Malcolm Jones declined comment yesterday on the Minister of Energy’s statement in the Senate on Tuesday that he was earning a salary of $70,000 a month as executive chairman of State-owned Petrotrin, plus perks such as a car, housing and other allowances including bonuses.
Jones’ personal secretary told Newsday that the chairman had left the message for all callers that he was offering no comment on the revelation in the Senate by Energy Minister Eric Williams. The Petrotrin board met yesterday for its monthly meeting and Newsday learned that chairman Jones did not raise the matter. No other member of the board commented on the salary at yesterday’s meeting and according to sources close to some board members, no views were expressed regarding the salary Jones receives.
The board meeting lasted almost all day yesterday with members dealing with routine matters. Among those were reports from finance and tender committees. The board also dealt with plans for strategic operation of the Pointe-a-Pierre oil refinery. The board, following the removal of three directors this week now comprises Jones (Chairman); Harry Prithesingh, Garvin Chemin, Dr Eddy Khoury, Jose Perez, Charmaine Baptiste and Anthony Chan. One member Emile Elias resigned on April 17 and two others, Farad Chan and Helena Innis-King were removed from the Board.
President General of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) Errol Mc Leod has come out in defence of the monthly pay package of $70,000, currently being paid to Petrotrin’s Executive Chairman Malcolm Jones. Yesterday at a seminar held by the OWTU at the Circular Road San Fernando building he commented on the matter.
Mc Leod said, “I would defend any decent remuneration package for quality of work in the energy sector.” The OWTU President General said that this must be followed whether the individual is from the technical or labour category. He further stated that he would not argue against $70,000 in the “key oil and gas sector.” Mc Leod reminded that it is the oil sector which has carried the country’s economy throughout the years. He also observed that no one was referring at this time to instances of similar or even greater salaries to expatriates who are sometimes less qualified. In relation to this he pointed out the case at Severn Trent. At the same time though he said that their must be the “principle of equity” in the distribution of salaries. However at the same time the OWTU leader called for greater leadership in Petrotrin and for managers to become “more strategically direct” so as to keep up in the progressive energy industry.
A man and woman appeared before a Justice of the Peace in the Arima Magistrates’ Court yesterday, charged with causing grievous bodily harm to the woman’s six-year-old son who was forced to put his right hand over a lighted stove because he came home with dirty clothes.
Nadine John, 23, who works at a chicken processing plant and her common-law husband Collins Stephen, 32, a chef, appeared before Justice of the Peace Maharaj. JP Maharaj later ordered that the couple, who live in the Heights of Arima, be remanded into custody to reappear before an Arima, magistrate this morning. John and Stephen are jointly charged with causing grievous bodily harm to little Joshua McKenzie on April 5. John is the mother of the victim while Stephen is his step-father. After investigations carried out by PC Sheldon Sylvester of Arima CID, John and Stephen were arrested on Tuesday and formally charged. Attorneys Lal Krishna Doodnath and Albert Edwards are representing John and Stephen respectively.
Meanwhile, McKenzie who suffered third degree burns to his right hand, remains at the Paediatric Section of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope. Medical sources told Newsday that McKenzie was being kept at the EWMSC for observation to see if his wounds heal naturally or if he would need surgery which could include a skin-graft operation, using skin and other tissue from other parts of his body to replace the burnt out skin on his right hand. As the couple was being led to the court-house they hid their faces from news photographers. They are scheduled to reappear at the Arima Magistrates’ Court today.
THE parents of Venezuelan national Christina Sanchez yesterday called for a full scale investigation into her death, saying that those responsible should be punished.
Sanchez was one of five people killed in Monday’s vehicular accident at the Mausica intersection, Churchill Roosevelt Highway. The others who died are Sanchez’s fianc?, Amalgamated security guard John Solomon Jr, two Venezuelan firefighters, Andres Hugo Jiminez and Carolina Perdomo, and WASA employee Natasha Marcano, mother of two. The five people were killed in a vehicular accident when a six-wheel dump truck ploughed into three vehicles at the Mausica intersection. The truck, driven by Longdenville resident Wiltshire Modeste, is owned by Home Construction Limited.
