Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is warning police officers and civilians seeking to join the Police Service that there will be zero tolerance to those who choose to engage in criminal activity.

“Those people given the opportunity to wear the uniform…if they fall short and engage in criminal conduct they have no right to be in the police service. Let them go mix cement somewhere else or do something else, but you can’t wear the uniform and be a criminal,” Rowley said yesterday after receiving 600-page report T&T Police Service Manpower Audit Committee chairman, Professor Ramesh Deosaran, in a ceremony at the Parliament building in Port-of-Spain.

Rowley said he hopes there is a recommendation for how to tackle this type of behaviour in the report.

The report took nine months to complete and compiled of interviews with over 100 stakeholders, including the Director of Public Prosecutions, Chief Magistrate and the Customs and Excise Division. It is also supported by data in the form of tables and graphs, Deosaran said.

Rowley promised to immediately take the report to the Parliament so it can be used as the “blueprint for the road ahead.” He said he will be presenting it before the Cabinet tomorrow and in a few days will make it public, “so all of us could see what the police service has to do or what has to be done…it is our problems and our solutions…I trust that what is in here (referring to the report) will impact upon all.”

He also said the report will be sent to the Joint Select Committee of the Parliament on National Security.

Rowley said he preferred Government’s decision making to be data driven rather than influenced by opinions, adding this is what the report is expected to deliver.

In a brief statement, Deosaran said the report contains “powerful recommendations” which could change the system.

“We believe that it cannot be business as usual with the TTPS…if we continue the way crime is deteriorating it will affect the economy of the country, not just the social and psychological lives of the people,” Deosaran said.

“The time is now for the required action…let this report be the strategic vehicle in improving the country.”

He said their work included: examining the existing manpower strength at all ranks and related units of the police service; an examination of the developmental policies and current standards and practices in the recruitment, deployment, training and career progression of officers and making a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the extent to which the expected levels of efficiency, effectiveness and accountability have been achieved.

Minister in the Ministry of Attorney General and Legal Affairs Stuart Young says Monday’s disclosure of civil action against former hosting minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, former Estate Management and Business Development Company Ltd (EMBD) CEO Gary Parmassar and five contractors is in no way a plan to distract the public from current issues facing the People’s National Movement (PNM) and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi.

Shortly after the announcement was made by Young, Moonilal said he was being framed and accused Young and Al-Rawi of being architects of the matter he claimed was based on circumstantial and hearsay evidence. He it closely resembled the 2013 Emailgate messages, calling this one Emailgate 2.

But speaking with the T&T Guardian at the Parliament yesterday, Young said Moonilal is entitled to say anything he wants, but reiterated the matter was being investigated for the past 18 to 20 months and was “some of the best work that has ever gone to the courts.”

“We have been utilising the best in class international and local forensic personnel investigators and attorneys-at-law…I have absolutely no hesitation whatsoever in the matter proceeding to court and in the proper evidential hurdles being crossed at the appropriate times when the case is tried in court,” Young said.

“I have no fear that there would be any question of fake…none.”

Responding to Moonilal’s statement that no action has been taken against him as Government moves to recover some $203 million which was allegedly obtained through white-collar crime, Young said, “Action will be commenced against Moonilal and others and that remains the plan.”

At Monday’s press conference, 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 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.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley left organisers of the Divali Nagar disappointed last evening, after he failed to attend the closing night of the biggest cultural event on the Hindu calendar.

National Council for Indian Culture (NCIC) PRO Surujdeo Mangaroo told the T&T Guardian he got a call from Rowley’s secretary at around 12.31 pm yesterday informing him that “the Prime Minister sends his regrets and will not be attending.”

He said invitations to the Prime Minister, President Anthony Carmona, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Government Ministers and members of the Opposition were sent almost two months ago.

While no reason was given for Rowley’s non-attendance, Mangaroo said Rowley had previously attended the event “twice as Prime Minister and in the past when he was opposition leader. We feel disappointed that he could not attend.”

Yesterday, however, a Facebook lobby for patrons to boycott the event as a form of protest over the Government surfaced.

Asked about this, Mangaroo said he would “not be able to say whether the PM’s non-attendance was linked to that lobby.” He added, however, that the NCIC was a cultural body that steers clear of aligning itself to politics or any political party.

“For the last 20 years every single last night of the Nagar we always had a Prime Minister attend, so naturally we all feel disappointed,” Mangaroo said.

Mangaroo said things had been put in place for a gala show for the PM and his entourage.

“We restructured the programme, a special evening was planned and we had him down to speak. There will be no speaker tonight and we will have to use fillers,” he said.

Efforts to contact Rowley were unsuccessful last evening, but well placed sources told the T&T Guardian while he would have “loved to attend” he was “tied up in Parliament with the Finance Committee which is discussing the Budget.”

Culture Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly was also unable to attend and her Permanent Secretary stood in for her.

