THE EDITOR: In North America the police would have responded to Ms Amanda Louis’ report very quickly with an investigation of the alleged incident, and Sean would have been detained for aggressive questioning. Very soon thereafter, he would have been charged with a variety of sexual offences as well as kidnapping. Our Police Commissioner, Hilton Guy, needs to reprimand those officers as well as give an apology to Amanda Louis and her friend. An efficient and effective police force is essential for fighting crime. Such a force requires cops who know their job, refresher courses to keep them up-to-date, and good communication between them and high-level officers. It also requires leaders who have been promoted on merit, not seniority, who have a sound knowledge of how to run a police department and who have imaginative strategies to fight crime.
Kenneth Aquan-Assee
Via e-mail
THE EDITOR: In order to understand gang warfare which has its current links with the URP we must trace its history to get answers. In the 1960s urban gangs waged warfare in Port-of-Spain as much as they are doing now. The death toll was less as bottles and stones, razors, the occasional cutlass and raw brute force were the weapons of choice. There were gangs as the Marabunters and the Apple Jackers who waged vicious turf wars. Quite a few of these people also belonged to the steel band movement and hence steelbands were also involved in violent clashes whenever they met at intersections during the carnival. To curb this violence the country’s first Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams created “Special Works”, a thinly disguised welfare programme aimed at harnessing the energies of these unemployed “badjohns” and taking them out of the life of violence and crime. “A similar strategy worked better with the steelband movement. The state sought and got corporate sponsors from the private sector; sponsors who coughed up hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to provide instruments, prizes, even trips abroad. Steelband clashes died almost overnight. The last reported clash was in 1971 when Invaders ran through Starlift giving rise to Ray Holmon’s “Pan on the Run” in 1972. Special works quelled the urban turf wars and soon enough the politicians (PNM) saw it as a perfect tool to gain votes and the programme was spread out of the capital city into other districts nationwide. The result can only be described as a disaster.
Trinidad and Tobago at the time was still involved in agriculture, producing our own food. Pangola grass was imported from South America to be grown here for cattle fodder on state farms. The oil boom did not hit us yet and world cocoa standards were measured by Trinidad quality. With the oil boom in 1974 came money and the means to expand special works. It became DEWD (Development and Environmental Works Division). Soon enough farmers in the countryside began having difficulty in getting people to work on their farms. It was much easier to stand at the roadside for a few hours and get $80 per day for ten days than earn $20 per day doing back-breaking work on cocoa or coffee estates. Cocoa, coffee and citrus estates were abandoned by the dozens over the landscape and DEWD was on the road to becoming a monster. It became LID (Labour Intensive Development) under the NAR who sought a name change, for the sake of change but used the programme for similar devices. Under the UNC it became URP (Unemployment Relief Programme). Here raw political patronage exposed itself. A religious sect was literally given the programme on a platter and soon enough that organisation literally took over the programme, especially along the East/West corridor. Violence shootings and murder entered the programme as foremen and others opposed to rank corruption were eliminated. Special Works has come full circle. Created to quell violence, today it is the source of unbridled murder and strife. In a strange twist it has sprouted a siamese twin called CEPEP which in its short life is heading in the same direction. At the bottom of all this is greed which has taken over the society from top to bottom. Greed which will rend and destroy this country if a firm hand is not taken to sort our affairs.
MC DONALD JAMES
Couva
THE EDITOR: In these times when there is so much negative talk about young people, I would like to congratulate Ms Jenelle Charles for her devotion to community work. She has been the trainer of the Phase Three march past team for the past six years, with our winning three consecutive occasions, placing second twice and third this year. She was noticed for her talent this year and was asked to train a team in Bon Air Gardens where they were victorious at their march past. She was then asked to train a team for WASA Sports and Family Day and this team came fourth out of twenty-four teams. We the Phase Three marchers “Generation Next” would like to take this opportunity to congratulate her and to wish her prosperity in her future endeavours.
WENDY WESCOTT
Generation Next
ANDY Dalchan sobbed uncontrollably during the funeral for his mother, Reena Dalchan, 41, a mother of four, who was stabbed to death as she slept on a bed at her parents’ Carapichaima home on Monday. Surrounded by his sisters and relatives, Dalchan’s only son, Andy, 20, sat on a chair in front of his mother’s coffin throughout the service at his grandparents home at Smith Street, Korea Village, Carapichaima. As he watched his mother, he sobbed: “Don’t leave me…ah going with you.” As tears streamed down his face, Andy seemed too weak to stand and appeared to be faint. He had to be physically supported by relatives who stood by his side at all times A day before she was stabbed to death, Dalchan told her co-workers she believed a close relative was going to kill her. “She was fearful of him and was always looking behind her back because she thought he was going to kill her,” her co-worker, Marilyn Joshua, revealed yesterday at Dalchan’s funeral service. Joshua, manager of 2002 Janitors, told more than 100 mourners who braved the inclement weather that she had known Dalchan for only four months, adding that the deceased was a caring and quiet person.
