Boosted by its 2-1 win over last year’s champ Central FC in the quarterfinals, North East Stars will be confident  when it faces four-time winner W Connection in tonight’s Digicel Pro Bowl semifinal at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, from 6 pm.

Two hours later Defence Force and Play Whe San Juan Jabloteh meet in the other semifinal for a place in the $100,000 winner-take-all final on May 27.

Stars forward Kerry Baptiste said his team is planning to win the third round of the Pro League and the Pro Bowl which won’t be too bad for a season. Baptiste noted that W Connection will be a tough opponent. “W Connection is one of the better teams in the Caribbean but football is all about what happens on the day. It’s now for us to execute the coach’s plan and try to get the desired result. We expect it to be a good game but a tough one.”

W Connection assistant coach Earl Jean said the “Savonetta Boys” wants to end the season on a hat-trick by adding the Digicel Pro Bowl title to their First Citizens Cup and Toyota Classic trophies this season.

“The starting and the ending is what people remember,” said the former St Lucia and Connection forward. 

“How you finish in the end is what people remember of you unless you are the league champions. This is the time that players have to show up; we get to see what people are made of and contracts get renewed. We have been going the longest all season reaching four finals including contesting the Charity Shield but we have to be tougher mentally now because the work continues. It’s a mind-set that we have tried to cultivate over the years.”

Defence Force and Jabloteh are also fancying their chances for a spot in the final on May 27 after coming off tough quarter-final round challenges.

The Army/Coast Guard combination ousted recent Lucozade Sport Goal Shield champions, Morvant Caledonia United, 2-0 in their quarter-final meet last Friday after Jabloteh needed a penalty shootout to overcome St. Ann’s Rangers 4-3 after pulling off a late 1-1 draw against the minnows.

Former Caribbean champions, Jabloteh is still in the hunt for a top two league finish with Defence Force and W Connection and while head coach Keith Jeffrey has warned that qualifying for the Concacaf  Champions League qualifiers via the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship is most important for the club’s management, picking up the Pro Bowl will be a bonus

MEXICO CITY—Canadian football chief, Victor Montagliani, has been elected president CONCACAF, as the beleaguered confederation looks for a fresh start after being engulfed by a corruption scandal over the last 12 months.

The businessman beat Bermuda Football Association president, Larry Mussenden, 25-16 in elections at the CONCACAF Congress here yesterday, marking the first time a non-Caribbean national has been elected to the highest office of the organization.

Costa Rican Rodolfo Villalobos was, meanwhile, elected to the CONCACAF Council as a Vice-President while Cuban Luis Hernandez, Panamanian Pedro Chaluja and Sonia Bien-Aime of Turks and Caicos, were chosen to represent CONCACAF on the FIFA Council – formerly the executive committee.

“The mandate of the new CONCACAF President and CONCACAF Council Members will start after the conclusion of the Congress,” the confederation said. Montagliani will now oversee a scandal-weary confederation which serves as the governing body for football in North, Central America and the Caribbean.

The last three heads of the confederation have all been besieged by corruption. Trinidadian Jack Warner resigned amidst bribery allegations in 2011 and his replacement, Caymanian Jeff Webb, was arrested and charged last year May and subsequently pleaded guilty to racketeering and money laundering conspiracy.

Honduran Alfredo Hawit, who served as interim president in Webb’s absence, last month admitted to racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Both Webb and Hawit are awaiting sentencing while Warner is fighting extradition to the United States to face charges.

The fallout from the latest corruption scandal led to CONCACAF instituting another round of reforms, pertaining to governance and ethics.

CMC

West Indies batting legend  Brian Lara yesterday revealed that cricket commentator Tony Cozier who died on Wednesday, played a pivotal role in reviving the fortunes of West Indies cricket in 1999.

Paying tribute to the 75-year old veteran, Lara said the two shared a very important moment in his career, and one which he described as a turning point.

“It happened after returning from South Africa in 1999 after a five-nil drubbing and a first Test loss to Australia. I sought out the advice of Tony as I believed him to be the one person who had the first hand experience to comment on where we were going wrong and what we could have done to arrest the painstaking slide. That conversation played a pivotal role in our winning the next two Test Matches and drawing the series against the then best team in the world, Australia,” said Lara.

Lara said  Cozier’s death was a loss. “It’s a sad day for West Indies Cricket and the entire cricketing fraternity. Tony Cozier veteran cricket commentator was the voice of cricket for generations.’

Lara said  Cozier was the voice that taught him about cricket.  “In 1975/76 when West Indies played Australia in Australia, I was just seven years old.  I started  to listen to Tony’s voice over my dad’s transistor and that kindled my love for the game. His commentary was so descriptive, vivid, energetic and engaging, I could have visualized each ball, each over. I remember meeting Tony for the first time and it was as memorable as my first encounter with the great players at that time, such was his passion and love for the game.”

Lara added, “For 58 years, Tony devoted his life to West Indies cricket never once losing his passion, even amid the turmoil West Indies cricket sometimes faced. He had an indomitable will, a fierce passion and a devotion to the game that was second to none. 

“Tony was a living history book, who had the unique ability to bring to contemporary cricket commentary a deep sense of strategy and analysis, as well as decades of watching history upfront. He lived it, he had worked it and he had absorbed it. That added a layer to his broadcasting, journalism and commentary that will be hard for anyone to match. I offer my deepest condolences to all his loved ones. He will never be forgotten.”

Every year at this time the perennial bugbear of what to do with students awaiting the results of the SEA rears its head, posing a grave dilemma for both teachers and parents. The burn-out syndrome pervades since the stress that preceded the exam no longer prevails. Everyone relaxes. The fervour and compulsion with which “lessons” were previously undertaken die a sudden death, and almost immediately laxity and idleness step in.

