A single-father who left his two-year-old son alone at home to get something for the child to eat was scolded by a magistrate when he appeared in court charged with child neglect.

Micheal Harewood claimed he left the child asleep at his Pemberton Street, La Romaine home without supervision but police found the child wandering along the street by himself.

Harewood, 36, a taxi driver, was charged with negligence by PC Quinton Cupid of the Southern Division Task Force.

The charge stated that on Sunday at Pemberton Street, La Romaine, being the parent of the child, he neglected the child in a manner likely to cause the child suffering or injury to his physical, mental or emotional health.

Relating what happened, prosecutor Cleyon Seedan said around 6.10 pm Cupid and other police officers were on mobile patrol duty along Pemberton Street when he saw the child walking along the road without anyone accompanying him.

When Cupid approached the child and asked him his name he did not answer. Further inquires led Cupid to the home of the child’s mother Vanessa Mohammed who told him the child was staying with his father for a period of time.

Cupid called the father on his cellphone and a short time after the father arrived at Pemberton Street. When told that his son was found wandering alone on the road, he said, “I leave him sleeping for less than an hour.”

Harewood’s attorney Ainsley Lucky said his client “left the infant for 20 minutes. He left the child asleep in the house and he elected to step out and pick up some food for the child.”

“So you left a two-year-old unattended?” magistrate Alicia Chankar asked.

“Do you know how many things could happen in 20 minutes?”

Harewood said there was another tenant in the yard, but not in his home. The father, who has two other children from another relationship, said his son stays with him and he sends him to a daycare. “I do everything for him,” said the father.

However, the magistrate said, “He owes a duty of care for the child, yet he leaves a two-year-old unattended and alone in the house. The child has time to get up, open the door, go outside and reach (on the road),” she said.

Harewood was placed on three-year bond in the sum of $5,000 to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.

Maxi taxi drivers assigned to transport primary and secondary students are threatening to withhold their services if some $12 million owed to them for the past four months are not paid before the end of this month.

The new school term opens in September and any disruption in transport services can result in chaos for thousands of students.

Members of the Association of Maxi Taxi School Transport Concessionaires of Trinidad who protested outside the Education Ministry at St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain yesterday said they are struggling to make ends meet, so much so that financial institutions have threatened to repossess their vehicles, which for many of them are their only means of making a livelihood.

Sixty-year-old Stanley Cummings, of Point Fortin, said he recently bought a new 22-seater maxi to transport school children and has not been paid for the past three months.

He said the insurance for a year is $42,000 and the monthly instalment is close to $10,000.

The father of three children ages 13, 16 and 21 who is also the sole breadwinner said his future looked “very bleak.”

“I am very concerned because my instalments keep piling up and at any moment my maxi could be repossessed. What is my position then?” Cummings asked.

Harold Codrington, another driver, said he his application for a credit card was turned down by a commercial bank owing to the inconsistent payments from the ministry.

“I have a daughter studying law in Barbados and I have to pay her fees and I don’t know where I’m getting the money to do that. The inconsistent payments are making it very difficult to do anything,” Codrington said.

Carrying placards which read, “No $, No Fuel” and “We earned our money, Can’t get it,” members of the association complained that they were being treated with “disdain.”

The association’s president Rodney Ramlogan said some 36,000 school children from remote areas like Icacos are transported from their homes to schools and back daily.

“There are more than 350 concessionaires who are attached to the maxi taxi school transport system and when they are not paid on time at least 350 families are placed in difficult financial situations.

“Concessionaires have been providing and efficient and effective service for school children in rural and suburban communities in Trinidad from areas stretching Cedros to Guayaguayare to Matelot and the whole of Central Trinidad,” Ramlogan said.

He said the money is supposed to be paid on a fortnightly basis but in many cases, payments for the first quarter take as long as two months to be issued.

