POLICE and victims on Thursday night hit back at criminals who have been terrorising the East West Corridor. In the space of three hours, two armed bandits were shot to death in separate incidents in St Augustine and Aranjuez. In the Aranguez incident, Wendell “Bikeman” Simon, 36, was shot dead by a businessman he had just robbed. In St Augustine the police brought down three of four men who were in a car and who opened fire on them. One of the men, Hassan Mohammed, 25, of San Juan was shot dead.

In the St Augustine incident, St Joseph CID and Northern Division Task Force officers engaged four bandits in almost three minutes of non-stop shooting after the bandits’ car crashed into a TTEC light pole off the Eastern Main Road, opposite Lee’s Pharmacy. Three were hit and the fourth managed to escape. PC Sheldon Petersen of St Joseph CID, was grazed near his left eye by a bullet during the shootout. One of the three was later identified as Hassan Mohammed, 25, of Ryan Street, Petit Bourg, San Juan. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), Mt Hope. Another man remained hospitalised yesterday under police guard, while the third is in police custody.

Less than three hours later, Wendel Simon of La Canoa, Lower Santa Cruz, was shot dead by a Gasparillo businessman whom he and two other bandits had just robbed in Aranjuez. Northern Division police sources told Newsday since Wednesday they had received intelligence reports that a vehicle with bandits was seen patrolling the Eastern Main Road in Tunapuna and St Joseph staking out potential robbery victims. According to reports, around 8.30 pm, St Joseph CID officers, Insp Michael Modeste, Sgt Don Lezama, Cpl Aldwin Collins and PCs Selwyn Hobbs, Sheldon Petersen and WPC Babb were on enquiries near St John’s Road, St Augustine, when they spotted a silver Mitsubishi Lancer with four male occupants.
When they recognised the occupants of the car as wanted men, a high speed chase ensued with police and the suspects exchanging gunfire.

The car crashed into a TTEC light pole off the EMR in St Augustine. The occupants alighted from the car and continued shooting at the police. Northern Division Task Force officers led by Cpl Jagdeo arrived shortly and joined in the gun battle. When the shooting stopped, an injured Mohammed and his 19-year-old cohort were taken to the EWMSC where Mohammed was pronounced dead on arrival. The other wounded suspect, shot in both arms, was treated and transferred to Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he remains warded in stable condition under police guard. PC Petersen who was grazed by a bullet near his left eye was taken to Medical Associates in St Joseph where he was treated and discharged. Northern Division Heads — Snr Supt Rodvan Bastien, Supt Leon Anthony and ASP Errol Dillon visited the scene. Police searched the car and retrieved a nine-millimetre semi-automatic pistol and cutlass.

In the other incident, around 11 pm, well-known Aranjuez businessman Simboonath Kumar, 46, owner of “D” Triangle Entertainment Centre in Aranjuez, was liming with a close friend from Gasparillo, outside his (Kumar) Aranjuez Main Road, Aranjuez home. Three armed bandits, all wearing ski masks, approached the businessmen, struck them both with gunbutts and robbed them of an undisclosed sum of cash. When the bandits attempted to get into Kumar’s friend’s car to drive off, the friend drew his licensed pistol and opened fire, striking one of the bandits repeatedly while the other two fled. The wounded man dropped his pistol, ran down Aranjuez Main Road and collapsed in a drain off Queen Street where he bled to death.  DMO Dr Boochay later ordered the body removed to the Port-of-Spain Mortuary.

“My friend had no choice but to open fire since, unknown to the bandits, two of his young relatives were in the car which the bandits wanted to drive off in,” Simboonath Kumar said during an  interview. “Our main concern was the children’s safety. I also had my granddaughter liming in my pick-up van which was parked next to my friend’s car. We were in fear not for our lives, but for our children’s lives, he added.

