Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran has admitted that the 13 Jamaicans who were denied entry into T&T by the Immigration Division “could have the impact of spilling over into other things.” Yesterday, in a telephone interview, Dookeran continued to maintain that there was no row between Jamaica and T&T. He said he has been speaking with Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs minister, and there was no disagreement between the two countries. He said the media were putting their own interpretation on the issue.

Dookeran’s comments followed an article published in The Gleaner yesterday in which the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) called on its government to pursue the incident with urgency. The JMA said T&T’s approach was “divisive and foolhardy.” Jamaica imports approximately US$132 million worth of goods from T&T, excluding fuel, and approximately US$700 million inclusive of fuel, The Gleaner stated.

Dookeran said both countries have agreed to keep an eye on the developments “because it could escalate in the wider context of our relationships.” On Friday, Dookeran said he received a report from Immigration Division which outlined how the Jamaican’s were denied entry. T&T has also provided the Jamaican High Commission with information.

However, former foreign affairs minister Paula Gopee-Scoon said the matter had the potential to do significant damage to our bilateral relations with the Caricom Single Market and Economy. It can undermine the work of our manufacturers and T&T exports across the region, she said. Gopee-Scoon said T&T was considered a leader in Caricom, a position which has been attained through years of effective diplomacy by a series of governments.

President of the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce Moonilal Lalchan called on the Government to pacify the situation. “Jamaica is our biggest Caricom trading partner by far. Therefore, it will have an adverse effect on our manufacturing sector,” Lalchan said. Lalchan said the chamber spoke to its members, who indicated that there was no immediate threat. “The worst-case scenario in this situation is that emotions run high and then there are restrictions with our goods going into Jamaica.”

If former prime minister Basdeo Panday had his way, all lawyers who wanted to enter politics will have to spend some time in prison “voluntary or otherwise.” 

Panday was honoured for his 50 years of legal service at the Law Association’s annual dinner and dance on Friday night at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain, and said he believed that all lawyers should “go to jail” in order to better empathise with their clients. While his 20-minute contribution focused on his past as a lawyer, his own arrests and life as a politician, Panday took some time to criticise the current state of political affairs.

He said when he looked at the “huge army” of young lawyers and the “political mess the country is in,” he remembered the words “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Panday was honoured alongside fellow attorney Nath Sharma who also marked 50 years in the legal fraternity. Sharma said when he looked at Panday, he realised that he (Panday) “had 50 years” again to contribute. “Whether as a lawyer or in politics,” Sharma said.

Former director of public prosecutions and judge Geoffrey Henderson has been elected to the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a judge. The announcement came via a press release issued yesterday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Henderson was elected to the ICC by the States Parties of the Rome Statute assembled at the headquarters of the ICC in The Hague, during the Twelfth Session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute.

Henderson’s candidacy was approved by the Assembly of States Parties in the first and only round of voting, where he secured 98 votes out of a maximum 99 votes, surpassing the two-thirds majority required for election whilst drawing support from all regions of the world. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran conveyed his appreciation to Henderson. Having the requisite qualifications and experience, Dookeran said Henderson was worthy of sitting on the ICC and has made T&T proud.

Henderson will serve the unexpired portion of the term made vacant following the resignation of former judge Anthony Carmona. Henderson, whose term will expire on March 10, 2021 is the third T&T national to be elected to the ICC since the court was first constituted in 2003.

No one has been selected yet by the Government to operate Scott’s Quarry. So said Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine yesterday in response to questions from the Sunday Guardian about whether they were going to renew Malaysian-based Sunway Quarry Industries (Caribbean) Ltd’s contract to operate the quarry. The quarry at Verdant Vale, Blanchisseuse, has $1 billion in mineral reserves. Sunway’s five-year contract, which was awarded under the People’s National Movement Government, ended on October 14.

At least one contractor—Jusamco Pavers Ltd, headed by Junior Sammy—wrote to former National Quarries (NQ) chairman Mitra Ramkhelawan on August 2, expressing an interest in operating Scott’s Quarry and asking to be “favoured.” Two other contractors—Super Industries Services (SIS) and Raldon Construction Ltd, part of Gopaul and Company Ltd—had their eyes on the quarry. Yesterday, however, Ramnarine said “at this time we are studying all possible options for the future of Scott’s Quarry.”

Reports have surfaced from NQ that Government was also interested in renting Sunway’s plant rather than buy its own. Ramnarine said the decision to purchase a crushing plant for NQ “will be a matter for the new board of NQ.” Cabinet has not yet appointed a new board. “I expect one to be appointed shortly,” Ramnarine added.

Sunway paid $300m for ‘poor grade’ aggregate
Sunway was paid $79.30 per metric ton for its aggregate and was contracted to provide about 4,000 tonnes a day. In the last three years, NQ has paid Sunway approximately $300 million for processing materials, which has not been up to standard, according to independent reports.

Questioned if he was pleased with the quality of aggregate Sunway had processed and provided to NQ, Ramnarine said he has asked his permanent secretary and the director of minerals to give him a report on Scott’s Quarry. “This report will answer that question,” Ramnarine said. A NQ source said should the Government rent Sunway’s plant, they would be faced with the same problem of poor quality material.

Sunway failed gradation
On January 19, 2012, NQ wrote Irene Chow, Sunway’s finance manager, explaining that samples from its new stockpile crusher run mix were taken on December 13, 2011, and three independent tests—conducted by the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute, Earth Investigation Systems Ltd and Trintoplan Consultants Ltd—showed that its company had “failed the most critical criteria, the gradation.”

As a result, NQ removed Sunway’s stockpile from its inventory, advising them that no sales from their stockpiled material should take place until steps are taken to improve the quality. NQ stated that the failure of the material was due to a lack of quality control in the processing of the material.

The source said that Sunway defended its position by saying that former boards of NQ had indicated they were operating well with its products, and the company had met the required specifications with its gradation.  The source said Sunway focused on volume rather than quality, which NQ raised with their attorneys a few months ago. NP was told by their attorneys that “it would be risky to terminate their contract because of the way it was drafted.”

