“There is hope for T&T,” expectant father Akil Jackson said yesterday, as he showered praise on St Helena villagers, two Emergency Medical Technicians and a Guardian Media team for helping rescue his pregnant wife from flood waters on Wednesday.

His wife, Karma Jackson, 32, was trapped at their Constantine Road, El Carmen, St Helena home for over two hours waiting to be taken to a nearby ambulance. Karma, who is 40 weeks pregnant, became ill hours before a scheduled clinic visit in Port-of-Spain.

In a Facebook post, Jackson said, “A day in my life I will never forget. Waking up to my house surrounded by water like I’m living in a swamp. Having to wait for over two hours for an ambulance that couldn’t get to us with the massive floods. Then going to bed wit (sic) the woman I love so darely (sic) and waking up to our wedding anniversary. I have known u Karma Jackson for 12 years but today makes it 3 years and counting in our Union. Thank you...I LOVE YOU and we have many many more years of marriage to go.”

He posted a video of the flood around his home, footage taken by Guardian Media of the rescue mission, the two EMTs, Linford Lewis and Kerin Julien, as well as wedding photos to tell his love story.

After villagers carefully lifted the woman on the tray of a flatbed truck and took her out to the waiting ambulance, she was taken to the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital where she and the unborn baby were examined and monitored for almost 45 minutes before being discharged. She was at home “resting fine” yesterday and the expectant mother, whose due date is today, will be visiting the doctor again today.

“I just want to thank the two EMTs, the villagers, the driver who came in with the truck and the media for highlighting the situation,” Jackson said in a telephone interview yesterday.

He said the EMTs did “something extraordinary.”

“They are a shining example of goodness,” he said.

He singled out the unknown EHS dispatcher who stayed on the telephone with him until help arrived, noting she calmed him down and was advising him on what to do in the event he had to deliver the baby.

Jackson said he and his wife were overwhelmed by the love and compassion of his rescuers and touched by the many positive and comforting comments on social media after the story was posted on CNC3 News and Trinidad Guardian.

The story was shared hundreds of times and attracted scores of comments, most of which praised the efforts of the rescuers. Some commentators even suggested that the baby be named after Tropical Storm Bret.

Some social media commentators were critical of EMT Lewis for not jumping into the water to aid the patient. Lewis stayed on the truck and directed the villagers how to use the stretcher to aid the patient.

Lewis, in response to the criticism, said, “I was gonna jump into the water but then think about it...I would have to go home...1 ambulance less, and we need as much ambulances as possible...and the awesome bystanders who had on garden boots were more than willing to assist...so with proper guidance...we helped the lady in need...my boots getting wet didn’t matter to me...life over material items...it would dry but if the help is being offered to avoid me having to go home early and having 1 less ambulance crew...I am greatful (sic) for the help.”

Jackson recalled his wife began experiencing trouble breathing and contractions shortly after 7 am. He called the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management for help to get out as flood water swirled around his home. None came. Guardian Media also tried to get emergency help from the ODPM but that too did not materialise. The EMTs were unable to venture into the road as flood waters from an overspilled Caroni River rose to five-feet in some areas. Eventually, the help of Good Samaritans saved the day.

Asked to comment on the lack of response from the agency, Jackson said: “I don’t have much further to say about the ODPM. I needed assistance and could not get it. I can’t say anything good and I don’t want to say anything bad. I don’t know if they were busy dealing with other emergencies as the entire village of St Helena was under water.”

He added, “I am not looking for any apology. They did not even contact me after the story aired on television and printed in the newspaper. It would of been humanitarian thing to do. It would have been nice if someone from the ODPM could have called.

“I am thankful for the residents and happy (Guardian Media) was there to highlight the situation. People related to the situation. The act of kindness and bravery crossed racial barriers.”

A new date— September 5—has been set for the trial of two police officers accused of assaulting a man from Santa Cruz last year.

Magistrate Nanette Forde-John set the date as Insp Roger Alexander and PC Sheldon Mires reappeared before her in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court to answer the charge.

The case was initially before embattled former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar before.

Unlike her other cases which have now been put in limbo by her promotion and subsequent resignation, Alexander and Mires’ case was unaffected as it was yet to go on trial. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is currently considering how the unfinished cases are to proceed but has expressed concerns over delays in the delivery of court transcripts needed to review the cases.

The case was initially placed before acting Chief Magistrate Maria Busby-Earle-Caddle, who replaced Ayers-Caesar. However, Busby-Earle-Caddle had to recuse herself as Alexander had participated in student mentor programme for a NGO she is closely associated to. It was then transferred to Forde-John.

Alexander and Mires are accused of assaulting Christopher Charles with intent to cause him actual bodily harm. Mires is also facing an additional charge for committing common assault against Charles. Both have been suspended from active police duties.

Alexander was also removed as the host of the Beyond the Tape programme on TV6.

Mires was also assigned to the television production and guest starred in the show’s crime prevention segment as a character who repeatedly got caught committing crimes.

The charges arose out of an incident near Charles’ home at Santa Cruz Old Road last July.

Despite warnings to stay away from swollen watercourses in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Bret, one man is feared dead after a boat he was in overturned in the Godineau River yesterday.

Up to late yesterday, the missing man, who was only identified as “Fly” from Felicity, had not been found as Coast Guard searched the sea while Fire officers scoured the river. There was also confusion over which policing division was investigating the incident, as both the Southern and South Western Division charged each other with the responsibility.

Sitting on the rocks near the Godineau Bridge, Suresh Goolcharan, 62, kept jumping at every object he saw floating out the river mouth, hoping it was Fly.

Goolcharan told the T&T Guardian that around 7 am, he, his cousin Manohar Goolcharan, 38, and Fly, all of Felicity, boarded his 14 foot flat bottom boat, which was moored in the New Cut Channel, San Francique. They journeyed down to the Godineau River and harvested several pounds of oysters in the mangroves near the Godineau Bridge. It was while returning to San Francique the boat hit a bank and capsized, throwing them into the deep water. With the water flowing quickly out to sea, the flow took them about a kilometre into the Gulf of Paria.

Goolcharan explained: “The boat engine hit the bank of the river and stuck, causing the boat to spin around and go down, and we went down with the boat. We could not fight the current so we started to drift.

