The first read that on February 9, at Lawrence Street, San Fernando Jeremiah had in his possession an illegal firearm.

Another charge alleged that also on the same day, Jeremiah had in his possession a firearm with intent to endanger lives.

A third charge alleged he had in his unlawful possession ammunition. Jeremiah was charged with possession of ammunition to endanger lives.

The magistrate read a fifth charge that Jeremiah shot Akeil Crawford with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Another charge alleged that Jeremiah shot Joseph Edmond with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. All charges were laid indictably and Jeremiah was not called upon to enter any plea.

Court prosecutor Cleyon Seedan produced the accused man’s record to the magistrate. Attorney Sasha Singh, who held for Cedric Neptune, said her client has two previous convictions in 2008 and 2013. Singh told the magistrate that Jeremiah also has two pending matters for trafficking marijuana and possession of cocaine.

Singh said her client is employed as a mason and driver.

Magistrate Ford-John granted the accused man bail in the sum of $175,000 to be approved by a Clerk of the Peace or $25,000 cash alternative.

The matter was adjourned to March 24.

According to a newspaper notice, Mendes is unopposed as president and his position is expected to be confirmed when members meet at the annual general meeting on March 17.

Also unopposed for the position of vice-president is Rajiv Persad while Teresa Hadad is unopposed as Treasurer.

Contacted yesterday, Mendes said he prefers not to comment until officially elected and installed as president.

“I really wouldn’t want to pre-empt what is to take place,” was all he would say.

At next month’s meeting, elections will be held for ten Senior Ordinary Members positions.

The candidates are Darrell Allahar, Elena Araujo, current president Reginald Armour SC, Ronnie Bissessar, current vice president Gerry Brooks, Reeyah Chattergoon, Frederick Gilkes, Hyacinth Griffith, Elton Prescott SC, Andrew Rahaman, Lynette Seebaran-Suite and Richard Sirjoo.

Among candidates for the election of five Junior Ordinary Members are Ajay Baball, Shankar Bidaisee, Trevor Clarke, Christopher Foderingham- Garraway, Sheldon Guerra, Tejprakash Persaud, Kimberleigh Peterson and Marissa Ramsoondar

Gunshots were heard at Majuba Cross Road and residents later spotted Higginson’s body on the road. They alerted police and a party of officers responded.

The scene was cordoned off and processed by crime scene investigators.

Homicide detectives are still trying to determine a motive for the murder, but they are working on the theory that the shooting may be a result of a conflict between rival gangs in the area. No arrest has been made.

POLICE are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a 15-yearold girl who went missing on Thursday. According to a TT Police Service release, Neisha Baptiste was last seen at her Emerald Avenue, Phase III Couva home by her aunt.

Baptiste, a student of the Laventille Junior Life Centre was seen at her home by her aunt Whitney Durham before she disappeared.

Baptiste was described as being five foot, two inches tall and brown in complexion. She also has a short hair cut that is dyed blue.

She is of African descent.

Anyone with information is asked to call 800-TIPS or the any police station.

GU

The crowd was entertained by the sounds of drums, steelpan music, and a production show about the origins of the festival.

Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, said the crowd was much bigger than last year and she felt proud of the production.

“I enjoyed the production very much,” Gadsby-Dolly said.

“I felt proud of the reaction of the large crowd. It was a little bit bigger than last year. I think the seating was a little bit organised so I am really glad to see how much people came out today.” Before the scheduled 4am start of the re-enactment, people packed the bleachers to get a closer view while some cluttered the streets at the sides of the stage area to view the performance.

Gadsby-Dolly said Canboulay is an important part of TT’s cultural tourism product and is something which can be marketed for export as part of this country’s Carnival product.

“I think we do a lot for culture and there is always room for improvement.” Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe said it was her first Canboulay celebration and she was very excited about what she had seen.

“It reminds me very much of the Heritage Festival in Tobago,” Cudjoe said.

“I am very pleased to see so many young people involved in the celebration. As you know, Carnival is the major tourist product for Trinidad and Tobago.

