Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has given the assurance that he will have no problem appearing before the Joint Select Committee currently looking into the procurement of the Ocean Flower 2 and Cabo Star vessel for the sea bridge.

Yesterday, JSC member Wade Mark called for an invitation to be sent to Rowley so he can have a say in the issues before them (the JSC).

During the sitting, Mark said for Rowley to have said that the procurement of the Ocean Flower 2 was not above board and may have been a crooked deal suggests he may have critical information. He then suggested JSC chairman Stephen Creese invite the PM to appear.

Contacted last night, Rowley said from day one when the parliamentary committee agreed to look into the matter he (Rowley) had made it clear that the Government will cooperate fully with the inquiry under the parliament.

He added that his position still stands.

"So now that the chairman or Mr. Wade Mark has made a request and the chairman acquiesced, I have no other position but to maintain the one that I had from the beginning, that the Government will cooperate fully with the inquiry," Rowley told Guardian Media.

"If I am invited to the inquiry I will cooperate fully. So now that it appears that the chairman indicated that he will try to have me appear before the commission, I can simply say I will cooperate fully with the inquiry."

Rowley said if any member of the House feels that his presence can help the committee, it is up to them to make that request and for them to justify it. He added that he looks forward to attending.

On August 21, Rowley, during a media conference after a meeting with stakeholders in Tobago, answered “Yes…my yes means a lot to me,” when asked if he was convinced something had gone drastically wrong and crooked in the Ocean Flower 2 transaction.

Yesterday, the question of who Bridgemans Services Group (BSG) made first contact to was posed to Port Authority board chairman Alison Lewis. She revealed that two letters were sent out by BSG, the first to the Ministry of Works and Transport and then another, “simultaneously sent to the Port Authority’s secretary.”

JENSEN LA VENDE

Former British High Commissioner to T&T Arthur Snell says the killing of retiree Dr. Claire Broadbridge can be tackled, but doing so requires the country to make sacrifices its seems unwilling to.

In a Facebook post in response to Broadbridge's killing yesterday, Snell stated: "If around five per cent of murders result in criminal convictions, murders will occur with horrific banality. Bandits robbing Claire killed her because they knew they’d never be caught and why take chances? Every little piece of support, capacity building and training the British government offered to help tackle this problem (in my time) was met with at best, limited enthusiasm at worst obstruction.

"The second thing is that society has to recognise its responsibilities at all levels. In a country where the wealthy pay very little tax and can ensure their children have a cosseted future whilst the poor face constant humiliation and belittling, where Sea Lots exists only hundreds of metres away from the Hyatt Hotel, anger and cynicism flourish like a malignant cancer. We have these inequality problems too in Britain, no doubt, but not at such damaging extremes. But the causes aren’t complex. They are banal, but tackling them requires sacrifices that T&T’s society does not appear to be prepared to make."

Broadbridge was one of 13 autopsies scheduled for yesterday by pathologist Dr. Valery Alexandrov, but only nine were done. His examination showed she was stabbed in the neck before collapsing and her throat slit from ear to ear by her attacker/s, who most likely used one of her kitchen knives to murder her.

The 80-year-old retired National Museum curator was murdered at her Fondes Amandes, St Ann’s home on Saturday evening. After killing her, her attacker/s attempted to torch her home by setting fire to furniture. It was that failed attempt at burning their tracks that alerted neighbours who called the Fire Service, who found the woman’s lifeless body in her bedroom.

In a telephone interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Alexandrov said Broadbridge most likely was backing away from her attacker/s when she was stabbed and eventually collapsed. It was then that her killer/s took the opportunity to slice the frail woman's throat. Alexandrov said she bled to death as the killer/s escaped.

Speaking to the media at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, yesterday, Broadbridge’s son Stephen complained about the lack of professionalism at the facility. He said he was initially told his mother’s autopsy and several others would not have been done due to manpower shortage, and called on the authorities to do what is needed so bereaved families should not have to suffer additionally as they seek to bring closure. (See page A14)

“We supposed to be helpful to families of murder victims and what they’ve decided to do here is make an already unpleasant situation even less pleasant. To me, it’s a national disgrace. It’s the first time I’ve ever been to the Forensic Centre and I am appalled and I think it’s an absolute disgrace.”

Regarding his mother's murder, he said: “The Government should pull out all stops when it deals with crime in T&T. But to me, not all the police stations are properly equipped. Unfortunately, I don’t think the politicians are ever serious. But we are a culture of tolerant people and I think we need to be less tolerant, more demanding, and less fearful. It seems that everyone is always afraid. As I said before, we need to grow some balls. We need to realise that this is our country and we need to take it back. This country doesn’t belong to the criminals, they are the minority we are the majority.”

Relatives of Broadbridge are yet to finalise her funeral arrangements.

After sympathising with the family of former museum director Dr Claire Broadbridge, a Central family themselves feel victims to T&T's runaway murder rate when their loved one, Ramdevi Singh, was found murdered in her living room yesterday.

Singh, 76, a mother of two and former customer service representative at Guardian Life, was enjoying her retirement, being active in her religion and part of a diabetes group. She was also caring for her husband Martin, who was recovering from two strokes.

When screams echoed along Imamshah Street, Chaguanas, around 3.30 am, neighbours said they thought it was from a nearby building which houses an apartment and a business. However, the occupants of the apartment, located opposite the Singhs, did not know about her death until more than six hours after her body was discovered.

Police said around 9 am, Martin, who cannot speak properly, went to the front gate and flagged down two public health workers. It was then the community was made aware of the horror that had unfolded at the home.

When Chaguanas police responded, they found the house ransacked and the nude body of Singh on the floor with injuries to the head and blood covering her face. Police said there appeared to be a piece of fabric around her neck and her was throat slit, but because of the heavy bleeding they were awaiting an autopsy today.

