The T&T Cancer Society received an early Christmas gift from Guardian Media yesterday, in the form of over $91,ooo in cash to assist in its cancer prevention measures like screening for members of the public and education efforts.

The money was handed over by Guardian Media’s managing director, Lucio Mesquita, to T&T Cancer Society’s general manager, Nicole Jordan, at the society’s Rosalino Street, Woodbrook office.

The donation came from proceeds of the sale of T&T Guardian’s special October 26 pink edition, which commemorated cancer awareness month.

“This cheque is for the donation promised in our special edition of the T&T Guardian to help in your screening efforts and education drive,” Mesquita told Jordan.

“We know health issues are very important in T&T and we want to play our part. The money is not only from the T&T Guardian, but every single reader who bought that special edition in support of our cancer drive.”

Jordan said the T&T Cancer Society was extremely grateful for the money and said they need more corporate citizens like Guardian Media to assist in the fight against cancer.

She said the society was seeing more young people in their 20s and 30s being screened and diagnosed with breast cancer.

The organisation offers screening to members of the public at a significantly reduced cost and free psychological counselling and transportation.

Mesquita told Jordan the society can count on Guardian Media to highlight cancer issues in the T&T Guardian, its TBC radio network and on CNC3 television.

After spending a quarter of a century in jail for killing his grandparents, a prisoner was released yesterday in time to reunite with his family for Christmas.

Gilbert Evelyn, 59, left with his relatives from the San Fernando High Court after he was told that he would not have to return to prison where he had been incarcerated since 1990.

Instead, Justice Carla Brown-Antoine released him on a two-year bond under the supervision of the Probation Department. 

“Everything you do I will know. This is your opportunity to start over,” the judge told Evelyn.

Evelyn had pleaded guilty in June 1996 to manslaughter, by reason of diminished responsibility, for killing his grandparents Marcus, 84, and Constance Evelyn, 83. 

At age 33, he lived with his grandparents, and claimed he was abused by his grandfather.

On August 5, 1990 around 5 am he poured gasoline and set fire to this grandparents home at Southern Main Road, Claxton Bay home with them in it. His grandfather’s body was found where his bed used to be while his grandmother died sometime later at the hospital.

Evelyn’s uncle, Joshua Evelyn, was seriously injured when he was chopped by Evelyn as he ran out of the house to get help from neighbours. Upon his arrest, Evelyn told the police his intention was not to kill anyone just to “run them out of the house.”

He was sentenced to the president’s pleasure, but in 2009 another judge ruled that that sentence was unconstitutional.  Two years later Brown-Antoine ordered him to the court’s pleasure to serve a minimum term of imprisonment 25 years to run from June 1996 — the date of his conviction.

When the sentence came up for the second review recently, Brown-Antoine said Eveyln was ready to be reintegrated into society.

She explained to his relatives, who were in court, that he would be released on a licence with conditions.

The conditions are that he would be under the supervision of the ProbationDepartment for two years and had to report immediately to the San Fernando office upon his release.

He has to attend programmes like narcotic anonymous and any other programmes the probation officer deems fit. He would be subjected to mandatory random drug tests.

He has to reside with his aunt, Monica Brown, atWallerfield.

The judge told him that the probation officer would be providing her with a report every six months about his conduct and progress.

She warned him that a warrant would be issued for his arrest if he fails to comply with the instructions of the probation officer and breach the conditions.

“Life is hard work, life is not easy, life is not fair,” the judge told Evelyn, as she explained to him that the world has changed since he was incarcerated. She urged him to try to fit in at his aunt’s home and find a job. “The devil finds work for idle hands,” she said.

Psychiatric and psychological reports stated that he began using marijuana and cocaine at the age of 13 and at the time of the incident he smoked cocaine. 

Speaking with reporters as he stepped out of the courthouse, Eveyln said he felt happy.

“For me everyday is Christmas,” he said.

Eveyln said he intends to get a job, worked hard and eventually open his own business.

 Prosecutor Kimberly Gunness presented the State’s case.

With both children and adults suffering horrendous injuries from fireworks and other fun explosive devices, an activist is calling on authorities to ban its use by ordinary citizens during the Christmas season.

Josephine Ache, who started a petition to lobby Government to implement legislation on the use of fireworks earlier this year, said the use fireworks was not the problem, but its use in the public domain.

She said they should only be used in organised events, and handled by professionals.

For Christmas and New Year celebrations, there is expected to be greater use of fireworks, which increases the possibility of more injuries.

Ache said explosions had devastating psychological effects on children, the elderly, people who suffered with anxiety and heart ailments, as well as pets.

The petition shared on the Facebook group page, titled Regulating the use of fireworks in T&T, has resurfaced and has passed 2,800 signatures with the hope of reaching the desk of Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi.

Ache said while all celebrations in T&T involved noise from blaring music to fireworks, there was a non-stop barrage of unnecessary noise by the explosion of scratch bombs, rocket launchers, screamers and firecrackers.

While admitting to the visual splendour of fireworks, she said families could view the amazing displays for a limited period of time in safe venues.

However, the norm is that fireworks are set off for hours during the holiday season and sometimes weeks before an actual event.

“Divali and New Year’s Eve are probably the worst nights to be a child, an elderly person, a sick or dying citizen or a four-legged pet in sweet T&T.

But there are other times as well when not even ear-plugs do the job.

“The indiscriminate use of fireworks is hurting people and it seems as if our government, both present and past, are waiting for someone to be killed before passing legislation and enforcing it,” Ache said.