It is during this time of freedom when supervision is lifted, equally at home and at school, that the latent seeds of indiscipline that might have been sown earlier begin to burgeon. Many of these students would have already reached puberty and with hormones beginning to run riot, it is inevitable that they would be tempted to try out what they see on cable television, Internet and their cell phones, often with dire consequences. It has not been unheard of that girls have entered secondary schools pregnant.

The devil always finds mischief for idle hands. Males gravitate towards the malls, arcades and even the blocks, often experimenting with illicit substances, using the foulest of language and engaging in unacceptable behaviour.

To obviate such pernicious outcomes, structures must be put in place whereby post SEA students could be involved in meaningful and interesting activities which do not rigidly accentuate the academics but which can keep them enthusiastic and purposeful. Where previously the aesthetics might have been promulgated mainly for examination purposes, it can now be structured so that the students could be engaged in a more enjoyable way in creative expression, handicraft, embroidery, home economics, “pot” agriculture and music, to name a few. 

(A few years ago when I taught and mentored SEA students before I fell gravely ill and was forced to give it up, the children continued to return. How they enjoyed making collages, planting their own seasoning herbs, Pat choi and bodi, and the boys even wanted to do the embroidery, some doing it even neater than the girls!)

Can one imagine what excellence and self-actualisation in these areas could do for those students, especially if there is an “Open Week” during which displays of the work done and inter-school competitions could take place? The respective PTAs must be actively involved in this effort.

Religious education, be it ecumenical or denominational, must be another area of focus, since generally, its instruction is haphazardly, if at all done in some schools. T&T is blessed with many religions, the followers of which, I am almost certain, are only too willing to come to the schools to minister to their young “flocks.” 

An effective programme could be carried out with the collaboration and supervision of the principal and staff. With all that is happening around us today, isn’t it imperative that our children should be exposed to religious and spiritual education as much as possible?

Yet another area where our SEA students might have been minimally involved is sports/athletics. The old adage goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Could not the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Sports come together to facilitate, encourage and promote competence and prowess in the various relevant disciplines?

The culture and climate of the secondary school differ greatly from what obtains in the primary school, and many a first-formers suffer a culture shock, but not for long. It is no wonder that the sweet, well-behaved child who only in May wrote the SEA exam has become a loud, impudent secondary school student by November of the very year! Is it anybody’s guess that this happens?

“Education is a continuum from the cradle to the grave” not compartmentalised as some would have us believe. Is it not possible therefore, that arrangements between primary and secondary principals and personnel from the School Supervisory Districts be made to effectuate a smooth and easy transition for those students entering secondary school for the first time?

Career Guidance, even at this level, could never be amiss. Invitations could be written by the students themselves to various organisations requesting information/advice via lectures, demonstrations/films/field trips on relevant topics and interests. The valuable insight and exposure to the world of work cannot be premature or overestimated, and students could also be actively involved in the planning and staging of these meetings and programmes.

It is a known fact for many years that several graduates from primary school have not acquired the basic reading skills which militate their being functionally literate in their adult life if effective intervention is not undertaken. 

This can be an ideal time for these students to be reviewed and assessed by way of the Informal Reading Inventory, and appropriate remediation initiated and implemented. These students could then enter secondary school confident in their ability to read and comprehend what they read, thus making learning enjoyable and meaningful.

Young people know intuitively who is genuinely concerned and who is not, who really cares and who does not. They almost all want to be taught the right things, to be corrected and guided in the right direction. They need to be praised, appreciated, to be accepted and to feel a sense of self-esteem, achievement and belonging. They want to be listened to. 

Yet we continue to fail them, deny them and deprive them of positive role models and exemplary behaviours. Our sins of omission and our irresponsibility are glaring, multitudinous.

When will we adults provide our children with the opportunity to grow and develop into disciplined, well-rounded and responsible members of society? Our children are the product of heredity and the environment, and we can only get out of them what we put in. How much, or what are we really putting in?

Remember, they will be the leaders and teachers of tomorrow, of generations to come and the direction our lives take will be dictated by the decisions they make and take.

Eva David-Swain

Coalmine, Sangre Grande

It’s never too late to do the right thing. It cannot be right to permit:

1. Politicians to appoint the Director of the SSA who is responsible for interception of communications (spying/wiretapping). (Section 4(1) of the SSA Act);

2. A politician to direct the activities of the Director (Section 4(5) of the SSA) in relation to his functions under the Interception of Communications Act;

3. Wiretapping/spying on citizens without first obtaining the approval of a Judge by issue of a warrant. (Section 6(2) (b) (i-iv) and (c) of the Interception of Communications Act);

This represents an unacceptable interference of the Executive with the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens granted to them under the Constitution which no “Society that has a proper respect for the rights and freedoms of the individual” would consider to be “reasonably justifiable.” (Section 13 (1) of the Constitution). 

As a consequence, the Security Services Agency (Amendment) Bill is fundamentally flawed unless Parliament moves to make the simple amendments which will reverse the shortcomings of the Bill.

If such amendments are made then the expansion of the functions of the SSA so as to allow it to treat with “serious crimes” is a laudable initiative which will assist the State to better detect crime which is the major shortcoming of the Police Service screaming out for attention. 

It is no excuse to say that the SSA has been in effect since 1995 for two reasons:

1. The Interception of Communications Act which came into force in 2010 added to the functions of the SSA, the right to wiretap/spy, which did not exist in 1995;

2. The history of “illegal” wiretapping which was conducted prior to 2010, a fact which makes these concerns not simply fanciful fears but are rather grounded in reality. 

I appreciate that we have to balance the rights and freedoms of the citizens against the obligation of the State to provide for the security of the citizens. 

In my view that balance can be achieved without diminishing the ability of the State to improve detection while introducing the check and balance of having a judge determine whether and in what circumstances wiretapping/spying should be permitted. One has to look no further than the obligation imposed on the FBI to obtain a conditional warrant from a federal judge before spying/wiretapping is permitted. 