“I told my cousin don’t fight the current, let us go with the current and when we reached outside there, we weren’t seeing this guy (Fly) anywhere. I thought he must have gone onto the bank already when we passed under the bridge, but when we came out, we didn’t see the man anywhere.”

For almost 45 minutes the Goolcharans drifted in the water until the current took them to a lower area and they were able to wade to the rocks along the Shore of Peace. Eventually, they met someone who contacted the Emergency Health Services. Fire officers from the Southern Division Headquarters were on the scene up the late yesterday searching the river mouth. Coast Guard divers searched the sea near the river mouth with the Air Guard giving aerial support.

Goolcharan said he has been harvesting oysters for 50 years and his son sells them in Port-of-Spain. He said he thought he would have died as the raging river pulled him under at least eight times. Manohar also began to tire and struggled to stay afloat.

“I felt I was going down and every time I fought and got back up. I can swim a bit so I drifted. I learned that you don’t fight the current, you go with it. I knew I could have made it, but I got really tired because it was a long distance. The water was deep and when it hit us out there, we felt a sand bank and we walked out. We came back calling this man but we could not see him anywhere.”

Although badly shaken, he said the job was how he made his living and he would have to return to the mangroves.

A Mayaro father regarded as a community stalwart will spend the next 20 years in jail for committing five sex acts on of of his four daughters, including trying to have sex with her at their home.

Given the growing prevalence of these serious crimes over the last decade, Justice David Harris yesterday said the sentence had to reflect the court’s abhorrence and serve as a deterrent to people thinking about committing similar acts. 

Noting that the most serious of five offences against the father was attempted incest, which carries  a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, Harris said the man had betrayed the trust between father and daughter.

The 50-year-old labourer had pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault, two counts of grievous sexual assault and attempted incest.

However, a San Fernando jury found him guilty of all the charges on April 13 and he was taken into custody to await sentencing. 

 According to the evidence led by state attorney Sarah de Silva and Sabrina Dougdeen-Jaglal, the father, a single parent, began sexually interfering with his daughter on March 31, 2008, when she was 15 and it continued  until October 2009. Most of the acts took place on the child’s bed when her sisters were not around. The children’s mother did not live with them.  During the trial, however, the girl, now 24-years-old, refused to give evidence, saying that she trying to rekindle her relationship with her father for the sake of her daughter.

However, in passing sentence in the Third Assizes yesterday, the judge said the victim’s compassion for her bread-winning father, the passage of a mere ten years or the father’s admirable traits cannot change the facts and gravity of the offences.

He noted that there were several aggravating factors in relation to the offences, including the prevalence and seriousness, that he breached her trust, the offences took place in the home and there was a level of premeditation and planning. The only mitigating factor, the judge said, was the absence of violence. 

Recounting the mitigation of defence attorney Ramesh Deena, Harris said three testimonials from upstanding members of the community were presented to the court, suggesting he was a community stalwart. The father was working, took care of his children financially and had no previous convictions or pending matters. But the judge said the father showed no remorse.  

Deena said the father was also filled with abhorrence by the nature of the allegations and could not accept he did those things.

After deducting two years each from the sentences, the judge ordered he serve 16 years each on the grievous sexual assault charges, five years each of the indecent assault charges and 20 years on the attempted incest charge. The judge further ordered that six days be deducted from each of the sentences for the time he spent in custody awaiting trial. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. Several of the man’s relatives left the court in tears.

Police officers accused of beating four men charged with robbing popular Roman Catholic priest Father Clyde Harvey have denied any wrongdoing and have suggested the men were “touched by the hands of God.”

Police prosecutor Azard Ali offered this explanation yesterday when Christian Huggins, 19, Miguel Collins, 18, Dion Gillard, 31 and a 17-year-old, whose name has been withheld because he is a minor, reappeared in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court to apply for bail. He was responding to complaints from the men’s attorneys that they had been beaten to confess to the crime.

Ali admitted, however, that the police did not take the men to hospital for treatment, as had been ordered by a magistrate when the men first appeared in court on Tuesday.

Magistrate Adrian Darmanie made note of the lawyers’ complaints and Ali’s explanation, but said the issue of the alleged confessions had to be resolved during the eventual trial of the case.

At yesterday’s hearing, Ali presented the men’s criminal records, which were not available when they first appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon. It showed that Huggins, Gillard and the teenager all had pending cases and/or previous convictions for robbery offences. Collins had a clean criminal record.

Ali objected to bail and said the court should consider their records, the heinous nature of the crime they are alleged to have committed and the fact that investigators had strong evidence against them, including confessions from Huggins and Collins, as well as the recovery of the stolen items.

“In the interest of the public they should be kept in custody. It appears the public is not safe anywhere, even in church,” Ali said.

The men’s lawyers contended that their clients had to benefit from the presumption of innocence.

Darmanie then granted Huggins and Collins bail, but denied Gillard and the teen since they had been charged with the crime while on bail for similar offences committed as recently as June 5.

Huggins was granted $200,000 bail while Collins was granted $150,000 bail. Both were ordered to report to the police twice weekly for the duration of the case.

The accused are charged with breaking and entering the St Martin’s de Porres RC Church at Hermitage Road, Gonzales and falsely imprisoning Fr Harvey last Monday.

Food supply “issues” ahead for consumers, five schools still closed, health inspections needed and drainage assessments to come. That was the state of play yesterday, as detailed by various Government Ministers in the Senate, following tropical storm Bret’s passage. Further bad weather is expected.

For one, consumers will have “some issues” with agricultural products since prime farming areas were damaged and some crops which should have been ready for market this weekend are now unavailable, Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat confirmed.

Rambharat and other ministers gave replies to Opposition queries on Bret’s effects.

On the agricultural sector and effect on consumers, Rambharat said there was no doubt of damage to some of “our better farmers across T&T in places like Tabaquite, Orange Grove, Penal and Woodland.”

“It’s difficult to give an exact figure, but based on what I’ve seen in some categories like Tabaquite, a major supplier of cabbages and tomatoes, there’s been significant damage,” he said.

“Some fields were in the final cycle of production and those would have be replanted, so we’ll have crops which should have been ready for the market by this weekend being unavailable. There may also be delays in replanting since farmers will have to clean up the fields.”