Snr Supt Desmond Lambert, ASP Gregory Correia, Cpl Francis Vidale and PCs Ragbir, Sunil Tota-Maharaj and Nigel Sutherland arrived shortly and retrieved a Lorcine nine-millimetre pistol loaded with six rounds of ammunition, which the bandit dropped as he ran off. Also visiting the Aranjuez scene were Homicide Bureau officers Insp Lester Hutchins, Cpl Hollis Jacobs and WPC Suzette Martin. An autopsy on Mohammed’s body at the Forensic Sciences Centre yesterday confirmed that he died of shock and haemorrhage consistent with multiple gunshot wounds. An autopsy will be done on Simon’s body on Monday. Insp Modeste of St Joseph CID and Cpl Vidale, of Barataria CID, are continuing investigations into the St Augustine and Aranjuez shootings, respectively.

A PENAL GURU ( a Hindu spiritual leader) shot himself in the mouth on Thursday night, minutes after worshippers chased away a man with whom they believed the guru was allegedly having a homosexual relationship.

Naziph Ali, 40, also known by his Hindu name, Kalicharan Dass, was conducting a “Satsang” at his temple — a Sai Sadhana Shanti Temple — when chaos broke out amongst a group of worshippers who demanded that the man, who was singing, leave the premises. According to police reports, around 7.45 pm, the guru asked the temple’s caretaker Joseph Gokool, to make a cup of coffee for him. Ali then went inside his house which adjoins the temple. When the caretarker returned with the coffee, he discovered the door locked and alerted the guru’s wife.

They called out to Ali but there was no answer. When they looked through the glass door they saw the guru standing in the drawing room with a gun to his head.  As the caretaker broke down the door, they heard a loud explosion.  Ali was found sprawled out on the ground with blood oozing from his mouth and eyes. He died on the spot. District Medical Officer, Dr Mahabir, viewed the body and ordered its removal to the mortuary of the San Fernando General Hospital where a post mortem was expected to be performed yesterday. Police discovered a spent shell near the body and seized a licensed pistol and a 16 gauge shotgun.

Newsday understands that a month ago the guru began seeing a psychiatrist after his alleged male lover was banned from attending the temple. The ban followed rumours that the guru and the man were having a  relationship. A devotee claimed it was the guru who invited the man to attend Thursday night’s Satsang. She said when worshippers saw the man, they demanded that he leave immediately and they chased him away. During the commotion, she said, she heard crashing sounds coming from inside the temple. When Newsday visited the guru’s home yesterday, his wife, Kumari, 39, and his two children, Ryan 16 and Aaron, 9, were surrounded by friends and members of the temple. However, relatives declined to comment on the tragedy.

Still expressing shock and disbelief about his guru’s suicide, the temple’s pundit, Basdeo Ramjit, recalled that worshippers were singing to the rhythm of the tassa drums and giving praises. He recalled that the guru got up and asked the caretaker Joseph Gokool to make some coffee for him and went inside his house. He said minutes after, he heard a loud explosion and  “bawling and crying”. When questioned about rumours about the guru’s alleged homosexual relationship, Pundit Ramjit stated: “He (guru) was not an ordinary person but he was not gay. He was one of the straightest persons I know.”

However Ramjit admitted; “Sometimes when the power takes him he can be like a woman. The guru is not a normal person.” He admitted that Ali was seeing a doctor but could not say why he was being treated. He explained that several years ago, Ali, who was then a muslim, went to India where he met Sai Baba who healed his illness. Basdeo said Sai Baba told the guru he was giving him a “gift”, which he had to use to help, heal and teach people. While in India, he was given the name Kalicharan Dass. Ramjit said he did not know why the guru possessed a gun.

On many occasions, Ramjit stated, devotees could not tell whether they were speaking with the Guru or with his “gift”. “Most of the time we don’t know who he is”, he added. He said he does not know whether the temple would continue in operation. “Everybody praying and asking for strength. We not sure what to do since the guru gone,” he said. Newsday understands that Ali, a former teacher of the Penal Government Primary School, had for 15 years, been running the temple which worships the Hindu Goddess of Death, Kali. The guru had about 150 followers who attended the temple on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Attempts to reach the guru’s alleged male friend proved futile yesterday. Visiting the scene was a party of policemen of the Barrackpore Police Station led by Insp Laquar, including Sgt Ali, and Cpl Jankienanan. Investigations are continuing.

A teenage boy charged with manslaughter was yesterday denied bail when he appeared before Magistrate Melvin Daniel in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Magistrates’ Court.

