AN ALLEGED kidnapper is likely to be State witness in the alleged murder of kidnap victim Darrell Chotoo, who was kidnapped for a $300,000 ransom from his El Socorro home on the morning of June 30.
Senior police officials told Newsday yesterday that while the 23-year-old Cap-de-Ville man will definitely be charged with Chotoo’s kidnapping, they have no evidence to charge him with the murder but that the man has information that can assist them with Chotoo’s alleged murder. Yesterday, the alleged kidnapper was taken to the Caroni area where he spent several hours with a party of North Eastern Division police officers trying to find Chotoo’s body. Chotoo’s body was not found and police say the corpse is likely to be in a lake off the Caroni River banks. The man — who was shot in the Wallerfield, Arima, area on July 16 and discharged Tuesday – along with the police are to return to the Caroni area today in another effort to find the body.
Police said they were told that Chotoo, 25, had died as a result of a bullet wound to the chest on the same day of the kidnapping. Following the revelation that Chotoo might be dead, police charged two men, Kasib “Jep” Celestine and Nicholas Smith with kidnapping Chotoo and demanding money by menaces respectively. Three other men, whose ages range between 19 and 28, of El Socorro and San Juan, were arrested last Thursday morning in connection with the Chotoo kidnapping. They were released on Saturday evening pending further investigations.
NATIONAL Security Minister Howard Chin Lee was yesterday confronted by Laventille residents, who said that the St Barb’s Police Post was a waste of time, while others asked if he could provide jobs for them.
Some of the residents also charged that yesterday’s walkabout was nothing but a gimmick and insisted that Chin Lee should talk to the people on a one-on-one basis. As the Minister, flanked by Acting Commissioner of Police Everald Snaggs and other members of the protective services walked through an area known as Palm Ville, a 25-year-old taxi driver complained that drivers in the area were being blamed innocently for certain crimes. He said taxi drivers could not tell who their passengers were. Chin Lee started to tell the man that there are four mobile units, including one in Laventille. But the man, surrounded by about six others did not wait for Chin Lee to complete his statement, asking what is the real purpose of the “station at the bottom of St. Barb’s.” “The police can’t do anything. You hear shots, people are dying right in front of the station. They do nothing. The police are there for no reason at all,” he said. The Minister and Snaggs then left promising to look at the situation. Snaggs later told reporters that the man’s observation was correct and said at one time the St Barb’s Police Post opened their doors at 5am and closed at 9pm. He said he has since instructed the post to be opened 24 hours a day, and that the strength has since been increased.
Reporters were told that people are afraid to give information to the police and that the authorities need to do something about a witness protection programme. Another resident, Latifah Ross, of Picton, said the only interesting thing about the walkabout was seeing Chin Lee. She said she was accustomed to seeing Army and Police officials, but admitted that she felt a bit safer, even though she described the area as a crime free one. She asked Chin Lee if he could assist her with employment. The Security Minister referred her to MP Fitzgerald Hinds. Another 55-year-old man who refused to give his name, for fear of victimisation, said of the walkabout: “This is what makes you feel sick. They looking at small people and feel they don’t have sense.” The man, who owns a parlour in the Desperadoes Community, was highly critical of a police Inspector he accused of attempting to treat him like a criminal, after the officer saw that he was selling beers. The man said the Inspector and others came to the shop to buy water. He suggested that the police go in the direction of the people who were bringing in guns and drugs.” The elderly man admitted that there were some delinquent children in the area, but said Chin Lee and the police need to come and talk to the people individually. “We not foolish and this (walkabout) will not change anything. It will only intimidate the law breakers,” he said, adding that the flying of helicopter all over the place was just wasting gas and taxpayers money.
A 43-YEAR-OLD Couva woman was supposed to have appeared before a Couva magistrate yesterday charged with wounding her 84-year-old husband, who was allegedly cut about his body with a hacksaw blade during an argument at their home on Tuesday night.