This is not a matter of pointing fingers—there is enough blame to share around. It is simply a matter of doing the right thing. Let’s make the needed amendments and move forward with a strengthened SSA. Crime is nothing to toy with in T&T.

Timothy Hamel-Smith

The industries and business functions that were severely hampered by the islandwide power outage that occurred on May 11, 2016 are as follows: manufacturing industries, financial corporations, consulting and information technology services, data centres, perishable items, control centres, medical facilities, military operations, entertainment venues, safety and security.

This nationwide electricity disruption is not acceptable, no how, no way. The alleged culprit was the La Brea substation.

We would have lost millions of dollars during this outage. Something we can ill-afford at this present time. Someone must take responsibility. But then this is T&T. The people who are made to account are those who overbook ghost cruises.

Initially, T&TEC had the sole responsibility for electrical power in the country. Then someone in their wisdom, or lack of, created Powergen in addition to the already existing T&TEC. Powergen was responsible for the generation of electricity, while T&TEC was responsible for the distribution. Initially T&TEC handled both generation and distribution competently.

Was Powergen created to ensure jobs for the boys and girls? One step foward, two steps backward. Now there is talk of merging the two companies back into one. Only in sweet T&T can this occur.

Small outages can have disasterous effects on unprepared businesses. We need to assess the impact an electrical outage has on operations and machinery. There would be loss of access to local banks and ATM machines. What if this outage had occurred during the night time?

Based on this outage it is imperative to emphasise the importance of preparing for a wide scale disruption.

AV Rampersad,

Princes Town

Despite the “pain” T&T’s economy is going through because of low energy prices, the country has to continue to create a business-friendly environment to stimulate the economy, says American Ambassador, John Estrada.

“There is no denying that T&T is in a tough, tough position. One of my jobs here as ambassador is to help US companies operate in and export to T&T. So I will do what I can to ensure that T&T is a hospitable place for US companies to work. It is in the best interest of T&T and the United States for all of the businesses here to succeed and strive. We want Trinbagonians to start businesses, generate opportunities and grow,” he said.

Estrada, who was born in Trinidad and emigrated to the United States at age 14, spoke yesterday at the American Chamber of Commerce of T&T (AmCham’s) 23rd Annual General Meeting held at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre, St. Ann’s.

He praised AmCham as being one of the country’s leading business organizations that has promoted partnerships between the two countries.

Estrada was sworn-in as Ambassador on March 17, 2016 and yesterday’s address to AmCham was his first major address to the local business community.

He said one of his main objectives as US Ambassador is to further trade and business ties between the two countries.

“T&T has benefitted tremendously from the oil and gas industry. It is obvious everywhere you look. The other side of this is that the country’s economy is particularly vulnerable when energy prices go down. The falling energy prices are causing your country real pain and I can see it. Even if prices do recover 20 years from now, who knows what the oil and gas industry will look like. There is good reason to be concerned about T&T’s future,” he said.

Despite the downturn in T&T’s economy, Estrada warned the Government and private sector not to fall into protectionism and urged all stakeholders to leave the economy open to foreign investment and also foreign competition.

“Where are the new jobs going to come from? I do not know where the new jobs will come from but you do. It takes collective wisdom to solve this challenge. T&T has a lot going for it such as the great educational system, English speaking, a democratic political system, close business ties with the UK, Canada and the US, a free press and a successful financial services sector,” he said.

He also pointed out that T&T’s business climate has changed a lot since he emigrated to the US in 1970.

“Every sector of society is dramatically different. Looking around Port-of-Spain there are vast changes in the business sector. It is very different from the capital of my years. There are signs of economic good times and also leaner times. I see massive public and private development where fields used to be. I see a busier waterfront and airport. I can also see the wear of economic downturn,” he said.

Andre Worrell

​Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Clarence Rambharat believes that to achieve a broader impact in the agri-business sector, the National Agricultural Enterprise Training Programme should be expanded throughout more rural areas of the country to encourage greater participation in the sector. 

Speaking at the graduation ceremony for the programme held Wednesday at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) Chaguanas campus, Rambharat implored UTT and Atlantic LNG, the programmes’ collaborative partners, to broaden the scope and reach of the programme. 

He said: “This programme immediately caught my attention during my election campaign. I wanted it right away to go on tour in rural Trinidad. So while I continue to commend UTT and Atlantic LNG for this programme, I continue to talk to them about having this particular programme offered in north-east and south east Trinidad.” 

Turning his attention to the 25 graduates of the programme, Rambharat said that his main concern regarding young people entering farming was the perception they had about how farming as an industry actually works. 

He said: “This business (farming) is not an easy business. In fact it may be one of the most difficult areas to get into to make a living in this country. In this business you face it on all sides. Pests and diseases, a traditionally uncooperative and unsupportive ministry, a lack of information and lack of sharing, and the ravages of hot sun and bush fires straight into the pains associated with heavy rains and flooding.” 

Rambharat encouraged the graduates to adopt sound risk management practises to treat with the inevitable challenges they will face in building agricultural enterprises. 

He said: “Agriculture is fraught with difficulties and challenges. That is where you are setting out to operate and for that reason you all should appreciate the need for risk management, planning and understanding how to deal with the realities of earning a living in this way.” 

The annual three-month programme, seeks to equip local food producers with knowledge of state-of-the-art computer technology and sound business practises. 

Also speaking at the event were UTT president Professor Dyer Narinesingh, Dr. Zaeer Mohammed, assistant vice-president of professional education at UTT, Caroline Toni Sirju-Ramnarine, vice president corporate operations, Atlantic LNG and class valedictorian Kerwyn Huggins. 

RALPH BANWARIE

Salybia villagers were both sad and angry yesterday evening, after father and son, Lloyd and Ryan Ramkissoon, were shot dead during an argument with a neighbour.

Police were assisted by soldiers during a manhunt for the suspect in the forest off Langusta Trace after the attack, but he managed to elude them and was still in hiding up to last night.