“A big maxi the fee for a fortnight would be $7,000 and a small maxi $4,000. If we don’t get our money then we would not be able to go out to work come September,” Ramlogan said.

EDUCATION MINISTER TO VERIFY CLAIMS

Contacted on the matter, Education Minister Anthony Garcia said measures were being put in place to ensure payment could be made to the maxi taxi operators.
Garcia could not verify the $12m debt, saying, “We have to do a complete review of this whole system. While we recognise that the maxi taxi drivers perform yeoman service there are some grey areas we need to clear up. “For example, we do not have an accurate account on the exact number of students who they transport on a daily basis.
We want to liaise with the schools so that they would give us a figure with respect to the number of students who they had approved to travel with the maxi taxis because approvals must come from the schools,” Garcia said.
He said the school principals would determine which students were in need of the maxi taxi service. A statement issued by the Ministry of Education stated that the Public Transport
Service Corporation was currently processing payments. Part of the outstanding debt was paid on August 3, the ministry stated. Garcia said that efforts are being made to expedite the process.

Almost a month after his three-year-old son drowned during a family outing in Chaguaramas, a 35-year-old man from East Port-of-Spain appeared in court charged with manslaughter.

Atiba Gorkin, of George Street, Port-of-Spain, was granted $75,000 bail when he appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Maria Busby-Earle-Caddle in the Port-of-Spain Magistrate’s Court on the charge of unlawfully killing his son Josiah “Messi” Gorkin on July 16.

Dressed in a grey T-Shirt and a pair of jeans, which he had to hold at the waist as the button had burst on his way to court, Gorkin stood silently in the prisoner’s enclosure with his head bowed for the duration of the hearing. Police prosecutor Insp Winston Dillon objected to bail as he called on Busby-Earle-Caddle to consider the seriousness of the offence and the prisoner’s criminal record, which included two convictions for marijuana possession.

Dillon also alleged that Gorkin should be remanded as he may attempt to intimidate witnesses at his eventual trial. The allegation sparked an outburst from Gorkin’s relatives and friends who were seated at the back of the court. “If you don’t know how to behave in this court, then you can not attend,” Busby-Earle-Caddle said as she ordered the group of angry relatives to maintain their composure. However, their protests continued outside the courtroom after Gorkin’s case was adjourned.

“What they trying to say that he will threaten us not to testify. That is madness,” one female relative said as she was restrained by another relative.

Gorkin’s lawyer Samuel Thomas objected to the prosecutor’så allegations as he claimed that there was no evidence that he (Gorkin)å would tamper with witnesses.

“My client is still in a state of bereavement. He is still grieving and is in shock over his son’s death,” Thomas said. Thomas said Gorkin, an employee of the Port-of-Spain City Corporation, was the sole breadwinner in his family and had two more children, ages 12 and seven.

“He is seeking counselling for the tragic predicament he has found himself in. He is experiencing double jeopardy of having lost his son and now having to face this charge,” Thomas said.

Josiah went missing during a family lime at Williams Bay, in Chaguaramas on July 16.

His family initially believed that he had been kidnapped but the child’s body was found floating off the coast of Williams Bay, Chaguaramas, the following day.

Gorkin was questioned by police after the incident and was arrested last week as police completed their investigation. Gorkin made headlines during the State of Emergency in 2011 when he was among a group of two dozen residents of his community who were charged with being gang members under the controversial Anti-Gang Act. Gorkin and his neighbours were eventually freed after Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard discontinued the charges against them.

Gorkin will reappear in court on September 11.

An international company, with operations in T&T, has offered employment to the Special Reserve Police ( SRP) officer who has been suspended after suggestive photos of her in her uniform surfaced on social media.

The SRP was suspended last week Tuesday pending an investigation into the photographs which showed her lying on a couch in a compromising position. The Police Social and Welfare Association also said she faces possible eviction from her home as her landlord is said to be embarrassed over the leaked photos.

