A St Ann’s man appeared in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court charged with the June 4 murder of Jillia Bowen which took place at the Movie Towne Complex, Invaders Bay, Port-of-Spain.
The 32-year-old, mother of a 6-month old girl was shot in her head while in the company of two men who were also shot in the legs and lower torso. They were all reportedly sitting on a bench at the time of the incident. Brent Miller, 25, of St Ann’s, appeared before Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls and had all nine related charges read to him. Miller is charged with murdering Bowen, attempting to murder Salim Rasheed, attempting to murder Addil Ghani, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and two counts possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life. The charges were laid indictably by Sgt Nandram Monilal of the St James CID.
Miller’s defence attorney Wayne Sturge informed the court that the eighth and ninth charges were duplications of the sixth and seventh, and asked if they could be removed. Police prosecutor Sgt Webster-Gulston indicated that the charges were not duplications, but that each was connected to the two separate attempted murder charges. Sturge then asked for disclosure of all “disclosable” evidence. The prosecution was unable to furnish the evidence on the day, but said that they would make every effort to do so by the adjournment date. The defence attorney pointed out that Miller was, “extremely ill and is nursing both head and internal injuries. He is experiencing severe dizziness and may collapse during the day.” Mc Nicolls ordered police officers attached to the Court to have the man taken to the prison infirmary for medical attention. Family and friends were heard shouting Miller’s name outside the Court. Mc Nicolls adjourned the matter to July 18.
A NINE-MEMBER jury yesterday failed to agree on a verdict in the trial of a man accused of attempted murder and rape. As such, the man was ordered to go on re-trial.
The 35-year-old gardener of Claxton Bay had been on trial in the San Fernando First Assize Court for raping a 29-year-old woman while she was preparing a mandir for worship by her Hindu pundit. The incident happened in 1997, when according to the charge, the man pounced on the woman while she was preparing the altar for worship. The man is alleged to have slit the woman’s throat, beat her with a piece of wood and then raped her. Justice Paula Mae Weekes and a jury of four women and five men heard the woman testify that she was raped in the mandir. She told the court that she identified the man at an ID parade some 28 days after the alleged incident.
The accused was charged with attempted murder, rape and wounding with intent. The accused submitted an alibi in defence, saying that he was home at the time of the incident which was around 8 am on June 21. His wife testified that he was at home. State Attorneys Joan Paul Honore and Angelica Teelucksingh prosecuted while the accused was represented by attorneys Beecham Maharaj and Ian Seukeran. The jury retired for the mandatory three hours, but when asked if they had reached a verdict on any of the three charges, the foreman replied in the negative. Asked by Justice Mae Weekes if further deliberation would assist them in reaching a verdict, the foreman replied: “No.” Justice Mae Weekes proceeded to take the composition of how the panel was divided. The foreman said that they were divided five-four on all three charges. Since that did not represent a majority verdict, the judge ordered the accused to stand a re-trial.
As a result of “pure human error,” 158 ballot papers for Special Electors were placed “in the wrong envelopes.”
A release from the Elections and Boundaries Commission yesterday stated that the Commission had “to move quickly to take corrective action” in two electoral districts in the San Fernando Corporation after ballot papers got in the wrong envelopes. The Commission stated that “ballot papers for Marabella East were placed in Marabella West envelopes and vice versa. This means that Special Electors resident in one Marabella district would not be able to vote for their candidates of choice since the ballot papers which they hold are for the other electoral district.”
The Commission said the problem had been thoroughly investigated and the EBC concluded that the mix-up was the result of “pure human error.” Special voting began today. The Commission said it had started to retrieve the incorrectly issued ballot papers, of which over 70 per cent of the 158 had already been collected. It added that the Returning Officer and personnel at the Commission’s Special Polling Station had also been alerted to take corrective action at the time of voting in case any of the incorrectly issued ballot papers have not been retrieved by the time the elector turns up to vote.
