AN 18-year-old woman was kidnapped outside Mario’s in San Juan on Tuesday night. Her kidnappers are demanding a ransom of $50,000 cash and five kilos of cocaine for her release.
Relatives of Zaheeda Mohammed yesterday told her kidnappers to put her in a box and drop her off at Globe Lane, San Juan. Mohammed’s aunt, Zamina Hosein, a nurse at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, said this is what she told the kidnappers around 11.30 am yesterday when they called asking if the ransom was ready for them. Hosein, a nurse for the past 30 years, said she told the kidnappers she would try to raise the $50,000, but was not going to get involved in drugs, since it would tarnish her character and job. “I am not getting involved in any drugs and I have no connections to get any cocaine. If she have to dead, she have to dead.”
Police sources said Mohammed, of Globe Lane, San Juan, was kidnapped on Tuesday night in the vicinity of Mario’s Pizzeria in San Juan. Her cousin, Hafeez, said she left home at 8 pm but never returned. Hafeez said around 12.15 am Wednesday, he received a call on his cellphone. Hafeez said he passed the phone to Kenneth Ramroop, Mohammed’s uncle-in-law. On the other end was Mohammed, who told Ramroop she had been kidnapped by four men in a vehicle. She also said she did not know where she was. Mohammed told her relatives the kidnappers wanted $50,000 cash and five kilogrammes of cocaine, which sources at the Organised Crime and Narcotic Unit (OCNU) said would have an estimated street value of $700,000.
Hafeez said someone with a heavy male voice called his cellphone around 10.30 pm Wednesday, saying that 11 am yesterday was the deadline for payment. During all the ransom calls the kidnappers never said where the money and drugs should be dropped off and they did not make any threats. For this reason, Hosein does not know whether to believe the kidnapping is real or fake. “I just don’t know what to think,” she said. Hosein said she raised Mohammed from birth. However, when Mohammed reached 18 she went to live with her 80-year-old grandmother at Globe Lane. Up to late yesterday, the whereabouts of Mohammed were still unknown. The Anti Kidnapping Squad (AKS), headed by Sr Supt Gilbert Reyes and members of the San Juan CID, under Cpl Tom Bernard, are continuing investigations.
A 34-YEAR-OLD cane cutter who attacked his sister and brother-in-law with a cutlass on Monday night was found dead in a cassava patch a short distance away from his Chickland Village, Freeport, home on Wednesday night.
Police have since detained a 45-year-old cane cutter for questioning in connection with the chopping death of Christopher Williams. Bernadette Williams, an eyewitness to the incident told Newsday that around 8.30 pm on Monday she was at home with her husband Ramcharan Bridgelal when Williams, who was armed with a cutlass, began firing chops at them. The mother of five claimed that Williams followed her inside her home and made threats. She said a short while later Williams turned towards a relative and began firing chops at him. The relative suffered chops about his body and lost three fingers in the attack.
During a struggle with Williams, the relative managed to gain control of the cutlass and chopped him about the body. The man fled the scene by running into some nearby bushes. The injured relative was taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre and transferred to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. He was treated and discharged on Wednesday. The man went to the Freeport Police Station and made a report about the chopping incident. He returned to the scene of the incident around 6 pm on Wednesday and a search was carried out for Williams. His body was discovered in a cassava patch a short distance away. The body was viewed by District Medical Officer Dr Khatri who ordered its removal to the Forensic Science Centre.
Snr Supt Philip Carmona, Supt Nimrod, ASP Anthony Bernard, Sgt Housend, PCs James, Pierre, Badal and others visited the scene. When Newsday visited the scene yesterday, Virginia Heraldo, the 87-year-old grandmother of the deceased, was seen clutching her chest and crying out in grief. She was only told the news of the death minutes earlier. The grieving woman told Newsday although Williams was a violent person she loved him dearly. She added that she still cannot believe that he is dead. Bernadette Williams told Newsday the deceased had attacked her in the past and always appeared to be in an enraged mood. Officers of the Freeport Police Station are investigating.
An autopsy will be performed today at the Forensic Science Centre.
A LONE gunman staged a daring daylight robbery at Vinfarm and Brothers Limited on Eleanor Street, Chaguanas, around 9.40 am yesterday.
The gunman entered the business place, announced a robbery, ordered an employee to hand over cash and escaped with $20,000. When the gunman was fleeing the scene, he fired one shot which struck employee Imtiaz Hosein in the back of the neck. Hosein was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was treated and discharged. ASP Anthony Bernard, Sgt Gopiecharan, Cpl Sylvester and PC Reid visited the scene.
WHEN HE was arrested, murder accused Dhanraj Singh denied he was involved in the killing of Hansraj Sumairsingh, Chairman of the Rio Claro/Mayaro Regional Corporation.
