Chairman of National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco) Herbert George has estimated the new highway from Sangre Grande to Toco is expected to cost taxpayers between $2 and $5 billion.

The highway, he said, is expected to significantly reduce the driving time of motorists in getting to the proposed Toco ferry port.

This was the figure George gave recently, as he gave details about the billion-dollar project, nine months after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley promised citizens of the north-eastern region a new Toco ferry port that would link them to Tobago and create economic activity.

Last November, Rowley said the Government was moving apace to develop the highways from Valencia to Toco and Cumuto to Manzanilla, as well as construct a ferry port in Toco, which would generate economic growth, jobs and opportunities for people who live in nearby communities.

George said while the extension of the Solomon Hochoy Highway to Point Fortin was a multi billion-dollar project, so too would be the highway leading to the port.

Asked what would be the estimated cost of this project, George said the figure was in the tune of billions.

“Not less than $2 billion and not more than $5 billion. That is what you are looking at.”

George regarded the project as the second largest for Nidco and the country.

“We have a local consultant firm Arun Buch and Associates Ltd doing the conceptual design. At the end of the day he would have to look at the location, prepare a design for the facility there, bearing in mind the employer’s brief. Butch’s work is expected to take three months to complete,” George said.

He said after consultants presents their design, Nidco would be provided with a cost and tenders would then go out.

“Tendering might be another two to three months.”

He said while the Prime Minister has a keen interest in getting the ferry port off the ground, George estimated that by April 2018 the project would begin with work completing in 18 month’s time.

“Yes, we are working with urgency. When the idea of the fast ferry port was spoken about, some work was done under the last PNM administration about eight or nine years ago. And of course that was just shelved,” George said.

Now that it has being brought back to the table, George said Nidco has undertaken some preliminary designs for a new highway to be built to Toco.

“We did some preliminary designs for the road which was costing taxpayers an arm and a leg. So we have to go back and see how we can tweak it and make it more affordable.”

George refused to say what was the figure Nidco was presented with.

He said Nidco was now considering using part of the existing Toco Main Road, while build a new strip of highway, which, when completed, would be 47 kilometres in length.

“The travel time would be 48 minutes (from Arima),” George said.

George said Nidco had also looked at another option of constructing a new highway from Sangre Grande to Toco totalling 42.6 kilometres, with driving time estimated at 35.3 minutes.

Currently motorists take approximately 90 minutes to get to Toco from Arima.

Would communities along the route be relocated when work gets underway?

“We intend to minimise that. That has it’s own difficulties. We have a route selected that does not require relocating people.”

He said that once Nidco is issued with a terms of reference from the Environmental Management Authority they would hold consultation at a later stage.

“So far, we have held meetings with two groups of people from the Toco end. They wanted to know how the new road will likely affect the existing properties.”

He said the residents were particularly concerned about one environmentally sensitive area, but its designers went around this location in planning the new route.

In giving an insight of the proposed route, George said work on the highway would start north of Ojoe Road in Sangre Grande.

“So there would be a link from there to new Valencia to Toco Road. From there is all the way up to Toco. That point is also tied back to the Churchill Roosevelt Highway.”

He said Nidco would also create access from the Valencia By Pass roundabout to the Ojoe Road.

“That part would not be of a highway quality. It would just be an upgraded section. So the real highway will be from Cumuto to Manzanilla to Ojoe Road. And from there you go up from Valencia to Toco.”

George said the creation of the port would link Trinidad to Tobago.

“If one has a port there. And one has better access to get to that port. First of all it would help ease with the traffic between Port-of-Spain and Toco. You can get on a ferry in Toco so it can cut down the travel time by so much. Once passengers arrive in Toco it would take them about 40 minutes to go from Toco to Tobago in a ferry.”

George said once the sea bridge problems are sorted out it would give the travelling public other options.

“What we would also be doing is opening that east/west corridor. Right now we talk as if the east/west ends in Sangre Grande. The access from there is just horrible. It takes people almost an hour in some cases even more than that to go from Valencia to Toco because the road is so narrow and circuitous,” George said.

Search parties were unsuccessful in their attempts yesterday to locate hiker Richard Baird who went missing on Saturday in the Aripo forest.

Baird, of Rousillac, a computer technician at Petrotrin, was last seen around 2.15 pm.

