San Juan businessman and ace racing driver Frankie Boodram was found guilty yesterday of receiving stolen vehicle parts by an eight to one majority verdict.  On another charge of larceny of a pick up van from which the parts were taken, he was found not guilty.

The guilty verdict brought tears to Boodram’s wife Jasmine, who hugged her husband and wept. However, Boodram, a 56-year-old father of four, will know his fate tomorrow when Justice Paula Mae Weeks will pass sentence on him. Boodram,  the owner of Speedway Auto Supply, could face the maximum 15 years hard labour sentence or, since being a first time offender, he could be placed on a bond with an order to do hours of community service. Boodram’s  attorney, Israel Khan SC leading Dawn Mohan,  pleaded  with the Court not to impose a custodial sentence on his client. Khan accepted a short adjournment before sentencing so that he could present the Court with testimonials of Boodram’s character. He has until Friday.
 
Boodram was charged with stealing a pick up van, TBD-569,  from Clint Batchasingh,  on Alexandra Street, St Clair, on August 22, 2000. Batchasingh had only parked the vehicle for about 15 minutes  while he met some friends at the Queen’s Park Oval, where he had earlier been watching the West Indies play a One Day International match.
A few days later, PC Emeral Bruce, armed with a warrant, searched Boodram’s businessplace and found several parts belonging to the stolen van. Boodram, in his defence, challenged the truthfulness of the police story and the identification of the parts by Batchasingh. Batchasingh identified some of the parts by scratches, dents, colour etc. Leading the State’s  case in the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court, were prosecutors Nalini Singh and Debbie Ann Bassaw.

Defending Soca Monarchs Neil Iwer George and Bunji Garlin will perform in position 15 and 17 respectively as they try to ward off nineteen other soca hungry performers all looking to take their crown from their heads.

Iwer George feels he will retain his title as he sees very little in terms of competition, his “Ah Home” has been creating waves throughout the season. Bunji on the other hand has a host of songs to choose from and just might pull a surprise. The line up shows five female contestants who are intent on making their mark in the competition; Patrice Roberts, Destra Garcia, Flo PG from Martinique, Faye Ann Lyons and Denise Belfon. Lyons is also popular and some say, defintely in the running for road march. Patrice Roberts is a new comer to the Soca Monarch Competition and will open the show. Another debutante is Young Marcel who performs in position seven. Dubbed Fantastic Friday the International Soca Monarch will kick off at 8.00 pm at the Queens Park Oval.

The order of appearance is as follows:

1   Patrice Roberts
2   Blaxx
3   Shurwayne Winchester
4   Destra Garcia
5   Godfather Asylum
6   Naya George
7   Young Marcel
8   Sean Caruth
9   Derrick Seales
10   Tony Prescott
11   Flo P G
12   Blazer
13   Faye Ann Lyons
14   Maximus Dan
15   Iwer George
16   Shammi
17   Bunji Garlin
18   Rupee
19   KMC
20   Denise Belfon
21   Wanski

The County Medical Officer (CMO) of Health for St George West has ordered the immediate closure of the kitchen at St Ann’s Hospital because it is unsanitary.

This recommendation follows routine visits by Public Health Inspectors. A source disclosed that PHIs have issued warnings in the past to the administration about the condition of the kitchen. As no action was taken, the CMO Dr Randolph Phillips sent a letter to St Ann’s yesterday ordering the administrator to close the kitchen. The source said a recommendation has been made for complete refurbishment of the area. The vans used to transport food was also deemed unfit due to the presence of bacteria. Officials of the North West Regional Health Authority visited the hospital yesterday to make alternative arrangements for the preparation of food for patients. Refurbishment work was supposed to have taken place “months ago”, but the source said nothing has been done. The cost has been estimated at $2M.

REIGNING King of Carnival, Curtis Eustace topped the semi-finals of the King of Carnival competition at the Queen’s Park Savannah on Tuesday night.

Portraying “D Sky is D Limit”, Curtis maintained his lead over the 15 other semi-finalists heading into the finals at the Dimanche Gras show on Sunday night. Second was Geraldo Vieira Jr with “Trouble in de Bamboo”, and Roland St George, third, portraying “Schizo – the Agony of Xtacy”. The other finalists were South King Aaron Kalicharan “Native Warrior”, Juan Maximo “Hannibal – Ruler of Carthage”, Ansel Price “A Zulu Warrior’s Dream”, Dave Lakhan “Blue Moon Visitor”, and Leroy Prieto “Temuchin – the Mighty Ruler and Warrior”. The programme started promptly at 8 pm, and ended at 11.10 pm exactly, much to the satisfaction of the audience gathered at the Savannah in Port-of-Spain on Tuesday night, for the finals of the Junior Queen of Carnival and semi-finals of the King of Carnival Competitions presented by the National Carnival Bands Association (NCBA).

