The Cabo Star sailed late to Tobago yesterday after developing engine problems over the weekend.

The T&T Guardian understands that the vessel sailed from the Port of Port-of-Spain around 5.30 pm, three and a half hours later than scheduled as officials tried to rectify the problem. The delay led to a back-up of transport trucks along Wrightson Road.

Officials of the Trinidad and Tobago Inter-island Service declined comment when asked why the vessel did not sail, with one senior official saying he was “not at liberty to speak to the issue.

Contacted by email Bridgemans Services Group vice president Andrew Purdey confirmed there was an issue. He said “yes, we had a minor issue on the starboard engine and she is back in full service.”

Samuel Applewhite, of the Truckers Association, confirmed the delay. He said the vessel developed engine problems half an hour after leaving the Scarborough port at 11.15 pm on Sunday night, slowed down considerably and eventually docked in Port-of-Spain at 8.30 am yesterday, the voyage taking just under ten hours.

Applewhite said the Cabo Star’s speed had reduced from 16 knots to 13 knots and a journey was now almost twice the length of time it took on the Super Fast Galicia.

He admitted this is “rough” on truckers, but said “this time for sailing goes hand in hand with the age of the vessel.”

The Cabo Star is over 20 years old and has been leased at a cost of US$22,500 a day. (RS)

The People’s National Movement (PNM) has not yet officially told Harry Ragoonanan he has been suspended from the party and he has also not yet been contacted by the police about an investigation. However, the well-known businessman and long-time PNM supporter says he has sought legal advice based on media reports that he was suspended for alleged criminal misconduct.

The PNM’s general council on Saturday voted unanimously in favour of a motion brought by Sigler Jack, of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s Diego Martin West constituency, for Ragoonanan’s suspension pending investigation of an audio recording related to alleged manipulation of bids for the supply of Public Transportation Service Corporation (PTSC) buses.

Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General Stuart Young, the party’s PRO, said the decision was in keeping with the position adopted by Rowley that no one involved in corrupt activities will find solace in the PNM.

Young said it was the party’s understanding that “a police investigation” had been “launched following certain allegations.” However, police officials yesterday could not confirm or deny whether an investigation was under way. Ragoonanan’s suspension is being described as unprecedented by PNM stalwart Ferdie Ferreira.

“As far as I know, given my knowledge and experience in the PNM, I don’t know of any member in the long history of the party suspended on the basis of allegations of criminal conduct,” he told the T&T Guardian.

Ferreira recalled that when PNM chairman Franklin Khan and former energy minister Eric Williams were charged and before the courts, neither was suspended from the party, nor were Johnny O’Halloran and Francis Prevatt, who also faced allegations of criminal conduct.

Ferreira and Karl Hudson-Phillips were suspended from the party in April 1980 after the general council found that certain actions they had taken were “inimical to the interest of the party.” Both men were expelled from the party after Hudson-Phillips announced the formation of the Organisation for National Reconstruction (ONR).

In Ragoonanan’s case, a transcript was read of what was purported to be a conversation he had. However, he was not given an opportunity to say anything, Ferreira said.

“The matter should have been referred to the investigations committee, which would do an investigation and then present a report to the general council and on the basis of that you proceed to determine whether to suspend or not,” he said

Political commentator Ralph Maraj, a former member of the PNM, added: “It is possible that Mr. Ragoonanan is guilty of some kind of misdemeanour but that is not yet known. Therefore, I think natural justice requires that he at least be given a hearing before suspension. It is possible that he is not guilty as well, but he should have at least been given a hearing before taking the extreme action of suspending him and then the very public way it was done suggests the possibility that they intended to humiliate him.”

Maraj said this gave credence to Ragoonanan’s allegation of a revenge attack for his exposure of “possible shenanigans in the hiring of the Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2 from Bridgemans Services Group.”

United National Congress MP Roodal Moonilal says he’s being framed.

That’s his view of yesterday’s bid-rigging and “white collar crime” claims against him by Minister in the Ministry of Attorney General and Legal Affairs Stuart Young.

“It’s a weak, timid, lame attempt at political mischief to distract from PNM’s troubles. I’m being framed. Young and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi should get into woodworking,” Moonilal said.

“They have their problems with (suspended PNMite) Harry Ragoonanan so this is a distraction. I challenge them to say when, exactly when they’d be filing civil matters against me. A first-year law student will dismiss this.”

Accusing Young and Al-Rawi of being the architects of the matter, he added: “It’s mauvais langue, circumstantial and hearsay. It closely resembles the 2013 Emailgate messages - this is Emailgate 2.”

Moonilal said Young’s claim isn’t a new or original matter and was merely Government’s defence against an initial lawsuit filed by contractors

“The AG and Young are embarking on civil action against certain contractors in response to an original claim by contractors for monies owed to them. Government’s defence to contractors’ move is—from what Young announced—a counter claim.