He said the ministry has asked the Agricultural Development Bank to work with farmers likely to be affected by floods in dealing with monthly payments. A “few hundred applications” have already been received for help from flooded-out farmers and all bona fide claims will be dealt with, he said. Ministry staff have also been assisting recovery efforts in communities and schools, he added.

Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein, who said “a lot of people” have been affected by the storm, added that once flood waters subside, regional corporation health inspectors and building inspectors should be out to deal with health concerns arising from the storm, including overflowing sewers and mosquitoes.

“They (corporations) have to go around and tell citizens what we intend to do for them,” Hosein added.

On other Opposition queries, Works Minister Rohan Sinanan said river control gangs were deployed across the country clearing debris in blocked watercourses. These include clearing a major blockage on the Tacarigua River (Trantrill/Freeman Road area) with heavy equipment and desilting of the Cipero River from Cross Crossing to Gulf City Link Road.

Education Minister Anthony Garcia said five schools are still closed, including two Central Trinidad schools which closed yesterday due to the Caroni River overflowing, but said ten had reopened by yesterday.

Those which are closed are Oropouche RC, Mayo RC, Rousillac RC and the Warrenville TIA and Presbyterian schools. The latter two could not be reached as access roads are still blocked. He could not say when they would reopen.

The schools which reopened included Todd’s Road RC, St Helena SDMS, North Oropouche Government school, Fishing Pond Presbyterian, St Rafael RC, Mundo Nuevo RC, Fyzabad Anglican, Fyzabad Secondary, Debe Hindu school and Kanhai Presbyterian school.

OPM Minister Stuart Young was asked if Government would increase the $25 million allocation to $100 million for relief for those who need assistance. Cabinet agreed to this yesterday and the money will flow through the Ministries of Local Government, Works, Agriculture and Social Development.

Young said the Opposition didn’t seem to understand T&T’s strapped financial circumstances, noting that Government was always reviewing issues and the sum approved “at this time” is $25 million.

The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has to pay more than $400,000 to the family of security officer Denise Rackal who bled to death after being  savagely mauled by four pitbulls at its Edinburgh South Gardens housing development six years ago.

Delivering judgment against HDC yesterday, Justice Frank Seepersad found HDC was negligent as it failed to take steps to address complaints that the ferocious dogs were attacking people on the road, resulting in the woman’s  death.

The 47-year-old mother of two was killed by the pitbulls after they escaped from the policeman’s yard, through holes in a wire fence, on Flamboyant Avenue, on May 9, 2011.  Denise, who  was on her way to take up duties at  Edinburgh Gardens, bled to death on the road. Following the death of his wife and the mother of his two children, Lionel Rackal sued both HDC and the dogs’ owner, Darryl La Pierre, a policeman, claiming their negligence led to his wife’s death. However, last year,  judgment in default was  obtained against La Pierre and it was ordered that damages be assessed. Rackal had testified that his wife previously complained  to him about the dogs barking at her. Prior to the fatal mauling  another  resident, Scherade Rivas, was also attacked and bitten by the pitbulls. However, his mother, Susan, said she took no action  because La Pierre was a policeman.   

Christopher Brooker, then the HDC project manager at Edinburgh Garden, also testified he too had an encounter with one of the dogs and had received several complaints from angry residents which he reported to area manager, Allan Cunningham.

Seepersad said, “In the circumstances there was a duty for the HDC to implement systems by way of response to the said risk and it had an obligation to evaluate the magnitude of the risk, the degree of probability that the risk could lead to injury, and to consider that such dogs as those kept by the 1st Defendant (La Pierre) had the propensity to be dangerous and as they had previously escaped unto Flamboyant Avenue, it had an obligation to take steps to mitigate any such risk  that such a situation could have posed to persons who were using Flamboyant Avenue. 

“There were options available to the HDC which were not explored, it could have repaired the holes in the fence, or it could have taken steps so as to ensure that the first defendant effected the repairs or it could have taken steps to have the dogs lawfully removed. Although those options were available, the second defendant (HDC), failed to act. The HDC, through Mr Booker and M Cunningham, had knowledge of the threat that the dogs posed and though the risk of injury was foreseeable by a reasonable man, as a consequence of the failure to take action so as to prevent the presence of the dogs on Flamboyant Avenue.

     The HDC’s only witness Sherman Holder, manager of HDC’s legal team, denied HDC had knowledge of the danger created by the dogs. 

However, the judge said, “The court felt a degree of disquiet in relation to Mr Holder’s testimony as he appeared to have a very casual and cavalier approach to his evidence. 

Representing the Rackal’s family was  attorney Prem Persad-Maharaj while HDC was represented by attorney Shankar Bidaisee   Rackal who was present in court with his two children, refused to comment on the matter.

Tabaquite farmers Chadwick Ramlal and his brother Fedlis had added stress yesterday, after thieves struck and stole about 400 pounds of cabbage from their garden at the Navet Dam Access Road.

The brothers were already counting their losses, which ran close to a million dollars, when acres of cabbage and tomato crops were destroyed by flood waters on Tuesday in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Bret.

Ramlal told the T&T Guardian yesterday that he went to his garden at about 6 am only to discover his garden boots missing from the place he had left it. That’s when he thought to himself that something was not right.

“I say no I left my boots right here. When I do go in my garden and check I see that all my cabbages gone and they use my own garden boots to go in and reap it,” Ramlal said.

“This is so distressing, I already lost so much already and now this? These people have no heart.”

Ramlal, however, noted that the majority of cabbages, “if not all,” would not even be healthy for sale, noting he believes that the produce was stolen to sell on the wholesale market.

“With how the flood waters come and cover down the garden the cabbage would have collected mud inside of it and that is not good. It may be sold in the market, so people need to be careful and look out,” he added.

His brother Fedlis said in his 35 years of farming it was the first time that they had been robbed of produce.

“That never happen here and you could say it’s a lifetime I doing gardening. This real sad. People don’t know what they does do.”

Ramlal said he notified police officers at the Brasso Police Station.

An officer, who wished not to be identified, later told the T&T Guardian they had already received information that may lead to an arrest.