Shane Daniel, 17, was charged with unlawfully killing 14-year-old Richard “Miguel” Magloire at Rose Hill, Laventille, on Wednesday. Magloire died as a result of a bullet wound which entered the lower left side of his back and exited his chest. Daniel was charged with manslaughter following investigations by Cpl Reuben Alleyn of the Besson Street Police Station. He was not called upon to plead as the charge was laid indictably. Daniel, dressed in a blue and white striped T-shirt and dark blue cargo pants, remained silent as the charge was read.

Defence attorney Gordon Laming told the magistrate that Daniel was a young boy and should be granted bail. However, the magistrate replied that the issue of bail would be addressed following the tracing of the teenager’s criminal records. He then remanded Daniel into custody at the Youth Training Centre (YTC) pending tracing of his criminal records and transferred the matter to the Eighth Magistrates’ Court. Daniel is to reappear in court next week Monday. Family and friends of Daniel were present in the courtroom. Daniel’s mother cried in the corridors as she asked police officers where her son would be taken.

A pregnant woman was among 25 persons arrested by officers of the Central Division Task Force, during a series of raids and searches carried out throughout the division. The exercise, which was led by Cpl Ajith Persad, the Head of the Central Division Task Force, started around midnight on Thursday and ended at 3 pm yesterday. It was coordinated by Snr Supt Philip Carmona, Supt Felix Nimrod and ASP Anthony Bernard. During the exercise, officers went to a house at Esperanza Village, California where they executed a search warrant.

Officers seized a gun, a pair of handcuffs and keys for the handcuffs. Police believe that the gun was being used to carry out a series of crimes in the division. At Carlsen Field, Chaguanas, a 63-year-old shop- keeper was arrested and charged with selling alcohol without a licence. At John Peter Road, Charlieville, a 61-year-old shopkeeper was also charged with the same offence. Officers seized a quantity of rum, beers and other alcoholic beverages. The same officers also went to Perseverance Village, Chandernagore, where they held a 25-year-old man wanted on an outstanding warrant for wounding. The man was reportedly held hiding under a bed.

At Felicity, officers saw a 30-year-old man acting in a suspicious manner. He was searched by PC Billy Dhanai who allegedly found a quantity of cocaine in his possession. As the man was being led away to a police vehicle, he cuffed PC Dhanai and ran away. A warrant for his arrest was secured by Cpl Persad. At Spring Vale, Claxton Bay, two occupants of a house were arrested and charged with a quantity of marijuana. During the exercise, 15 persons were held on outstanding warrants, six were held for selling alcohol without a licence, two for possession of marijuana, and two others for serious crimes in the division. twenty drug dens were also raided.

The no-confidence motion filed against  Senate President Linda Baboolal by UNC Senator Robin Montano will be debated on Tuesday when the Senate meets.

Baboolal told Newsday that she would not be President during the session in which the motion, which accuses her of bringing the Senate into disrepute,  is being discussed. Instead Vice-President Rawle Titus will occupy the chair during the debate. However, the President said she would probably be in her office, listening intently to the debate.

The motion states that the Senate President, by her rulings, conduct and utterances, both in and out of the Honourable Senate, “has demonstrated unequivocally her bias in favour of the PNM Government and her lack of independence and/or understanding of the nature and role of the Office of the President of the Senate”. It also alleges that as a consequence of this, Baboolal has “stifled and/or stymied the freedom of debate guaranteed by the Constitution in the Honourable Senate”. It states further that by such rulings, conduct and utterances, Baboolal has brought the Honourable Senate into disrepute.

It was filed two weeks ago, shortly after Montano stormed out of the Parliament, and immediately after Baboolal gave a tough talk to MPs on parliamentary procedure and behaviour. Because private motions are filed and  debated according to a chronological order, the motion was not due for debate until after Senator Ken Ramchand’s motion on Constitution Reform.

