N Touch

AG strikes back

IF THE UNC thought that they had struck a “passing shot” at the Attorney General in the FW Oil bribery scandal, Mrs Glenda Morean-Phillip, a former tennis champion, proved she was able enough to slam it back into the Opposition’s court. In Parliament yesterday the AG met charges that she had lied about a former UNC minister soliciting a bribe — she termed it “an improper consideration” — from the Texas oil company by revealing that she had four cheques, amounting to TT $800,000, which had been paid into a Jersey bank account in the name of a UNC minister and his wife.

“This is not a question of lying,” the AG declared, “this is the case of government ensuring that corruption is rooted out of this country. As a Government committed to transparency and accountability, we could not sit idly by and allow these allegations to remain on the record.” Mrs Morean-Phillip’s revelations in Parliament yesterday create an even nastier picture than what has been disclosed so far about this unsavoury affair. The impression had been that a former UNC minister had asked FW Oil for a bribe in order to influence the award of a contract to develop the South West Soldado oilfield. Now the AG tells us that, in fact, a large sum of money in the form of four cheques — two for US $50,000 and two for US $20,000 and $10,000 respectively – has actually been paid as a result of the request for what she continued to describe as an “improper consideration.”

The Attorney General was accused of lying by the UNC opposition, following a denial by the Texas oil company that it had been approached for a bribe by a minister of government in 2002. It would now be interesting to hear what FWO would have to say in light of the cheques, which are now in the AG’s possession. Indeed, Mrs Morean-Phillip’s statement yesterday and the documents, which she released to the media on Saturday combine to reveal a sickening level of greed both within the UNC government and among officials at Petrotrin with respect to the award of the Soldado oilfield contract. She added in Parliament: “While it is true that we have been at pains to deal with the matter in a certain way, we have to say that it is not just one minister we are talking about here.”

Excerpts of FWO’s Summary of Dispute tell of certain TT officials demanding a US $1.5 million bribe and threatening to block FWO’s proposals unless the bribe was paid. The company added that the officials “later caused a fax to be sent to FWO listing a Cayman Island bank account and demanding that US $200,000 be deposited into the account as the first payment on a bribe. FWO again refused.” The AG read from an FWO affidavit filed in the lawsuit which relates that Junior Energy Minister William (Bill) Chaitan had, without Board approval, inserted in a letter from Trinmar to the company a final paragraph withdrawing the contract award to the Texas oil company. The affidavit stated: “Chaitan held an interest in a Canadian energy company that was a potential bidder for the Soldado Fields Project. It was thought that Chaitan was trying to ‘guide’ the project to that company.”

We find all this, of course, most depressing. That not only government ministers but also officials of Petrotrin could be accused of that kind of venality, of using their positions to exact bribes from a foreign oil company bidding for a local contract or to privately corrupt the award process for selfish gain, is quite demoralising. The AG has assured the country that investigations into this scandal and the InnCogen are continuing. But when will these matters be satisfactorily concluded? Criminal activity in high places is just as repugnant as kidnappings and assassinations.

Who is Lord Hanuman?


In Trinidad and Tobago now stands a Murti dedicated to Lord Hanuman that towers over eighty feet high. Ironically the Hanuman Murti and  Mandir is of South Indian design while most Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago are of Northern Indian ancestry. This, however, does not diminish the devotion of Hindus from Trinidad and Tobago as well as the rest of the Western Hemisphere. Indeed the Murti is reputed to be the largest Murti of Lord Hanuman outside India. 

Lord Hanuman holds a special place of reverence for Hindus of Trinidad and Tobago. The Ramayana figures predominately in the religious life of Hindus here and as such Lord Hanuman towers spiritually in Trinidad. Of the pujas the early indentured performed, one was the Hanuman puja with the other being the Satnarayan puja. The late Ramkisson Badloo, a 98-year-old resident of the Sangre Grande area, related that the early indentured performed the Hanuman puja, as Hanuman Baba was the remover of obstacles. The Indians, surrounded by a hostile and harsh environment, sought refuge in religion. Thus from an early period in the Indian presence in Trinidad, Hanuman Baba was dear to the Hindu heart. It was only later as the Indian began to prosper then Lakshmi puja was performed among the Indian community. One can perhaps trace the development, successes and struggles of the Hindu population along the lines the pujas performed.

