More than 2,000 illegal firearms, mostly pistols and revolvers and approximately 37,000 rounds of assorted ammunition have been recovered by the police in the past 36 months.

Most of the illegal guns come through the South American mainland originating from North America.

This was disclosed yesterday by acting ASP Vernly Gift of the Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearms Bureau (OCNFB) during the T&T Police Service’s weekly media briefing.

Giving a breakdown, Gift said in total 2,158 firearms were recovered from January 2015 to August 2017, “In 2015, 691…in 2016, 765 and from January 2017 to August 31 2017, 702…of the nine divisions, the majority of seizures were made in the Northern, Western and Southern divisions.”

Gift also said that during the period January 2016 to August 31 2016, a total of $109,637,067 in cocaine and marijuana were seized, while in 2017 during the same period, $30,727,305 were seized.

He said that despite the fact that the T&T Police Service (TTPS) has had notable success in the recovery of illegal arms and ammunition, it is difficult to measure the quantity of firearms entering the country.

“Whilst the threat of firearms is real and ever so evident, the effects of the narcotic scourge is equally as devastating and contribute to the loss and diminishing quality of life locally,” Gift said.

With respect to marijuana eradication exercises, police have increased its initiative from 29 exercises in 2016 from January to August 31 to 41 exercises in the same period this year.

“In 2016 233,330 fully grown trees were destroyed while this year same period 1,108,737 fully grown trees were destroyed...a 41 per cent increase in exercises and 375 per cent increase in trees being destroyed,” Gift said.

When asked if the Police Service had full co-operation with the Customs and Excise Division with respect to carrying out exercises at the respective ports of entry throughout T&T, Gift replied: “Yes. We often have meetings and they are fully cooperative”

He, however, could not give any statistics with regards to the amount of illegal firearms and narcotics seized from those respective ports of entities.

“The effort in drug supply reduction by local agencies such as Customs and Excise, T&T Coast Guard, security agencies at all ports of entry should not go unnoticed and for this the TTPS commends them for their efforts,” Gift said.

New Prisons Commissioner William Alexander says the Prison Service will be updating the technology used to safeguard the prisons in wake of recent posting of videos on social media by inmates.

Yesterday, a video of several inmates arguing with cell phones and one with an unidentified object in his hand was posted on social media.

One of the inmates was heard verbally abusing another prisoner while telling him to leave his cell.

Another video posted last week saw two inmates rolling on the ground, wrestling in front of a prison cell.

In an interview yesterday, Alexander said the two prisoners in the first video were interviewed and they claimed they were wrestling.

“The inmates were interviewed and they said they were wrestling but we have rules and regulations and their movements were restricted. The prevalence of these inmates with phones and Facebook is as though somebody has an agenda. I don’t want to venture but to tarnish the image of the service,” he said.

Williams said because of the updated technology the inmates were able to get through the blocks used at the prison.

He said the officers have already started some searches for cellphones and other devices. He said, however, he did want to alert anyone on when the searches of the prison would be conducted.

“It will alert other persons in addition and we have identified the inmates involved all who took pictures who post them and sent them out,” he said.

Williams said he would do everything possible to make the prisons as safe as he could.

“This commissioner, William Alexander, I love T&T and I will do all in my ability and my power to make the improvements necessary to make sure the safety of T&T and these things that are causing anxiety and comfort we need to deal with and there are challenges and all who are willing to make a contribution,” he said.

He said prison officers have been trying to teach inmates to gather a new perspective on life than to destroy and hurt people.

Meanwhile, the Prison Officers’ Association has called for an investigation into the video and to hold any member of staff accountable.

A release from the association said the officers were disgusted by the apparent negligence of members of staff which allowed this atrocity to occur in the video circulating on social media.

“As a staff representative organisation we cannot stress enough that the members of staff who contributed to this must be held to account for this act of negligence.

The responsibility of the organisation to hold in safe custody surely was being flaunted and undermined since clearly this altercation could have resulted in the injury or even death of the offenders, the release said.

Chairman of the Inter-island committee of the Tobago Chamber Diane Hadad said she sat “crying in her heart for Trinidad and Tobago” over the past few days as she listened to evidence from those called before Parliament’s Joint Select Committee on Land and Rural development to discuss the sea bridge problems.

Appearing before the committee, which sat in Tobago on Wednesday, Hadad said she listened to public servants “shamelessly” give evidence, and the politicians “were a disgrace to what leadership should be. I sat crying in my heart for Trinidad and Tobago.”

Hadad was responding to a question from committee member Nigel de Freitas on what is the ideal situation to make the ferry service run efficiently. She responded: “Mr de Frietas this country needs to get serious about what this country needs to do to serve the people of this country.”

An angry Hadad opined, “There is no need for us to be here today,’ as she observed that “to run those ports we need to be honest, do what is best for the people and leave personal gain and mischief out of it.”

That she said is the kind of leadership “we will be willing to participate with.”

Asked by committee member Wade Mark whether she felt the crisis was manufactured to bring in the Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2, Hadad responded: “I would want to say I would like to be sitting on that side to ask some people some questions. Oh what a tangled web we weave when we set out to deceive.”

She had earlier recounted how at a meeting with Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan in November 2016 shortly after he assumed office. At that time she said there was talk that the Superfast Galicia was being welcomed back to Spain on May 22, 2017, which meant she said that the vessel would have left here by the end of April.

The issue was raised with Sinanan who said, “he will fix it don’t worry.”