Baird, a frequent hiker was a first timer to Aripo and has a knee injury, his family told the T&T Guardian.

Relatives said they along with residents of the area and members of Island Hikers Club began searching around 5 am yesterday for Baird. The group were on a hike to the Aripo waterfalls.

Around 4 pm, teams from the Fire Service Search and Rescue and other arms of the National Security around 4 pm joined the search. The search was called off around 6 pm and expected to resume this morning.

In an unrelated incident, a Chaguanas man who went into the Blanchisseuse forest on Friday was found floating in the river near an area called Three Pools. According to police, Kimmel Robertson, of Falcon Avenue, Edinburgh 500, Chaguanas went into the forest around 4.30 pm and was found around 4 pm yesterday.

Police said Robertson, 26, was dressed only in his underwear when he went into the forest. Police said his body will be taken to the Forensic Science Centre, St James for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Members of the T&T Blind Welfare Association’s (TTBWA) San Fernando branch say that existing conditions at work could lead to their deaths.

The visually-impaired workers are calling on Social Development and Family Services Minister Cherrie-Ann Critchlow-Cockburn to hear their pleas.

Several handicraft workers, along with the All Trinidad General Workers’ Trade Union (ATGWU), protested outside the Association’s building along Coffee Street last Friday, calling for the removal of TTBWA CEO Kenneth Surrat.

Responding to the protest, however, branch manager Deonarine Ragoo said the workers were exaggerating the issues at the building and that most of the problems had been addressed.

However, ATGWU general secretary Rajindra Mohan said that T&T could have been mourning the death of 20 visually impaired citizens after smoke triggered the fire alarm last Monday and there was no sighted personnel to escort the workers out of the building.

Mohan said that in 2016, they complained of faulty electrical installations and had been assured that the problem would not reoccur.

But with the electrical panels burning last week, he said it appeared that management was incapable of addressing the issues. It was for this reason, the union called for Critchlow-Coburn’s intervention, as the TTBWA falls under her ministry.

“This week, there was an issue with the electrical installation and the integrity of same. This created a hazard for the visually impaired. We were also informed that upon the fire alarm being triggered, there was no one to escort the visually impaired out of the building. As far as we are informed, the threat was that there was smoke emanating from one of the panels as they were overheating.

“Therefore, the alarm would have been triggered and there was no one to escort them out. Again, these are the kind of situations we have on our hands and the T&T community on a whole could have been witnessing a scenario where you have about 20-odd people, visually impaired, who died because of the negligence of management.”

Branch president Alson Cruickshank said there were also plumbing issues in the washroom as well as the emergency gate was without a key.

At his office, Ragoo told reporters that while the panels were burnt a few weeks ago, leaving the building without electricity, an electrician has since repaired and replace the installation.

He said T&TEC had provided an inspection certificate and reconnected the power. He said while there was an overheating of a panel last Monday, there was no threat to the workers. He said based on the information by the fire officers, someone pulled the switch on the fire alarm. He provided quotations he received to replace plumbing fixtures but added that only one toilet from several in place was not functioning.

In a release, Surrat said that after the panel was damaged, the Association took the decision to send home employees with pay until a solution was found. He also warned employees that tampering with the fire alarm was an offence that is punishable by law.

​

Head of the Criminal Bar Association Senior Counsel Pamela Elder says the Government’s decision to return to the courts to get a solution to the 53 part-heard matters left by Marcia Ayers-Caesar is a “startling and shocking decision.”

And she is now calling on all attorneys to boycott the opening of the law term in September, saying “We cannot be parading the streets decked off in legal splendour and accused persons are languishing in prison. That is a mockery of our cherished values.”

Elder said the draft bill which Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi circulated last month “was an acknowledgement by the Attorney General that the existing legislation was deficient, in that it did not cater for such a situation.”

The draft legislation sought to expand the powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions and also give magistrates the power to continue with the preliminary enquiries. She said the issue which arises is “if the legislation is deficient, then what is there to be interpreted, what legislation requires interpretation?”

“What happens with the 53 matters? Are they to be continuously adjourned pending a decision of the High Court?” Elder asked.

Announcing the decision last week to take an Interpretation Summons to the court, Acting Attorney General Stuart Young acknowledged that the appeals can go straight to the Privy Council.

Elder said the question then is “how is this Interpretation Summons going to assist the 53 accused persons who are clamouring for an expeditious determination of their matters?”

