The Environmental Management Authority (EMA) last night certified that water emanating from the Caroni Water Treatment Plant was safe to drink. The EMA made the statement in a press release after its investigators conducted tests on the water supply from the plant around 6.30 pm.

“The EMA in collaboration with WASA conducted tests at the well that the water is being pulled from for public use and the reading as at 6.30pm on February 25, 2015, was at 0 milligrams per litre (mg/L) for Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons,” the release said.  It also said further tests will be conducted over the next few days to ensure the water supply is not recontaminated.

“Our Emergency Response and Investigations (ERI) team is scouring areas upriver of the Plant to ascertain the possible source/s of the substance while simultaneously conducting tests on the water leaving the Plant to ascertain the presence of hydrocarbon,” the release said.

The authority said it first learnt of the contamination at the Caroni River, which supplies the plant, around 10 pm on Tuesday. Since then it has received reports of further contaminations in Carapo and Manuel Congo, San Raphael, which were being investigated up to late yesterday.   

Earlier, EMA chairman Dr Allan Bachan said three teams were dispatched after remnants of hydrocarbons were seen upstream along the Caroni River. “The teams have been out very early looking to see what is the source of this leak. We are liaising with WASA to ascertain the extent of the impact,” Bachan said. Saying the issue of dumping was of utmost importance, Bachan renewed his call for more resources for the EMA.

“This kind of problem shows the potential impact people’s actions can have on the national community,” Bachan said. Calling for the issue of dumping to be dealt with seriously, Bachan noted: “At the end of the day, pollution has long-term consequences for the society.” He also said EMA teams also have been monitoring the hydrocarbon levels at the plant. He said initial investigations could not determine who was responsible for the pollution or what it was.

“We have picked up remnants of hydrocarbons further upstream so we believe that it is an upstream spill and we are doing investigations to determine who is the potential culprit,” he said.

A woman who turned up at the San Fernando mortuary on Thursday to witness the autopsy of her teenage brother, who was crushed to death, was shocked to see undertakers bringing in the body of her husband.

Already mourning Shivnarine Manbodh’s tragic death, Hema Manbodh-Singh said her family faced a double blow when her estranged husband Praimraj Singh suddenly collapsed and died. 

Singh, 42, is believed to have suffered a heart attack, less than 24 hours after Shivnarine, 17, was buried under tonnes of earth at a construction site at No 2 Scale, Barrackpore.

An autopsy done on Shivnarine’s body revealed he died from a crushed skull. An autopsy on the body of Singh will be done today.

The reality of the double tragedy seemed like a bad dream to Hema, who spoke to the Guardian in an interview on Thursday. 

“My husband and I were separated for the past year. My children stayed with him so they called him about 7 o’clock to tell him that they were staying a while longer by their grandmother,” she said. 

While on the way to the mortuary, Hema said, she received a call from a neighbour that Singh had collapsed.

“I did not know that it was so bad. We were in the mortuary waiting for the doctor to do the autopsy when one of the guys from the funeral home came up to us and said my husband’s body coming. I did not even know my husband was dead,” the distraught woman said.

“When they were taking the body out of the van, they removed the sheet and that was when I saw him. I feel like I am still dreaming. All of this is like a dream and the reality may hit me Tuesday when I am all alone,” she added.

She said Singh was never ill, but he sometimes complained about mild headaches.

Shivnarine’s mother, Zeeta Boban, also said she was trying to be strong for her family.

“I don’t know how we will deal with this but I am trying my best,” Zeeta said.

Shivnarine’s funeral is expected to take place today. 

A witness said an excavator was parked near a mound of dirt, six metres high, when Manbodh went to pour water into the radiator of the equipment. The dirt loosened and buried the teenager, killing him instantly.

The $7.4 billion highway to Point Fortin is costing taxpayers more than anticipated because of continued attempts by fake farmers to sabotage the project.

So said chairman of the National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco), Dr Carson Charles, during an interview on Thursday. Though he could not provide figures of the escalating costs, Charles said recent acts of sabotage had led Nidco and Brazilian contractor, OAS, to hire four security firms to patrol the site.

Charles also denied that compensation claims were not being settled. He explained that over the past six months, Nidco had settled over $4 million in claims to legitimate farmers in the Vance River, Gonzales and Guapo region, who were affected by the construction of the highway project. 

However, he said, claims were continuing to be filed, many of which could not be verified. 

“We have settled all the large claims and there are some which are still outstanding because there is no evidence submitted.” Nidco consultants are using Global Positioning Satellite imaging, photographs and land deeds to ascertain the veracity of the claims.

Charles said even though some claims were legitimate, many were bogus, as applicants who claimed to be farmers were impeding the process.

“The highway is costing taxpayers more because every time they shut down a site, we have to still pay the contractor,” Charles said. He denied that the contract with OAS had a cap clause to cover incidents of protests and sabotage.

Charles also said that both Nidco and OAS were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on security. 

“We are not going to give away taxpayers’ money for free. I am sorry,” Charles said.

When the Guardian visited the construction site off Sesame Street, Gonzales Village, Guapo, on Thursday, police and private security guards were present.

Spokesman for the protesters Brennon Daniel said some of the guards were behaving like gangsters.

“On Monday they run up to us and pulled guns. All we asking for is our just compensation,” Daniel said.

“We will continue to go to every site and shut down this project if we have to,” Daniel said. Over the past few months, several incidents of sabotage have been reported. Last Monday, protesters used slingshots and cracked the windscreen of an excavator. 

On December 8, masked saboteurs set fire to a multi-million dollar crane at the Dunlop construction site, leaving a dire warning that Government should pay farmers or face the consequences.

Officials of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and the National Operations Centre conducted air quality tests in several parts of Central Trinidad last night, after dozens of residents reported nauseating gas fumes. Residents of California, Campden and Macaulay said the fumes got worse after 6 pm. Couva resident Elliot Thomas said the scent first started around 4 pm and continued into late evening. “Many residents, even those from Lower Campden, reported smelling the fumes,” Thomas said. 

