PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning expressed the hope yesterday that Sunday night’s shooting death of URP official, Mark Guerra, was not the beginning of gang war in Port of Spain.
Manning at the time was on a familiarisation tour of the Social Services Centre at Couva yesterday morning and expressed delight at what he saw. Speaking about the Centre, located along the Campden Road, close to the Couva Health Facility, he said it was relatively new but had the potential of being of tremendous service to the population, especially those living in Central Trinidad. The Centre, which has as its coordinator Natalie Atkinson, decentralises service of a general nature offered by the Ministry of Social Services. Among the services offered are legal aid, mediation, probation, community telecentre, general library services, NADAPP (National Drug Abuse and Preventive Programme), SHARE (Social Health and Rehabilitative Effort), disability affairs, social displacement and general family services. Manning felt a “centre like this must make a positive impact on the community where it exists bearing in mind what it was offering to the public”.
Later, in response to questions from the media the shooting death of URP official Mark Guerra, Manning said he hoped “this is not the beginning of gang war in Port-of-Spain”. Asked about the would-be terrorist the US Government was looking for in the country, Manning said that it was a matter for the Police. He said he had only superficial information about the matter, and all he knew so far was what he read in the newspapers. He criticised the BBC report on crime in the country and said it was quite possible that reporters spoke to victims “and carefully selected people”, and gave one side of the picture. Perhaps if the BBC had interviewd others they might have got another aspect of the story, Manning suggested. With respect to Local Government Elections, Manning said it would be held before July 12.
Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ken Valley said yesterday that he always knew the Opposition was “bluffing” when it called for a debate on Caroni in the Parliament. The Opposition is refusing to file a motion on the issue.
Said Valley: “They had since February 15 to file a motion. If they had done so then, the matter would have been debated by now. But they never wanted to debate the issue because they know that this is the best plan for Caroni Limited”. Valley lamented however that the Opposition, realising that it couldn’t win any logical discussion on the Caroni issue, decided to “go down in Couva and be very racist”. He referred to statements made by Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday. Valley pointed out that Prime Minister Patrick Manning said that Government was prepared to support a waiver of the Standing Orders in order to have an Opposition motion on Caroni debated within five days.
Told that Opposition Chief Whip Ganga Singh indicated that the Opposition would not be filing any motion because the onus was on the Government to do so, Valley said: “They know they cannot win any debate. We always knew they were bluffing. They are merely attempting to incite the workers in Caroni”. Told that Singh also stated that 30 minutes (which is the time allotted for discussion of a motion on the adjournment) was too short to debate the issue of Caroni, Valley countered: “But they wanted to do (debate) it in 15 minutes the last time and they walked out of the Parliament because of this”. He was referring to the walk out led by Opposition MP Kelvin Ramnath after Deputy Speaker Hedwidge Bereaux turned down his request to debate the issue of Caroni as a definite matter of urgent public importance.
Valley said Government would continue talking to the people. He said Government only yesterday had a meeting with the Board of Caroni, which includes Rudy Indarsingh, ATSGWTU’s President-General. The Minister said he did not think that the Opposition noises would have any impact on the workers. Saying that the VSEP was going “quite good”, he stated that slightly over 3,000 workers had accepted the plan. Valley said when the vesting of the lands at Caroni takes place, Government would make a comprehensive statement in the Parliament. He said he expected this statement to include information on all the restructuring and rationalisation plans which were implemented at State enterprises like the Port Authority, PTSC, IDC, Post Office, Management Development Centre, West Indian Shipping Company and National Fisheries, none of which were ever opposed by the UNC. He recalled that the UNC sponsored a whole VSEP plan in the airport when hundreds lost their jobs.
SECRETARY-General of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) Lyle Townsend yesterday warned of renewed protest action by TSTT employees if the company fails to endorse an agreement reached with the union.
At a meeting to update workers on continuing negotiations, Townsend told some 200 workers at TSTT’s compound on Cipero Road, San Fernando, that “it seems that the company is delaying the signing of all the agreements, while delaying the return to a normal situation”. He revealed that a meeting with the company on Friday March 14 failed to resolve the dispute and that the union was giving the company until Friday March 28 to “respond and endorse the agreement or else other things are likely to happen”. He said several options remained open to the union including taking the dispute to the Industrial Court and increasing protest action at all TSTT work centres. Townsend said a letter dated March 20, was sent to TSTT’s Industrial Relations Manager, Robert Linton, advising him of the union’s position. He said the letter also addressed the position of employees terminated by letter last December 31. Townsend said copies of the letter were also sent to Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Labour Minister Larry Achong and Industrial Court president Addison Khan.