She said co-workers always looked out for Dalchan. “We never let her go home alone or come to work alone,” she added. Dalchan’s neighbours and friends described her as being a “good mother and loving person.” Also paying respects was councillor for the area, Ramjit Ramnarine, who called on leaders of the community to make a greater effort to help people in need. Following the service at which Reverend Roger Radhay, of the Korea Evangelistic Church officiated, the body was taken to the Chandernagore Cemetery for interment. Meanwhile the murder suspect, a 46-year-old fisherman, remains warded in serious condition at the San Fernando General Hospital. After allegedly killing the woman, the suspect attempted to kill himself by jumping off a banister of the house. He fell ten feet to the concrete ground and is now said to be paralysed from the waist down.
KEVON NURSE, 25, of Leon Street, Success Village, Laventille, was yesterday sentenced to hang for killing his uncle, Lester Ash, on Christmas Day, 2000. Justice Paula Mae Weekes imposed the death sentence on Nurse after a 12-member jury found him guilty of murder. Nurse was charged with shooting to death his 35-year-old uncle Ash, a steelpan tuner and tailor, at Ash’s apartment at Building One, Leon Street, Success Village, Laventille, on December 25, 2000. Both Nurse and Ash lived in the same building. The jury of six men and six women deliberated for an hour and half before returning to the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court with the guilty verdict. Justice Weekes then asked Nurse if there was anything he wished to say before passing sentence, but Nurse remained silent. She then read the death sentence to Nurse stating; “The jury has found you guilty as charged, the sentence of this court is that you be taken from this place to a lawful prison and thence to a place of execution and that you suffer death by hanging and may God have mercy on your soul.” Nurse remained calm and silent as he was removed from the courtroom. The State’s main witness 15-year-old schoolgirl Aneka Shockness gave evidence stating that at 1.45 pm on the day of the murder, she saw Nurse place a green plaid mask on his face and walk into his uncle’s apartment. She said a few seconds later she heard five to six explosions that sounded like gunshots.
She said she went into her apartment, spoke to her mother for a few minutes, and came back outside. A minute later she saw someone wearing the same clothes and mask as Nurse, leave Ash’s apartment. She said she did not see Nurse later that day. Attorney Wayne Rajbansee prosecuted in the trial for the State. The court also visited the scene of the crime last Friday following the requests of Nurse’s attorneys Mario Merritt and Richard Mason. There they were shown Ash’s apartment and witnesses gave evidence indicating the locations where they saw the masked man. Nurse who had given evidence in his defence at the trial said he had gotten into a scuffle at 8 am that day with his uncle, after which he went to receive medical attention. He admitted to lying before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls in his preliminary inquiry. He had initially told the magistrate that he was staying at a mosque in Mucurapo headed by Imam Yasin Abu Bakr. However, at his trial he said he did not stay at the mosque, but was at his girlfriend’s house from December 26 to 29.
FIVE Trinidad priests have become Monsignors in the Roman Catholic Church. On the eve of today’s Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) celebrations came the news that His Holiness John Paul II conferred the title on the five local priests in one of the biggest appointments to hit the local Archdiocese since Anthony Pantin become the first Trini Archbishop in this country. According to Archbishop Edward Gilbert, “Monsignor is an honorary title given to priests for distinguished service and/or to recognise the pastoral leadership positions to which they have been assigned in the particular church.” The honorary title of Monsignor is limited to diocesan priests.
The five new Monsignors are:
* Christian Dominic Pereira, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Port-of-Spain and parish priest of Santa Rosa, Arima.
* Michael de Verteuil, Rector of the Regional Seminary of the Antilles Episcopal Conference.
* Dr Esau Edwin Joseph, Regional Episcopal Vicar, Surburban Vicariat, a medical doctor who is parish priest of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Curepe.
* Cuthbert Francis Alexander, Episcopal Vicar for Communi-cations, who is also parish priest of St John the Evangelist Parish in Diego Martin.