He explained that the area close to the Couva Healthy Centre was badly affected and some people were even scared to light their stoves for fear of possible fires. “Right now we do not know where the fumes are coming from, but there is an NGC booster station close by so people are speculating that there may be a gas leak,” he said. A report was made to NGC and a spokesperson said it was aware of the matter. 

Contacted last night, Couva MP Rudranath Indarsingh said when his constituents contacted him he immediately alerted the NOC and ODPM director Dr Stephen Ramroop. “We had experts in the field doing field testing,” Indarsingh said, adding that speculation was rife that the fumes could have been caused by ongoing drag racing on the Campden strip. However, this has not been confirmed, he said. The NOC last night put the Savonetta fire station on alert during air testing.

A text message sent to Indarsingh from NOC director Garvin Heerah, read: “NOC alerted the Savonetta Fire Station and coordinated the response. A series of air quality tests were carried out in the vicinity of the emissions and the result is safe. Intensification is irregular. 

The Fire Services is not satisfied that the emissions may be due to nitron or other fuels being used in drag racing in Campden. Further checks are being conducted by NGC and officers are on the field doing air quality tests. NOC is continuing to provide situational updates.” Last November, NGC reported a leak in its 56-inch cross country pipelines. The leak was subsequently repaired.

San Fernando businessman Kirby Mohammed has gone missing and relatives are now begging the public to assist them in finding him. Mohammed, a director of the popular Trinizuela Technical and Vocational College, was last seen around 3.30 pm on Saturday. His mother Linda Mohammed said yesterday that he went to Port-of-Spain to pick up some material for his Carnival costume designs but never returned. His car, a white AD wagon, registered PDC-5152, is also missing.

Saying she had made plans with her son to attend the eighth annual Kaiso at High Noon calypso lime on the grounds of  Naparima Bowl, San Fernando, on Saturday, the worried mother said she was very concerned for his safety.  “I was attending a meeting on Saturday and around 3.30 pm. He called a friend to say he was going to town to pick up some things. He said when he comes back we would go to the show,” Linda recalled. Around 6 pm when Mohammed failed to return, Linda said she grew worried.

“It was unlike him to do this. I felt that something was wrong. Normally he would say where he is. I kept calling his phone and all I got was his voicemail,” Linda added. Yesterday when Mohammed did not return home, his mother went to the San Fernando Police Station and made a report. She also contacted Insp Roger Alexander and Supt Johny Abraham. 

“The police are looking for leads. We do not know what to think right now,” she said. She said within recent times Mohammed had stopped liming and drinking and began pouring all of his efforts into his company—Kirby Design Studios. “He was doing a lot of things. He was in the process of designing costumes for Miami and Grenada. I do not understand what has happened to him,” Linda said.  His friends yesterday posted messages on his Facebook page asking anyone with information to come forward.

“I am praying right now that the police could find him. I am hoping that whoever has him will just take the car and release him. I want my son to be safe,” Linda added. Several friends and relatives gathered at the family’s St Joseph’s Village, San Fernando home yesterday to wait for news.
Anyone with information on the disappearance of the businessman can contact the nearest police station or call 290-4681 or 290-9390.

Hydrocarbon fumes which lingered across parts of central Trinidad on Sunday night have dissipated even as the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and the National Gas Company (NGC) continue to monitor air quality in the area. When the T&T Guardian visited the area yesterday, access to Camden Road was blocked to facilitate road works. 

However, two investigators from NGC said they were trying to ascertain from where the fumes were coming. Saying there was no evidence to suggest the fumes were caused by a gas leak, the source said: “We have no gas line in this area that is operational. So far, we have no idea as yet to explain how the fumes originated.” Along Rivulet Road, three workers from Trinweld Contractors Ltd were preparing a four-inch NGC line to supply the children’s hospital in Couva. Foreman Anthony Dyette said the line was not yet functional. 

However, he said it was being connected to an eight-inch gas line closeby. Several residents of Couva called on the NGC to continually monitor gas levels in the district. Randy Dinnoo, of Camden said: “This is a highly developed area and we need to have constant monitoring of air quality. The EMA has to do its job.” Dinnoo also said that the gas fumes were especially high between 12.30 pm on Sunday to 2.30 pm. 

“It did not smell like normal gasoline fumes. It was stronger than that. It spread across several areas and we were very disturbed about it,” he added. He also said upgrades were being done at the heliport while drag racing was also going on at the time. Slyvia Khan, of Balmain, said while driving along the Couva Main Road, the smell was nauseating. “We had to leave the house,” she added. 

Investigation continues
Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh said yesterday the fumes had dissipated. He said the National Operations Centre (NOC), the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), and the EMA were continuing investigations. “I have constituents who are monitoring the situation and as of now the fumes have dissipated,” Indarsingh said. 

Chairman of the EMA Dr Allan Bachan said yesterday inspectors have been monitoring the gas levels in the area. He added: “We are doing air quality tests and we are trying to ascertain the cause of the fumes. We are also working closely with the NGC.” He said the NGC’s valve station in Couva had been shut down while tests were ongoing.

Director of NOC Garvin Heerah in a message on Sunday said the Savonetta Fire Station co-ordinated a response. He said while the results of the air quality tests were safe, the intensification of the fumes was irregular. He also said that Fire Services were not satisfied the emissions were due to nitrous or other fuels being used in the Camden drag-racing strip. 

Leader of Government Business Dr Roodal Moonilal says government is proceeding with its move of no confidence against Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley despite criticisms that it will have no effect on his position. In an interview, Moonilal said the motion was not meant to remove Rowley as Opposition Leader but to “expose his serious lack of judgment in matters of State.” “The issue is not his removal. The people of Diego Martin will do that along with the PNM members. 

