PERSONS interested in a career in the private security industry are asked to visit the office of United National Congress (UNC) MP for Oropouche, Dr Roodal Moonilal, as soon as possible. In a release yesterday, the Opposition MP said several leading private security companies will be recruiting security officers from Oropouche from June 9 to 20 at his constituency office at Debe Junction, Debe.
Men and women between the ages of 20-45 are requested to visit the constituency office for registration. Persons should bring along two passport size photos, two character references, copies of birth certificates, identification cards, passport or drivers permit, copies of education certificates, school leaving certificates and a police certificate of good character. Moonilal said the exercise is a collaborative initiative between his office and the private security industry to generate employment opportunities.
DEFENCE lawyer Theodore Guerra SC criticised a State prosecutor, describing her as insolent, when the ballot-tampering case against Ian Atherly, former campaign manager for San Fernando West MP Diane Seukeran, continued in the San Fernando Magistrates Court yesterday.
Guerra’s outburst came after State attorney Maurissa Joseph sought an adjournment of the case because she had a matter in the San Fernando High Court. Atherley is charged with tampering with a ballot-box at the polling station housed in the Mon Repos Fire Station, in the run up to last year’s General Elections. Not happy with the State attorney’s request, Guerra accused Joseph of being insolent, which he said was reflected in the last minute call she made to him saying she was “unable to make it.” Guerra also accused Joseph of having, “no consideration for this matter.” He told Magistrate Mark Wellington, “it was the choice of the prosecutor to adjourn the matter to today.” He was referring to a request Joseph made at the last hearing of the case to have it adjourned to yesterday. Guerra said he was ready to continue the matter.
Joseph explained to Magistrate Wellington that she wanted the matter adjourned because she had another matter at the San Fernando High Court and was only informed of this on Tuesday after lunch. Magistrate Wellington asked her why she did not ask one of her colleagues to handle the High Court matter and Joseph replied that “there was no one available in the office to take it.” Guerra was still not satisfied with Joseph’s explanation. He reminded Magistrate Wellington of how cases were done in “the old days” and lamented that “the new people coming into the bar do not respect tradition.” Guerra also said that there was a “fall in standards.” Magistrate Wellington pointed out to both parties that “this matter should be closed.” “It started in February and we’re now into June,” he noted. He adjourned the case to next Wednesday and warned Joseph: “If you can’t make it, have a meeting with one of your colleagues.”
FORMER Prime Minister Basdeo Panday allowed Birk Hillman Consultants (BHC) too much power on the Piarco Airport Project and ignored NIPDEC’s warnings that this was “dangerous for the success of the project.” This was the testimony of former NIPDEC general manager Noel Garcia as the Commission of Inquiry into the Project continued yesterday at the Caribbean Court of Justice.
Under questioning from NIPDEC attorney Christopher Hamel-Smith, Garcia said NIPDEC chairman Edward Bayley told him in September 1997 about a Cabinet decision to transfer control of the project from the Airports Authority (AA) to NIPDEC and on March 31, 1998, an agreement to that effect was reached between NIPDEC and the former UNC government. However, Garcia said a previous contract signed between the AA and BHC, which gave the latter extensive powers on the project, remained intact. He said those powers included responsibilities for architectural design, engineering and being project managers on a fast-track method. Garcia said he was “outraged” because NIPDEC had extensive experience on such projects for the government and the concentration of all these functions in BHC’s hands was “highly unusual and inadvisable in the interest of the Government and the project”.
According to Garcia, BHC claimed monies for work done on the CP6 package although no work was being done on that aspect of the project. Garcia said NIPDEC’s Board of Directors agreed with his recommendation that BHC’s powers be suspended. he wrote to Works Ministry Permanent Secretary Justin Paul on the matter and even “raised it directly” with Panday. The former NIPDEC GM said no response was received from Government “urgent or otherwise”. Garcia said talks were held to either give the Northern York Coosal (NYC) consortium a reduced scope of works on CP6 or monetary compensation, but NYC demanded a larger scope of works on the project. However, Garcia continued, Works Ministry representative, Peter Cateau recommended an even broader scope than what NYC was demanding and the Cabinet subsequently accepted his recommendation. Garcia claimed Bayley and NIPDEC Director, Trevor Romano had more “hands on” involvement and this was “highly unusual” for projects of this nature. He alleged that Bayley inserted Clause 213 into NIPDEC’s March 1998 agreement with Government in order to award the CP3 contract to NYC.
