Cultural activists are outraged over the demolition of deceased cultural icon Beryl McBurnie’s home.

The structure, which had been deteriorating on Panka Street in St James for some years, was demolished on Friday by its new owner.

The property was sold earlier this year by the board which oversees the Little Carib Theatre in Woodbrook. Little Carib Theatre was formed by McBurnie who promoted culture and the arts in T&T. She died in March 2000. 

Yesterday, culture activist Rubadiri Victor lamented the loss of the historical structure and the state’s inability to secure a number of heritage sites in T&T.

In an interview with the Sunday Guardian, Victor said politicians and ministry officials had resisted implementation of a 1991 national heritage legislation.

“It was only implemented in June of 2014. In that 23-year period, hundreds of sites were destroyed because they were not protected.”

These destroyed sites include Greyfriars Church, Christopher Brother’s studio on Nelson Street and Lions House in Couva.

Victor said turning to a National Trust board at this point was fruitless, as no board had yet been appointed since the Government was changed in 2015. While some are looking to the board for answers, secretary of the board Lisa Kewley described the house as beyond repair and said the board had few options.

“The Little Carib board had received many citations from the Port-of-Spain Corporation regarding the premises,” Kewley wrote in a post shared on Facebook.

“There were rats, tall bushes etc, that were causing problems for the entire surroundings. It would have cost too much to clean the area periodically just to say we were keeping it.”

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In 1959 McBurnie was awarded the Order of the British Empire and in 1969 she was presented with the Hummingbird Gold Medal. In 1976 the University of the West Indies conferred on her the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws and in America in 1978 she was honoured along with Katherine Dunham and Pearl Primus at the Twentieth Anniversary Gala of the Alvin Ailey Theater. In 1989, McBurnie received the Trinity Cross, the highest national award, for promotion of the arts.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert has asked the Central Bank to investigate the alleged undervaluation and sale of Mausica Estate lands owned by Clico which had been in the works from May 2015.

Imbert confirmed this last Friday morning.

This followed queries raised about the sale of the 514 acres of land located north off the Arima Old Road to Kall Properties Ltd. The company is headed by Arvin Kalloo.

Documents received by the T&T Guardian show the price negotiated by Clico’s senior property manager and agreed on was $76 million, or $3.39 per square foot. 

The Clico Policyholders Group has raised concerns about the transaction and questioned if the property was being sold at an undervalued rate “at the expense of Clico’s statutory fund and by extension the assenting policyholders.”

The group’s chairman Peter Permell questioned, “Was an up-to-date valuation prepared and by whom since the last one was done in 2012, four years ago? Was there a competitive and transparent auction process undertaken by Clico for the sale of the land? Did the sale receive Clico Board and Central Bank approval?

“The sale price of $3.39 per square foot for the Mausica Estate land is too low even if it appears that the land was valued as agricultural lands and not commercial/residential initially,” Permell said.

Imbert, whose ministry liaises with the Central Bank, said: “This matter was only drawn to my attention last week and I have asked the Central Bank to investigate it to see if there is any truth in the allegations.”

Queries have also been raised as to whether the sale was approved by Clico’s board—or only a Clico sub-committee—and whether Clico’s policies and procedures for disposal of real estate assets were followed. 

The sale started from mid-2015 under the previous government and Central Bank leadership, and was in train up to late last year. It was delayed up to last month. A squatter issue was in play up to then.

The new PNM administration assumed office on September 7, 2015, and new Central Bank leadership was subsequently appointed in December 2015.

Clico directors have declined to speak on the matter since they noted Clico has been under the oversight of the Central Bank since the 2009 collapse of the former financial giant.

Queries were sent to Central Bank last week on the matter. There was no reply.

Offer approved by Clico team

It was confirmed that Town and Country Planning outline permission was granted in January 2013 to develop a portion for residential purposes. It was, however, noted that for this approval no “built development would be permitted on land on a gradient which exceeds 1:4, and/or which lies above the 91 m (300 foot) contour.”

It was noted that given the planning permission, only 73 acres or 15 per cent of the total acreage could be developed.

Acquisition cost was estimated in August 2001 as $17.5 million.

The property valuation at February 2013 was $46 million and outline approval was granted to develop an area below the 90m (300 ft) contour—approximately only 73 acres of the 514 parcel.

In July 2012, the valuation was put at $66 million. But this was assuming outline approval was granted for the entire (514 acres) estate.

According to a letter of offer, on July 8, 2014, Angel Lites Green Technology Development put in a bid to Clico of $75 million. But according to information, that company failed to provide information for Clico to proceed with the sale.

The following year, on May 25, 2015, Kall Properties Ltd (KPL) put in a written offer to Clico of $76 million.

The letter signed by KPL director Arvin Kalloo formally offered $76 million for acquisition.

Kalloo also heads Kall Co Ltd which received the $120 million Maracas Bay upgrade contract under the last administration. That is now being examined by the Attorney General. 

Documents confirm the price was negotiated by Clico’s senior property manager. 

A document from Clico’s Asset Recovery, Properties and Investment Committee indicates that “Factors to be noted” included that the $76 million offer was “approximately 65 per cent above the valuation amount.” 

It was also stated that if the transaction failed to materialise and “in light of the current economic circumstances facing the country, it would be difficult to negotiate a higher price.”

It was also stated that if the property is kept by Clico for equity or debt swap, any future consideration would be at the valuation amount which is $30 million below the current selling price.

The offer was described as being approved by Clico’s Asset Recovery, Properties and Investment Committee on June 3, 2015, and accepted.

In-house debate on selling

A document headed “Minutes” of the committee’s meeting bore no signatures. Several members of that committee, including Gerald Yetming, were subsequently dismissed and also resigned within days after the meeting.

The minutes state that the managing director then said based on projected cash flow, it would not be necessary to sell the Mausica Estate in order to settle the Government debt owed by Clico.

However, it was noted the committee considered whether there “would be any benefit to selling the property in any event.”

The committee noted that “an offer of $30 million in excess of the statutory fund valuation had been received” and the $30 million “represents profits Clico would not be able to realise in settlement.”

The committee’s senior property manager told the committee that approximately 400 acres of the land is “unusable.”

The committee approved the sale “as is” and urged the manager to advise prospective buyers that Clico would not be able to provide “vacant possession.” 

On July 13, 2015, a sale agreement was executed by Clico. On July 29, 2015, a downpayment of $7.6 million was received.

On July 29, Clico executive chairman Wendy Ho Sing wrote Central Bank seeking permission to sell the Mausica Estate asset, noting the downpayment made and pledging proceeds from the sale to be reinvested in assets for the Statutory Fund.

On August 10, Central Bank’s Financial Institutions Supervision Unit (FISU) granted approval.

KPL, on November 19, requested that the deed of conveyance be made in favour of a new company, Mausica Estate Developers Ltd (MEDL).