“It’s arisen as contractor Namalco has a $1.2 billion lawsuit against Government for EMBDC issues. So it’s also a ruse to stop this.”

Moonilal added, “They cannot yet name me as a defendant though there are references that attempt to muddy my name—why didn’t they wait until they sue me to call my name?”

Saying it was victimisation and vendetta, he added he knew he’d targeted after he spoke last year of the AG’s children posing with army weapons.

Accusing Young and Al-Rawi of “typing up” the alleged texts revealed yesterday, he said: “It’s not the work of an independent police probe or lab analysis. Who did the forensic audit?

“Any lawyer seeing a type-written text message without certification that it’s verifiable will say they can’t go further. If they were genuine texts why didn’t they use a screen shot of them—this is fabricated, manipulated and framed.”

He added, “Things were cut and pasted suggesting wrong doing. I recognise issues—like ministry programmes—but I don’t recognise these as my text messages.”

Moonilal said the ministry would have kept track of contractors’ payments so he’d have emails with photocopies of cheques,”but it’s misrepresented here like the cheque came to my hand.”

On allegations of assisting former Estate Management and Business Development Company Ltd CEO Gary Parmasar with a house, he said he couldn’t remember if he recommended Parmasar or not.

“From President to Prime Minister (Dr Keith Rowley) have recommended people for houses.

“To say without evidence I influenced provision of housing is malicious.

“I’m writing Police Commissioner, DPP and Police Complaints Authority accusing Al-Rawi of fraudulently misrepresenting the application process to maliciously procure a search warrant on me.”

Moonilal queried how Government could give certain contractors huge contracts recently, yet believe them guilty of bid-rigging.

Moonilal said he’s also writing the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) seeking a probe of how the PNM’s Camille Robinson-Regis was able to read out a search warrant —about him last week in Parliament—which only a police officer can do.

“We deliberately allowed her to read it as we knew she was committing an offence. She’s now the subject of a letter to the PCA concerning leakage of a purported warrant to an MP and of reading it out. Parliament privilege protects what you say—not what document you use.

“She must now explain where she got the document from. It’s serious since it’s to be read only by an officer.”

Former housing minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, former Estate Management and Business Development Company Ltd (EMBD) CEO Gary Parmassar and five contractors will be facing civil action as Government moves to recover some $203 million which was allegedly obtained through white-collar crime.

Documents in connection with the matter have already been forwarded to the police, Minister in the Ministry of Attorney General and Legal Affairs Stuart Young said yesterday.

At a press conference at the Office of the Attorney General, Young identified the companies as TN Ramnauth and Company Ltd (TN Ramnauth), Mootilal Ramhit and Sons Contracting Ltd (Ramhit), Namalco Construction Services Ltd (Namalco), Fides Ltd (Fides) and Kall Company Ltd (Kallco), which was recently awarded the Churchill Roosevelt Highway extension to Manzanilla.

Young said the AG’s office has been working with a team of international and local professionals in the fields of forensic accounting and auditing for the past 20 months on the case. He said it involved the award of 10 contracts in August 2015 to a “hand-picked” five contractors for the upgrade and rehabilitation of certain Caroni roads.

Young said Namalco, TN Ramnauth, Kallco and Ramhit had started legal action against EMBD for recovery of monies allegedly owed to them for the work done. He said Namalco sued the EMBD on May 6, 2016 for over $1 billion while TN Ramnauth, Kallco and Ramhit filed their claims between April and May this year. He said the State is now counter-suing the firms, alleging the work claimed for was either shoddy or non-existent. In giving an example of some of the alleged activity, Young said the winning price to paint a metre of road was awarded at between $32 to $42.

“The losing bids, however, were from between $440 to $800 for the same metre of road,” Young said.

Young said as a result of the work forensic work conducted, evidence had been unearthed which supports a conclusion of “bid-rigging and cartel behaviour amongst these five contractors, supported and or encouraged and or permitted by persons in public office, including the former Minister of Housing Dr Roodal Moonilal, who at all material times was the line Minister for EMBD,” Young said.

He said Parmassar and former EMBD divisional manager Madho Balroop were also allegedly “implicated in this elaborate scheme,” which was “executed” in August 2015 and led to over $200 million being disbursed to these “hand-picked” five contractors between July 2015 and the general elections of September 2015.

Young also alleged forensic work uncovered text/SMS and other messages being sent and received by Parmassar to cellular numbers registered to Moonilal, Taradauth Ramnauth, one of the principals of Kallco, and one of the principals of Namalco, Naeem Ali. This communication, he said, allegedly provided “evidence of cartel behaviour, bribery, collusion, knowing receipt and dishonest assistance and unlawful means conspiracy.”