What is disquieting has been some of the comments made against the religious symbols particularly from the Christian fundamentalist community. On two particular radio stations (one on the AM frequency and the other on the FM frequency) callers have openly called for the destruction of the Hanuman Murti and criticised what has been termed  the “Hinduising of the national landscape”. In this flurry of zealotry, there is an immediate need to explain to non-Hindu Trinidad what Lord Hanuman represents. “Hanuman” By Sri D Ramkissoon relates that Sri Hanumanji is an incarnation of Lord Siva. “Brihaspati (the preceptor of the gods) had an attendant by the name of Punjikasthala who was cursed to assume the body of a female monkey. The curse was to be removed on her giving birth to an incarnation of Lord Siva. Accordingly, she was born as Anjani and, together with her husband Kesari, lived a life of chastity and purity. She performed intense austerities for a great many years, during which period she worshipped Lord Siva who being pleased with her granted her a boon. She asked that Lord Siva be born to her so that she may be freed from the curse.”

“When Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya was given the sacred payasa by Agnideva to share among his wives so that they may have divine children (Ram, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna), by divine ordinance, a bird (kite) snatched a fragment of that pudding and, whilst flying over the forest, dropped it where Anjani was engaged in worship. Pavandev (the deity presiding over the wind) delivered that fragment of pudding to the outstretched hands of Anjani who immediately swallowed it. With that grace, she, in due course, gave birth to Hanumanji. Thus we find that Lord Siva incarnated as Hanumanji in the bodily form of a monkey through the grace and blessings of his god-father Pavandev, with Anjani and Kesari as his earthly parents.” Sri Hanumanji met Sri Rama whilst Sri Rama was in banishment. Sri Rama, together with his brother Lakshamana, was searching for his wife Sita who was abducted by the demon Ravana. The story of Hanumanji is inextricably interwoven with that of Lord Rama, and is exhaustively dealt with in the Ramayana of Valmiki and the Ramacharitamanas of Goswami Tulasidas.

It was only through Hanuman that Sita and Rama could be reunited. Similarly, it is through the lessons that we find in his character that the realm of divinity can become of creation. Sita represents the earth, the field, Mother Nature, creativity, abundance. Rama is the spiritual potential, which has been lost from creation. Hanuman is the forces and teachings that can reunite the creation and spirit, leading to the manifestation of the divine in life itself. The lessons in the character of Hanuman are the keys to unfolding divinity in our lives. On Chaitra Shukla Purnima, i.e., the full moon day of March-April, Hanuman Jayanti (the birth anniversary) is celebrated where there are Hindus. The birth anniversary of Hanuman is celebrated with great religious fervour. Devotees observe strict fast, offer prayers and puja, and read the Ramayana and the Hanuman Chalisa. The Hanuman Chalisa is one of the most popular prayers said today. It is a set of 40 verses, written by Goswami Tulsidas. The Hanuman Chalisa was written by Goswami Tulsidas to be a beautiful prayer and song, yet also to contain hidden in it the entire message of Hanuman in the Ramayana. These are the secrets of creating divinity in life, which if learnt, are reaffirmed into our minds each time it is recited.

Lord Hanuman is the deity seen as the provider of courage, hope, knowledge, intellect and devotion. He is pictured as a robust monkey holding a mace (gada) which is a sign of bravery and having a picture of Lord Rama tatooed on his chest which is a sign of his devotion to Lord Rama, Hanumanji is said to be Chiranjivi (immortal) and is present in the world even today. He is the link between the devotees and God, for, as instructed by the Lord, he serves, protects and inspires the servants of God. Saints like Tulsidas had the darshan (divine vision) of the Lord through the grace of Hanumanji. Saturday is the day of Hanuman, and some people fast on Saturday in honour of Hanuman. Lord Hanuman though a boon given to him by Sri Rama will remain on Earth and be the presiding Deity of Kaliyug — the present dark-age. Perhaps the Hindu Community should once more focus all of its pujas on Lord Hanuman given the recent assaults on Hinduism by Christian fundamentalist groups.

Same sex marriage thwarts God’s purpose

THE EDITOR; It was reported recently that a Christian church in Canada has agreed to marry gay couples. I am a bit confused. Why such a decision? You see, the Christian Church must be faithful to God’s Word in all things.

