Police are investigating the death of a homeless man whose decomposing body was found on the ground floor of an abandoned six storey building on Saturday.

At around 7.10 am, La Brea police received an anonymous report that a man known as “Pest” was seen at the building in New Lands, La Brea. When Cpl Ramsaran and other officers went to the building, a foul stench led them to the body in the corner of a room. While there were no visible marks of violence, the officers said the body was in a state of decomposition.

The dead man was later identified as David Noriega and the body was taken to the mortuary at the San Fernando General Hospital where a post mortem will be done.

Meanwhile, a 34-year-old Marabella man will appear before a San Fernando Magistrate today for possession of marijuana with a street value of $67,000. According to reports, officers from Southern Division operational units were conducting an exercise between Friday night and Saturday morning when Insp Persad, Cpl Mohammed, PC Mohammed and WPC Rostant went to Gandhi Street, Marabella,. They executed a search warrant at the suspect’s home and found 6.7 kilogrammes of marijuana. The suspect was arrested and taken to the San Fernando CID where he was charged. 

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday reiterated that Government intends to restructure struggling state-owned energy company Petrotrin, especially in the face of tough economic times.

He also warned People’s National Movement (PNM) MPs that after Labour Day on June 19 he will be examining their “score cards” to ensure they are working for the good of their constituencies.

These were among announcements made to party supporters and activists at the PNM’s sport and family day at the Eddie Hart Savannah, Tacarigua, yesterday.

On the issue of Petrotrin, Dr Rowley said the country is looking for new ways of earning revenue.

“That is why we are looking towards the restructuring of Petrotrin. We are looking towards improving the role of the National Gas Company (NGC) because these are two of the main state agencies throughout the main aspect of our economy that contribute on the revenue side,” he said.

“Last week, after waiting very patiently for the report from the committee that examined Petrotrin, I want to give the country the assurance that all the recommendations made with respect to the health of Petrotrin, as long as they find favour with the Government, those recommendations will be implemented in the shortest possible order.”

He urged supporters to hold their MPs accountable for representation and said the way to political success is not through ministerial appointments but support at the constituency level.

“After Labour Day I will be coming out in the constituencies to meet you on a regular basis and on that score we will then mark the cards of everyone,” he said.

Dr Rowley also gave an update on the Sandals Tobago project. He said he had discussions yesterday and one aspect was including a world class golf course in the facility.

“We have two other golf courses in Tobago and when we have completed that project, we in the Caribbean can enter the realm of international golfing tournaments at the highest level,” he said.

On the controversial Brian Lara Academy, Dr Rowley said he intended to roll out specific plans as to how that facility will be used and managed to harness cricketing talent.

“And not withstanding the nonsense going on in West Indies cricket at the top, we believe at the base we can strengthen West Indies cricket starting right here in Trinidad and Tobago,” Dr Rowley said.

He said at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva there are plans to establish a hotel so as to accommodate male and female athletes as part of a bigger plan for sport.

“We are working towards the establishment of some sort of hotel facility in that area that will provide accommodation facilities for those who will use the football stadium, swimming and the cycling facilities and we will be able to market that area as a sporting zone in Trinidad and Tobago,” Rowley said.

He said the Diego Martin sporting complex is in its final stages of completion and will produce champions.

“As we make these facilities available we will put the management structure in place and we ask the people to use it to develop our national potential,” Dr Rowley added.

The Prime Minister said sport is underutilised in this country, so there are initiatives to work with the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) to develop “proper sport management administration processes.”

“That is why we are considering using the Brian Lara Academy within the University of Trinidad and Tobago as a model for management within the confines of the university,” he said.

“And very soon we expect some of our nationals to graduate with degrees in aspects of sport management.”

GEISHA ALONZO

Attorney Israel Khan said he plans to write to Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard to determine whether Chief Justice Ivor Archie acted improperly and whether there are grounds for him to be impeached.

This follows claims by former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar that her removal as a High Court judge was “unlawful and unconstitutional” because she was put under pressure to resign.

She said so in a May 19 tell-all letter to President Anthony Carmona.

The Sunday Guardian obtained a copy of the letter to Carmona as well as another sent to the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC).

In the letter, the first that gives Ayers-Caesar’s side of the story, she said it was with a “deep sense of regret and personal disquiet” that she was recounting the circumstances surrounding her resignation.

Khan said this latest development should trigger an investigation into the behaviour of the CJ.

“She indicated to him that she had at least 28 part heard matters and he decided inspite of that to recommend to the President that she become a judge,” Khan said.

“It is only when the faeces hit the fan—after the prisoners started to protest and the lawyers started to protest that she left unfinished business—it is only then he decided to find out how many matters were pending and then he decided to use her as a scapegoat for his lack of due diligence, mismanagement and forced this lady to resign.”

Khan said as far as he is concerned Ayers-Caesar is a judge in the High Court until the President revokes her appointment which has not been done.

“What is curious to find out is whether the Chief justice informed the other members of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission that the former chief magistrate had 28 part heard matters because all of them would have put their signatures to the document that she be appointed.

“So they ought to have a full investigation to see whether he misbehaved in public office and if that is so, that will trigger an investigation in order for impeachment,” he said.

Martin Daly SC disagreed that Ayers-Caesar remains a judge.

“Once the resignation letter has not been set aside by a court, I don’t accept that she is a High Court judge. I think the resignation would be effective,” he said.

“And I don’t accept she has any powers as a magistrate.

“She took the oath as High Court judge and by implication that revokes her appointment as a magistrate, so unfortunately I don’t think she has any particular judicial status at the moment,” Daly said.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said he would not comment on the matter.

GEISHA ALONZO

Neighbours of Christopher Phillip, the man who died on the grounds of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital last Wednesday, said he was taken to hospital in an ambulance from his home at Blundell Alley, Laventille, and was in no condition to stand far less walk. They are challenging claims by officials of the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) that Phillip, 62, disappeared twice from the hospital after receiving medical attention.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said a report on the case showed that all protocols were followed at the hospital and Phillip received the best treatment from staff of the NWRHA.

