Wednesday night’s shooting at Movie Towne was a case of “internecine warfare” which did not “involve” or “threaten” the average citizen, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said yesterday. He was speaking at a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall yesterday. Told that the ordinary citizen went to Movie Towne, Manning said of course there could always be “collateral damage” or “unusual incidents”— where innocent bystanders could get hurt or killed. But he stressed: “That is a kind of internecine warfare that is taking place among a particular group and the average citizen is not involved, or not really threatened by that directly”. Manning said while the government was not happy with the levels of crime in the country, this particular incident did not involve the average citizen. He said the Minister of National Security, Howard Chin Lee gave him a report on the shooting and indicated that investigations were on the way and that he would let him know more as soon as he was in a position to do so. Acknowledging that the shooting followed a verbal confrontation between persons during a radio programme, Manning said the shooting might not necessarily have been a function of the radio programme. “The radio programme may just have been a symptom rather than a cause,” he said.
The Prime Minister said Government had “reason to believe” that there was a link between the increase in the number of guns in Trinidad and Tobago and the political disturbances in neighbouring Venezuela, which began last November. Manning, who is chairman of the National Security Council said that the authorities noticed that the “virtual revolution in Venezuela to change the political order by a form of civil disobedience” led to an increase in the amount of guns coming into this country. “Basically you have drug lords in Colombia and the routes by which they come from Colombia into the Caribbean vary based on the opportunities that they see. When that situation broke out in Venezuela the authorities in Venezuela were more concerned with internal law and order. And therefore were not as well…(vigiliant)… and the drug lords saw an opportunity at that time to do some things that they would not normally have tried and the backlash of that we got in Trinidad”. Manning said Government was “actively considering” a gun court, similar to the one in Jamaica, in which persons charged for the possession of arms could be denied bail. Manning conceded that the crime situation had deteriorated “on the face of it” over the last 18 months. But, he contended, that he was equally certain that had Government not done what it had over the same period, the state of affairs would have been much worse. “We have been able to stymie it,” the PM said.
Questioned on the “shoot-to-kill” policy, Manning said it was a very dangerous thing for politicians to try to decide what the police ought to do. Noting that the Police Service was insulated from that by law, he said it was not a matter for the government to say that the police must shoot everybody that they see on the streets. Told that the Minister of National Security stated that the law allowed policemen to shoot to kill in defence of themselves and of citizens, Manning said: “Is that what the law says, I don’t know?” and added that “Government would not tolerate anything that is extra-legal.” Asked whether crime would be an election issue, Manning said, “election or no election,” Government was going to maintain a heightened measure of vigilance. Manning stressed that dealing with crime also had a social dimension. Government, understanding this reality, had made a “significant social intervention” which was reflected in the expenditure patterns, he noted. On the question of proper surveillance of the coastline, Manning said Government had intended to install a modern radar system to give the Coast Guard complete coverage of the coastline. It would also include the introduction of very fast “mother boats”.
COMPRESSED marijuana that was shipped from St Vincent and earmarked for distribution to a number of drug blocks in West Trinidad has been seized by officers from the Western Divisional Task Force. The large marijuana haul, which carries an estimated street value of $2.5million came following a week of surveillance and information received. The raid on the makeshift house off Phillip Trace, LePlatte Village, Maraval, was co-ordinated by acting Sr Supt Stephen Quashie, head of the Western Division, Supt Nadir Mohammed and Insp Narcis Cadette. The Task Force officers also seized three pairs of uniforms belonging to the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF), 32 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition and a rusty AK 47 magazine. Police said a party of officers headed by Cpl William Constantine and including PCs Jason Ramlal, Sylvon Stewart and Kevin Benjamin went to the makeshift house around 4.10 pm Wednesday.
The officers observed two men wearing Army fatigue and holding firearms resembling AK47s. On seeing the officers, police said the duo began to run and subsequently dropped a black plastic bag. The black plastic bag contained 32 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition and an AK47 magazine. Police said the 5.56mm ammunition can be used in several assault rifles including the Galil, AK47, M16 and the SA80. The two men were pursued, but they made good their escape on foot. The party of officers then searched the makeshift house and found 18 packages of compressed marijuana, which amounted to 276.92 kilogrammes, carrying an estimated street value of $2.5 million. The officers also found three pairs of army fatigues, one of which belongs to a serving member of the TTDF. Army officials yesterday examined the uniforms at the St James Police Station. The army officials reportedly told police that the soldier had reported his uniform stolen. Police said while no one was arrested, they are aware who they are looking for and that arrests are imminent. PC Benjamin is continuing investigations.
NATIONALS of Trinidad and Tobago suspected of being involved in corrupt activities can have their United States visas revoked. This was revealed yesterday by Duncan Walker, Economic and Commercial Officer at the US Embassy in Port-of-Spain when he addressed a breakfast seminar hosted by AmCham at the Scarlet Ibis Room, Hilton. He spoke on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 1977. Walker pointed out that although the United States may not be able to do anything to corrupt officials in another country, his Government can revoke the visas of those persons so they cannot enter the US. “They will not be able to come to Miami to shop, or to have a vacation there,” he added. He pointed out that the first time such a thing was done was in December 2002 when the former President of Nicaragua had his visa cancelled.