Millions in losses

Meanwhile, one of Central’s largest cucumber farmers, Timothy Baptiste, 25, said his entire cucumber and sweet pepper crops were destroyed. As he raised the dead vines in the air, Baptiste showed the devastation.

“I lost about $80,000 in vegetables and may need about $20,000 to start back up.”

Tabac Road farmer Martin Badal said where his garden was there are about 49 other farmers and altogether they had estimated their losses to be at $.5 million. He said the farmers lost crops such as hot peppers, sweet peppers, pimentos, tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, caraille, chive and pumpkin.

“It’s the fist time in 20 years we have seen flooding like this here. We all sell wholesale to mainly the Macoya market, Chaguanas and Port-of-Spain. We have been hit very hard,” Badal said.

On Wednesday, Agricultural Minister Clarence Rambharat met with the distressed farmers, where he outlined what needed to be done in order for them to get compensation.

The farmers said that whilst they hope for the speedy handout of compensation packages, they are bracing for more flooding due to the heavy showers experienced yesterday and feared that if they should be flooded again they “will lose more.”

“At least the compensation may not be the value of our produced lost, but it will help us start over but what happens in the event he are hit again? Then we will lose everything,” Badal said.

Sixty-year-old murder accused Jasodra Jagmohan was wheeled into the San Fernando High Court yesterday, where she is on trial for allegedly killing her husband.

The Penal woman is on trial before Justice Althea Alexis-Windsor charged with the June 2007 murder of her husband Jagindranan Jagmohan, 57, also known as Rex, who was strangled.

Jagmohan was transported on a stretcher from the Women’s Prison in a prison van. Upon her arrival and departure from the court, the stretcher was converted into the wheelchair.

She is charged with murdering her husband sometime between June 22, 2007 and June 26, 2007, at Clarke Road, Penal. Upon her arraignment on Thursday she pleaded not guilty. However, attorney Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC, who has a fiat to prosecute the case, did not lead any evidence before the 12-member jury and alternates. Instead, the jury was asked to return on July 3 to allow the court to deal with legal issues in their absence. Jagmohan is being represented by attorneys Prakash Ramadhar and Michael Rooplal.

Customers at Ernie’s Auto Electrical Shop were sent scampering for cover when a gunman entered the business and shot the owner, Mahendra Ramlogan, dead yesterday.

One suspect was later held when Couva police cornered a gold Nissan Bluebird Sylphy within minutes of the shooting. However, two others escaped by running into nearby bushes.

A police report stated that around 11 am, Ramlogan, 43, was in his shop along the Exchange Ext Road, Couva, when a gunman walked up to him and shot him three times. The gunman then ran into a awaiting car which sped off.

At Ramlogan’s Indian Trail, Couva home yesterday, his employee Anil Rambaran said they were both repairing vehicles when a man wearing a three quarter pants and a bandana over his face walked up to Ramlogan and shot him. He said by the time he looked out, he saw the getaway car speeding off. At the time of the shooting, he said there were about six people waiting for vehicles who ran off the property as soon the the gunman left.

Ramlogan was taken to the Couva District Health Facility where he died while receiving attention. His body was taken to the mortuary at the San Fernando General Hospital. It will be transferred to the Forensic Science Centre, St James, for an autopsy on Tuesday.

Relatives were confused as to why he was killed, however, saying he had no enemies and would provide work for customers on credit. His brother, Prame Ramlogan, said the shop has been there for more than 15 years and there was only one issue with a resident of the area, which was eventually worked out.

The South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) has been ordered to pay compensation to the parents of a three-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who died while being treated at the San Fernando General Hospital in 2009.

Appearing before Justice Carol Gobin in the San Fernando High Court yesterday, attorneys for the authority accepted liability for the death of Evans Massiah.

Gobin did not quantify the damages Massiah’s parents, Guy and Shaheeda, should receive, as she ordered that it be assessed at a later date by a High Court Master.

Gobin also ordered that the SWRHA pay the couple’s legal costs for bringing the lawsuit against it.

In the lawsuit, the Princes Town couple claimed that Massiah was born at the hospital in March 2006 and developed the mental disability due to negligence by doctors and staff in delivering him, as when he was born the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck.

Evans was visually impaired, unable to swallow, talk, or even walk. Seeking expert medical care for her son, the couple migrated to the United Kingdom shortly after his birth. His condition reportedly improved and he returned to Trinidad in 2009 for a vacation with his parents.

While the the toddler was here, however, he developed a respiratory tract infection and was taken to the same hospital he was born at for treatment. He subsequently.

His parents later sued the hospital for negligence as they claimed that his death was caused by the negligence of staff at the institution.

Contacted yesterday, a close friend of the family said while they were happy with the outcome of the case, the parents were still too traumatised by their son’s death to be interviewed.

The couple was represented by Shastri Persad and Keshma Sankar, while Winston Seenath and Alyson Cudjoe represented the SWRHA.

Father Clyde Harvey has been appointed by the Vatican as the new Bishop of the Diocese of St. George’s, Grenada. However, he is insisting he is not running from T&T is the wake of the recent attack against him by four men.

Harvey made the comment yesterday after new of his appointment was made during a mid-morning press conference at Archbishop’s House, St. Clair, yesterday, by Papal Nuncio Archbishop Nicola Girasoli.

“I am going to Grenada not because I don’t love Trinidad or that somebody is trying to kill me,” Harvey said.

Declaring his pride as a Trinidadian, Harvey sought to assure local parishioners that he would always, “love this country, have no doubt about that.”

However, he advised, “My life has been guided by what God calls me to do and on the day when I was asked, although I wanted to refuse, it was clear that was not what God wanted.”

Although he felt he had not yet completed his work with troubled youths in high-risk communities in T&T, Harvey cautioned those after him to beware that, “the work that has to be done cannot be done in a single day or by a single person.”

He said while no one was able to forecast what T&T will look like in years to come, there were some hard-hitting problems such as drugs and guns which need to be addressed.

“Unless we get politicians to deal with that with the strength and purpose required and a community that stands behind them, we will continue to have trouble,” Harvey said.

He again admitted the events of the last week had left him shaken, but said he was hurt that many of the young men who continue to approach him daily on the streets were mentally unstable and the authorities were not doing much about it except to administer medication. Harvey appealed to citizens to find one such deserving person and foster that kind of care and love.