Government was defeated in the Senate yesterday on a simple motion to have a question deferred for one week. The combined vote of Opposition and Independent Senators resulted in a 12-for /14- against vote, forcing a one-day, instead of one-week, deferral of a question directed at Labour Minister Larry Achong, about the minimum wage.
Opposition Senator Wade Mark successfully argued that the Government’s request for a one-week deferral was disingenuous because the Senate was about to go into recess. Today’s sitting would be the last until Parliament reconvenes for the Budget debate, Mark said. Vice-President, Rawle Titius who was presiding, said he knew nothing about a recess and attempted at first to merely rule that the question be deferred for one week. But Mark and Robin Montano would have none of it. And after consultation with the Clerk, Titius conceded and put the question to the Senate. When the results of the decision were announced, Mark shouted: “Yes! I can breathe a sigh of relief” while Montano said: “Thank You!”
Earlier Mark had lost his cool when Public Utilities Minister Rennie Dumas, in seeking a one-week deferral to another question — on WASA — claimed that he had answered the question at a previous sitting. “It is dishonest for the Minister to claim he answered the question when he knows full well he hasn’t. You come here with yuh stupid…” Mark said, before breaking off amidst a chorus of “oooooohs” from MPs. “Well I am upset!” Mark exclaimed.
WITH the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) just a few short years away from implementation, Prime Minister Patrick Manning, has alluded to another experiment in regional integration with the development of a new political arrangement between four Caribbean nations.
However, the Prime Minister was quick to point out that the new arrangement was not intended as a replacement for the existing Caricom system. Speaking to reporters at the commencement ceremony of the San Fernando General Hospital’s new wing, Manning said the new “political co-operation” — comprising Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and TT — would not see any loss of national sovereignty.
However, the Prime Minister said that with the impending advent of the FTAA agreement, it was incumbent on regional governments to deepen trade agreements among each other. Manning also scoffed at and dismissed UNC leader Basdeo Panday’s claim that the Opposition party was still in support of the implementation of the regional Caribbean Court of Justice as long as local constitutional reform was also being addressed.
As a follow up, officials at the Ministry of Education stated yesterday the Central Tenders Board was responsible for deciding which banking institution would prepare the electronic cards to replace the $1,000 book grant cheque being issued to parents of students in secondary schools.
However, no decision has yet been arrived at as to which bank would actually produce the card. The card is very similar to an ATM electronic card and can be used for point-of-sale purchases at bookstores. This measure is the Ministry’s attempt to avoid parents/guardians spending the money on other things, but the books it was intended for. Following an article in one of the dailies, it appeared that only Republic Bank had been consulted concerning the proposed card. Other banks revealed that they had not been consulted by the Ministry. Regarding the textbook rental/loan programme which will be implemented in all public and private schools for Form I and II in September, the official said a number of books had been approved by the Ministry in Mathematics, Language Arts, Spanish and Science. Explaining that all school principals had been requested to identify which books they would like to use and the number of students who would need textbooks, the source said only then would orders be forwarded to the printers.
Questioned as to whether or not parents had already purchased books in these areas, and if they would be able to return the books to the relevant bookstores, the official said school principals had been asked to notify the parents beforehand not to purchase books in these areas. A further testimonial to Government’s commitment to improving the educational sector in TT is the Vacation School Repair and Refurbishment Programme which is estimated to cost over $37 million this year. The project, which would be managed by the National Insurance Property Development Company, will initiate repairs this vacation period at 52 Government primary schools, 61 denominational primary schools, 5 assisted secondary schools and 11 Government secondary schools. During the July-August period, the National Maintenance and Training and Security Company will also take the opportunity to install and repair perimetre fences at 15 Government secondary schools.
Construction of security fencing and the installation of lighting will commence at 17 Government primary schools and over 113 denominational schools. This work will start next week. Rehabilitation, technical upgrade and the construction of additional blocks with appropriate security fencing and lighting is targetted to begin at schools including Manzanilla, Debe, Tableland, Cunupia, Coryal, Brazil, Mathura, Blanchisseuse and the Valencia High Schools. Construction works are continuing at the following schools to facilitate the new term’s intake at the Sangre Grande Swaha Hindu, Miracle Ministries Pentecostal, Caroni SDMS, Barrackpore ASJA Girls’, Charlieville ASJA Boys’, Tunapuna ASJA, Saraswati Hindu College and the Holy Name Convent, Point Fortin. The Ministry last year successfully upgraded 161 schools at a cost of over $49 million. Over 135 contracting firms were engaged to work on the project.
