valerie Pascall, aunt of the dead boy, and PC Clive Alvarez, the investigating officer. The court will inquire into the circumstances surrounding the death of Chambers, whose body was found in the swimming pool of businessman Charles James at Haleland Park, Maraval, on May 24, 1998. Akiel Chambers had gone to the Maraval residence to attend a birthday party for James’ daughter Carrie, when he disappeared. On April 19, 2000, Coroner Jai Narine ruled that Akiel’s death was as a result of an accidental drowning. The following month, the then Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mark Mohammed ordered a second inquest. After three years and nine adjournments, it was back on the court list.
When the matter was called at 9.55 am at NIPDEC House yesterday, Magistrate Marcia Thompson-Murray, sitting as Coroner, apologised for the late start, saying she did not have the services of a note-taker. Attorney Kenneth O’Brien, accompanied by Ronald Simon, informed the court that he was holding for Senior Counsel Desmond Allum and looking after the interest of the Chambers’ family. The Coroner called for all the witnesses, but only two had turned up. A third person, who said he was the uncle of the dead boy, also appeared although his name was not among the list of persons. The Coroner pointed out that summonses had not been served formally on the witnesses. But O’Brien said he was very concerned that this matter had not been able to start. He said when the matter was adjourned on the last occasion — May 10, it was recommended that the inquest begin on the next occasion.
A 73-YEAR-OLD pensioner was among a group of nine persons who appeared before a Chaguanas Magistrate to answer charges of possession of cocaine, hidden in bars of soap. All nine, are said to be related to each other.
However, moments after having the charge read to her, to which she pleaded not-guilty, pensioner Polly Gangaram and seven of the accused persons, were freed after the ninth accused — Larry Tewarie — pleaded guilty and was subsequently fined $5,500 or in default, serve two years imprisonment with hard labour. The nine accused persons included Polly Gangaram, Bob Gangaram, Kamla Gangaram, Shalamar Mohammed, Shiraz Mohammed, Ashuna Balkaran, Shelly Laurie, Christopher Tewarie and Larry Tewarie. Their ages ranged from 15 to 73. The nine appeared before First Court Magistrate, Nanette Forde-John. While the charge was being read to the accused person, the elderly woman’s hands shook and she had to be held by her co-accused. When it came his turn to plea, 29-year-old Larry Tewarie, admitted that it was he who had the cocaine and would assume full responsibility for the illegal narcotics.
The other accused persons including the pensioner, were freed of the charge and allowed to leave the court room. Some of them were seen wiping away tears, as they left the court. None of them spoke to Newsday. The court heard evidence from prosecutor WP Cpl Corbett-Mohammed who said that around 4.30 pm on Sunday, a team of Chaguanas CID officers led by detective Sgt Ajith Persad, went to a mini-mart located at the front of a dwelling house at Amaroo Singh Street, Chaguanas and carried out a search for dangerous drugs. The officers examined ten bars of scented soap, which they discovered was hollow and contained a small quantity of cocaine stored in foil paper. In all, the police seized 4.1 grammes of the illegal drug. After the evidence was presented to the court, Tewarie was fined $5,500 by Magistrate Forde-John who ordered him to pay $2,000 forthwith, and the rest within 21 days.
A TOTAL of 21 charges have been laid against five people in connection with an alleged false kidnapping report. It involved the alleged kidnapping of a 17-year-old Curepe girl for a $20,000 ransom, police sources said.
Yesterday, senior officers of the Anti Kidnapping Squad (AKS) and Northern Division said they would not be surprised if other kidnappings in the country were staged. However, AKS sources told Newsday that follow-up kidnapping investigations are yet to prove this. The $20,000 ransom demand was paid by the girl’s father, who police said is likely to be one of the key witnesses in the State’s case against the five people, whose ages range between 17 and 23. All five have been charged with wasteful employment of police time; conspiracy to defraud; obtaining $20,000 by false pretences, while the man who reportedly called the girl’s father for the ransom has been placed on an additional charge—-demanding money by menaces. The charges were laid yesterday by PC Nirmal Ramjattan of the St Joseph Criminal Investigations Department (CID), after consultations with Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Carla Browne-Antoine. They are due to appear before a Tunapuna Magistrate today to answer the charges. The five were arrested at the weekend in the Curepe and Tunapuna areas after intense investigations by Insp Michael Modeste, Sgt Don Lezama and PC Ramjattan of the St Joseph CID. The girl was allegedly kidnapped on July 21 while walking along a road in Curepe. She was then dropped off at Carmody Street, St Augustine four days later, after the $20,000 was paid. During her time in captivity, police said the alleged kidnappers had threatened to kill the teenager if the ransom was not paid, and AKS sources said the money was split among the five, all of whom reportedly confessed to staging the kidnapping.