Over the past few nights in the build-up to the grand finale, the Divali Nagar had a range of officials attending, including Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan on Sunday, President Anthony Carmona on Monday and Persad-Bissessar last Saturday.

Mangaroo also said last evening that the attendance at the Nagar had been “very encouraging” this year. He said because of the number of people attending traffic was an issue.

“It takes me two to three hours to get here,” he said, adding the police he said had done yeoman service.

He said this year’s event cost the NCIC $5 million and they asked the state for “just over a million dollars to offset costs” but had received no money as of yesterday. Last year the NCIC got $800,000 from Government.

A lot of preparation he said goes into the event and planning for next year, where Divali is scheduled to fall between October 29 and November 6, has already started. (Reporting by Shastri Boodan)

A group of casino workers facing unemployment from the pressures proposed tax increases for the gaming sector took their protest to the home of Finance Minister Colm Imbert yesterday morning.

According to reports, around 9 am the group of approximately 60 workers, some with children, lined the street in front Imbert’s Hillsboro, Maraval home, in the hope of getting an impromptu meeting with him.

However, the protesting workers left disappointed as they were forced to disperse after police officers were summoned to the scene.

On the advice of Imbert’s wife Suzanne, who came outside to briefly address them, the protesters eventually placed a letter addressed to Imbert in his post box.

In an interview with CNC 3, the workers said they decided to stage the protest on the Divali public holiday after Imbert ignored their requests for a meeting after similar action was taken in front of Parliament and his Diego Martin North/East constituency office following his reading of the 2017/2018 Budget earlier this month.

“We went to his constituency office, we went to Parliament and he just keep passing us straight and shutting us out. We are here to plead with him and show him how serious it is because most of us here lost our jobs,” worker Anne-Marie Farmer said.

Members Club and Lottery Workers Union (MCLWU) spokesperson Maxine Gonzales said the workers decided on the unusual move without the knowledge of their employers, who had led them in previous protests against the tax increases.

“We are here today against the wishes of our employers. They don’t even know we came here today. We are just a group of women who decided enough is enough,” Gonzales said.

“We brace the rain and bad weather to come out here and you would not give us a fair hearing. Shubh Divali to you. It have none for me because I out here in the rain.”

When a news team from the T&T Guardian visited the up-scale hillside community, the protesters had already left but there were three marked police cars still patrolling near to Imbert’s house.

Imbert was seen peering from his second story balcony and later sent a male relative to enquire as to the identities of the reporter and photographer who was taking photographs of the house. The relative, who did not identify himself, said he and the family did not want to comment on the earlier protest.

During his Budget presentation on October 2, Imbert announced a series of increases in taxes for gambling licences and machines. The tax increases are to take effect on January 1, 2018. He also criticised the largely unregulated gambling industry, stating that far too many casinos and members clubs were evading their tax obligations and were engaged in money laundering.

“The present tax payment compliance rate of only 10 per cent by industry participants in the gambling industry is unacceptable and can no longer be tolerated,” Imbert had said.

But the move was strongly opposed by the T&T Private Members’ Club Association (TTPMA), which has accused the Government of acting in bad faith by raising the taxes whilst the Gambling (Gaming and Betting) Control Bill of 2016 was still before a Joint Select Committee (JSC) of Parliament.

The legislation seeks to provide for the establishment of the Gambling Control Commission which will regulate the gaming and betting sectors and enforce a new strict licensing regime. The association claims that move will force the closure of multiple small gambling establishments, with some of them having reportedly already closed up shop.

The seizure yesterday of 1,827 pounds of various wild meat species smuggled into the country from Venezuela has triggered a warning to the public to be careful when purchasing wild meat.

Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat issued the warning in a Facebook post yesterday in which he also posted photos of the seized carcasses.

“Consumers of wild meat are reminded to be on the lookout for meat being brought into the country illegally. This meat may be harmful for human consumption,” Rambharat wrote.

Following the seizure in Cedros, he said officers of the Ministry’s Animal Production and Health Division unit had been working with other State entities to deal with the matter.

Customs and Excise officers were reportedly on patrol along Galfa beach when they saw a group of men offloading crocus bags from a pirogue called Miguelito 1, yesterday. On seeing the officers, the men ran into the bushes. The officers found 252 agoutis, six deers, 13 lappe, six wild hogs and 13 tattoos, worth about $153,493, in the bags. Game wardens Steve Seepersad and Richard Ramlogan, the Coast Guard and a veterinarian were contacted.

The carcasses were transported to the Coast Guard base in Cedros, but the carcasses, which were kept in cold storage, began to rot and were eventually incinerated at Sugarcane Feeds Centre at Longdonville.

Seepersad said while the hunting season is open it is an offence to bring the meat into the country without getting clearance from authorities.