“The question is to expose his lack of fitness for office and his horrible lack of judgment in matters of state. The vote of no confidence is meant to highlight the lack of judgment of the Opposition Leader for high public office. We owe the citizens a duty to expose Dr Rowley,” Moonilal said Several political analysts and attorneys have said that moving a motion against Rowley was of little significance. 

Former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj said even if the motion succeeded it would be null and void and of no effect. He said that there was no provision for any action, suspension or removal of the Opposition Leader in the Constitution. 

On Monday night, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said her party planned to file a motion of no confidence over Rowley’s failure to disclose that Police Complaints Authority Director David West was a witness of his in a defamation case filed against him by former attorney general Anand Ramlogan and Rowley’s decision to support West’s appointment was a conflict of interest.

One constitutional expert said yesterday there was no prohibition in the Constitution to prevent someone from filing a no-confidence motion against the opposition leader. The only part of the Constitution that deals with no-confidence motions is Section 77:1, which is in relation to the Prime Minister. The lawyer spoke on the condition of anonymity. “There is no provision in the Constitution that says you cannot file a no-confidence motion against the opposition leader.

“You can’t imply a prohibition. And if you can, how was the Opposition able to file no-confidence motions against the Speaker of the House, Wade Mark, and Finance Minister, Larry Howai?” he asked.  “I don’t know how anyone can say the Constitution prohibits a no-confidence motion against the opposition leader. “It’s difficult to see how it is prohibited,” he said, adding that whether it is politically wise to do so was another matter entirely. The senior counsel noted that the matter needed to be sifted through carefully.

Other legal sources recalled when the former PNM administration sought to have former Speaker Occah Seepaul removed, they searched the Constitution with a fine-tooth comb for justification.

Despite accepting Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley’s offer to head his legal team for the impending lawsuit to be filed by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj is assuring he has no political arrangements with the People’s National Movement (PNM). “It’s simply a lawyer-client arrangement. I have no intention of serving in public office,” Maharaj said in a telephone interview yesterday. “I appeared in many political cases. It does not mean I have the political views of any clients or groups.”

Asked why and when the decision was made, Maharaj said: “Dr Rowley called me on Wednesday and told me that he wants me to lead a team of lawyers in anticipation of the legal action announced by the Prime Minister and I accepted. It is my duty as a lawyer to provide legal representation and I can accept a brief.” Maharaj said he had no qualms about his decision, saying he has represented several politicians, including prime ministers and leaders of the opposition, in the past. This is not the first time Maharaj will in fact be representing Rowley.

Asked whether he was suspicious of Rowley’s motives to appoint him, Maharaj said: “I do not question my client’s motives. It is not my duty to do that as a lawyer. I am concerned about legal issues and I have to assist the court to determine it.” He added: “I am familiar with E-mailgate and West-gate and any action filed by the PM against Rowley. I am confident that it will not have any legal basis because the law of defamation gives rights to media and members of the public and politicians to severely condemn and criticise public officials, even if it is not based on accurate facts.

“In Rowley’s case, what he said is not inaccurate so there is no basis for the case. He has an unanswerable defence to any claim brought by the Prime Minister. Any claim filed by the Prime Minister is frivolous.” He said he looked forward to working with all lawyers in the team, including former prime minister Basdeo Panday. However, Panday has not confirmed whether he will represent Rowley as he is currently vacationing in England and did not respond to queries. 

Opposition Leader defiant 

On Tuesday night, Rowley announced he had expanded his legal team to include Maharaj and possibly Panday. “She (PM) intends to sue me over E-mailgate. This morning, in preparation for the lawsuit that she going to file, I expanded my legal team because Faris (Al-Rawi) and the other lawyers have six lawsuits from the former attorney general who take me to court saying I have tarnished his pristine character,” Rowley told the Marabella audience who cheered loudly.

He added: “The Prime Minister tells me that I have more to come from her so I expanded my legal base this morning. I have called Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj. I have engaged him as my senior lawyer to respond immediately when I receive the writ from Kamla Persad-Bissessar and tomorrow I intend to call Basdeo Panday, to ask him if he is busy and if he is minded to take a piece of the brief.” Rowley said the reason for the plethora of lawsuits was to silence him. 

In response to calls that he should apologise to Ramlogan and Persad-Bissessar, Rowley said: “I have no apology to give anybody. I did my job and I did it without fear or favour. “In the e-mails that were read in Parliament were allegations of bugging in the Office of the DPP. Sue me, my witness is the DPP,” Rowley said. 

Second case for ex-AG

The Opposition PNM is using Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj’s services for a second time, PNM PRO Faris Al-Rawi said yesterday. He said the PNM had used Maharaj’s services in 2013 when Sr Supt Surajdeen Persad sent PNM leader Dr Keith Rowley a pre-action protocol letter on alleged defamation, seeking an apology letter after Rowley spoke about a police officer at a PNM public meeting in connection with the Reshmi Ramnarine matter. 

Al Rawi said he replied to the letter with a letter of his own and Maharaj had rendered senior counsel assistance on that. Al-Rawi claimed the PNM “never heard back” on the issue after his reply. Yesterday, attorney Kelvin Ramkissoon, who represented Persad, declined comment on the matter.

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley has accused Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of having double standards in the handling of the David West witness-tampering controversy. He was speaking at a political meeting in Marabella on Tuesday night, hours after he walked on the crime-riddled Marabella Trainline seeking votes. During the walk, Rowley said he met families affected by incest and poverty. 

Addressing hundreds of supporters, Rowley questioned why Persad-Bissessar fired former national security minister Gary Griffith but not Communication Minister Vasant Bharath, who were both embroiled in the controversy. He also denied having a personal or professional relationship with West. He said: “Prime Minister, I had no idea who my witnesses were. I left it to my lawyer Faris Al-Rawi. I had no idea that he had sourced a staff member of the AG’s office who could give personal information on how Ish and Steve escaped extradition.