NQ’s risk of losing $400 million order
In February 28, 2012, NQ wrote Chia Hon Yuen, senior production manager of Sunway, informing him that his promise to have the crusher run fall within the grading specification was yet to be realised. “This has cause NQCL’s client to lose confidence in us as a credible supplier of quality aggregate” NQ explained to Hon Yuen in its letter. NQ also explained to Hon Yuen that they were “exposed to the risk of losing” an order of $400 million.

The source said the success or failure of Government’s projects would be largely dependent on the quality of the materials utilised. Up to July, 2013, documents by NQ showed that materials by Sunway still did not fall within the specification bands. On Friday, Hon Yuen when contacted said he was not in a position to comment.

Tobago has recorded its fourth murder for 2013. Dead is Anton “Rocky” Williams, 29, of Mt St George in Tobago. Police reports state that around 12.30 yesterday morning at Windward Road, Mt St George, Williams had just returned home after a night out with friends when someone called out to him. After  he went outside, multiple shots were heard, and his body was found in the middle of the driveway a short while later.  He was wearing a vest and shorts.

Williams was reportdely shot once in the head and several times in his back. Residents said Williams was involved in an altercation with some men recently over a drug turf in the village, and his life was threatened. District Medical Officer Dr Tam visited the scene and ordered the body removed to the Scarborough Hospital Mortuary. Tobago Homicide Bureau is continuing investigations.

Finance Minister Larry Howai has made moves to adjust borrowing limits in a bid to help the Central Bank’s efforts in mopping up approximately $6 billion in excess liquidity in the nation’s financial system. The move came up for debate on Friday before the House of Representatives, where Howai sought approval for the adjustment to borrowing limits under the Treasury Bills Act No 14 of 1995 and the Treasury Notes Act No 14 of 1995.

Howai, in a short contribution, said the adjustments “do not count as part of the country’s debt obligations.” “This increase is to facilitate open market operations by the Central Bank of Trinidad & Tobago as the build-up of excess liquidity in the financial system is not expected to be fully absorbed in the short term despite a return to private sector borrowing,” he said. Howai noted that the money borrowed would “simply be sterilised or held in a deposit at the Central Bank.”

He also noted that the move was part of the Government’s sustainable growth and development vision and said there was a need to manage excess liquidity. He said while the move may act as an incentive to increase investments, prolonged excess liquidity can have a negative impact on the financial system. “A prolonged low interest rate environment can negatively impact individuals on a fixed income, create asset bubbles and increase the possibility of asset price inflation,” he said.

“The current build-up of liquidity in the system has arisen as a result of the combined effect of the fiscal deficits, the economic decline which occurred in 2009, the funds injected as a result of the CL Financial bailout and the initial period of slow economic growth,” Howai said.

Howai also told the debate that the open market operations were a normal policy measure to manage high liquidity levels, adding that the increased borrowing was an appropriate measure, “given the economy’s return to growth following a prolonged period of decline since 2009.”

“The Central Bank estimates approximately $6bn in excess liquidity in the system. The urgency of addressing this build-up of excess liquidity in the system has increased as the expansionary effect of the cash injections associated with the CL rescue operation (although some was sterilised) coupled with the return to positive economic growth has the potential of increasing the rate of inflation,” he said.

Prison reform has long been on the agenda of successive governments. Within the past seven decades, more then ten reports on prison reform have been completed, and hundreds of recommendations have been made. 

The Wright Report (1945); the Garrat Report (1963); the Interim Report I (1973); the Interim Report II (1974); the Interim Report III (1975); the Memorandum on Remand Prison, Golden Grove Report (1977); the Abdulah Report (1980), the Task Force Report (2002), the Deosaran Report (2003), and the Inspector of Prisons Report (2012) have all suggested measures to improve horrific conditions at the Port-of-Spain Prison, Carerra Prison (which has been closed down) and Remand Prison at Golden Grove, Arouca.

However, successive governments have done little to implement the recommendations. The answers to many of the problems today lie within the pages of all of the reports and reviews that have been done over the years at great cost to taxpayers. 

After a week of protests at Golden Grove following the murder of prisons officer Andy Rogers on November 7, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar appointed a Special Prisons Committee to probe the existing conditions at the facility. The committee’s report was submitted on Friday. The recommendations included a commission of enquiry into the criminal justice system. The committee said the system had “collapsed and is running on auto-pilot,” and it was thus critical to probe why it had reached to this stage. 

The committee also advised, among other things, that the Government build a new remand facility within 18 months, implement full body scanners at prisons so all who enter would be searched, and provide clothing for accused who are on remand.

Govts reluctant to initiate prison reform—Chance
Meanwhile, Wayne Chance, a former inmate who runs the Vision on Mission foundation for prisoners, said governments have been reluctant to initiate prison reform. “There is a political fear of implementing these recommendations because the public will see special treatment being given to prisoners, and politicians don’t want to be unpopular. The state of the prison has been sidelined in the past and only comes to the surface when a crisis arises,” Chance said. 

“The Government must show political strength and ensure that the prison structure is strong to keep out criminal activities within the prison walls.” In years gone by, Chance said, poorly paid prisons officers accepted minimal bribes to carry in food, clothing and other items for incarcerated inmates. Today it has boomed into a lucrative contraband operation.

Guns, drugs, cigarettes and cell phones are sold by high-ranking prisoners whose relatives and close associates offer bribes to rogue prisons officers. The prisoners have rogue elements on every shift who give them special privileges in exchange for money, Chance said. 

‘Weed out rogue officers’
Although regular seizures are made, the prisoners who control the trade are never caught because they are tipped off by the rogue officers. Law-abiding prisons officers live in fear, and because there is “big benefit” the prisons hierarchy turns a blind eye. “Prisons officers have been undermining the system because they profit from it, and it is high time that the rogue elements are weeded out,” Chance said.

He added that these rogue officers have made the prisons disruptive and ungovernable so that they can continue their illegal operations. On Friday, Commissioner of Prisons Martin Martinez labelled only five per cent of this country’s prisons officers as “crooked.” Speaking to reporters at the Noor Hassanali room in the Parliament chamber, Waterfront Complex, Port-of-Spain, Martinez said the majority of his staff were honest.