By December having heard nothing from either the minister or the Port she said they started raising the issue in the media and in early April this year Sinanan met with them at the Mt Irvin Bay Hotel. That meeting lasted three- and- a- half hours during which time she said they explained to the minister and his team what were the needs of Tobago.

The minister, she said, made statements “like we being held to ransom and nobody will put a gun to anybody head.”

Hadad said it was depressing to hear at the JSC people “denying these things were said.”

She said at the Mt Irvine Bay Hotel meeting she asked Sinanan about the Elizabeth Russ, the Puglia and the Atlantic Provider and she asked also him about the Provider. According to Hadad, “he said I don’t know anything about that. I never heard that before subsequently we heard the Provider was replacing the Galicia.”

Hadad said under the “created crisis” the Elizabeth Russ which could have been here in two-and-a-half weeks and which had similar capacity to the Galicia “would have served us better.”

Like the president of the Inter Island Traders and Truckers Association, Horace Amede, Hadad told the committee the Cabo Star is not working for the sea bridge. She lamented the length of time it takes to depart “the boat taking an hour to start to depart the anchors go deep into the sea bed and they are losing an hour to pull off from the berthing space. The boat taking seven hours to get to Tobago from the time of departure.”

This, she said, was at odds with what the vice president of Bridgemans’s Andrew Purdey told the JSC on Tuesday. Hadad said, “Everybody want us to move forward to make up for the inefficiency of the vessel, but the vessel is not working within specs.”

Hadad also lamented the state of the T&T Spirit and the T&T Express, “they are not fast ferries anymore they taking four- and- a- half to five hours, those things need to be addressed.”

She said when the Superfast Galicia served the route stake holders had no problems after years of sleepless nights. She said they were able to return to a time when they could have time with their families. " The Superfast worked and did what it had to do," she added.

Hadad said to all those who criticise the Galici ;the issues were not with the Galicia but with the Port infrastructure, dredging needs to take place, this is the normal size of vessels that are not in today’s world. The other issue was that it was costing too much money, today we see that is under the table,” according to Hadad.

The committee returns to Tobago on September 20.

An Arima man was killed last night after he and two others attempted to rob patrons at a roulette machine near a gas station.

According to police around 6 pm the three men, including 19-year-old Tyree Charles, of Muller Trace, Demerara Road, Arima, went to the gas station at the corner of Broadway and Price Street where they accosted patrons.

During the robbery, an armed security guard confronted the bandits and shot Charles. His accomplices escaped in a waiting vehicle, leaving Charles behind.

The culprits still managed to escape with $10,000 and valuables from the four patrons and owner of the roulette machine, police said.

Police last night commended the security guard for remaining calm under pressure and ensuring that the patrons were safe.

United National Congress Senator Gerald Ramdeen yesterday denied that his home had been searched by police and that he'd been arrested.

"If I was, they're certainly allowing me a lot of phone privileges," Ramdeen said around mid-morning after rumours spread that he'd been arrested and/or his home had been searched.

The speculation spread quickly yesterday in the wake of last week's arrest and charge of former attorney general Anand Ramlogan on charges of alleged misbehaviour in public office and obstruction of justice. Ramlogan's matter is expected to be heard from January coming

Ramdeen, speaking again after 3 pm yesterday, said despite hearing of the rumours himself, no security officials had contacted him or come to his home. - Gail Alexander

The Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) is currently preparing a proposal to submit to the owners of Flavorite Foods Ltd on the steps that can be taken to ensure the company's return to viability before year's end.

It is hoped the recommendations will be presented to the owners by Monday.

OWTU's Second Vice President, Sati Gajadhar-Innis expressed hope that the proposal will assure the continued employment of the 120 weekly and monthly paid employees whose livelihoods are under threat.

Stone Street Capital which is chaired by businessman and former CL Financial executive Andre Monteil, is the owner of Flavorite Foods Ltd.

Following a two-hour meeting on Wednesday during which Monteil was present, Gajadhar-Innis said an agreement was reached whereby monies were released to satisfy outstanding claims by monthly paid staff who had been without salaries for some time.

She said the owners were adamant about changing the weekly salary schedule, but the union was opposed to this.

She questioned, "If they cannot pay the monthly paid workers on time, how can they change the pay schedule for the weekly paid workers? Won't they be experiencing the same setbacks and now have more people who would not be receiving a salary on time?"

Agreeing that both the owners and union were concerned about the company's operations moving forward, Gajadhar-Innis said if the recommendations are rejected, "The union would take this to mean that the company wants to fail and close down."

Alarmed that deductions were made from the workers salaries with respect to union dues and the medical plan, Gajadhar-Innis said it remained unclear up to yesterday whether or not the monies had been paid to the respective entities it was meant for.

She said similar concerns had been raised with the payment of NIS and BIR contributions as well.

Reaffirming the union's commitment to work with the company to ensure no one is retrenched, Gajadhar-Innis said the proposal would be in effect until the end of the year, following which it is hoped that a long-term plan of action would be formulated.

In March, Monteil confirmed that lack of access to foreign exchange was taking a toll the company's ability to procure raw material imports.

This was in response to customers taking to social media to voice their disappointment about the lack of ice-cream on local grocery shelves.

Efforts to reach Chief Executive Officer Louis Stefan Monteil proved futile as he was out of office.

Energy Minister Franklin Khan yesterday defended the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) administration during its first two years in office, as he acknowledged there was bound to be a popularity fall-out due to the trying economic times and hard decisions which had to be made as a result.