For this reason it must oppose homosexuality and the gay lifestyle, recognising such as sin. However, at the same time, Christians must be willing to reach out in love to homosexuals, extending to them the grace that leads us all to Christ’s forgiveness. Homosexuality is both a sin against God and mankind. It runs contrary to the divine plan, purpose, and will of God who created us in His image (Genesis 1:27) and redeemed us so that this image, marred because of sin, might be renewed (Colossians 3:10). Most fundamentally, homosexuality is sin because it perverts the created order of human sexuality, the heterosexual fulfilment of both man and woman (I Corinthians 7: 2-5).

In creating the first man and woman, God ultimately established the family consisting of a father, a mother, and eventually children. Society is founded on this social unit, which propagates the human race. In total contrast, the lifestyle and practice of homosexual couples establish a social unit that thwarts that process and the creative purposes of God for humanity. Clearly the Bible states homosexual practice is sin. Scriptures, which denounce homosexuality, are found in both the Old and New Testaments. The Bible speaks repeatedly about God’s divinely ordained plan of heterosexual relationships and marriage. (Genesis 1:28). (Romans 1:26, 27) This New Testament passage is the most pointed and clear condemnation of homosexuality (among men or women) in the Bible. “Women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones… Men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.”

Some pro-homosexual advocates try to refute the biblical injunctions against homosexuality by saying the Bible speaks against promiscuity and prostitution, not against loving, committed gay relationships. Some unfaithful spouses of heterosexual marriages have tried to justify adultery on the same grounds, but nowhere does Scripture suggest that loving, committed relationships of any kind can turn sin into righteousness. God does not permit mankind to reinterpret the clear teaching of Scripture to justify personal sinful desires. As Christians, we must ask what Paul meant in Romans by calling homosexual acts unnatural (Romans 1:26, 27). Human logic tells us they are unnatural because if practised universally, the human race would soon die out. Some churches have been influenced by revelations of homosexual clergy within their ranks, and have responded by advocating a gay-friendly theology of compassion. But lowering God’s holy standards to mankind’s sinful preferences is an abomination in God’s sight.

Also, many homosexuals believe that their desires are normal and that they have a right to express them. But God does not obligate nor encourage us to fulfil all our desires (even normal ones). Those desires that violate His laws must be controlled. However, alongside God’s condemnation of sin is His offer of forgiveness. Remember, God can and will forgive sexual sins just as He forgives other sins. Finally, it must be said that as Christians, we all must surrender ourselves to the grace and mercy of God, asking Him to show us the way out of sin and into the light of His freedom and His love. Prayer, Bible study, and strong support in a Christian church can help gaining strength to resist temptations, through the overwhelming power of Jesus Christ.


COLVIN  BLAIZE
Chaguanas

Our first goal is survival

THE EDITOR: The first goal is not to be first world by 2020. The first goal is survival. Public servants and teachers still suffer from Government’s confiscation of monies from hard times in the 1980s after the ‘dose of salts’ oil boom of the 70s.

The middle class still has not recovered. The underdogs are even more frustrated with the good things they see everywhere but cannot have. Schools are still trying to catch up. The University and other research groups may profitably research the effect those years of suffering had on increased youth crime. We survived but we suffered through our ignorance and shortsighted optimism that the good times would ‘never’ end. Will OPEC survive? Will a USA Iraq considerably reduce the price of oil? Will Chavez pull a Castro on the world and point other directions in oil? Will the research on wind, tides, batteries, hydrogen, biogas etc make oil practically obsolete for vehicles? There are worse possibilities.

Will it not be the ‘height of ignorance’ and the depth of criminal stupidity on the part of Government, private sector and ordinary citizens if we are not committed to vigorous action now? It’s a case of ‘Save Now’ or go through another hell later. Are funds consistently deposited in Oil-stabilisation or similar Fund? Are Government borrowings, both local and foreign, closely monitored and controlled in the interest of survival? Are Government and private sector working diligently, jointly and separately to generate sustainable employment and self-employment opportunities for our people? Will tax and interest reduction mean increased wealth for relatively few, reducing national wealth and employment? Will real estate managers hustle prices upwards with tragic consequences for the country, like last time?

Will Government and private sector encourage workers, in their best interest, to spend carefully and save vigorously? (An interesting exercise with workers’ views of managers’ salaries!) No sector was wise enough last time. We suffered and we saw others suffer. And IMF demanded its pound of flesh. With hindsight, we cannot let it happen again to us, our children and our grandchildren. Many of us won’t give a damn. It becomes the responsibility of everybody else, in all sectors, to ensure we survive.