However, residents in the community where Phillip had lived for ten years are claiming there was a cover up and are calling for an independent investigation. They said Phillip, who lived along, “died like a dog” last Wednesday.

Video of him writhing in pain on the lawn of the hospital’s car park was posted on Facebook and sparked national outrage. Eyewitnesses reported seeing two security guards carrying Philip out of the hospital and placing him on the ground in the car park. Both the NWRHA and the Ministry of Health are investigating the circumstances of his death.

One of Phillip’s neighbours, who identified herself as Cheryl, could not contain her emotions as she spoke fondly about the elderly man whom she described as a fancy dresser, a stickler for cleanliness and a hard worker who kept to himself.

He was affectionately called “Uncle”, “Neighbour” and “Cocoa Man” by residents, she said, and used to cut grass for people for a plate of food or a few dollars.

“When he fell ill, the ambulance picked up Christopher in front of his house wearing a pants he had messed in and he died with that filthy pants on. No doctor could tell me they attended to Christopher with that soiled pants. They had a right to clean the man,” she said.

“I strongly believe they never touched Christopher in that hospital because he had faeces on him and was probably smelling bad. I am terribly hurt and upset by that. I was moved to tears when I saw the video of him on the ground crying out in pain. You know why I feel it? Christopher lived alone and he died alone. I too live alone and it could have happened to me,” she said

Another neighbour, Garth Williams, said when Phillip fell ill at home he was in so much pain he could not move.

“But when I watched the video and heard him complaining of pains in his leg… how this man could have walked out?” he asked. “He could not even get up from the lawn where the security guards had placed him. Things are not adding up. Something is wrong.”

CEO of the NWRHA Sheldon Cyrus said the results of Phillip’s autopsy, which was done on Friday, will be revealed in the hospital’s final report on his death.

The shutdown of the Tourism Development Company (TDC), originally scheduled for June 9, has been put on hold until month end, according to Joseph Remy, secretary general of the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU).

At a press briefing outside the TDC’s head office at Maritime Plaza, Barataria, Remy said it would be imprudent to shut down the company in the face of concerns raised by the union. Some 120 workers will be affected by the shut down of the entity, which had as its main remit promoting T&T as a tourism destination.

“Although good sense is a scarce commodity in this country I believe mayhem it could have caused... if any attempt were made to stop these employees from entering into the compound,” Remy said.

“We don’t trust these people and as such we will continue to monitor the situation and the process recommended which is to meet with the CWU relative to the terms and conditions of all employees. We came here prepared to do whatever was necessary to ensure operations continue. We were prepared to go for the long haul.”

Remy said the union wrote to Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe last Thursday calling for an urgent meeting but is yet to receive a reply.

“The minister must hold fast to her public commitment that they are going to give the TDC employees the opportunity to work in the new entity,” he said.

“We keep hearing about packages and up to now the CWU has not received any communication. It is really a frightening situation to emasculate the TDC in the face of a tourism sector that is in shambles.”

In March, Cudjoe announced a Cabinet decision to close the TDC and replace it with two separate entities to deal with tourism in Trinidad and in Tobago.

However, two weeks ago the Industrial Court said Government should not proceed with the plan to dissolve the TDC until there arer consultations with the CWU.

​GEISHA ALONZO

News has spread rapidly among homeless people in San Fernando that a much anticipated soup kitchen promised by former mayor Kazim Hosein will open soon.

Some of them went to the Red Cross Society to ask for decent clothes so they could visit City Hall to get more information on when the project will come fully on stream. One of them, former offshore worker Evans Brereton, who has been living on the streets since 2014, said he is desperately hoping the centre will open soon so he can have a place to shower, eat and brush his teeth.

Brereton said he showers at the San Fernando General Hospital every day but wants his life back.

“My daughter is a nurse at the hospital and she doesn’t want me on the streets but I have a restraining order preventing me from stepping foot in my own house which I worked hard and paid for. If they set up a shelter for us it would make things much easier,” he said.

Basdeo Thackoor, 54, formerly of La Romaine, said after his wife, Sandra Bachoo, died two years ago, he lost everything he ever owned.

“I was put out of the house and I lost my car. Now I am living on the streets and sometimes I have no hope for a better life. Since January we waiting for them to open the soup kitchen for us so we can get decent meals and a place to use the toilet. If we get this facility it will restore our dignity,” he said.

The former truck driver said he is hoping someone will give him a job.

“Since I got laid off, I have no money and I have no place to go. At least people drop food for us every day but being here is dangerous because the police could throw us in jail for loitering,” Thackoor said.

Amardeo Baijoo, who has been on the streets for 17 years, said he was arrested last year and when he appeared in court for loitering was fined $200.

“I could not pay and I spent seven days in jail until a police woman felt sorry for me after reading the story and paid the fine for me to come out. I am still on the streets because I have no choice,” he said.

The homeless people said they are happy to hear business owners in San Fernando want to work to improve their plight.

“I want to thank the former mayor Kazim for helping us and I hope he could get this committee to do what is right and open this place for us full time,” Baijoo saod.

Hosein said he is giving a mandate to the committee chaired by Terrence Beepath to open the centre as soon as possible. He said it was regrettable that after $2.2 million was raised to set up the centre, homeless people still have not benefited.

“We have to be more humane. A lot of people called me and they are willing to contribute towards it so I really want to make this happen as soon as possible,” Hosein said.

San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello said he is willing to meet with a homeless delegation at 9 am on Wednesday to discuss their concerns.

Dissatisfied that all they got was an old cellphone and $1,000, three armed bandits who stormed the St Martin de Porres Church early yesterday threatened to kidnap renowned Roman Catholic priest Fr Clyde Harvey for a $50,000 ransom.