Last November, Talparo grandmother Sally-Ann Cuffie, a diabetic patient, suffered severe damage to her hands while saving her six-month-old granddaughter Christa.

Cuffie and the Christa were in the backseat of a car when someone threw a scratch bomb which landed near the child.

She quickly grabbed it in an attempt to throw it out, but it exploded in her hands.

Recently Public Administration Minister Maxie Cuffie launched a national campaign to stop the sale and use of scratch bombs and illegal fireworks in &T with an appeal to citizens to develop a culture of care for their neighbours and elderly.

To access the online petition visit—http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/242/291/009/

The head of the Police Complaints Authority David West says he does not intend to resign, and would continue to do his work as he has always done “impartially, without fear or favour, malice or ill-will.”

Speaking to the Guardian in the wake of calls from the Police Social and Welfare Association and the National Trade Union Centre for his resignation, West said he would continue to do his work fearlessly and “will continue to seek the public interest.” He said he remains true to the oath which he took.

On Tuesday, President of the Police Social and Welfare Association Inspector Michael Seales delivered a letter to President Anthony Carmona calling on the President to revoke the West’s appointment, as Director of the PCA.

Seales refused to reveal the contents of the letter to the President. He told the T&T Guardian “we understand it will take some time for the President to review our concerns and I want to respect his Excellency’s Office.”

He has also publicly called on his membership not to co-operate with investigators assigned to the PCA.

It was a statement made by West at a function at the British High Commission which sparked anger among the members of the Association. West had likened the Police Service to a “gang.” He has since “apologised unreservedly” to Seales for the statement and issued a statement to the media saying he ought to have said there is an element of rogue officers within the service who have to be removed and brought before the courts.

A statement from the communications unit of the PCA said “the Director recognises that there are many committed, honest and law-abiding police officers who put their lives on the line every day in the fight against crime. The Director reassures the public that matters that come to the PCA are dealt with independently and impartially and that the Authority allows the rules of natural justice and due process to prevail.”

But Seales told the T&T Guardian that the Association believes that West has a lot more to apologise for. He said they would hold fast to their position that West should resign because “he did not apologise for saying we unlawfully killing people.”

Seales said matters of that nature involving allegations of police killings go before the DPP and a Corner’s inquest “but West making judgment before the DPP and Coroner could complete their work, so pretty soon there are things coming for him, his legal troubles will begin soon,” he said.

Seales said the statements West has made over time have “eroded the confidence officers should have in someone who has to hear matters of serious misconduct, allegations of corruption and incidents of misconduct on the part of police officers.”

In response, West said he has always done his work “fairly and unbiased and will continue to do so.”

Meantime the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) has joined calls for the immediate resignation of West, as Director of the PCA.

NATUC General Secretary Michael Annisette, in a statement to the media, said West has tarnished the image of the PCA and should resign immediately.

Annisette said NATUC was of the view that the statements made by West were “irresponsible, inflammatory and defeatist.”

NATUC said persons who assume positions or hold office should be held accountable for their actions and there must be consequences when one makes certain statements or engage in certain types of behaviour, which in the public’s eye, can be deemed to be provocative and destabilising for the nation.

According to NATUC any institution set up by the government, was working for the people of T&T and was therefore accountable to them. Their performance on the job must work in the best interest of the people and the highest of standards must be set and maintained.

There is a shortage of some critical anti-psychotic drugs at the St Ann’s Hospital and with it comes a warning that patients who are unable to access the drugs could become violent and display erratic behaviour.

Well-placed sources in the hospital told the T&T Guardian that the hospital has no anti-psychotic drugs, among them Modecate, Clopixol, Haloperidol (Haldol) and Invega Sustenna.

All four drugs are used to treat patients with mental illnesses such as nervous, emotional and mental or mood disorders, dementia, aggressive behaviour and schizophrenia (which is a psychiatric disorder with symptoms of emotional instability, detachment from reality, often with delusions and hallucinations, and withdrawal into the self).

The hospital source said, “This is the worst we have ever experienced. We ran out of food, we had shortages of beds, but never have we ran out of drugs.”

Doctors are now using alternative medication, but medical personnel at St Ann’s told the T&T Guardian “in some cases the patients are just not manageable.”

One psychiatrist explained that the drugs are injected into patients who refuse to or who cannot take tablets.

“When they are administered, these injections remain in their body for a month. It keeps them calm and their relatives feel a level of comfort.”

The problem, he said, was that when the patients don’t get these injections “relatives don’t know when they will act up.”

Efforts to contact the head of the Psychiatry Unit at St Ann’s proved were unsuccessful.

President of the Psychiatrists Association Dr Mala Maharaj told the T&T Guardian that the “biggest concern when the patient is unable to get the medication is that there is a possibility of relapse and the patient may have to be readmitted to the hospital.”

Sources at St Ann’s told the T&T Guardian that this was exactly what has happened.

Families who are unable to cope with relatives who need the medication are readmitting them to the mental hospital, with a resultant over-crowding problem.

A hospital source said currently “we have some patients sleeping on mattresses on the ground and in some cases they sleeping in areas where they not supposed to be, because we have to utilise available beds wherever we find them.”

Medical personnel said the situation has left them “frustrated.”

“Right now we have a shortage of staff because people not coming to work. It is a strenuous and stressful situation having to work on these kinds of patients without the necessary medication,” one worker complained.