Mixed with the obvious pleasure of leaving the venue at a reasonable hour, was a bit of disappointment at not hearing an announcement for the winner of the Junior Queen Competition. There were 20 contestants in the category, with the majority showcasing a sensible mix of colours and creative designs in costumed portrayals, that in many instances, paid tribute to local personalities, both dead and alive.  For example, there was “The Spirit of the Bele Dancer – A Tribute to Beryl Mc Burnie” portrayed by Nyssa Mendoza from the band “Somewhere In The Caribbean”; “Golden Ray, Tanty’s Secret Recipe – A Tribute to Sylvia Hunte” displayed by Ghaaliya O’Brien from the band “Ah Hot, Hot Trini Pelau, One People, One Pot”; “Ice Carving” portrayed by Alendra Bailey from the band  “Hats Off To The Bailey Brothers”; and “La Femme Fatale Of De Cocoyea Village” by Dena-Marie Blanc from the band “Can You Remember – A Tribute to Stephen Lee Heung”.

Among the other costumes were patriotic portrayals that included “Sweet, Sweet T&T – De Melting Pot”, “The Humming Bird Queen”, “Oui Foute – Dat Is Carnival”, “La Trinity,” and “Paradise Revisited”. Ten of the 20 presentations came from school bands whose tiny competitors were warmly applauded for their efforts at “dancing the mas” on stage.
In the King of Carnival semi-finals, 16 competitors who advanced from the preliminary round appeared in their spruced-up costumes, all in a bid to secure a place in the finals to be staged during the Dimanche Gras Show at the same venue on Carnival Sunday night. Creating great impact were Roland St George’s portrayal of “Schizo – The Agony of Xtacy” and Curtis Eustace’s “D Sky Is D Limit” both from the band “Bedazzled”, while Geraldo Vieira Jr emphasised his competitiveness with the giant puppet that is “Trouble In de Bamboo” from the band “Gathering of The Tribes”. South-based Lionel Jagessar and Aaron Kalicharan showed off classic “Indian mas” in their costuming of “He-Lush-Ka – The Medicine Man” and “Native Warrior”, respectively. During the interval, patrons were entertained by calypsonians Rikki Jai (Samraj Jaimungal) and Black Stalin (Leroy Calliste).

Bandits beware! Since Tuesday a system of public street surveillance video cameras has been installed in Port-of-Spain, which has already detected a major theft.

The system was officially launched yesterday as a private initiative of the Downtown Merchants Association (Doma) at City Hall. During a display of video-footage recorded by the system, reporters saw a man stealing from a van, a print out of the suspect having been sent to the police. Attorney General Glenda Morean and Minister of National Security Howard Chin Lee and Port-of-Spain Mayor Murchison Brown gave the project their blessings. Doma president, Gregory Aboud, was confident the cameras would help revelers enjoys a safer Carnival.  Saying Doma had worked hard to install the system before Carnival, Aboud said: “We couldn’t pass up the chance to help support and protect Carnival. “We will lobby the Minister of National Security to remove duty from security cameras and videos. We will ask the Attorney General to revise the laws governing downtown,” he added.
 
Chin Lee said in three weeks time he would be going to Canada to examine other areas of surveillance apart from cameras. He congratulated Doma on its initiative, saying he was impressed by the resolution of the cameras, a technology not available five years ago.
Chin Lee added: “We are taking matters on Carnival very seriously. You will see one of the largest presences of police and army. To date events, apart from the Maska event, have been concluded safely. You will have the full support of the Ministry to work in conjunction with yourselves”.  Congratulating Doma, Morean said: “This group has looked at Port-of-Spain and decided they are taking back the city. The government appreciates the assistance. This camera system, I am sure, will go a long way to fighting crime”. Mayor Brown said: “I wish other corporate citizens would follow the example of Doma. We will have a bumper Carnival, a very safe Carnival”. Having displayed to reporters a video-recording of people on Charlotte Street, Aboud was asked if the subjects knew they were being filmed or whether the cameras were hidden. He replied: “It is not kept a secret, the fact that cameras are in use. There are two cameras in use now and we hope before the end of June there will be another six”.

THE 100th sitting of the Commission of Inquiry into the Piarco airport project, was yesterday observed with a marathon eight and a half hour session, all to accommodate Attorney Russell Martineau, SC.

Martineau was cross-examining Canadian architect David Scott, Principal of Scott Associates Inc. He insisted he had to finish yesterday, since he was unavailable until April. Martineau, leading Deborah Peake, represents Ameer Edoo, former Chairman of the Airports Authority (AA) who chaired a task force for the project. Scott under cross-examination, admitted he did not know how it came about that government ministers, who were on the ministerial committee overseering the project, did not attend his presentation, in October 17, 1996. At that presentation he was bidding to be selected as the preferred consultants with Birk Hillman Consultants (BHC). Told that Cabinet met the morning when he made his presentation, Scott said he had no knowledge of that and he couldn’t deny it but he had his suspicions.