The officer, who had been assigned to the Transit Unit, was suspended without pay. She has since retained attorney Christopher Rodriquez to represent her.

She is said to be in the first trimester of pregnancy and is a single mother.

Sources said yesterday, over the weekend an international company stepped in and offered her a job with matching salary.

However, the source did not want to disclose which company made the offer or what was the offer of employment.

Meanwhile, her fellow colleagues at the Transit Unit claimed there was mixed reaction over her suspension.

“Where you work in any place people will like you and some won’t like you,” one of the officers said yesterday.

After the decision to suspend the officer from duty, the association called on acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams to reconsider his decision.

The association claimed there were no rules or regulations or policy for the usage of social media.

Members of the association said the commissioner is currently out of the country and that they were still waiting to meet with him this week to address the issue.

When contacted yesterday, Head of Corporate Communications of the Police Service, Ellen Lewis, said the matter was an ongoing investigation.

Communications manager of the Ministry of National Security Marcia Hope said the ministry was collaborating with the police who were conducting the investigation.

An international company, with operations in T&T, has offered employment to the Special Reserve Police ( SRP) officer who has been suspended after suggestive photos of her in her uniform surfaced on social media.

The SRP was suspended last week Tuesday pending an investigation into the photographs which showed her lying on a couch in a compromising position. The Police Social and Welfare Association also said she faces possible eviction from her home as her landlord is said to be embarrassed over the leaked photos.

The officer, who had been assigned to the Transit Unit, was suspended without pay. She has since retained attorney Christopher Rodriquez to represent her.

She is said to be in the first trimester of pregnancy and is a single mother.

Sources said yesterday, over the weekend an international company stepped in and offered her a job with matching salary.

However, the source did not want to disclose which company made the offer or what was the offer of employment.

Meanwhile, her fellow colleagues at the Transit Unit claimed there was mixed reaction over her suspension.

“Where you work in any place people will like you and some won’t like you,” one of the officers said yesterday.

After the decision to suspend the officer from duty, the association called on acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams to reconsider his decision.

The association claimed there were no rules or regulations or policy for the usage of social media.

Members of the association said the commissioner is currently out of the country and that they were still waiting to meet with him this week to address the issue.

When contacted yesterday, Head of Corporate Communications of the Police Service, Ellen Lewis, said the matter was an ongoing investigation.

Communications manager of the Ministry of National Security Marcia Hope said the ministry was collaborating with the police who were conducting the investigation.

Overcome with the grief of losing her only child and a sister when their Moruga home was deliberately set on fire, Nicole Gopaul screamed for answers when the single casket bearing both their charred remains arrived at her father’s home yesterday. 

“Why they do this to my child. I’m not ready to tell my child goodbye forever. Let me hug her up,” were some of the heart-wrenching cries of Nicole Gopaul, 32, while surrounded by other relatives around the casket bearing the remains of eight-year-old Alliyah Primus and Nolene Nesha Gopaul, 41.  

Armed police stood watch during the entire funeral proceedings. Other relatives pounded the sealed casket in their moments of anguish. On top of the casket framed photos of Alliyah and Nolene collapsed with the commotion.   

  A faint scent of smoke from the ruins of the house where Gopaul shared much laughter with her daughter, Alliyah, Nolene, and other relatives were a reminder of last Friday’s tragedy. 

One of Gopaul’s sisters has been given police protection as investigators try to find those responsible for the deadly fire. She attended the funeral and was closely guarded.

Eleven other family members, including four children, were forced to jump through the windows after someone set fire to the front and back doors of the house.

That house was located at the back of Gopaul’s father’s house at Fifth Company Village.

 “If you called me I would ah come and help you. Why you did not call me? Ah would ah buss the window for you,” cried Nolene’s other sister Natalie who also fled from the burning house.

Sharing fond memories of her daughter during the service at the Open Bible Church at St Mary’s Village, Gopaul recalled how she begged God to spare her daughter’s life when at birth she had to be put on life support. Since then she had been very careful with her.