Martin was taken to the Chaguanas District Health Facility, as it is believed he was assaulted by the attacker/s.

Singh's brother, Sen Vishnu, said just yesterday morning he was agreeing with Broadbridge's son Stephen, who appealed to citizens to take back the country from criminals. Moments later, he got a phone call telling him to come to Singh's home as something terrible had happened.

“It was only when we arrived here we heard she was murdered, so it is very distressing for us to know what is happening in this country. Especially what happened in St Ann's recently and reading the papers this morning, Mr Broadbridge, the son of the deceased, said that we need to take the country back.

"Here we are again with another incident similar to what took place in St Ann's and it appears that crime has gone beyond correction," Vishnu said. (See page A14)

Police were not sure whether robbery was the motive, but neighbours said burglars have been seen jumping residents' walls in recent times. There was also no sign of forced entry to the house.

Businessmen in the area were also running scared yesterday, as they said criminals have been surveying the community. Dipchan Persad, owner of Passage to Asia Restaurant, located opposite the Singh's home, said they need more efforts from law enforcement agencies and parliamentarians.

"This lady was nice and everyone knew her family. This is a lady in her 70s and for this to happen it is really shocking," Persad said.

The sea bridge between Trinidad and Tobago is on the verge of collapse should the lone fast ferry passenger vessel, the T&T Express, go out of operation, as US$8 million is required to make the T&T Spirit fully operational again.

This was disclosed during yesterday’s Joint Select Committee investigating the procurement and maintenance of the inter-island ferries by Port Authority of T&T manager of the fast ferries, Michelle Scipio-Hosang.

In fact, what should have been a six-week period of dry-docking for the T&T Spirit has now been extended until late October or early November, according to Port Authority board chairman Alison Lewis.

The 20-year-old vessel went into dry-dock from June 1.

But the initial maintenance fee of US$3.2 million has now soared to US$8 million after major deficiencies were discovered, Scipio-Hosang said.

One of the issues will be having to cut the ship’s hull to get to the engine as parts have been severely damaged and in are need of replacement and/or refurbishment.

Lewis said mandatory dry-docking scheduling had not been followed for over a year on the vessel and this exacerbated the current problem.

She said maintenance was one of the major issues they (new PATT board) met when they came into office.

Lewis said they met the PATT in crisis and realised the authority had failed to fill several senior positions.

Scipio-Hosang said based on information coming to them it was clear that there were two dry-docking schedules that were missed.

“Some of the problems should have been addressed last year or the year before and because it was not addressed this is what is being experienced now,” Scipio-Hosang said.

Some of the major problems identified were engine and water jet issues.

“Spare parts for the engine will take three months for us to receive, which will cause a delay in the engine hull works. Some of the bearings are close to failure and if we put the vessel back into service in that condition it would cause further failure,” Scipio-Hosang said.

“In one of the engines it was discovered that the crankshaft failed and damaged from the failure, that is why the hull needs to be cut so that it would be removed and replaced,” she added.

Scipio-Hosang said out of the US$8 million projected to be spent on repairs, they should recover US$2.5 million via insurance.

Joint Select Committee member Franklin Khan yesterday described the former Port Authority of T&T (PATT) board under the chairmanship of Christine Sahadeo as being "dysfunctional."

Khan came to this conclusion after former PATT director Ferdie Ferreira told the committee, chaired by Stephen Creese, that Sahadeo told the board she was going to replace Leon Grant with Charmaine Lewis to act as PATT general manage, which he supported, since she was the most experienced and knowledgeable for the post.

But after nine days, Ferreira said Sahadeo recommended to the board that Lewis be removed without given a reason.

Ferreira said this move would not have looked good on the board's part and questions would have arisen.

"These are the things we ought to know why we end up in this position," Ferreira said.

But Sahadeo interjected, saying that the matter was inaccurately being reported by Ferreira.

"It is really sad that this has to come in the public domain," she said.

Sahadeo said eight divisional managers walked into one of their board meetings ahead of Lewis being appointed and demanded that she not be put in office. Sahadeo said since then many issues arose and felt it was neither the place nor time to discuss such.

But Ferreira tried to clear the air on the issue, saying there are 49 managers at PATT but only seven managers had invaded the board's meeting.

"I am seeing a level of dysfunctionality in that previous board. I am seeing a level of dysfunctionality in the management of the Port Authority, where if the board decided to put Charmaine Lewis to act, how many members of the management bombards the board and say they are not in agreement. There is absolutely no discipline, no governance....no anything with that Port Authority. No wonder why the vessels are not maintained. It's a whole mish-mash of foolishness going on there."

Khan said the dysfunctionality that existed was "untenable."

Sahadeo was also asked if she wrote to the line minister recommending that the contract of the Galicia be renewed.

"What we recommended was that if the renewal had to be pursued, first we brought to the minister's attention what were some of the issue and concerns. And further, we indicated that if in fact we were renewing the contract there would have been an associated dredging cost.

"At that time that was $49 million. So we indicated if we are going to continue operating the Galicia, really the dredging would have had to be undertaken," Sahadeo said.

Khan queried from Sahadeo if the board instructed management to go out for a tender for a vessel with specific specifications.

"And then those specifications, unknowing to the board, was deliberately altered. That is ground for serious disciplinary action. And if you agree with that, why you did not proceed along those lines?"

Sahadeo said the first tender that went out did not come to the board, while the second tender was brought to their attention.

"It came back to the board just asking for a round robin to approve," Sahadeo said.

In perusing the technical specifications, Sahadeo said she picked up the differences from the original document.

Khan asked if the board gave specific instructions "with specifications to go out for tender and then management, whosoever that may be you are saying deliberately changed the specifications unknowing to the board. That is grounds for serious disciplinary action," Khan again stressed.