As important in all of this, she said, is the question of how the problem arose in the first place.

“We have to deal with the people who caused the problem,” she said.

It is because of the ongoing mess, she said, that she will not be attending the opening of the law term next month because “it is a mockery, it is a farce. What will the CJ address us on?“

Elder said, “all attorneys concerned about the justice system should boycott that opening and the Chief Justice’s address.”

The outspoken head of the Criminal Bar Association said four months have elapsed since the mess first unravelled and “the suggested measure of the interpretation summons will only contribute to more delay, more frustration and worsen the situation of the accused. Common law requires that the matters must be restarted.”

She said her legal chambers represented four of the 53 matters, transcripts were provided as requested by the DPP, and he had taken a decision that one matter will be restarted. She said, “the DPP cannot exercise powers under the existing legislation and file an indictment because there is no definitive statement as to whether the former Chief Magistrate had resigned.”

The DPP, she said, cannot infer that when Ayers-Caesar was elevated she resigned “he must have definite word that she resigned.”

Elder said the mess created “is a blot on our criminal justice system and those responsible should hang their heads in shame.”

Senior Counsel Israel Khan said his personal position on the flip-flopping by the Government on the issue “is to be as wise as a serpent and humble as a dove and keep a still tongue.”

But he said he must speak out on the issue which has been allowed to fester for the past four months.

Khan said it does not matter how the court rules “these matters are now heading to the Privy Council which means a further delay of two years.”

This means, he said, that the accused persons will remain in “limbo” and will remain incarcerated, “the only person who will benefit from this approach is the Chief Justice because he will be off the hook for creating this aspect of the mess for at least two years.”

Khan said if the Chief Justice knew that Ayers-Caesar had “at least 27 matters,” which is what he publicly indicated that she told him and he recommended her appointment “it would have added reasons for an investigation as to whether he should be impeached.”

He has renewed his call for the DPP “to request that the police investigate to see whether there is criminal misconduct.”

On Thursday, Young revealed that based on independent advice from Senior Counsel the Cabinet had taken a decision to go to court with an Interpretation Summons, “where we will basically lay out the facts as we know it via an affidavit to the High Court.”

Senior Counsel Avory Sinanan said the government knew there would be no Opposition support for a Parliamentary solution to the problem “so they have thrown the mess back into the courts and they are really suggesting that the courts clean up its own mess now.”

Sinanan said the decision “would further delay the matters being heard since the subject matter, the 53 part-heard cases and who will deal with them and how they will be resolved, will be in court.”

He could not say whether a resolution would be found saying “we need to see what they are asking the court to do. I imagine what would be involved is an interpretation of legislation.”

At a meeting between Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar in mid-July, Persad-Bissessar rejected the proposal by the Prime Minister for a legislative resolution to the Ayers-Caesar debacle.

Opposition Senator Gerald Ramdeen said it appeared that the Government “pursues one particular course when one AG is sitting in the chair and another when Young is holding the position of AG. It seems as though the right hand of the government does not know what the left hand is doing and the head is doing nothing at all.”

Ramdeen said they were yet to see “what the government proposes to ask the court to interpret.” In addition, he said, Young did not indicate “who would be the parties that would participate in this proposed interpretation summons.”

More info

The uncertainty on how to resolve the 53 part-heard cases arose after the elevation of former Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar to the High Court bench on April 12.
Ayers-Caesar subsequently resigned after prisoners whose cases were left unfinished protested. Subsequently, two members of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission resigned— retired judges Roger Hamel-Smith and Humphrey Stollmeyer— after mounting calls by members of the legal fraternity for the resignation of the Chief Justice and members of the JLSC. The JLSC is the body which appointed judges and magistrates and is chaired by Chief Justice Ivor Archie. Ayers-Caesar is also challenging the revocation of her appointment as a judge.

The Prisons Officer’s Association has welcomed news that the facilities at the Golden Grove Remand Prison will be upgraded with an injection of $56.3 million.

Gerard Gordon, the secretary of the Association, says the decision made by Cabinet to upgrade the remand facility in Arouca was a step in the right direction.

At last Thursday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon said that Cabinet had approved $53.6 million for the upgrade at the prison which will focus on the construction of toilets in cells, a sewer and waste water treatment, plumbing, fire protection, electrical system, ventilation and the CCTV system.