The company cited a sale agreement clause that the transaction be completed in favour of the purchaser or “whomsoever the purchasers shall appoint.”

Companies Registrar records show MEDL was formed on August 11, 2015. Records were updated in January 2016. 

Clico Board approval required

Clico board approval was said to be required for the name change.

In a December 9, 2015, internal e-mail from a Clico official (alleged to be in-house counsel) to Clico directors, it was stated that while a November 25, 2015, meeting of Clico’s asset committee had agreed to the sale, in the absence of (Clico director Raymond) Bachoo at an adjourned November 30, 2015, board meeting,” the matter was not placed before the Board for its approval.”

It was noted the purchaser was awaiting board approval and “hereby sought” sale of the land to Mausica Developers Ltd (MEDL) for the price of $76 million.

The directors were subsequently warned that considerable attention had been paid to “binding” Clico and Clico could face action for “specific performance “as there was a duly executed agreement in place. The official said the sale “could be considered a fait accompli,” but the change of name request (from KPL to MEDL) shoud be noted.

She said the agreement could be enforced against Clico which could face a lawsuit since $7.7 million had already been paid down towards the transaction.

A December 11, 2015, e-mail from Clico director Krishna Boodhai to directors, however, noted that while Clico’s asset committee had agreed on November 25 to the sale, in the absence of Bachoo from the adjourned meeting, the matter had not been placed before the board for approval. 

Clico subsequently sought legal advice on the issue from Lex Caribbean Ltd which replied in December 2015.

While Lex Caribbean couldn’t confirm board approval was needed for the purchasers’ name change issue (from KPL to MEDL) its legal advisor saw no problem with the change if the stipulation for a nominee was in the agreement.

But the advisor also noted the minutes of the sub-committee meeting regarding authorisation of the transaction were never confirmed.

Nor did the legal advisor see evidence the matter had ever proceeded to the Board for approval, though this was described as “explainable” since the company “was in transition in June 2015.”

The legal advisor concluded the matter should come formally to the Board for its approval.

Clico chairman Wendy Ho Sing did not reply to calls. Former finance minister Larry Howai and former Central Bank governor Jwala Rambarran did not immediately respond.

Purchaser puzzled

The Mausica sale was delayed up to last month.

A female squatter had occupied 469 square metres of land and agreement was reached last month for her to vacate, it was confirmed.

Clico’s Mausica property, according to documents, had been occupied by “various illegal squatters” over time. In May 2013, Clico paid $128,600 to execute an enforcement order to demolish eight unauthorised structures. A security firm and the Defence Force also patrolled to prevent illegal occupations and cultivations.

KPL’s Arvin Kalloo declined comment on the sale and delay.

A KPL source yesterday confirmed the matter was not “going through” at the moment and KPL’s lawyers have been trying to talk to the vendor to ascertain the status of the issue following KPL’s downpayment.

Kalloo is also managing director of Kall Co Ltd, a St Helena construction sector services company formed in 2006, whose clients—according to its website—have included WASA, Nidco, T&TEC, EMBDC, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the Housing Development Corporation.

Policyholders group supports probe

Permell who in response to the Sunday Guardian called for the Finance Minister and Central Bank to immediately halt sale of the Mausica land and probe the matter, has cited various issues.

He said the proposed sale raises the question, ‘“Who’s guarding the guards?’ Is the Central Bank-appointed Clico board selling the ailing insurer’s assets, pledged to the statutory fund to protect policyholders, at an undervalue and if so, why so? Could this perhaps have anything to do with the fact that the new Government-approved 2016 Clico Resolution Plan doesn’t include payment of the balance due to assenting EFPA policyholders?”

“Also, are adequate checks/balances in place to ensure Central Bank can carry out the dual role/function of regulator/manager since the collapse of Clico, or should such inherent conflict of interest situations simply be avoided?

“This issue also reopens similar questions about previous Clico real estate asset sales. And, if this fresh set of questions is allowed to go unanswered, there could be serious implications for future asset sales such as No Man’s Land in Tobago, the proposed Sandals Hotel site.”

Admit it. Good customer service in this country is hard to find. 

It could be said, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack.

Yet, that’s what the Sunday Guardian found when Sommerleigh Pollonais posted a positive review on MovieTowne’s Facebook page about Lisa George’s excellent customer service.

George is one of the supervisors at the concession stands, MovieTowne, Port-of-Spain.

On August 15, Pollonais posted a photograph of George and said she was one of MovieTowne’s best workers. Pollonais said she had been patronising the establishment since inception and each time she visited, George was always there.

Pollonais wrote: “When she’s behind the concession stand, you know you’re gonna get your popcorn combo ASAP!”

She added that on the day she was in the line, she noticed that George was not too well yet her line was moving the fastest. 

Over the past month, Pollonais’ post was shared close to 1,100 times with over 3,000 users commenting positively. 

On Friday, the Sunday Guardian caught up with George before she headed across to Tobago to celebrate her birthday. She did not want to give her age but joked she was 16.

The mother of three from Morvant has been working at MovieTowne’s concession stands since it opened its doors in November 2002. She started off as a cook and after a year was promoted to supervisor.

“I love my job. If I didn’t love it, I would not be here all these years,” George said.

George said she ensured her lines moved swiftly because of her keen attention to customers’ orders. She’s never rude nor does she lose her cool even though customers come to the counter with attitude or take a while to decide on an order.

George is pleasant and polite despite having a bad day or being bogged down with daily pressures. 

Asked how she was able to maintain a positive spirit, she said: “When I come through the glass doors, I leave my problems at home and deal with the people in front of me.

“The faster I move, the quicker I get you to your movie and I’ll be able to breathe easier. When they come with attitude, I keep on smiling.”

Before joining the MovieTowne family, George worked briefly at a fast food outlet. She recalled when she started it was hectic because it was a new cineplex but she tried hard to get the job done and “put the food out on time.”

As one of many supervisors, she is in charge of 33 workers and described it as challenging. However, she said, she loved her job. 

Soon, George will be moving when MovieTowne opens its doors in Corinth, San Fernando. There she’ll be an assistant manager. “That’s great news to be moving with the company,” she said.

In her 14 years there, she’s met government ministers, public officials and businessmen, all of whom look for her specifically. 

“I met Gillian Lucky, Louis Lee Sing and Mr Faris Al-Rawi,” she said. 

About the post on Facebook, she said she was overwhelmed. She joked that customers came asking her for selfies. 

George was happy that Pollonais highlighted something good and she hoped to meet her soon.

“I am thankful for her. I came to work and a co-worker told me I was all over Facebook. People have since been coming to my line and saying they heard I was the fastest worker.”

Her thoughts on T&T’s customer service was that more needed to be done. 