In an interview at the Solomons’ home at Sun Valley Phase 2, Edgar Sanchez, father of Christina told Newsday that those responsible for the accident should be punished. He said before he and his wife leave for home they hope to speak with officials at the Venezuelan Embassy to discuss the investigations. Edgar, 43, and his wife, Carmen, 42, both business people, along with their only other child, Sudheyli, 15, arrived from Venezuela just before noon yesterday at Piarco International Airport aboard a Rutaca flight. They first went to the Solomons’ residence then to Allen’s Funeral Home, to see their first child, whose dream was to become an engineer. They broke down and wept and had to be comforted by relatives of Solomon.
Christina was described by her parents as a very quiet girl who studied a lot. They said her death was a great loss. Edgar said he and his wife were in Trinidad 20 years ago on their honeymoon and he did not think he would have had to meet his daughter’s intended in-laws this way. Solomon’s father, John Solomon Sr, echoed similar sentiments, saying they were happy to have met Sanchez’s family, but that he did not want it this way. “I was hoping to meet them since I love Spanish and would have had Venezuelan in-laws,” John, who first visited Venezuela in May last year, said.
John said further that Edgar and Carmen were making arrangements to have their daughter and Solomon come to Venezuela for the Christmas. They were to be married on August 16. Meantime, the bodies of Jiminez and Perdomo left Terminal 8 of the Piarco International Airport around 4 pm yesterday aboard a Venezuelan Air Force plane. Seven people including the Chief of Venezuela’s Fire Department, Perdomo’s brother, Jiminez’s cousin, a doctor from the Fire Department and three crew members accompanied the bodies. They are expected to be buried today in Venezuela. Solomon and Sanchez will be buried together tomorrow following a 3pm funeral service at the Greater Malabar Christian Centre.
ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police (Mobile) Deochan Gosine yesterday instructed senior officers of the Northern Division to charge a man in connection with last Monday’s accident which killed five people on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway. The man is to be charged under Section 87 of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act.
A PUBLIC opinion survey recently conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) is showing a dip in approval rating for Prime Minister Patrick Manning and his government, as well as widespread opposition to several proposed controversial government policies. But Opposition Leader, Basdeo Panday, has not been able to capitalize on the rising unpopularity of the PNM government, and he has also seen a continued drop in his approval rating, suggesting he may not be successful at establishing an alternative government.
The survey is also showing that voters are still sharply divided along race or party lines on almost every issue. The latest poll was conducted in April to find out opinion on a wide range of issues impacting on the nation as well as to determine popular support for the political parties in the upcoming local government elections. NACTA interviewed 402 registered voters in Trinidad to yield a demographically representative sample of the population. Voters were polled randomly to make the sample as representative as possible of varied age, class, occupational and religious categories as well as of ethnicity and educational levels in the population. The survey was coordinated by Vishnu Bisram, a political scientist, pollster and columnist in New York.
According to the findings of the latest survey, Manning’s approval rating as Prime Minister is down two percent since January to 34 percent and his disapproval rating has climbed one percent to 42 percent for the corresponding to produce a negative rating of eight percent. His government’s approval rating has taken a severe beating dropping to 31 percent (down three percent since January) and its disapproval rating has climbed by two percent to 47 percent to produce an overall negative rating of 16 percent which is twice that of the Prime Minister suggesting that Manning is more popular than his government. Manning and his government receive their favourable rating almost exclusively from among party supporters while Indians overwhelmingly rate the performance of Manning and his government as unfavourable.