Sgt Fitzgerald George, who was attached to the Rio Claro Police Station when the murder was committed in 1999, testified yesterday in the San Fernando First Assize Court that before he arrested Singh, he seized a letter from Sumairsingh’s Rio Claro office that was addressed to then Prime Minister Basdeo Panday. George, who investigated Sumairsingh’s killing between December 31, 1999 and January 1, 2000, said he arrested Singh at the office of former Junior Works Minister Chandresh Sharma.
Singh, a former Minister of Local Government, allegedly contracted two men to kill Sumairsingh. One of the them, Elliot Hypolite, is to be presented by the State as the main prosecution witness. George said after he identified himself, he told Singh he was investigating the murder of Sumairsingh. At the time, Singh was in the company of three attorneys. “I cautioned the accused and told him that he was not obliged to say anything, but anything he said would be taken down in writing and used against him in a court of law,” he said.
George said he read the letter to Singh and questioned him about it. Singh asked to speak with his attorneys. “Afterwards, he (Singh) made no reply,” George said. George said he told Singh he had a warrant to search his home and wanted him to accompany him but Singh refused. He said during the search of Singh’s home at Dyers Village, Williamsville, he told the accused he had further evidence about the murder. Again George warned Singh of his rights and the accused said he wanted to speak to his attorney, Shastri Prasad. Singh denied any involvement in the murder of Sumairsingh. George said he subsequently received information and charged Singh with the murder.
Two lead particles extracted from the body of Sumairsingh by pathologist Dr Hughvon de Vignes at the Forensic Sciences Centre were tendered into evidence along with a blood-stained white T-shirt, a bed sheet and a piece of plastic taken from a bed at Sumairsingh’s beach house. George will continue giving evidence on Monday because of the early adjournment of yesterday’s hearing shortly after the morning break at 10:45 am. Hearing was adjourned after Cassel raised a legal issue and the jury was put out of court.
Justice Baird will give his ruling on Monday, thereby postponing the much anticipated testimony of star witness Hypolite, who was expected to testify today. Attorney Ravi Rajcoomar told Justice Baird that following consultation with Cassel, it had been agreed that there would be no hearing today because Hudson-Phillips was due back home last night from London. Hudson-Phillips had been in the Hague where he was sworn in as a judge of the International Criminal Court. Instead of continuing with George’s evidence yesterday, Justice Baird postponed the hearing to Monday when George will return to the witness box. He will then be cross-examined by Hudson-Phillips.
CANECUTTER Randy Beharry, 18, died yesterday morning seven days after he body was badly burned after being trapped in a burning canefield in Penal.
Beharry, of Julien Branch Trace, Barrackpore, succumbed to his injuries at around 9.50 am at the Intensive Care Unit of the San Fernando General Hospital. He had suffered first degree burns to 75 percent of his body. According to his mother, Dharmatie, Beharry’s condition was slowly improving and doctors had given him a “good chance” of survival. The incident occurred last Wednesday. Beharry was with ten other workers cutting and loading cane at Penal Rock Road when he became trapped in the burning field.
According to an eyewitness, Rajkumar Singh, a strong breeze fanned the flames and Beharry was surrounded by fire. As Beharry ran out of the field, his jersey caught fire and by the time he got out of the blazing field, his entire body was on fire and his shirt had been burnt off his back. Workers frantically pulled off Beharry’s pants and rolled him along the ground to put out the flames. He was rushed to hospital where doctors immediately began treating his injuries.
According to Dharmatie, it was only at the start of this crop season that Beharry began working regularly as a cane cutter. He previously did jobs in the village or assisted in rearing the family’s animals and crops. Ag Cpl Jankienanan of the Barrackpore Police Station is continuing investigations.
PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning scoffed at threats from Opposition MP Kelvin Ramnath about a shut-down in the sugar belt and dismissed Ramnath’s allegations that Government was planning to build a shelter for PNM supporters in Caroni.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet news briefing at Whitehall yesterday, Trade Minister Ken Valley said to date some 1,400 Caroni workers have accepted the VSEP plan. “My people (at Finance) are saying that the vast majority would come,” Valley added. The Prime Minister said the VSEP had been “immensely popular” with the workers. More people had not taken it because of the activities of the Opposition, he said, adding: “But over time, I am sure that we will see a significantly higher number of persons availing themselves of the arrangements (for VSEP) which have been put in.” “I have been listening to politicians and especially Opposition politicians to know when to take seriously what they say and when to ignore what they say,” he said, adding that Ramnath’s statements were frivolous and designed to create sensation. The Prime Minister said however he would meet with NATUC “within days” on the VSEP issue.