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Do you have any positive customer service experiences or a favourite customer service person? If so, share them with us on https://www.facebook.com/ TTGuardian/

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says there should be no abolishing of the jury system in the country’s courts without nationwide consultation.

Speaking at the UNC’s National Congress at the party’s South Regional Office yesterday, Persad-Bissessar said her party had considered abolishing juries during their term in government in 2014.

The call for the removal of juries was made by Chief Justice Ivor Archie during the ceremonial opening of the 2016/2017 law term at the Hall of Justice on Friday. 

“I will tell you when we were in the Cabinet, when we were in government we considered the abolishing of juries and we had to shelve it,” Persad-Bissessar said yesterday. 

“Because there was no consensus, there were views in Parliament that while you could try to intimidate a jury, the jury is made up of many people. But if you try to bribe or intimidate a judge alone, I’m not saying it will happen but it may be easier.”

Referring to her recent crime talks with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, she added, “There are other measures you can take to improve the criminal justice system at this time, some of these include plea bargaining. In the United States, only about ten per cent of their cases go to trial because of plea bargaining and I mentioned that to Keith Rowley in our crime talks.

“We talked about categorising murders as well, that can also assist because they are not always the same in terms of categorising of murders.”

Persad-Bissessar also announced her party’s full slate of candidates for the Local Government election at the Congress and UNC MP’s were made to submit constituency reports on their work in the last year in office.

Twelve years ago Sieunarine Ganar paid US$20,000 for the kidney he currently has inside his body.

Ganar, 67, says it was a “steal of a deal.”

When Ganar was diagnosed with renal failure and required a kidney transplant, the National Organ Transplant Unit (NOTU) of the Ministry of Health was not yet established in this country and therefore the surgery was not free.

The private hospitals at that time valued a kidney transplant at $450,000 and any person hoping to get a kidney needed to produce their own donor.

So in an effort to find a kidney Ganar placed his name on the waiting list for a transplant in New York.

Ganar was number 40,000 on that waiting list.

Three Sundays ago, Guardian Media Ltd launched Gift of Life, a campaign to promote public awareness about organ donation and transplant with the aim of encouraging citizens to augment this country’s donor pool. 

This week we take a look at the circumstances Ganar had to endure in order to get another lease on life.

It hit me like a truck

Ganar worked at Hilton Trinidad for over 40 years.

“I was talking good, good one day and then all of a sudden the next day I got really sick,” Ganar said.

Ganar visited his family doctor and was told that his immune system was low.

He had also lost his appetite.

Ganar said he eventually went to St Augustine Private Hospital where he was informed that he had renal failure.

“When I went to St Augustine Private Hospital the doctor told me I had kidney failure. That was like a train bounce me because I knew about it, I knew about people who had kidney failure and so forth and I felt like I just did not want to live anymore,” Ganar said.

After the initial blow caused by the diagnosis, Ganar said he “decided to take it one day at a time.”

Ganar started dialysis at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

However, Ganar said he did not feel any better following his dialysis treatment.

Ganar was hit with a price tag of $450,000 when he enquired about the transplant from private hospitals.

His children opted to donate their kidney to him but Ganar advised them against it.

“They were willing to give me a kidney but I told them, ‘No, I lived my life and I don’t want to jeopardise you all’,” he said.

Overseas option explored

Ganar decided to try his options overseas.

He flew to Jackson Heights Hospital in New York.

“I dialysed for almost a month and then I was warded in hospital for 42 days because I got a bad injection and could not walk properly,” he said.

Ganar was listed as number 40,000 on the hospital’s waiting list for a kidney transplant.

“I said I cannot wait so long. I said I will die so I came back to Trinidad,” Ganar said.

While he was at that hospital, however, one of his friends told him about a kidney transplant option in Pakistan.

He was also told about a man in La Romaine, south Trinidad, who had survived a kidney transplant in Pakistan.

Ganar said he called the man from La Romaine.

The man gave him a number to call in Pakistan.

Ganar made the call.

Ganar and his wife, Angela, left Trinidad and Tobago on Carnival Tuesday of 2004.

After some 21 days waiting at the National Hospital at Lahore in Pakistan, Ganar was told that a compatible donor was found.

He paid US$20,000.

Angela took a bank loan to fund the surgery, Ganar said.

This price included the hospital stay, the surgery and three meals for both Angela and himself.

Ganar said he was provided a private room where he slept on a surgical bed while Angela slept on a separate bed.

“At the time the package cost US$20,000 and that included 21 days hospital stay, three meals. It was a steal of a deal,” Ganar said.

The entire thing including the airfare to and from Pakistan ended up costing less than what he would have paid at a private hospital in Trinidad and Tobago. 

Ganar, who was 55 years old at the time, said he received a kidney from a 26-year-old young man.

“They said the donor was so compatible it was as if a brother gave it to me,” 

The transplant was done on March 25, 2004.

Ganar said he is happy he was able to get through with the surgery and 12 years later still be doing well.

Ganar said he is pleased to see the advances the country has made so far with respect to kidney transplants in this country including it being offered free.

He has called on people to sign up to become donors and help others who may be suffering.

“I would advise if they become a donor that it will be very helpful because you never know you could be here today and get in an accident tomorrow. You can save someone’s life,” Ganar said.

Pakistan destination for “transplant tourism”

Under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act 2010, the sale of human organs for transplants is prohibited in Pakistan. 

Before the law was passed in 2010, however, Pakistan was described as a destination for “transplant tourism” with hundreds of renal failure patients from around the world travelling to that country to purchase kidneys.

According to Dr Mirza Naqi Zafar, the general secretary of the Transplantation Society of Pakistan (TSP), in an article published in The Express Tribune, before 2010 more than 1,500 foreigners were travelling to Pakistan for transplants each year. 

Reform Road in Gasparillo does not live up to its name. While the word reform means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong or unsatisfactory, this road in south Trinidad is in poor condition and in dire need of repair.

There is crumbling asphalt, and wide cracks stretch across several kilometres of roadway lined by houses.

In some areas, tufts of grass protrude from the cracks.

The road connects the Naparima Mayaro Road to Gasparillo and is used by residents heading to Princes Town or Moruga.

Last month, several metres of the road collapsed, leaving commuters dangerously manoeuvring a treacherous path as they attempted to get to school, work and home.

Despite the bad conditions, the road is used often, mostly by Petrotrin workers on early morning and afternoon shifts.

One worker, Nazam Ali, uses the road every day despite another roadway nearby.

The other road is newer and better, but residents are fearful of using it because of numerous reports of robberies.

“Reform Road has been cracking for years and in one area the right side of the road has completely caved in and the left side is on the verge of collapse,” he said.

Pothole watch

As the Sunday Guardian continues its series highlighting the everyday challenges and annoyances of commuters, drivers and pedestrians from bad roads and potholes, we encourage you to send us your photos.