“I did not even want an ant to bite my child,” she said adding that she had gotten so many signs but did not know it meant she was going to lose her child. She said the night “the devil decided to take” Alliyah. 

She said everyone thought that Alliyah would become a fashion designer because she had a passion for designing clothes. 

“She will turn a vest into a skirt, a top into a head tie, she would cut plastic bags to make clothes,” said Gopaul.

The mother said she was also putting things in place for her daughter to visit Disney World, in December.

Since the incident, Gopaul said she has not been able to eat or sleep.

“I will live the correct life so one day I will see my daughter again,” the mother said.

Karlene Ali said Nolene will be remembered for her loudness, vibrance and loving nature.

The third of 11 children, Ali said Nolene’s 15-year-old daughter was her world. But, she also had unconditional love for Alliyah.

“They shared an unbreakable bond,” said Ali, who recalled that Nolene would help Alliyah with her homework and organise her for school. “Their love knew no bounds. She selflessly gave her life to protect the child she loved as her own,” she said.

Following the service officiated by Rev Valerie Samuel, their bodies were interred at Paynter Cemetery. 

A teenager was among three men who appeared in court yesterday charged with poaching Trinidad’s national bird, the Scarlet Ibis, at the Caroni Bird Sanctuary.

Shivanand Ramnarine, 23, of Bamboo Settlement, Valsayn, Randy Bachan, 35, and Brian Ramlochan, 18, both of El Socorro, appeared in the Chaguanas Magistrate’s Court hours after they were detained by game wardens on Monday night.

They were charged with hunting at the protected site and being in possession of the dismembered carcass of a bird.

The first charge carries a maximum fine of $20,000, while the latter carries a fine of $1,000 and up to a month imprisonment.

They were also charged with four offences of being in possession of the protected bird as the body parts — head, wings, feathers and feet — were allegedly found on their boat with no way of telling if they all came from the same animal.

The trio pleaded not guilty to the charges and will remain out on bail granted to them after they were arrested and charged on Monday.

The men will reappear in court on September 7.

Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat visited the sanctuary following the group’s arrest and also was present in court yesterday to show solidarity to the game wardens who fall under his ministry.

In an interview with CNC3 after the case was adjourned, Rambharat said that he was currently in discussions with Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi over the possibility of increasing the fines for possession of the protected animal.

“It is inadequate but what happens is that persons are usually arrested in game sanctuaries where the protected birds are found,” Rambharat said.

He said that he was also working closely with his ministry’s six enforcement units to ensure that they had all the resources required to effectively perform their duties.

The Children’s Life Fund Authority has agreed to consider and decide on the case of a four-year-old girl from south Trinidad, who has to undergo a critical bone marrow transplant in India to treat a blood disorder, within 24 hours.

The authority gave the commitment to the family of Haleema Mohammed hours after her mother Kristal yesterday filed a lawsuit challenging its previous claim, filed in June, that it would take between one and three months to consider her application.

Mohammed is scheduled to undergo the operation at the Fortis Memorial Institute for Allogeneic Transplant in Gurgaon, India, in early September.

The authority’s decision is expected to be communicated to Mohammed’s family by midday today.

In the lawsuit, Mohammed’s lawyer Gerald Ramdeen claimed that the lengthy period for considering the case was unreasonable considering that the board had determined previous cases within a week.

As the board effectively conceded the case, High Court Judge Devindra Rampersad ordered that it pay the family’s legal costs for threatening the lawsuit.

Mohammed was diagnosed with beta thalassemia, a blood disorder which reduces the production of haemoglobin — the iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to cells throughout the body.

However, Hameela’s blood transfusions only began when she was around a year and eight months when her blood count went extremely low. She began taking the blood transfusions every three months, then every two months, every month and now every three weeks.