However, he believes the party has not lost the favour of its core supporters and denied it was a worrying development for the party.

Questioned on the findings of the T&T Guardian-commissioned Louis Bertrand poll that public support for the PNM had waned in the past two years, Khan said, “We are in an economic downturn, so obviously when you do not have the goods and services to share with the population there will some level of disappointment. But to say that the party has lost popularity, at its core level, I don’t think so.”

Asked to comment specifically on the findings of the poll which reflected that the majority of population was dissatisfied with how the PNM was running the country, Khan promised to respond shortly.

“The actual polls are being studied now in detail and the party will be making a statement shortly.”

Khan noted too that he only became aware of the poll yesterday morning.

“Polling and statistics are very scientific events and you have to understand what the poll is telling you, what questions are asked and you have to do a clinical analysis of what it is. A lot of the polls conducted in T&T are not truly scientific polls based on scientific sampling theory.”

A statistician himself, Khan added, “I did courses at the university and I understand what it is. I have to drill deeper down into the poll and understand what it is asking and understand the numbers that are churning out, whether it is statistically valid.”

Pressed to say if the PNM had conducted any polls of their own to rate their performance during the last two years, Khan said he was unaware of such activity, as this was directly under Rowley’s portfolio and he could not speak to it.

Asked if he could offer a rating of the party and its performance thus far, Khan said while discussions have been had with others, it was not something he wanted to divulge at this time.

However, Khan stressed that Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley had not run away as was being claimed by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

He defended his political leader, saying “Dr. Rowley is out of the country for medical reasons. It is not a dereliction of duty.”

Questioning why this was hard for the Opposition to understand, Khan added, “He has gone for his annual check-up. It has nothing to do with a poll coming out or what issues are facing the country.”

Noting that he himself recently had to undergo medical treatment, Khan added, “Your health and your family comes before anything else, so he was just taking care of his health in a cautionary manner based on what the doctors had prescribed when he last went up, that he should come for an annual check-up and this is the time for it.”

Also asked for an update on the medical condition of Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie, who remains hospitalised at the St. Clair Medical Centre, Khan, offered, “I am aware he had a medical event and he is hospitalised at St. Clair.”

Khan said all other details regarding Cuffie’s condition were being handled by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh.

Editor’s note: Louis Bertrand and his HHB and Associates unit continue to be T&T’s leading team of pollsters and were the only ones to successfully call the seats the People’s National Movement would have won in the 2015 general elections. Bertrand, who is the firm's managing director, has been in the business for over 28 years and has done work for several media companies and government organisations.

Today will be forensic pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov's last day at the Forensic Science Centre (FSC) in St James.

Alexandrov has resigned citing health health reasons with over a year's service still to go on his current contract. He has high blood pressure and at 70 years he says the manual lifting of bodies it taking a toll on him. He resigned effective August 31, but on the request of seniors remained one week longer as the National Security Ministry finalises a contract with fellow pathologist Dr Eslyn McDonald-Burris by the end of next week.

The FSC has three pathologists who work in a one in three-week roster.

Next week, Dr Hughvon Des Vignes will be performing all the autopsies at the FSC in the hope McDonald-Burris resumes duty the following week. Earlier this year, her contract ended and sources yesterday told the T&T Guardian she had requested to work part time if she is asked to return.

On Monday, with 13 autopsies to be done and limited staff, Alexandrov was close to abandoning his job. But with the intervention of FSC director Arlene Lewis, the necessary assistance was found and nine of the autopsies were done.

In a telephone interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday Alexandrov said when he staged a one-man protest last August he was met by National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, who assured some of his many concerns, which hinged on poor management of the facility, would be addressed. To date, however, he said many of issues have not been dealt with.

During the protest, Alexandrov had refused to do any work for two days as he complained of being overworked due to under-staffing issues. Following a meeting with superiors, Alexandrov returned to work on the premise there would be an increase in the staff, which never materialised, and other infrastructural improvements.

Alexandrov also said yesterday that the mortuary staff needs to be increased from five to at least 12 given the number of autopsies done at the facility. He said to date there have been over 700 autopsies and there are now four attendants after one of them died and was not replaced.

Some of Alexandrov’s requests over the years to improve the facility were:

One mortuary assistant for every 100 cases, or at last 10 mostly strong men to do lifting of bodies.

24-hour access to the refrigerator at the FSC to preserve evidence

Autopsies on weekends to escape a pile-up on Mondays and to facilitate Muslims and other religious beliefs

Counsellors available for bereaved relatives

Annual reports of FSC work done submitted to the National Security Ministry

Two political analysts yesterday urged Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to take a firmer grip on his Cabinet in order to rebuild the population’s confidence.

Their call follows the results of the T&T Guardian-commissioned Louis Bertrand poll on Government’s two-year tenure in office, which revealed the country was deemed to be “going in the wrong direction” under the People’s National Movement administration by the majority of respondents.

The findings of the poll conducted by Bertrand’s HHB and Associates showed this to be the view of a startling 83 per cent of respondents. Crime and violence was ranked as the single most pressing problem facing T&T by 66 per cent of respondents.

Political analyst Prof John La Guerre yesterday agreed that crime had worsened under Rowley’s stewardship.He suggested that the PM needs to re-assess his Cabinet and bring a few “mature ministers” to manage the country.

“The Government needs to have a firm plan as to what they are going to do in the present and in going forward, which should be communicated to the public.”

He said the Government was currently stumbling from one day to next and there were too many mistakes and missteps in the last 24 months.