“It is a step in the right direction. We are excited that the Government continues to do what is necessary to improve the conditions at the prison. Most of our facilities are over 200 years-old and no matter how you try to retrofit them there is only so much you can do with what the facilities presents,” he said.

Gordon said, however, some 1,000 plus inmates at the prison was another challenge.

“We know about the overcrowding and the challenges that present to the officers and the remandees and we look forward to having the work started and completed in the shortest possible time to that facility,” he said.

He said that every prison in the country was in need of refurbishment.

“They were doing work at the Maximum Security Prison. Some of it was completed...the last facility built is over 20 years old,” he said.

Gordon said the association understood the financial challenges of the Government and sooner or later they will be turning the sod at a brand new prison facility.

However, he said he was not given an opportunity to view all the plans and the upgrades.

“We don’t know what the plans are but the information was that there were talks on toilets, plumbing, ventilation but we don’t have details on the scope of work about the usage of the money,” he said.

Gordon said the Tobago Prison was in desperate need of attention.

“The Tobago Prison is desperately in need of repair and the current facility has outlived its usefulness and the infrastructure. It is not about holding individuals but it must provide an enabling environment with the rehabilitation of the offenders,” he said.

A Cuban refugee has threatened to sue the Immigration Division for his unlawful detention at the Immigration Detention Centre in Aripo since March.

In a pre-action protocol letter sent to acting Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews on Friday, attorneys representing Yoandri Avila Cruz called on the division to justify his lengthy detention.

Cruz’s lawyer Elena de Silva contended that his continued detention is unlawful. His lawyer has blamed the division’s delay in processing his application for refugee status for her client’s continued detention.

“Our client has been detained for the last five months, which we submit to be sufficient time to determine whether his application was either abusive or manifestly unfounded,” de Silva said in the letter, which was obtained by the T&T Guardian.

According to the letter, Cruz entered the country as a visitor on January 20 and was detained by the division on March 8, while in the process of applying for the special immigration status.

Cruz was granted an Asylum Seeker Certificate by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees while he was detained.

He was expected to present the certificate at a Special Immigration Inquiry which was scheduled for July 26 but was postponed to August 3. The day before the scheduled hearing, his attorneys were informed it was cancelled.

On August 4, his attorneys were informed that the division was processing his asylum application and was in the process of verifying his certificate.

Despite authenticating the certificate last Wednesday, Cruz was not released.

In her letter, de Silva said that the division’s internal immigration rules provided that an asylum seeker could only be detained of their refugee status appears to be “abusive or manifestly unfounded”, which was not the case with her client.

“In our considered view, our client’s arrest and continued detention remain unlawful, since no power to arrest existed at the time of his arrest and he was not given an opportunity to be heard promptly by a judicial or other authority. Additionally, the Immigration Division has failed to conduct and conclude a Special Inquiry within a reasonable time,” de Silva said.

She also complained of the conditions of the centre.

“Our instructions are that our client is suffering from various medical ailments and is being denied adequate medical attention,” she said.

In addition to immediately releasing Cruz, de Silva also called upon the division to provide reasons for the delay.

Cruz’s lawyers intend to seek the release of their client through an application in the High Court. Cruz is also being represented by Devvon Williams.

A silent protest outside of the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair may be the next best option for a group of concerned citizens seeking to get their message across over the ongoing sea bridge fiasco and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s appointment of sole investigator Christian Mouttet.

This latest contemplation was disclosed to the T&T Guardian on Friday by Kendal Bhaggy, one of two people who started an online petition to have Mouttet’s appointment revoked hours after Rowley made the announcement via a release last Tuesday.

Yesterday there were 445 signatures on the petition. Bhaggy along with Suzanne Louwe hope to reach 500 signatures before they deliver it to Rowley.

However, not sure the petition will be sufficient to get Rowley’s attention, Bhaggy said they are now contemplating engaging in the silent demonstration “to get the PM’s attention for sure.”

“We do not know if the petition will be sufficient to have the appointment of Mr Mouttet revoked but something had to be said and we used this medium to do so,” Bhaggy said.

“We expect that the PM would have the decency and sense of duty to honour the wishes of the people by way of utilising transparent measures to deal with this fiasco.”