According to reports, the 84-year-old victim was engaged in a heated argument with his wife at their Hosein Street, Dow Village, California home around 7.30 pm. The elderly, frail man reportedly ran out of the two-storey house and into the yard. His wife, sources said, ran after him and after arming herself with a hacksaw blade, proceeded to slash and cut him about his head, chest, arms and stomach. The man’s screams of pain were heard by neighbours, who telephoned the Couva police. A wireless transmission was issued by officers at the station, which was picked up by a party of patrolling policemen led by Cpl Noel Corbett and including PCs Bissoon and Joseph. The officers reportedly had to break down an iron gate at the front of the house to enter the yard where they found the woman attacking her defenceless husband. The police pulled the woman off her husband and placed her under arrest. Officers also seized a bloodied hacksaw blade. The bleeding man was taken to the Couva District Hospital where he was treated for numerous minor cuts, and kept overnight for observation. He was released yesterday morning. The woman was subsequently charged with wounding by PC Joseph.
QUICK action yesterday morning by officers of the San Juan Sub Station resulted in the arrest of a man and the seizure of a .38 revolver and five live rounds of .38 ammunition.
The 22-year-old Long Circular man had only 20 minutes before held up and robbed Aufiad Baksh at his businessplace, Mount Hope Sawmill, of $973. The robbery occurred around 8.15 am and police sources said after the robbery, the perpetrator jumped into a red band maxi taxi which was heading in a westerly direction along the Eastern Main Road, in the vicinity of the Croisee. Police said PCs Timothy, Pitre and Carr of the San Juan Sub Station were on foot patrol duty on the Priority Bus Route, also in the vicinity of the Croisee. The officers then heard a broadcast on the wireless about the armed robbery in Mount Hope. Police said the three uniformed officers then crossed the PBR onto the Eastern Main Road, and intercepted a maxi taxi around 8.35am.
The alleged robber was held in the maxi taxi and the firearm and ammunition were reportedly found in his possession. A quantity of cash believed to be a portion of the stolen loot was also found. The suspect was arrested and first taken to the San Juan Police Station after which he was transported to the St Joseph Police Station. Officers of the San Juan Sub Station were high in praise for the three officers and suggested that they be rewarded for their keen powers of observation. Acting Cpl Bernard of the St Joseph Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is investigating.
THERE will be a strict recruiting process to ensure that no “bad elements” are among the 1000 retired police officers to be brought back into the police service as part of the new crime initiative.
National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee made the remark at the VMCOTT compound yesterday, after a near two-hour walkabout in the Laventille district, where he and a large entourage including acting Commissioner of Police, Everald Snaggs stopped on three occasions— at the Our Lady of Laventille RC, Desperadoes Panyard and Palm Ville. Chin Lee also told reporters that they have already started advertising for the positions of the 1000 retired officers. In fact, the Minister said, he believes that most of the 1000 will come from those who have applied to become police officers who are qualified and did not make the first batch.
The Security Minister also said that they have been getting good response from divisional Senior Superintendents for the return of retired officers. As a matter of fact, Chin Lee said, he has met and asked police association president acting Insp Christopher Holder for his opinion on the topic. “He (Holder) shared certain concerns, but we are getting their full co-operation, Chin Lee said. He also agreed with Snaggs that crime in the country was on the decline. Saying he did not have official figures to support his claim, Chin Lee, nontheless, said he has been told that there is a reduction in the number of homicides in the Laventille area, and it was largely due to the diligence as well as the mobile patrols in the area. Before he went to Laventille, Chin Lee had addressed Army and Police officials at the VMCOTT compound, Beetham Gardens, Laventille.
Chin Lee said the Inter Agency Task Force was formed three months ago, primarily to develop methods to decrease the crime situation in the identified “hot zone” of Morvant/Laventille. The Minister said personnel from the Police and Defence Force were called to participate in the exercises that involves 24-hour patrols, snap roadblocks and the seizure of firearms and ammunition. “Since the inception of the Task Force, significant inroads have been made in making residents feel safe once again,” Chin Lee said, telling members of the Joint Police Army Patrol (JPAP) that they are worthy of the uniforms they wear.
The Desalination Company of TT (Desalcott) yesterday commemorated its long-term financial agreement with Republic Finance and Merchant Bank (Fincor) with a press conference held at Desalcott’s headquarters, Pacific Avenue, Point Lisas Industrial Estate.