Panday’s approval rating has also declined to an all time low of 26 percent while his disapproval rating is at an all time high of 51 percent. Even traditional UNC supporters are disenchanted with Panday’s performance as Opposition Leader; many say Panday has not shown the vigor and dynamism of yesteryear to challenge the PNM and that he is not leading a strong and credible organisation to unseat the PNM from office. Very few Africans and other ethnic groups view Panday in a positive light. Manning’s approval rating has taken a beating primarily because of a number of unpopular moves and policy proposals. On the government’s proposal to move Parliament, only 23 percent, mostly PNMites, support the proposed move while a large majority of 58 percent (including almost all UNC supporters and nearly half the African population) oppose the shifting of parliament. Also, almost half of the population oppose the proposed political integration with St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Only 24 percent expressed support for such a union. To boost his own popularity and the image of his government, respondents suggest that Manning reconsider these policy proposals.
Following revelations of the $70,000 monthly salary of Petrotrin CEO/Chair-man Malcolm Jones and of the previous $50,000 salary of WASA CEO Errol Grimes, the Opposition wants more disclosures about other heads of State companies.
At tomorrow’s sitting of the House of Representatives the Opposition is expected to unleash a barrage of some 25 questions to ministers, already listed on the parliamentary order paper, with several querrying the salaries of heads of State companies. Opposition Chief Whip, Ganga Singh, will ask Minister of Public Utilities and the Environment, Rennie Dumas: “What is the remuneration and compensation package of the current executive chairman of the Solid Waste Management Company Limited (SWMCOL)?” and “What was the equivalent package of the last chief executive officer of the Solid Waste Management Company Limited (SWMCOL)?”.
The MP for Caroni East will also ask Prime Minister Patrick Manning about the remuneration paid to members of the Piarco Airport Commission of Inquiry. Singh will querry the “monies paid to the Chairman and other member Commissioners, the fees paid to the attorneys-at-law, listing how much each attorney-at-law received, the administrative cost, and the cost of television time”. Opposition MP for Tabaquite, Adesh Nanan, will ask Minister of Education, Senator Hazel Manning, about a consultant allegedly in her Ministry. Nanan will ask: “Will the Minister inform this House of the terms of employment, inclusive of salary, of Mr Kenrick Burgess, a project management consultant in the Ministry of Education? Would the Minister identify the areas of responsibility of this project management consultant?”. Burgess wrote the report for the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) which condemned the Biche School built by the former UNC regime, said to be polluted by gas emissions.
Chairman Clinton Bernard yesterday announced that the Commission of Inquiry into the Piarco airport development project will expunge certain evidence given by former Housing Minister John Humphrey on Tuesday.
Humphrey alleged that while he was acting Prime Minister he received certain information from a member of the Deyalsingh Committee which had conducted an inquiry into the Piarco project. Bernard said the evidence on the matter was defamatory, irrelevant and inadmissable and following a meeting with his fellow Commissioners, they had decided to expunge from the records the relevant portions of evidence which Humphrey gave relating to the matter. Also yesterday Managing Director of the Firearms Training Institute, Towfeek Ali, was represented by attorney Denyse Gouveia. Ali himself was not present.
Ali was summoned last week to give details of the contract he had with the Airports Authority (AA) to service its firearms. Gouveia sought an adjournment on the basis that Ali was to undergo certain medical procedures this week and could not appear. Ali submitted a medical from Dr Andy Bhagwandass. The matter was adjourned to May 7 when it is expected that Ali will give evidence and present the Commission with a copy of the contract. Evidence before the Commission has suggested that the AA previously had its firearms serviced by the Defence Force but subsequently entered into the contract with Ali’s company to do the job. The former Security Manager at the AA, Dennis John, as well as Inspector of Operations Leo Reyes, have both admitted they knew about a contract but said they never saw it. The inquiry will continue today at 9.30 am.
DEFENCE attorney Osbourne Charles SC suggested to a jury yesterday that Clint Huggins could have been tied and killed elsewhere, then dumped in the car on the Uriah Butler Highway, Mt Hope, and set on fire.
