Children, some in school uniform, also took part in the placard protest which took place while the Lower House was sitting.

President of the primary school’s PTA Teacher Association, Indar Jairaj, told Newsday that parents are fed up of promises from Education Minister Anthony Garcia and Minister in the Education Ministry, Dr Lovell Francis, that construction will be completed.

“Construction stopped last October, over six months now, because the contractor wasn’t paid. The new school is 90 percent complete but our children still have to get up at six in the morning to catch the bus to the Hanuman Milan Temple all the way in Penal Rock Road. If their school was completed, they could get up later and walk to school,” Jairaj said.

“Three washrooms for 271 students (at) the temple. Imagine a young child has to line up for 15 minutes to use the washroom. Mr Garcia, Dr Francis, you promised us our school. Please give us our school, that’s all we are asking for,” Jairaj pleaded. Newsday caught up with Francis in the Parliament Chamber, shortly before the start of yesterday’s sitting.

Francis assured, “We intend to complete the school this year. We want to have it ready for the new school year in September.” Asked about the delay in getting the school completed, Francis said, “Unfortunately, even though the school is 90 percent complete, none of the invoices that were submitted by the contractor were ever paid, so we have to pay for the 90 percent complete plus to get the remaining work finished. That bill is about $31 million. So contractually, we are obligated to pay off that (bill).” Francis explained that getting the money to pay the contractor required approval from both the Minister of Planning and the Minister of Finance to re-allocate the necessary funds.

“Even though there’s money allocated to the ministry, we don’t have carte blanche authority to do whatever we want with it because the money was budgeted specifically per institution.” Francis said while there is the feeling nothing is happening, “We are in the midst of the process. We started working on getting permission for this last November.” Officials from the Education Ministry are scheduled to meet with officials from the Planning Ministry on Tuesday to get final approval for the re-allocation of funds.

PC Javaughn Ballington, of the Court and Process Branch of the Tobago Division, has appeared before a Scarborough magistrate charged with malicious publication of defamatory libel, contrary to Section 8 of the Libel and Defamation Act Chapter 11:16 .

Ballington appeared before Senior Magistrate Lucina Cardenas- Ragoonanan in the Scarborough Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, after investigations by officers of the Professional Standards Bureau, who laid the charge, Ballington was granted bail of $40,000 with a surety and will return to court on May 16 .

Head of corporate communications of the Police Service Ellen Lewis reminded the public of the law and said people would be prosecuted if found to be in contravention of it .

According to reports, the video of a prisoner was uploaded to Facebook .

The post claimed that the man had been bitten on his genitals by a schoolgirl whom he had allegedly sexually assaulted .

This turned out to be false .

The investigations into the incident took place two days after Attorney General Faris Al Rawi said he would bring legislation to Parliament to deal with the proliferation of false and misleading information on social media forums which could lead to public outrage, fear, hate and/or panic .

The man deemed a “high-risk” prisoner, was brought to Tobago to attend court and while inside the Scarborough Magistrates’ Court, he complained of feeling unwell. He was taken to Scarborough General Hospital under armed police escort .

While he was being examined by a doctor, it is alleged that a policeman recorded the examination using his cellular phone .

The recording was uploaded to social media, with a post saying the man was being treated for a bite to his penis inflicted by a schoolgirl while he was forcing her to perform a sex act. The post was shared hundreds of times. Most comments focused on condemning the prisoner, with some commentators saying doctors should castrate him .

Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams condemned the posting of “fake news” on social media, saying this could give the wrong impression of Trinidad and Tobago to an international social- media audience

Justice Ricky Rahim has set July 21 for trial, after attorneys for the courier companies and the Ministry of Finance agreed to a timetable for the filing of evidence and legal authorities to support their respective positions on the issue.

Rahim had granted the six courier companies leave to have the court review the decision of the government to implement the tax.

Ecouriers Ltd, Websource, Jet Box International, Aeropost, CSF Couriers and Caribbean Shipping Agencies are contending that the minister’s decision to implement the tax, which came into effect on October 20 last year after the national budget, was irrational, wholly unreasonable and disproportionate to any aim of the State and was done without adequate consultation.

They also contend they were not given a fair opportunity to be heard before the imposition of the tax and this was in violation of the principles of procedural fairness.

They are seeking declarations that their rights were violated by the minister when he implemented the tax and that they were unfairly discriminated against.

The fiscal measure was announced by the Finance Minister, Colm Imbert, in September last year in the 2016-2017 budget statement.

Imbert said then that the new tax would be imposed on purchases that arrived in TT through courier companies or were brought in directly by individuals via air freight.

This measure, he said, was expected to raise an additional $70 million revenue.