The conference, which was followed by a tour of the facility, served to highlight the US $112.2 million loan provided by Fincor for the construction of the final phase of the desalination plant. The plant, which has a total cost of US$150 million, is the largest reverse osmosis desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest in the world. It supplies desalinated sea water to the public water supply system primarily for industrial use in the Point Lisas Industrial Estate, thereby enhancing the regular supply of water for residential use to some 35,000 people. In his address to the gathering, Deputy Managing Director of Republic Bank Limited, David Dual-Whiteway noted that the involvement of Fincor in the project was proof that the Bank can add value to all chains of project financing. “This project,” he said, “represents a significant amount of financing. There has been no other project of this magnitude done locally.”
Fincor, he went on, arranged bridge financing of US $77 million to take the plant to completion. He said, “There were a lot of intricacies with respect to the financing of this project and we are gratified to see that we have reached this stage.” In expressing his gratitude to Republic Bank for its financial aid, Desalcott’s Executive Chairman, Hafeez Karamath, noted that the project had come a long way since its conceptual stage five years ago. “All we had then,” he stated, “was a piece of paper which said you have an agreement to build a desalination plant and provide the government of TT and its water agency WASA with an uninterrupted supply of water for the next 20 years.” This, he went on, has never been done before anywhere in the world. “No one has ever attempted to build a plant this size and one which uses this type of technology,” Karamath maintained. He thanked fellow shareholder, Ionics Inc, for its aid in the construction of the plant, noting that they had taken on a “humongous task.” Karamath revealed that since the plant was turned on, it has been running at its full capacity maintaining its contractual deliverables to WASA. WASA has a contract with Desalcott to purchase 109,090 cubic metres (24 million gallons) of water per day at a cost of approximately$4.46 per cubic metre.
Having shed itself of 11,000 workers, Government is giving the assurance, as it prepares the 2003/2004 Budget, that the newly created Sugar Manufacturing Company Limited would not be receiving the $600 million subvention to which Caroni Limited had grown accustomed.
“That will no longer obtain,” Minister of Agriculture John Rahael said yesterday, adding: “In fact, that is going to be substantially reduced to the extent that the country would be very pleased.” Rahael told Newsday that Government would be installing the Boards of the SMCL and the Rum Distillers Limited tomorrow at the Ministry of Finance at which time Board members would receive their instruments of appointments. Rahael said the first task of the SMCL would be to hire a Chief Executive Officer. It would then determine how many employees the company needs to carry out its operations — of purchasing, grinding, refining and the marketing of the cane grown by private farmers. Rahael said the Government had hired four security firms to keep the lands, equipment and buildings at the large Caroni estate secure. The SMCL is expected to assume control of the office building, the St Madeleine’s factory and the refinery.
Rahael said that the timing of the transition was perfect because this is the slow period for the factory. Normally at this time, the activity is in the cane fields, which the factory works from January to June. “So for those who were questioning the timing—[I say] we could not have chosen a better time,” he said. Rahael said the various mechanisms for helping the former Caroni workers were being put in place. He said Caroni Ltd and the transition management team were going through all the forms submitted by workers in which they indicated what they were interested in doing post-VSEP. “We will now meet with the agencies involved to set up these programmes,” he said. He said the core company, Caroni Ltd, was also handing queries from workers on their VSEP payments. Saying that all workers received at least part of the VSEP, Rahael said those who had their Certificates of Clearance from the Board of Inland Revenue got all their monies. Those who didn’t get their Certificate of clearance were given 50 percent of the VSEP. The certificate indicates how much tax, if any, the workers owe the government.
HAILED as a hero, lifesaver, best friend and beloved brother, friends and relatives did not spare praises as they bade a teary farewell to Mayaro lifeguard Andy Seeraj yesterday.
There was nary a dry eye as the hundreds who turned out for the funeral service at the Seeraj residence, St Ann’s Village, Mayaro, lamented that Seeraj had been snatched away in the prime of his life. And it seemed that even the heavens cried as a ten-minute downpour fell on mourners moments before the casket was to be taken in a street procession for internment at the nearby Radix Village Public Cemetery. The few villagers who were not in attendance at the large and emotional service came out of their homes along the Mayaro/ Guayaguayare Road and bowed in reverence as the solemn procession passed by.
