THE SPECTRE of a gruesome double murder at the Prime Minister’s St Ann’s residence two years ago,  resurfaced in the Senate yesterday as UNC chairman Wade Mark alleged that all military personnel had been removed from the PM’s residence following an altercation between a soldier and a handyman. Speaking during debate on an Act to vary the appropriation of monies authorised by the Appropriation Act 2003, Mark claimed that two weeks ago there was a brawl between a soldier and a handyman in the kitchen of the PM’s residence. He said when Prime Minister Patrick Manning found out about it, he immediately dismissed all military staff stationed there. Mark called upon National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee to launch an immediate investigation into the matter. The Senate Minority Leader added that he had a list of the sacked military personnel and claimed that Basdeo Panday retained all military staff at the La Fantasie residence when he became prime minister in 1995. On April 19, 1999, the nation was stunned when it learnt that Coast Guard Commander Noel Penco, Comptroller of the Household, was shot dead at the residence by Corporal Anthony Caesar. Caesar shot and wounded secretary Heather Wiltshire and then ended his life with a single bullet to the head. Panday and his wife Oma were in Costa Rica at the time of the murder-suicide and then Chief of Defence Staff Captain Anthony Franklin said there had been no security breach at the PM’s residence. When Newsday called the PM’s residence yesterday, a civilian worker declined to say whether or not any military personnel were on the compound.

However, frustrations by the earlier, lengthy presentations of Government Ministers Dr Lenny Saith and Jarrette Narine seemed to have derailed Mark’s train of thought and he never revealed the alleged $6 billion scandal at the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) as he had promised to. Mark started to claim that then Public Utilities Minister (now Housing Minister) Martin Joseph approved salary increases for WASA’s CEO Errol Grimes and Board of Directors, Joseph leapt to his feet on a point of order and declared that Mark was misleading the Upper House. Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal cautioned Mark on his approach and the UNC chairman changed his tune to claim that the increase of $740 million being requested by Government was the “people of this country paying taxes for the PNM to brutalise them.” He claimed Manning’s declaration of TT being the ultimate democracy was nothing but a sham for the PNM “to distribute State resources in a one-sided fashion.” “Where is the human dignity?” Mark asked. The UNC chairman said Government had reneged on its promises to bring various pieces of legislation to the Parliament. He declared that taxpayers monies were wasted on Commissions of Inquiry into the Elections and Boundaries Commission and the Biche High School and it was ridiculous to allocate a further $1.5 million for the Piarco Commission of Inquiry. Mark also alleged that Acting PM Joan Yuille-Williams’ Ministry of Community Development had a total allocation of $8.6 million and was “causing kuchur” (trouble) within the Government’s ranks. He claimed that Yuille Williams was actually doing the jobs of Ministers Christine Kangaloo and Mustapha Abdul Hamid and called for the immediate dismissal of both Ministers.

An 18-year-old Laventille man yesterday appeared in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Fourth Court charged with the murder of a policeman’s brother. Brian Wilson, 18, of Mc Intosh Street, Laventille, allegedly shot Curt “Chachie Boy” Montrichard at La Pump Trace, Trou Macaque Road, Laventille on Friday night. The body of 39-year-old Montrichard was found slumped in his car with three gunshot wounds to the head. The charge was laid indictably by Cpl Alleyne of the Besson Street CID. Wilson informed Magistrate Melvin Daniel that he had not retained an attorney but would attempt to do so by the next day the case was called. The magistrate adjourned the matter to July 11 when Wilson will appear before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls. While being escorted to the prisoners’ holding bay, Wilson turned to his mother and exclaimed, “Ma! Bring a sheet for me eh!” “And Ma! Remember I love you!” he added.

The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard have joined in the search for three men who have been reported missing at sea after going on a fishing expedition out of Swallows Bay, Pigeon Point, Tobago last Thursday. According to reports, the men went fishing off Pigeon Point aboard the “Sea Eagle,” a 32-ft green and white pirogue outfitted with two 85hp outboard engines, carrying the registration number TFT 1338. The men, who were expected back on Friday, have not been seen since. And up to yesterday efforts to locate them have proved futile. A Coast Guard official said due to the information at hand on the expected positioning of the missing fishing pirogue, the search was being coordinated from the Chaguaramas base which he noted was better equpped to deal with the situation. Efforts by Newsday to get further detailed information from the Coast Guard were unsuccessful. All regional Coast Guard and related units, including the Venezuela’s Guardia Nacional, have been alerted and are reportedly on the look-out for the Sea Eagle and its three-man crew.

Peter De Freitas, who was kidnapped on Saturday, was released last night at Mt Hope Avenue, Mt Hope, after his relatives paid a ransom of $43,000. De Freitas, 21, the owner of Slick Insecticide, appeared shaken up after his release and told Anti-Kidnapping Officers (AKS) that he was not beaten or ill-treated during his abduction. He expressed happiness about being reunited with his family. De Freitas was treated by a doctor and is now resting at his Valsayn Avenue, Valsayn home. Relatives said they preferred to offer no comment about the matter at this time. The young businessman and his friend Emile Ali, 25, were kidnapped Saturday outside the Woodbrook branch of Republic Bank. Both men were bundled into a car by four armed men and the victims were later blindfolded. Ali was dropped off at the Caroni cremation site, while De Freitas was taken away by the kidnappers. The kidnappers had demanded $3 million for De Freitas’ safe return but later lowered their demands to $43,000. The money was paid yesterday at an undisclosed location. Senior AKS officers expressed concern that they were being excluded in the negotiations with kidnappers and added that the criminals are continuing to make profits out of kidnappings because relatives of victims refuse to cooperate with the police.