I think this is something every tourist should have the opportunity to see and I actually feel this is something I should pay to see. We have come a long way in developing the culture and we have a long way to go as to how to monetise it and to make it trickle down to the communities.” Port-of-Spain Mayor Joel Martinez was accompanied by soca artist Machel Machel.

Martinez said the production was exciting and was a very nice production, “I just realise that it was 1881 that this thing started and that means 135 years of Carnival and I think we have come a long way and this was a fantastic production this morning. I never expected to see so many people.”

Baptiste, a student of the Laventille Junior Life Centre was seen at her home by her aunt Whitney Durham before she disappeared.

Baptiste was described as being five foot, two inches tall and brown in complexion. She also has a short hair cut that is dyed blue.

She is of African descent.

Anyone with information is asked to call 800-TIPS or the any police station.

Among those on the altar paying tribute in song was her grand daughter Nailah Blackman, a finalist in last night’s International Soca Monarch competition at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain. Last Sunday, Claudette, who mothered 14 of Shorty I’s many children, lost her long battle with ovarian cancer. Daughter Nehilet Blackman said their mother would have wanted it no other way since it was always mandatory at all family gatherings, the children sang. She loved singing and before Claudette passed away, Nehilet said her mother urged her to keep singing until she got old like Calypso Rose.

So infectious was the music, that not even the officiating pastors on the altar could resist the beat of Jamoo music which was created by Shorty I in the Piparo forest where he had taken his family to live after leaving “the world”. The gospel ministers kept with the beat by nodding and tapping their feet. Reverend Mark David said it was the kind of send-off he had expected from the talented family. According to the children, their mother never lived in their father’s shadow but was his partner and co-wrote many of his songs. But it was calypsonian Luta (Morel Peters) who brought the church down when he aptly eulogised her with “Jamoo Woman” a song Luta had written in Claudette’s honour back in 2001. Luta sang: “Behind every successful man, there is a woman/ and on this occasion, a woman of substance/ when things get rough and things get tough/ she could leave saying enough is enough/instead she decide to stay right dey /hold on to the family and pray, everyday, everyday/Oh what a woman, she is, what a woman she is…” His strong lyrics summed up the life of the woman who they said endured many challenges as the wife of the popular calypsonian Lord Shorty who was once described as the sexiest calypsonian.

After his conversion, he changed his name to Ras Shorty I and, together with Claudette and the children, began a new life in rural Piparo. During the two-hour service, the church was told of a Claudette who was very forgiving in spite of her husband’s infidelity and the number of children he fathered outside their marriage. Claudette was described as a strong woman and the “glue” that held the family and her marriage together.

Following Ras Shorty I’s death, Claudette and some members of the family moved out of Piparo.

An emotional Winston “Gypsy” Peters said Claudette deserves an award.

“I think if they have to give an award for mothers of all time and wife of all wives, Claudette deserves it,” the newly crowned National Extempo champion said between his tears.” Gypsy admitted that life was never easy for Claudette. “I know that people like myself and Shorty, when you have wives, it is a bit hard on them sometimes, it’s a bit hard on them.” Also speaking was close family friend Steve Rabathally who broke down in tears as he recalled how Shorty, when he returned from Canada “a broken man” he told him he would teach his (Shorty) children to sing.

“Today I witnessed the fruits of his efforts and that of Claudette,” he said.

Not all of the siblings were able to attend their mother’s funeral.

Dr Joseph Abraham and his wife Pastor Teresa La Borde-Abraham delivered the sermon.

Claudette was later laid to rest at Paradise Cemetery, San Fernando.

We, the Massy Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra, felt it necessary months ago to use our gifts and talents to do something uplifting for our country by way of our performances at this year’s Panorama and Carnival activities.

Something to make people smile and feel hopeful and optimistic that our way of life will prevail.

As if to answer our cries for help, the Ultimate Rejects delivered an inspired piece of music in the form of Full Extreme, the runaway hit for Carnival 2017.

Circumstances resulted in us not being able to perform for the people of TT during the Panorama semi-finals — 3 am on Monday proved too much even for Trinidadians/Tobagonians.

We are thankful to finally have the opportunity to share our labour of love with the world at the Panorama Finals.