Garcia further alleged that other pillars of an infrastructure to achieve this goal were bonding, amending tender rules and installing Ernst and Young as NIPDEC’s auditor. He added that when the agreement was sent to the Solicitor-General for vetting, the Solicitor-General said Clause 213 was “a clever attempt to maintain the status quo”. Garcia will continue his testimony when the hearing resumes today. Cateau and current AA chairman Linus Rogers will also testify before the Commission today.
Former General Manager of Tobago Express and veteran BWIA Executive, Nelson Tom Yew has been appointed Corporate General Manager of the airline, while former Chief Financial Officer of BWIA, Paul Schutz has been named as General Manager of Operations.
The airline announced the appointment of the two general managers yesterday, following the departure of President and Chief Executive Officer Conrad Aleong. Of the two newly appointed managers, Tom Yew is the senior of the two, and is also the accountable manager to represent the airline to all statutory and regulatory bodies. Schutz is an airline professional who earned his experience at Ryanair and British Airways. Both GM’s will report individually to the Board of Directors, and will jointly oversee the various functions of the airline.
As the single largest shareholder of Tobago Express, the Board of Directors of BWIA has also named Captain Fitzroy Wellington to replace Tom Yew for the interim period as General Manager of Tobago Express with immediate effect. Corporate Communications Manager Clint Williams also revealed yesterday, that 25 Executive members had given the Salary Regulations Team letters indicating their agreement to take a five percent pay cut, and that they had already voluntarily taken a five percent pay cut earlier in the year. This would mean that they were willing to accept a total of a ten percent pay cut, Williams said, adding that it was “just a matter of leadership.” Asked whether they would be sending more employees home, Williams noted that the board had to present a savings plan to government, who would in turn advise them if it was adequate enough, or if more cuts had to be made.
EMPLOYEES at Trinmar Operations have returned to work following a total shutdown of operations on Tuesday morning.
However, OWTU branch president, Ancil Roget said the Union was giving state-owned oil company, Petrotrin “a few more days”, to formulate an adequate response to workers demand that the Company honour an agreement on the governance structure for its Point Fortin-based subsidary. He said up to the present time the Union had not been contacted by either Petrotrin’s executive chairman, Malcolm Jones or the Ministry of Energy.
Workers were protesting management’s decision to make redundant Trinmar’s three senior management posts: Finance manager, Human Resource manager and Information Technology manager. He said the Union was also awaiting a response from Minister of Energy, Eric Williams, to discuss the situation. Union officials, including president general, Errol Mc Leod, had attended an all-day seminar at the OWTU’s Paramount Building headquarters yesterday.
Overnight rainfall flooded the main streets of Princes Town yesterday creating transport problems for students and other commuters. Traffic piled up for miles around the town area as drivers were forced to drive at snail’s pace.
Market vendors were most seriously affected since several of them were sent scampering to save their dry goods and other perishables from the rising flood waters which came swooping through the market like a river. According to Savitri Ramkisoon, the flood waters rose at around 9 am and vendors had to rush to salvage their goods.
Ramkisoon told Newsday the vendors did not expect the floods to rise so quickly. She recalled that just on Monday the sun was so hot they had to keep wetting their vegetables. “Today out of nowhere the floods came,” she said. She noted that in the past years many of the vendors had to deal with heavy losses due to unexpected rainfall. Last year, Ramkisoon reported a loss of more than $2,000 worth of tomatoes, lettuce and pigeon peas.
Another vendor, Sean Joseph, says that although the Princes Town Regional Corporation has done a lot to alleviate the flooding crisis in the newly constructed market, it was still not enough. Joseph blames the drain at the back of the market for the flooding. “The drain is too small, they need to widen the drain so that it can push out the water quickly,” he added. Joseph along with many others said this was not something new in Princes Town. The vendors also cited sand flies as another major problem to them.