“I never spoke to West except to say hello to him at social functions.” While the crowd cheered, Rowley added: “We have no relationship, either social or professional, so Prime Minister you are barking up the wrong tree.” Saying Persad-Bissessar’s justification for firing Griffith was that he was embroiled in the West matter, Rowley asked: 

“Isn’t Vasant embroiled in it too. Isn’t the PM embroiled in it? The PM had the constitutional duty to appoint David West. If the situation is that you will get fired if you are embroiled in this matter then I ask who is going to fire the Prime Minister?” A member of the audience shouted: “We will fire her the day she calls election date.” 

Rowley also made fun of the controversy surrounding his infamous wine with teenager Ravina Rampersad on Carnival Tuesday, saying: “You saw me for Carnival in San Fernando? They tell me I should have kicked away the lady when she come and wine back on me... ah not doing that!” The crowd laughed and clapped. Rowley added: “I like women, yes, that’s why I married a lovely one and produced two more.” He said the Government was trying to stop him from educating the public about Government’s wrong doing and pilfering of State assets.

Rowley also said he would mount massive protests to protect the pilfering of State lands in Chaguaramas, noting that the Chaguaramas Convention Centre and hotel was being disposed of by a corrupt government. “A property worth over $100 million is being leased. I also asked if any lands are being disposed of to a candidate of COP. Seventy-five acres of prime land is given away,” Rowley said. He added that the next big march would take place in Chaguaramas.

“We are not willing to accept the thievery and pillage,” Rowley said, adding it was time to fire the Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar because she had failed to address social needs. 

Parents chased away a Standard One teacher from the San Fernando TML Primary School yesterday, after he tried to report for classes four years after being suspended for inappropriate conduct.

Taking no chances, the parents locked arms and formed a human barricade outside the school in San Fernando. They vowed to take all action necessary to stop teacher Alfaz Hosein from being in contact with their children.

While police kept watch, a few parents even escorted their children out of the gates upon hearing that “sir was coming back.”

The bearded teacher, who wore a topee, first arrived around 10.30 am with two police. They advised that he had authorisation from the Ministry of Education to enter the school. But angry parents demanded to see the authorisation letter, saying the ruling by the Teaching Service Commission to reinstate him was wrong.

President of the Parents/Teachers Association (PTA), Wazir Hosein, said, “We do not understand what is happening. We have a confession from him...We have numerous complaints about him that he is not doing his job, yet we see that he is being allowed back. We will have none of it.”

Hosein said he gave evidence at the tribunal yet never got any official news about the reinstatement or findings.

“We tried to get information about the ruling and we did not succeed. We now have to use the court to get it. If it is true that he has authorisation, we will appeal the matter,” Hosein vowed.

After Hosein was chased off, he returned to the gates again around noon accompanied by Insp Harripersad Ramnarine. A meeting was subsequently held with the school supervisor and the PTA. 

Ramnarine later said it was collectively agreed Hosein would not enter the compound.

Hosein said parents did not want to subject the students to undue stress. He said a meeting will be held this weekend to decide the next step.

TML board in dark

​Manager of the school and representative of the Muslim Board of Education, Sheraze Muradali, said yesterday that the board was also in the dark. He said the teacher was charged for inappropriate conduct at the school.

Saying the board had not received any reports from the ministry detailing why the teacher was allowed back in school, Muradali said discussions were continuing.

“Until we get something in writing we cannot allow him in here. If we get a copy of the authorisation we will look at it and we will appeal it because the grounds is for him to be dismissed not sent to another school,” Muradali said.

Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh could not be reached for comment yesterday as calls to his cellular phone went unanswered. His communications officer Visham Ramsawak said based on all the evidence given, the ministry passed information to the Teachers Service Commission, who cleared the teacher of all charges. 

“He has to be reinstated. The Minister of Education, the CEO and the Permanent Secretary does not have the power to transfer that teacher to another school,” Ramsawak said.

Contacted yesterday, president of T&T Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) Devanand Sinanan said he would investigate the matter before he made a comment. The teacher declined comment outside the school yesterday.

Former Special Branch Inspector Allister Guevarro is now seeking legal advice following media reports that acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams had re-opened a case after a claim by a witness that his statement was fabricated. Guevarro headed the 2010 probe into how a box containing confidential Supreme Court documents ended up at the private office of an attorney. 

The investigation was completed in May 2011 and had been officially closed after it was deemed there was no criminal act involved, but one of the main players in the case, attorney Mark Seepersad, who made the discovery and filed the initial complaint, recently denied that he was ever interviewed by police investigators during the first probe. Asked yesterday whether he had ever made attempts to interview Seepersad during the course of his probe, Guevarro initially said he was not authorised to comment to the media. 

“Ma’am,  police officers are forbidden to speak to the press. You may contact the Commissioner of Police and if he allows me to speak to you, I will.” Williams was then contacted, but he said in keeping with the regulations, Guevarro should contact him and request permission to speak to the media. When called a second time and told this, Guevarro said he did not want to speak to the press and so had no intention of calling Williams for permission.

“You called me. I did not say I want to speak with you,” Guevarro said. He added that if the media had called him before publishing the story, he might have considered speaking.

“That information you put there is erroneous. I see they mention Surajdeen Persad. That information is erroneous. Had the reporter spoken to me before writing it, I would have something to say,” Guevarro stated, adding, “I am having a conversation with my lawyers. If there is anything to correct, my lawyers will handle this.” Fired Attorney General Anand Ramlogan also declined to comment yesterday.

“Why would I want to comment on that? No, I don’t want to comment,” Ramlogan said when contacted by phone. On Friday, Williams revealed that the five-year-old investigation was being reopened.

Recent case history

Seepersad had claimed that what was purported to be a statement in the file Guevarro handed delivered to then Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs back in 2011 was a “cut and paste” of sentences of a letter he had written to the Registrar of the Supreme Court, Evelyn Ann Petersen, on November 15, 2010, giving details of the discovery of the confidential documents. His claims came after the Judiciary issued two statements on February 13 and 19 after media reports about the probe.

