Police reported that about five weeks ago, residents found Maharaj on the Torrib-Tabaquite roadside in the vicinity of Nuckcheddy Road.

Police believe he was savagely beaten then left for dead. Prior to finding Maharaj on the road, he was seen liming in several bars in the area. He was rushed to the Princes Town Area Hospital and later transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital.

An arrest is yet to be made and Cpl Tyson of the Tableland Police Station is continuing investigations.

Police believe Maharaj may have fallen out with persons who he was liming with at the bars and was attacked during the night.

Anyone with information about the circumstances under which Maharaj sustained the injuries can contact the Tableland Police Station at 656-3430 or the nearest police station.

Members of the three Associations have since last year been calling for back pay for the period 2011-2013, to be paid.

Imbert via letters to the three associations indicated the first half of the back pay will be paid by September. This commitment was kept.

Imbert’s letter also indicated that the second half of the back pay will be paid by March 31.

However, officials from the accounting departments of the three associations indicated to association heads that no new information was forthcoming from the Finance Ministry on the second part of the back pay. “I had a discussion with minister this morning and based on that we are to believe the monies will be released on a timely basis to facilitate payment by March 31. We will not accept anything less than what arose out of a written agreement coming from that minister to all three associations,” Richards said on Monday.

Secretary of the Police Social Welfare Association (PSWA) Ag ASP Anand Ramesar, asked to comment on the issue said, “this ambiguous response in relation to the commitment to pay police officers their back pay is most disconcerting.

The Minister must know that there was a clear accommodation by the protective services affording him the option to pay the back pay in two parts, Ramesar said.

Given that the demand of the membership was full payment up front and that a split in payment was always in the interest of the Minister and not in the interest of workers, the Police Association expects nothing less than full compliance to pay the back pay at the end of March. “Anything less will not be tolerated,” Ramesar warned.

Attempts to reach President of the Fire Services Association (FSA) Leo Ramkissoon for comment, proved futile

He explained the Paria Bullet will operate together with the Calypso Spirit. Sinanan said sailing times for the water taxis from San Fernando are 5.30 am, 6.30 am, 7.45 am, 3 pm and 4.30 pm. The sailing times for water taxis from Port-of-Spain are 6.30 am, 1.30 pm, 3.30 pm, 4.30 pm and 5.30 pm. In response to another question, Sinanan said the PTSC bus service between Mayo and San Fernando should be regulated within the next two weeks.

In the interim, Sinanan said he has asked the PTSC to place some maxi taxis on that route to alleviate problems facing commuters.

He estimates that those maxi taxis should be on the route between by next Tuesday.

Advertisements are expected to be placed within a week to recruit 894 new municipal police officers with each of the country’s 14 municipal and regional corporations expected to get 100 officers to improve citizen safety and curb crime across the country.

Point Fortin Mayor Abdon Mason said there is, “always a need for additional personnel”, as there are only 19 active municipal police officers to service his corporation.

“I did a survey with our municipal police force and discovered that we have 19 active officers…

that is way below the requirement, so I think given that initiative (of Minister Hosein) we should get ourselves another 81 officers to reach the goal of 100 for this municipality,” Mayor Mason said.

“It’s a welcomed development because we have a large area to serve from a policing perspective and an additional number or strength will really help the Point Fortin area because during the period April-May, we have Borough Day celebrations where a number of persons from the entire country converge in Point to celebrate our anniversary.

“We have to ensure law and order and the safety of the general public, persons performing in Borough Day activities, specially invited guests, tourists…it’s a tall order and the additional strength is both timely and welcomed.” Mayor Mason said a “redesigned” plan for Point Fortin Carnival celebrations has been developed to stem the loss of visitors to other celebrations in other regions.

“You would recognise that Point Fortin, over the last six or so years, the Carnival celebrations have become scaled down with the various neighbouring Carnivals drawing the crowds. “What we have done is look at that and the product we call Carnival in Point Fortin and redesigned it so as to attract a greater crowd and get better community participation.

So we will have a bigger Carnival this year for sure,” Mason said.

Chairman of the UNC-controlled Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation Glen Ram who said that while the corporation possessed one of the larger geographical regions, there were only four active municipal police officers.

“We applaud this initiative because, speaking on behalf of the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation, we are one of the corporations that are really starved for municipal police officers,” Ram said, adding, “at this time we only have 4 officers and two persons in training.” “I just hope we will get a cadre of officers to really run the municipal police the way it is supposed to be run. The Mayaro/ Rio Claro is one of the larger regions with a lot of communities within so I am saying a minimum of 50 officers would greatly assist,” he said.