We take this opportunity to dedicate our Panorama final- night performance to our people and our way of life — win, lose, or draw.

Just as in life, over and above any competitive aspects of the night, at the end of the day “we jamming still.” Tonight is for you TT . We hope your spirits will soar.

Daryl Joseph PRO, All Stars

He knows his end is near. If there was ever a time we need to intercede for our children it’s now. So don’t send them out as sheep for the slaughter and be surprised when they fall smack dab into the clutches of darkness.

The only way you are exempted from the rod of the wicked is if somebody is praying for you. So every parent should be a prayer warrior on behalf of their children.

Take example from Job in the Bible.

Ian Cross Arima

There were a few batsmen who scored brilliant hundreds and there were some good bowling spells by a couple of the bowlers on a few occasions.

That was quite encouraging to see. This is a sign that all is not lost in West Indies cricket.

But what’s crucial is the nurturing of that cadre of players.

Brian Lara alluded to the fact that in countries like Australia and England they develop mediocre players into great players, but in the West Indies it is not so.

The difference is, those countries have a proper structure in place to develop their players.

We in the Caribbean need to look at their structure and incorporate some aspects into ours. This will go a long way in developing talented players into great players.

Andre Roberts via email

Gilliam Wolfe- O’Neil, Director-Tax at KPMG, said they were not too sure if the relevant authorities have the means and the ability to actually give effect to the act.

She said the BIR may be called upon to give information to the US Internal Revenue Service and questioned whether the records of the BIR are in order.

“We are not certain that the Board of Inland Revenue has the capacity to make all this information available to the US if they are called upon to do so.” She said the tax department at KPMG deals with the BIR on a daily basis “and we have observed a deterioration over the years in that they may not have the human resources, they may not have the other resources or the infrastructure to respond to us locals here, far less to respond to the US.

We believe that they may have been neglected over the years by the government itself.” She said the BIR collects a huge amount of monies for the government yet, they seem to have been neglected in terms of their resources.

“And I think that’s the reason why, but the people themselves, they are very competent for the most part.

And this obligation was put on them by way of the legislation but one is left wondering whether they considered them in the passing of this legislation considering that they are struggling just managing the local compliance obligations here. So we will see what happens there.” Another tax specialist said the BIR had repeatedly complained that it was short of resources.

Wolfe-O ‘Neil said many people leave the BIR and go into private practice and the positions are not filled as quickly as they should be – “there are a number of vacancies at the Inland Revenue – I’m talking here personnel vacancies, so all that will create a problem for the Inland Revenue.” However, she said they could not say whether the board would be able to meet its obligations under the legislation. “It depends on what the factual situation is and what the government decides. Ultimately, it’s up to the government to mobilise its resources to comply with whatever obligations it has to comply with. We cannot say that. It may very well do all that is necessary to give the relevant authorities the wherewithall to do so.” Saskia Carmichael, Assistant Manager, Tax, added that the legislation goes much deeper than being merely a bank issue or one for the financial institutions but involves people on a personal level. She said if a Trinidad and Tobago national holds a bank account with a US person or a US national, they are now exposed to their information being freely disseminated amongst the IRS, the BIR and the financial institutions.

They have no say as to what information is not sent.” Nicole Joseph, Director- Tax pointed out that the situation also works in the reverse because any information that the US has concerning Trinidadian nationals will be exchanged and may impose additional tax obligations on the TT national who may have resources or funds in the US Joseph said the FATCA legislation imposes a huge additional obligation on the BIR “and it could be quite considerable as well and there may be some stringent deadlines when the request is made by the US Internal Revenue Service.

It would naturally seem to suggest that they may need to amp up their resources, infrastructure, human capital, etc.” Gabriel Faria, Chief Executive Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said the chamber was pleased at the outcome of the vote and commended the Government and the Opposition for ensuring that this has finally happened. “We do not forsee any further challenges with the bill and expect it will move smoothly through the legislative process.

It is important that we remember that the reporting deadline is September and we envision that the Board of Inland Revenue will be well positioned to take on its new role by that time,” he said.