Martineau, urging him to leave his suspicion out, suggested that he could not connect Edoo to the “hanky panky” with BHC, in that the ministers were present for their presentation. But Scott insisted that he would rely on his own opinion. Asked if he ever told the task force that his proposal for the new terminal building had received financing, Scott insisted he did at the presentation, although the minutes did not record it. Martineau labelled his statement a lie, but Scott hotly retorted that he took offence at the language. Asked if he was ever directed by Edoo to make a presentation of a Build Operate Transfer arrangement, Scott said yes, although not in those words and there was no documentary proof. 

Asked when, Scott recalled it was prior to October 9, 1996 when he arranged to come to Trinidad to make the presentation. He said Edoo told him “present what you have done” and all along it was known that his proposal was based on a BOT method. Scott also maintained that his team’s proposal was ready to start construction immediately and denied following the 1995 election when the new UNC government came into power, that his proposal was not ready. Martineau also put into evidence three letters supporting BHC as competent airport designers based on work done in Puerto Rico, St Croix and Jamaica. Asked by Martineau, if it was not fair to say that the decision of the task force to recommend BHC as the preferred consultant, was pre-ordained, Scott said that would only be so if the minutes of the first task force were ignored. At that meeting, it was unanimously agreed that BHC was preferred over SAI.

Asked if that was so, why did Edoo and another member of the task force go on trips to verify BHC’s credentials, Scott said he couldn’t comment. But he said it was morally wrong for Edoo not to tell him BHC had already been chosen, especially since he came on his “own nickel” to give a presentation. He said the task force wasted his time. Scott will remain in Trinidad until he is cross-examined by attorneys for Ish Galbaransingh, whom he also implicated in his evidence last September. The inquiry will continue at 9.30 am today.

EVEN after he is sworn in as a judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) next week, Karl Hudson-Phillips, QC, will continue to defend murder accused Dhanraj Singh in the San Fernando High Court. 

Hudson-Phillips, who continued his legal submissions yesterday before Justice Baird, said even after he is sworn in as an ICC judge, representing the former Government Minister will not pose a conflict of interest. Hudson-Phillips leaves next weekend for the Hague in the Netherlands to take the oath as one of 19 judges on the newly-formed ICC which will try persons for genocide and crimes against humanity.  He is expected to complete his legal arguments next week Tuesday after which he will take his leave from the proceedings to travel to the Hague on March 6. He is expected to return on March 12. State Prosecutor Devan Rampersad will reply to Hudson-Phillips’ submissions next Wednesday and Thursday, and Justice Baird will deliver a written ruling the following week. Even though Hudson-Phillips will be out of the jurisdiction by then, the trial will continue in his absence.
 
Ravi Rajcoomar who, together with Jennifer Hudson-Phillips, is being led by Hudson-Phillips (Karl), will take over conduct of the case. Before commencement of proceedings yesterday, Hudson-Phillips told Newsday he will continue as defence counsel after he returns from his swearing in. However, on completion of Singh’s case, he will not appear again in high profile matters. Hudson-Phillips said he did not anticipate any conflict arising because it was hardly likely a situation could develop in this jurisdiction which might engage the attention of the ICC. “But even so, next week is just the swearing in of the judges, nine of whom are part-time. There is still the registrar and staff to be appointed. So the court itself is not yet fully constituted until, I think, by the end of the year,” Hudson Phillips said. He will continue making submissions before the judge this morning when hearing resumes  in the absence of the jury. The panel is sequestered at a hotel in Port of Spain. They will return to court next week Thursday.

ALTHOUGH several successes have been recorded during last year in maritime drug law enforcement based operations, Flavio Mirella said the main threat was still posed by maritime-based drug trafficking with container trafficking accounting for the largest portion of the volume.

Mirella, the Caribbean representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Caribbean Regional Office (UNODC), was speaking yesterday at the launch of both the UNODC and International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) reports.  This was held at the Simon Bolivar Auditorium, Victoria Avenue, Port-of-Spain. Mirella said container trafficking is an area of control that will continue to demand greater efforts and resources as the Caribbean region strives to become a single market and economy for the movement of goods, people and services. He said further steps towards increased regional cooperation are expected with the further consolidation of the work of the Caricom Task Force on Crime and Security that is actively promoting greater levels of inter-regional cooperation.

Mirella added that cooperation is required even more across all law enforcement services (ie Customs, Police, Coast Guard) to deter drug trafficking through less conventional modalities such as the use of pleasure craft. He said the increased security at seaports implies that drug loading operations will be deterred but indications point to the Caribbean being used for loading operations outside territorial waters and thus outside the reach of the patrolling Coast Guard vessels. Mirella also spoke on seizure patterns saying that Jamaica was the place of origin of 70 percent of the marijuana confiscated among the large seizures made in the region. He added that Colombia is the alternative origin of over 20 percent of the cannabis seized while Venezuela, Dominica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines contribute with marginal amounts of exported marijuana. Mirella also said that an upward trend in seizures was recorded in 2001 and 2002, reversing a declining trend that started in 1996.  He also said that the reported prices of illicit drugs in the Caribbean did not increase from 2000 to 2001, and noted that heroin seizures are at a historical high.