Police say Rakesh Ramkarran, 27, of Red Brick Trace, South Oropouche was on duty during the early morning hours yesterday at Ramphal’s Roofing in Katwaroo Trace, Penal.He was shot by one of two gunmen who had exited a vehicle.

They then fled the scene without stealing anything from the business place.

Police reported that at 2.10 am, Ramphal was at the store when he was confronted by the gunmen, one of whom whipped out a revolver and shot him in the forehead.

At 3.15 am, the report went on to say, Ramkarran’s supervisor Nicholas Rajnath of Travtech Security of Duncan Village, San Fernando arrived on a routine visit only to find him in the guard booth, unconscious and bleeding from the gunshot wound.

He was rushed to the Siparia Health Facility before being transferred to the General Hospital.

Cozier, a pupil of Bon Air West High School, was last seen leaving her Ghandi Street, St Helena home at 2.30 pm on Wednesday.

She was wearing a white and blue flowered dress. She has been described as being five-feet tall, of medium build and dark brown in complexion.

The teenager was reported missing to the Las Lomas Police by her mother, Allana Williams.

Golden of Fatima Trace, Paramin in Maraval, was last seen at the corner of Nicholas Street and Morne Coco Road at about 1.30 pm, last week Friday. He was wearing a pair of blue three-quarter pants, a black coloured t-shirt and a pair of black and white sneakers.

He is of mixed descent, and is five feet, seven inches tall.

Any one with information on the whereabouts of these two missing people are asked to call 800- TIPS or contact the police at 555, 999, 911 or any police station.

His body was found on Wednesday morning.

While relatives were reluctant to speak to reporters, Newsday understands Austin’s body was discovered at about 7.30 am by a passer-by who was on his way to work. The man alerted police and officers arrived and cordoned off the crime scene.

The District Medical Officer ordered Austin’s body removed to the Forensic Science Centre.

Homicide detectives are still trying to determine a motive for the murder of the elderly man.

No arrest has been made and investigations are continuing.

The mother, Ria Ramlocan, 26, the jury heard, had three stab wounds on the chest and her child, Ishmael Timothy Ragbir suffered several stab wounds and one of his ears was severed.

Anand Baboolal, 40, is on trial for those murders which took place in August 2005 at Solomon Street, Mafeking Village.

The woman’s mother has testified and the second day of the trial yesterday saw the State leading evidence from police draughtsman Sgt Gregory Hood.

He testified that he made a sketch of the latrine where Ramlochan’s body was discovered and the Mafeking River.

Six formal witnesses’ evidence were read to the jury, beginning with that of District Medical Officer (DMO) Kamalludin Amin, who viewed the child’s body, which was floating in the Mafeking River.

Timothy’s forehead appeared to have suffered trauma.

The evidence of DMO Lionel Clair was also read, which stated that he had on August 13, gone to Solomon Street, where, in the presence of police, he examined the body which was in a foetal position in the latrine pit.

There were stab wounds on the chest. The judge and jury heard the evidence read of Roger Jaggernauth who had said that he heard a news report and contacted Ramlochan’s sister Maria, then went the following day to the Mayaro Police Station.

The next witness statement was that of Angelo Caesar, a cesspit cleaner with the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation.

On that fateful August 14, he accompanied police to Solomon Street where he retrieved a brown handle knife from the cesspit.

The evidence of Police Constable Adesh Bachu, who stated that he escorted the bodies of Ramlochan and the child to the Forensic Sciences Centre was also heard.

The jury heard that the autopsy on Ramlochan’s body revealed that she died from stab wounds. The DMO report relating to the body of Timothy listed his age as two-years-old and the autopsy report stated that the child suffered multiple stab wounds. His left ear was cuff off, the report stated.

The judge and jury heard the evidence of Steadman Joseph, who stated that his wife was Veronica and that between July 2004 and August 2005, she cared for Timothy.

Ramlochan worked at the Resource Centre, Mayaro, he stated, and the last day his wife saw the child at her home was on August 10, 2005.

Ramlochan had left their home with Timothy between 5 pm and 6 pm that day. On August 13, Joseph stated, he went to the Mafeking River and saw the body of a child wearing the same clothes which Timothy was wearing when he left their home.

Joseph went to Ramlochan’s home and according to his statement, he got a foul smell.

State Attorney Shabaana Shah is prosecuting the case while attorney Rekha Ramjit, instructed by her daughter Gina Ramjohn, is representing Baboolal.