Doctors have advised the family that the child’s iron level had risen to high levels as a result of frequent blood transfusions and this could lead to organ failure and death. The surgery and associated costs are expected to cost $400,000.

The legal action against the authority comes less than a month after the families of two children suffering from the same genetic disorder were given permission to challenge its refusal to provide funding for their treatment.

In their judicial review case, which is yet to go on trial, four-year-old Shannen Luke and five-year-old Terrance Chandoo’s lawyers are contending that the authority wrongful rejected their applications as it claimed that it does not facilitate reimbursements to families who managed to raise the funds for their operations.

A conflict of interest!

That’s how many see yesterday’s appointment of well-known businessman Christian Mouttet by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley as the “sole investigator” into the sea bridge fiasco involving the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2, which the Port Authority of T&T (PATT) leased from Canadian firm Bridgemans Services Group LP.

Mouttet was given one month to present his findings to the PM.

Last Tuesday, the PATT terminated the Ocean Flower’s one-year contract, which initially led to Rowley apologising to the nation and calling a stakeholders meeting on August 21 in Tobago.

Yesterday, as news surfaced that Mouttet was now the behind the investigation, many criticised his appointment, saying it was a conflict of interest for the businessman, who uses the services of the cargo vessel, to be given such a task.

Weighing in on the issue, political analyst Prof John La Guerre said the fact that Mouttet admitted he utilises the ferry service for his chain of businesses was no doubt a conflict.

“It would be a conflict of interest and he could not be an objective assessor since he has vested interest there,” La Guerre said, noting he feels a committee chaired by someone who has experience in contractual obligations, investigations and shipping, should have been selected instead.

“Since the vessels involved contractual obligations and legal issues, someone with legal skills and training should have been considered. That is what Mouttet does not have. I would say the Prime Minister was ill-advised. He (Mouttet) is not the appropriate person for the job.”

Noting the role of an investigator is to both unearth and probe, La Guerre added: “It’s not just a matter of uncovering documents, doing interviews and putting them together. It is also a matter of assessment.”

La Guerra said with Mouttet’s inexperience it could “limit him in his assessment of the situation. It would also be a constraining factor.”

Political analyst Dr Winford James insisted it was a good decision by the PM to appoint someone to investigate the documentation of both vessels.

“One hopes that the report would not be for the Prime Minister’s eye only but for the nation, since the matter has become very public. And people would like to have answers to the questions that have arisen as result of the scandal of the hire of the boats.”

James said he hoped Mouttet would be as objective as possible in the performance of his work. He said, however, that the public would have every reason to question Mouttet’s credentials, objectivity and credibility.

“Let us hope that the matter is not exasperated because of the choice the PM made as him being the compiler of the information, because things have been going from bad to worse as far as the boat is concerned.”

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, in a press release yesterday, slammed Rowley’s decision and called on him to rescind Mouttet’s appointment and establish a Commission of Enquiry into the ferry fiasco.

“It is clear that the Prime Minister cannot be trusted to do the right thing. We are not comforted by Rowley’s appointment of a one-man investigative team to investigate one of his ministers and this matter.”

She said for months citizens of T&T have been calling for the Government to come clean on the deal and they had refused.

“This Prime Minister has shown that he cannot be trusted, and it appears that Rowley prefers to cloak his ministers and the Port Authority board’s actions in secrecy, rather than to make the facts known. Worse still, he is giving the investigator one month to investigate the matter.”

She said it cannot be proper for a member of the business community, who may depend on the Government’s support and may also be a prime user of the sea bridge and other port facilities, to be asked to conduct an independent inquiry into the operations of the Port Authority and its relevant officials.

“Rowley missed the boat a long time ago in dealing with the Tobago sea bridge situation and now he has missed it again. This situation requires that there is no question of the independence of the investigator, especially in light of what we have all experienced over the past few months under the Rowley Government.”

She said citizens deserve to know the truth about this deal and those involved in any unlawful activity must be held accountable.