Another medical officer said the medical personnel cannot blame the management team or the Psychiatric Medical chief of staff for the situation. The worker said the blame “falls squarely on the shoulders of the Ministry of Health. They are responsible for bringing drugs into the country. It seems someone was just not doing their job.”

Disgruntled health care workers at St Ann’s said it was no secret that the “psychiatric unit was the bastard of the Ministry of Health.”

“People who can afford private care are not affected because their families can buy the drugs, it is those who cannot afford and users the public health system, at the lower spectrum, who are affected,” they said.

Maharaj said the association would raise the issue with Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh “because there is no Modecate at any out-patient clinic and people just do not know where to get the medication.”

Contacted on the issue yesterday, Deyalsingh said “there is a worldwide shortage of Modecate and a substitute is now being used.” He, however, promised to “investigate” the shortage of other critical drugs.

Police are now on the lookout for people who may have been duped into buying what they thought were high-priced flat screen televisions for use as CCTV monitors at cut rate prices.

The 177 flat screen televisions sets were in fact part of $5 million in items stolen by bandits from the Hyatt Regency hotel’s warehouse last week.

With three days to go before Christmas, residents in East Port-of-Spain thought they were getting a steal of a deal, having paid between $500 and $800 for the 55 and 65-inch LCD televisions, which are sold in some stores at between $12,000 and $18,000.

Thinking that they were given a steal of a deal, the buyers, some of whom were from Beetham Gardens, later discovered that their new Christmas gifts were not programmed for residential use. Many of them decided to use the TVs as monitors for CCTV cameras but may now run afoul of the law if caught.

The robbery was committed last Friday (December 16) by a group of brazen bandits at the hotel’s Warner Village, Bejucal warehouse. The warehouse was used to store brand new items which were to be installed and outfitted as part of the a major physical upgrade planned by the hotel.

Among the items stolen were 177 flat screen televisions, eight chandeliers and 335 artwork frames valued at US$ 552,609.03. Other miscellaneous items which were also carted away bring the total figure to $5 million, the T&T Guardian was told.

The hotel contracted a French firm to supply and outfit the items for its refurbishment exercise.

Hyatt Regency is owned by the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott).

A source told the Trinidad Guardian that the thieves entered the compound of the warehouse, where they held up and hog-tied three security guards and then disconnected the building's CCTV cameras.

The bandits then gained entry into the building by cutting the locks on the doors. Seconds later, two trucks and 12 cars pulled into and outside the compound and the items were hastily loaded onto the vehicles, following which the thieves made good their escape.

“Some people are of the firm view that it is an inside job. But the joke is the LCD television sets they stole are virtually useless to them because it is not programmed for residential use. What is amazing is that the thieves did not cover their faces, nor did they hid the number plates of the vehicles,” the source said.

Fortunately, the robbery was captured on the closed circuit televisions of nearby residents, which was submitted to the Chaguanas police.

“That is what the perpetrators did not bargain for,” the source said.

Photographs taken from the video, which the T&T Guardian obtained, showed the bandits committing the robbery.

While some of the items may yet be recovered, the source said the way the thieves hurriedly packed the items into the vehicle, they were certain a number of televisions were damaged.

“More than likely, Hyatt would have to re-order all the items that were stolen.”

The source said, none of the items were insured.

Some of the television sets were sold at reduced prices to unsuspecting Beetham Gardens residents between last week and yesterday.

“They were sold for peanuts compared to its original price of between $12,000 to $18,000. When the buyers realised they could not use the TVs, they began selling it as monitors for surveillance cameras.”

Police arrest 7 with stolen items

The Hyatt Regency hotel is currently doing a major refurbishment exercise, as part of a requirement that it undergo such exercises every seven years, a source told the T&T Guardian yesterday.

On the Hyatt’s website, a notice states the hotel is undergoing a refurbishment exercise, which will be done in phases and completed at the end of April 2017.

Areas to be refurbished are the hotel's entrance, lobby, bar, sushi bar, restaurant and its 428 luxurious guest rooms.

Upon receipt of the items, the hotel stored them in its warehouse, which they have been using for years.

On Tuesday, officers from the Port-of-Spain Criminal Investigation Department (CID), led by Snr Supt Radcliffe Boxhill and ASP Ajith Persad, Sgt Austin, arrested five people after they went to Romain Lands, Morvant, executed a search warrant and seized a 65-inch television set identified as one stolen from the warehouse.

Two people in Beetham Gardens were also arrested yesterday after police recovered another 65-inch television.

Persad said yesterday the investigations are ongoing.

Marketing communications manager of Hyatt, Neemah Persad, admitted yesterday that the robbery had taken place, but opted not to issue a statement as the matter was still being investigated.

Chairman of Udecott Noel Garcia refused comment.

Stolen items*Quantity*Unit Price in US*Total cost in US

LG 65 inch LCD colour TV*159*$2,690.31*$427,759.29

(model 65L X 570H)

LG 55 inch LED LCD colour TV *18*$1,891.43*$34,045.74

(model 55 LX 570H)

Energy Minister Franklin Khan had his typical smile on his face at a Thailand hospital yesterday, after being warded hours earlier for “issues related to his heart that was brought on by a viral infection.”

This was the word from Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Stuart Young, during yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair.

Young dismissed earlier reports which appeared on social media that Khan, who is on vacation, had suffered a heart attack.

“It is not true that he had a heart attack or any heart failure. What happened was the virus (flu) affected his heart condition and he had an accumulation of some fluid in his lungs.”