TWO policemen who responded to a domestic dispute in Oropouche, ended up becoming victims of violence, when the arguing husband and his wife set aside their quarrel and turned on the surprised officers, beating them and ripping the uniform of one of the officers early yesterday morning.
However, Constables George and Baney swiftly recovered from their shock and regained control of the situation, placing the couple under arrest. The officers received minor cuts and bruises during the scuffle. The husband was subsequently charged with resisting arrest and using obscene language against a police officer while his wife was charged with malicious damage, for ripping PC George’s uniform. According to reports, around 1 am yesterday, Oropouche police received a report of an altercation in progress at Old Southern Main Road, St Mary’s Village, Oropouche. Upon arriving at the house, PCs George and Baney reportedly found the husband “cursing” his woman.
According to reports, when the officers attempted to subdue the man, he turned his obscenities on them. The man began to struggle as police tried to arrest him. His wife soon joined in the melee and tried to rescue her husband, as she attempted to pull the officers from him. In the process PC George’s uniform was torn. The couple was eventually arrested and taken to Oropouche police station where they were charged. They are expected to appear before a Siparia magistrate today.
Gunshots were fired at three police officers of the West End Police Station early Sunday morning in Diego Martin. In a separate incident later that day a man was held with a fully loaded .38 revolver, police sources said yesterday.
A 30-year-old Diego Martin man was held following the shooting at the three officers——PCs Mitchell, Jattan and Nelson. He was due to appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate yesterday to answer three counts of shooting with intent. Charges were laid by Cpl Rivas. According to reports, the three officers were in a marked jeep on enquiries at Kelly Street, Diego Martin, around 2am Sunday. Police said the officers saw a grey Hyundai Elantra vehicle. As the officers approached the vehicle in their marked police jeep, police said the Elantra sped off and subsequently ended up in a dead end. The four occupants jumped out and opened fire on the three officers, who returned fire. No one was injured in the shootout and police said three of the suspects fled the scene, while the driver was apprehended. In the other incident a gun was seized.
A Morvant man accused of killing 22-year-old Andre Linsay appeared yesterday before Port-of-Spain Magistrate David Harris charged with assaulting an officer while in custody.
Nigel “Duffo” Mayers, 30, unemployed, of Pelican Road Extension, Morvant, was charged with assaulting PC David Westfield, officer assigned to the Court, in the execution of his duties. The charge was laid by Cpl Dowlatt who is also assigned to the Court. Mayers, represented by defence attorney Joseph Melville, pleaded not guilty to the charge.The scuffle began while prisoners were leaving the 4th Court after having their matters adjourned by Magistrate Melvin Daniel. The silence of the court was broken by the shouts of one of the prisoners. The melee then began as PC Beard, PC Timothy, PC Westfield and Cpl Dowlatt attempted to subdue the prisoner. Loud banging and muffled obscene utterances could be heard. Officers had a battle on their hands before Mayers was subdued.
Magistrate Daniel immediately rose and stood down the Court proceedings. The fray, which lasted approximately one minute, ended with the intervention of officers assigned to other courts. When Mayers, who reportedly has a bullet lodged in his left side, appeared yesterday evening he walked with a distinct limp and his right eye appeared to be swollen as it constantly twitched. PC Westfield was treated and discharged after sustaining a minor bruise on his face. Newsday was informed that there was unusual difficulty in controlling prisoners yesterday as there were over 80 prisoners and approximately 20 officers assigned to the court. The matter was adjourned to August 18. Mayers was involved in another scuffle with police as he was being led into the prisoners’ escort vehicle at around 6.45 last night.
OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday yesterday expressed deep regret over the resignation of Garvin Nicholas as his legal counsel.