A total of 1,714 pounds of garbage was collected from Chacachacare Island by local volunteers in the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) 2016 in just over an hour yesterday.

Minister of Planning and Development Camille Robinson-Regis said that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Speaking after the beach clean-up off the island, Robinson-Regis said: “There was so much garbage and rubbish here that even though there were almost 200 of us here cleaning, it hasn’t made that much of a difference.

“What we’re hoping is that we could bring awareness to the public on the issue of making sure our environment stays clean especially with regard to plastics which does not decay.

She said there was a watercourse that was packed with so much plastic that the water couldn’t be seen anymore. 

Robinson-Regis said the CDA (Chaguaramas Development Authority) was in charge of that part of T&T and the ministry will be working with the authority to have Chacachacare patrolled more regularly and also kept clean. 

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International Coastal Cleanup is a global event initiated by Ocean Conservancy in 1986. Its aim is to engage citizens to remove trash and debris from beaches and waterways all around the world, identify the sources of debris, and change the behavioural patterns that contribute to pollution.

Last year, according to its world report, close to 800,000 volunteers worldwide collected 18 million pounds of trash. The number one item was cigarette butts, with 2,127,565 collected around the globe. 

In T&T, ICC was expected to take place at over 25 sites across the country yesterday. 

‘TAKE PRIDE IN CLEAN BEACHES’

Country co-ordinator of the International Coastal Clean-Up (ICC), Marissa Mohammed, is calling on beach-goers to take pride in keeping beaches clean.

Mohammed also wants parents to educate their children about littering. 

She was speaking yesterday at Las Cuevas Beach during a clean-up which was spearheaded by Amco’s Barefoot Wine and Bubbly.

Around the world yesterday, volunteers came out to clean trash from thousands of sites. 

In T&T, more than 2,000 volunteers gathered at 25 sites to clear garbage.

Last year, close to 1,700 pounds of trash were collected at Las Cuevas Beach alone. 

Minister of Finance Colm Imbert has made a commitment to the members of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) that arrears will be paid in cash no later than March 2017.

This commitment was made to the TTPS Social and Welfare Association during a meeting with association president, Michael Seales, on Wednesday.

Imbert, in a letter dated September 16, 2016, which was sent to Seales, confirmed this.

In reference to the existing policy of allocating ten per cent of the housing stock by the Housing Development Corporation to members of the protective services, Imbert promised to seek to arrange a meeting within ten days between the Minister of Housing and Urban Development and the association’s representatives.

With respect to the retirees, Imbert gave the assurance that approval would be given for their payment as soon as the necessary paperwork is completed by the Ministry of National Security and the Treasury Division.

Speaking with the Sunday Guardian yesterday, Seales said the association was extremely happy with the discussions. “It was a mandate by our membership that bonds should be taken off the table and the association have accomplished that,” Seales said.

He disclosed that the association was able to negotiate the payment of the second tranche of arrears from a two-part payment to one. “The second tranche was to be made in two parts, one in the beginning of December and the second part by the ending of May, and we were able to negotiate out of that, with the minister promising one payment before March 2017 despite the hard economic times,” Seales said.

With respect to housing, Seales said the association anticipates the meeting with the Minister of Housing on the issue.

During the mid-year review of the 2016 Budget in Parliament in April, Imbert promised to pay outstanding arrears in tranches. It was promised to be paid in three tranches, the first, which would be half the cash value on June 30, and two subsequent equal payments at the end of December and at the end of March 2017. 

Comedienne Rachel Price hasn’t had to respond to the claims made against her by new Internet sensation Kia Jadeana Hosein. She doesn’t have to. Her fans have been rallying to her cause in increasing numbers over the last few days, passionately defending the popular stand-up comic ever since she was called out in a controversial social media video posted last Thursday night.

Not that Price is one to avoid controversy. Indeed, her stand-up comedy routines tend to be just that, as she takes on social and public issues in a no-holds-barred, often abrasive style.

Pricey, as she is fondly known, doesn’t mince words and has had more than a few high-profile spats over the years. It is that very real, unapologetic air to her comedy routine that has won her a loyal following, not only here in T&T, but across the Caribbean and North America and Europe where she is in high demand as a host of concerts and pageants, in addition to her stand-up shows.

Hers is tough talk with a purpose. A down-to-earth approach, focused not just on the bacchanals of the day, but social and cultural issues.

Yes, she has had her verbal spars with calypsonians and politicians, but she has also taken on some crucial issues, such as domestic abuse, often using practical scenarios, most of which include herself, friends, corporate entities, politicians and even her daughter, to make her point. Drawing from her own experiences as a single mother, Price regularly champions the cause of women and children.

Not only on the stage, but on morning radio programmes, television and YouTube videos, Price has made a name for herself with sharp, streetwise commentaries on everyday affairs. 

When Price emerged on the comedy circuit just over two decades ago, she was one of only a handful of women to break into what had been formerly all-male scene. Arguably, she is the most successful.

Almost from the start, she had an incredible impact on the comedy circuit throughout the region, with a routine that has always been pure stand-up. 

Veterans of comedy say the ability to stand on any stage and connect with every person in the room is unique. She displayed that talent when she made her professional debut as host of a weekly cabaret in 1994. 

One of her popular quotes sums up her approach to comedy: “Anything can be made funny, just open your mind.” Her big break came when she was hired as an MC at Kaiso House, one of the T&T’s leading calypso tents, working with some of the top bards in  the business. There was no looking back after that.

In addition to her sell-out comedy shows, her impressive resume includes a lead role in an award-winning sitcom in Canada, Lord Have Mercy, as well as lead in the play Fat Pig.

Once again she is caught in a very familiar spotlight, an Internet buzz is being created over the prospect of a Pricey vs Kia bout.

In one corner, Kia is trying to carve out her own space, trying to break into show business as a transgender Trini based in London. She is challenging Price who already occupies a well-defined space in the arts and entertainment industry. 

The social media sensation caused by the newcomer’s bold, aggressive call-out to a comedienne who is known to be outspoken, even fierce at times, has been gaining momentum.

Both are operating within the same space, surprisingly. Their approaches might be different, but Price has long been an advocate for the same people Kia now seeks to represent.

All of this demonstrates the power of the digital world and fans of both comediennes are eagerly keeping score to see who comes out on top.

However, if fans of Price have anything to do with it, the comedienne who has had their loyalty for so many years is already the winner.

ANSA McAL chairman A Norman Sabga says while he believes there may be some cutbacks in subsidies announced in the upcoming Budget he does not expect the Government to make any drastic changes.

“I believe that with the shrinking revenue that Government has, some of the subsidies may have to be cut back. I believe there is enough revenue, however, to continue to create—with wise and prudent management—to see some growth in the society,” he said.