According to police reports, Lloyd, 47, and Ryan, 19, were shot several times about the body by the suspect around 7.45 am yesterday, during an argument with the suspect over his pitbulls, which were attacking their rabbits and ducks and villagers because they were being allowed to roam free around the village.

One of the dogs attacked Ryan on Thursday night and bit him on his buttocks, but family members went to his rescue and he was taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital, treated and discharged.

Yesterday, family members told the T&T Guardian, the Ramkissoons stopped the neighbour as he drove his Navarra pickup along Langusta Trace. They told him of the dogs’ attack on Ryan, villagers and their animals and asked that he secure his dogs in future. The man reportedly became angry and an argument started. Things became so heated that the man, a farmer, pulled out a gun from his waist and shot Lloyd and Ryan several times.

Lloyd was shot in his back, shoulders and chest and when Ryan tried to intervene he was shot in his legs. As Ryan fell to the ground the neighbour shot him in both shoulders and the chest. The neighbour then got into his vehicle and drove off.

Father and son were taken up by relatives, placed in the tray of a van and rushed to Sangre Grande Hospital. They both succumbed to their injuries in the operating theatre.

A party of police led by ACP Surujdeen Persad, Supt Phillip, ASPs Joseph and Robain, Ag Insp Lutchman, Sgts Vekash Ramkissoon and Christopher Edwards, Cpl Kassiram and PCs Dave Bhagan, Rodney, Ali, Gadar and Mootilal visited the scene. 

They were joined by officers attached to Homicide Region II, based in Arouca and led by Cpl Jones, and soldiers. However, their search was unsuccessful.

A distraught Joanne Ramkissoon, Lloyd’s sister, was still trying to come to terms with the brutal attack yesterday when the T&T Guardian visited their home. She blamed the police for their deaths, however, saying villagers had made several reports about the pitbulls’ attacks to the Matura Police Station but nothing was done.

She said the neighbour had constantly threatened to shoot her relatives when they made reports to the station, adding the man was well known to police but they refrained from taking action against him. She said Lloyd and Ryan were fishermen and part-time farmers who were family men and never troubled anyone. 

“Some people feel they are above the law because they have money and this is how the poor are taken advantage of. This shooting is one good example and police must learn from this and act on reports of threats,” she said.

Relatives Christine Mahabir and Vasthi Maharaj were stunned at the attack in broad daylight.

“We could not believe the news and only realised that they were both dead when we saw their bodies being taken to the mortuary. Only last night we were having fun with Ryan. Life is strange,” they said.

Relatives were also upset that they were not allowed to see Lloyd’s wife, Tara, when they went to the Matura Police Station to comfort her.

“This was inhumane. A woman in distress, frantic and traumatised in the police station. This is unwarranted,” Tara’s brother Harry Sookoo said.

They said when they told the police she needed medical attention, a female officer said that was their (police’s) responsibility.

Sookoo said he also accompanied police and soldiers during the search for the killer and was disappointed by their actions. 

“They make a half search and return with some soldiers sitting in a shed. They received news that the killer was seen on the beach and the response by the officers was disgusting; they drove on the beach and never alighted or go into the bushes and make a search for the killer,” he said.

The Ramkissoons called for swift justice, adding they hoped there would be no cover-up in the matter. At the same time, they said they remained fearful for their lives as the gunman could return and attack them. 

Contacted last evening on the family’s complaint, ACP Persad said he had asked senior officers attached to the Eastern Division to supply him with the police station reports. But he said when the senior officers requested the information, they were told there were no written reports of any such incidents recorded in the station diary.

On Sookoo’s claim that the joint search party failed to come out of their vehicles when they visited the beach where the suspect was seen, Persad said he was leading the search. 

He said they drove along the shores of Salybia looking for the killer, but eventually abandoned it after realising they had received false information.

“We did all in our power to find the killer, responding in the quickest possible time,” Persad said.

Public Services Association (PSA) president Watson Duke may have to relinquish his duties if he is eventually charged by police in relation to an allegation of rape made against him by a lawyer attached to the union this week. 

Duke, who was held by police after surrendering for questioning on Thursday, remained detained in a cell at the Central Police Station, St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain, up to late yesterday. 

Police sources close to the investigation said detectives at the Port-of-Spain Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had already interrogated Duke on the allegations and are expected to approach the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) later today to determine if he should be charged. Duke will remain in police custody until this determination is made. 

Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, former PSA general secretary Nixon Callender explained that in the event Duke is charged, the union’s general council and the management of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), where Duke was employed before becoming the union’s leader, would have to determine if he should be suspended. 

Callender, who himself was not suspended after he was charged with assaulting a group of colleagues during a fracas at the PSA headquarters several years ago, noted that even if the general council voted to allow Duke to continue his duties, WASA’s decision may still force him to relinquish his role. 

“If the officer in WASA is suspended from work all privileges are revoked, including the full time off for trade union business. Therefore, the PSA would have to release him because he would no longer be able to carry out the duties of a full-time officer,” Callender said. 

According to police reports, the victim, a 33-year-old attorney from Central Trinidad, claimed the incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon, after Duke invited her to accompany him to a meeting at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain. 

Duke and the victim went to a room at the hotel, where she alleged he overpowered her and had sex with her against her will. After the incident, the victim allegedly returned with Duke to the union’s office and then went home. Hours later she reported the incident to the Cunupia Police Station. 

Speaking on Wednesday, Duke denied any wrongdoing and claimed he was being framed by the victim. 

ASP Ajith Persad of the Port-of-Spain CID is leading the investigation.

More than 12 hours after gunshots were reported in Marabella, the body of a man was found on the seafront at Bayshore yesterday.

Police believe the deceased, identified only as Joel, aka Bighead or Shortman, was shot close to the Gulf of Paria, a short distance from where he lived. His body bore three gunshot wounds to the head and two shots to the chest.