Speaking to the media at the church later on, a parishioner, who did not want to be named, recalled that Harvey relayed to her his fears after the men accosted him.

“The fellas was waiting for him under the step for when he come out to pray. He tell me they ask him if the Archbishop will pay $50,000 for him. I ask him, I say ‘Father where they would put a big man like you?’ He say ‘I was wondering because I can’t fit in no trunk.’ He said he said his prayers because he was a bit scared,” she said.

According to a media release issued by the Archdiocese, Harvey was robbed of $1,000 and his cellphone after three bandits broke into the presbytery around 5 am.

Harvey had spent Sunday night at the church’s manse located on the compound at Hermitage Road, Gonzales, in preparation for a seminar at Mt St Benedict’s yesterday.

The thieves, who reportedly got onto the compound by jumping a wall and breaking in through a side door, also tied up Harvey and threatened to kill him. The thieves also ransacked the office area. However, Harvey managed to escape and run to a nearby home where he called the police and Archbishop Joseph Harris.

Neighbours were disgusted that such a thing happened but thanked God that Harvey, who has been outspoken against injustice and has worked to bring down crime levels in the community, was unharmed.

Fr Harvey won the Humming Bird Medal Gold in 2011 for his role in community service and religion. He is also the chairman of three non-government organisations—Community Intervention for Transformation and Empowerment, South AIDS Support and the Morris Marshall Development Foundation.

When the T&T Guardian visited the area yesterday, two women sat down speaking about the robbery. The women said the incident was a shock to them, querying who would rob a church and Harvey’s church at that.

“We don’t know what to say, it just shocking to we, the church? What again you will do? I don’t know, and the hour of the morning. It was about 5.40 am you know. Father Harvey! That real shocking, that is why I say thank God he alive,” one woman said.

The other added: “When it comes to the church I don’t want nothing happen again to that church. That is real nonsense, that is what allyuh will do, rob a church?”

A handy man at the church, Valentine “Commando” Pemberton, said he fought with one of the gunmen as they were going through the compound.

“As I pick up the coffee cup, this little a—hole come and with a gun and I move out his way and then he push me so I grab him, but the strength I have I could have killed him in three minutes, but he decided to run,” Pemberton said.

National Flour Mills (NFM) Feed Mill Plant superintendent Mc Allister Charles spent his 46th birthday in an unconscious state at the St Clair Private Hospital on Saturday, after he fell while on duty last Thursday.

He succumbed to his injuries on Sunday at 3 pm but his death is now engaging the attention of Port-of-Spain Division officers, as investigators say information on the incident “doesn’t add up.”

Officers yesterday recorded statements from NFM officials and employees in attempt to find out what happened to Charles while he was on duty.

The T&T Guardian understands Charles was involved in an “accident” while at the plant at about 1 pm, where he fell from a height and sustained injuries to his head, shoulder and waist.

Charles underwent emergency surgery at the private hospital and was warded in an unconscious state before dying at about 3 pm on Sunday.

In a release yesterday, NFM acknowledged Charles’ commitment and dedication during his 25 years of service and extended sincere condolences to his wife, Deborah Phillip-Charles, and relatives.

“Charles fell on the southern staircase of the Feed Mill facility on Thursday June 8, 2017, at approximately 1 pm. Charles was then taken by ambulance to the St Clair Medical Centre for treatment where he remained warded up to the time of his demise,” NFM said in a statement.

Together with Families in Action, NFM said it had begun counselling with employees who work at the feed mill facility in Woodbrook.

However, speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, a relative, who wished not to be identified, said after the incident Charles was taken to the St Clair Medical Centre via ambulance. The relative said although he was in “extreme” pain, Charles was “walking, talking and still, despite the pain, was able to make jokes.”

“So, it is very confusing to us how he could go into the hospital being able to walk and talk and end up dead? When he came out of the surgery he was hooked up on machines, including life support and there were tubes through the throat and through the nostrils,” the relative said.

An autopsy conducted at the Port-of-Spain mortuary found that Charles died from aspiration pneumonia, cardiogenic shock, status post exploratory laparotomy and alleged fall first degree heart block scleroderma. The medical examiners were Dr Elizabeth Guelmo and Dr Shaheeba Barrow.

The relative described Charles, who was currently pursuing his degree in Theology, as a leader and a mentor.

“He was very humorous but yet very intelligent. He was a leader to all around him, a mentor and a role model. He was well-loved by all and brought smiles to everyone’s face. He will be surely missed,” the relative said.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has condemned in the strongest terms yesterday’s attack on Fr Clyde Harvey, saying “there are limits beneath which the human form should not sink.”

Although Harvey could not be reached yesterday, Fr Harold Imamshah assured the T&T Guardian last evening that he was “unharmed and at peace.”

Parishioners insist that the bandits, who put a gun to Harvey, tied him up and then ransacked the presbytery, were “not from the area.”

One parishioner said the bandits first went “to the church and when they did not get anything, as they were walking out they saw Fr Harvey leaving the presbytery when they attacked him.”

Although he was said to be “shaken” by the incident, Harvey is reported to have still attended the seminar at Mt St Benedict, where he was due to make a presentation on the Apostolic Letter of Pope Francis dealing with Love in the Family.

In an interview with CNC3 last night, Archbishop Joseph Harris said: “Trinidad and Tobago is going through a bad patch and this experience means that the church is really beginning to share in the sufferings of the people that they serve and that is good. Not that it is a good thing that Fr Harvey was robbed, but I’m saying that sharing in the pain and suffering of the people you serve is always a good thing.”

But Prime Minister Rowley condemned the incident, saying “the attack on Father Clyde Harvey by able-bodied, gun-toting men sadly represents the worst that exists within our communities. Notwithstanding what difficulties one may be facing in life there are limits beneath which the human form should not sink.”

Unfortunately, he said there are people who have chosen criminal conduct “as a way of life and such persons, regardless of their circumstances, should be condemned in the strongest terms, as I so do now.”