“I don’t expect any drastic changes from what is in existence going forward. I am not looking at a Budget where we are seeing huge drastic changes where it is significantly going to affect the livelihood of people. I think there is enough within the economy and the GDP (gross domestic product) of the country where we would have a stable country going forward. There are some adjustments that need to be made. I don’t see panic.”

Sabga said although the country is faced with reduced revenue, there is still enough for a well-run and well-managed economy.

“It really is a difficult time. If you think of any business or any household, if certain areas of your income are cut by 20 and 25 per cent, something has to give and with the falling energy prices you know that is where the country has found itself,” he said.

“I do believe that notwithstanding that—and when one looks at the total revenue of the country—even with a reduced Budget there is still enough for us to have a country that is well-managed and well-run. You are not going to be able to get all of the subsidies we may have had in the past, there may be some increases in areas where the Government stake has to be more.”

The two major problems facing this country, Sabga said, are productivity and crime.

“In productivity I am talking about being competitive on the world market and being able to produce in a competitive manner in Trinidad and Tobago, because if you achieve that you create more exports and more jobs and more opportunities and to be more competitive does not necessarily mean lower wages; it means more output, more efficient institutions that allow you to get your products to market,” he said.

Sabga said traffic and the cost of security are issues affecting the private sector. He does not expect a huge devaluation of the TT dollar.

“The Government said they were going to defend the exchange rate at $6.83, that was what the Minister of Finance said and I accept that fact that he is going to defend the exchange rate at $6.83,” Sabga said.

“If you take the speculation out of the exchange rate, there is enough US in the country that we can manage. The thing is to get the US into circulation and right now a lot of it is on deposits and so on. I do not expect a huge devaluation.”

In the congested Chaguanas Market, Ashmin Mohammed sells costume jewelry to send her son to the University of the West Indies, St Augustine.

A single parent, she works 18 hours a day making anklets, broaches, earrings, necklaces, hand bands and bow clips, as well as cultivating crops in the back of her Longdenville home to ensure that her 20-year-old son, Aaron—a second-year mechanical engineering student— excels academically.

It has been an upward battle for Mohammed who was forced into an arranged marriage which lasted seven years. However, Mohammed said she is determined to see her son get an education she was deprived of as a young girl.

With the downturn in the economy, Mohammed, 43, admitted sales at the market have been slow but she refuses to give up. She said Aaron’s academic achievements at ASJA Boys’ College in Charlieville spurred her to do more for the son she describes as a contented and quiet child.

“He knows the sacrifices I have been making, so he does not ask for anything. All he would say is to be safe…he does not want anything to happen to me knowing the crime situation,” Mohammed said.

“I had to be a pillar of strength and an exemplar to my son. I couldn’t let Aaron down because his father had already turned his back on him. He was never there in his life and I had to play the role of both parents.”

After being pulled out of the Longdenville Government Primary School in Standard Five by her parents, Mohammed got married at age 23 to a man she did not love. 

“It was a marriage arranged by my mother. I didn’t want to get married to a man I did not love. What I wanted was an education, to study hard and make something of my life. Instead, I was given a husband who beat me constantly.”  

For seven years, she put up with an abusive relationship, until she filed for divorce in 2003. 

Mohammed began cultivating crops such as bodi, corn, pigeon peas, tomatoes and melongene on a small scale to eke out a living. But sales from the crops were barely enough to send Aaron to school. So, in 2012, Mohammed started dabbling in making costume jewelry, using different sizes and colours of beads. 

“I had no experience in making earrings and chains. I saw someone making them one day and I tried it using my creativity and imagination. I surprised myself because they came out good and I began to sell. I was basically self-taught. If I had continued my education I am sure I would have been in a better position today.”

The price of her jewelry ranges from $5 upward. After vending in the market for eight hours, Mohammed hustles home to attend to her crops. Apart from these two jobs,  people sometimes also offer her work to clean their homes or take care of an elderly person. After dinner, Mohammed makes her jewelry, while her son studies.

“Sometimes I would stay up until midnight making chains, earrings and hand bands so I could sell the next day. It’s tough but I have to do it.”

Mohammed said she cried tears of joy when Aaron captured the Principal’s Award as the most outstanding student at ASJA in 2014. He also won a trophy in pure mathematics and obtained Grade ones in all his science subjects at the Cape examinations.

“I realised that my hard work had paid off. I am proud of my son. I couldn’t ask for a better child,” she said.

Mother and son are striving for excellence in difficult circumstances, as they have no pipe-borne water or toilet at their home.

“I live in a two-bedroom board house with a latrine outside. I have been trying to save some money to build a toilet inside but, with all my expenses such as Aaron sending to and from university, it has been a struggle,” she said.

“I am not begging for handouts nor do I want charity. What I want is a proper place to sell my jewelry and a toilet that we can use comfortably.”

Anyone willing to help Mohammed can contact her at 330-3840.

Businessman Derek Chin says he knows that his $1 billion Invader’s Bay development project, Streets of the World, was deliberately blocked to facilitate other projects along the western peninsula.

Chin, just back from a three-month long business trip to Canada, told the T&T Guardian that he is utterly shocked to hear about “illegal” construction and the setting up of several private businesses in Chaguaramas.

The Government is reviewing between 21 or 22 land leases given out by the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) in the days leading up to the 2015 general election.

Chin asked: “How could state lands be acquired so quickly yet I got all sorts of barriers against a much better national project?”

The CDA was currently re-examining a total of 44 leases given out under the People’s Partnership administration, including some dated September 4, 5 and 6—the weekend before the election. In September alone, 21 to 22 leases were signed.

“Well, the facts speak for itself,” said Chin, who said his Streets of the World project, “would have changed the country big time.

“We have a proven product already in Movietowne so it was not pie in the sky,” he added.

“Streets of the World was a far better project than the proposed water park. It was about taking our culture, our Carnival, our steelpan, our bandleaders, our music and placing it in a world-class showcase.”

Chin said he will be seeking meetings with the relevant government ministers about Streets of the World. 

“My project followed the rules—not a corrupt deal but one of significant value—and it has been shelved. I spent six years trying. I realise it’s a losing battle and the country is under duress. I am concentrating on my own business,” he said.

During his three months in Canada, Chin said he was negotiating and “massaging” the project with interested parties.

“I may do the project in Canada. This country has lost big time. I already have some interested Canadians who think it’s a fantastic project, given the many cultures plus the film industry,” he said.

STREETS OF THE WORLD
The project, to be developed by Chin’s company, Dachin Enterprises, was planned for 22 acres at Invaders Bay. Officials of Disney and Hettema Group, who specialise in uniquely creative designs for theme parks, museums and cultural attractions, visited T&T and held extensive discussions with Chin on the project. 

The only obstacle in the way was the signing of the papers to acquire ten acres of land allotted to Dachin Enterprises for construction to begin. Chin was charged $130 million for ten acres.