“Members of the public need to be weary of wild meat coming from the mainland under unsanitary conditions. While there is no way to tell whether the meat is foreign or local, be careful of where you are purchasing the meat. Venezuelan meat is sometimes sold by road side vendors. Such meat could be contaminated with bacteria,” he said.

Chutney/Indian female lead vocalist of the band Karma, Nisha Bissambhar, has saluted nine officers from the Cunupia Police Station for their hard work and diligence in making a breakthrough in the robbery of her boutique - “The Doll House by Nisha B.”

Shortly before midnight on Tuesday, a team of officers led by Cpl Neptune and investigating officer PC Backan went to Oasis Gardens, Endeavour, Chaguanas, where they arrested four people, one of whom is a female, in connection with the robbery. Some of the stolen items were also recovered, but most of the high-end items remained missing.

The breakthrough came just in time for the celebration of Bissambhar’s birthday and religious holiday of Divali yesterday.

“I’m very grateful to these exceptional members of our Police Force – Cpl Neptune, WPCs Elcock and Carter and PCs Backhan, Mc Donald, Samaroo, Huggins, Jagesar and Mohammed,” Bissambhar told the T&T Guardian in an interview yesterday.
“They are still investigating and have worked very hard to ensure one of their citizens got justice. Hats off! I salute your hard work!”

Bissambhar also thanked the officers for their dedication to the citizenry of T&T.

In her Divali message to her family, friends and fans, many of whom offered her support in the wake of the robbery of her business, Bissambhar thanked God for life and the abundance of wealth.

“My family, husband and child. God has gifted me with love and light. For all of this, I am thankful. On this Divali day, I’m blessed to celebrate my birthday in prayer and devotion. I thank everyone for their kind words of support and wishes. May we all be guided and protected. I pray that light shall always overcome darkness. Happy Divali my dear people.”

On Monday at 11.30 pm, Bissambhar secured her business place, located at Southern Main Road in Cunupia, and went away. When she returned at noon on Tuesday, however, she noticed that the locks to the shop had been sawed off.

Bissambhar said about 75 per cent of her latest stock of brand name clothing which she brought into the country just last week was stolen. The items valued in excess of $85,000, some of which were customised with her own Nisha B brand.

Investigations are continuing.

A 25-year-old driver who was charged four times in three years for drunk driving ran out of luck on Tuesday, after he was sentenced to nine months in jail.

When he completes his sentence, however, Matthew Raghunanan of Hermitage Village, San Fernando, will no longer be permitted to drive on the nation’s roads legally as he was also permanently disqualified from holding or applying for a driver’s licence.

Raghunanan had pleaded guilty in the San Fernando Traffic Court to failing the breathalyser test and driving without due care and attention since August. However, he asked for an opportunity to attend Arrive Alive classes.

Prosecutor Sgt Kassiram Lutchman said on August 23 around 6.45 pm Raghunanan was involved in a road traffic accident involving another vehicle along Main Road, Philippine.

Lutchman said while PC Burton was interviewing Raghunanan on the scene he smelled strong alcohol emanating from his breath.

A breathalyser test on Raghunanan recorded a reading of 54 microgrammes. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

In 2015 and 2016, Raghunanan was convicted and fined for driving under the influence. Admonishing him for his irresponsible behaviour, Magistrate Natalie Diop sentenced him to do hard labour in jail.

PC Burton was commended for his dedication to duty.

In another matter, Rajendra Maharaj, 35, a labourer, breached a no right turn sign and almost collided with another vehicle along Cipero Street on September 21.

He was stopped by PC Sujeet Ramcharan, who was on a road block exercise. While speaking with him, the officer smelled alcohol on his breath. The breathalyser test revealed he was 49 microgrammes.

Maharaj, who was on a bond for a similar offence, was fined $8,000 or 12 months for drunk driving and disqualified from driving for 24 months. He was fined $1,000 on the traffic breach and $3,000 on the other charge.

For the past two years Joan Quamina was on a public waiting list for knee replacement surgery. Her other option was to pay $85,000 to have it done privately, which she could not afford.

But Quamina has recently been given a new lease on life after a group of volunteer doctors and medical professionals based in Maryland, USA, led by Dr Paul Khanuja, gave her that surgery through a project called “Operation Walk Maryland.”

The US doctors, who worked with a team of local surgeons and medical support staff, performed 53 hip, knee and related joint surgeries on 48 patients over three and a half days at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope.

“The bone was rubbing on the bone. It was very painful for me but now I feel great,” Quamina said yesterday at a press conference at the hospital, where Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh gave details of the initiative.

Deyalsingh said orthopaedic surgeries were expensive undertakings in this country, adding the project had saved taxpayers between $7 to $10 million. He said only eight of such surgeries were performed locally each year, resulting in a huge backlog of cases at Mt Hope.