Bhaggy said the PM has a responsibility to the people of T&T, as he was elected as Prime Minister to lead the country to provide answers and solutions to fix and help move T&T out of its current situation.

“Political parties come and go and yet we are still faced with the same mess, even more. He (Rowley) has disappointed us not only with this ferry fiasco but many others as well. This petition just shows the Government that we the citizens are watching and we won’t stand by to be taken advantage of any more,” Bhaggy said.

In the petition, Bhaggy pointed out to Rowley that the people do not believe the appointment of Mouttet is in the best interest of the country.

“Mouttet’s perceived affiliation to the PNM produces doubt in the minds of the people that this investigation will be for the purpose of getting to the truth behind the Bridgemans Services Group’s awarded contract,” Bhaggy wrote.

He suggested that the appointment of an independent forensic auditor should have been given the job instead of Mouttet.

Bhaggy said people believe there is a chance of a cover up and the Government should not have taken this route.

“We are calling on you to remove or revoke the appointment of Mr Mouttet and contract an independent forensic auditor to handle this investigation, in the best interest of the people and in the best interest of transparency. We do not support your decision to appoint Mouttet as the sole investigator and we make that abundantly clear by putting forward this petition,” Bhaggy outlined in the petition.

The parent of a two-year-old girl whose colon was ruptured after licks from a woman is scheduled to undergo another major surgery today at the Wendy Fitzwilliam Paediatric Hospital in Mt Hope.

Last Sunday, doctors had to perform an emergency operation on the toddler after she was punched in the stomach and back over a period of time by a close female friend of the family who lives in Diego Martin.

The toddler suffered a ruptured colon during the beating last Saturday and doctors had to work on her in a two-and-half hour operation.

Part of the child’s bowels also had gangrene.

Following the surgery, doctors were unable to stitch up the opening due to swelling around the child’s stomach and arteries.

Since then she has been warded in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) hooked up to life support.

The findings by the medical doctors prompted a full-scale investigation by the T&T Police Service’s Child Protection Unit (CPU). Since then CPU investigators have been visiting the ICU every day to get updates on the toddler’s condition.

Investigators are expected to receive a medical report from the hospital soon.

On Saturday, the Children’s Authority of T&T, condemned the brutal beating, stating that they were working with the police on the matter.

Yesterday, the 27-year-old mother of the toddler was in an upbeat spirit, stating that her daughter’s condition had improved a little.

“We went and see her in ICU today. She was up and aware of her surroundings. Most of the swelling around her stomach has gone down. She is looking much better. Every day we have been hearing from the doctors that our daughter could die. So seeing her condition changed for the better was a good sign. At least it brought a smile on our faces,” the mother said.

She said her daughter was not out of the woods yet, as she had to undergo another surgery today to close the opening in her stomach.

“We don’t know what time is the operation and how long it will take. The doctors have not spoken to us as yet. Tomorrow is nerves, stress and worries. We are just hoping that she pulls through this one because she has been through so much in the last few days. We are just keeping our fingers crossed and praying and asking God for everything to be okay,” the mother said.

An officer at the CPU said yesterday they were still conducting interviews and assured that a comprehensive investigation will be done.

Caribbean Airlines (CAL) says that it has increased its seat capacity to its domestic air bridge by over 40 per cent in the last six years.

According to a media release yesterday, the airline said it was working closely with stakeholders to continuously improve the management of the service. The operations of the air bridge are carefully planned and take into consideration high activity times like public holidays and special events.

Using this information, flights are scheduled and seats are made available in advance for booking by its customers.

CAL said it is consistently finding ways to improve service and appeals to the travelling 2public to ensure that they arrive at the airport in a timely manner for their confirmed flights, as late arrival impacts on-time performance. Caribbean Airlines encourages passengers travelling on the air bridge, to use confirmed bookings, to ensure a more seamless travel experience.

​

More info 

For the period 2011–2017 Caribbean Airlines passengers using the air bridge moved from 820,279 in 2011 to 1,151,424 in 2016.

The total number of passengers carried in 2011 was 682,008, increasing by over 39 per cent in 2016 to 948,731, the airline said.

From January 1–August 18, Caribbean Airlines operated 9,655 flights, provided 662,670 seats and carried 564, 974 passengers on the domestic service, with an on-time performance within 30 minutes of 85 per cent.

Number of no show passengers for the period March 24–July 31–98,340.

