THE Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) yesterday ordered the suspension of voting in the Balmain/Esperanza/Forres Park district, after a mix-up in the ballots occurred at one station in the district. In a statement, the EBC said voting was suspended at Polling Station 3225-1 at the Claxton Bay AC School after it was discovered that the wrong ballot papers were used. The EBC said the candidates contesting the election in that district and their respective party officials were informed, and an investigation into the matter is underway.
The Commission advised that all persons with surnames starting with the letters A to L whose names are on the list of electors for Polling Station 3225-1 will be allowed to vote today from 6 am to 6 pm. This includes 108 electors who had voted before the error was discovered. The Commission expressed its apologies to the electors and candidates concerned for this error and appealed to employers to facilitate the voting process. Nalisa John is contesting the seat for the PNM while Shaffimoon Taj is the UNC candidate for the area.
A 23-year-old Laventille man who confessed to four murders in the Laventille and Morvant districts was charged yesterday following consultation with Director of Public Prosections Geoffrey Henderson. The man was detained by homicide officers over the weekend and reportedly confessed to the killings. He gave statements to homicide officers who sought guidance from the DPP yesterday. The man was charged with the murders of Kirt Rosal and Julien De Gannes who were gunned down on May 30 while viewing a card game at Laventille. Reports revealed that the gunman opened fire on the group of men involved in the card game. The bullets struck Rosal and De Gannes who subsequently died from multiple gunshot injuries. Their families insisted that they were innocent bystanders and were not involved in any gangs. The suspect also confessed to the murder of 35-year-old James La Rode, who was shot dead while walking along Pashley Street, Laventille on February 9. La Rode was described as a gang member and his death was also linked to a revenge killing.
Homicide sources also revealed that the murder accused also gave a statement that he shot and killed Trevor Bermudez, 32, alias Yankee, at Morvant on June 11. Police reports revealed that around 12.20 am on June 11, several shots were heard from Bermudez’s home at Pelican Extension, Morvant. A neighbour of the deceased made a check and discovered Bermudez’s body. That killing was also described as gang related. Police Commissioner Hilton Guy was high in praise of the homicide officers for their breakthrough in securing the confessions and solving four murders. The investigation was spearheaded by Supt Victor. Also yesterday, homicide officers arrested and charged two Penal men for the murder of Sunil Ganga. Ganga was killed on Sunday night and later hung with a rope to make it appear suicidal.
THE BODY of Vernol De Bique, a 17-year-old teenager who went missing, was discovered in a latrine pit at the side of the house where he was staying at Dundonald Hill, Long Circular. Reports revealed that the teenager was staying with two friends and a woman at a house located at Dundonald Hill. When he went missing 11 days ago, a report was made to the St James Police Station. Around 11 am yesterday, a man was alerted by an unusual stench emanating from the area of the latrine. A check was made and De Bique’s decomposed body was discovered. Officers of the St James Police Station were alerted and a party of officers led by Snr Supt Quashie and others went to the scene along with a District Medical Officer. The decomposed body was removed from the pit to the side of the latrine. Scores of residents gathered at the scene of the discovery to catch a glimpse of the body. Vernold De Bique, the father of the dead teenager, told Newsday that the last time he saw his son alive was on Friday July 4. He added that his son said hello to him and then went on his way.
According to De Bique, he never thought that the life of his son was in danger when he was reported missing. He added that he is still unsure whether his son was murdered, or he died an accidental death. Police investigators told Newsday that three persons have been questioned in connection with the death. An autopsy will be carried out today to determine the cause of death. Police are working on information that De Bique and two others were playing with a shotgun which accidently went off. They believe that after De Bique was shot, his body was dumped into the latrine pit.
SEVERAL changes are being made within the executive of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) as two senior executive members go on pre-retirement leave from today, senior officers told Newsday yesterday. Not only has Deputy Commissioner of Police Everald Snaggs moved up the ranks to Acting Commissioner of Police (CoP) for the outgoing Hilton Guy, but Assistant Commissioner of Police (Tobago), Glen Roach, has been promoted to acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, replacing Snaggs. Roach may have to hold two hats until Homicide head, Sr Supt James Philbert, returns from England where he is on a training programme. Philbert is expected to act as Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Crime on his return. Assistant Commissioner of Police (South) Peter John will also join Guy in pre-retirement today. John will hand over to former South Western head, Sr Supt Dennis Graham, who has 37 years’ service. Graham, 55, has an extensive educational background. He has achieved education at the Master’s level and has completed several diverse short courses, including business law and project management. He yesterday confirmed his promotion and said he was informed last Thursday. “I am looking forward to it,” Graham said, pointing out that the Police Service has several qualified First Division officers. “I am one of them,” he said.