Young said Government officials contacted Khan and his wife, Laura yesterday, adding that Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs officials were also in contact with the authorities in Thailand to ensure that when Khan is declared medically fit, “his journey home will be made as comfortable as possible.”

Young said Khan’s condition was “not as serious as was suggested and circulated (on social media) this morning and it is a situation that is receiving very close monitoring by us.”

He said Khan and his were were satisfied with the medical care being provided in Thailand, adding that it

Sheik Azim Mohammed, right, one of 25 recipients of free eye surgery, thanks Pravita Shankar, surgical coordinator at the Good Health Medical Centre in Woodbrook, following his operation yesterday. Inset is opthalmologist Dr Ronnie Bhola. PHOTO: NICOLE DRAYTON

Cataract doc’s team brings Christmas cheer to needy

25 surgeries done in a daywas a world-class facility. He said if there was the need to have him transferred to another institution it could be easily done.

Young said he saw a photo of the minister “in his hospital gown with a Frankie Khan smile on his face.” He said the minister was prepared to get himself better to return to work.

Young said a few months ago Khan “went through some non-invasive medical procedures to do with respect to his heart.”

He insisted Khan was in good condition and there was no cause for undue concern.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert is acting as Energy Minister in Khan’s absence.

Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams says a mobile app launched yesterday as a “dream come true” for the police service.

The app, which has been described as a neighbourhood watch on steroids, allows the user to directly report crimes to police, as well as have a direct access to all other national agencies, from utilities to response units such as the Office of Disaster and Preparedness and Management.

The free to download app is not unique to this country, but has been modified to fit the needs of T&T. The app, called CSafe, was launched by Community Defence, a neighbourhood watch group, in collaboration with the police service and other community activist groups, including the Powerful Ladies of T&T (PLOTT).

Speaking during the launch at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, Williams said the app is endorsed and supported by the police service, which will assist them to pursue their vision to make the country safe. He said the country can only attain the level of security it wants when the citizens partner with the police, adding the app allows citizens to do so.

The app will allow the user to report crimes anonymously and when all the kinks are ironed out, all reports will go directly to the police service, who will receive the information as a report and dispatch officers to the scene of the report. There will also be alerts of crimes, updates on reports, updates on missing people and wanted people readily available.

The T&T Guardian interfaced with the app and saw latest reports on missing people and wanted criminals. The updates on crimes will take some time, however, as one of the goals is to ensure the information is properly vetted in an attempt not to bombard users with unsubstantiated reports.

In response to questions from the media, Darrin Carmichael, a director of Crime Stoppers and the man responsible from bringing the app to the country, said the app was not meant to replace a police report. But Williams later said the report sent via the application could be used as an official report.

Carmichael said the app will also provide alerts on serious incidents, so with the Carnival season approaching visitors could download the app and receive in real time information pertaining to safe areas. The basis of the app, he said, is to get the country together to push back against the criminals by directly sharing information about criminal activity which can be shared with others, thereby making each cellphone owner the possible ears and eyes of the police service simply by the shifting of a thumb.

PLOTT co-founder Gillian Wall, in her address, asked how long the country would allow crime to continue. The answer, she said, now lay in citizens’ palms and she encouraged each smartphone holder to download the app and help the police make their communities safer. To download the app on any platform, visit the app store on your mobile device, available for IOS, Android and Windows phones, and search Community Defence and follow the instructions.

A month after four-year-old Jenice Figaro was tragically beaten to death, the female relative accused of the crime was arrested by police on Wednesday evening.

Police picked up the woman at her relatives’ home in South Trinidad and took her into custody at the Region III Homicide Bureau in San Fernando.

No charges were laid up to yesterday, however, as investigators said there were a few more matters to complete before submitting a report to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution.

Following Figaro’s death on November 24, the woman was questioned by police but maintained she had nothing to do with the girl’s death.

“I did not kill Jenice Figaro. I loved her like my own daughters,” she had told the T&T Guardian back then.

It was initially thought that Figaro died of poisoning, after she began vomiting and complained of feeling unwell after eating a dinner of fries, ketchup and garlic sauce at her Corosal Road, Whiteland home on the day in question.

Figaro began to fidget, the relative had told police, before falling unconscious and by the time she reached the San Fernando General Hospital she was already dead. It was at the hospital that doctors noticed bruises on the her body and suggested an autopsy be conducted at the Forensic Science Centre, St James. Forensic pathologist Dr Eslyn Mc Donald-Burris found that her death was due to blunt force trauma

An estimated 182 citizens of T&T are suspected of being involved in terrorist activities and there has been a significant increase in what appears to be financing for the insurgents.

This is according to the 2015/16 report of the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Ministry of Finance.

Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and the Office of the Attorney General Stuart Young revealed during yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair.

He said the report would be laid in Parliament on January 6, when sittings resume following the Christmas break.

According to the report there were some 739 suspicious transaction reports/suspicious activity reports (STRs/SARs) over the last year.

He said the document showed that 670 of the 739 reports related to suspected money laundering while 69 related to suspected financing of terrorism.

According to the FIU completed analysis on 533 of the STR’s/SARs “490 were related to suspected money laundering activities and 43 related to the financing of terrorism.”

The minister also said the analysis of these STRs/SARs “generated 209 intelligence reports — of which 178 related to suspected money laundering and 31 related to suspected financing of terrorism.”

According to Young, the total monetary value of the 739 STRs/SARs submitted to the FIU was $805.5 million for 2016, which was a 127 per cent increase over 2015.