Number of standby passengers accommodated for the period January 1 –August 18- 111,974.

Estimated number of flights and seats forecasted for the period August 1–December 31–16,620 flights, 1,456,272 seats.

Police are investigating the murder of a Vincentian national nicknamed “Satan” who was found stabbed to death at his Matelot home on Saturday.

According to police reports, Fitzgerald Dasent, 59, was found dead by his stepson around 5.30 pm at his Samuel Street, home.

Police said they had no motive for the killing. Dasent, police said, migrated to T&T about 20 years ago.

In an unrelated incident, Grand Riviere resident Dane Charles is now warded in a critical condition at hospital after he was shot while liming at a bar on Saturday night in the district.

Police said around 8 pm Charles was approached by a gunman who shot him before running away.

Charles was at the bar for a Great Race party when he was shot.

Police suspect the shooting was due to an ongoing feud he had with the shooter.

Stakeholders will gather today to give Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley a first-hand account of how the three-month breakdown on the sea bridge has been affecting the transport of goods and services to Tobago.

Kay Trotman, President of the Tobago Unique Bed and Breakfast and Self-Catering Association hopes the Prime Minister will be ready to hear their plight of how badly they have been affected.

The meeting today, scheduled to take place at the Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort, Lowlands, at 2 pm, invited stakeholders to speak with the Prime Minister after the cancellation of the contract for the latest passenger ferry the Ocean Flower 2.

Passengers and people moving cargo have been experiencing problems since the departure of the MV Super Fast Galicia in April and procuring alternative vessels have run into problems.

“Last weekend was a busy time as it was the Great Race and I did not get one booking at my establishment. People have lost confidence in the transportation service between the islands. We are not sure what to expect in the meeting,” Trotman told the T&T Guardian by phone yesterday.

She said for years her association and other private sector organisations have been making recommendations on how to improve the sea bridge service but these have fallen on deaf ears.

Earlier this month, Tobago Hoteliers and Tourism Association president Chris James said the accommodation industry has lost $25 million in projected revenue. He also said members were finding it difficult to pay their bills since they could only do so when their occupancy rate was at 50 per cent. He said the occupancy rate had fallen steadily as a direct result of the inter-island ferry debacle.

Horace Ameade, President of the Inter-Isle Truckers and Traders Association told the T&T Guardian yesterday that he does not want to give details on what they intend to say at the meeting with the Prime Minister but did say that they need answers.

For the last few months, he has been complaining that the vessels between the Trinidad and Tobago are inadequate and that sector also reported loss of money.

Representatives of the Tobago Chamber of Commerce, the Tobago Hoteliers and Tourism Association, the Tobago Truckers Association and the Tobago Unique Bed and Breakfast and Self-Catering Association were among the organisations invited to attend the meeting.

The meeting follows Works Minister Rohan Sinanan’s announcement two weeks ago, that the contract for the Ocean Flower 2, procured from the Canada-based Bridgemans Service Group, was terminated after the company failed to deliver the vessel by an extended August 1 deadline.

An engineer’s report from the Port Authority revealed that the vessel had been plagued by technical problems after a sea trial in Panama.

TIMELINE

On April 21, the inter-island cargo ferry, the Super Fast Galicia made its last journey between Trinidad and Tobago after operating since 2014. The Works Minister had said that the owner of the vessel Trasmed had given two weeks notice before it terminated its contract.

The MV Transporter barge and the MV Provider vessel then replaced the Super Fast Galicia.

After months of searching, the Port Authority of T&T announced in late June that it had leased the passenger ferry the Ocean Flower 2 and the Cabo Star to replace the Super Fast Galicia on the sea bridge.

The Ocean Flower 2 never made it to Trinidad and the contract has since been cancelled, but the Cabo Star has been transporting cargo across the two islands.

In August, Sinanan assured that the termination of the contract for the Ocean Flower 2 would not affect the servicing of the inter-island sea bridge as the three vessels currently in use—the T&T Spirit, T&T Express and the Cabo Star are under passenger capacity.

In early August, the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago terminated the contract for the Ocean Flower 2 passenger ferry and the decision was taken after the supplier of the vessel failed to meet the delivery date within the extension period laid out in the contract. Last week, the Prime Minister appointed businessman Christian Mouttet, to probe the circumstances surrounding the procurement of the Ocean Flower 2 and Cabo Star. Mouttet has one month to deliver his report.