A SECURITY expert yesterday revealed that every day in this country, at least 11 people fall victim to car thieves. Derek Smith, CEO of Emergency Roadside Services Limited (ERSL) and Security Escort Services Limited  (SESL) is calling on people to be more alert and streetwise in light of the recent spiralling spate of crimes in the country. He made the call while addressing a security symposium at Cara Suites Hotel, Claxton Bay organised by the South Chamber of Industry and Commerce. He said 11 people lose their cars daily, with Sentra B13, B14 and  Honda Civic CRV models being the favoured brands of car thieves. He ventured to say that, “police and licensing authorities know where stripping yards are” but “turn a blind eye.” The East/West Corridor, Laventille and Arima were identified as “main areas” for the stripping of stolen vehicles. In the case of kidnappings, Smith said: “We are still a long way behind, but kidnapping is now an industry because it makes money.” He said predictable behavioural patterns and socialising spots made people easy targets for car-jacking and kidnapping and practices like car pooling and travelling in groups, tend to reduce the risk of these forms of crime.

Smith said 34 percent of kidnappings occur between Thursday and Friday — nearer the weekend when the victim’s “laid back” attitude is exploited. He added that 67 percent of kidnappings occur at night and 27 percent of the victims are children. In fact, the kidnap victim holding the record for longest time in custody is six-year-old Marc Prescott, who was kidnapped 30 days ago. So far this year, nine children have been kidnapped. For last year, $10 million in ransom was paid, Smith said. He added that this figure could be more since some families transacted private payments with the abductors. So far this year, the country had seen a reported 83 kidnappings, with many more going unreported. Out of the 83,  17 were for ransom with two ending in murders. Forty-six percent of victims are kidnapped while driving, 21 percent are women, 18 percent escape their abductors, while 27 percent are rescued and the average length of a kidnapping is eight days. Smith noted that as a result of the kidnapping trend, investors are being deterred and businessmen are forced to leave the country out of fear. At the same time, he said, the business and wider community are paying closer attention to their personal safety and taking necessary measures. Smith called on the Attorney General’s off-ice, the Ministry of Finance and the Social Affairs Department to play a wider. more meaningful role in the fight against crime and suggested more air surveillance, roadblocks and an improving of the communication network of the police, as tangible means of fighting crime.

ARMED bandits, within the space of 30 minutes on Monday night, struck at two bars along San Francique Road, Penal, making off with over $12,000 in cash, jewelry and other personal items. Investigators believe one gang of bandits was responsible for the two robberies. In the first incident, which occurred around 9 pm, San Francique resident Ronnie Ramkarran, 29, was liming at Midway Bar when four armed bandits stormed the place. Police sources told Newsday, Ramkarran was apparently the focus of the bandits’ attention since they went to him and ordered him to hand over his jewelry, valued at around $9,860. The bandits then ran out of the bar, without robbing anyone else. Before 10 pm, four armed bandits announced a hold-up at Secret Stone Bar at Timital Junction, a short distance from Midway Bar. They held up Trinmar engineer Vijay Ramnarine, 29, of Lachoos Road. Ramnarine’s cell phone valued $2,000, a pager, a calculator and $120 cash were stolen by the bandits who escaped on foot. A report was made by the victims to the Penal police station and PCs Baptiste and Haynes are investigating the matters.

The Busy Foods Supermarket in Glen Road, Tobago was held up by three men, two weilding guns, at around 2 pm yesterday and robbed of $11,000 and several bottles of rum. Manager of the supermarket, Khadija Ali Samhoul, told Newsday that the men wore no gloves or masks and except for one, were unknown. She noted also that they spoke with “the normal Tobago accent and seemed to be familar with the place.” Samhoul recalled that the men entered the supermarket, walked into her office and headed straight for the draw containing the money. When she questioned their actions, they showed her a gun and continued to empty the drawer of its contents. Sahoul said the robbery took less than ten minutes, which convinced her that they had been staking the outlet for some time and were familiar with their surroundings. The alarm was raised and the police arrived a half hour later but by then, she said, the robbers were long gone. Officers of the Scarborough CID are carrying out investigations.