"It did not go out, it came back to the board for approval of the tender with revised specifications. It is at that point in time questions were asked on what basis were these specifications changes," Sahadeo explained.

The first day in the school term brought chaos and traffic in Iere Village yesterday, as villagers and taxi drivers blocked the road with burning debris to protest the bad road conditions.

The police tried clearing the debris but defiant villagers kept dragging the debris back into the road during the course of the day.

School children were among scores of commuters who got caught up in traffic along the Naparima Mayaro Main Road, which runs from San Fernando to Mayaro.

The protest started off as a silent one by Main Road/Palmyra taxi drivers who parked their cars on the side of the road, but they were joined by villagers around 8 am and a decision was taken to block the road.

President of the Main Road/Palmyra Taxi Drivers' Association, Joseph Badree, said this was the end result of empty

promises to fix the road.

Badree said, "We have been complaining on numerous occasions. We complained to the last administration and this administration. We met the MP and councillor and we tried to have a meeting with the Minister of Works, but he is playing a cat and mouse game with us. About two weeks ago we were supposed to have a meeting with him, organised through the MP Rodney Charles. It was supposed to be on the Wednesday, it was adjourned to the Saturday and he still did not turn up."

He added, "The road is very bad. It is costing us a lot of money to repair our vehicles. We started off as a peaceful protest but then the villagers came out. They are suffering just as much as we are, they have vehicles too. When they realise the media houses not coming they decided to block the road. It cause a lot of hiccups with vehicles turning around."

Joseph has given the ministry a week deadline to fix the road or face more intense protect action.

Attempts to reach Charles and Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan were unsuccessful yesterday as they did not answer their cell phones.

At just five years old, Khaleesi Webb has had so much to deal with. From being born with spina bifida to being rejected by three primary schools, life has been a headache for Khaleesi and her family.

But life got a little better yesterday when Khaleesi kissed her mother Kerisha Crawford Webb and father Rafael Webb goodbye and pushed her walker into class on her first day at the Penal/Quinam Government Primary School.

Despite her mobility impairment, the smile never left her face as she met her classmates and teachers who welcomed her into the school.

Describing her feeling as ecstatic, Crawford-Webb thanked the T&T Guardian for highlighting Khaleesi's woes in getting enrolled into a primary school.

"I feel very happy that she got into a school. Hopefully I don’t have to transfer her because of the transport situation. If it comes to that, I will have to do it, but then it will be a next problem to get her into another school. Other than that, I am very happy. She is excited, very excited," Crawford-Webb said.

Back in May, Crawford-Webb had visited the T&T Guardian worried that her child would be denied a fair chance at an education. The Charleau Village, Penal mother had applied to the Dayanand Memorial Vedic School, St Brigid's Girl's RC and Tulsa Trace Hindu Primary School, but was denied by all without explanations. Within days of the story being published, Education Minister Anthony Garcia made arrangements for Khaleesi to attend the Penal/Quinam Government Primary School, which was designed to accommodate students with physical disabilities like Khaleesi.

However, there are still problems for the Webbs as transportation arrangements are still to be settled. Crawford-Webb said the bus service to the school has rejected Khaleesi.

She said the principal gave her the number for a bus driver, but when she called she was told there was no space for Khaleesi.

"It’s frustrating, they just don’t have any sort of humanity at all. Seeing that all of us are humans, not because one person was born differently it means you should just blatantly dismiss them like that because they are not the same as you."

Spina bifida is a birth defect in which someone has an opening in their spine. This results in damaged nerves in the spinal cord and creates a communication barrier between the brain and muscles.

Education Minister Anthony Garcia had promised all schools would be open on the first day, but yesterday the Princes Town East Secondary school remained open for all of two hours.

It was not long after parents dropped off their children at the school that they were called to pick them up because of a non-functioning air-conditioning system.

The school has been having ongoing problems with the system, which also caused it to be shut down for a month in 2014.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity yesterday, a parent said when they went to orientation at the school last Friday the air-conditioning system was also not working.

"There was no AC in the classroom on Friday and in the whole school. It was very hot. The windows could open but no air was coming in because of how the school was built.

"We did a walk through (the school) and it was extremely hot. It was unbearable. The orientation did not last longer than an hour. But I thought this problem would be been rectified for school today (yesterday)."

She said she still dropped her son off yesterday thinking that there would be no problems.

"Around 9.30 am or 10 am my son called me and told me I would have to come to pick him up," said the parent.

When she inquired when the problem will be fixed and whether to send her child to school today, she did not get any answers.

"On Friday we saw a whole set of wires bulging out the wall and not secured. It seems as though there is a lot of repairs still to be done at the school," said the mother, adding she was disappointed the necessary repairs were not done before school opened.

Contacted Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) president Lynsley Doodhai said they were extremely disappointed the classes were dismissed.

"Since last week the association was aware that the air-conditioning system was not operational and we drew this attention of the Ministry of Education in a meeting last Friday. Nothing was done over the weekend to rectify this problem."

He said TTUTA has advised the teachers not to report to school if the system is not working. Lamenting that the problem has been going on for years, he called on the ministry to rectify the problem so the teaching and learning process will not be further comprised.

Attempts to reach the ministry's corporate communications officers for a comment yesterday were unsuccessful.

The sister of a businesswoman who was badly burnt when she tried to save books from a fire at her home and book store is appealing for donations of O-negative blood.

Moraan Norman, of Norman Junction, Gasparillo, said since the fire on August 3 her sister Merlyn Mohammed, 60, has been warded at the Burns Unit of the San Fernando General Hospital.

"It is difficult to get O-negative blood. I don't think I could get that without money and honestly I don't have money to pay," she said.

