UNC Chairman Wade Mark insisted yesterday that an argument between a handyman and an Able-Bodied Seaman from the Coast Guard resulted in the entire military staff employed at the household of the Prime Minister’s residence being removed. Mark revealed that the staff was replaced by other members of the Defence Force.
Yesterday, Captain Cheryl Richardson of the Defence Force confirmed that a work-related altercation took place at the Prime Minister’s residence. She added that this occured following the removal of some utensils from the kitchen. Captain Richardson was quick to point out that an agreement exists between the Prime Minister and Chief of Defence Staff that persons assigned for duty at the household will serve a maximum of two tours of duty, which is a maximum of six years. She claimed that the staff at the residence had already worked six years and more, and the agreement was put into effect where new officers were assigned to the house. Newsday was told that this rotation is routine after six years.
However, the UNC Chairman said yesterday that the 13 persons were removed as a result of the altercation. He said that a civilian involved in the altercation was not removed from the staff. He described the civilian employee as being a close friend of PM Manning. Mark said the removal of staff had impacted on the morale of the Defence Force since they see it as the Prime Minister having little faith in the loyalty and committment of the Defence Force. The UNC Chairman noted that when Basdeo Panday was appointed PM, he did not remove anyone at the household and he is calling for a full enquiry into the matter. He is also calling on Minister of National Security Howard Chin Lee and Prime Minister Manning to give statements on the transfers.
A DOCTOR attached to the North-West Regional Health Authority and his family were held-up at gunpoint by bandits who forced the victims out of their vehicle moments after they arrived at their Alyce Glen, Petit Valley home on Tuesday night.
Western Division police have since issued an all points bulletin advising all police precincts to be on the lookout for a silver-green Suzuki Pajero jeep belonging to medical doctor Vikash Soorattan. According to police reports, around 11 pm on Tuesday, Dr Soorattan and his family had just pulled up at the front gate of their Alyce Glen home having returned from an engagement. As the doctor was about to open the front gate to drive his vehicle into the garage of the house, two masked, armed bandits jumped out of nearby bushes and held up the doctor. Dr Soorattan was relieved of $300 and a cellular phone by one of the bandits, while the other hustled the doctor’s family out of the vehicle. Both bandits then entered the jeep and sped off. A report was made to the Western Division police. Up to late yesterday, no arrests had been made and PC Linton is continuing investigations into the robbery.
Up to late yesterday, the three fishermen reported missing at sea after going on a fishing expedition out of Swallows Bay, Pigeon Point, Tobago were yet to be found. They have been identified as two Tobagonians Anil “Bus-head” Ramsook, Joseph Ramkisoon and a Trinidadian, who has only been identified as “Killer.”
The pregnant wife of one of the Tobago fishermen however begged that neither her name nor her husband’s name be printed. In fact she requested that none of the men’s names be printed. According to reports, the men went fishing aboard the “Sea Eagle,” a 32-ft green and white pirogue carrying the registration number TFT 1338 and were expected to return on Friday but have not been seen since. The distraught woman told Newsday that on Thursday evening when she last spoke to her husband of three years via his cell phone, he said that he was on his way home, however, hours later she received a message from a friend that he (her husband) had called to say that they had experienced engine failure. By Friday, friends and relatives had organised a search party but the men could not be found.
She expressed frustration at the way in which the Coast Guard was handling the matter. “I tired calling the Coast Guard and they don’t have any news. They only saying call back and each time I have to identify myself. I getting the vibes that they not looking properly for them. “If I wasn’t pregnant, I would get a boat and go out and look for them myself,” she cried. The woman, who is carrying the couple’s first child, said that she believes that they are still “somewhere out there” and she was not going to stop praying for their safe return. “What God put together, no man can separate,” she said. A Coast Guard official told Newsday that given the time frame in which the men have been out at sea there is “a great possibility that the men are still alive.” The official said that they have been continuing the search for the three-man crew.
Roman Catholic priest Jimmy Peters has been sent on a medical leave of absence with immediate effect. This was indicated in a statement issued yesterday by the Most Reverend Archbishop Edward J Gilbert. Fr Peters was fined $1,000 for possession of marijuana at the Tunapuna Court last week. His Grace said the leave was agreed upon after professional consultation and personal dialogue with Fr Peters.
The statement also said: “During the period of medical leave, which is indefinite, Fr Peters will not be involved in pastoral ministry. As a priest of the Archdiocese, he will receive the full support of the Archdiocese during his recovery programme.” Up until his court appearance, Fr Peters had been officiating out of the Chapel at the University of the West Indies while being an Accounting student, but officiated at his usual Sunday Mass at his parish, La Brea RC church.