Former transport minister Devant Maharaj also saw Mouttet’s appointment as a conflict of interest. He also questioned what powers Mouttet had to conduct such an investigation, which the Integrity Commission was now handling. As a civilian, Maharaj queried how Mouttet would have any leeway to investigate a state enterprise.

“He has no jurisdiction or power conferred on him by any legal authority to conduct a lawful investigation. While he should be commended for his willingness to serve the country, he does not qualify in any way to investigate this issue,” Maharaj said.

He also queried what powers Moutett would have if a person refuses to participate in the investigation.

As clean up operations continue today on the major landslide that occurred along the North Coast Road, near the Maracas Lookout, engineers have been instructed to find a permanent solution.

Minister of Works and Transport, Rohan Sinanan told the T&T Guardian yesterday, that landslides in that particular area have been recurring over the past 10 years and he instructed one of his engineers at the ministry to visit the site.

“This is a recurring problem and is very dangerous and risky to all and I have instructed the engineer at the ministry to do something about it. Whenever it rains the soil becomes saturated and the land starts slipping so there needs to be an engineering solution,” Sinanan said.

On Monday, around 11.45 pm the massive landslide blocked the road as mounds of dirt and trees came down after a torrential shower.

From as early as 6 am teams from the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation and the Ministry of Works were out clearing the debris. Officials of the T&T Electricity Commission (TTEC) were also expected to visit the area to stabilise leaning electricity poles.

Residents have labelled the area a disaster zone and called for urgent attention from the relevant authorities.

Resident Peter Jones said that for years they have been experiencing such landslides which pose “an obvious risk to our lives.”

“One day we could be going home and the hill could come down on us burying us alive or pushing us over the cliff. Maybe, if something like that happens then whoever would do something serious to try and get rid of this thing. For years the earth coming down. Just now it wouldn’t have no hill here.”

Another resident, a fisherman from Maracas Bay, who wished not to be identified, said that whenever land slides and blocked off the North Coast Road they cannot ply their trade.

“Everything is affected. We cannot get our fish sold to the vendors who come up here to buy wholesale from us. How will we make our money when the roads blocked off for days sometimes because of the landslides and the danger?” he asked.

Councillor of the Maracas Bay/Santa Cruz/La Fillette area, Lyndon Lara said that he believes that nothing could be done to bring about a permanent solution.

“This is an area where there are regular landslides and it is too dangerous even for excavators to go up there. I think nothing can’t be done and there will continue to be landslips and when that occurs clean-up operations will just have to be done every time,” Lara said.

“I don’t think the quality of the soil is good enough. Once the earth is saturated it would have land slippage,” he said.

In a release issued yesterday, the ministry advised that one lane of the roadway is currently open to allow the flow of vehicles; “however, moderate traffic is expected as a result of this and the presence of heavy equipment and workers on site.”

It said a technical team from the Ministry is also conducting further remedial work such as the removal of loose trees and soil that cause an immediate threat, and are “examining possible preventative measures such as benching of the slope.”

Two Port Authority of T&T (PATT) staff members have been suspended, while their computers seized for forensic analysis yesterday.

According to information reaching the T&T Guardian, the employees, including a senior official who has been at the PATT for over five years, were given word of their suspension following an impromptu marathon meeting by the PATT board on Monday.

It is alleged that instructions were given by higher authorities at the PATT to “find the source of the leak” of chief engineer Brendon Powder’s inspection of the Ocean Flower II, referring to a letter dated August 7, 2017, that was sent to the PATT’s general manager Charmaine Lewis on the issue.

“They are thinking that the senior and the other employee are responsible for leaking the document to the media, that’s why their electronic devices were seized so that forensic investigations can take place,” a PATT source said.

The source added that both employees had already sought legal advice on their suspensions.

The letter in spotlight contained crucial reasons as to why the Ocean Flower 2 may not be suitable to service the sea bridge between Trinidad and Tobago, following Powder’s sea trial on the vessel in Panama.