“Taxpayers have not been getting value for money. If we could do 53 surgeries in three and a half days, why were we only doing eight in one year? As far as orthopaedic surgeries are concerned, Eric Williams had the worst record when it came to having a backlog. San Fernando General, Port-of-Spain and Eastern Regional Health Authority did not have such a backlog,” Deyalsingh said.

The backlog, he said, was also a result of poor leadership. However, he said this would no longer occur as “doctors were now free to practice medicine as medicine ought to be practised.”

On why only eight of such surgeries were done per year by local doctors, Deyalsingh said he told the board this must now be driven by performance indicators.

“We would also be setting targets because you can’t have your operating theatres idle for all sorts of reasons ... doctors are now coming to say, ‘Minister at last there is someone who can listen. They are saying we want to perform surgeries and we want to serve the public.

“But there is now a culture change taking place and because of that we are getting more surgeries done in house rather than taxpayers having to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to do it privately,” Deyalsingh said.

Pressed on what was the specific problem hampering doctors from performing operations, he said it was “leadership in all factors.”

He said in October 2016 he read the riot act to the NCRHA and demanded they come up with a turnaround plan in six months. The work performed over the last five days, he said, was as a result of that turnaround, adding it was not due to hard work but rather taking hard decisions. He said the only way to improve the health care system was to have everything focused around the patient.

Yesterday’s Divali Day celebrations were washed out for several families who were left marooned in their homes after flood waters inundated their houses and communities in several areas in South, North East and Central Trinidad.

Due to persistent rainfall across the country overnight into yesterday, several major water courses overflowed and there were also reports of landslides. Several families who lost appliances and farmers whose crops were destroyed could do very little to help themselves as the raging waters came.

Moruga/Tableland MP Dr Lovell Francis likened the situation in his constituency to when Tropical Storm Bret passed a few months ago, causing widespread flooding and destruction. Francis said just when it was felt the situation was improving yesterday, the rain intensified again.

“What was an improving situation an hour ago has gone off the rails. The rains are falling heavily again and the waters which were receding are again rising. Please stay indoors if you can. No one can enter La Rufin from the junction side.... at the moment the village is cut off,” Francis said in a Facebook post.

He later told T&T Guardian, “The flooding today brings back memories of when Tropical Storm Bret struck. The winds are just not as high and there is electricity.”

He said for the first time in 42 years there was flooding at Marac Village

“Some roads are impassable. I heard of a road collapsing,” he said.

However, he applauded a resident who used his backhoe to clear one of the roads.

“It would usually have rain for Divali, but I have never seen anything like this,” said Francis.

Councillor Brian Julien said several families at Sheldon Road were also affected and arrangements were being made to get mattresses and other supplies to them.

Resident Savitri Julien said it was the first time the floods were so bad. She said it began flooding around 7 am, with water gushing into her home.

“It was really high. My tank break up, I lost my water pump, two fridges and deep freeze, my grandchildren toys wash away in the flood. What I need right now is help. On a day like Divali day I cannot even cook something nice and relax. I have to throw away some of my groceries,” she said.

Several homes at Arena Road, Freeport, which is made up mostly of Hindu residents, were also flooded out. Resident Sharlene Rampersad, a former Guardian reporter, said almost every home in her community participated in Divali, but their celebrations would most likely be curtailed because of the level of flooding. She said the regional corporation’s Disaster Management Unit told them there was nothing they could do until the water recedes and no one from the Office of Disaster and Preparedness Management visited them although they were told of the situation. There were also reports of flooding at Penal, Ste Madeleine, Macaulay, Barrackpore, Sangre Grande, San Pedro, Chase Village, McBean Edinburgh and Montrose.

A release from the Met Office yesterday said the rains were associated with activity in the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone and warned of the possibility of more flooding today due to swelling of river courses overnight.

Divali Nagar 2017 culminated with a 15-minute firework show that was much appreciated by the thousands who attended Tuesday’s closing ceremony in Chaguanas on Tuesday night.

Members of the audience who had been anticipating the presence of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley were left disappointed when the news spread he was not coming. This, however, was the only negative news on the night and for the entire event.

Booth holders, who feared that slow first day sales would have continued, were put at ease when the crowds started picking up thereafter.

Denise Chinpire, a retailer at the Nagar who is also on the Couva Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce, said Hindus and non-Hindus alike did not hold back from spending when it came to Divali. She said despite price hikes on imported items, consumers parted with their hard-earned cash on deyas, religious items and gifts. She said new products such as the floating wick, Divali-themed gift paper and gift bags were hot sellers since many people had started exchanging gifts on Divali Day.

Commenting on this year’s event, National Council of Indian Culture PRO Surujdeo Mangaroo said, “I am very pleased with the attendance of the everyone, persons of every creed, colour and race attended the Nagar. This shows that we want to be united as a people and not divided and furthermore we would not allow certain politicians to divide us.”