“There just have been too many glitches in the Government and people are losing confidence in their ability to grapple with the crime and violence that is stalking our land.They need to do better,” La Guerre said.

If the Government fails to address the concerns of the people, Le Guerre said this “could lead to unconventional forms of protests, especially over crime” in the coming months.

Political analyst Dr Bishnu Ragoonath also expressed similar sentiments, saying crime and violence were the most pressing issues affecting citizens.

Ragoonath said leading up the 2015 general election, Rowley had given a commitment to fight corruption and noted it was recently shocking to hear him describe the deal involving the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2 as being crooked.

“So if the Prime Minister has indicated this which happened under his watch, clearly all the things he had promised to get done they are not doing it. Dr Rowley had also promised and campaigned that they would get a handle on crime and they have failed in that regard. This is why people are of the view that they are not going in the right direction,” Ragoonath said.

In going forward, Ragoonath said the PM “has to take a firmer grip on his Cabinet,” to show that they can get the job done and rebuild the population’s confidence.

A 17-year-old from Aranguez, who allegedly went missing after eloping with her 28-year-old boyfriend last month, has surrendered to police.

The T&T Guardian understands that after the teenager read an exclusive report in Tuesday’s edition of this newspaper on her husband Mitchum Deosingh’s arrest over their marriage and her subsequent disappearance, she decided to go to police to clarify the issue.

The teenager contacted her husband’s attorney Nikolas Ali and the pair went to the Barataria Police Station yesterday morning to make a report.

Contacted yesterday, Ali said the teenager gave a statement to investigators in which she claimed she was never missing. She allegedly said she decided to leave her relatives’ home and stay by a friend after police ordered her to return there after she attempted to move out with Deosingh on August 27. She allegedly said her relatives were aware of her decision and the location where she was staying.

After giving the statement, the teen was allowed to leave the station with Ali and return to her husband.

On Monday, Deosingh, a mechanic, was arrested by detectives of the Child Protection Unit, who mistakenly believed that the marriage was illegal. He was released the following day after his lawyer pointed out that the Miscellaneous Provisions (Marriage) Act, which raised the marriage age to 18, is yet to be be proclaimed.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi has said that the proclamation will take place soon.

“The proclamation is just awaiting the finalization of the forms which Parliamentary Council and Registrar General has just provided. The issue will then go to Cabinet for its consideration,” Al-Rawi said in an interview on Tuesday.

In a interview on Tuesday, Deosingh explained that he met his wife in December last year and they decided to get married after a seven-month relationship. The couple allegedly informed his wife’s relatives of their plans but they were strongly opposed to it.

Under the Hindu Marriage Act, which will be repealed when the new legislation is eventually proclaimed, parental permission is only required when children are under 14-years-old.

On August 23, the couple eloped with the assistance of a pundit from Bamboo Settlement, Valsayn, in the presence of two witnesses.

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.

However, he said police intervened and began questioning the validity of their marriage. They later returned his wife back to her relatives, but did not arrest Deosingh until this week.

Most Government ministers were mum yesterday on negative ratings received by their administration and leader in their second year of office - but the Opposition wasn’t silent.

For yesterday’s second anniversary of the PNM Government, a poll by T&T Guardian-commissioned pollster Louis Bertrand, of HHB and Associates Limited, showed 83 per cent of respondents believe T&T is going the wrong way.

The poll also showed that 32 per cent of respondents approved of the job Dr Keith Rowley was doing as Prime Minister, in comparison to 43 per cent approval for Kamla Persad-Bissessar as Opposition Leader.

“Two years ago, Dr (Keith) Rowley convinced T&T that he could lead our country. I warned the country he had no plan and no ideas,” Persad-Bissessar said via statement after low ratings on the People’s National Movement (PNM) Government were unveiled in the media.

“As a former prime minister myself, I can confirm the job does not allow you to just fly off without serious consideration as to what is happening here at any given time.”

Persad-Bissessar was particularly alluding to Rowley’s absence from T&T. The PM is in the US for medical check-ups and is due home Monday, and so missed the ratings and polls.

However, feedback from within his administration was minimal yesterday. The usual weekly post-Cabinet media briefing (where some Ministers are often available) wasn’t held yesterday.

Acting PM Colm Imbert also didn’t immediately reply to queries on the poll, nor did PNM deputy leader Rohan Sinanan. Other frontline Ministers said they didn’t see the poll as they’d been in Cabinet all day yesterday and several PNM party officials referred queries to “... Government people.”

However, the T&T Guardian was able to confirm some Ministers did exchange brief conversations on the polls/ratings after Cabinet ended.

But Persad-Bissessar accused Rowley of “running away whilst the nation is in crisis.”

“Dr Rowley would be very aware of the questions he would face from the media, pollsters and the society on his second anniversary in Government. Well the polls are out, the media are asking questions and the society is speaking out - and as planned, he’s absent. The Prime Minister has run away.”

She said it was clear to the UNC, “as it was to many of the high-ranking members of his own party two years ago, that the man lacked the compassion, leadership skills ​and vision to move T&T forward.”

“Two years later, 75 per cent of the nation thinks the Government has failed because of runaway crime, that Dr Rowley has chosen to put citizens on the bread line by cutting jobs instead of diversifying the economy. Two years later, Dr Rowley has taken the country in the wrong direction, because of his incompetence as a leader - and now he’s run away while T&T is in crisis.”

With the most powerful hurricane ever to form in the Atlantic, Category 5 Hurricane Irma is approaching the east coast of the United States and Trinidadians in Florida are becoming more and more nervous.