“These text messages include messages from the phone number registered to Dr Moonilal instructing Mr Gary Parmassar to prepare cheques for tens of millions of dollars to these contractors and to bring the cheques to him, as the former minister, once prepared.

“They also show Mr Taradauth Ramnauth organising a HDC house for Mr Gary Parmassar, telling him who to award contacts from EMBD to and how much to pay these identified contractors,” Young claimed.

He said as a result of work carried out, EMBD, with the support of the AG’s Office, filed defences and counter-claims against TN Ramnauth and Kallco last Thursday.

In an immediate response yesterday, Namalco attorney Om Lalla said Young’s claims were nothing short of political mischief.

He denied Young’s claim that Namalco had sued EMBD for over $1 billion in May last year and the case was stayed in the High Court yesterday.

Rather, he said an application was made to stay two of the six contracts, which represents 10 per cent of the total claim, and the company plans to proceed with the other four.

Saying the company was yet to be served with legal documents, Lalla said, “We can successfully argue the cartel claim as well as any conspiracy theory. This is nothing short of a delay for work legitimately done and to create a political issue.”

He added: “It is interesting to note that they have raised all the criminal elements in a civil matter.”

Chairman of Kairi Consultants Dr Ralph Henry, who compiled a report which looked into poverty in T&T, is predicting an increase in our poverty level. Henry, an economist, made the statement yesterday in observance of today’s United Nations Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

The report was undertaking in 2006 which showed T&T poverty rate was 16 per cent. In April, Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis revealed that T&T’s poverty was on the decline.

Providing statistics, Robinson-Regis said that people living below the poverty line of US $1 a day declined from 24 per cent to 14.8 per cent. In the last decade, Henry said poverty would have declined “up until the great recession.” However, today he said poverty was “likely to increase unless we have such a level of employment creation that is outside of CEPEP and URP. One would anticipate that there would be some increase in poverty…to the extent that transfer payments and the commitment to maintain URP and CEPEP could not be maintained at the same level…you would see that we are facing real-life situations in our country, as we no longer enjoy the level of revenues.” He said some of Government’s transfers went to people who did not need it.

“In the higher income groups, there were people who received Government food cards.” Henry said the 14.8 per cent poverty rate was not alarming for T&T in a Caribbean context. “It can be reduced. We cannot rely on the old arrangements to reduce poverty which is the transfer of payments. We have to get the economy going to create jobs that will allow people to escape poverty, based on their outputs and contribution to the national community.”

He said people have to create income and wealth as well as become less dependent on Government’s revenue, which will pull them out of poverty. Under various administrations, Henry said governments had the resources to spend that would have allowed poverty to be reduced. Henry also felt that the economy was not being stimulated.

“In the first half of this decade governments have not been propitious to poverty reduction.” Earning $150 a day selling market produce, the Baash family, of six living at Heights of Guanapo, has been struggling to improve their standard of living. The plight of this family was highlighted in the T&T Guardian earlier this year. Out of their daily earnings, $100 goes towards transporting their four children, ages three to seven years, to and from school. “Next month taxi fares are going to increase. This will put an additional strain on our pockets. It is money we do not have,” said mom Nicolette Moses. Moses predicts tougher times ahead for her children who have been managing without electricity and pipe-borne water. The Arima family joggles its household with a mere $50 daily, which works out to $8.33 per family member.

They buy basic food items such as rice, flour, cooking oil and sugar which they use sparingly. “Anything worse than this is hell. This budget just killing the poor man. I don’t know how we can stretch our dollar any further when the demands for our kids have been increasing and consumers are buying less,” Moses said.

A bank manager and her husband have appeared in court charged with conspiring to defraud the Arima Borough Corporation of $412,490.

Melissa Gopaul, 40, and her 42-year-old husband Perry Pollard, both of Roystonia, Couva, were not called upon to plead to the charge when they appeared before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John in the Port-of-Spain court yesterday morning.

The couple, the owners of Esperanza Construction Company Ltd, is accused of defrauding the corporation by attempting to deposit a fraudulent cheque which was drawn on the corporation’s account from the Central Bank.

Gopaul allegedly deposited the cheque at the RBC branch in Chaguanas where she worked earlier this month. Her colleagues contacted detectives of the Fraud Squad after they realised that the cheque was fraudulent.

The couple was granted bail by a Justice of the Peace after being charged over the weekend and were in court early for their first court appearance yesterday.

The amount of bail they were granted was not revealed in court as their bail bonds were merely certified by Forde-John during the hearing.

Forde-John transferred the case to the Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court where the couple will reappear on Friday morning.

Basdeo Maharaj, the older brother of this year’s Chutney Soca Monarch Omardath Maharaj, was found hacked to death at his Las Lomas home.

The 62-year-old father of four was found by a teenage relative with multiple chop wounds at his home at Las Lomas #2. Police said the discovery was made around 11 pm on Sunday night.

