The three Tobago fishermen who were reported missing after going fishing out of Pigeon Point on June 26 have been reportedly rescued off the Mexican coast. The men were said to have been rescued by the Mexico Coast Guard some time between Monday and early yesterday. The wife of one of the missing men — two Tobagonians and a Trinidadian — said she was informed early yesterday. Anil “Buss Head” Ramsook, Joseph Ramkisoon and a man said to be from Sangre Grande identified only as “Killer” were reportedly hospitalised in Mexico in serious condition. It was also reported that “Killer” was in critical condition while the other two were stable.
Officials of the TT Coast Guard were yesterday morning reported to be trying to make contact with their Mexican counterparts to establish official, positive confirmation of the rescue. The men were reported missing when they did not return after going on a fishing expedition out of Swallows Bay, Pigeon Point, aboard “Sea Eagle”, a 32-ft pirogue powered by two 85hp outboard engines, registration TFT 1338. They have not been seen since, and a search was mounted by the TT Coast Guard. Regional authorities, including Venezuela’s Guardia Nacional, were put on the alert.
The search was suspended after about two weeks, and the regional marine authorities were asked to remain on the look-out for the missing vessel and its three-man crew. In an interview with Newsday on July 2, the pregnant wife of one of the fishermen — who had asked that neither she nor her husband and, in fact none of the missing men, be identified — reported she had heard from her husband of three years via his cellphone on the evening of June 26 when told her they were heading home. They were supposed to have been fishing in the “shallows” off Pigeon Point. Hours later, she had also told Newsday, she got a message from a friend who told her that her husband had called to say they had experienced engine failure.
A MINISTER of religion is the new Chairman of the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corpo-ration. He is Dr Jeffrey Reyes, 38. Councillor Reyes was unanimously elected yesterday to head the Corporation. The Deputy Chairman is Coun-cillor Richard Walcott. The Chief and his Deputy were sworn in on Monday at a ceremony held at the Corporation’s headquarters at Aranguez, San Juan. Councillor Reyes, who is a pastor with the Pentecostal Prosperity Cathedral, represents the electoral district of Morvant/Upper Malick. He said he is resigning his job as an officer of a Cocorite Credit Union to devote his energies to serving his burgesses. He will also serve as the Chairman of the Finance Committee of his Corporation.
In a short address, Reyes said he will concentrate his efforts at eradicating poverty, and social development. In the area of crime, he said he will be working closely with State agencies to get rid of the menace and his programme will focus on depressed areas. Also on his agenda will be an attack on illegal structures in his electoral district. He sent out the message: “When we are elected to serve, we become accountable to those who put us in office.” Lizanne Boland and Joanne Thomas were sworn in as aldermen at the ceremony. Minister in the Ministry of Community Development, Eulalie James — the Parliamentary representative for Laventille West, which incorporates the San Juan/Laventille Region — attended the ceremony.
Wendell Clarke will appear before a judge and jury at the Port-of-Spain High Court to stand trial for the murder Steve “Sadist”Carry. Clarke, 30, of East Dry River, Port-of-Spain, is charged with murdering the 41-year-old father of five at Nelson Street, Port-of-Spain, on December 14, 2002. Carry died as a result of gunshot wounds to his back and foot. The preliminary inquiry, which began on April 27, came to an end yesterday when Phillip “Satan” Adams, a mechanic from St Margaret’s Lane, Belmont, gave evidence under the direction of State attorney George Busby. Adams was cross-examined by defence attorney Richard Mason. There were no closing submissions by either attorney.
Clarke told Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls that he did not wish to say anything in his defence but will give the particulars of his alibi to the Director of Public Prosecutions within 10 days. Mc Nicolls then informed the man that he was satisfied that a prima facie case had been made against him and that he would stand trial at the next sitting of the Port-of-Spain Assizes. Clarke was involved in a violent dispute with police officers as he was being taken into the prison escort vehicle.
THE Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) will soon have to pay for delivering poor, sub-standard service to customers. The utility will have to compensate householders and businesses with a rebate of up to 15 percent of their monthly water bill if, for example, their supply is cut when it is supposed to be running, unless WASA can prove it gave advanced warning of the cut in supply. The crackdown on the utility to ensure it maintains proper standards is an initiative of the Regulated Industries Commission (RIC). A release from the RIC said, under the RIC Act 1998, it is empowered to set and enforce standards. However before it seeks to enforce the measures, it has adopted a policy to seek consultation from the public on the issue. The RIC said not only will WASA be forced to comply and deliver quality service, but also TTEC and other utilities. It said there will be two classes of quality of service standards: “guaranteed” standards which the service provider must meet or face penalties and, “overall” standards which will establish the level of quality of service which the utilities are expected to deliver. The RIC said details of the 18 standards which pertain to WASA will be published for public comment in all three daily newspapers this week. It stated that half of the 18 are “guaranteed” standards, of which violation will trigger compensation in the form of rebates to affected customers.