"She needs the blood because she is very weak and the burns are to the whole of the back, arms and her stomach. It is third degree burns."

Norman said she was not told how many pints of blood her sister needs.

"What they want to do is all the dead skin on her back they want to take it out. They want to use skin from her thigh but they cannot do it without blood," she said.

It was around 3.30 am when fire broke out at the house located at the corner of Feeling and Rushworth Streets in San Fernando. The house was built in the 1900s and Mohammed was renting the premises to a few tenants. She also had a collection of old books there for sale.

No one else was injured in the fire. An eyewitness said he saw Mohammed pulling books out of her burning home.

Norman suspects the fire was deliberately set and is concerned about the police investigation into the matter.

"I went to the police station because I know in my heart someone burn down that place. The police told me there is a video tape of the incident, but they did not explain to me who has it or where it is."

Norman believes her sister's house was burnt because she refused to sell it.

"I would like to find out who did this and why," she said.

Police said the matter is still under investigation.

Thousands of students using the maxi-taxis for school in south and east Trinidad were affected yesterday as the Association of School Maxi Transport Concessionaires of T&T stayed away from duty.

Association president Rodney Ramlogan said the drivers will continue to stay away from work until they are paid in full by the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC), adding drivers carry some 36,000 students to school across the country.

Yesterday, some 350 drivers stay away from duty claiming they were paid for just one week out of four months.

Drivers from Matelot, Mayaro, Icacos, Cedros, central Trinidad, Penal and Barrackpore stayed away from work.

"The majority of the workers did not show up for work and stood in solidarity. Some of the students found their way and travelled and I took my vehicle to drive my children to school," Ramlogan said.

Ramlogan said he did not agree with Education Minister Anthony Garcia's statement that the association was "holding the children to ransom."

"The safety of the children is at stake and he is holding our children at ransom. We couldn't buy their books or pay for maintenance or insurance of the vehicles," he said.

"We will not accept no part or two instalments. He (Garcia) came out and said he would straighten the issue. We gave him time and he made one week payment. Until we get all the money in the account or in the bank we are prepared not to come out to work and we can't take chances with their (children) lives."

Ramlogan said education was important and the Government should take that as an important issue.

"The Government should understand education is important and the Government is supposed to understand and we should not be compromising," he said.

Attempts to contact PTSC manager-marketing and communications Carl Ramdeo were unsuccessful yesterday.

Meanwhile, TTUTA president Lynsley Doodhai said several teachers returned home after showing up for duty yesterday. He said several schools were not in the best condition as there were ongoing repairs at a number of them.

"We are monitoring what is going on to get the complete picture. Schools had to close and the teachers did not get the best conditions going and some repairs were ongoing," he said.

A release from TTUTA said 62 out of 142 earmarked are still to be completed although these schools reopened yesterday.

Also commenting on the issue yesterday was National Parent/Teacher Association president Zena Ramatali, who called on the Government to release the necessary funds to pay the stakeholders.

"It is my concern for these children who are eagerly looking for their first day and how would they feel this morning. I am calling on all authorities to release the funds so the children can have a quality education," she said.

She said the NPTA was concerned over how the ongoing situation would impact the students in future.

She repairs to schools in several districts was also an issue.

"There were areas at schools where they were being repaired on Saturday and Sunday and we have stated a decade or two now that these repairs should have been done long before," she said.

TTUTA's trouble list:

Princes Town East Secondary

Hockett Baptist Primary

Longdenville Presbyterian Primary

St Phillips Government Primary

San Fernando Central Secondary

School for the Blind

Valencia Secondary

Malabar Government Primary

Cedros Anglican Primary

A Carapichaima man accused of kidnapping and robbing a 17-year-old student has been denied bail.

Daniel Spencer, 25, was not called upon to plead to the indictable charges when he appeared before San Fernando First Court Magistrate Christine Charles. It is alleged that on August 22 he and another person kidnapped the student at Bonne Aventure Road, Gasparillo, and took her to an area where he robbed her of her $200 cell phone, personal documents, a $250 silver chain and pendent and $21.

Spencer was arrested and charged by WPC Blake.

Attorney Chantal Paul, who held for Spencer's attorney, Frank Gittens, in her bail application admitted the accused had cases pending in court. She said Spencer, a welder, is unemployed because of a gunshot wound to his left and had also lost sight in his right eye as a result of that shooting incident.

However, prosecutor Cleyon Seedan objected to bail on the grounds that Spencer has two 2016 charges pending for possession of a firearm and ammunition and a warrant was taken out for his arrest because he missed a court date at the Chaguanas Magistrates Court on a 2015 wounding charge.

Spencer was remanded in custody and the magistrate advised him of his right to apply to a judge in chambers for bail. The case was adjourned to September 21, but Spencer has to appear before a Chaguanas magistrate on Wednesday for failing to appear in that court for his wounding matter.

Paul also appeared for Keston Cross, 32, a time keeper, of Marabella, who pleaded not guilty on a house breaking charge. The offence allegedly took place on July 27 at Marabella.

Magistrate Charles granted Cross $50,000 approval bail with a cash bail alternative of $10,000. He has to return to court on September 29.

Education Minister Anthony Garcia yesterday reiterated that schools were in a state of readiness although several teachers walked off the job amid claims made by the T&T Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) that repair work was not completed at several schools.

Garcia made the comment during a press conference dealing with the opening of the new school year at the ministry's St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain head office.

"Our interpretation of readiness is based on information received from professionals in the field, where students and teachers can operate in an environment. I am pleased to state categorically, every school was in a state of readiness to receive our children. I consider this a major achievement contrary to what is being said today," he said, noting statements were being about the situation by politicians bent on scoring political points.

He said information given out last week by a ministry official to TTUTA would be dealt with internally.