Relatives of the deceased, when approached at the Forensic Science, St James yesterday, said they were too distraught to speak. The younger Maharaj, who is on tour in the US, said he will be getting a flight back home as soon as possible.

Police believed the killing may be linked to a housebreaking that went awry, resulting in the culprit chopping the elderly man.

In an unrelated killing, police said a 19-year-old, who was recently granted bail, was gunned down in Petit Valley.

According to police reports, around 5.30 pm Nkosi “Brown Boy” Pierre, “a known gun and drug offender” was at Sparrow Drive, Simeon Road, Petit Valley, when he was found dead after residents recalled hearing gunshots.

Police said Pierre was “well known to them” and believe his death may be linked to his connections to his criminal past. Police could not say yesterday what offence/s Pierre was alleged to have committed that allowed him to be granted bail recently.

Even as two companies have been procured to commence clean-up operations after a massive oil spill in Chaguaramas on Saturday, the spill is said to be quickly spreading southeast in the Gulf-of-Paria, already reaching Cocorite.All seafarers and fisherfolk from the Cocorite, Charlieville, Felicity, Brick Field, Orange Valley, Carli Bay and Claxton Bay areas are being asked to exercise extreme caution and to be on the lookout for very large volumes of thick black oil.

According to a release issued by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) yesterday, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) has procured two companies to commence the clean-up of the oily substance on the shoreline and waters in the Chaguaramas area.

The Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA), which has responsibility for the peninsula has also commenced clean-up activities of its impacted assets, while, the Zoological Society of T&T, is also actively searching for adversely affected wildlife for rescue and rehabilitation.

Efforts to identify the source of the pollution and to ensure that conditions along the Chaguaramas Peninsula are normalised in the shortest possible time are ongoing. Fishermen and Friends of the Sea, Corporate Secretary, Gary Aboud said the oil now stretches from Scotland Bay to Cocorite.

Lorraine Pouchet, president of the T&T Incoming Tour Operators Association (TTITOA), said the spill is causing destruction to both man-made and natural features including tourism sites such as the Nelson Island National Heritage Park and “the ecosystem that inhabits the ocean.”

“Initially, the oil shall coat the skins, feathers and scales of wildlife getting stuck in the spaces, pores, nostrils, mouths, and eventually into their digestive and blood tracts...not to mention the fish kill that will occur. The oil also damage and destroys boats, engines, ropes, mooring features and so much more,” Pouchet said.

“There shall not only be the loss of business in the coming weeks as people who had planned vacations or DDI trips will need to cancel, but, also fishermen will need to curtail their livelihood. Further as the ‘angry’ photos and videos hit the print media and sphere of social media there will be long term negative impacts on the tourism product located in the area,” she added.

Pouchet has urged the relevant government agencies to “take immediate and aggressive action to both clean up the spill and to ensure that whoever has created this disaster is held accountable and receives the full force of T&T’s laws.”

An emergency meeting will be held tomorrow at 4.30 pm at the Cocorite Fishing Depot with regards to compensation discussions. The meeting will be hosted by Gary Aboud, corporate secretary of the Fishermen and Friends of the Sea.

Mariners are asked to call FFOS at 355-7672 to report any and all sightings of oil and to call the EMA’s emergency hotline 680-9588.

The Community Environmental Protection Programme (Cepep) is being reviewed by the Finance Ministry following a $75 million cut in funding for 2018.

On Monday night, Finance Minister Colm Imbert repeated that three times after UNC MP Suruj Rambachan pressed Government to say what is the status of the programme during the Parliament Standing Finance Committee's scrutiny of 2018 Budget items.

Rambachan said CEPEP received $400 million in 2017, but funding was cut by $75 million for 2018.

Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein, who said some trucking contracts had been cut, assured that his ministry's trucking services will be used to remove material from CEPEP jobs.

Imbert and Rambachan clashed after the Opposition MP accused Government of giving the Chaguanas Corporation less than Port-of-Spain although Chaguanas has more residents.

Imbert asked: "Do you want us to retrench Port-of-Spain Corporation workers?"

Rambachan replied: "You're putting words in my mouth. Government is taking a very biased approach to Chaguanas."

In response to Rambachan's query about Corporation workers "coming to work at 7 am and 9 am" and getting full pay, Hosein said he is determined to deal with low productivity.

Social Development Minister Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn was asked by UNC's Barry Padarath about a special child grant, including for autistic children, after noting that his constituency has the highest number of children with cerebral palsy. She said the ministry is examining all grants and speaking with stakeholders but had not yet decided on such a grant.

On claims that some senior citizens didn't receive an increase due for 2017, Crichlow-Cockburn advised that they write the ministry.