He said of 209 intelligence reports generated, 150 were sent to local law enforcement agencies and 59 were spontaneous disclosures which were disseminated to foreign law enforcement agencies, foreign FIUs and local competent authorities. He said the figure increased from 16 in 2015 to 69 in 2016.

“And at the end of the 2016 reporting period the FIU’s intelligence has revealed 182 citizens of T&T being suspected of being involved in terrorist activities. Approximately 182 T&T citizens may be involved in the financing of terrorist activities,” he said.

Addressing the media outside the Ministry of Labour’s San Fernando office, Roget said there has been no adjustment of salaries for Petrotin workers for two negotiating periods.

The outstanding period of 2011-2014 is currently before the Industrial Court while 2014-17 was the one being negotiated. Once again, he warned the country to be on standby for a fuel shortage as the OWTU would take strike action against Petrotrin if there was no favourable outcome.

Both parties met on Monday, but after 14 hours of talks, there was no agreement on cost items. Roget said the OWTU advised Petrotrin to meet with the Minister of Finance Colm Imbert to get a directive to make an offer for salary increases. As they walked into the meeting, he said they were going to examine the company’s offer and would share their decision soon.

But during yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said no new offer can be made to Petrotrin workers until the Industrial Court gives its ruling on matters relating to the 2011-2014 negotiations. Young said the court was expected to give its ruling early in 2017.

Asked whether the union would consider going to the Industrial Court if yesterday’s meeting did not end well, he said it was not an option they were willing to consider at this time.

“There is one set to negotiations already at the Industrial Court and the Government is hiding behind the Industrial Court.”

Roget said the OWTU supported the salary increases to public servants, health workers and those in the security services. He said it was wrong that Petrotrin workers play a vital role in generating revenue to the economy but has toiled six years without an increase.

 Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and the Attorney General Stuart Young said no new offer can be made to Petrotrin workers until the Industrial Court gives its ruling on matters relating to the last negotiating period.

Speaking at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair, Young said that the negotiations for the previous years 2011-2014 was before the Industrial Court and the Government was awaiting the outcome of that matter before proceeding with the new negotiations for the period of 2015-2017.

Young said those matters related to a breakdown of negotiations for the earlier period. He said the court was expected to give its ruling on the matter “early in 2017.”

“It makes no sense to begin a discussion with respect to that period because you will not be even able to place a dollar value on it,” he said.

Young said there was no authorisation for Petrotrin’s management to proceed with negotiations for the period 2015 to 2017 especially as the 2011 to 2014 negotiations have not been resolved.

The Minister said because of the prevailing economic situation the Government “intends to work with various stakeholders to manage this in the best manner for all of T&T.”

He said the Government “will not put the rest of T&T in any financial circumstances that will be detrimental to them based on small subsets and groups.”

According to Young, Cabinet was still looking at what offers can be made to respective unions in upcoming negotiations for new collective agreements. He a special sub-committee of Cabinet, chaired by Imbert, was trying to determine that matter.

He also said no instructions were given to either the board of Petrotrin or its management to offer any 0-0-0- per cent wage increase for workers employed at the State-owned company.

Young’s comments came in the wake of threats by the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) — which represents the workers — to take legal strike action in the coming weeks to protest that offer.

OWTU president general Ancel Roget said on Wednesday that Petrotrin had offered a 0-0-0- per cent offer for the new negotiations for a collective agreement for the period 2015-17.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert first hinted the 0-0-0- per cent wage offer for State sector workers was first hinted but subsequently clarified the statement as a starting offer. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley also said Imbert’s statement was not the position of the Cabinet of T&T.

Yesterday, Young said “neither the management of Petrotrin nor the board of Petrotrin was authorised to make any such offer, so there was no authorisation by this Government to either the board or the management to make any offer at all and that will include any offer of zero per cent going forward.”

Petrotrin and the OWTU are engaged in negotiations for a collective agreement for workers for the period 2015 to 2017.

The new mayor of Port-of-Spain has taken up the challenge to deal with the perennial problem of illegal street vending in the capital city.

It is a problem faced by his predecessors and one that affects the 14 local government regions across the country.

Speaking after his first statutory meeting at City Hall, Mayor Joel Martinez said he met with a representative group of vendors on Wednesday and intends to have a follow up meeting in the new year aimed at regulating street vending.

He said almost every person he had spoken to since becoming mayor had asked him what was being done about illegal vending on Charlotte Street and dealing with the growing homeless population in the city.

At last count, there were over 240 people living on the streets in Port-of-Spain.

Martinez said he also intended to visit Chacon Street to see first hand its condition as part of a planned clean-up drive.

At Martinez’s swearing in ceremony held at City Hall, a week ago, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had described Chacon Street as an “open sewer” as it was frequented by vagrants. Rowley also called on the mayor to deal with the indiscriminate parking in the city.

“When you go and look yourself you then know the graphic situation that is before you and from there on take some action to ensure Chacon Street is a street we can all embrace.”

Martinez said the recent murder of Shannon Banfield on Charlotte Street had left lingering fears among shoppers and the city corporation was doing all it could to make shoppers comfortable.

“The death of this young girl is rather tragic and a difficult pill to swallow. What we are trying to do is to get people to be more comfortable to come to the city to be able to do their shopping because it is the hub of shopping activity,” Martinez said.

Regarding claims of indiscriminate wrecking in the city, Martinez appealed to the police to be fair.

“We cannot have our law enforcement personnel basically committing an offence by wrecking somebody indiscriminately. I would like to see that a good compromise takes place and we could do this thing lawfully so that people would understand there is no fear of their cars or vehicles being wrecked but at the same time I want to alert the population to be mindful that you need to park properly.”