Also expected to join the executive is Sr Supt Curtis Lloyd, who will act as ACP, but sources said they can’t say in what capacity as yet. Lloyd is based at the Police Training College. Sources also said that Supt Paulimos Alfonso of the Southern Division will move one step up to act as Sr Supt of the South Western Division, replacing Graham. Late yesterday, the Ministry of Public Administration issued a press release to announce the appointment of Deputy Commissioner Snaggs as the Acting Police Commissioner. Snaggs joined the Police Service on May 6, 1963 and eight years later was promoted to Corporal. He moved up the ranks to the post of sergeant in December 1973, to Inspector in November 1978, Assistant Superintendent in December 1982, Superintendent in January 1987, and to Snr Supt in 1989. Three years later he was promoted, this time to Assistant Commissioner in December 1992. His appointment as Deputy Commissioner came in July 1998.
BOTH THE People’s National Movement (PNM) and the United National Congress (UNC) yesterday hurled accusations against each other with respect to the conduct of the Local Government Elections for the Chaguanas Borough Corporation. The PNM through Senator Satish Ramroop who is the co-ordinator for the campaign to make a breakthrough in the Chaguanas Borough said that the UNC was guilty of placing posters within 100 yards of polling stations at Edinburgh and Longdenville, and that was reported to the Police. The matter was eventually straightened out. Ramroop said that at Lange Park both Manohar Ramsaran (MP for Chaguanas) and Gopaul Boodhan, former Deputy Mayor of the Borough, were complaining that there were also PNM posters hanging around within 100 yards of polling stations, but Ramroop denied such an accusation saying “that we have been fighting a clean campaign, and we will surprise the UNC in this part of Trinidad. We sent out a crew to scrutinise the area and to make sure that all PNM posters within 100 yards of any polling station were removed forthwith,” he added. Ramroop said, “We want free and fair elections without any problems whatsoever.”
He explained that there was a mock station at Felicity controlled by the UNC, and this was reported to the Police who eventually measured the distance of the mock station to the Polling Station, and had it removed. Ramroop said that at every election, mock stations were set up outside polling stations. They were allowed to operate so long as they conformed to the regulations of being outside the 100 yards distance. Ramroop assured that “all our mock stations have been set up outside the 100 yards distance to be of assistance to voters who may not be totally knowledgeable about the voting procedure, and that is quite a normal practice.” He did explain, however, that the UNC mock stations were set up also to misdirect PNM supporters as to where they were to cast their votes. He viewed it as an attempt to frustrate and delay voting patterns for the day. “It is a calculated measure on the part of the UNC to deter PNM voters from casting their votes,” he said. ‘In our case we help the voters, and whoever they vote for is their business. All that we attempt to do is to provide a service,” Ramroop said.
He said that the voting pattern for the morning session had been at a quick pace “and we hope to win about five Seats in the Borough. If we capture so many then that is the end of the UNC in Central Trinidad. “In any case,” he said, “if we win three or four seats this would be considered a major breakthrough in Chaguanas where we have concentrated a great deal during the campaign. If the people listen carefully to what we have been saying as a party, then we are certain to destroy the stranglehold the UNC has on the people in central Trinidad.” Ramroop said the PNM was already holding the Enterprise South through Ronald Heera, but the “UNC-controlled corporation had not been performing satisfactorily. He said it is time that they be removed from office and pass on the mantle of responsibility to the PNM, who could deliver what we promise.” “The support we have been getting in Chaguanas is tremendous, and if at the end of the day we gain control of the Chaguanas Borough it would be a clear message to the UNC that they are no longer seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.” He denied that the PNM had any part in vandalising the home and the car of the former Deputy Mayor of Chaguanas Gopaul Boodhan. He said “we even went there to express our sympathy and to explain that we are no part in acts of thuggery.”