He said the “miscreants have parents and I hope that somewhere in this country today there are a few parents who are hanging their heads in shame as they reflect in private as to what more they might have done to prevent any of our citizens from behaving in this despicable way.”

Laventille West MP and Public Utilities Minister Fitzgerald Hinds meanwhile said the bandits “had touched a son of God,” and he warned them that the “thousand dollars which they stole will serve no purpose, it will not bring any benefit to them.”

Facebook users also reacted angrily to the attack on the renowned priest.

“Imagine that! We reach and a priest like him who on the ground working with the same bandits, did they know he would be there? Did someone give them a tip off? Wicked! and evil but note carefully they would steal until they die, they blight themselves and their children if they don’t change their evil ways,” one user commented.

A bat and ball together cost $1.10. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?

This is not a question from a primary school test but one of the questions in section A of the 2017 Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC) examination administered on January 12 this year and which formed the basis for elevation of five people, including former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar, to the High Court.

The question was one of three in section A of the exam under the heading ‘Numerical Analysis’. Candidates were “reminded of the need to use proper language, correct spelling, standard grammar and orderly, legible and neat presentation” of their work.

The one-hour exam was part of what had been described by Chief Justice Ivor Archie as a “robust selection process by the Judicial and Legal Service Commission.”

Of the five people who went through the process, Ayers-Caesar scored the third highest mark of 164.92. Jacqueline Wilson scored the highest mark of 175.53 while Kathy-Ann Waterman was next with 171.34. Kevin Ramcharan 158.90 and Avason Quinlan-Williams (155.49), wife of acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams, were fourth and fifth respectively.

Ramcharan, Quinlan-Williams, Wilson and Waterman have all since been elevated to the High Court.

Other questions in Section A were: If it takes five machines five minutes to make five pipes, how long would it take 100 machines to make 100 pipes? While the second question was: In a lake there is a patch of lily flowers. Every day the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half the lake?

Section B of the exam, under the heading ‘General Knowledge’, asked about the Brexit Vote and the requirement of the UK government to give notice under Article 50 of the Treaty to withdraw from the European Union. An action was instituted seeking an order to prevent the government from giving notice under article 50.

Applicants were asked whether they read the case in question, what was the main legal issue raised by the Secretary of State and what was the decision of the court.

The third section of the exam was titled Case Study. Applicants were asked to determine a case involving a 42-year-old salesman who instituted proceedings against a woman whom he met outside KFC in Arima and whom he offered a ride home. Based on their conversation he offered her $25,000 to complete her home which was under construction. He alleged that she refused to repay the loan when the building was completed.

Applicants were asked to study the details of the case and make their findings of fact and state the reasons for their conclusion.

The objective, according to the test document, was to observe their “clarity of expression, analytical powers and assessment of the evidence in arriving at their decision.”

The details of the judicial examination were released by the Judiciary in compliance with an application under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) from United National Congress Senator Wayne Sturge.

Sturge had written to the Judiciary under the (FOIA) to get a copy of the examination for individuals who applied for the position of Puisne Judge, information on who set the examination, the names of applicants who wrote the examination and a list of the marks awarded to each person who wrote the examination by each member of the commission.

The details of the test were sent to Sturge’s attorney, Gerald Ramdeen, by attorney for the JLSC, Ian Roach, by letter dated June 8, 2017.

The JLSC, through Roach, said the information relating to the scores of the successful judges was being released under Section 3 of the FOIA, and cannot now reasonably claim that their names and examination scores constitute personal information.

Ramdeen said the test “shows that the body of persons who are constitutionally tasked with advising His Excellency (Anthony Carmona) as to the suitability of persons for appointment as judges of the Supreme Court are prepared in the discharge of their function to copy questions from the internet and use that as the examination for persons who have applied for such positions.

“It clearly demonstrates a lack of constitutional responsibility to the people of this country.”

The exam was set by CJ Archie in his capacity as JLSC chairman, members Justices Roger Hamel-Smith, Humphrey Stollmeyer and the acting chairperson of the Public Service Commission Parvatee Anmolsingh-Mahabir, who also marked the examination.

However, the Judiciary has refused to reveal information relating to applicants who failed to make the cut to sit on the bench, saying it needed to protect such applicants “from reputational damage and any slur from not being selected, which may cause embarrassment and affect his or her standing among colleagues and even clients.”

HOW THEY SCORED

​Jacqueline Wilson—175.53 marks

Kathy-Ann Waterman—171.34

Marcia Ayers-Caesar—164.92

Kevin Ramcharan—158.90

Avason Quinlan-Williams—155.49

The committee appointed by the Law Association to make recommendations for a new system for the appointment of judges will not consider the ongoing fiasco over the short-lived appointment of former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar.

The association’s president Douglas Mendes, SC, repeatedly made the statement while being quizzed by reporters following a press conference announcing the appointment of the seven-member committee at its office in Port-of-Spain yesterday.

While Mendes acknowledged that the association’s council had decided to form the committee after reports of the Ayers-Caesar’s controversial appointment and subsequent resignation, he said the issue was not within its remit.

“I have made it clear that the committee is anxious to let the public know that it is assessing the system of appointments and not about the events of the past six weeks,” Mendes said.

According to its term of reference, the committee is to “examine the constitutional and other arrangements pertaining to the selection and appointment of judges of the High Court and Court of Appeal and to make recommendations, including changes to the Constitution, current practices, procedures and selection criteria, with a view to ensuring due process, transparency and accountability whilst maintaining the dignity of judicial officers and the independence of the Judiciary”.

The members of the committee are former Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) judge Desiree Bernard (chair), the association’s vice president Rajiv Persad, veteran trade unionist David Abdulah, economist Terrence Farrell, university lecturer Tracy Robinson and attorneys Rishi Dass and Vanessa Gopaul.