With just two shopping days to go before Christmas, supermarkets across the country are seeing a shift in consumers buying cheaper alcohol, turkey and ham—three items synonymous with the Yuletide season.

Supermarket owners have also noticed fewer customers in stores and a resultant significant drop in sales.

Daniel Austin, marketing manager of Xtra Foods chain, said there was a slight damper on sales at its Grand Bazaar and Chaguanas Main Road branches.

“There is no doubt about it, sales are down because people are watching their pockets and tightening their belts because of the lack of growth in the economy.”

He said overall, Xtra Foods suffered 20 per cent less sales this Christmas as opposed to 2015.

In the last few days, Austin said he has observed consumers buying less food items, while others have opted for cheaper or less expensive alcohol.

“What is strange people are buying more snacks.”

In assessing people’s buying patterns, Austin said in the area of alcohol, shoppers were going for White Oak rum at $79 a bottle and a foreign five-litre bottle wine for $120.

“They are buying more rum, cheaper wines and beers and less whisky for the holidays.”

Premium drinks such as vodka was not a hot seller, while premium scotch such as Johnnie Walker had seen a nose dive in sales, Austin said.

In the area of food, Austin said ham continued to catch the eye of customers.

Jenika Perez, a clerk at JTA Supermarket in San Fernando, said while they have seen a constant flow of customers, their supermarket was not “ram cram.”

Perez admitted that customers were buying cheaper hams and turkeys.

“The main one people grabbing is a three-pound ham for $100. We have never seen that before. In the past they would go for the biggest and most expensive ham to celebrate Christmas, but now they are going with what suits their pockets.”

Nadine Wilson, manager of Chung Kiu Supermarket, on Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain, said, “Compared to last year, sales have been really slow. We are not seeing the usual flow of shoppers. I don’t know if it because of the crime in town.”

Wilson said from her observation people are buying cheaper alcohol as opposed to the premium drinks, while others have reduced the size of the baskets.

Karene Lopez, a clerk at Economy Supermarket, in Sangre Grande, said they were facing their worst Christmas in over 20 years, as sales have plummeted.

Lopez said she can only pray for a better and brighter 2017.

The Opposition United National Congress is accusing the Government led by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley of holding the country to ransom by failing to do the right thing on the FATCA legislation.

UNC chairman, David Lee, told the T&T Guardian that instead of accusing the Opposition of trying to create mayhem to get back into office by withholding their support from the FATCA Legislation, the Prime Minister should instead tell the country “why did the Government renege on a commitment made by Finance Minister Colm Imbert on September 9 this year for a Joint Select Committee to review the legislation...Why does the Government want to hold the country to ransom ?”

Lee said contrary to what is “being peddled by the Prime Minister and the Government, we in the UNC do not want to create mayhem, we want to pass good legislation and the way to get that is for the experts to be called before the JSC for us to get proper advice on the legislation.”

Lee said the Prime Minister must tell the country “why is the Government so against a JSC, even after they agreed to it, we not asking for anything unreasonable, if they want our vote then they should agree to our request for the JSC, had they kept their commitment the legislation would have been passed already.”

Lee said the UNC has been unable “to fathom why the Gvernment does not want the legislation to go before a Joint Select Committee.”

He recalled when the Government brought amendments to the Procurement Bill “which we drafted they said they wanted the amendments to go before a JSC because of good governance and we agreed, so why are they so against a JSC for the FATCA legislation?” he asked.

Lee said the Gvernment had made “several changes to the legislation, which was first brought to the Parliament on September 9, all of that could be discussed at a JSC, the strength of the JSC is to tap in to technical expertise through individuals who we can call to assist to have the best legislation passed,” he said.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday might, Rowley told reporters that the Opposition was “banking on mayhem in the country to help it get back into office.”

MP for Tabaquite, Dr Surujrattan Rambachan, said the Prime Minister appears to be “blind to the mayhem that has already descended upon this country because of both him and his Ministers poor leadership and management of the nation’s affairs since taking office.”

He said Rowley’s “comments about mayhem stems from what he has now perceived as a growing anger and disappointment in the population of his administration.”

This according to Rambachan was evidenced in the “reaction of his own supporters to his party and government in the last Local Government Elections.”

Rambachan said, “The UNC is committed to passing good law and this includes the FATCA legislation. The UNC is not in the business of governance to cause mayhem but to ensure the safety and security of citizens and their families, peace in the country and economic prosperity and social progress for all citizens.”

The FATCA legislation requires a three fifths majority for passage. Government has 23 votes and therefore requires the support of at least three Opposition MPs.

The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board’s clarification earlier this week of what had until then been labelled a sexual abuse case involving an official and a youth cricketer, has still left a certain level of unease across the country.

Of biggest concern was TTCB CEO Suruj Ragoonath’s refusal to answer any questions on the topic, which had been a burning one since the story of the alleged act during a regional under-19 tournament in St Vincent broke months ago.

It was of interest because of two main issues, the alleged sexual abuse of an athlete left in the care of adults and of the TTCB’s apparent malaise in dealing with this particular issue, as it was said to have been reported by the cricketer since August.

When Mr Ragoonath announced in Tuesday’s press conference that the player, in company with his mother, had since indicated it was not a sexual assault complaint, what transpired thereafter was unacceptable.