Residents said Joel came to the area about two years ago and lived in a house close to the seaside. He kept to himself most of the time but accepted odd jobs as a handyman, they added. Another resident said he had a son who lives in Pleasantville. It is believed Joel was a cocaine addict.

Around 4 pm, police received a tip-off that a body was spotted on the shore. A party of officers led by ASP Ramdeo and including Insp Don Gajadhar, Sgts Ramroop, Teeluck and Cpl James visited the scene. No spent shells were recovered at the scene, but police believe Joel could have been shot sometime on Thursday night. No motive has yet been ascertained for the crime. Anyone with information on the shooting can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-TIPS.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has given the assurance that although the External Patient Programme (EPP) is under review it will not be stopped, as it continues to benefit citizens by improving the quality of their lives.

He made the comment at the ministry’s weekly press conference in Port-of-Spain yesterday, even as he dismissed claims that approximately $60 million had already been spent on the EPP.

Addressing the issue during the ministry’s weekly media briefing in Port-of-Spain yesterday, Deyalsingh presented a comprehensive breakdown of the EPP’s operations as he said only $26 million had been allocated to the programme. He said approximately $15 million had been allocated to cover the cost of dialysis while $11 million was allocated to the surgery wait list.

He said the figure of $60 million which was being tossed about in the public domain was a combination of allocations directly related to the EPP as well as other services not connected to the programme.

Seeking to contextualise the EPP, Deyalsingh said it was initially developed to help transform the public health system and assist those requiring immediate medical care such as dialysis and certain types of surgeries but who were unable to afford treatment privately.

Restarted in 2014 via a series of Cabinet notes after it was stopped in 2009, Deyalsingh said the EPP had “noble intentions” but was overtaken by expediency, as it was originally set up to deal with a particular cause and treat with a certain number of people, but had deviated from its specific mandate as policy protocols were not enforced.

Denying that there was a “medical mafia” operating in T&T, Deyalsingh said, “I think it is an unfortunate term and the broad brush approach used to describe it is unfortunate.”

He was referring to claims by the National Workers Union, which has called for the EPP to be abolished as they allege it is corrupt. They have specifically questioned the criteria used to select private institutions to provide dialysis and other services, claiming that there was a group of special doctors who were benefiting from it.

However, Deyalsingh later confirmed they had discovered one case in which a doctor from south Trinidad had been directly benefiting due to his operations in both the private and public sector and the matter was under investigation.

On another note, he predicted the ministry’s costs will continue to rise “exponentially” in the next few years as the number of people accessing dialysis services continues to balloon every year. In 2012, there were 220 people seeking treatment, in 2013, 235 and in 2014, 653, he noted. But the figure was already 577 during the first four months of this year.

He attributed the rise in dialysis treatment to the fact that affected patients were now enjoying a better quality of life as a result of the EPP.

He said it now costs the taxpayer approximately $136,000 per year to provide dialysis services to a patient and Government will soon be facing a huge increase in this area, as non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardio-vascular diseases continue to take their toll.

“We are projecting that for 2014/2015, this is going to possibly go up to $50 or $60 million and the projection for 2015/2016 is $75.5 million,” he said, noting that while this financial burden was in the area of dialysis alone, they also had to factor in monies for the surgery waiting list component of the EPP.

The minister also said although they had inherited a “messy situation” relating to the construction of two dialysis centres at Mt. Hope and San Fernando, they were now working through the contractual red tape in order to get the buildings completed. This, he said, would ultimately help them reduce bills they currently have to settle with private institutions which provide dialysis services on government’s behalf.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says a private motion for the House of Representatives to express its loss of confidence in Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi was filed in the Parliament yesterday.

If approved it could be debated in about 12 days.

Persad-Bissessar said the motion was filed in the wake of the passage of the Strategic Services Agency (Amendment) Bill in Parliament.

The bill gives the SSA an expanded mandate to monitor, via the interception of calls, people suspected of engaging in serious crimes, including treason and money laundering.

The Opposition said there were insufficient checks and balances in the legislation to prevent abuse by the SSA. 

Speaking during a news briefing at the Opposition Room, Tower D, Waterfront Centre, Port-of-Spain, yesterday Persad-Bissessar said once the amended bill was proclaimed the Opposition would initiate legal action to have it annulled.

She said the motion was filed in the name of MP for Oropouche East Dr Roodal Moonilal. It also seeks to have Al-Rawi’s appointment revoked by Prime Minister Keith Rowley.

Persad-Bissessar said the motion was based on Al-Rawi’s conduct of the Malcolm Jones matter, which related to the discontinuation of a case in the High Court against the former executive president of State-owned company, Petrotrin.

She said the decision lacked transparency and accountability and caused the State to lose more than $1.2 billion.

Persad-Bissessar said the motion was also brought because the AG “gave unsound and unfounded legal advice in the Parliament” when he said there were no privacy rights in the country.

She said Al-Rawi has compromised the Office of the Attorney General.

Persad-Bissessar also said Al-Rawi ought to have known that former temporary Independent senator Justin Junkere was on the payroll of his ministry. She dismissed Junkere’s claim that the 2015 state brief was offered by AG Garvin Nicholas. 

According to the former prime minister it mattered not which AG offered the brief as what was important was that he voted while still employed in the Office of the AG.

Speaking with the media outside the Parliament minutes later, Al-Rawi said he welcomed the motion if and when it was debated in the House of Representatives. He said Persad-Bissessar was using the matter to distract public attention from an alleged attack by Opposition Senator Gerald Ramdeen on the former temporary Independent senator.

He said he was “absolutely confident that anything that the UNC brings, I will not only be capable of answering but very pleased to answer.”

He said he will “trounce” Moonilal’s motion “by simply presenting the facts.”

Al-Rawi said those facts include that the Malcom Jones matter was dealt with by the Petrotrin board and the SSA bill has passed through debate in the usual form.