She said 93,677 people had accessed the senior citizens' grant, 5,728 got public assistance and 23, 625 disability grants. She said that a Port-of-Spain street dweller centre will be built in the next three years and a temporary centre by year's end.

A 50-year-old woman who went to the Arouca Health Centre on Monday seeking medical treatment for an intense back pain alleges she was forced to seek further medical treatment for injuries she sustained when she was allegedly cuffed in the head and slammed against a wall by a medical doctor. However, the North Central Regional Health Authority is claiming it was she who attacked the doctor.

Debra Prescilla yesterday told Guardian Media she was attacked because she stood up for an employee at the health centre and confronted the doctor over the way he spoke to her.

“The doctor was being very disrespectful to the woman and I was shocked at the way he talked to her and I told him that he had no right to talk to her like that,” Prescilla said.

Prescilla said she went to the health centre around 3.15 pm to see a doctor, got herself listed and sat and waited for hours until the doctor arrived.

“About three minutes after he called out to the receptionist in a certain way and told her that she must come in his office right away, that he wanted to speak to her,” Prescilla recalled.

“She told him just now and I heard him say ‘I said come into my office right now, I want to speak to you, otherwise I am not seeing any patients tonight’… she said just now sir and he answered back saying ‘Not just now sir! My name is (name called) and I want you right now in my office,’”

She added, “I said to him that he is very disrespectful and have no right to talk to her like that. That’s when he said he would not see me.”

Shortly after 6 pm Prescilla was called into the doctor’s office.

“When he saw me he said he will not be seeing me. I told him that I did not do anything and that I am paying taxes as anybody else. I kept telling him that he had to see me, that it was well within my rights, that is when he began screaming at me and he got up, walked up to me and cuffed me to the side of my head. He then pushed me on the wall. He scrambled me…I got scrapes to my chest…all that time when he was hitting me he was shouting, making it sound like I was the one attacking him.”

Prescilla was later treated at the Arima Hospital for the injuries she allegedly sustained in the attack.

However, in a release yesterday, NCRHA corporate communications manager Peter Neptune said it is alleged the doctor was the one attacked. Neptune said the doctor was providing care to a patient affected by acute conjunctivitis (red eye) when “the female patient barged into the consultation room and assaulted the doctor with an umbrella and her fists.”

“So far the authority has not been able to determine a motive for the actions by the patient. A report was made to the Arouca Police Station by the doctor affected and police officers are currently investigating the incident. Statements have been taken from patients who were present during the incident, as well as other medical staff who were on duty at the time,” Neptune said.

Officers of the Arouca Police Station are investigating.

Today is not a happy birthday or a Happy Divali for lead female vocalist of the Indian/Chutney crossover band Karma, Nisha Bissambhar. She was left heartbroken yesterday after thieves struck at her exquisite boutique “The Doll House by Nisha B” in Cunupia.

Up to late last night, Nisha B, as she is fondly called by fans, was counting her losses at in excess of $85,000.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian by phone, Bissambhar said she secured her business, located along Southern Main Road, on Monday around 11.30 pm.

“At noon yesterday I noticed that the door looked like it had been tampered with. At a closer look at the front entrance the locks were actually sawed off,” she said.

Bissambhar said about 75 per cent of her latest stock of brand name clothing, which she bought in just last week, were stolen.

“All the brand name wear is gone…Michael Kors, Guess, Armani, G by Guess and Express. They took bags valued at $2,500 and up…some of my pieces were customised and I know them. This is heart breaking and I am not sure how to celebrate my birthday this year,” she said.

Officers from the Cunupia Police Station were up to late last night processing the scene and viewing surveillance footage.

Investigations are continuing.

Government will be paying $15 million to feed the prison system’s 3,700 prisoners in 2018, just as it did in 2017, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon confirmed yesterday.

He gave the figures during yesterday’s Standing Finance Committee scrutiny of the 2018 Budget led by Opposition MPs’ questioning. He said the 3,700 figure includes those in Remand Yard. Budget figures showed the state had to pay the same $15 million figure for prisoners’ food as it has allocated for 2018.

Dillon confirmed, however, that there has been a $3.5million reduction in the food bill for the T&T Regiment and a decrease of $500,000 for the Coast Guard’s food bill which he attributed to better management of resources.

Dillon said the renewal of the contract for the firm which does TT passports is currently being examined by Cabinet. Concerns were expressed in the budget debate about the long time it is taking to get passports. UNC MP Rudy Indarsingh had said an expediting fee is now necessary if someone needed a passport urgently.

Dillon confirmed that $8 million is being allocated for overtime payments for Immigration officers—especially at Piarco Airport. He said this was due to the combined high absenteeism level of some as well as vacant posts.

He said Immigration has 366 officers and there are 203 vacancies. There are also 494 vacant posts in the Fire Services and 180 posts for Life Guards.