Mr Ragoonath notified journalists present that the ‘new’ matter was now before the board’s disciplinary committee, but refused to clarify what those new circumstances were, although berating the local and regional media for getting the report of sexual abuse wrong in the first place.

In effect therefore, the public now has more questions than answers based on information previously in the public domain.

Herein lies the complicated mess in which the TTCB now finds itself. In what little Mr Ragoonath did explain, he said the player did make a complaint but it was not over sexual misconduct by the official; that the matter was not reported to the Children’s Authority because the player was 18, nor was it reported to the police and that the official who was accused sought advice from a lawyer and spoke through the lawyer in denying the sex abuse claim. The TTCB also stands accused of being forced to act by the media’s reportage of it, having not done anything before those reports broke, having claimed they only caught sight of the complaint letter in October, although it was written immediately upon the player’s return from a tournament in July.

Needless to say, Mr Ragoonath has left more questions than answers on a very sensitive matter.

Abuse of children left in the care of adults of any kind is indefensible. When it is done by people in the sporting fraternity it is even worse.

This is because many such adults—among them coaches, managers, physiotherapists and trainers—wield a lot of influence and share many close moments with young and old athletes alike in the course of their exploits, because of the gamut of emotions which sport take those athletes through.

Only recently we have had the accounts of former professional footballers in England, who finally came out to tell their stories of sexual abuse by coaches while in their youth. We would have read of the trauma they experienced and of how it deeply has affected their emotional lives to this day.

We are also familiar with similar scandals which rocked the US sport fraternity. Importantly here though, is how the authorities, including the police, quickly moved to hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions.

This is why we hope the TTCB is being forthright in how it is dealing with this matter and not closing ranks to protect the official, since only they and the parties involved, who remain unnamed, are aware of the truth in the matter. The trust of young athletes now lies in the balance based on this current case.

Prison officers are angry over the hosting of a show featuring motor bike riders and scantily dressed women at the Maximum Security Prison (MSP) last weekend.

The show was apparently sanctioned by Prison Commissioner Sterling Stewart, but officers yesterday questioning the reasoning behind it after no extra security was put in place and the event regressed into a striptease at one point.

Some officers, who spoke to the T&T Guardian on condition of anonymity, lay the blame on a senior officer they accused of organising the “show” with the help of a “high profile inmate.”

The MSP is used to house detainees convicted of murder, but prison officers said “no additional security measures were put in place for the show, which was in clear breach of prison protocol.” They said at times the show “turned into a striptease, as the scantily clad women took off their tops.”

A senior officer said when questions were raised about how such a show could be allowed, they were told it was done “to ease the tension of the inmates.”

Contacted on the issue yesterday, Stewart confirmed the event had his blessing.

He said the display was one way of being creative and innovative in treating with the rehabilitation and restoration of inmates. He denied claims that a senior colleague organised the show with the help of an inmate, calling it “mischief.”

“I know about it. They want us to lock them (inmates) up in the prison and throw away the key. We are preparing for integration into society and we have to be creative and find innovative ways to treat with their reintegration into the environment,” he said.

Stewart said he was also angry with the negativity instead of highlighting the good features of the event and called on members of the public and prison officers to take the “log out of their eye.” (Quotation from the book of Matthew)

He said an offer was made by officers for a free motorbike display and the inmates selected were those working with the prison officers for a number of years who had no challenges or issues.

“We have programmes for the health, the heart and the hands and it was free of charge.”

Stewart said senior staff took into consideration all safety and other assessments before holding the programme.

“We not running a slave factory as some people think,” he said, adding he will always allow programmes that could lead inmates to change their ways and dispel the darkness.

“There was safety and security. Protocols were in place and it was completed and they enjoyed it. It was all part of the Christmas in building relationships,” he said.

He said the prison supervisor was also satisfied with the dress code of the women.

“He was satisfied with the attire and he knows the dress code. Change does cause a level of discomfort and resistance. I am here to touch and save lives.”

Also contacted yesterday, Prison Officers Association president Ceron Richards confirmed he had heard about the event, noting he was in Miami when an officer called him about what was happening. Having just returned to the country, however, he said he wanted to get more information about the show.

But Richards said “no show like that could have taken place without the authorisation of the Commissioner of Prisons Sterling Stewart and he would need to explain: What was the event about? What was it geared to achieve? And what security arrangements were put in place?”

Richards said the hosting of the event “was not discussed with my members. Officers told me they came to work and were shocked to find out what was happening. That is totally against the norm.”

He said “a lot of officers complained about it in terms of security breaches. The Commissioner needs to clear the air because I could not have seen something like this happening.”

Officers gave the name of the senior officer they claimed organised the event, but efforts to contact him were unsuccessful. Officers said their seniors told them that “they giving prisoners special things to ensure officers are not killed.”

A family of ten, including an 84-year-old grandmother and a 59-year-old man confined to a wheelchair, are now homeless after fire gutted their Curepe homes on Thursday night.

Anthony Teeka was visited by councillor J-Lynn Roopnarine and given a new wheelchair yesterday, after everything he and his family owned were destroyed in the fire. Teeka was removed from the house by neighbours who saw an adjoining house ablaze.

According to fire officials, the blaze took place around 7.30 pm and started at the home at the back of the adjoining houses.

The homes, located along Jackson Street, was 90 per cent destroyed and up to yesterday parts of the houses were still falling apart. Neighbours tried unsuccessfully to out the blaze using buckets and water hoses.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian, Kamla Hamid said the incident happened so quickly they barely had any time to save any of their valuables.