He said the issues recently raised in the prisons arise from the hard work of his honest officers who seek to rid the system of contraband, which makes its way into the prisons via relatives and friends.

New committee a waste of time, money—Volney
Former Justice minister, Herbert Volney, who pioneered prison reform under his tenure said appointing a Special Prisons Committee was a complete waste of time and money. 

“The Government has done this to appease the population.” He said it was “total negligence by the Government in allowing this situation to get out of control.” Volney said overcrowding and undue delays in trials have exacerbated the problems. “There are prisoners languishing in the remand yard who have not committed the offence. They have been waiting for trials for years and their lives are being wasted for nothing. The State has a duty to protect the rights of citizens by providing them with trials within a reasonable time and without undue delay.

“This Government has done nothing to address those problems in the prisons,” Volney said. 

Volney’s plans
Volney said when he was minister he had in place approvals for construction of four judicial centres, with 28 criminal courts in four areas—Trincity, Carlsen Field, Sangre Grande and Penal. However, he said “those plans have gone cold.” “I also put in place a new regime for pre-trial determination of cases with sufficient hearing schemes so people who should not be in remand will be released years before their time. “That has been shelved by the Government,” Volney said.

He also said the Electronic Monitoring of Offenders Act which was approved by Parliament two years ago has not come on stream to ease overcrowding. The proposed Parole Bill was ready to go to the legislative review committee since June 2012 “and that, too, was shelved,” Volney added.

‘Officers fighting for their health and safety’
During his Labour day message last June, former president of the Prisons Officers Association, Rajkumar Ramroop called on the Government to set up and monitor cellphone jammers, scanners and surveillance cameras in prison. “Millions of dollars have been spent on equipment, but prisons officers have tampered with cellphone jammers and scanners to protect the underground trade. We need to have continuous monitoring of the technology by an independent party to rid the prisons of contraband activities,” Ramroop said.

He suggested prisons officers must be searched before entering the prisons as it was customary for officers to transport contraband for inmates. He said there was no searching of the under carriages of vehicles. Ramroop said all inmates must be exposed to rehabilitative programmes.

Ceron Richards, the new president of the Prisons Officer Association which represents over 1,800 prisons officers, said several recommendations have been forwarded to the Government to deal with the crisis at the prisons. He said these could not be divulged for security reasons. He said officers were fighting for their health and safety behind the prisons walls. 

Govt has plans for overcrowding
During the recent St Joseph election campaign, Persad-Bissessar said Cabinet agreed to spend $3.2 million to retrofit buildings at Golden Grove to facilitate magisterial court sittings. She said the 40-foot pre-engineered, pre-fabricated buildings would improve prisoner safety and security at Remand Yard as well as improve overcrowding. Persad-Bissessar also said this would reduce security risks involved in prisoner transport and cut down on cost. 

Between 2002 to 2009 the Government spent $98 million for the transportation of prisoners. —reporting by RADHICA SOOKRAJ

In light of an audit report which implicates the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration in corruption over a scholarship fund, Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal says there are more scandalous revelations to come. Speaking at a health fair at the Mohess Road Hindu School, Debe, yesterday, he said damaging reports against the PNM’s involvement in corruption in the HDC, Petrotrin and Udecott during their tenure will soon be revealed to the public.

“There is much more to come. We have not heard the last of the gas to liquid scandal in the energy sector, I think we haven’t heard the last of several of the mega construction projects. A few days ago, the HDC was in the Parliament for a Joint Select Committee and they touched on an issue. “We have to reveal some more information on the squander of public funds in the home construction sector...” Moonilal said.

In the Parliament on Friday, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan revealed the findings of the PricewaterhouseCooper forensic audit of the Community Development Scholarship Fund, developed in March 2002 under the PNM. He describing it as a “slush fund” which was shared among people affiliated with the PNM. 

Weighing in on the report, Moonilal called on Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley to apologies to the country as he was a part of the Cabinet at the time. He said it also raises questions about Rowley’s ability as a national leader. “Dr Rowley, who is now seeking to make over himself, has to apologise to Trinidad and Tobago for this scholarship fiasco of which he was a part. He has to apologise for the Brian Lara Stadium, of which he was a part, and he has to apologise for the rapid rail of which he was a part.”

‘$275m more for Brian Lara Stadium’
Saying the issue of the Brian Lara Stadium was disheartening, Moonilal announced that a further $275 million is needed to complete the project. “The Brian Lara Stadium started off at $275 million, it is now $1.2 billion and it requires another $275 million for completion and Mr Rowley has been a part of that. It is a tragedy of immense proportion, also for Mr Lara himself. 

“We always recognise the abuse of his name by associating it with such a scandal, and Dr Rowley was a part of that, so I don’t see how he can come now at this time of the day and say he takes no blame, no responsibility for the mega corruption of the PNM, including the scholarship matter.” 

One of the teams contesting the Public Services Association (PSA) election, PSA Defenders, is calling for an investigation into irregularities such as voter padding that has surfaced on the eve of elections tomorrow. While a meeting for polling officers was being held in the PSA headquarters on Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday, Defenders held a media conference in front of the building.

Raymond Butler, presidential candidate of the PSA Defenders,  said, “We had to file an injunction to have them produce an electoral list of voters, and we had less than two weeks to examine the list. “Upon examination we discovered that there were people who were named on the list who would have either retired or taken VSEP (Voluntary Separation of Employment) from WASA, and there are over 730 people who took VSEP and we’re seeing their names appearing on the list.

“There are discrepancies where people with no membership numbers apparently were given temporary numbers to vote and we’re uncertain when and how many were assigned.” Butler said his team submitted 42 forms for their polling agents and only received nine yesterday. Without the authorisation letters these polling agents would not be able to operate tomorrow. 

He said the PSA claimed there were independent observers for the election, however they hadn’t identified what organisation they belonged to and they were instructed to give their reports to election officers bringing into question their impartiality. Another cause of concern, Butler said, was that people who sat the presiding officers exams and passed were then told that they had failed and were replaced by EBC (Elections and Boundaries Commission) officials. 