“It’s time the municipal police take an active role in terms of the communities because with all the crime that is taking place within the country right now, Mayaro/ Rio Claro is not immune to it and we really need to have this municipal police presence within the region also at the assets- our recreation ground and other facilities, we need to have the police there,’ he said.

Chaguanas Borough Corporation Mayor Gopaul Boodhan said the central borough’s municipal police force remains “grossly understaffed” with a mere seven officers on duty.

“An audit was done ten years ago when the Borough did not have 110,000 persons living and working in it and at that time it was suggested a strength of 50 officers.

“That was ten years ago and right now we have seven officers on duty. The Borough has grown by leaps and bounds and I am hoping for at least 50 officers,” Mayor Boodhan said.

In a media release, Petrotrin stated that the MOU which was signed at Pointe-a- Pierre by executives representing both companies, focused on both the “upstream and downstream arms of the crude oil value chain.” “Upstream, Staatsolie has several near shore blocks ranging from exploration through appraisal and development, for which opportunities for partnering with Petrotrin exist.

The Company is also interested in applying enhanced oil recovery (EOR) strategies in onshore blocks to improve oil recovery and this represents another area where Petrotrin will share its experience and expertise,” Petrotrin stated.

On the downstream side, both companies are expected to explore business opportunities for crude and product sales and/ or swaps, product blending and bunkering while there would also be the “sharing of technical knowledge and experience in refinery operations, engineering and procurement.

“With the signing of the MOU signalling the start of the cooperation exercise, technical teams from both companies look forward to forging deeper relationships based on mutual synergies in the future,” Petrotrin stated.

Staatsolie, like Petrotrin, is involved in exploration and production and refining and marketing and is also involved in retail product sales, commercial power generation and gold mining.

In 2016, Staatsolie commissioned a new refinery with a capacity of 15,000 barrels per day.

In a statement, Persad-Bissessar said recent statements by Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi that the Government would not be hampered by the Opposition’s unwillingness to support certain pieces of legislation and eliminating the need for three-fifths majority support,” are deeply disturbing and troubling as they are a direct attack upon our democracy, the Constitution and the rule of law.” While not referring to any specific legislation, Persad-Bissessar charged that a clear signal has been sent by Government that, “they are prepared to sacrifice our democracy at the costs of their selfish and self centered political desires.”

After noting the entrenchment provisions of the Constitution where outlined in the Privy Council judgement off Hinds v The Queen, Lord Diplock 40 years ago, Persad-Bissessar declared, “Our Constitution is not a plaything for this government to tinker with as they see fit.

The fundamental rights of our citizens are not pawns for the Government to throw away at their whim and fancy.”

Calling on all right thinking citizens to condemn Al-Rawi’s statements, Persad-Bissessar said, “This is yet another example of the unfitness and unsuitability of Faris Al-Rawi to continue to hold the office of Attorney General.”

She claimed Government’s failure to obtain Opposition support for legislation, “is an indictment upon those who are in charge of the government and the government’s legislative agenda.” Persad-Bissessar added this was also an indictment against Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and shows that when the People’s National Movement (PNM), “cannot accept their failure they resort to governance by any means necessary.”

“The first set of PP projects expected to break in the first week in March, just after Carnival.

We have a number of other projects in the pipeline all across the country,” he disclosed.

Mitchell acknowledged that while this does not go a long way with 120,000 applicants on the Housing Development Corporation’s (HDC) waiting list, “we are exploring other avenues.” He also announced that Cabinet agreed to adjustments to the Affordable Mortgage Programme offered through the TT Mortgage Finance Company (TTMF) to increase the number of persons who can qualify to own their own homes.

Mitchell explained, “Citizens who are able to access the Government’s Affordable Mortgage Programme, those mortgages do not only towards the purchase of Government houses. It can also go towards the purchase of private sector (homes).” He said Cabinet has agreed to implement adjustments made to the programme last September as articulated by Finance Minister Colm Imbert in his 2016/2017 Budget presentation at that time.

In respect of the two percent regime, Mitchell said the maximum qualifying income for applicants has been increased from $10,000 per month to $14,000 per month.

The property value under this regime has been increased from $850,000 to $1 million.