Manohar Ramsaran, who is the UNC co-ordinator of the Local Government Elections for the Chaguanas Borough, said that Rana Persad the UNC candidate for the Longdenville area, found PNM banners within 100 yards at the polling station at the Longdenville Govern-ment school. The matter was reported to Central Divisional Police, and the matter had since been rectified. “There were many other reports of intimidation and PNM mock stations being too close to Polling Stations. He said “we were very pro-active in solving the problems with the assistance of the police,” Ramsaran said. Ramsaran further explained that in the Longdenville area a known supporter of the UNC was offered $200 to vote for the PNM “and this was very disturbing.” He said the matter was reported to the Chaguanas police. He felt that the media should also highlight the problem “and if I am to make a prediction we will win all eight Seats in the Chaguanas Borough, including the Enterprise South Electoral District which is being held by the PNM at the present time. The UNC he said has a strong candidate there, in addition to the party running “a splendid campaign” to woo voters. If by chance the PNM win the Chaguanas Borough, I will be the first one to congratulate them,” Ramsaran said. Mayor of Chaguanas Orlando Nagessar said that it came to his notice that CEPEP workers were intimidating UNC supporters in certain key areas in the Borough, and “we have reported it to the Chaguanas police. But no matter what they do, the Chaguanas Borough belongs to the UNC, and we will keep it that way until eternity,” Nagessar said, “despite what the PNM through Satish Ramroop had attempted to achieve during the Election Campaign.”
Returning officers along the East/West Corridor at 12.50 pm yesterday reported that although the voting process was slow, it was “steady and incident free.” Returning officer for the San Juan West/Caledonia/Morvant Upper Malick, Genet Pilgrim-Simmons, told Newsday there had been no complaints thus far, and that this was the first time there were no complaints from persons claiming their names had been “knocked off the voting list.” Pilgrim-Simmons added that normally they were on the phone dealing with queries from persons, and her roving officers had reported that all was well at the various polling stations. When Newsday visited the Maintenance Training and Security (MTS) Plaza in Aranjuez, Ivor Allum, Returning Officer for St Ann’s Cascade/Mon Repos West and St Barb’s/Chinapo also endorsed Pilgrim-Simmons’ claims that everything was “going smoothly.” However, Allum expected the voting pace to pick up after 4 o’clock, as many persons usually take their two hours to vote in the afternoon.
A poll clerk at the Barataria Secondary Comprehensive School told Newsday that things were “relatively slow” at approximately 1 pm. She had only a little over 100 voters. Returning Officers for Macoya/Trincity and Caura/Paradise/Tacarigua, as well as Auzonville/St Benedict, Maracas/St Joseph and Valsayn North/Curepe/Pasea, based at the Tunpuna/Piarco Regional Corporation said the turn-out was “alright” despite one or two minor problems. The Officers said the problems were solved, and added that they were hoping more voters would turn up after lunchtime. A visit to the El Dorado Senior Comprehensive School proved that voting at this institution was indeed flowing at a steady pace, as persons of all age groups were seen trickling in to exercise their franchise. Reports from officials in El Dorado said there had been no lull period, and that they had actually received a lot more voters than expected. Officers throughout stated there were no problems or incidents requiring the attention of police-officers, and that this was “relatively normal for local elections.” There were also no reports of clashes between party supporters at polling stations.
MINUTES after casting his ballot at the San Fernando Government Secondary school yesterday, Opposition UNC leader Basdeo Panday, said allegations of “vote-buying” by PNM supporters, would be reported to the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). Panday, who voted in the Les Efforts West/ La Romain electoral district was accompanied by wife, Oma, Senator Sadiq Baksh and top UNC honcho Dr Tim Goopeesingh. Panday told Newsday, party officials had received several complaints from UNC supporters, who said PNM activists had offered them money to vote for candidates from the ruling party. He vowed to report all allegations to the EBC, including the removal of mock UNC polling stations from UNC-controlled areas. And asked about the quality of the electoral ink, Panday quipped that this year’s product, “looked good.”