On the issue of the privacy law, Al-Rawi told reporters that “there is a deliberate attempt to misconstrue the statement in relation to privacy. The law of privacy is quite clear. This is nothing more than a distraction.”

Also speaking at the impromptu briefing Works and Transport Minister Fitzgerald Hinds responded to a claim by Persad-Bissessar minutes earlier that the Government was uncaring and insensitive to the needs of children with cerebral palsy. 

The parents, who did no work, were paid under the URP Social Initiative.

Persad-Bissessar said yesterday the Government “had no clue about people-centred development.”

She said the Government was attempting to attack the parents of those children. She said the Government was removing the human face in an attempt to get dollars and more taxes.

She said citizens who receive food cards depend on the card for day-to-day survival. Persad-Bissessar said the Government should say what means were being put in place to assist those in need.

But Hinds said Persad-Bissessar will have to explain that initiative during a forensic investigation into the URP Social Initiative.

Former temporary Independent Senator Justin Junkere has made it clear that he never took up the position on the Airports Authority of T&T’s (AATT) board when his name was announced as part of AATT’s board last year.

Junkere’s name has been at the centre of some controversy following his support—and Independent Senator Ian Roach’s—for the much debated Strategic Services Agency (Amendment) Bill. Their two votes aided passage on Tuesday.

On October 1, 2015, Communication Minister Maxie Cuffie had announced Junkere among members of the new AATT board headed by Roland Baptiste. Cuffie had named other members including Nigel Ferguson, Robert Tang Yuk, Ramesh Lutchman, Kent Moore, Navin Maharaj, Joseph Granville, and Vindra Parmesar.

Junkere’s name was reported by the media the following day, as part of the AATT board. However, Junkere told T&T Guardian yesterday, “I never applied for the appointment and never took up it up. I’m not a member of the ruling (PNM) party, and I felt it wasn’t right to accept such an appointment to a state board, so I stood down from the post.”

He noted that it had not been announced that he hadn’t taken up the post.

Parliament yesterday confirmed that Junkere began serving as temporary Independent senator from October 20, 2015. President’s House sources also confirmed state board members aren’t normally chosen as Independent senators.

Junkere said it seemed to be a common thing where people were named for boards publicly, but it wasn’t always announced if they didn’t take up the appointment. Cuffie didn’t immediately reply to calls yesterday.

On Thursday, the Opposition United National Congress stated Junkere had been retained by the Office of the Attorney General in a lawsuit and therefore he was unfit to hold the post of Independent senator. In response, Junkere said he accepted a brief from former AG Garvin Nicholas and was entitled to do so. He said, if given an opportunity, he would again support the amendments to the SSA Act.

Chief Justice Ivor Archie said yesterday that the current crime rate, coupled with prison overcrowding, continues to place considerable pressure on the criminal justice infrastructure. 

He said such a situation was simply unacceptable.

Archie admitted that accused people being held without trial for long periods was also testimony to the fact that the system was not operating satisfactorily.

He was speaking yesterday at a breakfast seminar hosted yesterday by the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Westmoorings. It was titled A Restorative Dialogue.

Saying that restorative justice may be viewed with scepticism by some given the high level of brutality in the society, Archie said it was key, however, to delivering "justice that heals." 

And a necessary part of ensuring there was modern infrastructure was the Criminal Procedure Rules which are expected to be fully implemented in January next year.

These rules focus on improved and aggressive case management which would assist in reducing the time matters take in the criminal courts.

On drug treatment, Archie said, the more the Judiciary could divert those guilty of minor non-violent offences towards programmes that addressed anti-social behaviour, the greater the possibility of reducing prison overcrowding, the cost burden to the State and recidivism.

He said Goodyear hearings, where prisoners are made aware of the maximum sentence they would get if they plead guilty, could also assist in speeding up the process, Archie said.

He said last year there were 49 such hearings of which more than 50 per cent led to guilty pleas.

Plea bargaining, Archie added, was another measure which could reduce the backlog of pending cases.

Regarding the recent call made by Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph Harris for specific prisoners to be pardoned, Archie said he strongly believed that nobody should remain in pre-trial detention for longer than was absolutely necessary.

Archie also announced that the judiciary's flagship project, two juvenile courts, were expected to be on stream by September, as well as a peer resolution centre.

"The juvenile court project is the judiciary's response to an outmoded juvenile justice system in T&T.

"Youths in custody for criminal offences wait inordinately long periods for matters to be heard," Archie said.

In addition there was a system of institutionalised gender bias as girls in detention were not afforded the same opportunities to continue their education and pursue programmes as boys since there were no such facilities for girls.

Archie said the Children Court Rules had been drafted and were being reviewed by the Rules Committee of the Judiciary.

The draft rules were also being used to inform the re-engineering of internal court processes.

The Judges' Rules for Children, Archie said, were also nearing completion.

OUT OF POCKET

During the question and answer segment, Reginald Armour, president of the Law Association, asked when would full financial autonomy be given to the Judiciary as promised in last year's Budget.

Archie said there were issues being dealt with, adding this should be on stream within the next 18 months. In giving an example, Archie said he was expected to leave the country on official business on Sunday and had to pay for his hotel room using his personal credit card.

"But I have to send a note to Cabinet to spend $30,000 and it has to go before a travel committee. It didn't go to Cabinet until yesterday (Thursday) so I am hoping I can get that approved when I leave here so that the hotel room that I paid for with my credit card I could put back some money in my account. "It is kind of ridiculous that somebody at my level should be going through that," Archie added. The Chief Justice is the third highest office holder in T&T, after the President and Prime Minister.

A plot to rob, idol worshipping and a multi-million dollar inheritance formed part of the evidence heard by a jury in the San Fernando High Court, at the beginning of the murder trial of the man accused of killing prominent businessman Dr Ravi Maharaj.

Ten years ago, Maharaj, 63, was brutally beaten in his Chacon Street, San Fernando, home and on Thursday, Pleasantville resident Roger Greene, 38, went on trial before Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas charged with his murder.