One of the main attractions was Main Street, a re-creation of Frederick Street, downtown Port-of-Spain, in the 1930s complete with a tram car. Chin explained that the streets would reflect the rich culture of T&T and there would be a Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum highlighting T&T’s Carnival and its history, as well as history of the steelpan and calypso.

There were also plans for a live entertainment theatre on the site and different streets highlighting the cultures of all the people who came to T&T and settled including: East Indians, Chinese, Africans, Europeans and Syrians.

The development would have also incorporated an aquarium featuring leatherback turtles, fishes of the Caribbean and a coral reef.

Other attractions included a ferris wheel—MovieTowne Eye—similar to the Orlando Eye.

Kadeen Dass shared a message of forgiveness with mourners yesterday at the funeral of his cousin, Carla Achalal. Achalal, 30, was killed during a robbery at her Bonne Aventure, Gasparillo home last Thursday, after she was bound and gagged by the bandits.

Achalal, who was autistic, suffocated after a bedsheet was stuffed into her mouth and her lips were taped shut. Her father, Vishnu Achalal and brother, Marlon Achalal, were also bound and gagged by the bandits but they survived the attack. The family owns a hardware located at the front of their home. 

Dass said: “Carla was a bubbly and spritely person. She brought a special light to our lives.” Quoting Mahatma Gandhi,  he said: “Today I want to ask everybody to be that change you want to see in the world. Let us all show love to one another, let us all be our brother’s keeper, let us all forgive those who need to be forgiven.”

Dass said Carla’s family have forgiven her killers. “If you think about the people who did this, we as the family want to love and forgive,” he said

Pundit Krishna Sieunarine, who officiated at the funeral,  said one of society’s biggest issues is people’s need to dominate others.

“Everyone feels like I am greater than you and you feel like you are greater than me and that’s the problem in society today. I have said before, if there is beauty in the heart...it will lead to peace in the nation.”

Pundit Sieunarine said many people pray for peace without realising it can only be found within.

“Everybody is praying for peace, everyone is crying out for peace but where can it be found? Search thine hearts... search your heart and there is a fountain of peace...the day we recognise this, there will be peace in the world.”

He advised mourners to keep their faith in God, as that is the greatest protection against the increasing crime rates. 

“There are so many robberies and killings all over, but I have read from my scriptures, who God protects no one can harm. That is my conviction and my faith in my God which will keep me safe. Once you have faith and you believe, they can’t touch you with a ten-foot pole.”

Achalal was cremated at the Shore of Peace in La Romaine. 

ANDRE WORRELL

The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the San Juan South Secondary will be staging protest action in front of the school’s compound today over the dilapidated state of classrooms and buildings.

Spokesman Osman Barrock said the PTA has been locked in a back and forth with the Ministry of Education over repairs that need to be carried out at the school.

“Since June 6, Osha served notice to the school that the labs were unfit for classes. On June 15, the Education Facilities Company (EFCL) told us the school had been put on a priority list for vacation repairs. Throughout July and August contractors came to survey the work that needed to be done, but nothing was done,” he said.

Barrock said just before the beginning of the new term, the school supervisor for the district contacted the principal to find out if the school would be ready. Upon being told that the school would not be ready to accommodate all students because no repairs were done to the labs, the supervisor suggested that tents be erected in the field to accommodate students. Barrock said this suggestion was met with opposition.

One day before the start of the new school term, an adviser to the Education Minister Anthony Garcia met with the school’s administration and suggested that four pre-fab classrooms be placed on the compound to accommodate the roughly 160 displaced students. The adviser said the pre-fab classrooms would take two to three weeks to be set up on the compound. 

Barrock said not having full use of the facilities is a major inconvenience to the students.

“We had to set up a shift system to accommodate the students. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays we have Form 3 and 4 students attending classes, while on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have Form 1 and 2 students. Form five students attend classes every day. Clearly this situation cannot be allowed to continue,” he said.

“We want the Minister of Education and the EFCL to keep their promises and repair the facilities or provide us with the pre-fab classrooms. We have been going back and forth with this situation since June and we are no closer to resolving the situation today.”

If the mother who executed vigilante justice on the PH taxi driver who had made advances on her 11- year-old daughter had depended on the police to take action, she would still be waiting, says social activist Diana Mahabir-Wyatt who yesterday hailed the woman as a hero.

“I am not quite sure who in Trinidad—certainly not any parent—would have criticised her for what she did. In a case like that, what is a mother supposed to do to protect her daughter and other children?” Mahabir-Wyatt asked.

The woman, whose identity is being withheld by this newspaper, said she did not intend to take part in vigilante justice to capture the man but his quick actions last Thursday night left her with no choice. 

Last Thursday, her daughter got into the man’s taxi after school. When the vehicle’s other passengers dropped off, the man asked the child for her phone number. She became frightened as she was with him alone in the car and gave the number to him, but reported the incident to her mother as soon as she got home.

The man sent WhatsApp messages to the child’s phone. The mother responded, pretending to be the child. When he visited their home, he was captured and beaten by the woman and her relatives, then handed over to police. 

Mahabir-Wyatt said over the years there have been cases of young girls going with taxi drivers, “I myself have looked after two 14-year-olds who ended up pregnant and got no help at all from the fathers who just went on to do it to several other people,” she said. “In a practical sense, I really do not understand anyone who is a mother objecting to what the woman did. I think she is a hero.” 

Mahabir-Wyatt said the problem exists not just locally, but internationally, of children being lured away by perpetrators via social media.

“In other countries they get arrested. Here we know the police are understaffed and overburdened and they never have vehicles when you need them,” she said. The mother said while she did not regret capturing the man, she would have preferred if the police were there before he arrived.

Mahabir-Wyatt said it was dangerous for the mother to assume the place of the child by sending text messages to the man as this could result in further harm.

“Very often the people who do this kind of thing intend to commit a crime against a child. If they find a mother present instead of the child there is nothing to stop them from becoming violent with the mother. In our society, that kind of violence is not very often punished,” she said.

On whether a child sex offenders registry ought to be made public, Mahabir-Wyatt said that was not as easy as it seemed.

“Where are you going to post this? In the community centre? Not all that many people go to a community centre, even if there is one. The next problem is the abuser and 99.9 per cent of the time it’s a man and he can move somewhere else. The police do not have enough staff to keep following up these people to find out where they actually are,” she said.

Child rights activist Verna St Rose Greaves, when contacted yesterday, said she had no comment on the matter.

The political career of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, including his famous falling-out with the late Patrick Manning, and the events which immediately followed the 2010 elections have now been catalogued in his biography, From Mason Hall to Whitehall: His name is Keith Rowley.