The two-year-old toddler who was punched violently by a woman and suffered a ruptured colon yesterday underwent her second surgery at the Wendy Fitzwilliam Paediatric Hospital in Mt Hope.

Following the 90-minute-long operation, the child’s parents said the surgery went well but they were warned by a team of doctors that the child’s life was still hanging in the balance.

“My daughter is still not in the clear. She is still critical and could face the risk of getting an infection at any time. I am calling on T&T to pray for her speedy recovery,” the mother said, as she broke down in tears yesterday during a telephone interview.

She said her daughter’s progress would be based on her will to survive and her daily progress.

“In the last two days, I have been seeing a fighting spirit in my little girl. She has shown that she is a fighter considering the situation she faced. She has a strong will to live which is a good sign. I have to give thanks to God for keeping her in safe hands,” the mother said.

Last Sunday, doctors had to perform an emergency operation on the toddler. However, the doctors were unable to stitch the opening due to swelling around the child’s stomach and arteries. The second operation was performed yesterday to close the opening.

The toddler suffered a ruptured colon during the beating last Saturday and doctors had to work on her in a two-and- a-half hour operation to save her life. Part of the child’s bowels also had gangrene.

Since then, the child has been warded at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the hospital hooked up to life support.

The findings by the medical doctors prompted a full-scale investigation by the T&T Police Service’s Child Protection Unit and the Children’s Authority of T&T.

Trinidadian Shane Crawford is on a United Nations Terrorism Sanctions List for his joining terrorists fighting for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis).

The Office of the Attorney General in a statement yesterday stated that the UN Security Council had established a committee referred to as ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee which imposed sanctions against Crawford on August 18.

Crawford, who also goes by the name Abu Sa’d a Trinidadi, appeared in an ISIS recruitment video last year where he called on Muslims in this country to commit acts of violence against “non-believers”.

Crawford, the release stated was listed following a proposal submitted by the T&T Government.

The AG, having obtained an order from the High Court of T&T on March 31, declared Crawford a listed entity and ordered that his funds be frozen pursuant to the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

In September 2015, there were no listings which reflected poorly in the 4th Round Mutual Evaluation of T&T by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force.

The Attorney General confirmed that other applications under the Anti-Terrorism Act are currently before the courts, and that further listings and other actions are under consideration.

“The addition of Crawford to the ISIL (Da’esh) & Al-Qaida Sanctions List is thus another significant step in T&T’s contribution to the fight against global terror,” the release stated.

Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a 26-year-old Jamaican national who has been reported missing last Wednesday.

Terron Omar Chambers, an electrician, was last seen at his Kelly Village, Caroni home. Nardeo Colari, one of Chambers’ friends, reported him missing to the Caroni Police Station.

Chambers is described as being of African descent, five feet, seven inches in height with a slim built and dark complexion.

He was last seen wearing a white T-Shirt, a pair of red knee length trousers and a pair of slippers.

Anyone with information can contact 555, 999, the nearest police station or the 800-TIPS.

Hundreds of people gathered on the San Fernando Hill on Monday to witness a little piece of history with a partial eclipse of the sun.

After witnessing the event shortly before 3 pm, Karishma Ramnath told the T&T Guardian “it was great, it looked like somebody took a bite out of the sun.”

The UWI student who wants to be an astrophysicist said it was a “one in a million opportunity,” and she was hoping that many citizens took advantage of the opportunity offered to view the eclipse at five venues across the country.

There were long lines for the five telescopes with solar filters set up on the hill, especially for the event.

But many people walked with their own devices. A small group of friends walked with what was perhaps the most innovative piece of paraphernalia to view the event, an x-ray sheet used in medical labs.

Sharon Burford, who came with her son Ryan, said she was “excited to be part of the historic event.”

Burford said she showed Ryan how to make a pinhole projector to view the eclipse safely. They used “a cornflakes box, white paper, tinfoil, tape and a scissors” to construct the device.

She said that the secret was to ensure “that the sun is behind you, look into the viewfinder and you will see the eclipse inside the box.”

Asked if this was safe given the warnings against looking at the eclipse with the bare eye, Burford said “Yes. It will project the image on to the back of the box so we can see it safely.” Others used welding glass to view the event.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Astro-Club Khyle Ramnath said the shade twelve welding glass was “safe to use.”