In an attempt to save the Judiciary from another blot on the administration of justice and the recurring scandal of delinquent magistrates not giving written reasons for their decisions in matters of appeal, Chief Justice Sat Sharma said yesterday that he has asked the Judicial and Legal Service Commission to insist that Magistrates who are eligible for promotion not be so considered unless and until they have concluded their part-heard matters and given their reasons.
The CJ has also insisted that all magisterial matters with or without the magistrate’s reasons and or the notes of evidence, be listed for hearing in an attempt to avoid any further miscarriage of justice. CJ Sharma made the point while dealing with the appeal of Joan Ajim, who was sentenced to three years and had filed her appeal since 1988. Her appeal came up for hearing only yesterday. He also noted that a number of matters before the Court “this morning” dated back to the late 1980’s and early 1990s. He acknowledged that the policy was that these appeals only be listed when notes of evidence and or reasons were available, hence the reason why these matters were not listed before.
Some magistrates, he said, were largely responsible because they left the magistracy without giving their reasons in appeal matters. Another reason was the outdated note-taking system. About the latter, the CJ said: “When that will end, I do not know.” The CJ went on to say that these long delays have aggravated the situation, and have made matters worse, but in a move to deal with that situation he said: “We decided that all matters should be listed whether they had reasons or not, because what we found is that people have already served their sentences in the prison and yet their appeals had not come up for hearing because of the system. “That is to say, listing matters only when the reasons were available and when the notes were forthcoming… We decided to go back and that is why we now have matters listed from 1988 in which there are still no reasons, and in some cases no notes of evidence. Yet, we have decided to list them and to do the best we can to avoid any further miscarriage of justice.”
He said they owe litigants and the public an explanation as to why this had happened, but the explanation is not an acceptable one. “What has been happening and what I have alluded to, constitute a blot on the administration of justice.” He noted the sequel to this story was that those who had been kept in prison longer than was necessary were now suing the State and recovering substantial damages — monies that could have been used to buy equipment, spruce up and modernised the note-taking system. Although Ajim’s conviction was upheld, the CJ said:” We think in all the circumstances of this case, we will uphold the conviction as we are obliged to do, but the only way we can redress what we conceived to be a travesty of justice is to (vary the sentence), impose a fine of $1,000 and to give her a month in which to pay.”
TOP SOURCES in Police Special Branch said Saudi-born Adnan G El Shukrijumah, who is wanted by the FBI for plotting terrorist attacks in the United States and who is believed to be in possession of a TT passport, is not hiding out in this country.
FBI officers are reportedly liaising with local police as the search intensifies for Shukrijumah, who police say could very well be moving around in a disguise. “From the intelligence we have gathered so far, all indications are that Mr Shukrijumah is not in this country, however as a precautionary measure we have certain plans in place just in case our intelligence proves wrong,” the source said. Asked what these pre-cautionary measures were, the Special Branch source declined further comment. Efforts to reach acting National Security Minister Franklin Khan and Commissioner of Police Hilton Guy were futile.
FORMER Works Minister Jearlean John said yesterday her life revolves around the Commission of Inquiry into the Piarco International Airport Project and Commission chairman, retired Chief Justice Clinton Bernard, warned attorneys for former Works Ministry representative Peter Cateau against jeopardising John’s testimony.
As the sitting resumed yesterday at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the Commission was informed that neither of Cateau’s attorneys, Keith Scotland and Dawn Mohan, was present since they were before Justice Alice York Soo-Hon in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court. Bernard recalled that on the last occasion when John was supposed to be cross-examined, Scotland was absent and Mohan said she would be ready to proceed yesterday if Scotland was again unavailable. He also revealed that a letter stating the reasons for the absence of Cateau’s attorneys was received late Friday evening.
Commission lead attorney, Theodore Guerra SC expressed disappointment over the absence of Cateau’s lawyers from the proceedings. “What I’m concerned about is that this witness (John) has kept coming here faithfully, and she is willing to give the evidence under cross-examination. She holds a responsible position with a company and one must have some concern for her well-being, her job. “It is therefore rather frustrating to have counsel, particularly two counsel, one cannot make himself or herself available to continue the cross-examination of this witness,” he said.