He said there were bona fide members whose names and union numbers were not on the list. According to Butler, in a previous interview Duke said there were approximately 20,000 members registered to vote in the PSA election. However, the final voting list the team was given showed 17,592 members eligible to vote. He advised those members who did not see their names on the list to walk with their identification card and pay slip in the event that occurred on election day.

Butler said it would be remiss of the team not to bring to light these irregularities and discrepancies.

Chaguanas has a retail industry which can rival any other town in T&T and the wider Caribbean region. This is the boast of newly-elected mayor of the central borough, Alderman Gopaul Boodhan. The 56-year-old businessman, community activist and former sports journalist, who presides over an equally divided three-party borough council, intends to govern through the consensus-building approach.

Chaguanas has a retail industry which can rival any other town in T&T and the wider Caribbean region. This is the boast of newly elected mayor of the central borough, Alderman Gopaul Boodhan. The 56-year-old businessman, community activist and former sports journalist, who presides over an equally divided three-party borough council, intends to govern through the consensus building approach.
Q:Mr Mayor, did you ever think you would one day occupy the mayoral seat in your hometown?
A: (At his Montrose, Chaguanas, home early Thursday morning) Firstly, let me welcome you to my very modest and comfortable home.

Looking at your spread, it is anything but modest (laughs), but carry on…
It is a pleasure to have you come here so early in the day. The question you have asked, and one of the things I have learned from my political guru Mr Basdeo  Panday, is that when you are in office you have to be politically dead if you don’t  aspire  for higher office, and here I am today.

There was a bit of bacchanal for the election of the mayor because of the division of the seats. How do you feel about the whole process, the machinations which took place?
(Locking fingers on both palms) Clevon, I like a little bacchanal but not the unpleasant ones.

As a matter of fact, when somebody heard I was coming to interview you they said, “Clevon, you going to interview a true Trini ‘bacchanalist,’ but not the nasty type” 
(A big laugh). I like the humorous part of it, to make the people a little happy in terms of the picong and so on. But you can ask me that question how many times you want, my answer would be still the same: what happened there was fully ventilated in the news media, that is all I have to say. I am not adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying on that. Case closed.

How were you all able to arrive so quickly at a conclusion of the impasse, which at one time seemed like it was heading for a prolonged period?
The answer is the same as the above (Still laughing). Are you sure, Mr Mayor, you are not holding out on me by being politically correct? (Vigorously protesting, demonstrating with outstretched hands) No. No. I am not holding back anything. I thought you were asking me this morning things like how we intend to further develop Chaguanas in this new…

 Well, wait nah, I coming to that...
(Interrupting) No. You see where you are going…that was yesterday, Clevon. The work has to go on.

OK. Before we get to your plans and vision for Chaguanas, how do you view the ILP as a third political force as is being trumpeted by its interim leader Jack Warner?
Everyone is free to choose a political entity which they feel would best serve their interest, but in the context of the composition of the Chaguanas Borough Council, the point is you have to listen to the views of all those around the table. We all want to make Chaguanas a better place, and to put a political or a philosophical spin on any political party I would leave that to the political pundits. Right now I am concentrating on taking Chaguanas to even greener—no pun intended—pasture.

And if you are not a good listener, you are not a good learner, and if you are not a good learner, you are not fit to be a good leader.

Over the recent years, Alderman Boodhan, Chaguanas has taken on an image of financial prosperity, with shoppers descending on the borough from all over the country. What is it that you are all doing that the people in let’s say along the East-West Corridor, such as in Laventille, are not doing?
When you look at its history, Chaguanas came from a farming community. There is a history of sacrificing, a history of co-operation, a history of people prepared to achieve what they wanted and structured themselves to uplift their standard of living, right? (Contemplative mode, with elbows resting on the arms of his black leather swivel chair) Where we are today, it is because of a very aggressive retail industry which could rival any other town not only in T&T but in the rest of the English-speaking Caribbean.

Another factor is our geographical position, located between the capital city and the industrial capital of the country, so it is a natural bridge between the North and the South. Isn’t it that the people of Chaguanas are more industrious than those in certain areas along the corridor? I have a lot of friends and associates in those areas, right? They, too, are very nice people, and I am not saying that because I think it is the nice thing to say.

Mr Mayor, aren’t you again being politically correct?
No. No. But you know what I have a problem with (Clasped palms)? It is the stigma that people associate with the corridor; there are so many wonderful people…

But you cannot hide the fact that the majority of crime is being conducted down there…
That is a subject for another time, Clevon. A subject for the coming together of all stakeholders in the country that is a critical issue. But let us go back to Chaguanas, nah.

I like how you dodged that question, Mr Mayor, continue…
(Voice slightly raised) No, I am not dodging the question at all, but the fact is the people of Chaguanas are working together to make it a better place. I am not saying that the people along the corridor don’t try to do that, too. But there are some factors that make it difficult in the context of Chaguanas.

Very well. Where do you intend to take Chaguanas in the next three years of your tenure?
(Cupping his nose and left temple with a thumb and one finger) We will embrace all individuals, NGOs and other stakeholders, the corporate community, and there must be consensus-building among all stakeholders. The question is what the greatest good is for the greater number of people, and in the next couple of days we are going to meet the traffic people.

What is the major problem facing your community at this time?
 Right now it is traffic and its management. There was no established town planning which took place over the years. No zoning except in the last ten to 15 years and we are trying to work with what we have. We have challenges, and we want people to come in and continue the economic development of Chaguanas.

What about crime?
This is affecting the entire country. We must compliment the police officers in our division who are working extremely hard to minimise crime in the borough. We are looking at strengthening our municipal police to work alongside their central counterparts. One of the ways we are fighting the crime is through the setting-up of police youth clubs. We must impress upon our young ones about the need to exercise a greater degree of discipline which would augur well to provide us with upstanding citizens in their adult years.

We are going to listen to the voice of the young people with a greater degree of understanding their role in the future, of not only Chaguanas but the entire country.