On behalf of the Archdiocese and Fr Peters, Archbishop Gilbert expressed their regret about the scandal caused by the incident. He ended the statement asking for the prayers and support of the Catholic community, especially the priests of the Archdiocese, as well as the prayerful support of the ecumenical and interfaith communities for his full recovery. The statement, however, failed to say what Fr Peters’ illness was or what he was supposed to be recovering from. Efforts to get a personal comment from Archbishop Gilbert yesterday proved futile.
The Atlantic LNG Train IV Project, on which construction will commence in August, is expected to generate more than US$1.5 billion in revenue for TT through a combination of tax receipts from Atlantic, as well as royalty payments of proceeds from a production-sharing agreement.
So said Atlantic LNG President, Rick Cape, as he addressed a presentation to Private Sector Business Organisations entitled “Atlantic LNG Train 4 Project: Facts, Figures, Opportunities and Sustainability.” The seminar, which was held at the Hilton Trinidad, was organised by the American Chamber of Commerce. According to Cape, approximately US$67 million per annum is expected to go to government through taxes on the liquefaction fee, while TT$8 million will go towards the Point Fortin Borough Corporation. He also revealed that the estimated capital cost of the plant, which is expected to be commissioned in August 2005, was set at US$1.2 billion. Between US$175 and $200 million will be spent locally for the construction of the Train, which will include a second jetty and a fourth storage bank. “The plant,” he stated, “is expected to be the world’s largest LNG Train, with a capacity of 5.2 million tonnes of LNG per annum.” It will also be 60 percent larger than the three previous Trains.
Additionally, Train 4 will see the employment of almost 2,500 employees while the previous Trains 2 and 3, which were constructed together, required 3,500 employees. In response to a question from TTMA President, Anthony Hosang, concerning the number of locals who would be employed, Cape revealed that eight percent of 420 employees will be expatriates or foreigners. However, he noted that where the company’s administrative staff was concerned, TT nationals held a very small percentage. To rectify this, Atlantic was presently working on succession planning to get the expatriates rotated out of the company to be replaced by locals. “This is an active part of what I have in mind to develop as quickly as possible candidates for President who are TT nationals,” he said. Chairman of Atlantic LNG, John P Andrews explained that unlike Trains 1, 2 and 3, Train 4 has been structured as a processing entity which would charge a fee for the conversion of natural gas to Liquid Natural Gas (LNG). This fee, he stated, would cover all operating expenses and provide for the recovery of total capital expenditure over a 20 year period of operation with an approximate eight percent margin of profit. This would then be subjected to corporation tax. No tax holiday had been requested or granted for the Train 4 Project, he added.
“Pure foolishness!” That is how women’s activist and spokesperson for the Women’s Network, Hazel Brown yesterday described criticisms of Education Minister Hazel Manning’s decision to go to Jamaica with her husband, Prime Minister Patrick Manning.
UNC MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar slammed Hazel Manning for abandoning her ministry at a time when SEA results were being released and stated that she had to make up her mind whether she was going to serve as Minister of Education or function as the Prime Minister’s wife. Hazel Manning is attending the 24th Regular meeting of the conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community and other activities related to the 30th Anniversary of Caricom in Jamaica. Brown said she supported H Manning’s decision to accompany her husband, the Prime Minister. “It is an important historic Caricom event. All the other heads (of Government) have gone with their wives. Didn’t Mrs Panday go on all the trips with Mr Panday? ” Told that Oma Panday did not have a substantive ministerial portfolio, Brown stated that it was “foolishness” to argue that Mrs Manning should have stayed behind. “So Mr Manning must go by himself?” she asked incredulously. “It is not an issue worthy of newspaper time and space. And Kamla should know better. I expect Mr Manning to go and to take his wife also,” Brown said, adding that somebody else was acting for her as Education Minister. (Colm Imbert is acting for H Manning). Brown said there was no evidence that H Manning was “willy nilly traipsing all over the place.” She added that maybe politics required Persad-Bissessar to make that remark but “for the rest of us it is just foolishness.”
The United States is against any of its young soldiers being tried for a crime committed outside of their country and to be tried by a foreign court, according to US trade representative Robert B Zoellick.