Dillon confirmed there have been appeals on the process to obtain firearms licences. But he said the process hasn’t changed and the Police Commissioner still has sole discretion for this.

He admitted the Government needed to have four pathologists at the Forensic Science Centre and a recruitment drive is on for permanent pathologists after Dr Valery Alexandrov’s departure. He said scholarships in this field are being awarded.

UNC MPs expressed concern that while funding cuts will affect youth programmes like National Training Service and Military Led Youth Programme of Apprenticeship and Reorientation Training(MYPART) and academic programmes (MYLART), the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) received a $2 million increase.

Dillon said based on economic conditions cuts have to be made.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the source of the oil spill that occurred in Chaguaramas over the weekend can be an offshore rig.

This was yesterday disclosed by Minister of Planning and Development, Camille Robinson-Regis.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday at the Noor Hassanali Room of the Parliament, Robinson-Regis said company officials operating the rig are so far “being co-operative.”

She said while the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) had been doing the “finger printing,” “it appears as though the oil was spilled was from a rig.”

“The IMA have already collected samples and are doing the finger printing in their investigations,” Robinson-Regis said.

She added that the clean-up operations have been undertaken by two companies— identified as Kaizen Environmental Services (Trinidad) Ltd and Tiger Tanks Trinidad Unlimited.

However, a joint media release issued yesterday afternoon by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and the IMA, it said preliminary oil fingerprinting analyses conducted by the IMA on two samples collected at the most impacted areas in Chaguaramas (Point Gourde and Crews Inn), on Monday have indicated that the samples are characteristic of “bilge oil’ and not crude oil or refined oil in origin. Bilge oil represents a mixture of fuel oils and waste oils present on ships.

“Based on these results, large vessels with bilge compartments for oily wastes are targeted as possible sources. An oil trajectory model is also being used to assist with identifying the likely source of the spill,” the release added.

A sea surveillance exercise was also conducted following up on potential leads regarding the source of the “bilge oil,” “with the assistance of the T&T Coast Guard, the team boarded two vessels in the Chaguaramas area to take bilge tank samples for fingerprinting analysis.

Additionally, samples were taken at the site of a partially sunken vessel in the Point Gourde area, in order to determine whether it could have been the source of the pollution.

During one of the key observations of a surveillance exercise conducted yesterday morning, no oily substance was found at the Cocorite Fish Landing Facility and in the waters in its immediate vicinity. No new areas of contamination were also found.

Clean up works were also done at the Chaguaramas Boardwalk, Williams Bay, Anchorage/Hart’s Cut, Crews Inn Marina and Alcan Bay. Up to late last night, several crews were working on removing contaminated debris, sediment and oil soaked absorbent materials used in the clean up efforts.

No dead or oiled animals, such as seabirds or other marine mammals, were noted during the exercise. There were no dead fish at any of the surveyed sites.

President Anthony Carmona has called on the population to destroy the negatives in our lives and live in brotherhood and harmony with one another.

This was the message Carmona relayed to citizens on the occasion of Divali in a press release issued yesterday from the Office of the President.

Stating that Divali brings inspirational lessons, philosophies and practices to regenerate our society with values, ethics and morals which are entrenched in the Hindu faith and innate in every Trinbagonian, Carmona, said citizens can and must destroy the negatives in our lives, supporting at all times what is right and rejecting the wrongs.

“Divali is a time of great spirituality and brotherhood, family gatherings, fasting, prayers, deep community bonding and celebration,” Carmona said.

This, he said, is reflected in the pujas, the lighted deyas and the offering of Aarti for parents and elders with acts of reverence, respect and humility.

This religious festival, Carmona stated also encourages the creation of greater harmony, peace, order and stability in homes, communities and by extension the nation.

“These positives must not be allowed to diminish as the last flames of the deeyas dim. We must do good and be good to each other always.”

Carmona congratulated the Hindu community for its relentless efforts at propagating the dynamic and unique array of culture, song, dance, cuisine and festivities for which Hinduism and the celebration of Divali are renowned.

Two soldiers accused of defrauding the T&T Defence Force (TTDF) of over $1.4 million through a payroll scam, have been each granted $375,000 bail.

Lance Corporal Jason Richards, of Edinburgh 500, and Private Josimar Belgrave, of St Ann’s, were granted bail when they appeared before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court on a total of 162 fraud charges.

The hearing began after 2 pm and ended over two hours later as Forde-John had to read each charge individually to the duo.

The men, both 31, were remanded to the Golden Grove State Prison as their relatives were unable to get approval from court staff, who had already finished work by the end of the hearing. The duo was forced to spend today’s Divali public holiday behind bars, until their relatives seek approval of their bail on Thursday morning.