To the grandmothers left to care for youngsters whose fathers had been killed and mothers whose lives had been lost to drugs, Harvey said it was unfair they had to prove to the State they had the right to care for these people before they could receive any kind of financial assistance.

Hopeful the appointment would benefit both T&T and Grenada, Harvey urged local Christians and non-Christians to demonstrate their love for humanity by joining together to help those affected in Central and South Trinidad by Tropical Storm Bret.

Best man for job

Girasoli congratulated Harvey as he presented him with a purple zucchetto and a wooden cross as he said, “This is the best choice for Grenada.”

Reminding Harvey that a bishop was called to serve rather than rule, Girasoli said Harvey, the former parish priest of St Martin de Porres Church in Gonzales, Belmont, was someone who had come from and walked among the people and therefore understood the people.

Adding that a simultaneous announcement was made in Grenada yesterday, Girasoli said although it had taken more than a year to announce a replacement following the death of Bishop Vincent Darius in April 2016, it was worth the wait as no better choice could be found.

Harvey, who appeared somewhat emotional during his address, admitted to being uncertain about the appointment when he was first approached several months ago.

However, he said God has been guiding him and that although his navel-string is buried in T&T, it was time to minister to others in the region.

Thanking Archbishops Joseph Harris and Girasoli for their guidance and perseverance in what they considered to be the best course for Grenada and the Caribbean, Harvey said: “In saying yes to the suggestion that I allow myself to be considered for St. George’s, I saw that if it happened, it would be an affirmation of the work of some of the giants of the modern Caribbean church as she struggled to discover and reaffirm our Caribbean identity within our Catholic fold.”

Businessmen Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson and a group of former government officials have yet another lawsuit to avoid prosecution on corruption charges arising out of the construction of the $1.6 billion Piarco International Airport.

The group has filed a new lawsuit challenging the decision of Magistrate Ejenny Espinet to dismiss an application made in their protracted preliminary inquiry, in which they claimed that the charges should be dropped as the State failed to prove its case against them.

In their lawsuit, which came up for hearing before Justice Frank Seepersad in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday, the men and the companies are claiming that Espinet overstepped her boundaries when she ruled on their no case submission on February 10.

They claimed that while she is only empowered to determine whether there was a prima facie case made out against them in the inquiry, in her ruling on the submission, she made numerous statements on their alleged guilt. They claimed that her decision pre-decided the case and showed the “apparent bias” of the inquiry.

They are also contending that she relied on the hearsay evidence of former co-conspirator American Ronald Birk, who was implicated in the inquiry before he agreed to testify as a State witness and the charges against him were dropped.

In their no case submission, the group claimed that the State had failed to prove that there was unlawful conduct and means in the award of the contracts.

During yesterday’s hearing, the accused men’s attorney Edward Fitzgerald, QC, asked the court for a adjournment, as they are awaiting Espinet’s ruling on a recusal application made after she dismissed the no case submission. The decision is expected to be given on July 7.

Fitzgerald admitted that the case before Seepersad would be rendered academic if Espinet eventually agrees to recuse herself.

If she makes the decision, the over decade-old case would have to be restarted as it cannot continue before another magistrate.

In response, Gilbert Peterson, SC, who represented the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) questioned the accused men’s basis for the lawsuit.

“We have an unusual situation in which they are trying to judicially review a decision which is yet to be taken. I have never encountered such a case before,” Peterson said.

Deputy Solicitor General Neal Byam, who is representing Espinet, also said he needed additional time as he had only been briefed on the case on Thursday.

Seepersad agreed with the need to delay the case and adjourned it to September 21. The group is also being represented by Fyard Hosein, SC.

ABOUT THE CASE

The members of the group include former government ministers Sadiq Baksh and Brian Kuei Tung, former Airport Authority chairman Tyrone Gopee and Galbarasingh’s former employee Amrith Maharaj.

Galbaransingh and Ferguson’s companies Northern Construction Ltd and Martime General Insurance are also implicated as parties in the inquiry.

They along with several others were implicated between 2004 and 2005 for alleged corruption and bid rigging in the airport project between 1995 and 2001.

In 2011, High Court Judge Ronnie Boodoosingh quashed proposed extradition of Galbaransingh and Ferguson to the United States to face similar charges. Boodoosingh ruled that the inquiry before Espinet was the best forum for the prosecution as the substantive crimes were alleged to have occurred in this country.

The following year, the businessmen along with all other charged for corruption in the project applied under the controversial Section 34 of the Administration of Justice (Indictable Offences) Act. The legislation gave people charged with specific offences who had waited over 10 years to be tried to apply for their matters to be dismissed.

The group challenged the State after the legislation was repealed with their applications still pending. However, their claim was rejected by the High Court, Court of Appeal and eventually the Privy Council.

Prime Minister Keith Rowley didn’t bring residents one assistance grant or even one hamper when he recently toured flood-ravaged Southern areas, Opposition MP Roodal Moonilal declared yesterday.

“He (PM) just fly past and his Prado (SUV) wet up people,” Moonilal said in Parliament yesterday.

He made the complaint as he spoke in debate on amendments to the Motor Vehicle legislation. Moonilal said proposals for red-light cameras to penalise speeding drivers, should be reconsidered since motorists can get killed or robbed when stopping at red lights late at night in T&T.

Focusing on damages following the recent passage of Tropical Storm Bret, Moonilal said, “As of now, I’ve not heard of one person who’s gotten an assistance grant for this from any agency.”

Moonilal said if there had been a proper drainage plans for rivers and drains “we wouldn’t have had this week’s catastrophe.”

Moonilal said if Government raised $2.1b from the proposed motor vehicle fines, “I suggest 50 per cent of those road and traffic fines be used to clear drains and fix roads...(as it is ) we have a $1.3 billion (Lara) Stadium whose opening ceremony cost $2.3 million.” (See box)

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar was successful in obtaining agreement for Parliament to debate Government’s handling of storm issues as a definite matter of urgent public importance.

A motion on the issue which she raised cited Government’s “failure to provide adequate resources and relief in a timely, effective and efficient manner to alleviate the hardship, suffering, anguish and distress of the population.”

House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George agreed to allow debate on the motion last night.