The other nine will be deemed “overall” standards, which are not subject to compensation but which will require WASA to maintain a certain level of performance in various areas of its operations. Among the “guaranteed” standards are that the WASA supply must be restored within 72 hours after cuts or lock-offs; truck-borne water must be provided within four hours if a pipe-borne interruption lasts more than 72 hours; broken supply pipes must be repaired within 24 hours if the leak is heavy or, can cause damage and seven days if it is a light or medium leak. The RIC said it was sensitive to the various reasons why WASA received many queries and service complaints, but as a regulator, its position was that “no improvements will take place if standards are not set, implemented and aggressively monitored.” Copies of the standards will be available from the RIC’s offices, Furness Building, Corner Wrightson Road and Independence Square, Port-of-Spain, on the RIC website www.ric.org.tt or by calling 625-5348 and 627-0821. Deadline for receiving comments on the standards is August 25. Comments can be forwarded by e-mail to ricooffice@ric.org.tt or by fax at 624-2027, or by mail to the RIC.
AN accusation that he touched a 16-year-old girl’s hand, is believed to have led to the murder of a 41-year-old Princes Town mason who on Monday night succumbed to a stab wound. He had been warded at the San Fernando General Hospital. However, grieving relatives of murder victim Lincoln Teesedale, of Teesedale Trace, Fifth Company Village, claim it was a case of mistaken identity which led to the fatal stabbing. Teesedale died six days after being stabbed by the teenaged girl’s boyfriend. The deceased was the father of two girls and a boy — Kalifer, 17, Kareem, 16, and Latifah, 13. Roy Lee Teesedale, brother of the deceased, said the fatal stabbing took place a stone’s throw away from the Teesedale residence, and happened in the presence of several relatives.
Since the incident, police said, the 22-year-old suspect has been on the run. However, Teesedale’s relatives said the suspect had been seen around the village. Up to late yesterday no arrests had been made and the Barrackpore police are continuing investigations.
Veta Layne was yesterday committed by Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls to stand trial for the murder of her 93-year-old mother. Layne, 59, was charged with the December 2, 2002, murder of Doris Layne at Brunton Road, St James. She was also charged with unlawfully and maliciously setting fire to the dwelling house of Simone, Brisanne and Adrian Webb. The charges were laid by Sgt Nandram Moonilal of the St James CID. On the morning of December 2, 2002, fire officers reportedly went to the Layne family home and found the house afire. Doris Layne was found in a bedroom on the south-western part of the building. She had left her bedroom in a bid to escape the blaze but got trapped in the room shared by her son and his family. A post-mortem report stated that Layne, who was burnt beyond recognition, died from smoke inhalation. The other members of the household, including Doris Layne’s son John, managed to escape the fire unharmed.
Moonilal gave evidence yesterday under the direction of State attorney George Busby. The sargeant was the last of 13 witnesses to give evidence in the matter. There were no closing submissions by either the State or defence. Mc Nicolls then cautioned the accused, gave her notice of alibi and asked if she wished to call any witnesses to give evidence on her behalf. With the assistance of attorney Richard Mason, Layne indicated that she wished to give particulars of her alibi to the Director of Public Prosecutions within the given 10-day period. Magistrate Mc Nicolls then informed Layne that he was satisfied that a prima facie case had been made against her and that she would stand trial at the next sitting of the High Court.
ACTING President of the Police Social and Welfare Second Division Association PC Cedric Neptune escaped death early Sunday morning and thanked the Almighty yesterday for giving him a second lease on life. Neptune, attached to the Southern Homicide Department, was pulled out of his B14 Nissan Sentra vehicle about five minutes before it exploded on the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway. Neptune, also a lawyer, suffered a left broken shoulder bone and up to late evening said he had blurry vision in the left eye. Police reports are that around 3.45 am Sunday, Neptune was travelling in a southernly direction on the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway. Approximately one mile from the Indian Trail Flyover, police said Neptune lost control of his vehicle, which skidded for about 200 metres then crashed into a concrete slab.
Police said Neptune was trapped in the vehicle, but was subsequently pulled out by a passerby, who was proceeding in the same direction but stopped on seeing the accident. “About five minutes after (being pulled out) the car caught fire,” Neptune said when Newsday interviewed him from his home via telephone. Police said Neptune was then transported to the San Fernando General Hospital while the burnt vehicle was taken to the Couva Police Station. Neptune was first listed in serious condition but was discharged from the institution Sunday evening. “I don’t know what happened. I just ran off the road and struck a concrete slab,” Neptune said. He added that his car overturned several times. Neptune said when the car stopped, he made attempts to locate his cellphone but the man who came to his rescue urged him to get out of the vehicle.