Richards, a payroll clerk with the Defence Force, was slapped with the majority of the charges as he was accused of stealing the money by inflating his and Belgrave’s rent allowance between February and July.

He was also charged with wilfully falsifying the TTDF’s human resource records in a bid to cover up the crimes and was given a charge for each time he disposed of the money by transfers from his account to those of his relatives and through ATM and traditional withdrawals.

Belgrave, a striker with the TTDF’s TT Pro League team, was only slapped with charges for disposing of the money through various transfers and withdrawals.

Both men were not called upon to plead to the charges which were laid indictably.

Court prosecutor Insp Winston Dillon objected to bail for both men as he suggested that they would be flight risks and may seek intimidate witnesses in the case.

These suggestions were rejected by the duo’s attorneys Stephen Wilson and Daryl Worrell, who pointed out that they had been cooperative with the TTDF and police investigators since the alleged scam was uncovered in late July.

Wilson also noted that both men’s assets had been frozen by a High Court injunction, obtained by the State in August, as part of its legal bid to recoup the money from them. The lawsuit is still pending.

The men had been detained at the TTDF’s Tetron Barracks, Chaguaramas in August as the organisation conducted an internal investigation into the issue. They were eventually released after filing a habeas corpus lawsuit.

Wilson also suggested that the men be released into the TTDF’s custody in lieu of bail but this was rejected by Forde-John, who stated she not aware of such a policy.

The case was adjourned to November 14 with some of the charges which arose from transactions in areas other than Port-of-Spain were transferred to other dates.

Government Minister and Arouca/Maloney MP Camille Robinson-Regis said she is not afraid of any complaint about her going to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) as she is no police officer and cannot be investigated.

“Whilst Dr Moonilal may think I am a WPC, I am not!” Robinson-Regis told the T&T Guardian yesterday at the Noor Hassanali Room of the Parliament.

“The PCA is to make complaints about police officers and not members of Parliament and not members of the public. You can’t complain on me to the PCA…what would the PCA do?” she added.

The minister was referring to a search warrant she read out in Parliament last week about Moonilal, which he (Moonilal) said, only a police can do.

On Thursday, Robinson-Regis created history by reading out a search warrant which was issued for Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal in connection with commiting misconduct in public office and corruptly giving advantages as an inducement or reward.

Meanwhile, her Cabinet colleague, Minister Stuart Young, when asked if Robinson-Regis did anything wrong by reading out the warrant, he replied: “I have absolutely no issue whatsoever in what Camille did…it is up to Moonilal to do as he pleases…I see nothing wrong in what was done by Camille.”

He added that the search warrant was highlighted in a televised media report and also appeared on social media.

The warrant, under the Indictable Preliminary Offences Act, was issued in the County of St Patrick by Inspector Derrick Walker of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau and signed by acting Chief Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle.

In addition to Moonilal, Robinson-Regis said there were eight other people and companies who the search warrant had been issued for in relation to the offences.

Moonilal yesterday wrote a letter to the PCA requesting a probe of how Robinson-Regis was able to read out a search warrant about him last week in Parliament.

Penal resident Seema Moonilal, 22, has captured this year’s Divali Queen competition. She won the title on Monday night to earn the first prize of $20,000 at an event which was held at the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC), in Chaguanas.

Moonilal beat a field of nine finalists which included regional and international contestants.

Placing second was Canadian Suvina Smolksy, and in third spot was Navina Misir, of the United States, who also won the title of Miss Photogenic.

Shaenna Gilharry, of Belize, won the talent round of the competition. Gilharry was the only finalist to sing. She rendered the Sundar Popo classic titled Your Mother’s Love.

Gilharry said she chose that song because it was very popular in T&T. The award for the Best Sari went to Ashwaita Bachoe, of Suriname.

Bachoe wore a red and gold embroidered sari complete with accessories. The award for Best Hair went to Raveena Nandlal, while the award for Best Makeup was won by Amisha Lulkool.

The contest began shortly after 7 pm under the patronage of President Anthony Carmona.

All contestants did an opening dance item and introduced themselves to the audience. The talent competition featured one dramatic monologue titled Journey To The Nagar which was written and performed by Raveena Nandlal.

Shaenna Gilharry performed a song item and the remaining contestants chose to perform dance items before the panel of 10 judges.

Moonilal, a final year student, pursuing biomedical engineering at UWI, St Augustine, planned to work within the next year to raise women’s issues and highlight opportunities for young women.

In the question and answer segment of the competition, Moonilal was asked her opinion on the statement: ‘Many people claim that beauty pageants debase women.”

Her response was that pageants do not debase women but instead give them a forum in society where they can showcase their opinions and talents.

Come tomorrow morning, commuters from Point Fortin, Siparia and Penal using maxi-taxis to travel to San Fernando will have to pay an extra dollar to get to their destinations.