Government has mandated that the supervision of insurance companies and pension funds be integrated with that of banking institutions under the authority of the existing Bank Inspection Department of the Central Bank.
The legislation required to effect the transfer is presently in its final stages and is expected to be presented to Parliament by the month-end. This was revealed yesterday by Central Bank Governor, Ewart Williams, as he addressed members of the insurance industry at a seminar on the Central Bank and its preparations for integrated supervision. The seminar, which was organised by the Association of TT Insurance Companies (ATTIC), was held at the Hilton Trinidad. Williams noted that this Integrated Supervisory Project is, in principle, part of a larger strategy which is geared at reinforcing safety and soundness in the insurance industry, while at the same time, preparing the country’s financial system to play a pivotal role in the future development of the economy. “This broader financial sector strategy,” he explained, “involves, among other things, improving the regulatory framework of mutual funds and credit unions. “It is also focussed on strengthening the Securities and Exchange Commission and building an efficient capital market that will mobilise and channel savings into long term investment,” he noted.
The rationale behind the establishment of a single regulatory agency arose out of the increasing complexity of the financial services industry which was evidenced by the emergence of financial conglomerates. These conglomerates, Williams stated, require a strong institution to supervise them as a whole rather than a series of agencies. He went on to say that it was becoming more difficult to distinguish between the products and services offered by the insurance industry or by the securities industry and those offered by the traditional deposit- taking institutions. “Accordingly,” Williams maintained, “integrated supervision avoids the different regulatory treatments of similar products. It eliminates gaps in consumer protection and reduces the scope for regulatory arbiters,” he said. Williams went on to note that TT, like most developing countries, was experiencing an “unfortunate” shortage of human capital.
However, he said, it was hoped that the creation of a single regulatory agency would reduce the problem of spreading limited human resources among various specialised industries. “In addition to these reasons, the Central Bank sees integrated supervision as a way of facilitating the task of maintaining soundness in the financial system. We should learn from the Jamaican experience and seek to put our house in order,” he asserted. Additionally, the Central Bank intended to supplement domestic resources with senior level technical assistance from the office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions of Canada. “We are also in the process of incorporating some staff of the Office of the Supervisor of Insurance of the Ministry of Finance into the Banking Inspection Department of the Central Bank,” he added.
THEIR reasons may have been different, but for a solitary moment in time, the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) and the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) were united in their criticism of the media.
Speaking during debate in the Senate yesterday on the issue of live parliamentary debates, Government Senator Danny Montano said this was an open door for the PNM because Prime Minister Patrick Manning was supportive of such debates. While stressing he had “no axe to grind with the media,” Montano lamented that by and large there was a lot of inexperience in the media compared to other countries while “good journalists were stretched thin.”
Montano referred to a newspaper article which alleged that he begged United States Ambassador Roy Austin not to withdraw US military aid from TT over this country’s support for the International Criminal Court. Montano said the article was false and the particular newspaper now had “the lowest circulation in the Caribbean.” He declared that “TT and the US will be allies for years” and in every longlasting friendship there were occasional disagreements.
Senate Minority Leader Wade Mark lambasted the three major dailies as “stooges and tools” of the PNM and took issue with newspaper owners who claimed to be independent while pursuing hidden political agendas. Mark observed that in Britain, certain newspapers clearly stated their political allegiances. He accused a former newspaper editor of being “a closet PNM” now serving as public relations adviser to Attorney-General Glenda Morean.
OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday declared that no Caricom initiative will force the United National Congress (UNC) to support the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in Trinidad and Tobago.
Addressing a UNC meeting at the Arima Town Hall on Monday night, Panday was adamant there would be no Opposition support for the CCJ unless the Government initiates constitutional reform in the country.