The Caribbean Community marks its 30th anniversary, the highlight of which is today’s grand opening of the 24th Caricom Summit which gets underway at 4 pm at the prestigous Ritz Carlton Hotel, here in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Today’s opening which will be televised live throughout the region has been pre-empted by meetings of officials and private discussions by the heads far away from Montego Bay. The meetings, it is assumed, have taken place at a particularly critical time for the region in that much attention  is being focused on the implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). There is also the pending inauguration of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). These are two issues the Heads will be pushed to come up with some firm answers quickly. Firstly, there is the encroaching Free Trade of Americas Association (FTAA). Additionally, there are the external trade issues, especially in the light of upcoming negotiations in relation to Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union as part of the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) Group of countries. The establishment of the CCJ calls for quick and firm decision-making by the Caricom Heads, especially since British Prime Minister Tony Blair has signalled the proposed abolition of the London Privy Council. Some Caricom Heads may view Blair’s move as a blessing in disguise since the Law Lords in London had been widely viewed as people against capital punishment, which was contrary to the consensus in many of the Caricom member States.

Today’s opening has also been preceded by the eighth meeting of the region’s Finance Ministers, as well as the meeting of Ministers responsible for sugar. The leaders also spent two days in Ocho Rios where they held private discussions on a number of issues, the results of which will be formalised at the conference here in Montego Bay. One of the features of today’s opening ceremony will be an address by the visiting President of South Africa and Chairman of the African Union, Thabo Mbeki. He has been on a four-day official visit to Jamaica.
The focus today shifts to the Ritz Carlton here in Montego Bay, where apart from the visiting South African President, four Heads and Caricom Secretary-General, Edwin Carrington, are listed to speak. The four Heads who will speak are the host Prime Minister, Percival Patterson; the incoming Chairman of Caricom, Pierre Charles, Prime Minister of Dominica; the out-going Chairman of Caricom Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados, and Prime Minister Said Musa of Belize. The agenda will focus on critical priority areas in Caricom, such as the programme leading to the implementation of the Single Market Economy and in particular, the free movement of persons within the region — the Bill which was passed last week in the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament. Also, on the agenda are the legal framework towards establishment of the CCJ, as well as steps towards its inauguration. During the rest of the week, the Heads will receive progress reports on moves to revive the regional economy, including assistance to Dominica. This will include establishment of the Regional Stabilisation Fund — such as the type established in 1977 when one member State usurped almost 98 percent of the funds. Then there will be the matter of the Regional Economic Transformation Programme, and the Trinidad and Tobago/Caricom Support Programme. Crime and security will also be discussed by the Heads of Government who are due to receive a special report from a specially established Task Force.

Bakers, who have recently benefitted from cheaper flour prices from National Flour Mills, have failed to keep their promise to lower the price of bread and other flour based products, Minister of Legal Affairs Camille Robinson-Regis stated yesterday. However, she stressed that in a liberalised economy, the Government could not implement price controls. It can therefore only “rely on moral suasion and the integrity of producers to pass savings on to consumers,” she said. She added that the onus fell on consumers to exercise the power of choice and patronise only those businesses that operated in the interest of consumers by passing savings on to them. Robinson-Regis was responding to a question from UNC Senator Wade Mark in the Senate yesterday. She stated that since the recent reduction in international wheat prices, National Flour Mills had fullfilled its commitment to the national community by a 10 to 17 percent reduction in the prices of flour and flour-related products.  She said investigations indicated that most supermarkets had passed these savings on to their customers. However, the makers of bread and other flour based products have not made similar concessions. The minister, noted that in May the Bakers’ Association, gave an assurance that the prices would definitely be going down. “However, the minister is not satisfied that the prices have been reduced across the board, as this is not reflected in the examination made by the Consumer Affairs Division, or in reports reaching the Minister from members of the national community,” she said.

The RBTT Merchant Bank has successfully entered the Spanish-speaking Caribbean market through a capital market issue of a US $104 million Senior Secured Note for Empresa Generadora de Electricidad Haina, SA (EGE Haina), the largest single generator of electricity in the Dominican Republic. The transaction, which is the single largest completed by the Merchant Bank, was marked with a special dinner and reception held at La Boucan, Hilton Trinidad on Monday night. The Senior Secured Note, which is due in 2010, is the first of three facilities that the RBTT Merchant Bank will place on behalf of EGE Haina. Two additional facilities, a Syndicated Loan and a second Senior Secured Note, planned for coming months, will bring the total funds raised by RBTT Merchant Bank for the company to approximately US $250 million. Managing Director of RBTT Merchant Bank, Mark Singh, in thanking EGE Haina for its confidence in selecting the bank to facilitate their financing needs, revealed that the mandate was used to refinance existing obligations and partly fund the acquisition of capital stock in the power generation sector of the Dominican Republic.

EGE Haina, a private sector company which holds 22 percent of the DR’s power generation capacity, will use the funds to acquire Empresa Generadora de Electricidad Itabo, SA (EGE Itabo), another electricity-generating company. This will give EGE Haina control of over 35 percent of the generating capacity in the DR. Singh said, “This transaction was a momentous one for us here at RBTT Merchant Bank for several reasons.” He noted that not only was it the single largest transaction done outside TT, but it was also the first capital market transaction in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. “Furthermore,” he went on, “we can be seen as both contributing and facilitating the regional integration process initiated by Caricom through the establishment of a CARICOM/DR Free Trade Agree-ment.” He further revealed that since commencing investment banking activities in 1991, RBTT Merchant Bank has financed major regional projects that have contributed to the growth and development of the Caribbean region.