Mangaroo said Nagar was also incident free this year as the police managed traffic better than in previous years.

He said he was hopeful the NCIC would soon get a $1 million subvention from Government to offset some of the $5 million it cost to stage this year’s production. One of the best changes this year was the impressive stage lighting and décor.

Mangaroo said: “This came at a cost of $250,000, including the sound system. We aim to keep improving and we got tremendous feedback about stage lighting.”

He said Divali Nagar 2018 is carded for October 29-November 6.

Two men were arrested after police seized an illegal gun, ammunition and a quantity of illegal drugs in Valencia on Tuesday evening.

Police reported that acting on information received they went to Palm Road, Valencia, where they searched two houses.

The officers found one Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol and 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition, one magazine, 14 bails of cured marijuana, marijuana seeds and some loose marijuana which carry a total street value of $60,000, a sum of TT currency and two cell phones.

The two men, who were reported smoking the illegal substance when the police arrived, were arrested.

The two unemployed men, from Palm Road, Valencia and Mt Zion Road, Maturita, were taken to the Valencia Police Post and cautioned and charged by PC Benoit with possession of a firearm, ammunition and marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

The officers in the exercise included Cpl Samaroo, PCs Blake, Baptiste and Benoit.

The men are expected to appear before a Sangre Grande magistrate today.

RALPH BANWARIE
 

Former Police Service Commission chairman Ramesh Deosaran is advising the incoming Commissioner of Police (CoP) that under him there will be “no magic formula” to “set the T&T Police Service” straight.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian following the handing over of the T&T Police Service Manpower Audit Committee Report to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Tuesday, Deosaran said whoever will be appointed the new CoP will have to work against the severe challenges now plaguing the institution.

“The work will now start under him…the appointment of a Commissioner of Police will not solve the challenges that the police service face…there is no magic formula in that,” Deosaran said.

Deosaran said he knew that interviews had started in the search for the CoP and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) but was not sure if the PSC had reached that point of selection.

He also could not comment on the quality of applications coming in to the PSC, but said he hoped that “the best is selected.”

Taxpayers are expected to pay an estimated $3.2 million to local consulting firm KPMG in the search for a new CoP and new DCP.

Advertisements for the positions were placed in local newspapers from September 4-29.

No one has held the substantive post since the departure of former head, Canadian Dwayne Gibbs, in 2012, when Stephen Williams was appointed as Acting CoP, a position for which he has received 11 six-month extensions since that time.

Williams is said to be one of the applicants for the substantive post. Police Social and Welfare Association executive members Michael Seales and Anand Ramesar, as well as former national security minister Gary Griffith are said to have applied as well.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has urged citizens not to sit back and be a spectator to our plight, saying a willingness to take action is fundamental to change and eventual success.

“If we do nothing we will continue to be willing victims of evil men and women. At this time, our nation requires us to take action and to be inspired by the story of the emergence of Mother Lakshmi, which highlights that with cooperation and unity we will succeed,” Persad-Bissessar said in a Divali message on Tuesday evening ahead of yesterday’s celebration of the religious festival.

Stating that Divali is an annual reminder that evil can and will be defeated, Persad-Bissessar said a lot of effort was required for this to be achieved.

“The festival of Divali is also a significant spiritual event in which the symbolism must be understood. At the level of the individual, the mind must be churned and evil must be expelled. At the level of our nation, the national mind must also be churned and evil must also be expelled. I ask you to keep faith and hope that better days will come. “

In going forward, Persad-Bissessar said let the flame of the deya be a reminder that light will ultimately triumph over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.

A Point Fortin businessman has won a lawsuit against the Customs and Excise Division over the seizure of a Rolls Royce luxury car valued at more than $3 million last year.

In a 13-page judgement, Justice Devindra Rampersad said the Division acted illegally when it reversed its decision to release the vehicle to Aleem Ali, owner of Ansad Services Limited, while he negotiated with the Ministry of Finance over application of a modified tax regime introduced for new imported vehicles.

Rampersad said Customs and Excise failed to give reasons for the change in position and failed to inform Ali.

“Regrettably, there is no evidence of this factual situation before the court even though the burden would have been on the defendant to have fully and frankly laid its cards bare and face-up on the table,” he said.

Although he ordered the release of the vehicle to Ali, Rampersad noted that the court had been presented with evidence that the ministry had not received an official application for a tax concession after the company’s initially correspondence, which was used in the lawsuit. As a result, he advised that Customs and Excise would be within its rights to reconsider its original position and again seize the vehicle provided it first communicates properly with the company.

“It would therefore be remiss of this court to order the return of this vehicle without pointing out that it would obviously be open to the defendant to properly review the permission granted by Mr Paul giving the claimants a proper opportunity to be heard on it,” he said.