Persad-Bissessar had said many areas were affected and Government had failed to address issues amid the devastation.

She said people “were suffering hardship, unable to provide food for families; homes in entire areas have been destroyed; others have been flooded out and people remain marooned in some areas without any assistance from Government.

“There is an urgent need to provide water and basic food supplies to persons living in these areas. Families need urgent help to clean their homes and drain it of contaminated water. Rivers, drains and waterways need to be immediately cleared and cleaned to provide flood relief.”

Persad-Bissessar said: “Men, women and children who live in these flooded areas are at risk of contracting diseases because of the contaminated water entering these areas. Tens of thousands of families are presently suffering—Bret has transformed the affected parts of our country into virtual disaster zones.”

An appeal has been made for hot meals to be provided to those still grappling with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Bret.

It came from founder of Is There Not a Cause (ITNAC) Avonelle Hector-Joseph.

She described the situation as “dread”.

She also appealed for more volunteers to come on board to help bring relief to flood victims.

“We have been to places like Haiti and Florida but to see this in your own country...it really hurts my heart. I got a call from a single mother this morning (yesterday) that her 10-year-old son is sick because he drank contaminated water ... it is really sad.

“We need companies to encourage staff to donate. We want to provide hot meals over the weekend and we are asking for vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals,” she said.

Hector-Joseph said medication for diabetes and hypertension is also needed as well as canned food, toiletries and building supplies.

ITNAC is currently on an awareness drive to foster a sense of caring throughout the country.

“We need to send a message to the rest of the population that while there may be people who were not affected by the storm there are many people who need help and we need to care about them and we need to provide some comfort to them.”

She said ITNAC will provide meals and supplies to flood victims in Sangre Grande on Saturday, Oropouche on Sunday and will also be dealing with individual cases.

The next phase will be assisting in reconstructing homes, Hector-Joseph said.

Co-ordinator of Sewa International TT (Sewa TT) Revan Teelucksingh said the response from the business community has been “really good” as many supermarkets are steadily donating foodstuff. Sewa has been providing ready.

He said Subway has agreed to provide vegetarian six-inch sandwiches at a cost of $10 each. From Tuesday to Wednesday 1,114 sandwiches were distributed to people affected by the storm along with 700 cooked meals in affected communities.

Teelucksingh said even before the storm struck Sewa TT had formulated a four-point plan.

“The first phase was to prepare and distribute cooked food because we did not know how long the storm was going to last. Then we looked at reducing the risk of water-borne diseases by providing bottled water.

“Next was to help with clean up operations and provide groceries and lastly to do an assessment of the communities to ensure there are no outbreak of diseases like gastroenteritis and leptospirosis,” he said.

Teelucksingh said Sewa TT is also promoting awareness since with the flood waters there could be an increase in vector borne diseases like dengue.

He said people willing to support the group’s efforts can make cash deposits to Sewa International TT’s Republic Bank account 870 801 107 401.

Although there have been numerous reports of damaged homes, Habitat for Humanity T&T said it is not yet overwhelmed with calls for help.

Tracy Hutchinson Wallace, communications officer for the organisation, said people are still cleaning and assessing the losses.

“By next week we expect a lot of calls to be coming in. Right now we have community officers in the field talking to residents,” she said.

“Right now it is not as overwhelming but once the clean up has finished we expect many more calls by early next week and by then we will definitely need help from engineers, construction companies and land surveyors,” Hutchinson Wallace said.

She said the organisation is asking for donations of building material, including galvanise, nails, hurricane straps, windows and doors.

Donations to Habitat can be made at any branch of Republic Bank to account 180 482 534 101.

Southern Division police believe they may have prevented a number of murders when they arrested three men and seized three guns with over 100 rounds of ammunition, during two separate incidents on Thursday night into Friday.

In the first incident, police in responding to a domestic violence report in Golconda, arrested the alleged abuser, who was seen entering his victim’s premises with a loaded pistol.

Around 11 pm on Thursday, constables Smith, Figaro, WP Boodram along with Sgt Sankar went to a house at Golconda Settlement, Golconda, following a report that a woman was being abused by a male relative.

The man fled before the police arrived. Officers continued to monitor the scene and around 5.30 am, on Friday, saw the man entering the premises where the woman lived. He was nabbed by the cops who, upon searching him, found a loaded .23 pistol, aong with 51 rounds of ammunition and a ski mask.

Inspector Don Gajadhar, commended the officers for their dedication to duty, saying that they may have prevented a murder. The perpetrator, a 37-year-old construction worker is expected to appear before a San Fernando Magistrate on Tuesday.

Police may have also prevented multiple killings in the La Romaine district when they arrested two men and confiscated a Taurus and Baretta pistol along with 85 rounds of ammunition during a special exercise conducted between 3 am Thursday and 9 am Friday.

Police received information that two men, one of whom was discharged from hospital after being wounded in a shooting incident which claimed the life of a male relative last week, may have purchased the weapons to to avenge his death. They were nabbed before they could carry out their act.

During that exercise which included Sen Supt Mohammed, Gajadhar and Sgt Ramroop, six other people were detained for robbieries and other crimes.

The Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) and religious group— the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha— have been given permission to provide their opinions on a lawsuit brought by Trinidad-born gay rights activist challenging this country’s homophobic laws.

The two organisations were granted permission to file written submissions in the case brought by Jason Jones, when the case came up for hearing before Justice Devindra Rampersad in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday morning.

The Council of Evangelical Churches made a similar application yesterday, however its lawyers informed the court that their client was reconsidering their position on the application and would inform the court of its decision by the next hearing on July 25.

The T&T Guardian understands that the religious groups are contending that Jones’ claim offends the tenants of their respective religions and would impact negatively on the country’s morality, if he is successful.

The commission is a State run organisation mandated to work towards the elimination of discrimination and the promotion of equality of opportunity for citizens.

In the lawsuit, Jones is challenging Sections 13 and 16 of the Sexual Offences Act, which criminalises buggery and serious indecency even between consenting adults.

Jones is also claiming that the long-standing legislation contravenes his constitutional rights to privacy and freedom of thought and expression in addition to being in direct contradiction to this country’s international human rights obligation.

His lawyers are also contending that the legislation opens his client to public prejudice and ridicule as it labels him and other homosexuals as criminals.