The PATT had delegated acting chief executive officer of the T&T Inter-Island Transportation Company Limited (TTIT) Leon Grant and Powder to visit Panama to inspect the Ocean Flower 2 over the period July 30 to August 6.

Powder had ruled that the Ocean Flower 2 may not have been suitable to service the sea bridge because of several mechanical issues and explosion risks identified during the sea trial he conducted. He instead recommended that the 21-year-old vessel should remain in Colon, Panama, to urgently attend to all repairs prior to it sailing to Trinidad. Powder noted that under the circumstances Grant conferred with him and it was agreed that it was untenable to have the Ocean Flower 2 sail to T&T in that condition.

President of Bridgemans Services Group, Brian Grange, witnessed the sea trial and the mechanical issues of the vessel were highlighted to him.

However, the contents of the report were not initially revealed by the port despite questions over the vessel’s suitability. Instead, it had suggested that the Ocean Flower 2’s contract be cancelled due to its inability to arrive here by the July 17 deadline date.

The contents of the inspection were disclosed to the media by Senator Gerald Ramdeen last week and only then did the PATT admit the issues highlighted ion the report also contributed to the contract cancellation.

The board of the Port Authority of T&T (PATT) has been asked to submit all documents involving the award of contracts to Bridgemans Service group LP for the leasing of the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2 to the Integrity Commission (IC).

This was one of several issues that came up at Monday’s emergency meeting behind closed doors at the Port of Port-of Spain’s administrative building.

Once this is done, the Integrity Commission will begin preparing for the commencement of its own independent investigation.

The board was asked to submit the documents during the marathon meeting, which came less than two weeks after former agriculture minister Devant Maharaj wrote a nine-page letter to the IC, addressed to chairman Zainool Hosein, asking for a commission of enquiry into the procurement process followed by PATT in the deals.

The T&T Guardian understands the board is expected to convene again next week on the matter.

Both the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2 were leased from Canadian-based ferry service provider Bridgemans at a daily rate of US$22,5000 (TT$157,000) and US$26,5000 (TT$185,000) respectively. The vessels were initially leased to fill the gap created by the Super Fast Galicia, which left the sea bridge in April after a contractual fallout with PATT, but the contract for the Ocean Flower was terminated after it failed to arrive here on time and mechanical issues were highlighted following an inspection by PATT’s chief engineer Brendon Powder.

The PATT board meeting, which started at 11 am and ended late into Monday night, called on the members, chaired by Alison Lewis, to bring in all documents and print out emails and correspondence they may have on the negotiations for the cargo and passenger vessels. Once this is done the documents will be forwarded to the IC, where an investigation will begin.

Powder had ruled that the Ocean Flower may not have been suitable to service the sea bridge because of several mechanical issues and explosion risks identified during the sea trial he conducted in Panama. He instead recommended that the 21-year old vessel should remain in Colon Panama, to urgently attend all repairs prior to its sailing to Trinidad. Powder and a team of PATT officials visited Panama to inspect the Ocean Flower over the period July 30 to August 6.

Several calls to Hosein’s cellphone went answered yesterday. The IC’s communication manager Mervyn Crichlow is currently on vacation and communications department member Anna Williams could not respond to the T&T Guardian questions, but promised to speak to Crichlow and get back to us.

Lewis did not respond to a text message asking if the board was asked to submit documents to the IC and if the IC will probe the contracts of both vessels.

Contacted yesterday, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said he did not have any forthcoming information on what went on in the meeting. He, however, refused to answer any other questions pertaining to the PATT and the sea bridge fiasco.

“I am only dealing with landslides today (yesterday),” Sinanan said in reference to the major landslide on Monday night along the North Coast Road near the Maracas lookout.