Representing the courier companies are attorneys Keith Scotland, Joel Roper, Gideon McMaster and Jacqueline Chang, while the Minister of Finance is represented by Senior Counsel Martin Daly and Jason Mootoo.

Representing the AG are attorneys Michael Quamina and Sean Julien, who also instructs Daly for the Finance Minister

The suspect was arrested at his Couva home by officers of the Central Division after a report was made by the young woman.

The student told police she went to the businessplace of the chiropractor on Monday at about 7.30 pm for treatment of torn ligaments.

It is alleged that while at the man’s business place, he overpowered and raped her. A report was made at the Couva Police Station and the woman was medically examined at the St Joseph Health Centre.

The suspect was expected to be placed on an identification parade yesterday.

The discovery was made in a bushy area opposite the San Salvador Estate shortly after 11.45 am.

According to reports, TTEC workmen who were carrying out repair work were alerted by a foul stench emanating from some nearby bushes.

When workmen made a check, they saw the body which appeared to be partly decomposed. They alerted officers of the Gran Couva Police Station and District Medical Officer Dr Indarjit Birja was called to the scene.

The body was viewed and ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre. Officers of the Homicide Bureau and Crime Scene Investigations cordoned off the area and carried out a search for clues.

The body bore no form of identification.

Addressing mourners at funeral service at the house of mourning in Roystonia, Couva Rev Ragnauth said the world has now become a dark and gloomy place and the hearts of many including himself are now broken.

“Our hearts are broken with this tragic news, but God is with us and He will never leave or forsake us. In times like this the Lord will give us light, but we are really living in dark times, really dark times,” Ragnauth stressed. He called on persons to be good examples and allow their light to shine in such times of darkness.

Adding he said that his hope and prayer is that justice is served in Beephan’s murder. “No matter how uncertain life is, God gives us light and hope. We need to shine our light brightly to take away the darkness and hatred in this world.

We need to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. We also must remember that in times like these, the Lord will give us strength,” Ragnauth said.

Beephan’s decomposed body, still clad in school uniform was found in a drain behind his school, the Waterloo Secondary located at Raymond Jurawan Street off the Waterloo Main Road in Carapichaima on Monday last.

“It is a difficult pain to bear, parents are not accustomed to burying their children. It is expected that children bury their parents. It is a tragic loss,” Garcia told mourners.

He said that as a parent who has also lost a child, he understands the pain of such tragedy.

Years ago, Garcia said his son died and he too experienced the heartache of burying a child. “It’s a feeling of great sadness in this unfortunate situation to pay tribute to a child whose life has been snuffed out. It was with great sadness when we at the Ministry received the news.

“A parent expects that when they send their child to school that they would be there safe and return safe. Parents are not expected to bury their child but the other way around,” he said. As a result of such circumstances, the pain is increased for parents. Garcia said his ministry was doing everything possible to ensure that children receive an education in a peaceful and safe environment.

An autopsy showed the Form Four student had injuries to the right side of his face and died from blunt force trauma to the head.

Beephan’s cousin Samantha Seepersad described him as quiet and reserved. Seepersad said that the teenager had the ability to make everyone laugh. Beephan, she said showed affection to all and was fondly called, “Mama’s boy’.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, speaking to reporters during a tour of the facility on Thursday afternoon, said the hospital was being built as is .

“We have not touched one square foot of that facility,” Deyalsingh said .

“The facility, as designed, is going ahead for 150 rooms. What has been reduced is the cost of the building .

We have said in the Parliament that we have to cut out waste, mismanagement and corruption .

You are getting the same hospital with the same capacity, but the people of Arima are being saved a quarter of a million dollars. We are trying to do more with less all the time.” The new Arima Hospital is intended to complement the new Sangre Grande Hospital and the Couva Hospital .

Deyalsingh said this would free up the three legacy hospitals – Mt Hope, Portof- Spain and Sangre Grande – to become tertiary centres of excellence .

The facility is being constructed by China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Company Ltd .

The minister also said Government is committed to building a new lab to encompass the Chemistry, Food and Drugs, Trinidad Public Health Lab, the Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the National Blood Transfusion Service .

Deyalsingh said the population has to get into a stage of reduction of demand for health care service .

He said it was his intention to change the model from one of reactive medicine treatment to one of prevention, adding that in the private sector, it costs about $10,000 per day to have one patient stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) .

Education Minister and Member of Parliament for Arima, Anthony Garcia, said when the idea for a new hospital was proposed, they were met with many objections because it was felt that because of the close proximity to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex at Mt Hope, and because of the access to the Priority Bus Route, there was no need for a first class hospital in Arima .