VAN  STEWART
Diego Martin

From Royal Borough to banana republic

THE EDITOR: It is shameful that a borough, once named the Royal Borough of Arima, a model of good stewardship, of notable and noble mayors, has now deteriorated into the Rotten Borough of the East. It is shameful that the name Arima should still be assigned to this once beautiful town. If one has to have a model of lawlessness, licence and latitude in behaviour, then one must visit Arima.

Start with the streets. Unpaved and unmarked, some resemble the floors of dried up rivers, the worst being the main thoroughfare around the Savannah. Then glance at the traffic — the maxis forcing their way to form three lanes where there should be one. The taxis parking anywhere they choose and on both sides of the main street, PH cars competing aggressively with them for passengers. The school children stand in untidy groups one foot on the pavement, the other on the street, some, no doubt, looking for the transport with their favourite music of mass destruction. Then there are the cyclists with their defiant “mind yusself” look, peddling madly against the flow of traffic on a one way street.

Now for the pedestrians. They cross traffic which is going through a green light and are mad at you if you blow your horn in anger as they amble across in their own sweet time. And they will do the same thing when there is a legitimate pedestrian crossing a car’s length away. Most hilarious of all (if you can’t laugh, you can only cry), the driving test site occupies what was supposed to be the Bus Terminus. “But that’s not all” (as the TV American commercials blast out) — the entrance and exist to this Test Site allows for the passage of only one vehicle at a time. “And there’s more” — this entrance/exit is not more than twenty yards from the junction of the PBR and the O’Meara Road which takes all the traffic between Arima and the CR Highway! Add to that, the taxis stopping after crossing the PBR, holding up traffic behind them and, soon after, holding up traffic along the PBR because the lights have now turned green, but a line of vehicles block the road!! As I said, laugh, because if you are in that situation you are likely to commit unpremeditated murder, especially if, just ahead you see a learner driver crawling out of the designated exit.

Now you ask the ridiculous question — so what about the police? Well, a good question, but don’t expect an answer. I must say they make their presence known (the Borough Police that is) every so often — sorry, not so very often. Their main role appears to be to stand in the vicinity of the market holding a large note book in hand. I have actually seen one hand papers (presumably tickets) to an illegally parked taxi driver who appeared mildly amused. And I almost forgot the Mayor. I believe we do have a Mayor and perhaps we even have councillors. And I know somewhere, sometime, there was some event in which we stained a finger, and someone was said to be our “representative.”

So perhaps (if you believe in fairies) there is someone, somewhere who, somehow, at some time, may try to look after our interests. Meanwhile, Arima rapidly degenerates into a sorry “banana republic” type of state, much as we see on the South American continent. But who cares? There must be more serious matters to be taken care of, such as providing friendly CEOs with “adequate” remuneration and “suitable” transport commensurate with their exalted status. AMIRA (Arima gone into reverse gear).


B CHAPMAN BOYD
Arima

Don’t let tradition dictate your life

THE EDITOR: When we are small, we dream of what our lives would be and should be like. As our tradition and customs dictate, we should have a sound education, get a great job, be spiritual and of course, marry and have a family.

Now, I have been one who worshipped tradition and I dreamt for all the above. However, sometimes life does not work out the way we planned it, although we have put all effort forward. Momentarily, we feel frustrated and wonder if we inputted one and one, then the result should be two. Most of us however, have realised that life is not as simple as that. There are so many other contributing factors that influence our lives that are beyond our control. So for us to accept the unexpected, we have to be flexible and go with the flow. My personal experience (I am now over 30) is that life does not have to be structured as our culture makes it out to be. Who is to say that success is measured solely by your qualifications, career, and family life? I have realised that just attaining peace of mind, connecting to God and giving positivity to people is the most effective criteria to measure success.

Why should our present and future be dictated by rigid guidelines of the past? Does an adult necessarily have to marry to experience a full life? Do we need to keep climbing the corporate and social ladders? Should we always want something better (which may be good sometimes), while not experiencing the joy of the present? My philosophy is to do what gives you the most peace and joyfulness, whilst making sure this is pursued at the expense of no one. Life should be taken lightly and enjoyed to the fullest. We have to remember that we are each unique and special individuals. We should not do what others expect of us. We should not keep up with the “Joneses.” We are inherently and divinely special just the way we are. No one on this earth can be another me. There are a number of messages in this one article. But my main advice to you is to live your life the way you see fit. Whatever makes you comfortable is what you should pursue. Do not let tradition dictate your life. Leave your own legacy. That’s what I am doing now and it feels totally wonderful. Freedom to be is ecstatic; exercise it.