Charles, the last of three defence attorneys to address the jury in the Clint Huggins murder trial before Justice Alice Yorke Soo-Hon in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court, also raised questions about the Army’s lack of cooperation in the murder investigation. He questioned why the Army, which was protecting Clint Hugguns, refused to give statements to the police after his murder. He told the 12-member jury it was noteworthy that Corporal Garvin Armstrong had testified that he had seen men in army camouflage uniforms after midnight (1.45pm) at the site of a crashed Laurel motor car where Clint Huggins’ body was later found . However, at the time Cpl Armstrong said he saw the crashed car other witnesses claimed the vehicle had just left or was still in Sangre Grande. The car and body were only discovered during the early hours of Carnival Tuesday, February 20, 1996 .
Charles said although Clint Huggins had jumped out of an army jeep and run away from soldiers who were supposed to be protecting him the Army refused to give investigators a statement. He asked: “What are they afraid of? Is there something to hide?” He argued that Clint Huggins’ pager was handed over to the Army without checks being made to determine the people who had been in contact with him. Referring to a piece of rope seized by police in the vicinity of the Clint Huggins’ body and a contusion (bruise) on the right hand of the corpse, identified by forensic pathologist Prof Dr Ramnath Chandu Lal, Charles suggested that Clint could have been bound by the hands and killed somewhere else. He questioned why would somebody journey from Sangre Grande to Port-of-Spain and not use the thick forested area they have to pass through as cover to kill someone instead of the open highway.
According to the evidence, the three accused, Arnold Huggins, Leslie Huggins and Junior “Heads” Phillip, together with others, had driven Clint Huggins from Sangre Grande to Mt Hope where they killed him. Charles criticised the police for their method of investigation and obtaining of statements in the matter. On many occasions he referred to them as “not too bright.” “Police have little brains, not much, but they have to do better. I mean no disrespect to them but they have to do a little better … they have to put their act together.” When hearing resumes today, prosecutor Wayne Rajbansie assisted by Natasha George, will address the jury.
BELIEVING THAT he was scaring off the devil, a mentally disturbed man set fire to his relatives’ house Tuesday evening and completely destroyed the building.
As the two-storey house went up in the flames, the 20-year-old man looked on from a distance, with a smile on his face. Relatives have not seen or heard from the suspect since the fire. The house belonged to retired Police Constable Gibbon Wiltshire, 60, of Secondary Avenue, Pt D’or, La Brea, who lived with his common-law-wife, Edith Harnarinesingh, 50, seven of his 13 children, and three grandchildren. All of them have since sought shelter at neighbours “or anyone willing to help”. About three weeks ago the arson suspect, who also lived in the house, told relatives someone had given him a cocaine and marijuana concoction to smoke and since then he had been “tripping”. “He say he have to set fire to scare off the devil, and he always setting fire all over the yard,” Harnarinesingh told Newsday yesterday. The woman said the suspect burnt anything he got his hands on, including shoes and clothing.
She recalled that on two occasions they tried to get Roman Catholic nun, Sister Paul, to speak with him but he would always hide. He also managed to elude the police whenever they came to take him to the mental ward of the San Fernando General Hospital. Harnarinesingh recalled that prior to the fire, she had to put out a fire in the yard that was set by the suspect. After that, she said, he sprinkled salt on a piece of stick and was walking around with it and a flute. She recalled: “He went in the downstairs bathroom and set fire. Me, my daughter-in-law and son followed him and out it. Then he poured kerosene on the ground of one of the upstairs bedrooms and we out that too. “He went in the nearby bathroom and light paper. While we were outing that he took lighting paper on a stick and then push it up in the attic,” she explained.
Harnarinesingh said the fire was out of their reach, so the family had no choice but to flee as the flames rapidly spread throughout the house. She said she did not see when the suspect left the house but he was seen in a savannah looking at the burning structure and smiling. By the time the Fire Service arrived the house was already destroyed. The family is appealing to the public for assistance since all their clothes and valuables were destroyed. Damage to the house and household articles has been estimated at $165,000. Up to late yesterday officers from the La Brea Police Station had not yet arrested the suspect. Investigations are continuing.