However, at the launch on Saturday night which attracted a large crowd at the Radisson Hotel in Port-of-Spain, Bishop Claude Berkley and historian Bridget Brereton focused most of their address on Rowley’s early years. They described him a man who grew up with a personality which prized honesty and productivity.

“It emphasised don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t kill. Love your neighbours,” Berkley said.“There was no love for a lazy man.”

Berkley also teased the audience with pieces of information contained in the book, including several near misses, a glimpse of his love for his wife Sharon and an account of a “plot by a journalist.”

He said there was mention of Manning and their relationship in the early years, as well as Rowley’s version of what went wrong between them. Brereton, who said it was unusual to see biography from a newly minted sitting prime minister,  praised the book for being handsomely produced, lavishly illustrated and well written. 

She said while most readers would gravitate toward Rowley’s political career, the first half of the book, which dealt with his childhood and youth, was even more fascinating and valuable.

Rowley said his intention had been to have the book published prior to elections so people could have an idea of who they were voting for. “I decided I had to at least tell my story and I trusted myself to tell it.I discovered that the people I led knew very little about me,” he said.

Eternally optimistic. This is how relatives of missing lecturer Glenda Charles-Harris feel 14 months after her continued disappearance. And while the head of the environmental studies department at the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of T&T (Costaatt) was last seen in July 2015, her family continues to hold out hope that she will be found alive.

The 78-year-old mother of four was last seen alive at the Tru Valu Supermarket, Diamond Vale, Diego Martin, around 5.30 pm on July 27, 2015. Her car was found abandoned at Indian Walk, Princes Town, one day later. Charles-Harris’s son, Klas Charles-Harris, said the past year has been difficult for the family.

Revealing that it had taken this long to begin sorting his mother’s personal effects as it had been painful to contemplate before, Klas said although they are grieving, they have to move forward and have been left with little choice but to make hard decisions. Among them is the sorting of his mother’s clothes for charity and books to be donated to various organisations.

Disappointed by the recent lack of police interest in the matter, Klas acknowledged, “I know they have lots of things to do, but I get the distinct feeling that they have moved on. We have been trying to contact them for an update, but there does not seem to be any interest from their side.”

When contacted, officials at the Homicide Bureau directed all questions to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit. Following the disappearance, officers from the two divisions collaborated on the investigation but attempts to reach the police public information officer, Insp Michael Pierre, for an update proved futile.

Set to begin planning a memorial to be held in their mother’s honour for the month of December, Klas said he and his siblings each had varying opinions on how they should proceed with continued efforts to locate their mother.

During an interview in May, his brother Sven Charles-Harris said although they were initially discouraged by the police in seeking outside assistance, perhaps it was time to again explore this option.

Klas said the family continued to have ongoing discussions about bringing in “outside” help to find Charles-Harris.

Daughter: We have to move on
Charles-Harris’s daughter, Helen Bergendahl, who lives in Sweden shared her brother’s disappointment over the lack of a police response within recent months. Describing this as "the oddest thing," Bergendahl said while they had not received any closure in the matter, they had to move on.

Revealing that her brother Sven Charles-Harris had completely restored their mother’s car after receiving it from the police back in May, Bergendahl said it was one of their mother’s memory which had been preserved.

Following tests, the car suffered extensive damage after being left exposed to the elements for close to a year, while in police possession at the Crime Scene Investigations Unit, Cumuto.

Commenting on the move to sort out their mother’s personal possessions, Bergendahl said it was difficult not knowing what to keep or donate. In the event that there is no word on Charles-Harris’s whereabouts, the family has been told they would have to wait seven years before she could be legally declared dead.

Bergendahl said, "This is only prolonging the torture for the family as we are unable to do anything or move forward."

Costaatt president: It is hard
Costaatt president Dr Gillian Paul confirmed that even as Charles-Harris’s office remained locked, she continued to retain the title as head of the Environmental Studies Department.

She explained that the campus was currently undergoing organisational changes and that the new board was in the process of drafting a master plan for the establishment’s future - which would include the appointment of a new head to the post currently held by Charles-Harris.

Paul said a senior lecturer continued to act in Charles-Harris’s absence and this arrangement could possibly hold until November. Declaring that it was still an open case, Paul said staff and students had been coping but that “It is hard.”

Adding that the matter had been brought up during a meeting yesterday, Paul said it was mentioned as they explored options aimed at honouring the invaluable contributions made by Charles-Harris and other persons to Costaatt’s 15-year existence. She said discussions were also put forward for the establishment of a scholarship fund in Charles-Harris’s name.

Responding to this yesterday, Klas said the family was heartened and overwhelmed by the gesture,  which had been initially announced by Paul back in July as the one-year anniversary of Charles-Harris’s disappearance drew close. Paul said it would act as a tribute to Charles-Harris and her efforts to shape the environmental studies programme at Costaatt.

Prior to her disappearance, Charles-Harris also wrote the college’s official song which was performed at the November 2015 graduation. Klas and Paul both agreed, “We have been trying to move on and forward, but it is not simple.”

Two prisoners serving life sentences for murder may never be free men again. However, one of the rehabilitation programmes in the prison service has afforded them the freedom to express themselves through art.

Alladin Mohammed and Leslie Huggins, so captured the imagination of San Fernando mayor Kazim Hosein during the 2015 Prison Expo at Gulf City Mall that he commissioned them to do two historical paintings—one of the original Town Hall constructed in the 1930s and another of  a building when San Fernando achieved city status in 1988.

One of the paintings, which will be displayed on the walls of the San Fernando City Corporation, was handed over to Councillor Robert Parris on behalf of the mayor recently at the launch of the Prisons Outreach Community Caravan. 

Acting Commissioner of Prisons Cecil Duke lauded Hosein’s initiative, saying it is the first time in the history of the rehabilitation programme that a prominent public official had given inmates such a task. 

“This is one part of the whole reintegration process. We are hoping the wider society will grasp what we are trying to sell, embrace it and help in achieving the objective of reintegrating these individuals when they return to society.”

The inmates thanked Hosein for the opportunity and his confidence in their ability to undertake the two projects. Incarcerated for the past two decades, Mohammed, 41, has become the prison’s art instructor.

One of his top students, Huggins, has been incarcerated for the past 17 years. He said art has changed his entire mindset. Huggins is hoping to one day be reintegrated into society.

“I have plans to set up an art studio and bring in trouble youths and introduce them to art, to see what they have, train them and teach them to market their work so they could earn an income and society would be a better place,” he said.

Serving life sentences
Alladin Mohammed is serving life sentence for the murder of his common-law-wife Sheila Ramkissoon.

Leslie Huggins is incarcerated for the 1998 murder of Thackoor Boodram. He along with Damien “Tommy” Ramiah, Bobby Ramiah, Seenath “Farmer” Ramiah, Michael “Rat” Maharaj, Samuel Maharaj, Daniel “Fella” Gopaul,  his brother Richard Huggins, Mark “Bico” Jaikaran and Junior “Heads” Phillip were sentenced to death by Justice Stanley John.