On the issue of the compensation being claimed by Ali, Rampersad said: “Of course, the court is concerned as to what damages, if any, would have flown from this deprivation because, in any event, the claimants would not have been entitled to use the vehicle in its uncustomed state.”

In the lawsuit, Ali claimed the car was imported from the United Kingdom in May last year and he wrote to the division asking that it be stored in his warehouse in Fanny Village, Point Fortin, while he applied for the tax concession as taxes on new vehicles was increased while the vehicle was in transit. The taxes have since been raised again by Minister of Finance Colm Imbert in the 2017/2018 budget.

Ali claimed that on December 3 last year, a group of Customs and Excise officers visited his premises without a search warrant and seized the vehicle. His attorneys attempted to enquire as to the reasons but got no response.

Ali was represented by Jagdeo Singh, Kiel Taklalsingh, Vivek Lakhan-Jospeh and Ananda Rampersad.

Fixin T&T has been granted leave to file for judicial review against the Port Authority of T&T (PATT) for failing to provide the watch group with information on the sea bridge fiasco requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Yesterday, Justice David Harris, presiding in the San Fernando High Court granted leave and adjourned the matter for hearing on November 30.

In a release issued yesterday, Fixin T&T’s Kirk Waithe stated that he applied for the information on July 21, 2017.

He said, “This information contains matters of urgent public interest and national importance—the ongoing Trinidad and Tobago sea bridge fiasco. It involves the questionable procurement practices of the PATT regarding contracts awarded to Bridgemans Services Group for the provision of two vessels—the Ocean Flower 11 and the Cabo Star.”

Waithe said there was no PATT representative in court. Waithe was represented by attorney Navindra Ramnanan.

One day after a group of retrenched casino workers picketed the home of Finance Minister Colm Imbert, representatives of the gaming industry have been invited to a meeting with Minister in the Ministry of Finance Allyson West. The meeting takes place today at 1.30 pm.

This was confirmed by president of the T&T Members Club Association (TTMCA) Sherry Persad who said the group had been “desperately requesting” an opportunity for a meeting to discuss the industry and the proposed 100 per cent increase in gaming taxes.

“The TTMCA is grateful for the opportunity to share with the minister our concerns about the increase in the gaming tax and how it will destroy our industry.

We shall also be prepared to share with the minister our proposals on how compliance in the industry can be increased and thereby increase revenues for the Government without a tax increase,” she said.

“The TTMCA is hopeful that there can be areas of mutual co-operation and compromise at this meeting and bring about a meaningful resolution to this challenge that the gaming industry faces before the budget goes before the Senate next week.”

The appointment of 58-year-old Jason Gordon as Archbishop-elect of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain has been welcomed inside and outside of T&T’s Roman Catholic community.

Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of St. Johns Bishop Robert Llanos described Gordon as an excellent choice.

“I am not surprised. I expected that he would be the most likely choice following the retirement of Archbishop Joseph Harris,” said Llanos who believes Gordon is the “ideal person to take the diocese forward.”

He described him as “a very forward thinking individual with a lot of energy and a creative mind.”

“The people of Trinidad and Tobago are in for an exciting ride going forward. He is not someone to sit back and wait for things to happen, he makes things happen. I can see him doing very well. He certainly has my support,” he said.

Llanos said one of the key things most bishops face is ensuring the clergy is taken care of and effective in their ministry. Another big challenge is education at the denominational level and at the tertiary level, as well from the Catholic perspective.

‘The world itself is full of many challenges which every diocese has to face. Every Bishop has to work with, and in some cases stand up against. The church has to speak out,” he said.

Bishop Gordon’s classmate at the Mt St Benedict Seminary, Father Peter de La Bastide, said the incoming Archbishop “has proven quite skilful in all areas of endeavour” and highlighted the work he did in Gonzales when he served there as parish priest.

“I expect great things from him. He is young, energetic and his appointment bodes well for the church,” he said.

Rhonda Maingot, co-founder of the Living Water Community where Gordon got his start as a youth member, said: “We thank God and pray for him and ask God to give him all the grace that he will need to be the kind of Archbishop God will like him to be in this beautiful island of Trinidad and Tobago.”

She said his appointment should come as no surprise.

“I would imagine the Vatican and those who have to suggest to the Holy Father who should be archbishop here would have looked at his giftedness and what he would bring to the people and the church,” she said.

Also welcoming the news was the appointment was president of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (Doma) Gregory Aboud who said the business community was extremely proud and hopeful for the future.

“I believe in my own heart that the energy and commitment which Father Gordon has shown in the past to issues related to equality and issues related to integrity will be an important guiding force to our country in the years ahead,” he said.

Three potential candidates applying for the position of Commissioner of Police (CoP) have been short listed by the Police Service Commission (PSC) and vigorous interviews are expected to begin soon.

The T&T Guardian was told by sources close to the PSC that over 20 applications were sent in to the commission for the posts of CoP and Deputy CoP since the positions were advertised in the local newspapers from September 4 to 29.