RAVI MAHARAJ
Tunapuna

Advice for Chin Lee

THE EDITOR: Dear Mr Chin Lee, Firstly I make no apology for my forthrightness but as Minister of National Security you appear to be helpless and not in control of the rapidly declining situation regarding crime. Regardless of what your boss says, this and every other law abiding “average citizen” are well aware that crime is way, way out of control.

As a matter of fact our country is in dire straights. The formation of this or that squad is really ineffective without the presence of “real intelligence experts;” experts who know the grits of how the “underworld” truly functions. To this extent Mr Minister you may wish as a matter of urgency to extend an invitation to Ex-mayor Mr Rudy Giuliani who successfully wrestled the ‘Big Apple’ back from the clutches of the criminal element and restored peace and harmony. I am confident that you will get Ambassadors Austin’s blessings. Time is running out. Fast!


G WILDMAN
Glencoe

Minister with $800,000 in UK bank account

ATTORNEY GENERAL Glenda Morean-Phillip brought a rowdy Opposition bench to complete silence when she announced that a former UNC Government Minister had US$130,000 (TT$800,000) transferred to his account in an offshore bank in Jersey, one of the Channel Islands off England.

Morean-Phillip also revealed that another former UNC Government Minister William Chaitan was directly involved in withdrawing the award of the Southwest Soldado project from Texas-based FW Oil. The Texas company is now seeking US$100 million from the TT Government  for unlawful termination of their oil and gas contract. The Attorney General was speaking during the debate in the House of Representatives on the proposals for the Supplementation and Variation of the 2003 Appro-priation Bill. With a full complement of Government Members present and a rowdy Opposition bench, AG Morean-Phillip spent a lot of time explaining the FW Oil matter. She was also responding to former UNC Attorney General Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who spoke earlier in the debate, calling for the AG to resign. But the revelations of the cheques brought complete silence in the House. Morean-Phillip said after last Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, she announced Government’s plans to deal with the FW Oil matter.

“I know when these allegations were made, a certain Minister got up and said it is not me. I did not say a thing about any Minister. I did not call names. I did not use the word bribe, I said improper consideration, as was stated here.” Morean-Phillip continued, “Here you have two cheques of US$50,000 being transferred in a Minister’s account in the name of himself and his wife in a foreign bank in Jersey. You have two cheques for US$20,000 and US$10,000 respectively being transferred into this very Minister’s account. These are cheques in the possession of the Government,” she added. The AG added, “I will say no more, these investigations are still ongoing. This is not a question of lies, this is a question of a Government ensuring that corruption is rooted out of this country. We are not sitting back and hiding anything. You make an allegation about anyone in this Government, we stand up and say yes, investigation and when the report comes, it will be laid here. We have no sacred cows. Anyone of us found in any impropriety, we will pay the price,” Morean-Phillip promised.

The Attorney General repeated her statement relating to FW Oil’s claim for compensation. Quoting from a summary of the matter presented by attorneys for FW Oil, Morean-Phillip pointed out that officials of TT’s state enterprises requested a US$1.5 million bribe in connection with an oil and gas contract. She said that in July 2000, acting through intermediaries, certain TT officials demanded the bribe and threatened to block FW Oil’s proposals unless the bribe was paid. “They later caused a fax to be sent to FWO that listed a Cayman Island bank account and demanding US$200,000 to be deposited into the account as the first payment on a bribe. FWO again refused. The officials then engaged in a campaign of disinformation designed to force FWO’s removal as the successful bidder and abused their oversight positions at Petrotrin and the TT Government to block Trinmar from proceeding with the award.”

Morean-Phillip pointed out that former Junior Energy Minister William Chaitan, acting in his own self interest and without board approval, inserted the final paragraph of a letter withdrawing the award from FWO. Chaitan held an interest in a Canadian energy company that was a potential bidder for the Soldado Fields project. It was thought that Chaitan was trying to guide the project to that company. The AG ended, “as a responsible Government, as a Government committed to transparency and accountability in all its dealings, this government, unlike the last Government could not sit idly by and allow these allegations to remain on the record.” Efforts to reach Chaitan last night were unsuccessful as he was said to be out of the country.