Ramnath said because this country only experienced a partial eclipse, it would not be as dark as in other countries.

Clouds covered the sky but it did not stop those gathered from witnessing the piece of history they had come to be part of.

Ramnath said the club wanted to ensure as many people as possible got the opportunity to experience the eclipse “we have set up five telescopes with solar filters and 100 solar glasses which adhere to NASA standards, of ISO 123/12/2 that is the safest recommended for you to use.”

Unfortunately, however, there were only 100 pairs and some people were forced to wait on the telescopes.

In an effort to ensure as many people got the opportunity to see the eclipse given the limited equipment available, the Astro club set up one of the telescopes to project its image on a flat-screen TV.

Some of the lucky viewers who were in possession of the solar glasses provided by the Astro Club to view the eclipse were allowed to keep them.

While Ramnath said this eclipse was only “64 per cent coverage of the sun,” a total eclipse of the sun will take place in 2045.

A woman who fell off a yacht during a trip Down-D-Islands on Saturday was rescued by T&T Coast Guard (TTCG) officers who were on patrol.

According to a release issued by the Coast Guard, the woman, whose identity was not released, was on a yacht near Canning Point located off Monos Islands, when she fell off unnoticed to the other occupants of the vessel. The incident occurred at about 8.10 pm.

Coast Guard officers on patrol noticed the woman clinging onto a buoy. They subsequently rescued the woman and took her to Staubles Bay, Chaguaramas, where she was examined by a doctor. The woman was said to be resting comfortably at her home.

In light of the incident, the Coast Guard has urged sea goers to exercise extreme caution while out at sea.

“The TTCG encourages citizens going to sea to be always vigilant and ensure that there are life jackets available for your use in case of emergency,” the release said.

A mechanic who cuffed his ex-wife in the eye and a construction worker who burst his ex-lover’s head with a beer bottle both appeared in court yesterday charged with assault by beating.

Marcus Ramdhan, 27, and Brent Bruce, 38, appeared separately, but in each case, they claimed the women had struck them first.

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, “San Fernando First Court Magistrate Alicia Chankar remarked when she was dealing with Bruce’s case.

According to facts in that matter read by prosecutor Cleyon Seedan, around 1 am on Saturday Vidwattee Rambalacksingh, 49, was standing in front KFC at La Pique Plaza, San Fernando when she was approached by Bruce and they began to argue.

During the argument, Bruce struck Rambalacksingh to the back of the head with a beer bottle, causing injuries. She was treated and discharged from the hospital and he was subsequently charged by WPC Rajkumar.

Bruce’s attorney Chantal Paul said the couple knew each other for a year and a half but on Wednesday, Bruce broke off the relationship. However, she said on Friday Rambalacksingh saw Bruce dancing with another woman at a nightclub and struck him several times.

Paul said, according to her instructions, they walked a short distance away to La Pique, Plaza, where the argument continued.

She said her client’s judgment was impaired by alcohol but he was willing to pay compensation and make an open apology in court. The two began squabbling in court with Rambalacksingh refusing to accept his apology. She claimed he abused her previously and she forgave him but she would not forgive him this time. She also claimed he had threatened to kill her and her family.

“A whole lot of blood come out of my head. I in a whole lot of pain,” she said, adding, “I was very kind in the whole relationship. I cook for him and give him money.” Rambalacksingh also denied hitting him.

The magistrate ordered him to pay a $2,000 fine and pay $500 in compensation. In default, he would serve two months in jail.

In the other matter, Ramdhan admitted he assaulted Seema Seenath, his former common-law-wife, at Diamond Village, San Fernando on Sunday. He claimed he confronted Seenath, 28 when he came home and found his television smart box missing and “everything” from inside a customer’s car he had been fixing on the road.

He claimed she accused him of being unfaithful and “just so she start to hit me and I hit she.”

Ramdhan, who began getting emotional, said his forehead was swollen from the blows. However, Seenath who had a swollen right eye, claimed she was holding their two-year-old child when he began choking her and they scrambled. He was charged by PC Bridgemohan.

The magistrate entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and granted him $10,000 bail. She warned them to stay away from each other but when it came to the child she advised them to deal with each other in a peaceful manner. The matter was adjourned to September 18.