Mr Mayor, speaking about encouraging young people to play a bigger role in the development of T&T, do you think the treatment meted out to young councillor Mohammed by the green party would cause young people to take active roles in the politics?
(Rocking back on his chair and a big smile) Clevon, you real real good, real good, you know. You know I now getting hot in the discussion with Chaguanas. You were going down with me real good. You were sounding like a Chaguanas burgess, we going down nice, nice. What you just did, you telling me to pull aside and stop. But we all have our views and we all have to make our own decisions, that is all I am prepared to say on this topic.

Mr Mayor, I notice you are deliberately steering away from controversy.
I am staying away from controversy because as I told you at the beginning of this interview, from where I now sit I am seeing no particular colour. What I am seeing is Chaguanas, its people, and I am going to stick with everybody to be sure that we have a very clear and distinctive vision for Chaguanas.

The National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) Lotto Plus Chutney Soca Monarch Competition’s ability to generate more than $20 million worth of exposure still has not won the event the respect it deserves. So said George Singh, chief executive officer of Southex Promotions, producer of the show, at Wednesday’s launch of the 2014 edition held at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad.

“Even though the Chutney Soca Monarch has become one of the most important events and one of the biggest, most glamorous and most expensive productions in Carnival, there is still disparity in the way that governments, past and present, look at the event. “That there is discrimination and inequality in a country where every creed and race find an equal place, the time has come to level the playing fields,” he said.

“Our chutney soca artistes and the industry are just as important as any other in this multi-racial, multi-talented country of ours. We are building the bridges to tomorrow, taking culture to heights never before imagined. We are building our nation and creating a foundation for many to follow.” According to Singh, “The Chutney Soca Monarch is more than an event. It is the development of an industry, its people, a country and our culture.”

Singh said music remains the driving force of the five major Carnival productions: Panorama, Dimanche Gras, Parade of the Bands, International Soca Monarch and the Chutney Soca Monarch. However, he said the Chutney Soca Monarch and the International Soca Monarch are the events that stand out. “The productions are grand, they are expensive, but the investments are sound.

“What if I said that additional long-term value from both the Soca Monarch and the Chutney Soca Monarch to hotels, artistes, corporate T&T and the retail industry can add this value to well over $100m annually?” He likened both competitions to the Grammy Awards and the Oscars in the US.

Obesity continues to be the most frightening scourge of the Western hemisphere, which can be best described as a pandemic or a tsunami of chronic diseases. So said Kumar Boodram, at the Nirvahna Weight Management Clinic’s 19th Annual Award Ceremony, at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Port-of-Spain, on November 9. Boodram was commenting as a former client of the clinic who maintained his weight loss for the last two years.

Addressing the gathering, he said, “For one moment, just view obesity as the driver of the pandemic. When you look in the rear view mirror, you see the passengers are diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. “The pillars of obesity management as articulated at Nirvahna continue to be lifestyle changes rather than the reversion to unproven pharmacological measures.”
 

Boodram said what the awardees had accomplished was very much in keeping with two significant events that took place in this part of the western hemisphere recently. He said the Nassau Declaration on Health in 2001 stated that the health of the region was the wealth of the region. Boodram said the first Caricom Summit on Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases was held in 2007 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

He said Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan recently launched the Fight the Fat campaign, and US First Lady Michelle Obama had started a campaign known as Let’s Move! to fight childhood obesity which was of growing concern worldwide. A tribute to Dr Dev Ramoutar Boodram said the level of determination and discipline of the awardees needed to be recognised as they have taken personal responsibility for their health. 

He said now having lost the weight, the level of discipline must continue and the lessons learned at Nirvahna must resonate with them. He said the clinic’s initiative would have started long before the Nassau and Port-of-Spain declarations. Boodram said it had to be a tribute to Dr Dave Ramoutar, who can only be described as a modern-day prophet and a health guru for having the vision to proactively start the programme to fight obesity.

Also attending the ceremony were Zalayhar Hassanali, wife of former president of T&T, Noor Hassanali and various medical professionals.

In light of the recent reports questioning the Environmental Management Authority’s (EMA) role in issuing Certificates of Environmental Clearance (CECs), chairman Dr Allan Bachan has put the blame on lack of proper policies and procedures. “This is not something that has just started. These issues have been allowed to fester over the years, because the EMA has not been able to adapt to the increasingly environmentally conscious population,” he said last week.

Bachan said  the authority, which operates according to the Environmental Management Act, is undertaking a realignment of the statutory body that will see improvements in policies, systems and processes. This,  he said, will address the deficits throughout. The changes, however, come amidst complaints from several stakeholders, including staff and fishermen, as well as allegations of political interference.

Bachan said the role of the newly installed board was “to protect the integrity of the authority as well as ensure greater transparency and balance, and that the rule of law is being upheld.” On why the chairman was signing CECs and other documents, Bachan said the act allows for this. “With regard to the signing authority of CECs and other documents, the power to do so is enshrined in the law. 

The act provides for it and clearly states that this power resides with the  chairman, and any delegation is at the discretion of the chairman.” Given the proposed changes and decisions by management  being challenged, the board took a decision to not delegate signing authority at this time.   

Examining the quality of EIAs
Meanwhile, with demands being made with respect to Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), Bachan said the science in this case was not clear. “There are studies that go in favour for either party, and this is where the need for proper policy comes in.” Asked about the quality of EIAs currently being submitted, Bachan said the authority will be establishing an accreditation and licensing system for individual professionals, and academic and professional organisations. 

This, he said, can be certified and tapped to provide support to companies to develop their applications as well as to train professionals in conducting CEC and EIA using training modules approved by the EMA. “It would allow for the standardisation of data in the various sectors that will guide policy and decision making. To support this, EMA has also initiated the ISO 14,000 accreditation system to address the lack of environmental management systems.”

Bachan declined to comment on whether previous boards had failed in its mandate, based on issues now in the public domain. He said, however, that the existing board has already identified a seven-point focus strategy that will improve the standard operating procedures, strengthen compliance and enforcement, as well as ensure that the authority is able to enforce the act effectively using targeted skills and training, effective research and improved public awareness.