In fact it probably would have taken a month or two before it was discussed. But on the intervention of the President Senator Montano’s motion was able to jump the queue and to be debated immediately. “I did not want it remaining on the Order Paper (for too long). I spoke with Professor Ken Ramchand and he gave way,” Baboolal said. She added: “I want them to come and say what they have to say”. She added: “They say that I have brought the Senate into disrepute, I want to hear what I was supposed to have done. It should be an interesting debate. I am looking forward to it.” Stressing that she has run the Senate without reference to party, Baboolal said she was therefore very anxious to hear what they have to say to impute her character, integrity and her discharge of her duties.

A UNC Senator told Newsday that all six senators would be speaking during this debate. “We have all been victims of her ruling,” the senator said. It is also understood that the Independents will be making a contribution. The motion asks the Senate to declare that it has lost confidence in the President of the Senate, Dr Linda Baboolal. If the majority of the Senate votes in favour of it, the convention is that the President must resign. However, according to sources, the motion is unlikely to get the support of the Independent senators. Nevertheless it is noteworthy that Baboolal’s decision not to sit in the Chair would deprive the Government of a vote. This would leave 14 government senators against nine Independents and six Opposition — a combined strength of 15.

The sitting would also see a number of interesting questions. Energy Minister Eric Williams is being asked to state the salary, perquisites and various allowances being received by the Executive Chairman of Petrotrin and the former President/Managing Director of Petrotrin. In both instances it involves the same person, Malcolm Jones. Minister of Public Administration Dr Lenny Saith is being asked to give the qualifications of the investigators used to gather information for the relocating of the Parliament. He also has been requested by Ramchand to state when the investigations began and ended and the argument by the investigators which led to the recommendation that there is need to construct a new Parliament building.

ST AUGUSTINE MP Winston Dookeran warned that if crime in Trinidad and Tobago is not managed, it could spell economic gloom for the forseeable future but could not predict whether or not the war in Iraq would adversely affect the country’s economy.

Addressing a San Juan Businessmen’s Association (SJBA) dinner in Trincity on Thursday night, the United National Congress (UNC) MP said: “ We should hold accountable for public policy purposes, Government’s economic strategy. It is essential for us as a nation to keep close watch on economic strategy because in the final analysis, if a social system as we have is in so much turmoil on the crime scene and so many scenes, and we are not supported by a strong economy we could end up with a recipe for chaos.”

On the impact of the Iraq war on the local economy, Dookeran stated: “On balance however it would seem to us that the immediate impact of the war is not likely to advance the cause of Trinidad and Tobago nor will it work contrary to our own economic fortunes.” He explained that increases in the price of energy commodities, the manufacturing sector’s ability to penetrate the wider Caribbean economy, terms of trade, stability of foreign exchange rates and the sustainability of public finance over the medium term hold the answer to this question but “the answer I will not venture to give”.  Dookeran added that with uncertainties hanging over the economies of the United States, Europe and the Caribbean, it was unclear whether or not a global economic recession was on.

Public Utilities Minister Rennie Dumas said yesterday he did not think the Prime Minister’s decision to write directly to the WASA Chairman asking for an explanation on the Grimes issue, suggested that his boss had lost confidence in him.

“Not at all. In fact what I thought the Prime Minister was doing, was clarifying whether what he was told, was true. I didn’t see it as a problem, ” he emphasised. Dumas said that people forget that the Prime Minister was also Minister of Finance and therefore had a responsibility as the Corporation Sole for all State agencies.  He added that all Board appointments are made by the Corporation Sole, which while the line minister has some responsibility in terms of policy, the financial responsibilities and issues remained with the Minister of Finance.

Dumas said that what the Prime Minister was told by the Board demonstrated that “my work was done” — that he, as line minister, had ensured that the instructions of the Government had been followed and all the requirements met. The Prime Minister’s letter had called on the Chairman of the WASA Board, Roland Baptiste, to ensure that Grimes was not receiving a salary of $50,000 in defiance of the instructions of the Cabinet. Since being told that this was in fact not so, the Prime Minister has himself come out in defence of higher pay levels for Executives in the State Sector.

A 23-year-old woman was shot on the left side of her abdomen and hip by gunmen who fired at the car in which she was an occupant.