Government also announced expansion of some of its social programme. Manning said the CEPEP programme would cost $400 million a year when it is expanded and National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee announced that Cabinet had approved $25 million for expansion of the Civilian Conservation Corps. The programme would therefore train 2,500 youths this year. Last year it trained 300. The Prime Minister assured that Government, which was planning on the basis of an expectated increased revenues, was not over-extending itself financially. He said war in the Middle East would result in enhanced revenues and increase the capacity of the State to embark on ambitious development programmes. Chin Lee said government was confident the Kidnapping Bill, which is to be tabled tomorrow, would get the support of the Opposition.
The bill requires a special majority. The Bill seeks to make penalties for kidnapping stricter and to make kidnapping a non-bailable offence. Valley announced that Cabinet agreed to set up a $100 million support programme for Caricom members. He stressed that the fund was an interest-free loan for technical assistance, strategic planning, training, negotiation and design of financing and refinancing packages. On Government’s decision to assist Caricom, Manning said it was partly motivated by self-interest because Caricom was the largest market for Trinidad and Tobago’s domestic industries. “If the purchasing power of the islands down for whatever reason, it would manifest itself in unemployment in Trinidad and Tobago, “ Manning said. Valley also announced that Government had formed a special unit under Jerry Narace for expediting the goal to make Trinidad and Tobago CSME (Caricom Single market and Economy) ready within one year.
UNC MP Ganga Singh said at a House Committee meeting in 2001 that Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s plan to move the Parliament from the Red House was “worthy of consideration”.
Singh’s statements formed part of the minutes of the first meeting of the House Committee of the House of Representatives on July 20, 2001 in the Committee Room at the Red House. Among those attending that meeting were Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, Carlos John, Subhas Panday, Patrick Manning and Camille Robinson-Regis. Manning, according to the minutes, presented to the Committee his recommendations for the restoration and utilisation of the Red House.
“He suggested that the Red House be restored and reserved for the Office of the Prime Minister and a new building should be designed and built for the Parliament taking into consideration possible future growth in the size and activities of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago,” the minutes stated. It added that the Chairman, Maharaj, thanked Manning for his contribution. However he (Maharaj) explained that very early in its administration, the UNC Government had agreed that the Red House should be restored and dedicated to the sole use of the Parliament. He therefore advised Manning to hold discussions on the matter with the Prime Minister, insofar, “as policy decisions of such significance cannot ne determined by the House committee”. While Singh thought Manning’s suggestion worthy of consideration, Carlos John felt “as a matter of urgency”, restoration of the building should be pursued, even while questions about its final use were being deliberated on. John advised that there would be sufficient time between Phase 1 and 2 of the project to resolve all questions.
The Committee agreed with the view expressed by John, the Minutes said. Joining the meeting were Rudlyn Roberts of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Michael Bynoe, architect.
WHILE Clint Huggins lay, apparently drunk, on the trunk of a car on Carnival Monday night in 1996 at Sangre Grande, his cousin Leslie Huggins suggested to Haile Selassie Amoroso that this was the right time to “take him out” Amoroso testified yesterday.
He added: “When he said that I was a bit puzzled. If he meant that, he had to be making joke.” Amoroso was the fourth state witness called yesterday to testify against Arnold Huggins, Leslie Huggins and Junior Phillip, who are before Justice Alice Yorke Soo-Hon in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court, charged with the murder of Clint Huggins on Carnival Tuesday, in 1996. Arnold is being defended by Ian Stuart Brook, Leslie by Keith Scotland and Dawn Mohan, and Phillip by Osbourne Charles SC instructed by Christlyn Moore. State prosecutors are Wayne Rajbansee and Natasha George.
When hearing resumes today, the state’s key witness, Swarsatee ‘Satee” Maharaj, Leslie’s common-law wife, is expected to testify. Amoroso told the jury how he, Phillip, Leslie and Leslie’s girlfriend, Satee, together with a man called Carpenter and another who goes by the names Jaffer or “Shortman,” spent Carnival Monday night liming in Sangre Grande, drinking and eating. He said about two o’clock Tuesday morning Leslie suggested: “This is the right time to take him (Clint) out.” Shortly after, he said, the others and Clint left in a Laurel motor car driven by Leslie. However, under cross-examination by Scotland and Charles, several inconsistencies unfolded between Amoroso’s testimony yesterday and his statement to the police. Amoroso’s explanation of the inconsistencies was his repetitious statement: “I made a mistake.”
Scotland pointed out five inconsistencies between Amoroso’s oral evidence yesterday and his statement, as did Charles. Both attorneys suggested to Amoroso that there were inconsistencies in his evidence because he was never with the accused or the deceased on that night. Among his inconsistencies was that the police had taken the statement from him at Graham Street, Sangre Grande, and not at the police station as the statement said. He said he went to the station but can’t remember for what. Further, the statement was dated March 18, 1996, a month after the killing of Clint, but Amoroso said he gave the statement on Carnival Tuesday, hours after Clint’s death. He even suggested that he made those mistakes in his statement because “certain persons” who were taking the statement threw him “off course.”