"A senior officer who met with TTUTA last week inadvertently gave information that was inaccurate," he said.

Asked how the officer came to give TTUTA inaccurate information, Garcia said: "This is a matter that would be dealt with internally. We are not in competition with TTUTA, which is a valuable stakeholder in the education system, because we can't do it alone. We respect the role they have been playing in the education system."

Garcia admitted, however, that several schools in the system were over 100 years old and needed ongoing repairs.

On the teachers who walked off the job yesterday, Garcia said they would have done so in accordance with the OSHA Act.

On the protest yesterday by the Association of School Maxi Transport Concessionaires of T&T, Garcia said members would be paid a total of $12 million by the end of the week.

"I want to make the point that this ministry recognises the role they have been playing and PTSC had paid one million in part payment. Today we made available $6 million, which is in excess $7 million," he said.

However, Garcia said there should be an investigation into ghost gangs or ghost maxi-taxi drivers who were being paid although they were providing no service. He said this problem was brought to his attention in a recent conversation by a senior member of the association.

"I am not casting aspersions on anybody. Ghost gangs and workers seem to be a thing," he said, adding he was warned prior to the protest yesterday and attempted to rectify the problem on Sunday night.

He said 24 schools were affected by the drivers' protest yesterday but several of the drivers made double trips.

"We must not use our children as pawns and I make strong objection to making us use our children as pawns," he said.

Stacey Baron, president of the National Schools Dietary Services Limited, who was also present, said some $20 million owed to caterers for the month of June would be released by the end of this week.

Abortion is illegal in T&T under the Offences Against The Person Act. The law states that a pregnant woman who "with intent to procure her own miscarriage, unlawfully administers to herself any poison or other noxious thing or unlawfully uses any instrument or other means whatsoever with the like intent is liable to four years in prison."

However, there are reports that some local pharmacies are dispensing a drug that can help women abort their babies. Misopostol, also known as Cytotec, is prescribed for stomach ulcers but also has an off-label abortion use.

Guardian Media investigations led to a pharmacy in St. James where the drug was sold to an anonymous source for $240. The woman said she had no difficulty purchasing the drug without a prescription. She simply went into the pharmacy, called a worker to the side and asked for the drug.

The source said the woman, who did not appear to be a pharmacist, told her how to use the drug, assuming it was for an abortion and warned her about the dangers.

Andrew Rahaman, president of the Pharmacy Board of T&T, admitted that he is aware some pharmacies are dispensing Misoprostol (Cytotec) without a prescription but said such occurrences are rare. He said the drug is too dangerous to be used without the input of a doctor.

Rahaman believes pharmacies dispense the drug because it is not accounted for by the Chemistry, Food and Drug Division creating a loophole for pharmacies to make extra money. He said pharmacies caught dispensing Misoprostol (Cytotec) can be written up for professional misconduct and negligence in accordance with the Pharmacy Board Act.

The Act says an employee of a pharmacy who dispenses drugs without a prescription is liable to a fine of $5000, or up to one year in prision for their first offence. The fine doubles from the second offence.

Contacted for comment, medical practititioner Dr. Varma Deyalsingh warned that dispensing the drug is dangerous since Misoprostol (Cytotec) can cause an incomplete abortion which can lead to an infection or even death.

He said he is concerned about young girls obtaining the drug as a way to hide a pregnancy since they might take the drug incorrectly and in fear of anyone finding out stay silent and bleed to death.

Health Terrence Deyalsingh said the issue is out of his jurisdiction and directed Guardian Media to Rahaman who said he is taking stricter measures to prevent such irregularities in the industry.

The conduct of former Port Authority of T&T (PATT) chairman Christine Sahadeo came under fire yesterday before a Joint Select Committee (JSC) seeking to unearth answers in the award of an 18-month contract to the Super Fast Galicia.

Speaking before the JSC chaired by Stephen Creese at the J. Hamilton Maurice Room, Tower D, Port-of-Spain, by People’s National Movement stalwart Ferdie Ferreira, who served as a director under Sahadeo’s stewardship, openly attacked Sahadeo’s stewardship and the manner in which she handled the extension of a contract for the Super Fast Galicia to operate on the sea bridge.

Asked by member Wade Mark if the former board had recommended the continuation of the Galicia on the sea bridge, Ferdinand admitted he was instrumental in getting rid of Bay Ferries, who were being paid US$7 million annually by PATT to manage the sea bridge service. Ferreira said he was so annoyed he took the matter to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to get Bay Ferries removed.

He said the one complaint they faced with the Galicia was that it could not berth where it was supposed to because the basin was filled with silt and had to be dredged, but Cabinet did not have money to undertake such an excise.

Ferreira said he subsequently discovered Cabinet did not approved the 18-month contract of the Galicia, which resulted in a month-to-month arrangement with its agent Intercontinental Limited.

In March, Ferreira said he was “informed by a very powerful person in the Government that they are going to have an emergency Cabinet meeting on Sunday and they were going to move the whole board.”

The same day, Ferreira said the other directors took the decision to collectively resign at 10.30 pm, which was unprecedented. In less than 24 hours, Ferreira said a new board was constituted.

“We were not even aware that the chairman, who speaks with authority, that the chairman resigned. We picked it up by the grapevine. The minister (Rohan Sinanan) said we submitted our resignations. We were constructively dismissed.”

Ferreira said he was also unaware as a director that Capt Alfred Mc Millan, of Magellan Maritime Services, was asked by Sahadeo to do an investigation into the Galicia and make recommendations outside of the tendering process.

“This is the background to the confusion.”

Ferreira said he wrote the “minister and Prime Minister about the questionable conduct of the chairman at board meetings. As a matter of fact, there is an incident in which incorrect minutes was sent to the minister initialled by the chairman.”