* Kenneth David Spence, Episcopal Vicar for Priests, who is also parish priest of St Peter’s, Pointe-a-Pierre.
His Holiness John Paul II conferred the title on the five priests on the recent recommendation of Archbishop Edward Gilbert. The letters of appointment from the Vatican Secretariat of State will be given to the new Monsignors at a liturgy at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on June 25. The new Monsignors will join the only other Monsignor of the Catholic Church, Urban Peschier. Contacted yesterday, Fr Alexander said he was honoured at the appointment. “My prayer and hope is that the conferring of the title on the five of us will contribute to the development and enrichment of the Catholic Church.” Fr Alexander has been a priest for the past 13 years and is now in his seventh year at St John’s. The appointment of the new Monsignors has been seen as sign of renewed strength in the Catholic Church which has been under increased pressure within the last year. Following the death of the Archbishop Pantin in March 2000, and the failure by the Pope to appoint a successor from this country, the Catholic Church has been riding a wave of controversy over the last two years, the last of which involved Father Kennedy Swaratsingh, Parish Priest of St Patrick’s RC Church, Newtown, in April. The Pope eventually bypassed the likely successor, Fr Periera and installed American Edward Gilbert who was then assigned to the Roseau Presbytery in Dominica. Fr Pereira was later elevated to Vicar General of the Archdiocese and subsequently assigned to the Santa Rosa Parish, away from the Cathedral and Sacred Heart Church where he had preached. Despite his disappointment of not being appointed Archbishop, Fr Pereira has stuck to his task as right-hand man to the new Archbishop. Corpus Christi is a major Catholic festival. Even when TT was taken over by the Anglican British from the Catholic Spaniards, one stipulation was that this feast remain om the calendar.
A 60-YEAR-OLD one-legged man was found hanging yesterday from a railing on the compound of the San Fernando General Hospital. The deceased, Sundar Singh, of Palm Street, Coconut Drive, San Fernando, lost his left leg to diabetes three years ago and lived with his daughter, Vidya. Singh moved around with the aide of a walker, which was found next to his body. According to police reports, around 5 am, officers of the San Fernando CID received information and went to the hospital where they found the deceased hanging from a rope on a rail on the northern side of the building. Even though the incident took place a short distance away from the MTS guard booth, the security guards told police they did not notice anything strange. The body was viewed by the District Medical Officer who ordered it removed to the Forensic Sciences Centre where an autopsy will be performed on Monday. Police sources said that hospital records showed that Singh was not a patient. However, investigators received information that Singh had been acting peculiar over the past few days and had been talking about ending his life. Police said the man had been also giving away his personal belongings, including his clothing. San Fernando police are continuing investigations.
There was panic yesterday morning at the ASJA Primary School in Barrackpore when 16 students complained of feeling unwell after drinking a milk beverage supplied for breakfast as part of the Health Ministry’s School Nutrition Programme. Four of the pupils, who were the most seriously affected and complained of vomiting and diarrhoea, were rushed to San Fernando General Hospital where they were treated and discharged. The other 12, who complained of nausea and abdominal pains, were taken in three cars to the Rochard Douglas Health Centre by teachers. They were examined by a doctor, given treatment and sent home. School principal Haroon Khan refused to comment on the incident and even threatened to call the police if the media did not leave the school compound. Communication’s Assistant in the Education Ministry, Hilton Braveboy, told Newsday that Palo Seco Agricul-tural Enterprises Ltd had supplied pre-packaged milk to the Barrackpore Children Lunch Association (BCLA), to distribute the beverage to schools in the district. According to Braveboy, that was the agreement made under the school nutrition feeding programme.
He said the BCLA had sent out an S.O.S to all schools after an official sampled the milk and found that it had a “strange taste”, but the ASJA primary school received the message too late. Braveboy added that the Victoria County Medical officer of Health, Dr Shivnauth, had since taken samples of the milk for testing. He said, depending on the outcome of the results, the Ministry would know what course of action would be taken. When contacted yesterday, TTUTA’s president Trevor Oliver, said they believed that every effort must be made to ensure that food for children is healthy. Saying he hoped the children were not seriously affected, he observed that generally the School Nutrition Programme had been a good one. Oliver added that he had been monitoring the programme and had not gotten many reports similar to yesterday’s incident at the Barrackpore school. However, he pointed out that additional precautions and infrastructure should be put in place to ensure that instances like this do not occur again. Attempts to the reach the ASJA Education Board proved futile. In an official release late yesterday the Palo Seco Agricultural Enterprises Limited (PSAEL) said its officers visited the Barrackpore ASJA Primary School and, out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of all concerned, withdrew the milk products until an investigation was done. According to the PSAEL release, the batch of milk distributed to schools in that area was produced on Monday, June 16, and delivered on Tuesday, June 17. No other school has reported any incident, added the release.