Speaking briefly after yesterday’s ceremony, Bernard said she felt obligated to participate due to her lengthy judicial career in Guyana and the Caribbean.

“I think once you can you should do everything possible to uphold the dignity of the Judiciary,” Bernard said.

She said while she and the members were eager to start working, they already believe the process may take more time than the three months envisioned by the association. She said the committee will also be holding public consultations on the issue.

“The average man on the street does not know how the Judiciary operates and does not understand how much work going into it. We hope to meet with the public so that they can be more appreciative of the work of the Judiciary,” Bernard said.

A retired police officer who 16 years ago raped a 17-year-old virgin in an office at the San Fernando Police Administration Building after she went to make a report has been found guilty.

Harry Ramlochan, who at the time was an acting sergeant and a prosecutor at the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court, is expected to be sentenced on June 28.

Ramlochan, 65, a grandfather of five, went on trial almost a month ago in the San Fernando Second Assizes before Justice Althea Alexis-Windsor after he pleaded not guilty. However, after an hour- and- a-half of deliberation the jury returned a guilty verdict. Ramlochan, who was out on bail, was taken into custody to await sentencing. The incident took place on May 5, 2001.

The victim testified that she went with her mother to the police station to report that her father had beaten her mother.

She said they met Ramlochan in the verandah and he took her mother inside the station to make the report. The victim said he came back outside and asked her if she had a boyfriend and if she wished she had someone to hug her up when the place is cold. The officer then told the mother he wanted to speak to the girl alone to take a statement from her. The woman said Ramlochan then led her to the dormitory in the station where he asked her if she ever had sex. The woman said she told him she was waiting until marriage. She said a police officer came into the dormitory, but left when he saw them. The victim said Ramlochan then tried to hug and kiss her, but she pulled away.

She recalled that the officer then took her to the court prosecutor’s office where he asked her for change for $100, but she told him no.

The victim said Ramlochan took her to a nearby bar to get change for the money, but he did not get any. She said he then stopped a taxi and they went by a street vendor who changed the money. On their return to the station, she said he told her mother he wanted to speak to her further and took the girl to the police canteen. She said he bought her a soft drink, then took a drink of scotch from some officers and offered her a drink, but she refused. The victim said he took her back to the office where he offered her money, but she refused and got up to leave. However, she said he got upset, closed the door, pushed her against a cabinet and forcibly kissed her and bit her lips. The woman said she tried to get away, but he pushed her against a wall, pulled down her pants and underwear and then pushed her on a piece of sponge on the ground where he raped her.

He then dropped her and her mother home and took the father to a bar to speak about the report made against him.

Ramlochan was subsequently charged by Insp Christine McMilan.

Ramlochan, however, denied he raped the girl. He said the girl’s lips were swollen when she came to the station and she had insisted that he charge her father. He said the girl told him that she tried to intervene when her mother and father were fighting and her father slapped her on the mouth.

In asking for leniency, his attorney Kevin Ratiram said Ramlochan had four children, but two died, and he has five grandchildren, two of whom were the children of one of his dead sons.

Ratiram said Ramlochan, who joined the Police Service in June 1972, raised those two grandchildren as his own children. Noting that Ramlochan had an unblemished record, he said Ramlochan was also heavily involved in the church.

Pointing out several aggravating factors including the victim’s age, where the rape took place, he was a policeman and the fact the victim was a virgin, state prosecutor Sabrina Dougdeen-Jaglal felt an appropriate sentence was 15 to 20 years.

Ramlochan was also represented by attorney Chris Ramlal while state attorney Sarah de Silva also prosecuted in the case.

Romone Boodoo, a nine-year old second year student of Rousillac Hindu Primary, had his world turned upside down when a teacher at the school beat him with a piece of PVC pipe.

Boodoo, of Matterson Street, La Brea, was hit twice on each shoulder by a female teacher because he left his desk and went to retrieve his pencil from a boy who had taken it.

His parents claimed he was hit so hard a medical report from the La Brea Health Centre described the damage as “soft tissue injury.”

The parents intend to take the matter to court and a report was already sent to the Ministry of Education which is looking into. Other sources said parents have been complaining about the aggressive attitude of the teacher who reportedly pulled another small child by the hair last week.

“She had that piece of PVC as a prop in the classroom but would use it for beating. Other children said they got licks with it.”

Boodoo’s distraught mother, Denecia Boodoo, said her son came through the door of their home on May 25 crying and saying he had a bad day.

“He told me what happened and when I saw his shoulders they were swollen badly.”

She said through the school, a social worker and a school supervisor got involved in the matter.

“They talked to my son and other children in the class and found out Romone was not aggressive or anything when he went to get his pencil. In fact, the other children said he was crying because the boy did not want to give it to him at first.”

Denecia said she took photographs of her child’s injury, reported the matter to the La Brea Police Station that same afternoon and the following morning took him to the La Brea Health Centre.

Denecia said Romone is so traumatised by the incident that he no longer wants to go to school. “He is scared of the teacher and is very uncomfortable in the school. He is very discouraged right now about school. He used to be so excited.”

Romone’s little world changed when the principal, upon request by his father, Roger Boodoo, transferred him to the Standard One class.

Denecia said Romone misses his friends from his class and has to wait until recess and lunch time to see them.

There are more changes coming for him. His parents have already gotten him transferred to Vance River RC in La Brea. “This school told me I could bring Romone even now but he has test projects to finish at Rousillac Hindu.”

Denecia said she and her husband intend to take legal action against the teacher. “We are not looking for compensation or anything. We don’t need that. We just want justice.

“We have nothing against the school itself either. We just want to deal with the teacher on an individual level.”

School officials said they were unable to comment but sources there told the T&T Guardian reports on the matter are already with the Education Ministry.

A co-ordinated Caricom clampdown concerning returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs)— including targeting their assets— is in the works.