Jones’ lawyers are seeking to side step the “saving clause” feature of the Constitution which precludes a court from striking down and reviewing legislation which were in existence when the Constitution was drafted and that have been marginally changed since.

They claim that the controversial legislation amended in 1986 and 2000 repealed and replaced pre-Independence sexual offences legislation, covered by the savings clause, and thus is open to review.

Jones’ lawsuit is one of several landmark cases filed by Caribbean LGBT activists challenging regional homophobic laws.

Last year, Jamaican Maurice Tomlinson challenged T&T and Belize’s immigration laws which allow for refusal of entry to regional homosexuals visitors. While the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) dismissed his case, both Governments admitted that the laws were not enforced.

In August, last year, Belize’s Supreme Court struck down that country’s sodomy laws, after a case similar to Jones’ was filed by a local activist.

Jones is being represented by Richard Drabble, QC, Rishi Dass and Antonio Emmanuel, while Fyard Hosein, SC, is leading the State’s legal team.

The Judiciary has again come under scrutiny, this time as an attorney who was given a letter of appointment to serve as a judge in 2009 but was never sworn in by the President has made an application against the Registrar of the Supreme Court and the Law Association of T&T (Latt).

The attorney received her letter of appointment to serve in the High Court in August 2009 but Sunday Guardian understands that even though she was expected to sit as a judge from September that year, had a court list prepared and a swearing-in ceremony scheduled at President’s House, it never materialised. No reason has ever been given.

She never took the oath of office and never assumed the duties of a judge. To date, there is no evidence that her appointment has been revoked.

As a direct consequence of those events, she experienced difficulty paying her annual fees to the Latt as required under the Legal Profession Act and has been unable to obtain a practising certificate for several years.

The woman filed an application in the High Court in early June under Section 25 of the Legal Profession Act for the practising certificate. Her matter will be heard on Wednesday at 10:15 am before Justice James Aboud.

Sunday Guardian obtained a copy of the June 14 supplemental affidavit in which the attorney makes reference to the principal affidavit dated June 7 where she stated she exhibited her letter of appointment and that it was “always my understanding that my appointment was a for a period of six months only”.

She further stated that she ceased practice to assume office from mid-September 2009 and at the end of October 2009, some six weeks later, she resumed full-time practice which continued from 2009 to 2011 and to the current time. She said she held a valid practising certificate from 2009 to 2011.

A legal source told the Sunday Guardian that once an attorney does not hold a practising certificate for a period of one year , an application has to be filed before the High Court and a judge has to issue an order for the practising certificate, provided that the judge is satisfied that all fees due to the Law Association have been paid and a reasonable explanation has been proffered for the failure to pay the fees within the requisite time.

However, the source said if on Wednesday the judge is not satisfied and doesn’t issue the practising certificate, “then just like Mrs Marcia Ayers-Caesar, the attorney will be in limbo since she would not be a judge nor able to practice law”.

The Sunday Guardian understands that no formal notification was ever issued to her to indicate that her appointment had been revoked. Court protocol and information manager at the Judiciary, Alicia Carter-Fisher did not respond to questions sent via email. Chief Justice Ivor Archie, as head of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC, did not respond to a text message sent last evening. Latt president Douglas Mendes did not respond to calls to his mobile.

In April this year, three judicial officers were elevated to the High Court—former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar, magistrate Avason Quinlan and attorney Kevin Ramcharan.

To qualify for appointment as a High Court judge, a candidate should have at least ten years’ standing as an attorney.

JLSC flawed for almost a decade

Several legal luminaries told the Sunday Guardian that a closer look at the situation showed how flawed the JLSC selection process has been for close to a decade.

One legal source said, “In addition to this attorney’s situation, the JLSC had also tried to elevate magistrate Lucena Cardenas-Ragoonanan as a temporary judge but the Law Association voiced concerns over her alleged friendship with the Manning’s and her appearances at various PNM events. She was not appointed.”

A leading member of the inner bar said a question that has to be raised is what steps the JLSC implemented to bolster its selection process since 2009 and why in the face of Mrs Marcia Ayers-Caesar there was no staying of her appointment after Gerald Ramdeen raised concerns.

“One would have, in those circumstances, expected that the prudent course of action would have been to defer the swearing in just as happened with the attorney and magistrate Ragoonanan, while a thorough review as to the state of her part heard matters were investigated.”

Another legal source said citizens deserve a truly robust and independent selection process by virtue of which only the most competent persons were elevated.

Contacted yesterday, the attorney questioned where the newspaper got the document (affidavit) and why it was being reported. She said it was a private matter.

When asked whether she had been practising without a certificate from 2009 to 2011, she asked, “May I ask who provided you with these documents?”

Told that we were not at liberty to say, she said, “Well yes, precisely. This is a private matter and has nothing to do...if this is going to embark on something to do with the Chief Justice, this has nothing to do with that. This is between me and the court.

Told that she was appointed and never sworn in, she said, “Which means that there is nothing to report.”

Asked why she never raised any questions for almost a decade, she said, “That was a very long time ago and this really just has to do...well, listen. I am going to have to discuss this...”

She said the matter being heard on Wednesday “has nothing to do with any of that (appointment).

“It has to do with the fact that I was appointed a judge in 2009. When I went after the whole thing was over...well to pay for my practising certificate as a lawyer, I was refused because they could not produce the evidence that my appointment had been revoked and it is possible that it has never been revoked, so I’d never been able to get a practising certificate at that time so my application to the court is for the court to respond so it doesn’t really have anything to do with anyone.”

The United National Congress (UNC) intends to file a no-confidence motion in House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George following a heated sitting of the Parliament on Friday night which culminated in a walkout by the Opposition.

In a media briefing yesterday, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the party staged a walkout of the Parliament around 7.15 pm after “racist” remarks were made to Princes Town MP Barry Padarath.

Speaking to the Sunday Guardian last night, Annisette-George described the possible motion of no confidence against her as “part and parcel” of the job. “That is their prerogative and if they do so the Standing Orders will dictate how it is done, and I think that is all part and parcel of the job as Speaker.”

During Friday’s sitting of the House of Representatives Annisette-George granted permission to Persad-Bissessar to raise a definite matter of urgent public importance related to the aftermath of Tropical Storm Bret.