Rats overrun South school

CONCERNED parents of pupils attending Robert Village Hindu School are calling on the Ministry of Education to rid the school of what they consider to be “rat infestation”. 
  
An angry parent, who requested anony-mity, told Newsday yesterday that she was fed-up with rats scurrying about the classrooms while her three children, and the other pupils are in the school. “Yuh always hearing and reading about rats and the diseases they carry. My children’s health is at risk,” she added. The woman ex-plained that the school had been having problems with the rodents for sometime now but the heavy rains caused the rats to jump out of their hiding places and swarm the classes. She said a rat even jumped in a child’s bag, adding that the children were in a uproar when they saw the rats running through their classrooms. “I want something done about this rat problem. It is not safe for our children,” she complained.

Mother of four stabbed to death

TWENTY-FOUR years of physical and verbal abuse ended in cold-blooded murder yesterday, when a 41-year-old mother of four was stabbed to death by a man as she slept in her parents’ home at Smith Street, Korea Village, Carapichaima.   
                  
After the brutal attack, Reena Dalchan’s killer embraced her body and confessed his ever-lasting love to her. Then, in an unsuccessful attempt at ending his life, the 46-year-old jumped from the top floor of Dalchan’s parents’  home, landing ten feet below, onto the concrete ground. The Chaguanas man was up to late yesterday warded in serious but stable condition, under police guard, at San Fernando General Hospital. He was said to be paralysed from the waist down and shouting at staff that he had no regrets over Dalchan’s death. Investigators have since seized an 11-inch fishing knife, which they believe is the murder weapon. Dalchan, a janitor who worked in Chaguanas, left her  home at Crissy Street, Enterprise, Chaguanas seven weeks ago. Three weeks ago, she took out a restraining order against her killer.
                                                                     
Relatives who gathered at the house of mourning yesterday expressed shock over the incident, even though they admitted that the man had threatened to kill Dalchan and himself, on several occasions, the most recent being last Friday, when he confronted Dalchan at her workplace. However, relatives said Dalchan was willing to give him a second chance, if he was prepared to change his violent ways and to stop drinking. Recalling the incident to Newsday yesterday, Dalchan’s sister Yvonne Hosein, 30, said around 5.45 am she was asleep on the same bed with Dalchan, when she (Hosein) heard a knocking on the bedroom door, which also leads to the gallery of the house. Hosein said her sister pinched her and told her to open the door because she thought it was their two brothers, who had gone to spend Father’s Day at the home of other relatives. “When I open the door, I saw him. I told him he had to get out now. He told me to get out and we start to struggle. He push me out the door and throw me on the ground. Then he pulled out a knife from his jersey,” Hosein said.

She added that the man jumped on top of her sister who was still lying on the bed and started stabbing her repeatedly. “It could have been ten or more times he stabbed her on the neck, hands and chest. She was crying, screaming and she bawl out ‘ma, pa (named called) killing meh’ and that was it,” Hosein said. The shaken woman said her sister’s screams of agony woke up their elderly parents — John, 65, and Polly Soodarsan, 60, who both rushed to the bedroom to try to save Reena. However, Hosein said, there was little the elderly couple could do to save their dying daughter since both of them are stroke victims and were easily pushed away by the killer, who continued stabbing Dalchan. Another relative, Reena’s sister-in-law, Lilly Soodarsan, 32, who was downstairs when she heard the screams, told Newsday, when she entered the room she saw the killer sitting on the blood-soaked bed and hugging the dead woman.

She also said the killer seemed to be remorseful for what he had done. She said the man was calling Dalchan’s name and speaking in a “sobbing manner,” but was not crying. Lilly said the killer told her, “she dead and I have to die too. Both of we are going together.” Lilly said the man then got up, placed a chair near the banister, climbed it, bent his head and jumped head first. She added that  Dalchan had lodged several reports against the man to the Chaguanas police, but she (Dalchan) always believed he could change his ways. Visiting the scene were head of Central Division — Snr Supt Phillip Carmona, ASP Rampersad, Insp Gopiechan, Sgt Sylvestor and investigating officer Sgt Duncan.   District Medical Officer Dr Mahabir viewed the woman’s body and ordered its removal to the Forensic Sciences Centre where up to late yesterday, efforts were being made to have an autopsy done.