Yesterday, Destra Lewis of La Romaine underwent emergency surgery at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital to have the bullets removed. Reports revealed that around 1.30 am yesterday, Lewis and her boyfriend David Vincent, an ex-soldier, had an altercation with a man at Club Coconuts. Around 3 am when they were proceeding south along Ariapita Avenue, St Ann’s, they observed a car with three occupants following them. Vincent brought the car to a halt, but ran for cover when the occupants of the car began firing in his direction.

Officers of the Belmont and Woodbrook Police Station responded to the report and the car was found abandoned a short distance away from the scene of the shooting. The car was searched and a quantity of ammunition found. Police investigators believe that the abandoned car was stolen. Fingerprint experts carried out a check for prints and police say arrests are imminent. Sgt Millette, Cpl Bruce and others visited the scene of the shooting and are investigating.

Airlines operating flights between Trinidad and Canada are continuing their scheduled flights, in spite of the travel advisory issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), encouraging passengers to engage in only “essential travel” to the destination.

Indra Maraj, Customer Service Manager of Air Canada said yesterday that the airline would continue flights as usual. She offered assurance that the airline was complying with the guidelines of the Airport Authority’s Port Health department, with regard to monitoring and distribution of SARS Declaration Forms for all incoming passengers. Maraj was unable to reveal any information regarding the impact on the advisory on ticket sales.

Eric Pierre, Deputy General Manager Operations, of the Airports Authority said that every single international passenger coming into the country will be given a Declaration Form to fill out. He stated that there is a need for international vigilance by all airlines and airport authorities worldwide, saying, “We are now all working together to stop this threat, we are all doing what we have to.”

The chartours, Air Transat and Sky Services, are continuing their customary flights out of Canada. General Aviation Services, the umbrella body that operates the chartours declined to comment on the issue. The General manager of the firm said, “We cannot give any information for the news, you have to talk to the health authorities.” BWIA will also continue its flights to and from Canada. A travel advisory issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday cautioned against travel to Toronto, Canada and Beijing in China. More than 260 persons have died of the disease and over 3,500 persons have been infected worldwide.

Communications Officer in the Ministry of Health, Keith Sancho, said that by preparing the SARS Declaration Forms, the Ministry was simply taking precautionary measures, and there is no need for locals to panic. Sancho added, “We must be vigilant, because if it comes it will come through an air or sea port.”

The law lords of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council have criticised Senior Counsel Theodore Guerra for his conduct while prosecuting a murder trial in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Their Lordships said that Guerra’s conduct was wholly at variance with the way prosecuting counsel, as a minister of justice, should behave. They detected Guerra’s address to the jury to be xenophobic, inflammatory and that he sought to make use of inadmissible and irrelevant material.

The British law lords made their comments in the judgment of Alexander Benedetto and William Labrador which was delivered on April 7, 2003. Both men were freed of the murder conviction. Hearing the appeal were Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Lord Steyn, Lord Hope of Craighead, Lord Hutton and Lord Rodger of Earlsferry. The judgment was delivered by Lord Hope.

Benedetto and Labrador, together with Michael Spicer and Evan George went on trial on April 20, 2001 for the January 14, 2000 murder of Lois McMillen. Guerra was the prosecutor in the matter.  The attention of the British law lords was first drawn to Guerra’s conduct of the case by Labrador’s attorney Fitzgerald QC, in support of his argument that Labrador did not have a fair trial. Fitzgerald said that Guerra cross-examined Labrador in an oppressive manner and that he made an unjustified attack on Tisha Neville, a parole officer from Texas who had been called to give evidence as to the credibility of a State witness — Jeffrey Plante, who was in prison.

Fitzgerald also said that Guerra in his address to the jury used terms which were xenophobic and inflammatory, referred to inadmissible evidence and made improper attacks on the credibility of Labrador. Their Lordships agreed that there “are various aspects of the way in which Mr Guerra conducted himself which call for comment as they were wholly at variance with the way in which prosecuting counsel, as a minister of justice, should behave.”

They also explained the greater personal responsibility of a prosecutor whose duty must be efficiently performed with an ingrained sense of the dignity, the seriousness and the justness of judicial proceedings, noting however, “this is not to say that a standard of perfection is expected. “In practice this is, no doubt, unattainable. But the defendant has an absolute right to a fair trial… If the departure from good practice is so gross, or so persistent or so prejudicial as to be irremediable, an appellate court will have no choice but to hold that the trial was unfair and quash the conviction.”