In the next three weeks, Caricom leaders will move to finalise plans for a Caricom arrest warrant regarding FTFs and sharing of recovered assets, as well as regional anti-terrorism legislation. The latter will be based on T&T’s proposed anti-terrorism legislation.

The matters are proposed for signature at Caricom’s upcoming July summit in Grenada. Prime Minister Keith Rowley chairs Caricom’s Security Committee.

Caricom Secretary General Irwin La Roque and National Security Minister Edmund Dillon spoke about the developments yesterday at a Caricom Counter-Terrorism Strategy conference.

Stakeholders all stressed the need for an urgent Caribbean anti-terrorism thrust.

“The question for the region (on terrorism) isn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’,” Dillon warned.

IMPACS executive director Francis Forbes said Impacs and the US are tracking “several hundred” from the Caribbean and South American who’ve gone to the Islamic State (Isis) terror network.

Forbes said 200-plus Caricom nationals have travelled to Isis territories—fighters and families—and 130 are being tracked as alleged FTFs. Exact means of recruitment wasn’t clear, but all belonged to close personal networks.

Several returning FTFs are being actively monitored by regional law enforcement agencies, he added.

Yesterday’s conference at the Hyatt, hosted by Caricom’s Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), involved Caricom stakeholders plus experts from the US State Department, Interpol and Europe.

Dillon said main security concerns for the region posed by terrorism include the FTF phenomena - persons travelling from this region to regions of conflict, and their subsequent return.

Also at issue is the increasing influence of radical clerics and radicalised Isis sympathisers in Caricom states, the growing volume/accessibility of terrorist group propaganda on-line and via peer-to-peer networks; and the potential exploitation of the banking system to fund terrorist networks.

Forbes noted calls had been made by Caribbean -born FTFS (in Isis’ Dabiq magazine) for hometurf attacks. He said returning FTFs hold battlefield expertise and the potential for “lone wolf” attack and can spread radicalisation. He also noted the “push” such influence can have on transnational crime.

La Rocque, who said no country was immune to terrorism, added Caricom’s July summit will discuss the draft plan for the region concerning a Caricom arrest warrant and sharing of recovered assets of FTFs.

“Our region can’t afford complacency - one act of terrorism in one state will resonate and have implications across the region,” La Roque added.

Dillon said, “The development of Caricom’s Counter terrorism Strategy, as a road map identifying how the region should address the issue, isn’t only timely but crucial for its survival.”

“In Caricom’s (2013) Crime and Security Strategy, terrorism and attacks on critical infrastructure were identified as Tier Three risks - significant, potential risks. With the progressive nature of attacks by groups like Isis and ‘lone wolf’ supporters overseas recently, the risk of terrorism has become far more evident in 2017.”

Dillon added, “Caricom countries must seek to criminalise and penalise acts of terrorism by nationals and non-nationals in a coordinated manner and regional anti-terrorism legislation must be equally stringent and consistent.”

“As such, the Caricom Model Anti-Terrorism Bill and the proposed Agreement on the Return (of FTFs) and/or sharing of Recovered Assets are important tools which the region should seek to finalise as a matter of urgency. These are proposed to be opened for signature at Caricom leaders’ upcoming meeting.”

Two men, both in their early 20s, were gunned down in separate instances between Sunday night and early yesterday.

The most recent killing claimed the life of El Socorro resident, Leroy Harry, 21. Harry, according to police, was killed in a drive-by shooting at Ward Lane, El Socorro around 12.30 am yesterday. Speaking with the media yesterday relatives of Harry said he was not a gangster who deserved to die by the gun but a good hard-working young man.

The women, who asked not to be identified, said Harry was a jolly and friendly man who enjoyed playing music. The women said Harry, of Maraj Trace, El Socorro was accustomed to being in the area he was when he was shot. The women said he was with relatives liming when the car passed an opened fire.

“Where he was is a customary place. He was by his uncle liming with some guys. I don’t believe they come for him. He asked his uncle for a juice and he tell his uncle that was it he going home. As he closed the door, the uncle say he hear the shots ring out. And a car speed off,” one of the women said.

They said Harry might have survived had police taken him to the Eric Williams Medical Science Complex (EWMSC) instead of Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

“They told us they was carrying him Mt Hope (EWMSC) but they went Port-of-Spain instead. They waste our time, they waste their time, and they waste his time. Mt Hope is shorter, it not taking you 10 minutes to reach there. And you are police driving on bus route” another woman said.

Attorneys representing the United National Congress (UNC) have been granted conditional leave to appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision to dismiss its case challenging the composition of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC) last week.

State attorneys sought to challenge the grant of permission to appeal to the United Kingdom-based Privy Council when the issue came up before the Appeal Court at the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.

Senior Counsel Deborah Peake, who is representing the Office of the Attorney General (AG), claimed the case filed by former agriculture minister Devant Maharaj was “frivolous, vexatious and without merit”.

In response, Maharaj’s lawyer Anand Ramlogan, SC, said final determination of the case was necessary, as it raised matters of immense constitutional and public importance concerning the administration of justice.

The appeal panel, comprising Justices Gregory Smith, Charmaine Pemberton and Andre des Vignes, agreed to grant leave, as they said the case could not be described as “unarguable” as contended by Peake.

In a brief interview afterwards, Opposition Senator Gerald Ramdeen explained that Maharaj would be seeking an expedited hearing of the appeal.

“We have confidence that a hearing will be given in a short time because we understand that in matters of this nature, the Privy Council understands how important it is for these matters to be determined expeditiously,” Ramdeen said.

He also said he was disappointed by the decision of the AG’s office to challenge the granting of leave.

“I would have thought that the AG, being the guardian of the public interest, would have wanted the country’s highest court to determine the issues that arose in this matter,” Ramdeen said.

Maharaj filed the lawsuit last month following the fiasco involving the JLSC’s appointment of former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar.

He had applied for an injunction last week in a bid to block the swearing-in of new judges Jacqueline Wilson and Kathy-Ann Waterman-Latchoo.