POLICE in Philadelphia in the United States are now searching for a 54-year-old Trinidadian for the murders of his ex-lover Prematee Celestine and her husband Eugene Celestine, both Trinidadians. It was a volatile situation — a woman living with both her husband and alleged ex-boyfriend. On Tuesday, the West Philly love triangle imploded, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported yesterday. Eugene Celestine, 29, and Prematee Celestine, 40, were shot to death, police said. They were married in December 2000. And police are seeking Cyprin Diaz, 54, for questioning. Friends said Diaz was Prematee Celestine’s former boyfriend and father of her two sons. Reports revealed that Diaz had been deported to Trinidad some time ago, but managed to get back into the United States where he allegedly committed the murders. The complicated threesome had apparently all been living together in a house on 54th Street near Arch. Eugene Celestine was killed on a street near the house early Tuesday morning, police said. He was found in a pool of blood at about 2:20 a.m. on Arch Street near Ruby. Police said the killer apparently had gone back to the house after that and shot Prematee Celestine.
The exact time she was killed was unclear, police said. But police said the gunman locked the sons in the house with their mother’s body for some time. When the gunman left, the kids called 911 and police got to the house at about 2:40 p.m. Friends said they were shocked by the news yesterday, although they did say the Celestines had some troubles. “They were having problems,” a man who identified himself only as Sevens said. “They used to be arguing.” And a co-worker said: “They had some misunderstanding in their relationship.” Prematee Celestine, formerly Rampersad, who was described as a fun, outgoing person, was from Trinidad, friends said. She and Eugene Celestine had lived on 54th Street for about four years, neighbors said. At some point Diaz, Prematee Celestine’s former love, also of Trinidad, followed her here to be with their two children, friends said. In the past year, friends said, Prematee Celestine had started a restaurant called Island Style Soul Food, on 60th Street near Walnut. Both men were helping her. It wasn’t clear just how long the triangular living situation had gone on, but friends said that Eugene Celestine had had enough. Eugene Celestine had recently asked Diaz to move out. The two men argued about it again on Monday, one friend said. Early Tuesday, the fight turned deadly.
THE MURDER rate climbed to 114 yesterday, following the shooting death of ex-prisoner and PH driver, Trevor Bermudez, 33, aka Yankee, of Halls Lane, Pelican Extension, Morvant. It is now 58 shy of last year’s figure which stood at 172. Murder number 113 occurred Tuesday morning when Laventille resident Nwadike David, 31, succumbed to gunshot injuries at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. David was shot on the night of May 22 while in a telephone booth at the corner of Duke and Piccadilly Streets, Port-of-Spain. Cpl Jackson of the Besson Street Criminal Investigations Department is investigating. In the Bermudez killing, which police believe was the continuation of a gang war, investigators said around 12.20 am residents of of Halls Lane heard several loud explosions in the vicinity of Bermudez’s home. No attention was paid to the explosions, and police said around 5.30 am, resident Hayden Thomas found the body while he was about to leave for work. Bermudez’s body was discovered a short distance from Thomas’ home. A report was made and a party of officers headed by Supt Waldron Bishop, and including ASP Gregory Correira, Insps Dave Hillaire and Koon Koon, Cpl Anand Ramjit of the North Eastern Division visited the scene and conducted investigations.
Police said they found five cartridges for a 12-gauge shotgun and one spent 9mm shell. District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr Althea Holder also viewed the body which was later ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre for an autopsy, which revealed he died from multiple gunshot wounds. Law officers said it appears that Bermudez had just returned from working his family’s car when he was confronted by armed men. It appears he ran from his attackers and was eventually killed in Halls’ yard. The deceased’s slippers were also found some distance from his body. At the scene yesterday, Thomas said: “I heard several boom, boom, boom boom, boom’s. X amount (of gunshots) for real.” He added that he did not make a move, while Halls said he hid under his bed during the volley of shots. Halls added that about 1.30 am he decided to watch television, but said he did not have a clue there was a dead man in his yard. “I didn’t know I was sleeping with a dead in my yard,” Halls told Newsday. No arrests had been made up to late evening and Cpl Ramjit of the Morvant CID is continuing the investigations into Bermudez’s killing.