In the first, the Judiciary stated that a police investigation into the discovery of court documents at the Port-of-Spain office of an attorney almost five years ago unearthed no criminal wrongdoing and “no disciplinary action was taken by the Judiciary against the officer involved in the incident and she has since left the organisation.”

But six days after that statement was made, the Judiciary issued a second statement saying: “The Judiciary notes recent comments in the media which assert that Mr Mark Seepersad, attorney-at-law, alleges that he was never interviewed in relation to a matter involving court files found in the office of an attorney at law. Seepersad met with Chief Justice Ivor Archie on February 23 to discuss the matter and subsequently wrote to Williams and the DPP.  

Williams announced the re-opening of the case on Friday. Seepersad said on Friday that he was ready and willing to assist the TTPS with its investigation, now headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Simon Lendor. 

Towering bushes in the Petite Morne estate will be cleared down this week, while additional security patrols have been arranged to monitor relocated families affected by the Solomon Hochoy highway extension, National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco) Dr Carson Charles said yesterday.

Charles’ comment comes two days after Agar Ali’s family was beaten and robbed by bandits at their unfinished home at Petite Morne. Ali’s family had accepted Nidco’s relocation offer, but claimed Nidco had reneged on the original figure they agreed to and he was unable to finish his new home as a result.

In an interview with the Sunday Guardian yesterday, Charles said two managers of Nidco visited the family yesterday to discuss their concerns. He said: “It is very heart breaking to read about what they went through. We sympathise with them, but the truth is nobody has been complaining to Nidco about these matters.” Charles said in any case, responsibility for the site was not under the purview of Nidco. 

Saying the site was owned and maintained by the Estate Management and Business Development Company, Charles said: “We are not passing the buck. We are committed to helping in whatever way we can, but this is an EMBD site, it is not Nidco’s property.” He also said that the violence in T&T was no longer restricted to crime hot spots but had filtered to other quiet communities as well. A report on the attack was also made to the police and Nidco’s security firms, following which patrols have been boosted, he said.

“Two patrols are now passing there. We will also ask one of the contractors who work regularly with us to help in clearing up of the area,” Charles said. He added that once the managers submit a report from the family on Monday, further assistance will be given.

Brutal attack
Ali, his wife Naseeba, 50, daughter Salisha, 19, her boyfriend Kevin Singh, 17, Ali’s son Nazim, 18, and his girlfriend Kimberly Mohammed, 19, came under attack at their Ste Madeleine unfinished home around 10 pm on Thursday. Two robbers with tee-shirts over their faces ran through the open door and robbed them of cash and gold jewelry.  The robbers then forced them to kneel on the floor and smashed a glass bottle on Singh’s head. They also beat Ali with a sledgehammer. 

However, the family turned on the robbers and chopped one of them. The suspect was subsequently taken for medical attention along with Naseeba, Salisha and Singh. Ste Madeleine police are continuing investigations.

Overcome with grief, director of Iere Couriers Dr Wendy-Lee Persad Bsela yesterday promised to give support to five-year-old Kensiyah Ragoonanan, who witnessed the murder of her mother last weekend. Kensiyah ran into the streets last Saturday night and flagged down a passing motorist after Jessica Brereton was shot dead by her boyfriend Anil Lalmansingh, who then killed himself at Princes Margaret Street, San Fernando.

During the funeral yesterday, Kensiyah sat wide-eyed sucking her thumb while dozens around her wept openly as they said a final goodbye to Brereton. Relatives said the child no longer smiled or spoke frequently since the murder. Speaking at the funeral service at Guides Funeral Home yesterday, Bsela said it was a habit to speak to Brereton every morning for more than an hour while she drove to her office at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

“Jessy was a joy to speak with. She was my office manager and I relied on her. I heard so much about her children. I heard about Kensiyah’s love for dancing and all the special things that Hesikiyah did in church,” Bsela said. Wiping away tears, she whispered: “I am heart broken. My husband and I have not slept since Saturday night. I was her boss, her friend and her sister. She sat on my bed for Christmas, that was how close we were.” 

Speaking directly to Kensiyah, Bsela vowed to always lend support to the grieving children. “Aunty Wendy will never forget you. Whatever you will need, we will be there. Let us find peace in our hearts and be there for these children,” Bsela told the mourners. Meanwhile, Rev Lurtan Patterson urged the congregation to cultivate dialogue, discipline and divine intervention in their lives. He said couples must always find someone to talk to when problems arose. 

“You need to talk and have a third party listen to your concerns. We must always have discipline. Nobody is a law unto himself,” Patterson said. He added that Satan had a diabolical plan to devour as many people as he could. “That is why we need divine intervention,” Patterson said. Brereton’s friend Li Ann Francis also broke down in tears as she delivered the eulogy. She described Brereton as a gem, jewel and treasure. Francis said Brereton loved her children and would do anything to make them happy.

“She was selfless and I will always miss your bright smile and squeaky voice,” Francis sobbed. Brereton’s mother Veronica Noel hugged the children during the funeral which ended before 6 pm.

Community organisations seeking state funds will not get any if they do not provide proper accountability, says Minister in the Ministry of the Environment Ramona Ramdial.

Ramdial was responding to claims that there was a freeze on the release of money from the Green Fund to some organisations.

Turtle protection groups in Toco and Matelot claimed last week that they did not receive funding this year even though the turtle nesting season was officially launched last week.

Ramdial, in a telephone interview yesterday, said the funds would be released once the organisations met the necessary criteria.

“We have hundreds of applicants. Before a group qualifies, it must be registered as a community group and should be actively existing for a number of years.” She said to access the fund a meticulous process must be followed and if organisations did not adhere to the rules, monies would be denied. She also said proper accountability was mandatory.