CLAIMING “blatant misuse of State resources”, Fyzabad MP Chandresh Sharma, has alleged that the ruling party resorted to using the 5,000-plus CEPEP workers to intimidate supporters of the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) party during yesterday’s Local Government Elections. In an interview by Newsday yesterday to determine the preliminary course of the elections, Sharma said the party had received numerous complaints from supporters saying the blue-outfitted CEPEP workers had “virtually camped out” at various polling stations, known to have a high-turnout of UNC supporters. “I took a drive throughout the Fyzabad constituency to see for myself what these CEPEP workers were working on and I didn’t see a single on-going project,” Sharma said. He added, “now unless they are all employed at the various polling stations, not one CEPEP worker has gone to work today, and this is indicative of the PNM demonstrating its use of muscle power to win this elections.” Sharma also alleged that several CEPEP contractors had rented “numerous vehicles” to ferry voters to-and-from polling stations, within the critical marginal districts.
Sharma who is also the UNC’s local government campaign coordinator, said the Elections and Boundaries Commission, (EBC), had done a “good job” on the revised voters list, saying “very little complaints” had been brought to the party’s attention. And in quick response to Sharma’s claims of CEPEP interference, Works and Transport Minister Franklyn Khan dismissed the allegations, telling Newsday that the Fyzabad MP had a “different gripe” against the PNM every Friday morning. “That is foolishness,” Khan said, adding that he too had voted in the Fyzabad constituency and had not encountered any difficulty, or saw any campaigning by CEPEP workers. He observed that the UNC was putting forward an excuse for it losing the 2003 Local Government Elections.
SLOW casting of ballots, characterised voting in South Trinidad during yesterday’s Local Government Elections. Shortly after midday, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) reported a remarkably low voter-turnout in most parts of the country, particularly South Trinidad. However, voting went without any major hitches. In the nine electoral districts of San Fernando, voter turnout was reported to be the lowest. Returning Officer Joshua Sam supervising the Marabella (East/West) and Vistabella districts, told Newsday that at 10.30 am yesterday, only between six to eight percent of the electorate in those districts had cast their ballots. There was a steady trek of voters, however, around mid afternoon. At the YWCA building on Harris Promenade, another polling division headquarters, Returning Officer, Merle Baird, said voting was done at a snail’s pace in the electoral districts of Pleasantville, Cocoyea, Mon Repos, Navet and Tarouba. These districts are under the ambit of the San Fernando City Corporation.
Around 3 pm, Returning Officer, Edison Ramdeen, said that the pace of voting indicated that stations under his control in the districts of Les Efforts/La Romaine, Cipero and Springvale were expected to close polling at a mere 40 per cent. “Voting was not too heavy and it looks like just 40 percent would turn out by 6 pm,” Ramdeen said. High-profile United National Congress candidate (Tarouba/Cocoyea) Dr Anirudh Mahabir, expressed confidence around mid-afternoon that he would win. Mahabir said that by 3 pm, 2,205 votes were cast from an electorate of approximately 3,000. “That represents 60 per cent of the electorate. A high-voter turnout favours me,” Mahabir said. EBC’s public relations manager Vilpah King, told Newsday yesterday that voting was suspended in Claxton Bay for a brief period because of what she described as a mix-up with ballot papers. However EBC officials dealt with the problem within minutes. “I must say that in general, the voting was slow, though steady at times,” King said. King confirmed complaints made by UNC officials of mock stations in the San Juan district erected within 100 yards radius of a polling station. Nariva MP Harry Partap reported a similar situation in Biche, where he complained of a PNM banner stuck to a mock polling station.
A $2 million ransom has been demanded for the safe return of Belmont resident, Damien Schneider, who was snatched in the early hours of Sunday morning, sources at the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) said yesterday. The call was made to Schneider’s father, real estate businessman Martin Schneider, just after 3 pm on Sunday. AKS sources said the kidnappers were supposed to call again yesterday but up to late evening, this had not been done. Schneider, 35, of Sandhurst Street, Belmont, was grabbed after dropping off his friend, Dexter Chang, at his (Chang’s) Palmiste Street, Belmont home, just after 2 am. The kidnap victim was said to be a short distance from his home and was reportedly confronted by two men, who then forced him into a waiting vehicle.
Chang told the police that after Schneider dropped him off, he never saw him again. After the kidnapping, police said Schneider’s uncle, Edward Salvatori, received a telephone call around 4.30 am Sunday with the caller asking for Martin Schneider’s telephone number, and informing Salvatori that everything was “cool”. Following that, a party of officers from the Belmont Criminal Investigations Department (CID) under Cpl Allison Jones went to Schneider’s home. AKS officers, headed by Sr Supt Gilbert Reyes and members of the Belmont CID, are continuing investigations.