The short listed candidates will now be required to undergo psychometric tests which include tests of cognitive ability and personality tests. According to the PSC, scores from these tests will be combined to provide an overall score for each candidate and form a component of the final candidate score.

Candidates will then be assessed in various capacities to determine suitability and expand on information provided in the job application form. “These assessments may include, but are not limited to, evaluations of core competency factors,” the spokesman said.

Candidates may also be asked to demonstrate - Proficiency in Leadership by demonstrating competencies in executive policing, leading strategic change, leading a workforce and decision making; Proficiency in People Leadership by demonstrating superior skills in working with others, serving the public and managing performance; Proficiency in Technical Skills by demonstrating professional policing skills and operational management and Proficiency in Business Skills by demonstrating business management skills and professionalism.

Step five of the selection process will include panel interviews where short listed candidates will be scheduled for an interview to determine suitability. Step six will enable best-fit candidates to undergo financial and security checks. The last step will be medical screening to ensure that successful candidates are fit to meet the demands of the role.

“Best fit candidates would be required to complete a detailed medical history questionnaire and be examined by a Medical Officer approved by the Police Service Commission,” the PSC said. No one has held the substantive post since 2012, when Stephen Williams was appointed as acting CoP, a position for which he has received 11 six-month extensions since that time.

When contacted yesterday, the PSC did not want to disclose any confirmation on how many applications were specifically received for the posts of CoP and Deputy CoP. The commission also chose not to disclose its status on the selection process.

The PSC members are Maria Gomes (chairman) Martin George, Dinanath Ramkisson and retired Commodore Anthony Franklin.

Bishop Charles Jason Gordon, who once worked closely with the hot-spot community of Gonzales, will be installed as the new Archbishop of Port-of-Spain in December this year.

The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Archbishop’s House in Port-of-Spain yesterday where Gordon described his feelings as one of “trepidation” upon receiving the news.

Gordon becomes the third Trinidadian to lead the local Catholic Church following Harris and the late Archbishop Anthony Pantin.

He said being the head of the Catholic Church in T&T was a huge responsibility coupled with the challenges faced by the society including the rising crime rate.

Describing T&T as having “incredible challenge and joy at the same time” Gordon said, “To be Archbishop of Port-of-Spain as Archbishop Harris alluded to could wear down an old man and I don’t know that the wearing down is so much as of age as of the complexity of the Archdioceses, of the turbulent nature of Trinidad society, of this joy of life that we have on the one hand and yet the challenge to harness potential and really create a movement for good and a movement for change and building a better society and Church,” Gordon said.

Citing crime as an example he said there were moments when it seemed possible to bring the crime challenge under a different level of control.

“And then the explosion of crime after that says, ‘Well that was a great moment and here we have another one.’ That is the volatile nature of Trinidad society. It is an incredible society, it is dynamic, it has energy and a sense of life second to none but all of these great characteristics of Trinidad society also lead it a society where harnessing...holding unity and creating a movement for positive transformation is also a very difficult and challenging thing.

“Trepidation because the task of being Archbishop of Port-of-Spain is a very serious responsibility but there is a sense of peace because I know it is God who is asking me to do this,” Gordon said.

He said despite the fact that he was out of the country for the past six years as he was appointed the Diocese of Bridgetown, Barbados one of his immediate plans was to re-engage himself with the community, especially those affected by violence and crime.

He said unless ways could be found to bring growth to the most difficult communities, the Church was not carrying out its mandate.

Saying he received a peace award for his work in Gonzales, Gordon said he also intended to use sport as a tool to uplift youths in such communities.

Gordon added that he also intended to “listen deeply” to all sectors of society adding, “To try and understand what is the thing that is ticking deep in the unconscious of our people which connects with the gospel message so that I can start building bridges.”

On plans to encourage the youths to stay in the Church, Gordon said young people stayed in Church when they were connected to Christ and feeling that the Church was meaningful in their lives.

He said there must be participatory, relevant interaction in helping youths understand the gospel.

In the Gonzales community yesterday, mostly the older people remembered Gordon.

Enid Brewster, who said she has been living in the area since 1960, was elated upon learning of Gordon”s accomplishment.

“I remember all the good work he did in the community especially helping the youths getting on the right track. I had two choices either Fr Harvey or Fr Gordon.

“I am very happy he was chosen,” Brewster said.

The caretaker of the community’s Catholic Church Valentine Pemberton Roman Catholic Church agreed that Gordon would make a good Archbishop.

But some of the youths in the area said they had never heard of Gordon and therefore could not comment on his capabilities.

About Gordon

Gordon will replace Archbishop Joseph Harris, who submitted his letter of resignation to the Pope in March this year upon turning 75. Gordon was consecrated Bishop of Bridgetown and Kingstown (St Vincent and the Grenadines) on September 21, 2011, a week after Harris was ordained co-adjutor Archbishop of Port of Spain.