A SECOND autopsy yesterday on the body of murdered Police Constable Derrick Nelson revealed that death was due to gunshot injuries. Two bullets which were not detected during the first autopsy on Monday were removed by pathologist Dr Des Vignes yesterday.
On Monday, Des Vignes ordered that an x-ray taken while PC Nelson was a patient at the San Fernando General Hospital be provided for his use. This x-ray was only made available late Monday after the first autopsy was competed and the pathologist decided to do a second autopsy to remove the additional bullets in the body. PC Nelson, who died last Saturday, will be buried today following a military funeral at the Trinity Cathedral. Police officers will walk from the Police Barracks to the St James Crematorium for the final rites. ACP Deochand Gosein will deliver the eulogy at the funeral.
THE MAN accused of murdering two-year-old Isaac Joseph appeared in the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court yesterday complaining of ill-treatment by police officers.
Walker Joseph, aka Carlos Francis, 40, a labourer, of Upper Waterhole, Cocorite, allegedly beat his stepson at their home on Saturday. The child died Sunday morning at hospital. Joseph told Senior Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim: “I went through hell through these past few days.” Pointing to the complainant in the matter, Cpl Charles of the St James Police Station, he added: “That officer there throw away my lunch and thing. I is a man does go for medical treatment at St Ann’s and right now I feeling like I going mad. I need a little something to cool my head.” Magistrate Lee Kim replied: “For a man who is going mad, you are remarkably lucid. I must commend you.” Family members told the court they would attempt to retain an attorney to represent Joseph. The preliminary inquiry is set to start June 23.
Randall Blackman, a Ministry of Health driver yesterday made a mad dash from the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court after a jury found him not guilty of the motor manslaughter of a 12-year-old boy. Blackman’s relatives followed him and began praying and crying in relief.
The nine-member jury comprising of seven women and two men deliberated for two and half hours before relating the verdict to Justice Malcolm Holdip. Blackman, 31, was freed of the motor manslaughter of Nicholas Johnson at Madras Road, Cunupia, on May 1, 2000. He was also found not guilty of the lesser charge of dangerous driving. Defence counsel, Israel Khan SC, presented evidence that the accused’s vision was hindered while driving by smoke from a bush fire. The accused claimed that he was driving at a speed of less than 20 miles per hour when he struck the child who was crossing the road. There were no witnesses. Blackman said he did not see the child until he was struck by the car.
PCs Sagid Karim and Indrath Ramlochan also gave evidence. They failed to take measurements and photographs of the point of impact, according to the accused. The prosecution accused Blackman of gross negligent driving. The State’s key witness, Indra Maharaj, testified that Blackman overtook a slow moving truck and was driving very fast when he struck the boy who was walking on the road. She also denied the presence of smoke on that day. Following the verdict, Justice Holdip told Blackman he was free to go.
JERUSALEM: A Palestinian suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus that killed at least 16 people and an Israeli rocket attack in Gaza that killed another seven people, including two Hamas militants, left a new Mideast peace effort in tatters yesterday, just a week after it was launched.
The suicide bombing in one of Jerusalem’s most heavily policed areas also underscored the vulnerability of Israel and the ineffectiveness of the Palestinian Authority’s efforts to persuade militants to end terror attacks — and it reflected the breakdown of efforts to bring Hamas to accept a truce with Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said late yesterday, after the Gaza strike, that “the state of Israel will continue to pursue until the end, the terrorists and those that send them.” Hamas claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, which was condemned by Israeli and Palestinian leaders, including the isolated Yasser Arafat, who condemned both attacks and called for an immediate end to violence.
The bus bombing was carried out by a man disguised as an ultra-Orthodox Jew who boarded bus No 14 during the early evening rush hour on Jaffa Street, Jerusalem’s main thoroughfare, police said. The explosion, the most deadly bus bombing in three months, occurred near the Mahane Yehuda outdoor market, a heavily policed area repeatedly targeted by Palestinian militants in the past. Witnesses said bodies were thrown through the air as the bus was ripped apart. Police said 16 bystanders were killed and 70 wounded. Less than an hour after the Jerusalem bombing, Israeli helicopter gunships fired two missiles at a small Fiat carrying two members of the Hamas military wing, Tito Massoud, 35, and Soheil Abu Nahel, 29, killing them instantly.