Although Amoroso admitted that at the time he gave the statement to the police the evidence would have been fresh in his mind, he insisted that what he was now saying was the correct version of what happened. In the statement, Amoroso also said Clint was lying on the trunk of the car when Leslie suggested it was a good time to “take him out,” but yesterday he told the jury Clint was on the bonnet of the car. When the difference was pointed out to him he agreed that the trunk was the correct area. Even though it was pointed out to Amoroso that the Laurel motor car he suggested Clint and the accused had driven off in at 2 am from Sangre Grande was seen at 1.45 am crashed into a fence on the south bound lane of the Uriah Butler Highway, Mt Hope, he insisted his time was correct.
Also testifying yesterday were ASP Joey Bowlea, PC Owen Thompson and former Inspector Lloyd Williams. Thompson and Williams said they saw Clint and spoke to him in Sangre Grande on Carnival Monday. They also recalled seeing Leslie and Phillip with Clint. Williams said he was surprised to see Clint because he knew Clint was a witness against Dole Chadee and was in protective custody at Army Headquarters, Teteron.
CENTRAL BANK governor Ewart Williams said possible war by the United States and its coalition forces against Iraq will seriously affect Caribbean economies, many of which are still recovering from the fall out of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US in 2001.
He also said while energy-rich Trinidad and Tobago is in a position to collect increased revenues from the spike in oil prices, decline in tourism in Caribbean countries will hurt exporters in the twin-island state. “It is seriously going to affect the economies of the region. One cannot simply assume that because we’re an oil producer, we will benefit..certainly, there’s going to be an increase in oil prices and it redounds to a healthy revenue position,” said Williams, a former Deputy Director and Senior Manager of the Western Hemisphere at the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“But war is going to be disruptive; affect all the economies; affect the way markets operate and that must affect us. “I’m not sure that investors can continue making investment decisions in a condition in which there’s war. I’m not sure that trade relations would be the same if there’s a prolonged war.” Williams said industries in Trinidad that export products to the regional markets will be affected depending on the extent to which the tourism sector of the Caribbean countries is facing declines. Companies that export to North America and other industrial countries will also be affected. Williams said any war at this time will leave the Caribbean tourism sector — which has been trying to recover from 9/11 — hard hit. “A war will bring them back to square one,” he asserted. The Central Bank governor said all the economies in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are in economic trouble. “A war to the extent that it will affect tourist arrivals and further affect the economic situation in general will put additional pressure on employment and on survival in those countries,” he added.
Williams said when the external environment gets difficult, the first responsibility of any country is making adjustments. “Unfortunately, adjustment alone cannot take care of some of the dislocations. “There is an on-going discussion now that Trinidad and Tobago — which is I guess, arguably the most powerful country in the region — can provide assistance and there has been some discussion on the price of oil.” There is also continuing discussions among regional leaders about a Stablisation Fund to help prop up fragile economies. It is envisaged that the stabilisation fund will have an initial capital of US$50 million in the first year rising to US$180 million within five years. “But in the final analysis the issue is who is going to put up the money. Trinidad and Tobago is in a position to put some assistance but the other economies of the region, Barbados, Jamaica, there’s need for some burden sharing and the details of that burden sharing still needs to be worked out at the political level.”
Williams said countries that are facing major economic disruptions as a result of a war could approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and other multilateral organisations which have facilities for emergency assistance. “ (But) in the final analysis, these multilateral agencies will insist that these countries take measures to deal with the new realities and sometimes these new measures are not always politically palpable.”
POINT FORTIN MP and labour Minister Larry Achong said yesterday accused Atlantic LNG of acting “in a most irresponsible way”.
Achong , who spoke to reporters after the 43rd Annual General Meeting of the Employers’ Consultative Association (ECA) at the Trinidad Hilton, was questioned about the status of the sea wall at Clifton Hill Beach. “The people of Point have every right to be upset about a number of issues,” he said, identifying employment practices at Bechtel as a major concern. He claimed Atlantic LNG had “deprived the people of Trinidad of one of the premium beaches in South”. “As far as I am concerned, they have been extremely poor corporate citizens and they must rectify that, not by talking a lot of nonsense, but by doing the correct thing,” Achong said.
They can start restoring the beach, he suggested, in addition to preventing further erosion of the coastline. He urged officials of the company to look into health problems being experienced by residents near the plant. Achong said he could not understand how a plant handling Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) had “thick, black fumes coming out of its flare”. “We are giving LNG all the time to show that they are not just interested in coming here and making money,” he said.