“The authority suffered as a result of its lack of proper policies and procedures and it resulted in the creation of the ‘silo mentality’ and the inevitable ineffectiveness of the EMA,” Bachan said. “For instance, when this board came into effect the number of CECs approved was 1,990. “But only 13 per cent of those were being monitored, and a major focus of a regulatory authority has to be compliance and enforcement. As such, all those approved CECs must be monitored.

“Essentially, there was little focus on capacity building within the organisation. And in this regard, we have been pursuing a number of strategies.” 

Bachan outlined some strategies
• Concentrating on ensuring effective and targeted coordination between the EMA and other organisations. 
• In order to effectively have a presence and greater reach, the EMA is pursuing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ministry of Local Government so that environmental officers can be appointed in each region.
• The EMA is seeking to expand its current environmental police unit from 18 to 120 officers and is currently in discussions with the Ministry of the Environment. This will allow for effective response to complaints, Bachan said.
• The EMA is reviewing its legislative base with a view to strengthening its enforcement and giving the authority “more teeth.” 

Bachan said the EMA’s progress can be seen in the recent clearing of a backlog of more than 600 CECs. Noting the “positive changes” at the EMA, Bachan acknowledged that people’s natural instinct was to resist change. “While there are a lot of good and hardworking people in the EMA, we need to harness this and create a greater focus so that staff feels less frustrated.

“We are putting systems in place to help improve the EMA’s efficiency and that may be different to what previously existed, and when combined with the process of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement with a union, it’s understandable that there may be some form of miscommunication and discomfort.” However, Bachan reiterated that change was inevitable and said “the managing director and the board are committed to listening to the recommendations and issues raised by staff.”

I am disgusted at the level of service my wife and I received at a burger restaurant in the South after 9 pm on November 21. This restaurant came to T&T with a big reputation for quality and service, and I eagerly wanted to experience their burgers. So on Thursday night, we went to the cashier’s station. There was no one there, but a young woman in a nearby aisle was chatting away with two others, presumably the cooks. 

I inquired if anyone was working at the cashier. The young woman came over to take our order. I asked: “Why do people have to beg for service in here?” She didn’t reply. Considering there were no others waiting for orders, I found 15 minutes a bit long for our order of two burgers and fries. I didn’t say anything. Lo and behold, when we bit into our burgers, they were cold. I couldn’t understand it. What were they doing all that time? Burgers are supposed to be freshly cooked. 

So I went over and asked one of the cooks: “Why are the burgers cold?”  I had to repeat my question three times and she kept looking at me with wide eyes, in an incredulous manner. She then asked me if I wanted to speak with the manager. I replied, “Yes.” A young woman came out, with red eyes, as if she were sleeping, and said she was the manager, and asked what was the problem. I asked her if serving cold burgers was standard procedure. She replied in the negative. 

What I expected then was an apology. Instead she went straight into asking if I wanted fresh burgers or if I wanted my money back. I repeated my question: “Why were the burgers served cold, when burgers are supposed to be freshly cooked?” The manager could supply me with no answer and was visibly upset at the staff over the incident. She promptly began to berate them.

I want to show the public how a foreign franchise could fail in this country and thereby hurt foreign investment, just by unprofessional service. I would hate to think that serving me cold burgers was a retaliation to my slight admonishment about getting prompt service. On top of that, they didn’t serve coffee, except in the morning, at a time when everyone is getting into the coffee market.

I would not recommend this burger joint to any of my friends or family. I should have got a clue on the level of service at this restaurant, as the place was empty when we got there.

Joel Quintal
San Fernando

Each week, the Guardian Angel column highlights complaints sent in by you, the consumer, and provides solutions or directs you to the appropriate resource. 

Problem: Ms Joan Brathwaite said, “I submitted my paperwork to NIS on June 2, 2011. Having heard nothing further, I returned to the office in January 2012. “I was told my claim had been approved and I should check my bank account by July 2012. I waited and looked but no money was deposited. 

“I returned to the office in May 2013 and was told it was being processed but no date could be given. “I wrote a letter to Ms Karen Gopaul in July 2013 and received a reply from Ms Debra Modeste in August 2013 that they were looking into the matter. “I went to the Cipriani Boulevard office in October 2013 but they had to call to Wrightson Road for my information, even though Ms Modeste had replied to my letter from Cipriani Boulevard.” 

Ms Brathwaite said, “I am now 64 years old and I am yet to receive any benefits from NIS. I worked for 23 years in the teaching service but I am still waiting.”

Solution: NIB said Ms Brathwaite’s application was processed in October 2013. However, her application is yet to be forwarded to the manager of insurance operations to ratify her first payment, since the retroactive payment is more than the amount the manager at the service centre can approve.  NIB said they will follow up with Ms Brathwaite when the file is forwarded to insurance operations.

Problem: Mr Ramjattan Gangadeen sent in a complaint on behalf of Mr Vishnu Maharaj of Partap Trace, South Oropouche. Mr Maharaj, who turned 65 in October, made 505 contributions to NIS during his employment at SM Jaleel. He applied for his retirement pension in 2008 but all he received was $7,000. Mr Maharaj said he made “numerous visits and phone calls” to the NIS office concerning his NIS pension and so far he has been getting a runaround. 

Mr Gangadeen said at present Mr Maharaj is “unemployed and having to care for his ailing wife and is not yet in receipt of the government pension which he applied for.”
 

Solution: NIB explained: “The $7,000 initial payment that Mr Maharaj received was an interim payment, pending the completion of an ongoing investigation to retrieve possible missing contributions.” However, NIB said Mr Maharaj’s application “has been settled as a retirement grant that has to be forwarded to the manager of insurance operations to ratify the payment, as it is in excess of what the manager at San Fernando can authorise.”

A retirement grant is a one-time lump-sum payment for those who have made less than 750 contributions, whereas the retirement pension is payable for life to people who have 750 contributions or more (the minimum requirement for a basic pension). NIB said the file was forwarded to insurance operations and payment will be credited within a month.