Seeraj, 32, died on Sunday at the Mayaro District Hospital, hours after he was hit by a fishing boat while swimming at the Church Road beach. He reportedly stayed underwater for almost half an hour before a seine (net) was used to fish his body from the depths. Yesterday, his sisters, Wendy, Debbie and Pinky, would not leave the side of the casket during the three-hour service. The three siblings flanked the casket speaking their last thoughts to him, caressing his face and shedding tears unashamedly. Their mother, Sookrajee, kept mournful vigil in the background among other mourners. But as she viewed her only son’s body for the last time, relatives held onto her tightly to support her as she screamed out for her son. Seeraj’s colleagues in the lifeguard service, led by senior lifeguard Yusuff Ali, bore the casket through the street for their fallen colleague’s last journey along the Mayaro/ Guayaguayare Main Road towards the cemetery.
Lifeguard comrades from the Maracas/Las Cuevas district also made the journey to pay their respects, and joined in the procession. A representative from the Ministry of Sport was also present to express condolences to the Seeraj family. Wendy eulogised her brother as a multi-talented person, who gave his life, love and laughter to the Mayaro community, especially to those whom he risked his life to save in the Mayaro waters. “He was always smiling,” she cried, “and he died with that smile.” She also made mention of the special relationship he held with his pet dog, Tiger. “I am sure even Tiger is still in his heart today. That was the kind of person he was — kindhearted to everything and everybody.”
The Health Ministry is exploring the possibility of purchasing anti-retroviral drugs (ARV) from Guyana at a significantly reduced cost.
Health Minister Colm Imbert made this announcement at Hilton Trinidad yesterday while addressing the opening of a two-day meeting of health experts from TT and the University of Puerto Rico to explore areas of collaboration for AIDS research. Imbert said the initiative is the result of a meeting he held with the Guyanese Health Minister at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. Imbert said he was told that Guyana was manufacturing ARVs for people living with HIV/AIDS. The Guyanese government has a ten percent interest in a company manufacturing pharmaceuticals, among them ARVs. Imbert said the company was interested in doing business with TT and retailing their products. Imbert said the drugs must be of international standard (and passed by the Food and Drug Division) before becoming available locally. Imbert said this will allow for more people with HIV/AIDS to receive treatment.
Imbert said TT is the first in the Caribbean to provide free ARVs. The Medical Research Foundation (MRC) is providing this service for the Ministry and there are plans to establish centres providing ARVs throughout the country. The mother-to-child transmission programme initiated by the MRC is also being expanded. Imbert assured Director of the MRC, Professor Courtenay Bartholomew, that his Ministry would provide further financial assistance once proper documentation of proposals is provided. Dr Yasuhiro Yamamura, of the Ponce School of Medicine AIDS Research Programme, said the meeting was about defining what could be done. “Instead of waiting for tomorrow, we can decide what we can do now.” He hoped it would be a “first step.” The areas being explored for collaboration between the MRC and the University are basic sciences and epidemiology, clinical research and training and molecular diagnosis.
THE incidents of excavation work at the protected San Fernando Hills and clearing of the Oropouche wetlands continue to occupy the attention of the Legal Department (LD) of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).
Speaking to Newsday yesterday, EMA’s Corporate Communications Officer Neil Parsanlal said the LD has to meet with the initial investigators of both protected landmark sites to gain more information which would assist in the probe. Parsanlal went on to say, “The EMA wants to be extremely cautious in its deliberations because all our actions are open to review by the Environmental Commis-sion.” He added that while the present process being undertaken may be perceived as delays, the EMA preferred to “err on the side of caution.” Parsanlal also said the civilian parties in both cases under investigation are cooperating with the EMA officials. Around three months ago, excavation work at the foot of the San Fernando Hill was stopped by the City Corporation. It is believed that such work at the natural landmark is illegal. Attempts were being made to build a house there.
In the case of the Oropouche wetlands, nearly two months ago, vast areas of the protected wetlands were being flattened for the reported construction of a bitumen processing and cement ‘batching’ site. No Certificate of Environmental Clear-ance (CEC) was reportedly applied for by the persons clearing the wetlands, and as such the work was halted. A CEC must be given by the EMA for such work to be permitted. It is estimated that some eight to ten acres of lands have already been cleared. The national bird of Trinidad — the endangered and protected Scarlet Ibis — nests in and around the area that was being cleared. This has raised concern among environmentalists, who believe the bitumen processing and cement plant would adversely affect the eco-system and put more strain on the already endangered Scarlet Ibis as well as other species of flora and fauna.