The first hearing of the constitutional claim came up before Justice Devindra Rampersad in the Port of Spain High Court yesterday.

It has been adjourned to next Friday and will be heard in the San Fernando High Court.

At yesterday’s brief sitting, attorneys for the EOC informed Justice Rampersad of their intent to join the proceedings as an interested party.

And although the Solicitor General’s Department was served notice of the lawsuit and yesterday’s hearing date, there was no legal representative present to appear on behalf of the Attorney General, who is the defendant in the claim. Jones’ constitutional claim challenges Sections 13 and 16 of the Sexual Offences Act, which criminalises buggery and serious indecency even between consenting adults.

“The very existence of these sections continuously and directly affects the claimant’s private life by forcing him to either respect the law and refrain from engaging __ even in private with consenting male partners __ in prohibited sexual acts to which he is disposed by reason of his homosexual orientation, or to commit the prohibited acts and thereby become liable to criminal prosecution,” Jones’ fixed date claim form states.

Jones is also claiming that the long-standing legislation contravenes his constitutional rights to privacy and freedom of thought and expression in addition to being in direct contradiction to this country’s international human rights obligation.

His lawyers are also contending that the legislation opens his client to public prejudice and ridicule as it labels him and other homosexuals as criminals.

“He is accordingly the subject of extensive societal prejudice, persecution, marginalisation, a lifelong entrenched stigma that he is an unapprehended criminal by virtue of being homosexual and he experiences the lifelong fear of being punished for expressing his sexuality through consensual conduct with another adult,” the lawsuit adds.

He is being represented by Richard Drabble, QC, Rishi Dass and Antonio Emmanuel.

The lawyers will also argue that since the controversial legislation amended in 1986 and 2000 repealed and replaced pre-Independence sexual offences legislation, covered by the savings clause, it is open to review

Slander is the spoken word, but Justice Frank Seepersad yesterday delivered a lawsuit in San Fernando in which he struck out a defence by a radio station which submitted that the defence, led by Senior Counsel and former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, should have been pleaded on the basis of slander and not libel.

On behalf of Junior Sammy and Jusamco suing MORE FM Radio Limited for libel, attorneys for the station submitted that the issue stemmed from words spoken.

Libel relates to the written word that offends and slander is in reference to words spoken such as via the medium of the radio or television.

But agreeing with Maharaj, Justice Seepersad ruled in his judgment that the formats in which statements can be reduced so as to be considered as being in a permanent form, has evolved and extended beyond the sphere of written or typed text.

As a result, audio, visual and electronic formats are capable of having a degree of permanency that transcends geographical boarders.

Seepersad stated therefore, “In this context, the law in relation to libel and slander can no longer be viewed through the myopic lens of written word versus the spoken word, as technological advances have created circumstances by virtue of which the spoken words can easily encrypted into a permanent irreversible format which can be accessed from a global platform.” The judge stated that having regard to how Maharaj has pleaded the case on Junior Sammy’s behalf, he cannot accept the radio station’s contention that the case is improperly premised. He ordered the station refrains from further publishing and broadcasting the offending words. The judge reserved ruling on costs after the substantive hearing of the trial of the case is completed.

Speaking at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, Rowley said he will leave the country on March 29 to meet with executives of British Petroleum, Shell and Exxon in Houston.

He noted that Shell is playing a integral part in this country’s ongoing energy initiative with Venezuela, and explained that discussions with Exxon are important in terms of keeping TT’s eyes focused on what is happening in Guyana’s emerging energy sector and how this country can partner with its Caricom neighbour in that sector.

“When all of this is done, I would have been on my feet since August (2016). When I’m through with the assignment in Houston, it is my intention to take one week vacation. It’s only for a week, so don’t let that shock you,” Rowley told reporters.

He reminded that he is entitled to 28 days vacation and has not taken any large vacation in the last five to seven years. He took a brief vacation last August, when he went to the US for a medical check-up. The Prime Minister subsequently said his doctors gave him a clean bill of health.

Rowley also said he will be travelling again at the end of May to New York, to attend his daughter Sonel’s graduation. “I would not miss her graduation for anything,” he said.

After his return to TT, Rowley will pay a state visit to Chile. That visit takes place from May 29 to 31. A state visit to China is unlikely to happen this year, he said.