The murder took place on January 11, 2006. 

In his opening address to the jury, state attorney Trevor Jones spoke of accused Roger Greene confessing to his neighbour about the murder. 

Jones also listed several injuries inflicted upon the doctor’s body, including a broken neck and head injuries.

Jones said Maharaj was last seen alive around 6.30 am by his common-law wife Sumatee Enal. 

She left him sleeping in the library, went to the gym and then to his businessplace in San Fernando. 

Maharaj was supposed to call Enal, Jones said.

And when she did not hear from her husband, Enal tried calling his phone several times without success.

She became worried and returned home, said Jones. She found several louvres missing and the burglar proof “raised.”

Jones said Enal found her husband lying face down under a desk in the library. 

His hands were tied behind his back and a cloth was in his mouth. 

She called the police.

When he arrived at the hospital, Maharaj had a pulse, Jones said, and for 40 minutes CPR was performed on him without success.

Jones said Greene’s neighbour, Brian Worrell, who was one of three suspects in the case, told police that Greene confessed to him. 

Jones told the jury they will hear from Worrell, who was granted immunity by the Director of Public Prosecutions in exchange for his testimony against Greene. 

Worrell will testify that the day before Maharaj’s murder Greene hired him to take him to a house in Couva where he met a man. 

On their way back from Couva, Worrell claimed Greene told him he had a “job to go on.” Greene told him there was a safe in a house with $100,000 to $150,000. 

Greene hired Worrell to transport him, and the following morning Worrell dropped him at the corner of Chacon and Penitence Streets, near the doctor’s home.

Jones told the jury when Worrell picked up Greene in Vistabella that afternoon, Greene told him the man did not want to tell him where the safe was located. 

Greene allegedly told Worrell the man was an idol worshipper because he worshipped Hare Krishna and God don’t like idol worshipping. 

Worrell, Jones said, claimed Greene gave him $500 and gold rings in a bandana to keep for him. 

Worrell said he hid the items and a few days later Greene returned for them.

Greene was arrested by Cpl Curt Simon in February 2006.

Jones said an autopsy revealed death was due to multiple blunt traumatic injuries, including a broken neck and fractured cervical spine. 

Maharaj’s niece, Roshini Singh, was the first witness to testify. 

Under cross-examination by Greene’s attorney Kwasi Bekoe, she claimed her uncle lived alone when he was killed.

Singh said there was a legal battle over her uncle’s body after Enal, his worker, claimed to be his common-law wife. 

She said her uncle owned several “extremely valuable” businesses, including three properties in San Fernando and two in Toronto, and Enal benefited from this inheritance. 

Sgt Gregory Hood, an official police draftsman, testified yesterday and several drawings of the crime scene were shown to the jury. 

He was cross-examined by Bekoe’s instructing attorney Jared Ali. 

The trial continues Monday.

High Court Judge James Aboud will rule on whether the United States Government should be allowed to join, as an interested party, in a lawsuit filed by former Fifa vice president Jack Warner challenging his extradition, on June 17. 

During a hearing in the Port-of-Spain High Court, Aboud yesterday heard over four hours of submissions on the issue from attorneys representing the US and Warner, who is wanted in the US to face trial on fraud and money-laundering charges arising out of his over two-decade stint in Fifa. 

British Queen’s Counsel James Lewis, who is representing the US interest, told Aboud that his client should be granted permission as it stood to be affected the most by the eventual outcome of the case. 

In his lawsuit, Warner is asking the court to declare Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi’s decision to sign off on his extradition in September, last year, as unlawful. 

Warner’s lawyers are claiming that Al-Rawi acted unfairly as he failed to give their client an opportunity to respond to the US’s extradition request before making his decision.

“These proceedings are a challenge for the extradition proceedings themselves. It will be nothing but an advantage to this court to hear the applicant on the extradition itself,” Lewis said. 

He said that while attorneys representing Al-Rawi’s office were defending his decision, they would not be in a position to provide the court with information on the US’s extradition request, about which Aboud would need to make a final decision. 

In response, Warner’s lead attorney, Fyard Hosein, SC, said the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) required that an interested party prove that it was sufficiently affected to become a party to the proceedings as opposed to being merely directly affected.

In response, Lewis submitted: “Direct interest is nothing more but the highest form of sufficient interest...If you have direct interest you automatically have sufficient interest.” Warner is also being represented by attorneys Rishi Dass, Anil Maharaj and Sasha Bridgemohansingh. Douglas Mendes, SC, and Michael Quamina are representing the State.

About warner’s case

Warner, 72, of Cynthia Drive, Five Rivers, Arouca, is accused of 12 charges related to fraud, racketeering and engaging in illegal wire transfers. The offences are alleged to have taken place in the United States, T&T and other jurisdictions between 1990 and June 2011 when Warner quit Fifa. 

He is one of 14 former executives of world football’s governing body who were indicted on a series of charges after an investigation into corruption in football, conducted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice.

Warner surrendered to police in May after a provisional warrant was issued for his arrest when US authorities announced the conclusion of their extensive investigation. 

Warner spent one night on remand at the Port-of-Spain state prison before he was able to access his $2.5 million bail. Warner’s extradition proceedings have been put on hold pending Aboud’s judgment in the judicial review case. 

It took US authorities almost their entire 60-day deadline to foward their official request to the Office of the Attorney General. The documents arrived in T&T in late July. Former AG Garvin Nicholas failed to sign off on the Authority to Proceed during his brief tenure. Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi requested an extension to consider the documents. In 2013, Warner resigned from his post of national security minister and UNC chairman after the publication of a report from Concacaf’s Integrity Committee showing financial mismanagement during his long tenure as the regional body’s president. Warner also resigned as Chaguanas West MP but later regained the seat in a by-election. 

He then formed the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) but resigned as its leader after it failed to secure any seats in the September 7 general election. 