“If groups have not accessed financing, it means that the paperwork is not in order. Once we are satisfied that the organisation has met all checks and balances we will release funds,” Ramdial said.

 She also urged members of the public to continue to protect the turtles.

“We want the public to exercise proper preservation and respect the nesting season. We will continue to do what we can to protect the endangered species.” She said two years ago, the Government expanded the team of game wardens to more than 150. She said a partnership was formed with the Ministry of National Security, Ministry of Food Production, WASA estate police and other groups to save the turtles from poachers.

Saying there was a decrease in illegal hunting, Ramdial said there were plans to hire 100 additional environmental police officers to patrol the nesting grounds.

Last week during the launch of turtle season, Ramdial said over $38 million from the Green Fund had been allocated to organisations for sea turtle protection/conservation activities over the past three years.

Turtle Village Trust got the largest chunk with over $29 million for its National Sea Turtle Conservation project which started on March 5, 2013, and is scheduled to be completed on July 31.

The Green Fund also approved funding for the Turtle Village Trust to expand its conservation programme of monitoring the four major nesting sites—at Grand Rivière, Matura, Fishing Pond and Turtle beach in Tobago—to incorporate 12 additional beaches in Trinidad and seven beaches in Tobago.

A total of 23 community groups have been trained in conservation, data collection, and turtle tagging. Ramdial said the scientific information generated was expected to guide the Government in shaping policies. 

 Five of the world’s seven species of sea turtles nest on local beaches. These include leatherback, hawksbill, green, loggerhead and the olive ridley.

The Green Fund is the national environmental fund. The Miscellaneous Taxes Act – Chapter 77:01 Part XIV says the purpose of the fund is to provide financial assistance to community groups and organisations for activities related to reforestation, remediation, environmental education and public awareness, and conservation of the environment. Remediation is the remedying and restoring of the functional capacity of an environmental resource damaged by natural or man-made causes.

Land and Marine Resources Minister Jairam Seemungal yesterday defended the proposed changes to the Land for the Landless programme, saying the category of people who could access it was widened because the price of land was no longer affordable to the average citizen. 

The cost of private lands has skyrocketed over the past few years making it impossible for young professionals to afford land, he said.

On Thursday, Seemungal announced at a post-Cabinet briefing that couples earning a joint income of up to $30,000 can now apply for subsidised land, developed by the State, under the Land for the Landless programme. Previously only people who had an earning power of between $8,000 and $10,000 could apply for land under the programme.

 The announcement follows another initiative announced by the Government to distribute 100 government-subsidised houses every week for the rest of the year. The first distribution takes place today.

Since that announcement, hordes of people have been visiting the Housing Development Corporation to update their applications.

“What we realised is that because of falling oil prices, we will not have the funds to develop more sites, so we designed the project in a way that we can generate money to develop more sites for the lower income bracket. We will provide subsidy up to 70 per cent, so out of the $100 million that is being spent we will get back about $30 million,” Seemungal said.

“In Central Trinidad, a lot of land is being sold for $700,000. The prices are too high and we believe now that the Government is subsidising land that the price of private land will fall,” Seemungal said.

In a radio interview, Seemungal said the working class were now unable to buy land privately. For example, he said, police officers, soldiers and public servants were being unfairly treated since they were barred from applying to the programme due to their earnings. 

He also questioned the availability of private land for sale, saying Government was the single largest land owner, with 60 per cent of lands in its possession.

Seemungal said under the $1 billion programme, which is yet to be financed, the land would be leased to the potential home owner, who had to begin construction within two years and could not sell it but could pass it on to relatives by way of a will. 

He denied that the Land for the Landless programme no longer catered for the lower middle class or created an opportunity for the rich to manipulate the programme.

Based on income definitions from the World Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean, the middle class earns between US$10 and US$50 per day, roughly $6,400 per month. However, under the new stipulations, a couple’s joint income may be up to $30,000 a month to access the programme. 

Seemungal said the World Bank projections did not apply to T&T where salaries were much higher.

“When we look at the salaries of police officers, teachers and other public servants we realise that the salaries are much higher than that of other countries in the Caribbean and elsewhere,” Seemungal said. 

He explained that an On-the-Job (OJT) trainee with a first degree earns $6,200 per month while an OJT with a Master’s degree earns $8,000 monthly.

Seemungal said the new income bracket came about because the majority of public servants earned over $8,000 and so did not qualify for the two per cent interest rate being offered to low-income households by the T&T Mortgage Finance Company (TTMF).

Asked how many potential household applicants in T&T would benefit from this new arrangement, Seemungal said between 8,000 and 9,000 families. 

He said under the programme 16 sites had been developed for first-time land owners using funds from the Inter-American Development Bank.

High Expenses

A young couple with two children, who live on the boundary of San Fernando, said even though they earned between $20,000 and $22,000 per month, they still found it difficult to afford land.

They agreed to give an insight into their expenses and lifestyle on the condition of anonymity.

“Food expenses for the month cost us $4,500, our car loan is $4,000 and after we pay household bills, electricity, cable, water rate, school fees and baby sitting fees, we are barely left with $5,000. Out of this we save $3,000 and use $2,000 for expenses during the month so we really cannot afford to buy property,” they said.

Now that the Government is offering subsidised land, owning and building a house seems like a dream come true.

“The programme gives people like us an opportunity to be able to afford land because we do not qualify for the two per cent interest rate that the TTMF offers,” they added.

Based on information obtained from the TTMF Web-site, a first time home owner could qualify for a two per cent interest rate if the household income is $8,000 or less to purchase any property valued up to $625,000.

The company offers no downpayment, up to 100 per cent financing of the purchase price and a re-payment term of up to 25 years. The mortgage may be extended to age 70 and is inclusive of $15,000 for major appliances.

Cost of Land

What is the cost of land?