Mark asked Ferreira if he had any knowledge that the Galicia’s contract was riddled with corruption, to which he replied that they met the “contract there” on recommendations of the technocrats. He said the contract would have given the board enough time to examine all options.

“Where it fell down I am in no position to say.”

While maintaining the board did a lot of hard work, Sahadeo said some decisions took too long to be confirmed or made.

Mark drew to Sahadeo’s attention a letter dated June 7, 2016, addressed to former Works and Transport minister Fitzgerald Hinds, which was signed by acting T&T Inter-island company CEO Leon Grant and headlined “Conduct of Chairman.” Sahadeo insisted she was unaware of it, but maintained her board was “fractured” during her tenure.

Mark said Grant had asked Hinds to intervene and take action against Sahadeo, since he felt he was being denuded of his power to carry out his responsibilities.

“On one hand, in this letter, it is stated that at meetings held on March 16, 2016 and April 8, 2016 at the Ministry of Works and Transport, with regards to the replacement of a passenger cargo Roro vessel, management unanimously on both occasions recommended the renewal of the Super Fast Galicia ... in this same correspondence serious damaging allegations are made against the chairman in terms of your attempt to frustrate the efforts of the management…to the point that you are accused literally of hijacking the management of the operations of that organization,” Mark said.

Mark said a decision was taken to extend the life of the Galicia by 18 months, which was unanimously approved by management and the minister through his permanent secretary.

“Yet still, this letter is saying that the former chairman went behind the back of the management and had conversations aimed at frustrating the efforts of this decision. Now these are very serious matters. I’m asking the former chairman if she can clarify for the public record these serious allegations made in the letter of Mr Grant.”

Again, Sahadeo insisted she had not seen such a letter, nor was it brought to her attention by Hinds. She said she had a responsibility as chairman to deal with the procurement issue, adding there were grave errors which she had to intercede in and bring them to the new minister’s attention.

She said the board approved a certain specification and they were asked to approve tender for totally “different specifications.” Those specifications, Sahadeo said, would have cost T&T phenomenal amounts of money.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados— A potentially catastrophic Category 5 Hurricane Irma is bearing down on the Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds that have now reached 180 miles per hour, and it will move dangerously near or over portions of the island chain.

At 11 am yesterday, Irma was about 225 miles east of Antigua and 230 miles east southeast of Barbuda, and moving towards the west at 14 miles per hour.

That general motion is expected to continue, followed by a turn toward the west northwest tonight. Forecasters say any delay in that shift could see Irma moving directly over the Leeward Islands as the strongest to hit the area since Lenny in 1999.

“On the forecast track, the extremely dangerous core of Irma is forecast to move over portions of the northern Leeward Islands tonight and early Wednesday…Irma is a an extremely dangerous category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely during the next day or two, but Irma is forecast to remain a powerful category 4 or 5 hurricane during the next couple of days,” the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) in Miami said.

Destructive winds, capable of widespread tree damage, power outages, and structural damage can be expected. Storm-surge flooding, high surf and rip currents will also be dangers, and heavy rain could contribute to flooding and mudslides, as well.

Based on wind speed, Irma is the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Wilma in 2005 which had maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour. And, according to hurricane expert Dr. Phil Klotzbach from Colorado State University, it is only the 17th Atlantic hurricane to have maximum sustained winds of 175 miles per hour or greater.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from Irma’s centre, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 160 miles.

Timing for Potential Impact of Hurricane Irma

° Leeward Islands: Late Tuesday-Wednesday

° Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands: Wednesday- early Thursday

° Dominican Republic/Haiti: Thursday- early Friday

° Turks and Caicos: Late Thursday-Friday

° Bahamas: Friday-this weekend

° Cuba: Friday-this weekend

New hurricane watches have been issued for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas, including the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana, and the Ragged Islands; as well as the north coast of Haiti from the border of the Dominican Republic westward to Le Mole St. Nicholas. A tropical storm watch has also been issued from south of Le Mole St. Nicholas to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.

While members of the Defence Force maintain that their fallen comrade, Lance Corporal Marcus Gay and Corporal Marc Blunt were on surveillance duty at a wake in Princes Town when they were shot, residents are contending the soldiers were there to execute a hit.

Residents in fact told the T&T Guardian yesterday that they were preparing for a battle with soldiers after their lives were allegedly threatened. They called for an investigation into the soldiers' conduct, claiming they were hired hit men and the regiment was trying to cover up the fact that the army went into a private residence where they shot and critically wounded innocent mourners.

Police reported that around 11.15 pm on Monday, St Mary's officers responded to a report of a shooting in Fifth Company, in an area known as Dougla City. On arrival the officers found Blunt lying on the roadway with gunshot wounds to his leg and Gay suffering with gunshot wounds on the side of an unfinished house.

Officers also found Victor Brown, 30, with a gunshot wound to his head and his brother Vincent, 26, with a wound to his chest. The brothers were attending their mother Angela Willie’s wake. Willie died last Saturday of a heart attack. Another resident, Gerard Graham, suffered a gunshot wound to his hand and church member Renrick St Clair was shot in his leg. The Browns were taken to the Princes Town District Health Facility (PTDHF) by their brothers while the soldiers were picked up by their colleagues. Graham and Renwick were transported by an ambulance.

Gay was pronounced dead at the PTDHF while the others were transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital.

T&T Regiment public affairs officer Captain Cleavon Dillon said in a media release yesterday that they were ready to assist the police investigation. Efforts to ascertain why the men were there from Dillon and Defence Force senior public affair officer, Flight Lieutenant Monique Sprott, were unsuccessful.