The hurricane, which is expected to hit landfall this weekend, has caused scores of people to evacuate their homes and some of them, including Trinidadians, are said to have driven all the way up to North to Georgia and New Jersey.

Trinidadian Cindy Saroop McNeal, who lives at Boynton Beach, Florida, one mile from the coast, told the T&T Guardian yesterday that she has decided to stay at home with her husband and two small children, ages seven and three.

Mc Neal said she experienced a Category 3 hurricane before and believes she can survive Hurricane Irma.

“I am still hoping that by the time Hurricane Irma approaches us it would have downgraded to a lesser category. My home’s foundation is concrete so I am not quite worried. However, I will be putting up the shutters to block off all the windows,” McNeal said.

McNeal said all schools have been closed since yesterday as a state of emergency has been declared by the governor. “Right now we are stocking up on food, water supply, batteries, flash lights, candles and first aid kits. All gas stations have been ordered to stay open. It is very scary at the moment. A lot of people are scattering all over. It is scary.”

Sharing her experience of her last hurricane, McNeal said she had to dodge fallen trees and live power lines while on her way to work during the category 3 event.

“Everyone’s roofs were on my vehicle…fences were gone…trees fallen all over…flood in front my house at waist heigh. It was really horrifyingly bad. I still had to go to work and remembered dodging power lines and trees on the roadway,” McNeal said.

“Right now all my friends have left Florida already on their way to Georgia and New Jersey. I have chosen to stay because I believe my family and I will be okay, my house is strong enough and I don’t have shingles on my house so I really should be okay,” she added.

According to AccuWeather.com’s website, Hurricane Irma is expected to unleash destructive winds and rain which will cause flooding across Florida starting from tomorrow.

The current track of Irma will bring the most severe impacts to the eastern side of the state, including Miami, West Palm Beach, Melbourne, Daytona Beach and Jacksonville. Tropical-storm-force conditions could be felt as far west as Tampa and Key West.

See Page A18

In the aftermath of Category 5 Hurricane Irma, Barbuda has been totally devastated and will need in excess of US$150 million to rebuild.

Yesterday, many Islanders grappled to get wifi access to make contact with relatives to at least inform them that they are alive and well.

In Barbuda, according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne in an interview on CNC’s Morning Brew with host Hema Ramkissoon, all telecommunications have been disrupted.

He described sheer sadness as he was being airlifted in a military helicopter from Antigua to Barbuda yesterday evening to get a first-hand view of the damage sustained.

“I was horrified and saddened to see the damages in Barbuda. About 90 per cent of all infrastructure have been destroyed and it will take a very long time for us to rebuild, months into years,” Browne said.

He said he has already approached Caricom and international bodies for help as he believes it would take in excess of US$150 million to rebuild.

“Right now Barbuda is uninhabitable and we are relying on temporary relief. People are bunking in small places, one of which is a concrete building that houses a television station.”

A Trinidadian family residing in Rhode Island in the United States, who wished not to be identified, said they were desperately trying to get in touch with their relatives in St Maarten but were having great difficulty as all communication had been lost on the island. Their relatives have been residing there for over a decade.

Tortola, one of the mostly populated islands of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), also suffered severe infrastructural damage as its hospital, fire station and police stations were identified as being completely destroyed by the hurricane.

One resident, Germain Smith, managed to connect to wifi and took to his Facebook page and in an emotional live video feed to show some of the damage.

“Everything mash up…Nothing saved…nothing…We need help,” Smith cried.

He said he and his son had to run from their home to save their lives and were forced to sleep in a corridor on Wednesday night.

Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, expressed solidarity and offered support and assistance to critical post disaster assessment using ECLAC’s established Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA) methodology.

The United Nations donor agencies in the Caribbean, including USAID/OFDA, ECHO, DFID, Global Affairs Canada and others, are coordinating their aid in light of the impact of Hurricane Irma and in readiness for the approaching Hurricane Jose.

As Hurricane Irma is expected to make its landfall in the United States this weekend, Caribbean Airlines (CAL) has cancelled a dozen flights directly affected.

All flights in and out of Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica; Nassau, Bahama; Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Orlando in Florida on September 10 (Sunday) were cancelled.

Passengers have been advised to contact its reservation offices for rebooking on the next available service. Affected customers travelling on September 10, 2017 will be permitted to change or cancel their reservations without penalty subject to the following conditions: Passengers must have a confirmed ticket issued before September 10, 2017; Passengers who choose to have their tickets refunded, must do so by September 17, 2017; Passengers who choose to change their reservations, must complete their travel by September 17, 2017, unless travel on the original booking was after this date.

Travel must be in the same cabin as the original.

CAL, however, made it clear that the airline will not be responsible for arrangements or transportation to/from an alternate airport or hotel/overnight expenses incurred by affected passengers.

FLIGHT ROUTING

BW 414Kingston to Nassau
BW 415Nassau to Kingston
BW 031Kingston to Fort Lauderdale
BW 030Fort Lauderdale to Montego Bay
BW 039Montego Bay to Fort Lauderdale
BW 036Fort Lauderdale to Kingston
BW 484Port of Spain to Miami
BW 483Miami to Port of Spain
BW480Port of Spain to Fort Lauderdale
BW481Fort Lauderdale to Port of Spain
BW482Port of Spain to Orlando
BW485Orlando to Port of Spain

MORE INFO

Customers are advised to visit www.caribbean-airlines.com and check their flight status before going to the airport or call the Caribbean Airlines Call Centres for further details:
USA, Canada & St. Maarten + 1 800 920 4225
Caribbean & Guyana + 1 800 744 2225
Trinidad & Tobago and Suriname + 1 868 625 7200
Caracas + 58 212 335 7405
Jamaica (International calls) + 1 800 523 5585
Jamaica (Local calls) + 1 888 359 2475
All other locations + 1 800 523 5585

Stephen Broadbridge, son of murdered ex-curator Dr Claire Broadbridge, has no intention of giving the Police Service months in bringing his mother’s killer/s to justice.