Walker said the US Ambassador to that country simply went to the former President’s home, asked for his passport and revoked the visa. “As you know, there are a lot of Nicaraguans living in Miami, so it was something which made big headlines in Miami at the time.” Admitting that the US does not make hasty decisions based on media reports, Walker said investigations will be conducted where “there is smoke”. He admitted seeing and hearing reports in the media about possible corruption in this country, but as far as he knew no national of this country has had his visa cancelled. Walker said the US has had successful prosecutions in 33 countries since the Corrupt Practices Act became law in 1977. One of those successful prosecutions involved bribes paid to officials in Trinidad and Tobago. He listed the case involving US firm Sam P. Wallace which had been hired by the Trinidad and Tobago Government to build the controversial Caroni Racing Complex. According to the Embassy official, that was the seventh case brought under the new act in 1981. Walker revealed that Sam P. Wallace paid bribes totalling US $1,391,000 to officials in Trinidad and Tobago. “The company was fined US $30,000 which was not a lot of money. The President of the company was fined US$500,000 and given three years’ probation. He was over with. He lost his rights, he could not vote or take part in a lot of things. That is to show how effective that case was,” Walker added.
HOMICIDE detectives will have to wait at least a month before the results of the toxicology tests performed on the body of a 50-year-old construction worker are available. The tests were requested by the police after they seized the body of Uriah Henry Guy, of Postman Drive, Enterprise, Chaguanas, following information they received that he may have been murdered. Police sources told Newsday yesterday the results of the blood and tissue samples taken from the body at the Forensic Sciences Centre, at St James, on Wednesday, were still being analysed. Meanwhile the man’s body was released to his family and yesterday Guy was laid to rest at the Union Village cemetery, at Rio Claro, following a service at the village’s Open Bible Church. Investigators told Newsday in the event that the tests proved that Guy had been murdered, there would be no need to exhume the body, since blood and tissue samples had already been taken.
Guy died at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mount Hope on May 27 — two days after he was admitted to hospital after complaining of health problems. A post mortem revealed that death was due to septicemia in the lungs. Last Sunday police seized the man’s body at a funeral home in Rio Claro, mere moments before he was to be buried. Police were subsequently granted a court order to have a second autopsy performed on the body at the Forensic Sciences Centre, and for the toxicology tests to be conducted. The father of two sons had died four days before be was supposed to be married to his common-law-wife Rowtie Boodoo, 58. His son Atkinson Ferguson, 28, of Mayaro, told Newsday that his father had been sharing a relationship with Boodoo for the past 21 years, and he had been looking forward to being legally married.
Minister of National Security Howard Chin Lee said yesterday that the assassination attempt of a known criminal outside Movie Towne, Westmoorings, which left one woman dead and two others critically injured had the potential of endangering the lives of innocent citizens. “I can assure you that this matter is receiving the urgent attention of the police and is the subject of an ongoing investigation,” said the Minister. Gillian Bowen, 31, of Nelson Street, Port-of-Spain, who was in company with Clive Lewis alias Adil Ghani and Salim Rasheed, was killed during the assassination attempt. Lewis and Rasheed who suffered gunshot injuries were rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where they were warded in critical condition.
Deputy Police Com-misioner, Trevor Paul, who is in charge of Operations in the service said that the police are investigating the matter and they are following certain leads. He added that the police are concerned with the spate of murders in the country, but added that all attempts are being made to deal with the crime situation. The Deputy Commissioner ex-pressed alarm at the type of guns being used in the murders. Newsday learned that Police Commissioner Hilton Guy and senior officers met yesterday to discuss the spate of murders, 98 for the year so far. An anti-crime initiative is expected to be launched shortly to deal specifically with gang related murders.
BWIA’s new management faced its first ultimatum yesterday as Govern-ment announced that it had given the airline one week to conclude negotiations for job cuts and salary cuts with all the relevant unions. “Unless and until” this is done, Government would not give the airline another cent, Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ken Valley announced yesterday. Speaking at a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall yesterday, Valley said Cabinet agreed that BWIA should enter into negotiations with the unions “immediately” to effect significant cost reduction.” Government would not consider putting any more money into the airline until and unless there are substantial cost reduction at BWIA especially with respect to labour.
THE YEAR 2002 was profitable for the Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) which paid out TT$473 million to its unit holders. According to newly appointed chairman Hubert Alleyne, this is the highest amount ever paid out to investors of a financial institution in Trinidad and Tobago. Alleyne was speaking Wednesday at the 21st Annual General Meeting of the UTC at the Central Bank Auditorium. He revealed that for the five-year period 1998 to 2002, the accumulating sum paid to unit holders and owners was in excess of $1.5 billion. The unit holding community has reflected continued growth, rising from 355,809 accounts as at December 31, 2001, to 391,700 by December 31, 2002. This is an increase of 35, 891 or 10.1 percent. Alleyne said for 2003 the UTC expected to exceed the significant milestone payment to its unit holders of half a billion dollars. “This is because of the projected performance of the economy,” he said. “In this regard, we expect low interest rates and high liquidity to continue.”