But a Defence Force member said Gay and Blunt were part of the army’s intelligence unit who, from time to time, would assist the police. Police confirmed one of the victims was a suspect in a murder and a recent chopping in Princes Town among other crimes. Knowing the suspect was related to Willie, the officers said they suspected he would have come out of hiding to attend the wake. Blunt and Gay had communicated with investigating officers before going to locate the suspect. However, it is believed their cover was blown resulting in a gunfight.

A 29-year-old St Mary’s man is believed to be the main suspect in Monday night’s shooting.

Residents fear for lives

As crime scene investigators scoured the area for evidence yesterday, residents waited patiently for the soldiers to return.

Residents said following the shooting Blunt contacted his colleagues for help. They said when police pulled up on the roadside and trained their guns at Blunt, he raised his hands and told them he was a soldier. However, they said two soldiers then got out of the vehicle and started to threaten the residents. Within five minutes, a vehicle with approximately 10 soldiers arrived and they threatened to kill everyone unless they surrendered Gay’s gun that was taken while he lay bleeding. One resident, whose vehicle was damaged by gunshots, was allegedly told a soldier that he and his family would be wiped out.

The residents said one of the Brown brothers was accused of a recent chopping in Princes Town. The victims had vowed to pay someone to carry out a hit. They said when Gay and Blunt came on the scene they specifically asked for one of the Brown brothers. After that, the shooting erupted and a friend of the Browns drew his firearm in self defence.

The Browns’ younger brother Isaiah Gibson said the soldiers did not come to investigate as they allegedly just started shooting at the mourners.

“This was the second to last night of wake for my mother. They walked straight up in the wake and started to shoot. All here had people. It was full of people and the funeral was supposed to be tomorrow, but they put it off until Thursday,” Gibson said.

He said he did not know who picked up the gun, but another resident said it was one of the mourners who took it from Gay after the soldier allegedly shot Victor in his head.

A 28-year-old Aranguez, San Juan mechanic is planning to sue the State after he was detained and interrogated by police for almost 24 hours in connection with his marriage to his 17-year-old girlfriend.

Police had initially held Mitchum Deosingh on Monday but were forced to release him yesterday afternoon after his attorney, Nikolas Ali, pointed out his marriage to the minor was legal as the Miscellaneous Provisions (Marriage) Act is yet to be be proclaimed.

Investigators are also now seeking the public's assistance in locating his wife, who went missing on August 27 after the issue with their marriage was raised by police and her relatives.

Checks on the Parliament's website yesterday afternoon revealed that Ali was correct, as it stated the legislation was still "awaiting proclamation."

The legislation, which raised the age of consent for marriage to 18, was passed by Parliament in June and received assent from President Anthony Carmona. However it can only take effect after proclamation.

In a brief telephone interview, Ali said: "We have intentions of fighting a case for unlawful arrest because at the end of the day he did not commit any offence."

Ali also called on Carmona and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi to clarify the uncertainty over the proclamation of the legislation introduced to tackle the controversial issue of child marriage. He noted that until the legislation is proclaimed people like his client could be legally married under the Hindu, Muslim or Orisha marriage laws but also be in breach of offences against a child under the Children's Act.

"It is an interesting point because it is causing confusion with the police and the legal fraternity," Ali said.

Contacted yesterday to shed light on the issue, protocol officer for the Office of the President Theron Boodhan advised the T&T Guardian to send the query on the proclamation via email.

However, he stated: "Let me put it this way, anything dealing with proclamation that comes to the President is dealt with very swiftly. If there is some kind of delay, it is someone else holding it up."

No response to the email request had been received up to late yesterday.

In a brief telephone interview yesterday, however, Al-Rawi said the proclamation would take place shortly.

"The proclamation is just awaiting the finalisation of the forms which Parliamentary Council and Registrar General has just provided. The issue will then go to Cabinet for its consideration," he said.

In a interview yesterday, Deosingh explained that he met his wife in December last year and they decided to get married after a seven-month relationship.

"We met in Christmas last year. Since then every single day we there together, so we end up falling in love," Deosingh said.

The couple allegedly told his wife's relatives of their plans but they were strongly opposed to it.

"They probably wanted a doctor for her but I'm just a mechanic," Deosingh said, as he noted her family was not initially opposed to the relationship despite their age difference.

On August 23 the couple eloped after the assistance of a pundit from Bamboo Settlement and in the presence of two witness. Deosingh said several days after the ceremony he and his wife went to the Barataria Police Station to seek assistance in retrieving her clothes and personal items from her home.

"We went to police station with a letter from a Justice of the Peace stating that she left home on her own free will. We tell police we legally married under Hindu rights and we would like for somebody to go with us to collect her stuff," Deosingh said.

He said officers of the Child Protection Unit intervened and questioned the validity of their marriage. They later returned his wife to her relatives, but did not arrest Deosingh until this week. Deosingh's wife went missing the following day and is yet to be found.

"I know she would be safe, she probably somewhere just relaxing or something. I want her come back home because I love her and that is my wife," he said.

Commenting on the minor's disappearance, Deosingh's attorney questioned whether the issue with the legislation would cause further confusion when she is eventually found or returns home.

"She is 17, but she is legally married. If she were to come into the station what would be the case? Is it that relatives can take her home because she is not yet 18?" Ali asked.

The Port Authority of T&T board would have preferred more time to obtain ferry vessels instead of the recent 10-day time-frame, which was too “tight,” PATT board chairman Alison Lewis has admitted.

Lewis spoke about the time-frame - and confirmed Port management weaknesses - during yesterday’s day two of the Joint Select Committee scrutiny of the ferry service, including procurement and management aspects.

While People’s National Movement members on the JSC— like Government’s Franklin Khan— focused on issues concerning the “Galicia,” acquired under the past People’s Partnership government, United National Congress members on the panel - like Wade Mark - focused on ferries acquired under the current PNM administration. Questioning kept switching focus from one to the other.