He also stated that he had zero confidence in Government’s ability to fight escalating crime and violence taking T&T.

Broadbridge, 80, was murdered last Saturday during a home invasion at her Cascade home.

Her throat had been slit, and the assailants apparently set furniture on the ground of the floor of the home in an attempt to burn down the two-storey building.

Yesterday, throngs of residents along Fondes Amandes, where Broadbridge lived, lit flambeaus at dusk in solidarity for the murdered woman, who was an outstanding member of the community.

Today, Claire Broadbridge, a former director of the National Museum and Art Gallery will be laid to rest.

While the police have been withholding information from Broadbridge, he said he hoped law enforcement officers “would not take months” to conduct their investigations and bring the killer/ killers to justice.

“I would like them to have an arrest soon. Not take months. I know the time my mother was killed was in the day and she had people working in her yard. All I care about is the end result. Once they (Police Service) are being affective…if they are not, I would be most upset.”

He said while the detection rate of the police was poor, the resources allocated to the case have been good.

“But I would imagine they would narrow down what they have to do. I have done a few things for them including locating security cameras along the road. Quite a few faces were seen in the footage.”

Broadbridge said since the killing, a lot of people have expressed fear, while others are furious.

Having to identify his mother’s body at the crime scene and before the autopsy was performed on Tuesday, Broadbridge said this “weakened” him and created a lot of stress just imaging the fear, pain and suffering his mom faced at the hands of her savage and heartless attackers.

Yesterday, Broadbridge supported the result of Louis Bertrand’s poll, which said that after two years in office the People’s National Movement led Government did not have a grip on crime and violence, which respondents agreed was the most pressing problem facing T&T.

“I have zero confidence in the Government when it comes to crime. I don’t think they have a plan. There are simple solutions that have been ignored and rejected. They have had more years in government that any other political party and therefore, I hold them more accountable for what is happening. They are in the same position that they have always been,” Broadbridge said.

If the Government fails to get a handle on crime, Broadbridge predicted a path of “steady decay” for our country and citizens.
 

With tensions high in Fifth Company, Princes Town, following multiple shootings and the killing of Lance Corporal Marcus Gay, Southern Division Task Force police officers and personnel from the T&T Regiment have been deployed in the community.

Residents were still bracing for the return of army officers in the Dougla City area, who they said threatened to wipe out even women and children in their pursuit of Gay’s military issued firearm.

Contacted on the residents’ claim, T&T Defence Force senior public affairs officer, Flight Lieutenant Monique Sprott would only say that the “TTPS (Police Service) is currently investigating.”

Investigators said their probe into the shootings was continuing and they were taking statements with the hope of identifying the shooters soon.

Six people were shot, including Gay, his colleague Cpl Mark Blunt, brothers Victor and Vincent Brown, Gerard Graham and church member Renwick St Clair.

All of the victims remain warded at the San Fernando General Hospital up to yesterday with two of them under police guard.

The Browns’ younger brother, Isaiah Gibson, said they were doing better and Vincent has been talking. He said residents were a bit calmer when they learned that their injured neighbours were doing better.

Police said that around 11.15 pm on Monday, St Mary’s officers responded to a report of a shooting in Fifth Company and found Blunt lying on the roadway with gunshot wounds to his leg. Gay was lying in the grass at the side of an unfinished house with multiple gunshot wounds.

Officers also found Victor, 30, with a gunshot wound to his head and Vincent, 26, with a wound to his chest, Gerard Graham, suffered a gunshot wound to his hand and St Clair had been shot in his leg. They were all taken to the Princes Town District Health Facility where Gay was pronounced dead.

The soldiers were on reportedly on surveillance duty when they went to a wake of Angela Willie, the mother of Victor and Vincent.

The officers, who were members of an army intelligence unit were working alongside the Southern Division police to locate a suspect, who is a relative of Willie.

They said the suspect was wanted for a murder and assault among other crimes. A 26-year-old man from St Mary is being looked for as part of the police investigation.

​

How did Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley have the confidence to tell citizens that Opposition MP Roodal Moonilal will be brought before the courts?

That’s the question Israel Khan SC has officially put to Acting of Commissioner Police Stephen Williams on Moonilal’s behalf. Khan sent a letter on the issue to Williams on Tuesday.

The move is the fall-out from the remarks Rowley made about Moonilal when the PM spoke at a media briefing last Friday before he left for a US medical check-up. Rowley alluded then to a warrant he claimed Moonilal was “under” and also alluded to “when” Moonilal “appears in court” under the warrant.

Khan prefaced his concerns on the matter by noting a June 7 letter which he’d also sent to the CoP on Moonilal’s behalf over a newspaper report, which stated Moonilal was a person of interest in a police probe and his premises were searched concerning this.

Khan said Moonilal ought to have been informed of the nature of the investigation and provision of the details to the media indicated a “conspiracy between the executive and the police service” to damage Moonilal.