The question of who will head one of the largest unions in the country will be known by the end of today, as members vote to select the 13 positions in the Public Service Association (PSA). Seven candidates are set to vie for the post of president, among them incumbent Watson Duke and former acting general secretary under Duke, Nixon Callender. Approximately 17,000 public servants are expected to vote in today’s elections. 

Six parties—Team Sentinel, Team Liberators, Team Phoenix, Game Changers, Team Defenders and Rebuilders—are set to contest the positions of president, first vice-president, second vice-president, general secretary, deputy general secretary, treasurer, five industrial relations officers and two trustees. The other presidential candidates are Terrence Regis (Team Phoenix), Raymond Butler (Team Defenders), Christopher Wilson (Rebuilders) and independent candidate Riki Cedeno. 

The union has faced several issues, among them its financial status, the five per cent pay increase in 2011 negotiated by Duke, and a splintered union. Duke moved in April this year to suspend Callender and former treasurer Jillian Bedeau-Callender. However, the Callenders were allowed to stay. Callender earlier charged financial impropriety, saying approximately $2.5 million of the union’s funds were unaccounted for and that a report had been made to the Fraud Squad.

There has been much debate surrounding the finances of the union. In a T&T Guardian article on October 7, the union’s first vice-president, Rosanna Robertson, claimed the union had only $1 million in its account and that in 2009 the union had $7 million, adding many legal fees for Duke were paid out of the union’s finances.

The article quoted Robertson as saying,“The union is in serious financial difficulty. We have to wait until we get dues in to keep this union afloat. There are a lot of creditors who did work who have not been paid and there are some lawyers who we are still owing monies.” In another T&T Guardian exclusive, the union was said to be owing the State $14 million for a 2006 land lease at the former PSA Grounds, Long Circular Road, St James. 

There were also claims by staff at the union’s head office at Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain, of poor working conditions. In newspaper ads published before today’s election, Duke’s slate of 13 promised, among other things, more HDC homes for public servants, a restructured Water and Sewerage Authority contract (WASA) so that workers would be made permanent, and the inclusion of retirees in the medical plan. 

Team Rebuilders, led by Wilson, also in a full-page ad, promised to set up in-house daycare centres for public servants, adjusting the Maternity Act to increase maternity leave and to ensure retirees receive insurance coverage.

In an unprecedented move yesterday, death row inmate Lester Pitman is seeking to compel Chief Justice Ivor Archie and the Court of Appeal to deliver the judgment in the appeal against his conviction which is now almost four years overdue. Pitman, who was convicted in 2004 alongside Daniel Agard, for the murders of agriculturalist John Cropper and two of his in-laws, is contending that the delay has breached his constitutional rights to life, liberty and security and to equality before the law. 

He also alleges that the delay has deprived him of his right to a fair hearing in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice as guaranteed under Section 5(2) e of the Constitution. Pitman is also seeking an order to vacate the mandatory death sentence he received upon conviction for the triple murders. The legal action follows a letter  written in October by Dana Seetahal SC, who represented Pitman at his appeal, seeking answers on the outstanding judgment.

The Chief Justice responded saying that he proposed to deliver the  judgment before the end of the year. In an eight-page pre-action protocol letter sent to the Solicitor General’s office yesterday, Pittman’s attorney, Criston J Williams, said there was no justification for the delay. He claimed that the Judiciary’s handling of Pitman’s case demonstrated a “wanton and deliberate disregard” for his rights. 

“The claimant in this case has had to suffer and continues to suffer breaches of his fundamental rights at the hands of the institution that is vested under the Constitution with the responsibility of the protection of those said rights. Such a situation can only be a rare event, at least one would hope so.” Williams wrote. Williams claimed there was “blatant evidence” in Pitman’s case which amounted to “a breakdown of the rule of law and the fundamental pillars of our democracy.”

In response to the letter, Judiciary Court Protocol and Information manager Jones P Madeira yesterday said: “In this particular matter, the court has promised judgment by the end of the year.” Madeira refused to comment further but noted: “It is difficult to comment on this matter as the Judiciary will have to arbitrate over it and it is also a part of the matter.”

Legal sources yesterday explained that the lawsuit may be purely academic once the judgment was delivered as promised but said some of the reliefs being sought by Pitman may have some merit. Through the lawsuit, Pitman is seeking declaratory relief and damages but also said he believed it may be a stimulus for the Appeal Court to deliver its judgment. 

“No relief granted by the court could repair the damage to our democracy that has resulted as a result of the failure by the judicature in the case of the claimant,” Williams wrote in his letter. Williams noted that his client’s appeal was not “frivolous or vexatious” and he did not resort to time wasting tactics to create a further delay.  

“In the present case, the delay in the conclusion of the appellant’s appellate process has been due entirely to the actions of the Court of Appeal in failing to deliver judgment in a timely manner, a delay that is continuing up to today,” Williams said. In the letter, while refering to several decided Privy Council cases, Williams said the judgment in his client’s case should have been delivered within 12 months of the hearing of his appeal. 

As a secondary issue in the intended motion, Pitman is seeking a declaration that his continued detention on death row since his conviction breached his constitutional rights. He is also seeking an order quashing his death sentence and a declaration that an attempt to carry out his execution would be considered “inhumane and degrading punishment.” Pitman’s attorney is also suggesting that his client be detained at the state’s pleasure.  

House Speaker Wade Mark has satisfied all the requirements for the award of his Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degree from the University of the West Indies (UWI) Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, UWI said yesterday. “A review of our records indicates that in the instant case the requirements for the award of the degree have been satisfied,” UWI said in a release on the issue.  

“The university would like to point out that special arrangements are often put in place for students in various circumstances, for example, students who require one course to complete the requirements for the award of the degree.” It added: “It is unfortunate that information relating to the confidential matter of examination grades at The University of the West Indies Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business was released to the public, contrary to the regulations of The UWI.”  

The release came after an all-day meeting between principal and pro vice chancellor of the St Augustine Campus, Professor Clement Sankat, and other officials of the institution, the T&T Guardian was told. The meeting came after questions were raised in the media over whether Mark had met the requirements for the degree. The article claimed that school officials alleged Mark was allowed to graduate on October 26 although he did not do the course work component of the degree which accounted for 40 per cent of the marks.