The Board accepted that juries need to be spoken to in a language and style that they will understand, and that there was nothing wrong with a prosecutor delivering a robust but respectful speech. “But there is an obvious difference between a robust speech and one which is xenophobic, inflammatory and seeks to make use of inadmissible and irrelevant material. Regrettable, some parts of Mr Guerra’s speech fell plainly into the latter category.” 

The Board said that Guerra devoted much of his speech to an attack on the credibility of Labrador and his witness Neville.  “There was more than a hint of xenophobia in the methods which he used to develop this attack, as he sought to align himself with the local jury against these American witnesses.” Using examples from the transcript of Guerra’s speech, the Board demonstrated their point — Guerra: “We who have been brought up in the British tradition of justice” will not tolerate any disrespect by anyone, “no matter who it may be or where they come from to the laws and morals of our country.”  (Guerra referring to Tisha Neville): “This woman is playing with our grey matter. She figures that they can come from their big country and fool people here.” 

Their Lordships dealt with another example in which Guerra referred to Labrador’s answer that he (Labrador) was not angry when he discovered his cell mate Plante had given the police a statement alleging that he, Labrador, had confessed to him, taking part in the killing of McMillen. Guerra said: “If that is the American way, we in the West Indies know it is different”;  asserting that it was the jury’s job to decide whether Plante was speaking the truth… not any American witness “who has her own agenda.” (About six years earlier, in Hawaii, where Plante was imprisoned, he had given a similar statement in another matter). 

Guerra began his attack on Labrador’s credibility by referring to an incident during the trial when the judge had occasion to rebuke Labrador’s sister for gesturing to him while he was giving evidence. She denied she was gesturing, but the judge insisted she was. The Board observed that Guerra having reminded the jury of this exchange, aligning himself once again with the jury against the Americans by using the words “we” and “our”, he said: “We have respect for our judges and no one is going to come to tell our judges he is a liar. And later on I am going to show you that lying is a natural tendency of the Labrador. This remark, which was the subject of a rebuke by the trial judge, was improper. Labrador’s sister was not a witness and the exchange between her and the judge was not part of the evidence, their Lordships stated.

The Lords also pointed out that Guerra developed his attack on Labrador by suggesting that he was disloyal to his friends and  unfeeling and cold-blooded towards them, asserting that he was taking care of numero uno, and further observing, with reference to the fact that he agreed to be treated separately from the other accused, added,  “with a friend like that who needs enemies?”  The Board insisted that “none of these remarks was directed to his (Labrador’s) credibility. They were designed simply to prejudice the jury against him.” 

The law lords also referred to Guerra’s attack on the evidence Neville gave about Plante’s parole status and the motive which he had for lying, by suggesting that she had been fed with information by the defence and was part of “the Labrador defence team.”  The Board also observed that Guerra suggested that the transcript of a trial in Hawaii, to which Neville referred to show similarities between the evidence which Plante gave against his fellow prisoner at that trial and the evidence which he had given against Labrador, was a concoction, that it had been “manufactured”, and that she had “come here” to the West Indies  “to pull wool over our eyes”.  He further described her as “a woman who cannot tell the truth about anything; a woman who uses all these subterfuges” who “had her own agenda” to say that she did not believe Plante. The law lords concluded: “His (Guerra)  sweeping denunciation of her had no foundation in fact. He had no evidence that the transcript was false. It has been subsequently been shown to have been genuine.”

The Privy Council in overturning the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal ruling and freeing both men, further observed that Justice of Appeal Satrohan Singh could not discern any form of xenophobia in Guerra’s remark and that he did not see in any other respect there was misconduct. And that the views of the Court of Appeal on a matter of this kind are entitled to great weight. But the Board insisted: “Having studied the transcript carefully, their Lordships cannot agree with this assessment. Issues of credibility lay at the heart of this trial. The prosecutor’s failure to deal with them fairly, reinforces the decision which their Lordships have already reached that Labrador’s conviction was unsafe.”