“The people in Arima continued in our fight and our agitation and we got the hospital that the people in Arima need,” Garcia said .

Deyalsingh said the use of the old facility was yet to be determined, but said it could be used as part of primary health care .

The overall completion of the facility was 28 percent, and is expected to be completed by June 2018 .

Addressing local and international doctors at the start of a three-day symposium on Inherited Blood Disorders at Hilton Trinidad yesterday, Deyalsingh said it was “unpardonable” that the degradation of the physical premises which previously housed the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) at Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain, had to be shut down every time it rained. Deyalsingh said after 11 years of successive governments spending close to 44 billion on the health sector, there were serious issues that are not properly addressed.

He yesterday announced that former director of the Society for Inherited and Severe Blood Disorder TT (SISBDTT), Haematologist Dr Waveney Patricia Charles has been appointed to act until permanent arrangement could be made to fix the broken institution he inherited in 2015.

“On becoming Minister of Health, I found out that TT did not have a Director Medicine at the blood bank since 2011.

How do you run a blood bank without a director? Nobody was applying for the post. I took a note to Cabinet, and we have a very archaic system of appointing people and that is one of the reasons it is so difficult to fill vacancies.” He continued, “You have to rely on offices like the Chief Personnel Officer, Service Commissions and it is just a nightmare to appoint people to get a job description. I went to Cabinet to get the post of medical director at the blood bank suppressed.

You cannot fill it so you have to fill it via contract.” Also speaking at the symposium, President of the SISBDTT Issa Ali said according to the World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH) one in 10,000 is born with haemophilia, in TT, one in ten has the Sickle Cell trait, one in 15 has the Sickle Cell-beta thalassemia, and haemophilia one in 5,000 males which is equivalent to the WFH’s quote, of one in 10,000 people.

Also in attendance were WFH representative Luisa Durante, patron of SISBDTT Zalayhar Hassanali, and Dr Wayne Frederick, 17th President of Howard University.

“MTHL’s first contract expired in 2013. They (PP) did nothing to re-negotiate.” Young continued, “All the other contracts then starting expiring in 2015. They did nothing about it and now have the audacity to say it is us?” The minister disclosed that Government is “very deep in negotiations” with MTHL.

Government MPs thumped their desks as Young declared, “We intend to come to a resolution and this government is going to strive to save every single job.” Rejecting Tewarie’s claim that Government has created “a war zone” in Point Lisas, Young countered that the National Gas Company (NGC) is now facing billions of dollars in claims from energy companies that were filed under the previous administration in August 2015. He said these companies were forced to go to litigation because the last government refused to sit and talk with them.

Young also alleged that at the Estate Management Business Development Corporation (EMBD), the Government discovered that the PP government presided over a situation where $400 million was spent on roads which were never built. He asked Opposition MPs, “Is that how you manage the country?” Reminding MPs that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is leading a “small delegation” to meet with executives of BP, Shell and Exxon in Houston next Wednesday, Young said this was nothing like the delegations in the PP’s tenure which comprised, “their sister, their brother, their hairdresser, a handbag carrier.” He reiterated that Government hopes to conclude a gas sales agreement regarding Venezuela’s Dragon Field by July and Rowley’s mission to Houston is another avenue aimed at the country’s development. In his earlier contribution, Tewarie said it was unfair for Government to reintroduce the property tax now. He also said Government could not sell off State Enterprises, “just so.” While he admitted that some State Enterprises should be sold, Tewarie said this had to be done in a particular way. Claiming citizens and business people were becoming frustrated by the PNM’s inactions on the economy, Tewarie said, “This government does not inspire confidence in anything.

In December 2015, the Cabinet fired Rambarran as governor. In a statement then, Imbert said, “The Cabinet’s decision was based primarily on legal advice from both internal and external counsel, including senior counsel, who advised that the disclosure by the former Governor of the names of the largest users of foreign exchange in Trinidad and Tobago and the amounts of foreign exchange that they used was a breach of section 56 of the Central Bank Act and section 8 of the Financial Institutions Act.”

In response to another question from Naparima MP Rodney Charles, Imbert said he spoke about the exchange rate in the Mid-Year Review last April. “It is therefore incorrect to speak about a weakening of the exchange rate.” Imbert reminded MPs that he told the country at that time that, “revenues from petroleum which is our primary source of foreign exchange have declined by 92 percent.

At Thursday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, Imbert said consideration is being given toward shifting the direction of foreign exchange from importers of manufactured goods to local manufacturers who are exporting goods to other markets. He reiterated that the US$251 million withdrawn from the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF) would be used to partially fund projects in the 2017 Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP). On Thursday, Imbert also said plans to split the HSF into separate heritage and stabilisation components were proceeding apace.