The course work comprised a mid-term exam, a group project and class participation. It was alleged that Mark applied for concessions to UWI on a Parliament letterhead and was allowed to sit a special exam. The release said the matter had been brought to the attention of senior UWI officials and the matter received their fullest attention. 

Saying the examination process at undergraduate and post-graduate level is a very closely managed one, governed by specific regulations, UWI said:
“The University of the West Indies wishes to advise that the institution has specific regulations and policies that govern students’ tenure from matriculation through examination to graduation. “More particularly, the regulations ensure that all procedures for the award of degrees are strictly confidential. Examination marks are only communicated to appropriate officers of the university and are only made public after they have been duly approved by the Board of Examiners.”  

UWI said it remained committed to maintaining the high standards it had established over more than 65 years of service to the region. The T&T Guardian contacted Mark last evening but he declined comment, saying he wanted to talk to his lawyers first. Efforts to reach PNM PRO Faris Al-Rawi for a response were unsuccessful. Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley had called for an explanation from UWI, saying the incident would devalue degrees coming from the institution.

Former head of the public service Reginald Dumas is calling on Government to deport citizens of the Dominican Republic who may be living here illegally. He was speaking in the wake of the recent decision by the Dominican Republic’s highest court which denies citizenship to people of Haitian descent born in that country. Dumas’ call was made on the eve of today’s meeting of the Caricom Bureau heads, chaired by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, at 10.30 am. 

Other members of the bureau expected to attend are President of Haiti Michel Martelly, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves and Caricom Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque. The meeting was scheduled for last week but postponed to today as several key members were unavailable.

On September 23, the constitutional court of the Dominican Republic ruled that Dequis Pierres, who was born in the DR to Haitian parents, was not entitled to Dominican citizenship on the ground that she had been wrongly registered as Dominican at her birth. The ruling further said its interpretation must be applied retroactively, stripping her of Dominican nationality. 

The court also instructed the Dominican authorities to do an audit of birth records from June 21, 1929 to the present to identify similar cases and strip people in similar circumstances of their Dominican nationality. Asked to comment yesterday, Dumas said if there were any Dominican Republic citizens living in T&T illegally, they should be deported immediately. 

He said T&T was deporting nationals of a Caricom member nation and possibly allowing citizens from a non-Caricom member state to live here illegally and the application by the Dominican Republic for membership in Caricom should be put on hold, pending clarification of the matter by that country’s government or resolution of the matter. He felt sanctions should be considered and implemented in the future if the matter was not amicably resolved in the shortest possible time.

Dumas said the Caricom Bureau should recommend that the Dominican Republic should be suspended from Cariforum — a grouping of Caricom and the Dominican Republic. He also suggested that Caricom could assist the affected people in taking their issues to the Inter-American Human Rights Commission or the United Nations Human Rights Commission. On the recent deportation of 13 Jamaicans from T&T, Dumas said it was nothing new. 

He said he wrote to Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran in December last year suggesting that an informal team of officials representing the Government and the private sector should be set up to visit Jamaica and other Caricom states for informal discussions on matters relating to trade, Caribbean Airlines (CAL), regional aviation and transportation and other issues. 

Dumas said today’s meeting of the bureau should not only look at the Haiti/DR matter but issues of trade, investment and other matters affecting Caricom.

Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation (TPRC) chairman Edwin Gooding yesterday said the corporation had no plans to stop the controversial sport centre at Orange Grove, Tacarigua. Rather, he said, the corporation’s decision to issue a stop order notice was merely to ensure that the proper procedure was being followed before the project was started. 

 He added: “There’s an agency to deal with environmental issues. It’s not about stopping the project, it’s about the processing of an application. Sometimes people make all kinds of insinuations. But it’s nothing personal. “The Green Space people have their concerns but it’s not a contentious issue.” Gooding made the comments when asked if the TPRC could withhold approval for the centre to be constructed by the state-owned Sports Company of T&T (Sportt) because of possible negative environmental and social impact.

Residents of the area formed the “Our Green Space Committee” in protest, saying the project will have great negative social and environmental impact. They are worried the grassland will be paved, aquifers destroyed and a gas line interfered with. But their biggest fear is that they will be shut out of the 39-acre savannah they have been using freely for decades. 

Gooding was unbending in his position that the corporation’s only concern was to make sure the application by The Synthesis Group, representing Sportt, was completed so it could be processed for approval. As for his promise during his recent inauguration that burgesses would be consulted before the corporation made its decisions, Gooding said the Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) that Sportt was yet to submit to the TPRC would take care of that.

“One of the documents we need from Synthesis is a CEC. This means they will be doing consultations. The granting of the CEC will mean the impact will not be unfavourable,” he added. Asked about the TPRC’s earlier lack of response to the Green Space Committee’s pleas for intervention, Gooding said the corporation received a letter from members on November 21 asking how it planned to respond to the project.

He said the TPRC was in the process of informing the committee that a stop order notice had been issued to Sportt to halt construction work until its application had been completed. He said the TPRC held a meeting with Sportt yesterday but he was not present, though CEO Beresford Ellies and the building inspector attended. “The meeting would have been held to clarify our requirement and the company would have agreed to get the necessary documents,” he said.

The Save Our Green Space Committee is satisfied with the stop order as an interim measure, member Vernon de Leon said yesterday. Trusting it was not just some kind of ritual, De Leon said according to information the committee had received, the contractors withdrew from fencing works in the main field but continue to work on the construction of a site office. “The office is part of the multi-sporting complex project and it appears they are still flouting the law. All works should be completely halted,” he said.

He said the TPRC still had not met with the committee and continued to treat members with contempt. “We asked for a copy of the stop order and were told to get it through the Freedom of Information Act, which will take 28 days. This is bewildering,” he added. De Leon said the committee was still pursuing its legal options on stopping  the project through the TPRC and the EMA. He added: “We wait with bated breath to see the outcome of all this.”

Asked the cost of the project, De Leon said Sport Minister Anil Roberts, before the project was made public, said it would cost $200 million but in an official statement later reduced the figure to $190 million.