Hamid said she and her family, including her ailing mother, now have nowhere to call home as there was nothing left to salvage. She lamented that the family spent the night by neighbours, but are now uncertain of how much the neighbours could assist the family.

Hamid said the family was visited by the Member of Parliament for the area Prakash Ramadhar, but both he and Roopnarine spoke with her mother. She said she was uncertain of the cause of the fire.

They are appealing for assistance in getting a home for the Christmas season. Fire officials estimated the total loss to be around $600,000.

The brazenness of the country’s killers went to the extreme in two separate murders that took the toll to 450 for the year between Thursday night and yesterday morning.

The murders took place in Morvant and Port-of-Spain and both with complete disregard to the fact police were nearby.

In the most recent case, Sean Thomas, 33, of Francis Road, San Juan, was shot dead along Queen Street, Port-of-Spain as two police jeeps were on patrol.

According to eyewitnesses reports, a gunman opened fire on the silver Toyota car Thomas was driving along Queen Street, between Nelson and George Streets, around 10 am. Witnesses said the gunman was unmasked and a marked police jeep was about five car lengths away in the front, with a police jeep two car lengths behind Thomas’ car. An off-duty police officer working in a nearby jewelry shop heard the gunshots and opened fire on the killer, but only hit another car in the process.

Despite being virtually surrounded and engaged by police seconds after the attack, the killer escaped by running through the nearby plannings. Up to yesterday no arrests had been made. But police said the incident was recorded on close circuit cameras and they expect to make an arrest soon.

Police said they believed Thomas was killed following a robbery, but they are also working on the theory it could be linked to a gun attack last year which he survived.

Shoppers stopped and gawked as relatives of the deceased arrived at the scene, having been alerted of the murder via photos on social media. His relatives were too distraught to speak at the scene.

As the relatives awaited the removal of his body, those gathered were overheard lamenting at the “dark days” of the country. One woman who sells along Queen Street, near to where the killing took place, said she had sons and warned them about wearing jewelry in Port-of-Spain, since it is believed he may have been killed for his gold chain. Other people chastised the police for failing to apprehend the killer while others said Thomas should not have fought with the bandit.

In the second incident on Thursday night, four gunmen shot and killed a US deportee along Flamingo Street, Morvant, just behind the Morvant Police Station. Police said the deceased, Akeem Jordan, 37, was known to be involved in criminal activity.

According to reports, the killers pulled up in a Nissan Almera and opened fire on Jordan and sped off. Officers ran to the scene but by the time they arrived the killers had already escaped. Police said Jordan told them he knew his attackers but died before he could give a name. He was shot nine times, his autopsy revealed.

Despite 2016 being a bloody year with murders now in the 450 region, acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams has described the period as a success for the Police Service, as various categories of serious crimes had drastically decreased.

In particular, he said, this was noted in the Besson Street area.

“Besson Street historically stood out as a station with the most murders. Besson Street as a station normally had more murders than the entire divisions in T&T and in 2016 we have seen a significant drop,” Williams said.

He said overall there was a two per cent reduction in overall violent incidents, which entailed woundings, shootings and murders.

“We have seen an increase in murders but we have seen a two per cent decrease in the overall total of murders shootings, woundings and murders,” Williams said, although noting one murder was still too many.

Without mincing words, Williams also hinted at vigorously weeding out rogue elements from the Police Service as part of a three-year crime plan beginning January 1, 2017, which he said would be publicly revealed at a later date. He said he expected to face “backlash” in his aggressive drive to weed out corrupt cops, but added that this was anticipated.

He made the comment at the final weekly police press briefing for the year at the police administration building in Port-of-Spain.

“I would say we have had a reasonably successful year. But I have some clear plans how I would remove rogue police officers from the organisation because it is critical as we seek to improve the image of the Police Service and build back trust in the organisation we must do clearing house,” Williams said.

He said one of his first anti-crime measures for this year was the appointment of McDonald Jacob as the Northern Division commander, describing him as an exceptionally hard worker.

“We have had 122 murders in Northern Division ... that’s the most murders recorded in Northern Division as far back as you could check, so something has gone wrong in Northern Division and to fix that it must start with the police leadership, so I have changed the leader and the entire leadership team in Northern Division and we have added more manpower,” Williams said.

In Enterprise, Chaguanas, which has also recorded a series of murders, Williams said he had several community meetings with residents in an effort to reach out to them. He said as part of the 2017 crime initiative, a heavy emphasis will be placed on violent crimes.

“That is what would be our focus in 2017 from day one...having a significant impact on violence, but we need the cooperation from the public and we need the cooperation from the media,” Williams said.

“A high priority for the Police Service for 2017 is driving the violent crimes down, so from a strategic perspective that’s where the focus would be.”

He said the Police Service was finalising its strategic plan, which is expected to end in 2019.

In giving other statistics he said there was a 23 per cent reduction in rapes and other sexual related offences, a 34 per cent reduction in kidnappings and 19 per cent reduction in larceny of motor vehicles. However, he said fraudulent offences has gone up by 62 per cent. He said this year some 730 illegal firearms were seized, representing more illegal firearms seized by the Police Service “than any other time in the history of the organisation.” Last year some 691 illegal weapons were seized.

The acting top CoP also praised the media for highlighting the good work done by the police.

On recent statements made by head of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) David West, who had likened the Police Service to a gang, Williams said while it was not his place to call for West’s removal, like what the Police Service Social and Welfare Association had publicly done, he felt West had “made irresponsible utterances on a series of occasions.”