Guerra suggested that if any indulgence were to be granted to Cateau’s attorneys, it should be “up to tomorrow or else I will ask the Commission to have Peter Cateau question the witness”. Bernard shared Guerra’s concerns about the unavailability of Cateau’s lawyers, but said he was not casting any blame on them. Noting concerns raised by Guerra about former minister John Humphrey appearing without legal counsel, Bernard rejected the suggestion of Cateau personally questioning John. He added that for Cateau to do that, he (Cateau) would be like “a ship without a rudder”. “We appreciate that Mr Scotland has other engagements that are more important in what we are doing in terms of their necessity for them to be in the audience of the court but there comes a time when we must get on with things,” he said.
Noting several concerns about the length of time the Commission was taking to complete its task, Bernard said: “ The blame for that does not fall squarely on our shoulders but it has been due to the fact that attorneys who are engaged in this matter are themselves engaged in matters in the High Court. I trust that the country will appreciate there is no delay on our part. We have always been available.” He stressed that “at the same time we have to give consideration for the witness as well”. Asked by Bernard if she would be available for cross-examination today, John replied: “ Sir I have been trying to schedule my whole life around the Commission. I have commitments on Tuesday and Wednesday. They (John’s employers Church’s Chicken) have been very very reasonable about me being out also. I don’t want to say I’m stretching their patience now.”
After reviewing the Commission’s schedule, Bernard asked John if she would be available on Thursday and the former minister responded affirmatively. Former Airport Authority Security Manager Dennis John, Humphrey and former AA Chairman Tyrone Gopee are scheduled to appear before the Commission today, Wednesday and Thursday respectively.
A COCORITE man was jailed for six years with hard labour yesterday after he pleaded guilty before a Port-of-Spain Magistrate to three out of ten charges of house breaking and larceny. However, since the sentences will run concurrently, Errol James, 52, aka “Bugger James” and Nigel Holder, will only serve three years behind bars.
James appeared before Magistrate Michelle Maharajh-Brown on charges laid by Four Roads police — Sgt Stephen Ramsubhag, Cpl Hayden Hannays, Cpl Sean Coggins, PC David Watson, Ricardo Montrichard and Vaughn Joseph. He pleaded guilty to only three of the ten charges. Magistrate Maharajh-Brown adjourned the other cases to April 4. James of Nile Street, Cocorite, was held around midnight Thursday while walking through a track in Goodwood Park. The officers who made the arrest were led by Supt Leon Anthony of Northern Division.
In the first matter, James was charged with breaking into the Goodwood Avenue, Glencoe home of Mark Chapman on February 26. The court heard that Chapman awoke on February 27 and discovered that the sliding door of his house had beenforced open and $925 in items weremissing. James was charged by PC Vaughn Joseph of the Four Roads Police Station. James was also charged with breaking into the home of Carol Fitt at Roland Road, Westmoorings, and stealing $1,060 worth in cash and items on February 28. PC Joseph also laid the charges. In the third matter, James was charged with breaking into Chapman’s house again and stealing $840 worth of items on March 10. He was arrested and charged by PC Watson of the Four Roads Police Station. James was sentenced to three years hard labour each for the offences in Goodwood Park and six months hard labour for the offence at Westmoorings.
THE OPPOSITION United National Congress (UNC) will not be filing a motion to debate the restructuring of Caroni (1975) Limited in Parliament on Friday and has accused the Government of abdicating its responsibility to the local sugar industry. This was the word yesterday from Opposition Chief Whip Ganga Singh.
At a People’s National Movement (PNM) meeting in Couva on Saturday, Prime Minister Patrick Manning challenged the UNC to bring a motion on Caroni’s restructuring to Parliament on Friday ( Private Members Day) and said Government will debate the matter for as long as is necessary. Singh told Newsday the Prime Minister’s challenge was nothing but another red herring. “After thirty something years in Parliament, Mr Manning does not have a proper understanding of parliamentary procedures,” he declared.