Zoellick yesterday sought to respond to the issue of US military aid cut to six Caricom countries, including Trinidad and Tobago. While admitting that the issue does not fall within his portfolio — “that’s a matter for Colin Powell, or Donald Rumsfeld” — he ventured to give his own reason for the aid cut. He was asked how the US move meshed with all this hemispheric co-operation the US was seeking with Caricom and other countries. Zoellick said that countries all around the world often seek US help with security. “Understandably, there is sensitivity to this issue in the US. But we have a responsibility to our young men and women we send overseas. We do want them to be treated fairly,” he added.
He said their 18-year-olds, 19-year-olds, and 20-year-olds are putting their lives on the line in going overseas to serve. If a war crime is committed he said, it was his feeling that these young soldiers be sent back to the US to be dealt with, and not have any foreign court adjudicate their matter. He said it was not people who sought to develop their economies who go around the world to blow up buildings. He said it was certainly clear to the US that if countries lose hope in having a developed economy, they eventually become the breeding ground for terrorism. Zoellick said he knew of many governments who were under stress, hence he was doing his utmost towards linking trade and development.
Several Caribbean countries, he noted, were stronger politically and economically and would not associate themselves with that kind of life. They would rather create rather than “burn and destroy.” Asked if the issue was mentioned at his meeting Wednesday with Caricom Trade Ministers, Voellick said “no, it was not mentioned.” But Zoellick said he did not think it wise to create special prosecutors in this concept. “Everyone knows who the war criminals are,” he declared. “If you want to deal with them, then go after them,” he added.
The opening ceremony of the 24th Heads of Government Meeting of Caricom was yesterday overshadowed by the decision of the United States to cut military aid to TT as well as six other Caricom nations.
As Caricom celebrated its 13th Anniversary, regional heads grappled with the implications of the decision. Prime Minister Patrick Manning noted that he was disappointed with the US decision. However, he said, he was not completely surprised by the move. He stated that he was not sure of the effect it would have on TT. Manning maintained that decisions about the International Criminal Court were still ongoing and expressed his hope that a conventional agreement would be established between the US and his Caricom colleagues. Military aid to TT from the US between 1999 and 2002 amounted to US $6.7 million (TT $40.2 million).
Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, did not think that the US military aid ban on six Caricom countries would have much impact since he believed that the aid might not be substantial. He said he did not think it would seriously affect Trinidad and Tobago. Asked about the proposed regional airline, involving cash-strapped BWIA and LIAT, Dr Gonsalves said he has not as yet received the report on the proposed holding company from TT’s Trade Minister, Kenneth Valley. He hinted that he may receive it shortly. Antigua PM Lester Bird said small economies were very reliant on aid from the US and their concerns could not be ignored.
Meanwhile, at home many Trinidadians and Tobagonians called on government to open up Marli Street, on which the US Embassy is located and which was closed for security reasons after September 11. However, Works and Transport Minister, Franklin Khan said it would be“inappropriate” for Government to play tit for tat with the United States and remove the barricades from Marli Street. The closure of this main artery has been a source of dissatisfaction for many nationals, particularly parishioners of All Saints Church. But Khan, who is the competent authority for the closure of roads, made it clear yesterday that the blockade on Marli St was exclusive of matters involving the ICC. Saying that the matter would probably be discussed at today’s Cabinet meeting, Khan said he was almost certain that the Government would not play “tit for tat” on this issue. “This is a very serious matter and it needs to be thought out properly. The Foreign Affairs Minister would handle that when he comes back,” the Minister stated. Marli St, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Works Ministry, was closed in 2001 while the UNC was in office. The Opposition United National Congress (UNC) yesterday reserved comment on the US government’s suspension of millions of dollars in military aid to 35 countries.
The US action stems from the refusal by the countries to give US citizens immunity from the tribunal of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Trinidad and Tobago and six other Caricom countries are affected by the US decision. UNC Chairman Senator Wade Mark speaking to Newsday, said the party has to first get an official text of the US statement on the matter in order for the party to consider and state its position. He said a formal request to the US Embassy for the text will be made shortly. He said until that time the UNC would not comment on the measure as reported. National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee also refused to comment on the measure. However, US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, who is attending the Caricom Heads of Government meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica, said the action was merely to protect young US soldiers who are posted outside the US.The US Embassy here in Port-of-Spain said it would issue a statement on the action.