The injunction was initially granted by Justice Frank Seepersad following a marathon hearing the night before the appointments were due to take place.

Seepersad’s decision on the injunction was reversed by the Court of Appeal the following day, clearing the way for the appointments. The court also struck out Maharaj’s substantive lawsuit.

However, Appellate Judges Allan Mendonca, Nolan Bereaux and Peter Rajkumar did not give explicit reasons for their decision and promised to do so within two weeks.

Maharaj was contending that at the time of the decision, the JLSC only had four members instead of the five as required under the Constitution. The State claimed that the Interpretation Act allowed commissions to make decisions even in circumstances when there is a vacancy.

The current JLSC members are Chief Justice Ivor Archie, head of the Public Service Commission Maureen Manchouck and retired judges Roger Hamel-Smith, Humphery Stollmeyer and Ernest Koylass, who was appointed on May 17.

As a secondary issue in his lawsuit, Maharaj was challenging Stollmeyer’s position, as the Constitution states the JLSC members are the Chief Justice, head of the PSC, a sitting or retired judge and two “persons with legal qualification...not in active practice as such”. Ramlogan claimed a retired judge does not fall in the last category, which was meant for lawyers.

The State claimed that judges were attorneys before their appointment and were still qualified after retirement, albeit without permission to appear before courts for 10 years.

The Community of the Seventh Day Adventist Church is describing the attack on Roman Catholic Priest Fr Clyde Harvey as not merely an assault on a religious leader, “but a direct onslaught on God himself.”

Archbishop of Port-of-Spain Joseph Harris, however, sees something positive in the attack, while Police Youth Club head Derrick Sharbodie believes the attack was a message to the priest to leave the community.

The differing views have emerged even as the police try to find the bandits who tied up and robbed Harvey early Monday morning as he was leaving the presbytery at the St Martin de Porres Church in Gonzalves for Mt St Benedict to attend a two-day seminar.

SDA communications director Pastor Steve Riley said, “The nefarious elements in our society continue to blatantly demonstrate that not only do they have little regard for law and order but now they are exhibiting flagrant disrespect for God.”

As a result of the attack, he said the church is now calling upon “all leaders of Parliament, institutional leaders, parents, guardians and patriotic citizens to reinforce all efforts in the fight against this scourge of criminal activity currently inundating our twin-island state.”

Riley said: “We believe it is imperative that our country is returned to a place where God is greatly revered by its citizens, lest it becomes a nation overrun and ruled by the miscreants of our society.”

The attack has also been condemned by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who felt the criminals had sunk to a new low.

More than 24 hours after the attack, Archbishop Harris admitted he had not had time to “sit with him and go through everything,” but described the attack as a “sign of the times in which we live.”

He said while people may disagree with him “when the church of priests experience that, it gives them a sense of what people go through and they are able to sympathise and be more empathetic to them.”

Harris added: “We would always be concerned about the people in parishes who suffer that kind of assault and abuse. But when you experience it yourself you understand a bit more what people are going through.”

Adopting a pragmatic approach, he said “these things happen”, attacks are not new and in the past he knew of priests who had been hurt in attacks.

Harris had no information on reports the bandits asked Harvey whether he (Archbishop) would pay $50,000 if Harvey were kidnapped.

On the issue of beefed up security, Harris said that decision would have to be taken by parishes in discussion with their finance committees if they think it is necessary. But he said most of the parishes are well secured.

Sharbodie, head of the St James Police Youth Club, meanwhile described the attack on Harvey as “unfortunate.” 

Sharbodie said he felt it is exactly because of the impact Harvey has had on the criminal element in Gonzalves and environs that he was attacked.

“Connect the dots, that question of the robbery of the phone and threat of life. It is a form of psychology to tell him pack up and leave because of the work he is doing. It is the criminal element’s way of telling him to pack up and leave.”

Two of three men who accosted Fr Clyde Harvey on Monday morning were sent to kidnap and murder him, the priest told the media yesterday.

Speaking the St Benedict’s Monastery where he was attending the final session of a two-day seminar, Harvey said the men claimed they were sent to kidnap him and then kill him.

However, rather than carrying out the job, they called their employer who showed up at the St Martin de Porres Church in Gonzales and he too did not possess the courage to go through with his plan.

Harvey said despite this, he wished to meet with the men to find out who put them up to it and why.

He said the initial two bandits who tied him up, robbed and threatened to kill him early Monday morning were “stupid victims” he would want to meet and chat with to determine why they did what they did.

He said the labelling of the culprits as evil was “short-sighted and stupid,” adding that the real crime wasn’t what happened to him, as this happens to many of the citizens, but the motive behind it.

Harvey, who was robbed of a cell phone, watch, cash and some other items just before 6 am Monday, said he wants the court and legal system to run its course but does not believe the incarceration of the men will be the end of the matter, since they will just be “going to school to get a secondary education in crime”.

He recalled that at first, two men approached him, robbed and ransacked his home and after not getting the kind of money they expected, they said they were sent to kidnap and kill him.

Fr Harvey said he jokingly asked if he was worth so little when they asked him if the Archdiocese was willing to pay $50,000 for his release. He said after they were convinced he had no money, they used his stolen cellphone to contact a third man after telling Harvey if their cohort wanted the priest dead he would have to come do it himself.

Five minutes later, a third man arrived. Harvey said while the third man was completely masked the others had bandanas on their faces and wore caps.

“After I opened the safe and they saw the cheques, one of them said ‘All these cheques, you must have money, allyuh pastors have money, allyuh thiefing black people money’. When I heard him say pastor I thought they were after the pastor and not the priest but they don’t know the difference between the two,” Harvey said.

I don’t see them as guilty

Harvey said the incident was traumatic but noted he had been in a situation where a gun was placed to his head before.

“In a sense I can’t blame them. Some have identified the men as two wicked young men. They are not wicked, these are victims of our society,” he said.