A check in the real estate classifieds shows that land is being sold at exorbitant prices. Terra Caribbean’s Web site http://www.terracaribbean.com listed 11,808 square feet of land at Westvale Park, Glencoe, being offered for sale at US$147,140 or $10.3 million. At Graceland Heights in Santa Cruz, 9,943 square feet was priced at US$155,763.

Land was advertised at a cheaper rate in Enterprise, Chaguanas, where two lots of land were priced at TT$850,000.

A month after  the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) stopped contruction firm Super Industrial Services (SIS) from backfilling the Caroni Swamp, several contractors are working round-the-clock removing tonnes of backfill from the environmentally sensitive area. Over the past week, dozens of truck have been working on the northern boundary of the Caroni River where T&T's national bird, the Scarlet Ibis nests. The illegal backfilled area is located off the Churchhill Roosevelt highway and is not visible from the road.

When the T&T Guardian visited the area over the weekend, more than 12 trucks were lined up waiting to remove backfill material. Two excavators were being used to dig up the sand and load it onto the trucks. 

EMA Chairman Dr Allan Bachan said instructions were given for the area to be cleared before the end of this month. He said since the road was built alongside the river, boatmen have allegedly been using it for illegal trade. “We intend to dig up that road because from all reports we are getting, that road is facilitating illegal activity,” he said. He added that squatters have also begun using the swamp for agriculture.

“We are doing an investigation to determine how that backfill ended up in the swamp. We are also taking the issue of illegal squatting very seriously,” Bachan said. Asked when the remedial work will be completed, he said: "They were supposed to complete the project since last Friday. From our visits to the area, it is a lot of backfill to remove so we have not stipulated deadlines. We want the job to be done in a proper manner. “We intend to plant mangroves back on the site.” 

Bachan said this matter is still being investigated. SIS was hired to backfill the area and a source said a state agency was involved. Details of the contract have not been made public and SIS director Terrence Lalla has on several occasions declined comment, saying he had no information to give. Bachan said once the material is cleared from the site, it will be utilised in other areas such as the Beetham landfill.

Backfilled started in January

The backfilling of the swamp started in early January. At that time, tour guides were told it was to be used as a stockyard for water pipes. When the Guardian highlighted the issue exclusively in January, SIS took down the fence, leaving hundreds of bags of sand on the site for weeks. Some of the bags ended up in the marshes. When the matter was brought to his attention last month, Minister of the Environment Ganga Singh said he had no information that the site was intended to stock water pipes. He said the EMA investigated and the project was terminated.

The Caroni Swamp, which comprises 8,398 hectares, is protected under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty which T&T signed for the conservation of wetlands.

Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine says he does not know whether the National Gas Company (NGC) hired preferred government contractor Super Industrial Services (SIS) to backfill the Caroni swamp to stock pipes for the $1 billion Beetham Wastewater Treatment project. NGC was named as the State agency involved in the scandal which was highlighted exclusively by the T&T Guardian last month. The landfill is now being cleared but it is uncertain whether taxpayers are footing this bill.

In an interview yesterday, Ramnarine said he had launched an investigation to determine whether NGC was involved in the project. “I have no information about this. All I know is from what I read in the newspapers but now that you have raised it, I will investigate,” Ramnarine said. In an immediate response, president of NGC Indar Maharaj denied its involvement, saying it never gave permission to any contractor to backfill the swamp.

Maharaj said he did not know why NGC was named in the issue. “It is political season so all kinds of things are being said. I want to reiterate that NGC has no role in that project. We have nothing to do with the backfilling of the swamp. I don’t know what the details are about the costs because we have nothing to do with that,” Maharaj said. Asked whether SIS was acting on its own, Maharaj said: “As far as I am aware SIS has the contract to do the Beetham recycle project. 

A source, who requested anonymity, said NGC had hired SIS to backfill the swamp to stock pipes for the Beetham project, a contract which SIS won even though its bid was $400 million more than the closest bidder Altatec. When the T&T Guardian highlighted the destruction of the swamp, the EMA gave instructions for the project to be terminated as it contravened environmental laws. EMA chairman Dr Allan Bachan said an order was given for the entire area to be rehabilitated. 

He said once the landfill is removed, the road on the boundary of the Caroni River will be removed as that was facilitating illegal activity. He also said squatting would not be tolerated in the swamp and mangroves would be replanted. Since the EMA shut down the site and ordered the removal of backfill material, more than a dozen sub-contractors have been removing the landfill but it is unclear who is shouldering the costs. Workers at the site said they were being paid by SIS.

Squatters want compensation

Meanwhile, John Mc Leod, a farmer who has been planting watermelons on the boundary of the backfilled area denied illegal activity was taking place at the site. He said before SIS entered the area, he had watermelons and coconuts on the State-owned land. “I am not the only squatter here. I had about 50 to 60 coconut trees here and when SIS came they bulldozed everything. A man named Mr Jones told me he will backfill a part on the eastern side for me to plant. He said he had big connections with the government,” Mc Leod said.

He added: “Our parents and grandparents have been planting in the swamp for more than 50 years and the road they now want to dig up was there long time.” Mc Leod said he intended to plant on a big scale. “Right now I have about three quarter of an acre with watermelons. I already plant back the coconut trees,” Mc Leod added. He also said since the gravel road on the northern boundary of the river was built more people have been able to camp, fish and plant in the swamp.

Contacted for comment yesterday, SIS director Terrence Lalla said he was in a meeting and could not answer any questions about the matter.

Freeport police were last night moving to lay charges against a 55-year-old Hindu pundit in connection with the grievous sexual assault of a teenager. Police said the incident is alleged to have occurred at a business in Chase Village, Chaguanas, where the girl and her father had gone for her to receive physiotherapy for scoliosis, a medical condition in which a person’s spinal axis has a three-dimensional deviation.

In a statement to police, the 18-year-old victim said she had five appointments with the pundit, who is also a chiropractor. However, during the third appointment on January 31 the man said he had to conduct a vaginal examination on the girl and proceeded to do so using his fingers. On Valentine’s Day, during the fifth appointment, the pundit allegedly took a phallic object resembling a sex toy and inserted it into the teenager. She later made a report to police. 