As Government moves to rein in undocumented food cards currently in circulation, affected members of the public have complained that they were being “embarrassed” when they visited the grocery and were forced to walk away empty-handed as their cards were being declined due to a lack of funds.

Speaking minutes after visiting the Food Card Division, Tunapuna, a man from Lopinot said, “I not in any bobol, but it have other people who using this and don’t need it.”

The 52-year-old man claimed he had not received any money during the month of April and that he had come to the office in order to ensure that he received the allocation for the month of May.

Confirming that he had come to “sort out this nonsense,” the man, who asked that his name not be published, added, “There are genuine people who need the help but it really have people who doing they business underhanded and making it bad for all of us.”

The man said he had now registered for the new biometric card which features the name of the applicant as well as their picture and fingerprints. An unemployed middle-aged woman and mother of three said she was accustomed to using the card but had been forced to return her groceries after the card was declined last week.

Earlier this week, Social Development and Family Services Minister, Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn, confirmed that approximately 11,800 food cards had been deactivated up to May 1.

She said it was done in an attempt to update the ministry’s records and ensure that those who really needed it were able to access the government grant under the Targeted Conditional Cash Transfer Programme (TCCTP).

The minister said the hold which had been placed on the cards would remain in effect for the next three months.

Prior to the move, advertisements were issued in the electronic and print media inviting the public to visit the various offices to register for the biometric card but these were largely ignored.

Although Crichlow-Cockburn said the public’s initial response was slow in coming for various reasons, officials at the Tunapuna office said they were now battling the overwhelming public response as hundreds of people were coming in daily to regularise their status after they were unable to use the card.

Opting not to provide their names or positions, well-placed officials said, “It was ridiculous as to the number of cards that were in operation, that were undocumented and still not known.”

Although the programme came into effect in 2006, officials said many of the accounting systems were never enforced. One official said, “Many persons received cards through their churches, temples and MP’s that we do not know about.” 

Revealing that under the last regime, all 41 MP’s were provided with 40 temporary food cards each to be distributed at their discretion, officials stressed that it was “a one-time use.” However, it was not certain if this guideline was followed.

Unaware if this arrangement was still in place, the officials denied it was a political move to cut people from the programme. The officials claimed that the Tunapuna office was serving a large catchment area which included parts of St Ann’s East, Arouca, Caroni East, St Joseph, St Augustine, Tunapuna and Lopinot/Bon Air. 

Asked to provide a profile of their applicants database, one official said it consisted mainly of single mothers.

A household comprising between one and three persons would qualify for $410; while a family with three to five persons would receive $550; and a group of six or more persons would receive $700.

Estimating that each division racked up a monthly expense of approximately $2 million, the officials said with 13 divisions throughout both islands, it was a huge government bill that had to be met even during this time of recession.

As long as there is gas to be processed, T&T is interested in Ghana's oil and gas sector. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who ended an official visit to Ghana on Wednesday, said this country is ready to get involved in Ghana’s energy sector.

“But we certainly have an interest like that in other plants that we build, that the national gas company in Trinidad and Tobago would want to be involved in that,” he said.

Dr Rowley said in recent times T&T been exploring ways of collaborating with Ghana to develop that country's gas resources. 

During a visit to the Atuabo Gas Plant with President Mahama, Dr Rowley said: “The gas pipeline is something that will serve Ghana immediately. Trinidad and Tobago is in a position to provide the technical and other expertise immediately.

“We are small and we have limited resources but in the areas where we have resources (we have) a 100 years or more experience and experienced personnel. We can bring that to bear and on these projects immediately.

“You are larger in Ghana and you have the resource base, but in terms of dealing with some of the third parties, you are in your infancy… so, there is a tremendous benefit if we do these things together.”

Before the T&T delegation left Ghana to participate in an anti-corruption summit in the UK, the two countries signed agreements for general co-operation and oil and gas.

During his Ghana visit, Dr Rowley also officially commissioned a refurbished Ridge branch of HFC Bank which is majority owned by Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL).

Speaking at the brief ceremony, Dr Rowley commended the bank for it efforts and urged staff to give off their best. Managing Director of HFC Bank, Robert Le Hunte assured customers of continued quality customer service.

“We will continue to upgrade our infrastructure. It’s all in the bid to serve our customers better. While doing this, we will also raise the standard of excellence in customer service by giving each customer the best available experience when they visit any of our branches nationwide,” he said.

After the cutting of the tape, a plaque was unveiled in honour of Prime Minister Rowley. RFHL became the majority shareholder in HFC Bank last year with a 57.11 per cent equity stake.

T&T Manufacturers Association (TTMA) president Rolph Balgobin is the new chairman of the CL Financial group, the financially troubled conglomerate that received a multi-billion-dollar state bailout seven years ago.

Balgobin, along with Ingrid Lashley, Anthony Hosang and Terrence Bharath, are the four government nominees to the seven-member CL Financial board.

Balgobin serves on the Massy Holdings board as well as on the Economic Development Advisory Board. 

The four were appointed a month ago, but did not get down to work before this week, as a result of concerns expressed by the shareholders’ representatives on the CL Financial board. 

The shareholder directors wanted clarification of certain statements pertaining to the sale of the group’s assets made by Finance Minister Colm Imbert during his mid-year budget review on April 8. 

In accordance with the June 2009 shareholders’ agreement between the Government and CL Financial, the four government directors are joined by three representing the interests of the shareholders of the group. 

The three shareholders’ representatives on the CL Financial board are Port-of-Spain attorney Fredrick Gilkes, Trevor Marshall and Albert Tom Yew.

The one-month delay in operationalising the appointments of the four government directors meant that Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Maurice Suite, resigned as the chairman of Angostura Holdings Ltd effective April 11. 

It was expected that one of the four government appointees on the CL Financial board would have replaced Suite as the chairman of Angostura, which is a publicly listed company that is majority owned by the CL Financial group.

Up to late yesterday, there was no official announcement of a new Angostura chairman.