The National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) in a statement on the matter condemned the US action. NATUC’s General Secretary, Vincent Cabrera, labelled the action as “intimidatory and hypocritical.” Cabrera said Trinidad and Tobago was an independent State and our foreign policies cannot be dictated by the interest of any other country.Meantime, it is reported that there has been general disappointment from the other non-Caricom countries which are affected. However, Colombia a US ally, although silent about the decision, could be the hardest hit if the dispute continues into next year. It is believed that officials in the South American country are silent because only US$5 million of the US$600 million in this year’s aid is at risk. Reuters reported on Tuesday that more than $47 million in miliary aid would be suspended, but the US government would continue to press the countries to sign immunity deals. Most of the countries had until July 1 to sign the immunity. The news agency quoted State Department spokesman Richard Boucher as saying that the matter will continue to be an important national policy to be pursued with the countries.
CHAIRMAN of the Piarco Airport Commission of Inquiry, retired Chief Justice Clinton Bernard, yesterday said that the late Justice Richard Crane was a drunkard. Bernard challenged, “Sue me, sue me if you dare,”as he made the allegation.
He became highly emotional, with his voice cracking as he promised to reveal the truth about the Crane matter if “(you) tempt me,” saying for many years people have been uncharitable and unkind to him. But Bernard said he knew as long as he lived “somebody up there (pointing skyward) loves Clinton Bernard.” Bernard’s comments were made in response to Newsday’s editorial on Tuesday headlined “Prejudicial or Not” and an Express story in which the Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson cited the Rees v Crane case in a letter to Bernard as it pertained to fairness at the Inquiry. Bernard’s response to Newsday was that the comments made by the Commission’s lead attorney Theodore Guerra, SC, about Maritime being a spider in a web of corruption formed no part of its evidence by any witnesses at the Inquiry. Bernard said Henderson’s reference to the Rees v Crane matter was an attempt to “tell me, or so it seems, that I should know better because I was involved.” But an obviously hurt Bernard denied that he was part of the Committee that sat to deal with Crane’s matter. He said he merely received reports from people, which he referred to the Commission (Judicial and Legal Services Commission). He recalled that the Privy Council said, “That body of which I formed no part should have given Crane the opportunity to respond to complaints against him, but I was not part of that body or whatever decisions they made.”
He asked the DPP how the Commission had breached the rule of fairness when it had given everyone implicated the opportunity to question those who implicated them. Bernard implored the DPP not to take a case and seek to apply it to a situation that does not apply. He maintained that the Rees v Crane matter did not apply to the Commission and that the matter raised by attorneys for certain people was that of pre-trial publicity, a matter for which other cases like Chadee v State and Grant v DPP were applicable. Bernard added that he had to reveal certain things based on the fact that Henderson had “implied that I was involved (in the Crane matter).” “I did not act alone … sue me, sue me if you dare, I will reveal the whole story about Justice Crane and his career. I got several letters complaining about Justice Crane from the Law Association. People sitting as judges complained about him bitterly. I have letters, I always keep records, don’t tempt me. Crane was a drunkard!” Attorney for the Commission Justin Phelps advised Bernard that Crane had died and his statements were not relevant to the articles, but he was ignored. Crane became the first local judge to be suspended from the bench in 1990. The suspension was recommended by the JLSC, which Bernard as then Chief Justice headed. A tribunal to investigate Crane’s conduct was later appointed. The inquiry will resume on Friday at 9.30 am.
Health Minister Colm Imbert who is acting on behalf of Education Minister Hazel Manning, will continue the tradition of visiting students at their schools on result day today, as the Secondary En-trance Assessment (SEA) results are released.
This was confirmed yesterday by sources at the Ministry of Education, who said Imbert would be visiting the Newtown Girls RC School, at around 8.15 am. Mrs Manning, who left the country on Sunday to accompany Prime Minister Patrick Manning to the 24th Caricom Summit being held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, is attending the conference in her capacity as the PM’s wife, and not as the Minister of Education, revealed the source. Questioned as to when Mrs Manning would be returning, the source said they could not confirm the date, but that it would be sometime over the weekend. However, they assured that the SEA results would be released as normal despite the minister’s absence, and that there would be no delays or problems. The source also stated that school principals can collect the results at 8 am, as they are accustomed doing.
Some 20,669 students wrote this year’s exam, and in a release from the Education Ministry two weeks ago, they stated that 21,912 places existed at both private and public secondary schools throughout TT. At the time of the release, the Minister had reaffirmed her promise that all students would gain a place in a secondary institution. Students are assigned to secondary schools based on the following criteria:- student’s performance (merit), parents’ choices, principal’s 20 percent selection (denominational schools) and gender. Registration of students assigned to secondary schools begins in some schools today. A listing of the schools, registration dates and information on procedures for the transfer of students will be published in the press along with the results of the SEA. Attempts to contact former Education Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for a comment proved futile as calls to her cell phone went unanswered.