Investigators said yesterday that this was not the first time such allegations had been made against the pundit. Two years ago, a 34-year-old Freeport woman also said she was molested by the man. He was taken before the Chaguanas Magistrates court but the police later dropped the charges when the victim refused to testify. Investigators also said the man was a practising chiropractor in Miami but was sent back to Trinidad because of similar offences.

The business remained closed yesterday but several residents who were interviewed said it was time for Government to establish the Sex Offences Registry to ensure repeat offences do not occur. A woman who lives nearby, who did not want to be named, said, “I heard that things like that happened there before. I am not surprised.” Clive Benny, of Chase Village, said Government had an obligation to protect citizens.

“So long we hearing that the Sex Offences Registry was coming. They need to set that up now because we have to protect our daughters and wives,” Benny said. Another resident said she knew of two women who went to the business for therapy but never had problems. Police said once the man was charged he would appear before a magistrate to answer the charges. WPC Josanne Parks is heading investigations.

Offender registry needed

Contacted yesterday, head of the Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Diana Mahabir-Wyatt, said it was regrettable that the Sex Offences Registry was never put in place. “It seems the list is not important enough for successive governments to put in place because it has been proposed over the past ten to 12 years,” Mahabir-Wyatt said. She said one of the setbacks was office space and staff, noting that at one time the coalition had offered to donate office space in its Belmont building but the offer was never taken up 

Mahabir-Wyatt also said research must now be done to ascertain why religious leaders engaged in this sort of activity. “There has been talk for years in the Roman Catholic church about this and now to have this occurring in the Hindu faith is alarming. We need to do a study about why we are finding so often and in so many cultures, that there are repeated cases of sexual abuse involving men of the cloth,” Mahabir-Wyatt said.

In September 2011, former minister of justice Herbert Volney said the registry was being worked on and a bill pertaining to it was expected to be brought before Parliament by the end of 2011. However the registry still has not been implemented.

Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams says the Emailgate probe is still ongoing by the Police Service and information will only be released when investigations are over. This follows calls from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that the police should make public the findings of their investigations which started since May 21, 2013. However, even though 22 months have passed since the issue broke, Williams said Deputy Commissioner of Police Glenn Hackett was not through with his investigations.

“Whatever information has to be released will be released by him. I do not have any updates on this,” Williams said. Asked what was taking so long, Williams said he could not divulge any information. “As you know I was out of the country for a week so I do not know what is the latest with the probe. You will have to speak to the DCP,” Williams said. Several calls were made to Hackett’s cell phone but they went unanswered.

Last week, the Police Service said it received communication from the Internet service provider, Google, through the Central Authority of T&T, about the questionable series of e-mails, purported to have been exchanged between Persad-Bis­sessar, former attorney general Anand Ramlogan, Minister of Local Government Surujrattan Rambachan and former national security minister Gary Griffith between August to September 2012.

Saying the “voluminous” information was still being analysed by the investigators to determine authenticity, Williams assured that the “outcome of the investigation will be made public in due course.” 

The purported e-mails which were disclosed in Parliament on May 20 by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley in his no-confidence mo­tion against the Prime Min­ister. All e-mails for the period relating to the accounts anan@gmail.com; kamlapb1@gmail.com; anand@tstt.net.tt; captaingarygriffith@hotmail.com; surujrambachan@hotmail.com and roodal@tstt.net.tt have been made available to the police through the office of International Affairs of the Criminal Division of the US Department of Justice. 

A computer disk as well as a certificate of authenticity, dated January 21, 2015, signed by Google’s custodian of records, was also handed over to the police. On July 23, 2013 Persad-Bissessar and Ramlogan filed pre-action protocol letters against Rowley. Persad-Bissessar’s attorney Israel Khan SC later called on the police to clear the air as to whether the so-called e-mails existed, adding the entire country wanted to know whe­ther the allegations of criminal conspiracy were true or false.

T&T is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG) globally on a per capita basis. The Energy Chamber of T&T wants to change that, piloting a proposal to reduce carbon emissions and bring in US$3.2 billion in earnings. The Chamber’s Efficiency and Alternative Energy Committee (EAEC) will submit its proposal to the United Nations within the next few weeks.

At a general meeting at Cara Suites Hotel yesterday, EAEC member Gary Clyne said the proposal involves introduction of several emissions reduction projects geared at generating carbon credits which can then be sold for cash.

A carbon credit is a financial instrument that represents a tonne of CO2 (carbon dioxide) or CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent gases) removed or reduced from the atmosphere which can be used by governments, industry or private individuals to offset damaging carbon emissions.

“With the Energy Chamber acting as a carbon credit broker, the credits will be sold to global emitters and a percentage of the broker’s fee will be used for energy projects in the Caribbean,” Clyne explained.

He said some of the carbon credit generating activities will include fugitive emissions recovery and utilisation and industrial process emissions reduction. 

“The change of fuel to compressed natural gas, renewable energy projects, energy efficiency projects and carbon sequestration (the process of capture and long-term storage of atmospheric CO2) can also be used to earn us carbon credits,” he said.

According to Clyne, T&T releases 53 million tonnes of GHG emissions annually.

“The European Union is coming here personally to work with us. We have a high emissions content so we can leverage to have renewable projects throughout the Caribbean,” he said. 

He explained that emissions from T&T’s 11 ammonia plants can be captured, collected and compressed for use by Petrotrin to increase its oil production. 

“The capture of methane can be used as a form of energy. CO2 compressed with algae creates bio-diesel,” Clyne said.

He said the entire Caribbean can benefit through wider job creation, technology transfer, local business opportunities, foreign investment and regional energy security, as well as sustainable climate finance.

CEO Thackwray Driver said the chamber is looking for validation from its members to decide whether to go ahead with the project.