Lewis acknowledged much discussion had occurred on what went awry with the ferry situation recently. But she said it had to be considered in the context of the emergency provision the Port was asked to deliver and the 10 days time frame it had to work with.

“We’d have preferred more time but didn’t have that,” Lewis said, adding there were other things the Port would have also liked to do as well, but couldn’t.

On the board’s overall relationship with Port management, Lewis said the board had to relate to management “quite frequently as there are fundamental weaknesses.”

“While there’s no animosity of fractiousness between us, we’ve made it quite clear to management - because of certain weaknesses we see, especially regarding documentation and ability of management to do certain instructions - that we’d hold them accountable.”

Lewis said the board wasn’t an executive board and management was therefore accountable.

“It’s correct to say we’ve had issues which we’re not happy with. We recognise the Port has been left to languish for many years and the question of how it’s structured and organised,leaves a lot to be desired.

“There’ve been a lot of vacant posts for a long time, and instances of one person doing two jobs - not ideal.”

Lewis said the Port wasn’t properly structured to be a modern day profitable entity.

“Attention to the port hasn’t been there. There are practices that need modernising, some need to be stamped out.”

Its business model needs changing and governing legislation needs examination, she said, adding the question of restructuring/reorganisation was already discussed and the board was given until year-end to obtain a business plan.

Lewis said the controversial Ocean Flower 2 was inspected by Lloyd’s Registry in South Korea. Acting Port CEO Charmaine Lewis said the tenders team for the vessel included three Port board members and a Central Tenders Board representative - but she said the CTB representative didn’t attend meetings on it.

Inter-island Ferry Transport Service acting CEO Leon Grant also said he inspected the Ocean Flower 2 and observed sea trials in Panama. But he said it has technical and engineering problems.

Grant said the previous “Galicia” had no technical problems, only five berthing issues some of which were dealt with.

KHAN: GALICIA ‘IMPROPRIETY

Inter-Continental Shipping (ICS), which had not tendered for procurement of the “Galicia” vessel, ended up winning the bid even though it was the agent for attorney Nyree Alfonso, who was initially involved the procurement process.

JSC member Franklin Khan, making that contention yesterday, added, “If that’s not, at best, impropriety, I don’t know what is.”

Khan said he had letters showing where Alfonso told Port management ICS will act as agent for her.

Replying to Khan’s queries, Port acting CEO/GM Charmaine Lewis said Alfonso was retained by the then Works Ministry initially to assist the procurement process and was eventually invited to identify vessels available for the ferry service.

Acting CEO of the T&T Inter-Island Transport Service Leon Grant said there had been problems with the vessel then - “Warrior Spirit” - and the ministry retained Alfonso to assist. He believed she was asked to assist finding a replacement for the “Spirit.”

Khan queried how Alfonso’s company was among nine tendering for a vessel. Grant said she may have been invited, but couldn’t recall if it was by the Port.

Lewis confirmed Alfonso’s name was on the list, prompting Khan to query what due diligence was done in allowing an adviser on an issue to tender in the same issue.

Lewis said the then GM and Port Secretary who made the decision are no longer at the Port. She said Inter-Continental Shipping (ICS) wasn’t invited to tender, but that company replaced Alfonso’s on the list.

Khan said, “My information was ICS claimed it acted as agent for Alfonso’s company, - making it curiouser and curiouser.”

Seventy-six-year-old Ramdevi Singh was stabbed once in the back of the neck, a wound which paralysed her before her killer/s used her pajama pants to strangle the remaining life out of her.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian after completing her autopsy yesterday, pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov said Singh might have been chased by her attacker/s after they broke into her Imamshah Street, Chaguanas home Monday morning. Singh's cause of death was a combination of the stabbing and the strangulation, Alexandrov said.

“In death certificate I indicated that this was a ligature strangulation, combined with a stab wound to the upper cervical spinal cord. What I am trying to say, even if she survived she would have been paraplegic, which was unlikely,” Alexandrov said.

Relatives of Singh said on Monday they had been lamenting the state of the country and reading the comments made by Broadbridge’s son Stephen just before being told of Singh’s murder. Police suspect Singh’s killing took place around 3.30 am but was only discovered around 9 am Monday morning.

The retiree was the second woman killed during a home invasion.

A 44-year old woman and a 58-year-old man have been killed in separate incidents, carrying the murder toll to 332 for the year.

In the most recent case, police reports are that Tabatha Richards died just after midnight yesterday, shortly after arriving at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

Police reports stated that Richards, of Sixth Avenue, Barataria, along with her daughter Missy, 18, had been accosted by a group of women who stabbed the mother and daughter. While Richards died, her daughter remained warded in a serious condition up to yesterday.

A 17-year-old was arrested and is assisting police with their investigations. The stabbing took place around 11.30 pm, police said.

But this version of events differed from what residents said took place. When the T&T Guardian visited Sixth Avenue yesterday, residents said the mother and daughter were the aggressors after the daughter was involved in a fight with the other teenager and lost. The residents gathered near the scene of the killing said the 17-year-old acted in self-defence after she was attacked. They claimed the teen was dragged out of her home and beaten and during the fight took a knife away from one of her attackers and stabbed them both. Region Two Homicide detectives are continuing this investigation.

In an unrelated incident, Roger Rivers, of Mohammed Street, St Augustine, was found dead by a neighbour on Monday afternoon.

Rivers was chopped in the back of the head five times, with one chop wound severing the spinal cord, his autopsy said yesterday.

In a telephone interview yesterday, the father of two was described by his children as a humble man who did handy work in the area and was well liked.

Police said Rivers was threatened in the past but could not say for what reason and suspect his death may be linked to this as he was not known to be involved in any criminal activity.