“They stupid and I hope they are listening to me at this point. They don’t know basic things, they didn’t know my name so I have questions about where they are from. They couldn’t tell the difference between a priest and a pastor and we have a generation like that. They are wild and money is their God. And we have to be aware is not only those two little boys that have money as their God.”

Asked whether he forgave the culprits, he said: “It is not about forgiving. I don’t see them as guilty, I see them as misguided, very misguided. They must take responsibility for their actions, but I don’t think they have had anybody in their lives who has brought them through the process of taking responsibility for their lives.”

He added: “I felt a deep sense of sadness when I saw the papers and saw Fr Harvey robbed. I know people who have been robbed and if there was four lines in the papers it was plenty. Don’t personalise it, because by the end of next week nothing will happen and I will be frustrated. At the end of the day two little boys have become the focus of national attention when they are victims.”

Harvey confirmed he returned to the church compound and slept there Monday night. He added that when he returned there were villagers ready to hunt and capture the culprits, but he advised them to work with the police. The residents, he said, assured him no harm would come to the men if they were caught.

The three men responsible for Monday morning’s attack on Fr Harvey remained on the run up to last night, police said.

Reports that three men had been caught in connection with the case turned out to be false.

Police with automatic firearms swarmed a La Romaine community yesterday after gunmen opened fire on a group of residents on Monday night, killing 18-year-old Kimroy Marshall and injuring two others.

Marshall, an electrician of Grace Lane, died while undergoing surgery at the San Fernando General Hospital around 5 am yesterday. His neighbour Devon Ross, 19, was clinging to life at the hospital after bullets tore through his liver and hand. US resident Carmen Henry, 76, was shot in the ankle while standing in the yard of her sister’s home.

Already living in fear of drug lords, residents said the incident happened less than a kilometre away from the La Romaine Police Post, which was set up last August to counteract a series of drug related shootings and murders. Residents said that had officers responded faster, they would have been able to capture the suspects. When teams of Southern Division Task Force and San Fernando CID officers touched down on Phyllis Street, a group of young men dispersed in several directions. A woman ran into the roadway and told officers that while lying in her hammock, a man jumped through the window to her kitchen.

Reports stated that around 10.20 pm Monday, Marshall and Ross were leaning on a wall on Phyllis Street when the occupants of a silver Mitsubishi Lancer opened fire, causing residents liming on the roadside to scamper for cover. The occupant of the house where the men were shot said she ran to the bedroom to cover her children as bullets came crashing through the wall and glass door.

Witnesses said Marshall began running away from the car, but the suspects followed and continued to shoot at him. He then ran in the opposite direction and collapsed on the corner of Grace Lane. Ross ran through a neighbouring property and was later found by his brother. Neighbours took both men to the hospital as they said an ambulance never arrived.

Police led by ASP Ali Mohammed and Insp Don Gajadhar searched the area but the suspects were not found. Sources said the suspects are a La Romaine drug peddler and the hitman responsible for the murders of Kern Joseph and Christopher Wells earlier this year in Pleasantville.

Marshall’s father, Shawn Marshall, said he heard his son was shot and taken to the hospital. On reaching, he was told Marshall was undergoing surgery. While police suspect that the men were targeted, Shawn said he believed his son was just collateral damage.

“We always say that it cannot happen to us until it comes to our door. All of here think that it cannot happen to us, but if we leave here now, someone could be at our house looking to rob us. He (Marshall) was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Shawn said.

Ross’ mother, Althea Williams, said her son and Marshall were liming and when the gunshots went off, both men tried to run away. Williams said she ran behind the counter of a parlour to take cover. She said life in La Romaine was bad as their are drug lords putting guns in the hands of young men. Ross’ brother Deshawn, who left the scene minutes before the shooting, said they saw the gunmen’s car circling the block several times before the shooting.

Despite reports, Henry’s son told the T&T Guardian that she was not shot, but sprained her ankle while taking cover. The man said when he saw what was happening, he ran to shield his mother, who was only visiting the country and is expected to return to the US in the coming weeks.

Bomb-detection K-9 police dogs are being added to security systems at the ports of Port- of- Spain and Scarborough, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon confirmed yesterday.

Dillon said the “K-9s” will start operating in the first instance at the Port-of-Spain port, inspecting passengers and vehicles before these are allowed to board the inter-island ferries. The measure will soon extend to Tobago’s Port.

Dillon was replying in the Senate to Opposition queries on recent reports of a bomb threat at the Scarborough port.

Police are investigating that threat. In the interim, he added security agencies recently met with the Tobago House of Assembly concerning security for the sister isle. This includes use of Canine Unit dogs at the ports in T&T.

“They’re bomb detection as well as narcotics detection dogs,” Dillon added, “The Assistant Commissioner (Crime) also assigned additional manpower to Tobago to treat with security issues. This included all of the port.”

He said Canine dogs will begin working at the Port-of-Spain port first — at an early upcoming date— since the dogs are here in Trinidad.

The measure will start in Tobago after the THA locates kennels for the dogs, “Once this is done, the dogs will be assigned to Tobago. Construction of new police stations in Tobago will include kennels for the dogs,” the minister added.

Dillon also told the Opposition, the ministry is supporting use of non-lethal weapons for police - a measure which could be in force by the 2018 fiscal year.

He said the Commissioner of Police advised that the Police Service is revisiting its “Use of Force” policy to include non-lethal weapons.

He added that the commissioner said he’s prepared to budget for non lethal weapons in the 2018 fiscal year and deal with procurement.

Dillon added, “When you examine countries globally concerning use of force, there’s a natural progression, starting with non-lethal weapons before you get to lethal weapons. So the ministry is prepared to support it based on the CoP’s recommendations.”

“I can’t give you a timeline, but based on what the CoP said— of preparing for fiscal 2018— I expect it would be done in preparation for that timeline.”