Disclosing that the next few weeks will see several sittings of Parliament to deal with a plethora of legislation, Rowley said a daily newspaper (not Newsday) in an editorial last week advised the Government that “it did not want to hear anything about happened before, it just wants the Government to get on and do what has to be done.” The Prime Minister countered, “Let me promise that editorial writer and anyone else in this country…that you will continue to hear about what has happened before (the People’s National Movement was elected in September 2015).” He added that the country “will be expected to hold those who were there before accountable for what happened before.” Rowley said, “If you ignore the past, you surrender the future.”

GHRS was created in 2006 to facilitate the enhancement of the human resource capacity in the Public Service. The company falls under the ambit of the Public Administration and Communications Ministry. GCL was formed in December 2013 and commenced commercial operations in September 2014. This company focuses on the production and processing of hot peppers.

The Prime Minister said an examination of the State Enterprises sector showed, “some entities have outlived their usefulness…some entities have lost their way…some entities are grossly underperforming for one reason or another.” Rowley said the Cabinet will look at the recommendations and take the appropriate decisions.

He said Cabinet decided yesterday to close GHRS. On CGL, Rowley asked, “Now taxpayer…Do you really want to spend $6 million in taxpayers’ money to sell less than $1 million in peppers?” Saying an Opposition MP hailed CGL as a success, Rowley said an examination of the history and numbers shows, “it does not make any sense for the Government to be funding CGL to grow peppers.” He added, “We should provide support to farmers to grow peppers.” On TDC, Rowley rejected the claim from the Communications Workers Union (CWU) that the decision to dissolve the company “came out of the blue.” He explained, “We set up a lot of advisory committees…and authorised and empowered them to consult with the public.” Observing at one time that the PNM was being accused of “being a government by committee and too much consultation,” the Prime Minister said, “We took our time. All of 2016…

We very slowly…very methodically…

carefully brought our economy downwards…and created a platform for some decision-making.” He reiterated that Government has spoken publicly about its tourism thrust and dissatisfaction with previous tourism marketing efforts.

In closing the TDC, Rowley said there will be a three-pronged arrangement with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), “will have a greater interest and direct responsibility for marketing and promoting Tobago….because Tobagonians want that.” The Prime Minister said the tourism product which TT puts out to the world, must be “regulated to maintain its standards.” He also dismissed the CWU’s call for Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe to resign. Reminding reporters this was a Cabinet decision, the Prime Minister declared, “I led the Cabinet that took the decision.”

In an address to the media on Monday regarding the union’s protest outside the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Minister in the OPM Stuart Young was reported as saying that the union had not yet presented the identity of its proposed investor to the Government.

The union answered Young’s claim in a press release yesterday.

“Contrary to the claim of ignorance of the potential investor by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, we the Trade Union would like to say categorically that information on said investor was sent by letter (dated 11 February, 2017) via email, and hand delivered to the office of the Honourable Minister of State in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Stuart Young.” The Union said the letter was sent in response to a government request for information on the investor the day before, and gave details of the investor’s history, mission, and financial standing. The union has been vying for the restart of the plant ever since its closure last March which left more than 600 of its workers unemployed and without benefits. Though some workers have been able to find work since, many have not. They have had their cars and houses repossessed and some have reported experiencing added hardship in the marriages due to the financial strain.

“By any legal means necessary, get them out of office, get them out,” Duke said to the media during an afternoon picket yesterday after he walked from the Eric Williams Financial Complex to join Communication Workers Union (CWU) members protesting in front of TSTT’s Head Office at Independence Square, Port-of-Spain.

“Look at the kind of murders in the country, in broad daylight, and they are not doing anything,” Duke said. “They are a bunch of jokers, all they are doing is playing golf in long sleeves.” He said he will lead a massive protest with more than 80,000 workers from 8 am on his planned day of resistance. He also called on Finance Minister Colm Imbert to settle all outstanding monies owed to public servants by August 2017.

“We are trying to settle outstanding negotiations and start the current ones by August,” he said. “We are trying to bring to a close 2011 to 2013, start and bring to a close 2014 to 2016, and start 2017 all before August.” Duke said, “We are prepared to fight. It is an all out war and we really want the PNM Government removed from office because they are not doing a good job on crime, they are not doing a good job on controlling the prices of goods on the market, they are not doing a good job at all at protecting citizens from any single thing, not one single thing.” He added, “Now they are threatening to remove the subsidy on electricity, on water, on buses. How much could we take? We want them out, we want them to resign and leave.”