Born March 17, 1959, Gordon was ordained a diocesan priest in March 1991 at the age of 32.

He began studies for the priesthood in the late 1980s and early 1990s at the then Regional Seminary of St John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs, Mt St Benedict.

He continued his studies at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium where he attained both his BA and Master’s in Theology. He later completed his PhD in London.

After his priestly ordination, Gordon lectured at the regional seminary and he managed a number of projects in the Living Water Community including Fountain of Hope and the Marian House for young men.

In 2003, Gordon was appointed parish priest of Rosary/Gonzales and created projects to improve the Gonzales community which at the time had been deeply affected by gang-related violence.

He helped start a homework clinic, an internet café and a project known as CITY (Community Interventions Transforming Youths).

In 2007 then Archbishop Edward Gilbert appointed him to the newly created position of Vicar for Administration. Two year later, Pope Benedict XVI made him a Monsignor.

Earlier this year, Gordon was elected vice-president of the Antilles Episcopal Conference, the regional body of Catholic bishops for the English, Dutch and French-speaking Caribbean territories.

Former Central Bank governor Jwala Rambarran is accusing Finance Minister Colm Imbert of sabotaging his appointment as a senior advisor with US G-24 Secretariat because of a political and personal vendetta.

Rambarran made the accusation in his affidavit as he sought and was granted leave yesterday by Justice Frank Seepersad in the San Fernando High Court to apply for judicial review against Imbert’s refusal to release through his Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) application for any communication the minister had with the G-24 director about him. The judge fixed the first case management hearing for November 22.

Rambarran, in his affidavit, said since the revocation of his appointment as governor on December 23, 2015, he has been having difficulty sourcing alternative employment.

He said in March 2016 the Washington-based G-24, of which T&T is a member, invited applications for the position of senior advisor, an operational role.

T&T has been represented by the Minister of Finance and the Central Bank Governor who serve as “Minister and Deputy”, respectively at G-24 meetings, stated Rambarran. In fact, Rambarran said during his tenure as governor he functioned at ‘Minister/Deputy’ levels at G-24 meetings, headed official delegations of meetings of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, G-24 and Commonwealth Secretariat.

Rambarran said in April 2016 he applied and in July 2016 he was interviewed by a panel comprising G-24 director, Marilou Uy and three other G-24 officials from the Executive Director Officers at the IMF and World Bank.

He said on August 3, 2016, he accepted an offer of employment from the G-24 Secretariat and negotiations had reached an advance stage when things began hitting a snag.

He said on August 16, 2016 he received an email from the director stating that she needed to address “the sensitivity” that the minister might have on his appointment. Rambarran said he formed the impression that the minister was seeking to undermine and prevent his appointment.

“I was very surprised and confused by this development,” stated Rambarran who explained that it was not unusual for former governors to obtain similar jobs at international organisatons.

Rambarran said on October 28, 2016, the director informed him that she had not received any word from the minister and if he was still interested the job she would be taking the next step in the recruitment process, including processing his H-18 passport.

Rambarran indicated that he was still interested and received confirmation on November 28, 2016, that his H-18 passport petition had been approved.

“On that same day, I also received a telephone call from the G-24 director, indicating that she had received ‘very damaging’ correspondence from the Minister of Finance about me.

She said it appeared to be a personal attack as he was totally against the G-24 hiring me as a senior advisor,” stated Rambarran.

He said he conveyed his shock and surprise to the director as the position was not a political one, but purely an administrative job.

“I indicated that I felt I was the victim of political bias. I informed the director that the minister has a personal political vendetta against me and it was the only explanation for his actions, “ the former governor said.

Rambarran said he also indicated to the director that the minister had a conflict of interest because he was instrumental in the revocation of his appointment as governor. He said the director inquired if he knew any top PNM official who could speak to the minister with a view to am amicable resolution.

He said on December 29, 2016, he was informed by email from the director, that the G-24 “had decided not to go ahead with closing on the offer for the senior advisor role.”

Rambarran said if the minister did make those damaging remarks about him then he is utilizing his position “in the furtherance of the execution of a personal and political vendetta that is based on political bias to victimise me.” Rambarran indicated he had applied for several other positions with international organisation but he fears that his candidacy will face a similar fate if and when the minister is contacted. Rambarran subsequently made an official application under the FOIA for any/and all correspondence, references and recommendation during the period June 2016 and January 2017 between the minister

G-24 in relation to himself. Rambarran, through his attorneys Anand Ramlogan SC, Douglas Bayley and Kavita Sarran, is challenging the minister’s position that the requested documents were except under the FOIA.

When contacted via WhatsApp for an official comment yesterday, Imbert replied, “That matter is still subjudice and as such I am unable to comment at this time.”