Addressing People’s National Movement (PNM) supporters in Rio Claro on Saturday, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said Government would welcome Caricom intervention to persuade the UNC to support the CCJ. However the UNC leader insisted Caricom would be wasting its time on that score. “We have not reneged on our position of support for the CCJ. We will still support the CCJ but there is something that is more important and that is constitutional reform. When I saw the way (retired Chief Justice Clinton) Bernard behaved (at the Piarco Commission of Inquiry). When I saw the way (retired Justice Lennox) Deyalsingh behaved. I say we have a constitutional arrangement, a Constitution that allows people like Bernard to become Chief Justice of this country. If the Constitution allows that, something wrong with the Constitution.
If the Constitution allows people like Deyalsingh to become a High Court judge and to stay there, something wrong with the Constitution. So the Constitution has to change so that you can ensure that people like this does not qualify to be Court of Appeal. The Constitution has to be amended before we support the CCJ,” he declared. Claiming there was nothing to stop Government from appointing either Bernard or Deyalsingh to the CCJ, Panday reiterated: “Constitutional reform first so we could ensure that crazy people, vindictive people and people who have political axe to grind don’t get there.” The UNC leader warned that if this is not done, the PNM “intend to pervert the course of justice at the highest possible level”. Panday then renewed his ongoing feud with House Speaker Barry Sinanan, accusing Sinanan of gradually eroding the Opposition’s speaking power in Parliament. “You (Sinanan) get the hell out of that Parliament, nobody elected you,” he declared. The UNC leader added that Sinanan was “the beneficiary of PNM corruption” and is “singing for his supper”.
Panday said Government could manoeuvre as much as it wanted on the issue but “sooner or later I’m going to win this battle for constitutional reform.” The UNC leader slammed Government for planning to bring in Cuban doctors to fill vacancies in the local health sector and claimed it was Cuban doctors who “mashed up Guyana”. Health Minister Colm Imbert announced on Friday that the first batch of Cuban doctors arrive in TT on July 23 while the group to coordinate their activities in the country, arrive on July 10.
THE OPPOSITION United National Congress (UNC) yesterday claimed “a campaign of terror” has been unleashed against the party with UNC Senator Sadiq Baksh and party attorney Garvin Nicholas being the first casualties of that campaign.
Addressing a news conference at Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday’s Port-of-Spain office, UNC chairman Wade Mark said two vehicles have been keeping Baksh’s Palmiste home under close watch and follow him wherever he goes. Mark said while all pertinent information has been given to the police no arrests have been made. Asked if there was any connection to the discovery of two mortar bombs and a quantity of cocaine in Baksh’s water tank prior to last October’s general elections, Mark replied that the UNC had no evidence to suggest such a link. The UNC chairman said he was unaware about whether Baksh hired any personal security for his home but the Senator had not hired a bodyguard.
Meanwhile, Nicholas disclosed that he was held up by two men at his Maraval home on Monday evening. He said they robbed him of his Nissan Almira motorcar, $10,000 in cash, a laptop computer and several key election documents, including ID cards for UNC candidates and polling agents. Nicholas claimed that he was targetted because he is the UNC’s Local Government Elections coordinator for the Diego Martin Regional Corporation. Mark also said the UNC received information that nine polling agents for UNC Marabella East candidate Ellis Chan, who are special electors, were transferred to the Marabella West district and Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) officials are baffled as to the reason why. He said the party views this as a “gross irregularity” and has written to EBC Chief Elections Officer Howard Cayenne, demanding that these individuals be allowed to vote in Marabella East.
The UNC chairman added that this incident has heightened the party’s concerns that similar activities could be happening in marginal electoral districts. “(Prime Minister Patrick) Manning wants to steal elections. He tiefing like peas,” he declared. Mark said the UNC will meet with senior police officers and the EBC at the Commission’s headquarters tomorrow at 10 am to highlight their concerns. The UNC chairman added that the police and EBC must work together to ensure Monday’s polls are free and fair.