Secretary of the Route Five Maxi-Taxi Association Allan Rampaul said the increase in fares is a result of the adjustment to the diesel subsidy and higher taxes on tyres.

On October 2, Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced an increase in the cost of diesel from $2.30 per litre to $3.41 per litre with immediate effect. Imbert said that new tyres utilised on motor cars attracted a 30 per cent while used pneumatic tyres did not. To address this, he proposed a 30 per cent customs duty on both used and new. However, the customs duty on the importation of new tyres for buses and lorries remain at 15 per cent. He further proposed to implement an environmental tax of $20.00 per imported tyre to cover the cost of proper disposal of used tyres.

Rampaul said the decision was taken after several meetings between drivers, who saw an increase in their operational costs.

“We want to increase the fares in the route five areas by $1 across the board effective from Thursday 19, 2017. We had a few meetings, on Thursday, on Saturday and last night to discuss the increase in fares because of the subsidy removal of diesel and hike in the price of tyres, spare parts and other operational cost.

“Maxis do not run on fuel alone. There are other factors to consider and when fuel went up to $4.44 per gallon that was a big chunk out of our budgets.

Association trustee Ashook Sirju said many people have been asking about an increase in fares since the budget.

INCREASES

San Fernando to Point Fortin $8 - $10
San Fernando to Siparia $8-$9
San Fernando to Penal $7 - $8
All short drop will increase by $1

National Security Minister Edmond Dillon yesterday maintained that the detection rate of the Police Service is not low.

Dillon defended the Police Service during a Standing Finance Committee meeting into the service in Parliament.

Also, he could not give a definitive time frame time as to when Government would construct in the crime riddled area of Enterprise a police station.

In March, Dillon had informed Parliament that a new station in Enterprise will be constructed in the shortest possible time to control gang violence and other crimes.

However, yesterday when asked by Chaguanas East MP Fazal Karim for an update with respect to a commitment to construct the station, Dillon replied “No. I can’t answer that.”

Karim again asked if the station was down for construction in the new fiscal year.

Imbert injected asking Karim what line item in the draft estimates of expenditure he was referring to.

For the third time Karim asked the same question, but Imbert intervened saying that Dillon had already answered twice.

Tabaquite MP Dr Suruj Rambhachan told Dillon that the Police Service had reported a decline in serious crimes which he had no problem with.

“That is the police statistics. But my belief is that a lot of people are not reporting crimes again.”

Chairman of the committee Osmond Forde told Rambachan that although they were dealing with expenditure of facilities, he would give him some leeway.

“My question would not be a very palatable question because it was going to ask despite all of this and despite what the minister and police commissioner confirms what is being done with its performance goal, why is the detection rate so low?” Rambachan asked.

“The detection rate is not low right now in place and terms of if you do a historical. It is about 31 per cent,” Dillon replied.

Imbert said that this fiscal year the acting Commissioner of Police made a request to him “for a transfer of votes to compensate the families” of police officers who died in the line of duty which was accommodated.

Three men are in custody as police search for the ringleader after the robbery of a San Fernando family on Monday.

The ordeal has left a 58-year-old fisherman, his son and another relative traumatised as the suspects escaped with the keys to the family vehicle. According to a report, the trio had just driven into the driveway of their Coconut Drive, San Fernando home around 11.20 pm.

As they walked to the front door, the gunmen pounced on them and pushed them into the house.

They were bound with plastic tie straps and a towel was thrown over the head of a family member as the bandits ransacked the house and stole $40,000, cell phones and a Samsung tablet. They tried to steal the family’s vehicles but could not get it to start. They drove off in their getaway vehicle a white Nissan Tiida.

Police was contacted and an All-Points Bulletin was issued for the car. Southern Division Task Force, San Fernando CID as well as units from Marabella, Mon Repos and Ste Madeleine responded and 12 roadblocks were set up throughout the city.

The team comprising of Cpl Bacchus, PCs Harripersad, Doray, Jacob, Acevero, Ragoonanan and Ragoonath caught the suspects driving out of the Embacadere buildings within 15 minutes of the robbery.

Ski masks, a phone, a tablet, keys for the vehicle and just over $5,000 were found in the car, but there were no guns. Investigators believe that they had just dropped off the main suspect, who they believed was involved in several robberies in the Southern Division within recent times.

Between last Thursday and Monday morning, Southern Division police conducted 16 anti-crime operations, which resulted in the seizure of a .45 calibre pistol, three 9 mm pistols, a .38 revolver, a 16-gauge shotgun and 46 rounds of assorted ammunition. Six people were arrested for those firearms and ammunition.

Overall, 110 people were arrested and 175 tickets were issued in the operations co-ordinated by Snr Supt Mohammed, Supt Pardasie, Supt Gaffar, ASP Mohammed, Insp Gajadhar, and Insp Ganga.