UTC Executive Director Clarry Benn said in 2002, gross sales crossed the TT$4 billion mark for the first time, reaching an all time record of TT$4.9 billion, an increase of 30.8 percent over 2001. For the second time in its history, he said, the Gross Revenue of the UTC topped the half billion dollar mark, increasing by 30.6 percent over the previous year to stand at TT $662.7 million. Consolidated assets surpassed TT$8 billion, an increase of 51.55 percent or TT $2.9 billion, while retained earnings stood at TT $217 million, an increase of TT $59.4 million or 37.6 percent. Gross income surpassed the TT$99.2 million achieved in 2001 by TT$54.7 million or 55.1 percent to stand at TT$153.9 million at December 31, 2002. At the end of May, combined sales for the four funds managed by the UTC — the Growth and Income Fund, the TT Dollar Money Market Fund, the US Dollar Money Market Fund and the Chaconia Income and Growth Fun — amounted to TT$1.9 billion. “This,” Benn said, “placed the Corporation well on course with budgeted sales for the period.” Total funds under management from the end of last year increased by $694 million to reach $8.5 billion while Assets Under Management increased by TT $888 million over the December 31, 2002 figure of TT$8.5 billion to stand at TT$9.3 billion by May 31.
There may be a further reduction in staff at national carrier BWIA if the airline intends to secure State financial assistance. Speaking at yesterday’s post-Cabinet press conference, Trade Minister, Ken Valley, who is also responsible for BWIA, announced that cabinet had agreed that Government would put no more money into BWIA unless there was a reduction in staff within one week. Prime Minister, Patrick Manning later called for a 20 percent reduction in production costs. He suggested that the Board of Directors and the airline’s Unions hold discussions to decide how this should be done. President of the Allied Communication Aviation Workers Union (ACAWU), Christopher Abraham, expressed alarm and disappointment at this announcement, saying that he did not understand why the Government would make such a decision.
Revealing that staff at the airline presently stood at 18,000 after the last reduction, he expressed his belief that the airline was severely short-staffed. “When the Inter-Ministerial team met with the Union on Holy Thursday,” he said in a telephone interview, “we were told that the team would hold further discussions with the Union. “However, since then it has failed to meet with us, despite our pleadings. Meetings have been held only with the airline.” “The fact that they could say this, shows that although the private sector has blackmailed them, they are still putting their confidence in it,” he further maintained. When asked for alternatives to this reduction in staff, Abraham replied that their alternatives would be revealed through discussions with the appropriate authorities. Asked about Conrad Along’s resignation he expressed his belief that this would prove beneficial to the company. However, he questioned whether his resignation was from CA International, or only from BWIA. Corporate Communications Manager at BWIA, Clint Williams, had very little to say on Government’s decision. He noted that the Board of Directors would continue to work with the Inter-Ministerial Committee in order to meet the contingencies requested by Government in order to qualify for the financial assistance needed at this time to keep the airline alive.
NEGOTIATIONS for the appointment of a new CEO at cash-strapped national airline BWIA are being finalised, according to Corporate Communications Manager Clint Williams. President and Chief Executive Officer Conrad Aleong officially handed in his resignation from the company on Monday. That ended his five year stint as the company’s CEO, his second tenure. His current three-year contract expires on January 31. Last week Prime Minister Patrick Manning demanded the immediate restructuring of the company’s management as one of the conditions for continued financial assistance by the State. He was speaking after a meeting between Government and the International Lease Finance Company (ILFC), the US-based BWIA lessors, to secure the release of two aircraft which were seized in Miami last month.
Prior to Aleong’s resignation, BWIA’s Vice President of Procurement and Material Administration Brenda Billy was appointed as his interim successor to be in charge of the airline’s day to day operations. There was speculation that she would eventually be appointed Chief Financial Officer at the company, to make way for the appointment of Nelson Tom Yew as CEO. Tom Yew is currently the General Manager of Tobago Express. It was also reported that chairman Lawrence Duprey would tender his resignation by the end of the week. However, in an interview with Newsday, Clint Williams denied these reports, stating that there had been no such activity.
For the second day in a row, the prostitute who was held in connection with the murder of a 14-year-old boy failed to appear in court. The 23-year-old woman was initially due to appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate on Wednesday. However, she was not brought to the court as police officers were still conducting investigations. Yesterday, reporters and photographers milled around the courthouse waiting for the woman to appear, but once again the woman failed to appear. Junior Langford, a Form Two student of Tranquillity Government School was reportedly stabbed with an ice pick after an argument with the woman. The woman was arrested by Woodbrook police officers on Tuesday morning. Sgt Valentine Milette who is conducting investigations said she will appear in court today.