The Chief Whip explained that to debate a motion on the adjournment of the House requires four days notice and when the motion comes up on the Order Paper, it takes a total of 30 minutes to present and respond to it. A motion on Private Members’ Day, Singh continued, requires a minimum of 12 days notice. He said 30 minutes was insufficient time to debate a matter of crucial importance like Caroni and even if the Opposition filed a motion yesterday, it could not be debated on Friday. “The Government is abdicating their responsibility. All this talk by Mr Manning is nothing but a bold-faced lie,” the Chief Whip declared. Singh stressed that it was Government’s obligation to present a detailed plan of Caroni’s restructuring to the nation and have it fully debated in Parliament. “Why is there a delay?” he asked. The Chief Whip added that the UNC would welcome any debate on Caroni on Friday, once Government presents a detailed restructuring plan to Parliament.
TSTT yesterday launched Trinidad and Tobago’s first Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) at an investment cost of $500 million. The system involves almost 100 GSM sites covering most of the East/West and North/South Corridors.
TSTT Chief Executive Officer ,Samuel Martin announced that over the next three months coverage would expand to 130 cell sites, while 100 additional sites would be added before the end of 2004. He said this would provide coverage of population centres in Trinidad and Tobago, including areas that have not had cellular reception before. Apart from the GSM sites, wireless data transmission technology, referred to as General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), will be commissioned later this year as part of the new mobile network, Martin said. When this is accomplished, Trinidad and Tobago will be among the first in the Caribbean to have a GSM/GPRS network, he added. Customers will be able to access wireless Internet and intranet connections, as well as multi-media services through the new GSM/ GPRS handsets. Additionally, TSTT is offering new service plans with lower mobile rates for calls and lingo messages.
The GPRS package will enable small, medium and corporate mobile users to communicate via chatting audio, video and still images; multi-media messaging services; file transfer; email and internet based content; and document sharing. Martin also said TSTT had successfully completed roaming agreements with 53 carriers in 33 countries including the United States, Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, six other islands in the Caribbean and Asia. President of Nortel Networks for the Caribbean and Latin American Region, Dion Joannou, applauded TSTT’s initiative and gave the assurance that the GSM system was one of the most advanced digital standards today. Joannou said the GSM system was the world’s most widely deployed wireless technology with more than 800 million subscribers at the end of 2002, representing almost 75 percent of the wireless global market.
Chief Operations Officer at TSTT Nigel Parnell in providing an overview of the new system. said the GSM handsets must be used with a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card, a small transferable chip pre-programmed with the phone number, security data and user applications necessary to receive wireless service. It also stores the user’s contacts, applications and other information. The SIM card is a safe and cost effective medium for storing valuable information, explained Parnell, adding that in case of theft or loss, TSTT would block the SIM card at the request of the customer. Once the SIM card has been blocked, data cannot be retrieved or viewed even if the card is inserted into another GSM handset.
A 52-YEAR-OLD man died on his way to the Scarborough Regional Hospital yesterday and one man is critically injured following an early morning accident at John Dial, just east of Scarborough, Tobago, yesterday. A third man is also seriously injured.
Victor Jack of Hope Village, Tobago died at around 7 am yesterday morning when the car in which he was travelling slammed into a truck near the John Dial bridge. Meanwhile, Garth Abraham, 34, of Hope Village was up to yesterday evening in critical condition with severe head injuries and multiple traumas to his body, while his close relative, Bert Abraham, 44, also of Hope Village, was said to be serious but not critical. Both men were flown to Trinidad yesterday evening for medical treatment. According to police reports, Jack and the Abrahams were travelling in a westerly direction towards Scarborough in a white Royal Saloon when they came into contact with a truck that came on to their side of the road.
Police said the driver of the truck was travelling east along the Hope stretch when a maxi-taxi attempted to overtake. The back of the maxi touched the front of the truck forcing the driver, Azzan Mohammed, of Pembroke, to swerve in the west-bound lane and into the oncoming car. Jack received several injuries to his head and multiple traumas around his body. Medical officers from the Scarborough Regional Hospital and firemen from the Scarborough Fire Station rushed to the scene and removed the wounded. Fire officers had to cut open the car to remove the bodies. Jack died on his way to hospital, while Garth and Bert remained in Tobago until just after midday, when they were taken to Trinidad. Police said that both vehicles were totally written-off. Mohammed and a passenger in the truck, Seymour Campbell, of Mason Hall, were treated for injuries and discharged.
The accident was the second road fatally in Tobago in two weeks and the second for the year. ASP D’Heureux of the Scarborough Police Station and other officers visited the scene. Sgt Yorke is continuing investigations. An autopsy will be done on Jack’s body on Friday.