In 2008, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

Crying and pleading for outside intervention yesterday after they were forcibly dragged from their barricaded cells at the Women's Prison at Golden Grove, close to 30 prisoners were hog-tied using tie-straps and made to lie on the cold hard floor.

The punishment came as a form of retaliation following the prisoners’ protest which began on Sunday in which many of them barricaded themselves in their cells using ropes fashioned out of bed linen and clothes.

The confirmation about yesterday's developments came from a young female prisoner awaiting a trial date for murder.

Begging for the Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi or the Inspector of Prisons Daniel Khan to intervene on their behalf, the woman freely admitted that she was aware it was illegal to have a cellphone in her possession while in custody.

However, she said it became a necessary tool in order to inform the public about their plight.

Claiming that she along with her cellmates and others who had engaged in the protest had been made to suffer the consequences of their actions, the woman spoke in hushed tones as she recounted what transpired yesterday.

Contacted around 10 am, the woman said: “Our problems centre around the conditions which we have to live in. Right now, we are being handcuffed and dragged to the scanner at the front of the prison compound as the officers have accused us of having cellphones. They are also not feeding us. We have to defecate in a bucket which is filthy and sometimes broken or cracked. We get one roll of toilet paper every two weeks.”

Interrupting the conversation as officers patrolled, the woman continued: “We are upstairs with our gates locked and we are afraid to open them because of the consequences of our protest. We are on a restricted diet so many of us are getting sick and have to get treatment but nobody is taking us on.

“Please get somebody to help us,” she cried.

Indicating around noon that male and female prison officers had entered the section where she was housed and had begun video-taping the prisoners who were barricaded inside their cells, the woman later called and confirmed the protesting prisoners had been taken to the condemned section where their mattresses were taken away and food and water withheld.

Claiming that some of the prisoners had been waiting for as long six years in order to get court and trial dates, the young woman said: “It is unfair to us. Some of these officers taking out their frustration on us. They does victimise us, making us squat and passing scanners between our legs, handcuffing us and dragging and stamping on us like dogs.

“If we retaliate, we are beaten and they sometimes bring male officers to beat us with batons. The restricted diet is days old bread and water, and porridge which is oats boiled in water with salt in it, sugar is substituted with no sugar or milk and two potatoes which not even half-cooked,” she added.

Revealing that a lot of prisoners had complained of feeling unwell and had reported experiencing chest pains, the woman said she had been diagnosed with acid reflux after her stomach was damaged due to the diet.

She added: “We have locked ourselves inside,”

The woman said a gate fell on an inmate yesterday but it was unclear if she had been taken for medical attention.

“We are in a prison inside a prison. We don’t normally get on like this but this is an indication of how frightening things have become,” she said.

“We are remanded. We cannot be punished in the prison before we go to court to hear what judgment will be handed down, that is unfair. We are already living with rats, cockroaches and mosquitoes. So many prisoners being affected by fever and skin rashes but we are not being taken to hospital. They just giving us Panadol, but right now the jail doesn't even have food to feed us.”

Efforts to contact Khan proved futile, while Prisons Commissioner Sterling Stewart was said to be unavailable.

However, senior prison officials confirmed that a group of prisoners considered to be “disruptive” had been removed from their cells and placed in a “high security area where all items which could be used to harm themselves or others were removed.”

The official declined to say if this included the mattresses or if the prisoners had actually been taken to the condemned section.

He claimed, however, that prison authorities did not have permission to place prisoners in that area unless there was a relevant court order stipulating such.

Adding that the prisoners became agitated on Sunday after officers began carrying out searches in an attempt to remove contraband items including cellphones, the official accused the prisoners of using soap to clog the keyholes and thereby preventing officers from accessing the cells.

He later admitted that prison authorities did what they had to do yesterday to force the protesting prisoners to surrender.

He denied that prisoners had been placed on a restricted diet as he said a doctor had to first be summoned to declare that an individual could undergo such dietary changes, following which a tribunal consisting of senior prison officials had to be convened.

The prisoners are hoping to get the attention of Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi who has been doing a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system since he assumed office for debate over the controversial Bail Amendment Act.

A Paramin mother is thanking the driver of an Amalgamated Sanitation Company garbage truck, who yesterday did all he could to steer the out-of-control, stalled vehicle from ploughing into her and her two daughters in Paramin.

The woman, who did not want to be identified, thanked driver Harold Timothy for his efforts and wished him a speedy recovery. She said she was walking with her children around 8.30 am when residents shouted for them to move out of the way as the truck came barrelling towards them. 

“I thankful that the driver did what he did to save us. I was seeing he trying to maintain the truck so it wouldn’t hit us, it was happening so fast,” she said.

To the driver, she said, “Thank you! Whatever you do I am thankful for that, the family from Paramin is thankful.”

According to eyewitnesses, the driver tried to start the truck after it stalled while the crew was collecting garbage along the winding hillside. Timothy then attempted to apply brakes on two occasions but when this failed and the engine cut off after a second attempt, he attempted to bank the truck, now at full speed down the Saut D’eau Road, on the mountainside and nearby drain. When that failed the truck slammed into the back of a Nissan B12 before a bamboo patch stopped it from going over a cliff.

Residents hailed Timothy as a hero for his attempts to prevent a possible catastrophe. Aaron Celestine, who was in his garden at the side of the mountain when the accident took place, said it was the prayers of the people of Paramin and Timothy’s quick thinking that saved the mother and her children from sure death. 

Gerald Gould, the garbage truck’s loader, said he saw his life flash before his eyes on seeing the truck racing down the hill. After last week’s accident that claimed the life of a sanitation worker at the Beetham Landfill, Gould, the father of four, said he was grateful for life.

“I feel very good to know nobody get damaged and nobody died. The driver do well. The last man who died in the dump cross my mind, because they done tell me watch myself already, so they tell me to be very sceptical on the truck. I feeling very good that I survive this so I can see my children again,” Gould said.

The man Gould referred to was Junior Warner, 40, who was crushed by a garbage truck while offloading garbage at the Beetham Landfill last Tuesday.

Gould and some of the residents managed to take Timothy out of the truck. Timothy complained of pains to the chest, neck and back and was taken to hospital and later released.

The Amalgamated Sanitation Company, which has been hired by the Diego Martin Regional Corporation to collect garbage in the area, is not a stranger to media attention. In 2005, after one of their trucks stalled in Diego Martin, an irate resident killed loader Reynold James, who dared argue with him after being asked to move the vehicle. In another incident, a worker was hit with a glass bottle after he asked a cyclist to move his bike from the middle of the road. In 2012, the home of the company’s owner, Jawaharlal Deosaran, was gutted by fire.