“He (passerby) told me the car was going to burn,” Neptune said, adding: “Thank God I was able to walk away from it. I am very grateful for life,” he said. Neptune said he will be able to resume active duty later this week since he was told by doctors not to aggravate the injured shoulder. He has been holding on for Association President Acting Insp Christopher Holder who is on a two-week course and is due back on Saturday. Association Secretary Noel Chase was unavailable for comment, while Treasurer Terrence Pierre said any assistance needed by Neptune will be given by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).
The Ministry of Education, through its School Intervention Strategies (SIS) Unit and School Security Team, continues to emphasise security in both primary and secondary schools. As a testament to this fact, 282 primary schools are being provided with security personnel and infrastructural upgrading to the tune of $63.4 million, the Education Ministry revealed Monday. In a release, the Ministry said these developmental works included the rebuilding and securing of perimeter fences, burglar proofing of high-risk areas in schools, securing water tanks, replacing wooden floors and the installation of security lights in strategic areas. Security personnel and infrastructural works are expected to be completed at an additional 60 schools (sixth phase) during the 2003/2004 school term at an additional cost of $12.6 million. Work on the remaining 200 primary schools is expected to be completed by September 2006. The Ministry was proud to report that since the introduction of security measures in schools, there have not been any reports of violence.
The SIS Security Team — led by Hatim Gardner, Manager of the Rudranath Capildeo Learning Resource Centre (RCLRC) — are working to implement strategies to prevent students from carrying weapons into schools, as well as prevent the manufacturing of them in workshops and laboratories. The SIS Committee overseeing the implementation of the programme for security in schools include representatives of the Ministry of Education, TTUTA, the NPTA, Secondary School principals, community police and MTS. The SIS Unit was established to combat the increase in violence and indiscipline in schools through programmes that seek to enhance school security, change the culture of the classroom, establish student councils, facilitate behaviour modification initiatives and the training of teachers in conflict resolution.
FOUR MONTHS after it was first launched, the fledgling Guardian Angels group continues to be unfairly maligned by the Government and certain sections of the wider population in Trinidad and Tobago. This was the profound sadness expressed yesterday by the Angels’ founder, Barataria/San Juan MP Dr Fuad Khan. Khan told Newsday that since the Angels’ were formed in March, their effectiveness has been limited due to the meagre resources they are able to receive from private individuals. The United National Congress MP said the present scenario was due in large part to the unfair judgment passed upon the Angels by the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) and others. Khan also lamented that up to today, his request to former Police Commissioner Hilton Guy for the Angels to receive special training (including training in the use of firearms) seems to have fallen on deaf ears. “I feel sick. I expected nothing else. Anything that is a UNC idea. Crapaud smoke yuh pipe,” he said.
Khan also revealed that he felt deeply wounded when Gover-nment injected $3 million into the CrimeStoppers programme and could not at least give the Guardian Angels equal consideration in terms of funding. He observed that while people were now talking about neighbourhood watch groups as mechanisms to fight crime, the UNC had been talking about that for the last five months. The UNC parliamentarian declared that notwithstanding the opposition against the Angels,’ the group has been continuing its patrols in Barataria/San Juan. He said the size of the pilot group has not grown from the 15 persons it started off with in March and groups in other UNC constituencies have not been working as well as the Barataria/San Juan unit. Khan also said the Angels were not providing security for members of the San Juan Businessmen’s Association who placed themselves under a curfew in light of the crime situation and disclosed that he received a request from people in St Clair to establish a Guardian Angels group there.
Grieving relatives of Krishna Santokhie, the country’s 109th road fatality, is calling on Minister of Health Colm Imbert to order an immediate investigation into the four-hour delay by the District Medical Officer to view Santokhie’s body on Monday. Sarika Santokhie, the daughter of the dead man, described as “disgusting” the failure by the authorities to ensure that the body of her father was viewed shortly after his death and removed to the mortuary. She said that the body of her father was left in his car for more than four hours before it was removed. Santokhie died around 10 am and his body was viewed only around 2 pm. Relatives of the dead man said that they stood in pouring rain awaiting the arrival of the DMO and became frustrated when they were told that no DMO could be contacted. “It was like a big circus with passing motorists slowing down their vehicles to view the body in the car and with no word from the authorities when the body would be removed,” said a greiving relative.
Santokhie, a father of two, died instantly when the green mini which he was driving skidded off the roadway and crashed into a light pole at the Churchill Roosevelt Highway in the vicinity of the WASA Waterworks. The fatal accident caused a massive traffic pile up. Aklima Santokhie, the wife of the deceased, arrived on the scene in pouring rain and cried openly after viewing the body of her husband in the car. The grieving woman was too distraught to say aything yesterday but she is contemplating seeking legal advice on the matter as she shares the sentiments of her daughter. The funeral for Santokhie will take place at his San Juan home on Saturday and cremation will be at the Shore Of Peace.