But following Rowley remarks last Friday, Khan said in Tuesday’s letter, “Unfortunately, it appears the fears of my client may have been legitimate based on statements by the Prime Minister.”

While Rowley had said his Government has no involvement in law enforcement matters, Khan added, “In the same breath, the Prime Minister referred to my client by his name and as a person ‘who has questions to answer about the handling of public monies and for which information was provided in a court of T&T and the court being so satisfied allowed warrants to be issued.’”

Khan quoted Rowley as saying,“‘What Dr. Moonilal was doing was protecting himself because as he named others, he carefully did not name himself while currently being under warrant – when he appears in court under the warrant that now exists he will be a victim of this same development.’”

Khan told Williams, “We are of the view that by the Prime Minister’s statements, he has indicated to citizens in a sound to those who will hear it, with its content being clear without it being spelt out, that he [Prime Minister] is sure my client will be brought before the court.”

Khan said his client “... Fears that the Prime Minister’s indication to the citizens that my client will be brought before the courts is an indication the Prime Minister is so desirous of such an outcome and may have the influence and the intrusion that compromises the police independence.

“Even the mere mentioning of such investigations by such a highly influential official such as the Prime Minster may amount to intrusion and therefore an unconstitutional action and against the rule of law.”

Khan added, “I think it is only proper that you as the Commissioner of Police make a public statement categorically stating the current state of affairs and how in fact the Prime Minister can make these promises to the citizens that my client will be brought to the courts.”

Khan also told Cop Wiliams, “One of the pillars of police-government relations is full police independence. Police must be immune from government intervention, most importantly in matters regarding the process of investigations.”

The T&T Guardian confirmed there’s been no response from the CoP yet. Williams didn’t answer calls yesterday.

ANSA McAL, through Guardian Media Limited (GML), is partnering with the American Chamber of Commerce of T&T (AMCHAM) and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) to provide immediate assistance to those affected by Hurricane Irma.

Irma, an intensely powerful Category 5 hurricane, hit most of the Leeward Islands Caribbean neighbours and it continuing its trek to Florida threatening more devastation. As if that is not enough of a challenge, Hurricane Jose is now strengthening with the possibility of making landfall on the same group of islands, including Tortola, St Maarten and Antigua and Barbuda.

Contacted for a comment on the joint initiative yesterday, AMCHAM president Nirad Tewarie expressed sheer excitement at working together with ANSA McAL and PADF in coordinating the relief supply effort for those affected in the region.

“It is a very difficult time for us Trinbagonians, but whatever people can give we would appreciate it. We know that people help in different ways and so we encourage all to give how much they can afford in this relief effort,” Tewarie said.

“We hope we would be able to raise significant resources so that we would be able to reach those who really need it.”

Separately, the ANSA McAL Group, through its subsidiaries, will also be coordinating emergency supplies to affected islands. Already, ANSA’s Manufacturing Sector, through Trinidad Match Limited and ANSA Chemicals, are working with distributors in Antigua and Dominica to ship matches and bleach to affected residents in the islands. Logistics present a nightmare at this time, however, as most of the infrastructure in some of the Leeward Islands were completely destroyed. Irma, the most powerful Atlantic Ocean storm in recorded history, has left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean and killed at least 14 people.

It tore through Puerto Rico, Anguilla, St Bart’s, St Maarten, Antigua and Barbuda, Tortola and the British Virgin Islands.

Thousands of people on some of the hit islands are now homeless and infrastructure will cost millions to rebuild, with Antigua Prime Minister Gaston Browne saying in excess of US$150 million will be needed to rebuild Barbuda

PADF is dedicated to serving vulnerable people in Latin America and the Caribbean through sustainable community development.

Its programmes have generated thousands of jobs, saved lives and property, protected vital natural resources, upgraded skills training and medical services, and improved conditions for thousands of disadvantaged Latin American and the Caribbean people.

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PADF has also created a special portal for the ANSA McAL Family to make financial donations for relief for

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Although Cabinet met on Thursday, no decision was taken by the Government on rendering financial assistance to Caricom neighbour Antigua and Barbuda, which was ravaged by Hurricane Irma on Wednesday.

This was revealed by acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert during a joint press conference with acting National Security and Foreign Affairs Minister Stuart Young at the J Hamilton Room, Tower D, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.

Asked if Cabinet had taken a decision to help the affected countries, Imbert said, “The only decision made by the Government is to provide a helicopter…a 12-seater…an Augusta Westland 139 aircraft to the government of Antigua and Barbuda for one week. That is the only decision made so far, bearing in mind our own economic circumstances.”

In the past, he said T&T had the finances to give tremendous assistance, but this has since changed.

The first decision the Government had made, Imbert said, was to render assistance to Antigua and Barbuda.

Having had discussions yesterday with Antigua’s Minister of Trade, Imbert said “he (minister) told me they had to evacuate the island now because of Hurricane Jose that is on its way.”

Imbert said Government was able to get one of its National Helicopter Services Company helicopters to assist with relief efforts to the two affected islands for one week. The helicopter arrived in Antigua yesterday.

“The cost (of the helicopter) will be determined in due course. It’s a state enterprise, the Government of T&T will absorb that cost.”

Imbert said Antigua will provide fuel for the helicopter and accommodation for the crew. In addition, he said the Government will provide supplies such as “tarpaulins, water and things like that.” He also appealed to citizens to assist in whatever way they can.

With respect to Saint Martin, Imbert said there were several stranded T&T nationals on the island as the airport was totally destroyed.