On the five percent regime, Mitchell said the qualifying income has been increased from a lower limit of $14,001 to $30,000. Property value under the five percent regime has been increased from $1.2 million to $1.5 million. Recalling the programme started in 2006 under the then Patrick Manning administration, Mitchell said Government was expecting “a lot more citizens” to access this programme. Mitchell, who is also San Fernando East MP (formerly represented by Manning from 1976 to 2015), added. “These are benefits
which I am not sure that you can measure.” Manning died last July.

Acting Sgt Rameshwar Gopaul (who is a former court prosecutor), his son PC Anil Gopaul and daughter SRP Tia Gopaul, stood before Senior Magistrate Debra Quintyne who read out the charge that on June 11, the three assaulted David Rampersad.

The charge came after an investigation which spanned several months by officers of the TT Police Service’s Professional Standards Bureau.

After the matter was adjourned to April 10, Ag Sgt Gopaul and his daughter SRP Gopaul quickly left the courtroom while his son PC Gopaul remained inside the court for several hours

The former St Lucia defender and long-serving Connection coach was announced as one of three assistant coaches by national men’s coach Dennis Lawrence on Saturday, with ex-England centre-back Sol Campbell and legendary TT striker Stern John the others.

Concerning whether he will remain as Connection coach or will hand over the full-time duties to his deputies Earl Jean and Clyde Leon, Charles-Fevrier said during an interview yesterday, “I’ll still be involved with the club because, as an assistant coach, the national team, more or less, comes together a week before international (matches).” Charles-Fevrier, who served as national coach from 2003-2004, continued, “you still have a lot of time to continue working at the local level. I would still like to continue working at that level as well because I still feel I have a lot of work to be done in terms of player development at the national level, for national teams.” He stated, “I still would like to continue doing work with local players at the Pro League level.

The national team would still be a priority but any time I have, I would still use it (to) work with these players at the Pro League level.” Charles-Fevrier and Terry Fenwick, the ex-San Juan Jabloteh and Central FC coach, were the two names reportedly put forward by the TT Football Association (TT FA) technical committee for the position as coach, when Belgium-born Tom Saintfiet resigned a month ago.

However, the TT FA board of directors decided to overrule their recommendations and name the 42-year-old Lawrence as the coach, a move which resulted in the resignations of three members of the technical committee (chairman Dexter Skeene, Alvin Henderson and Errol Lovell).

Asked how he felt to be working alongside Lawrence, Charles-Fevrier pointed out, “with me personally, I’m about football. I’ve been involved in Trinidad and Tobago football for 28 years now, 10 as a professional player and 18 as a coach.

“I know Trinidad and Tobago football well and I say everyday that I’m a product of St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago football,” he added. “Dennis spoke to me and I feel that I have enough experience, in terms of working locally at the elite level.

“I feel it would be selfish of me not to assist if he feels I have in me what it takes to assist him putting Trinidad and Tobago football forward. That’s how I see it.” Charles-Fevier acknowledged that he was ready to serve in the technical staff in any capacity, once called upon.

“I’ve always said that I’m a coach by profession,” he noted. “If I’m considered for any position, I’ll consider it. I’ve decided that I would assist Dennis. I’m very pleased and happy about working with him. I’m very excited about working with him, in the interest of Trinidad and Tobago football

He dismissed a blog from former US diplomat James George Jatras, released by the Opposition on February 2, supporting Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s letter to US President Donald Trump on whether FATCA would be repealed.

The blog was released while the JSC was meeting on the bill.

Imbert also produced an August 2013 report from Price- WaterhouseCoopers (PWC) which showed that Persad-Bissessar’s former adminis tration knew the risks TT faced, if it was not FATCA compliant, were real.

“Based on the last communication I had with the United States which is last week, the United States has informed me…that is the United States Embassy has informed me that in all their communications with the US Treasury, there has been no change to the the United States’ position on the implementation of FATCA and on the requirement for compliance by this country with all of the positions of the inter-governmental agreement,” Imbert declared. Imbert added this information was shared with JSC members including Opposition MPs Dr Bhoe Tewarie, Dr Tim Gopeesingh and Opposition Senator Gerald Ramdeen.

Referring to the PWC report and comments from local economists Indera Sagewan-Alli and Valmiki Arjoon, Imbert said this is not something, “we as a Parliament should be playing politics with.” He said it is clear that everyday transactions by ordinary citizens would become “very costly and complicated because FATCA affects bank to bank relations. After highlighting several examples of this, Imbert said the Bankers Association have made the point before the JSC and in other fora that, “non-compliance with FATCA will have a severe and adverse effect on TT