That debate began at 6 pm.

Around 7 pm, Rowley entered the debate. Rowley said he noticed that during the debate every member from the opposition bench took the opportunity to “grand stand on this tragedy”.

He also defended his stay in Tobago over the weekend. “Let me tell you something, I have to make no apologies to any of you for being in Tobago, I have a house in Tobago and I live in Tobago. So I make no apologies to any of you for being in Tobago and for sleeping in my house in Tobago,” he said.

Rowley said the storm hit on Monday night and he monitored the developments from Tobago.

“By Wednesday after lunch, I was in Oropouche. If the member for Siparia was missing me so much had I known that I would sleep down there. Had I known she was missing me so much I would have gone down there, but I have no house in Siparia,” he said.

Padarath, the MP for Princes Town entered the debate after Rowley.

“The prime minister went to south Trinidad with his hands swinging, not a crix, not a tin of sardines to deliver to the people,” Padarath said.

“I know that he has a disdain for the people in south Trinidad because they believe that they are UNC (United National Congress) people. The people of south Trinidad will not forgive them,” he said.

This statement sparked crosstalk in the Parliament from both benches.

During that crosstalk Padarath claimed Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis called him a racist.

Annisette-George suspended the sitting for ten minutes.

When the sitting was resumed at 7.10 pm, Annisette-George called for the sitting to revert to the debate on the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill.

Minister in the Office of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young rose to continue his contribution on that debate.

However, the Opposition called for Annisette-George to rule to have Robinson-Regis withdraw the statement and apologise.

While Padarath was calling for the ruling from Annisette-George, he claimed Rowley said he was in fact a racist.

Padarath countered that Rowley was a racist. Persad-Bissessar then staged a walkout by the Opposition.

At the end of the sitting, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi delivered greetings to the Muslim Community on the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.

The Opposition, however, were not in the House to deliver their greetings.

WE GOT NO JUSTICE IN PARLIAMENT—KAMLA

Speaking yesterday, Persad-Bissessar said the Opposition felt they got no justice in the Parliament.

“The Speaker suspended the House and when we came back we again called on the Speaker under the relevant standing order for a ruling. Again, the Speaker refused to give a ruling and it was at that point we felt that there was no justice in the Parliament and we decided to leave the Parliament.”

She said this incident was the latest the Opposition has faced in the Parliament and this makes it difficult for them to properly represent their constituents.

“Now this is just one in a series of matters that we have great concern about in terms of properly representing our constituents in the Parliament, for our freedom of expression to take up issues in the Parliament. Today, I received a letter from the national executive from the party calling upon us in the Parliament to file a motion of no confidence in the speaker, based on not just last night’s incident but there have been several incidents throughout the course of the year in this session.”

She said Annisette-George was not functioning in the role of Speaker as she should.

“The Speaker’s role is to facilitate freedom of expression within the standing orders. And it is the duty of the Speaker to let parliamentarians have their say in the Parliament. We have experienced a state of affairs and it culminated yesterday where we are of the view that the Speaker has not been facilitating that freedom of expression and we have many examples in that regard.”

PADARATH WAS GROSSLY DISRESPECTFUL—ROBINSON-REGIS

Contacted last night, Robinson-Regis said she felt Padarath was “grossly disrespectful” to Annisette-George on Friday night but that it is the Opposition’s right to file a motion of no confidence against her if they wanted.

“They consistently (walk out of the Parliament) when they feel that they are not getting their way and they consistently disrespect the Parliament and they also take the people’s business for granted,” she said.

“But then again, if they feel that is the way they should conduct their business we consistently stay in the precincts of the Parliament and do the people’s business, and even whilst we were in Opposition we did not resort to that until that time when they put out the Opposition Leader (Dr Keith Rowley),” Robinson-Regis said.

Robinson-Regis said “walking out of the Parliament is not a mechanism for conducting the people’s business effectively but again, I reiterate all these things are their prerogative”.

Robinson-Regis said she felt that Padarath’s statement about the Government treating the people of South with disdain was “highly disrespectful and highly improper” as the PNM has five MPs who represent people from the Southern part of the country.

She said Padarath’s statement had “undertones”.

Questioning when the Government’s $25M relief fund will kick in, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has called on members of the public to donate relief items to flood and storm-affected citizens. Persad-Bissessar was speaking during a media briefing at the Fun Splash Water Park in Debe, where the UNC MPs, senators and chairmen of opposition-controlled regional corporations met for an all-day Strategic Planning Session.

“It is very clear that the Government has collapsed, it is very clear that the Government in the wake of tropical storm Bret has failed and/or neglected to adequately provide for citizens in our country, especially in badly affected areas,” Persad-Bissessar said.

“We will be establishing emergency collection centres for persons who wish to donate in the relief for those who suffered in the storm. These centres...we will start first with the party headquarters in Couva. We are also asking good Samaritans to donate relief items.”

She said in those areas where the regional corporations were UNC-led (the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation, the Princes Town Regional Corporation, the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation, the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, the Siparia Regional Corporation and the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation) donations can be dropped off at the the respective offices. The party would be setting up special collection centres in all other areas.

She said despite the Government’s announcement of a relief fund, there are many questions as to how the fund would operate.

“While the Government has announced a $25M fund, and this was long after we had called for that, the problem is that we still have no idea how, what, when why, where those funds will be distributed.

“I am told that certain corporations have been told to go out there and give whatever relief they can. But those corporations have no money sitting in their coffers which they can expend. Therefore, Government cannot simply announce the fund without instructing various corporations as to deposits from that $25M. So, we will continue with our relief efforts and I am calling upon those who are willing to assist.”

The party will also be sending medical teams to assist and assess flood-hit areas, Persad-Bissessar said.

“There is a need for medical teams out in the flood-affected areas. Thus far, the Government has not seen it fit to issue one public health advisory and therefore we are going to get medical teams of volunteers.”

She also called for international assistance as she said two organisations outside of the country have contacted the UNC to offer help to flood victims.

“We are also issuing an international SOS for kind persons outside of Trinidad and Tobago who are willing to assist. Already, two organisations have contacted us and they are going to be engaged in efforts outside of Trinidad and Tobago to bring relief to us here in T&T.”