In a letter to Panday yesterday, Nicholas said: “On recent reflection and examination of the course of my life, I have come to the conclusion that on my present path, I may not realise my goals in a way that serves myself, or my country. I believe the time has come for me to explore alternative avenues of service that may bring me closer to achieving my goals. “You would also appreciate that these goals were the driving force behind my return to Trinidad and Tobago. “It would be quite unfair of me to seek to continue in the capacity as counsel to the Leader of the Opposition in my present state of mind. As such, I humbly tender my resignation effective August 31, 2003.” Nicholas also indicated that the events of July 7, when he was robbed of his car and important documents at gun-point, also played a factor in his decision.
Panday told Newsday that while he was saddened about Nicholas’ resignation, it came as no surprise to him. The UNC leader said Nicholas had spoken to him on previous occasions about wanting to go back into private practice. He denied that Nicholas’ resignation had anything to do with problems the attorney had with anyone in his office, or within the UNC. Panday said during his time with the party, Nicholas made a significant contribution, and will be sorely missed. Nicholas unsuccessfully tried to wrest the Diego Martin East seat away from Health Minister Colm Imbert in the 2001 general elections and was undertaking a one-man review of the UNC’s Constitution. The party is now reviewing its constitution under a team led by UNC elections officer Dr Tim Gopeesingh, in anticipation of internal elections either later this year or in early 2004.
THE FAILURE of President George Maxwell Richards to appoint a new Integrity Com-mission brings into question his suitability for the Presi-dency of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. This was the claim yesterday from former Senate President Michael Williams.
Williams recalled that when Richards was elected Presi-dent, he (Richards) said he had been apolitical all his life and this would be “a credit to his Presidency”. “In my judgment however, it was his greatest liability and disqualification, rendering him very susceptible to manipulation by diabolical politicians. I did not consider that Richards had a sufficient appreciation of our Constitu-tion and expected that the politicians would run rings around him,” he said. Williams stressed it was Richards’ duty to maintain the Integrity Commission and the President “does not act on the advice of the Prime Minister” in appointing members of the Commission. “Instead, it is one of his few prerogatives exercisable ‘in his own discretion’ after consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The final decision is his, and no consultation with the Prime Minister or anyone, can justify Richards’ failure to make the appointments, thus terminating the constitutionally-established Integrity Commission,” he added. Newsday understands that three persons will be appointed to the Commission tomorrow at President’s House.
UWI Professor, Dr Basil Reid has found 2000-year-old archaeological evidence (namely a communal family hut) of the Saladoid peoples, located on Blanchisseuse’s Marion Estate archaeological site.
“Our work has been the most extensive to date, but it’s certainly of tremendous national importance,” said Jamaican-born Dr Reid. “This is one of the few Saladoid sites to be identified along the North Coast of TT, Trinidad specifically. What we found were remnants of an actual communal fireplace along with pottery and stone carvings. This find pre-dates the Caribs and Arawaks, in that it goes hundreds of years before them.” The origins of the Saladoid peoples (so named after the archaeological site Saladero in Venezuela) can be traced to the banks of the Orinoco, and they had migrated to TT via that route. These were the first pottery making people to settle in Trinidad and Tobago, with a time line that goes from 250 BC to 600AD. Evidence shows that the Saladoids had established communities and lived in villages comprising of large extended families. “This is a watershed discovery,” said an elated Dr Reid.
“We believe that Marion Estate, along with Manzanilla (along the east coast of Trinidad) are two prime examples of this type of identifiable village layout, based on testing done over the years. To date, Trinidad has one of the oldest archaeological sites, located in Banwarie Trace, discovered in 1969. However, this newest find is a very important watershed site in terms of heritage and culture, as their pottery is more complex, using red slip (red clay mixed with water) and they practiced white on red paintings using kaolin (a white mineral clay) and ochre (a mineral oxide).” The Marion Estate archaeological site has been known since the 1950’s and was discovered by HC Potter, who stumbled upon it while the Paria Main Road was being widened. Since that time, occasional archaeological excavations have been carried out in the estate since 1961, 1980 and 1999, when a group of Americans were here doing some limited work. At present, the property is owned by Joseph Elias, of Nagib Elias and Sons. It is hoped that at the end of the project that the artefacts found will be used to create a permanent museum in Chag-uaramas, so people can get a chance to learn about archaeology and history of TT.