“Airlift out of there is going to be difficult,” he said, bearing in mind that Jose was fast approaching.

Yesterday, Young held emergency meetings with Defence Force officials who are on standby, as well as Caribbean Airlines, the Office of the Disaster and Preparedness (ODPM) and Immigration Division to put plans and logistics in place.

Young said there were “seven or eight T&T nationals who are in Saint Martin” while three of our citizens were stranded in the British Virgin Island (BVI) who they have been in contact with. He appealed to the citizens who are stranded to make contact with the ODPM.

Young said he also assigned three nationals to meet with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) in Barbados and Antigua to assist with crisis management. T&T is a member of CDEMA, Young said.

“Our nationals of T&T, as far as we are aware at this stage, are all safe. They may be in uncomfortable circumstances. We are doing all that we can to try and get them to safer areas. This is being complicated by the coming of Hurricane Jose, which has developed into a category 4 hurricane.”

He said we would not divert all our resources outside and leave T&T exposed to any crisis that may arise. Young said T&T has fixed-wing aircraft which they can use, but was awaiting a proper assessment.

“Our C-26 aircraft that our Air Guard has here could, if necessary, make a landing as a military plane. We know that other military planes have made it into Saint Martin but the airport cannot accommodate any commercial aircraft. We are certainly not rushing up. In fact, I told the Coast Guard we weren’t going to send any vessels straight up there and next thing you have a vessel stranded with Hurricane Jose.”

He said the Government can get the ship closer to the islands and wait for Jose to pass.

Imbert said Saint Martin is a Dutch and French colony, while Anguilla, Turks and Caicos and BVI are British.

“We are focusing on Caricom countries at this point in time. These other countries, although they are in the Caribbean, they are either dependencies or affiliates of other much larger countries that have far more resources than T&T.”

He said T&T nationals who are stranded in these countries will be assisted by Government.

The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) has recommended criminal or disciplinary action against some of the police officers who were involved in the March 2015 ‘Total Policing” action which resulted in a nationwide traffic gridlock, public outrage and loss of business activity.

This is among 21 recommendations in a PCA report which has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecution, the Police Commissioner and the Police Service Commission.

The report also calls for the relationship between the T&T Police Social and Welfare Association and the Police Service to be examined. Only four of the PCA’s recommendations have been made public.

The action by police officers, who staged a series of road blocks across six of the country’s nine police divisions, resulted in thousands of commuters being unable to get to work.

Then acting Commissioner of Police Alleyne-Daly apologised for the action but no officer has been disciplined, although that was the recommendation from Parliament’s Joint Select Committee on National Security.

In a statement yesterday announcing the completion of its independent investigation into the incident, the PCA said the activities of the TTPSWA up to and including the activities on March 23 were cause for concern.

“Some of the main functionaries of the association were making subtle and not so subtle threats that something ominous would happen in the lives of the citizenry of Trinidad and Tobago should the Chief Personnel Officer not settle the on-going wage negotiations with the TTPSSWA,” the report stated.

The PCA said its investigation revealed a lack of proper supervision of junior officers by superiors, resulting in 341 officers conducting 29 road blocks and exercises without their knowledge

While the PCA found no evidence that senior officers were alerted to plans to conduct the roadblocks, it said it was “difficult to believe”, given the amount of “planning, co-ordination and precise execution required” for the staging of the exercises, that no senior officer was alerted to the plans.

The PCA has recommended restructuring of the Special Branch since that premier intelligence gathering agency failed to detect and report on the intended activities.

“The leadership of the Special Branch did not display an appreciation for the primacy of functions of the branch in relation to curtailing or preventing the activities,” the report stated

Contacted for comment, PCA chairman David West refused to say whether specific officers were identified in its report.

West later apologised for the statement.

Stuart: DDP will have to advise

The ball is now in the court of the Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard to act on the report of the Police Complaints Authority into the day of Total Policing in March 2015.

Acting National Security Minister Stuart Young told the media yesterday that “the DPP would have to advise as to what or if any charges can come out of it.”

Having completed its investigations more than two years after the incident, the PCA said the detailed report with a total of 21 recommendations had been sent to the Police Commissioner, the DPP and the Police Service Commission.

Young said in addition to advising on charges if any, “the DPP may also advise certain investigative work be done.”

The PCA, he said, had to be careful how much information was put into the public domain “because it has to understand its role very carefully. They are not supposed to be making pronouncements. They make recommendations. If they go beyond that remit it can actually affect the infinitive outcome in the end.”

Substantive National Security Minister Edmund Dillon returns home later today.

Meantime, member of the Police Service Commission and attorney Martin George says Police Commissioner Stephen Williams must act with urgency on the report from the Police Complaints Authority which has recommended disciplinary and or criminal action against some of the officers who were involved.

George said, “The nation had called repeatedly for the executive of the police officers to deal with rogue officers,” but there has been a lack of “seriousness” in the Police Service to deal with it.

The events of March 23, 2015 he said had engaged the Parliament’s Joint select Committee where several questions were asked about the failure of the Police Service to deal with the issue.

Now that the PCA report is in he said there is no excuse for inaction, “it is not something that the police service can ignore.”

George said although there had been several calls from the population for the service to deal with “rogue officers it appears there is not enough seriousness in the police service to deal with it.”

He repeated his call for an “Internal Affairs unit within the service,” where he said officers will investigate their peers, “unless you do that you will never be able to root out the core that is so rotten within the police service.