Business magnate Christian Mouttet has come out in strong defence of his integrity and independence, in light of criticism levelled against him as Prime Minister’s Dr Keith Rowley’s choice as the sole investigator into the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2 vessels, which are now embroiled in controversy.

Mouttet also denied he shares a close friendship with Rowley and said he did not request any payment for the services he will be providing.

Asked if investigating the matter involving the sea bridge vessels would be a conflict of interest, given the fact that he owns several distribution companies which utilise the ferry service, Mouttet said: “No, I would not see that as a conflict of interest.”

Asked if he was concerned about public criticisms immediately levelled against him following the announcement, Mouttet said it was a possibility but not one that will deter him from his task.

Mouttet, who is at the helm of Prestige Holdings Ltd, will be provided with support from the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs and was given 30-days by Rowley to submit his findings, a release from the Office of the Prime Minister said yesterday.

In an interview with the T&T Guardian soon after the news, Mouttet said over the next 24 hours he will be briefed further in order to guide how he charts his way forward in the investigation.

Asked if he is qualified as an investigator, Mouttet said no, but said he was asked to conduct an investigation which requires a certain amount of work, such as meeting with people, carrying out interviews and putting together information and documentation that had been created regarding the whole procurement process for the two vessels.

He made it absolutely clear that it was not a forensic investigation.

“So in that regard, I believe I don’t think there is any problem with regards to putting together and carrying out interviews, just to understand the fact. That is what I have been charged to do,” Mouttet said.

He admitted that he held discussions with the PM a few days ago on the appointment, but stayed clear of the details.

Asked why he was chosen by the PM, Mouttet suggested that question be directed to the PM.

“I can act in a very independent and dispassionate way but I cannot say why I am the choice of the PM and the Cabinet. It is certainly not what I was expecting.”

Asked if he was offered any payment by the Government, he said, “I have not been asked, nor have I requested any payment.”

When asked if he is a friend of Rowley, Mouttet replied that he knows the PM but added, “We don’t have a friendship that extends beyond the professional relationship.”

Once the investigation commences, Mouttet said he believes he will be able to gain the support of stakeholders, but was a bit sceptical about Bridgemans Services Group.

“I do not know the individuals (company) and I don’t know much about them, but I certainly hope that they would be helpful and be prepared to participate. I don’t know that anybody is required to do anything and certainly I don’t know anybody here has the authority to tell Bridgemans what they can and can’t do,” Mouttet said.

He, however, expressed faith in the Port Authority of T&T board in surrendering documents.

(See Page A5 and Editorial on Page A20)

“I have no reason to believe that the Port would not be cooperative.”

On whether he thinks his report will be deemed credible by the public, Mouttet replied: “I believe that it will be questioned for independence and competency. I would like to think that with more than 25 years of work experience at the senior executive level and at the way I have operated at various boards, both private and public sector boards, I would like to think that I bring the tools to the table that would be necessary to not just conduct the investigation, but bring people together to want to cooperate.”

Noting some of the State-owned companies he worked for were the Chaguaramas Development Authority and TSTT while he was Chamber of Industry and Commerce president for two terms, Mouttet said, “I would like to think that I bring a fair amount of experience and independence to the table that should give people confidence that what I bring is independent and impartial,” Mouttet said, adding he is confident he can deliver his findings in the time stipulated.

ABOUT CHRISTIAN MOUTTET

Christian E. Mouttet, serves as the CEO of the Victor E. Mouttet Ltd Group.

Holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a double major in Business Administration and Political Science from Wagner College, New York.

Has extensive experience at an executive level in the areas of finance and marketing.

Has been chairman of Agostini’s Limited since January 23, 2017, as well as chairman of SuperPharm Ltd, Vemco, Pepsi Cola Trinidad, Caribbean Distribution Partners Ltd and CDP Trinidad.

Has been the chairman at Prestige Holdings Ltd since April 30, 2012.

Served as the chairman of Smith Robertson & Company Ltd.

A non-executive director of Agostini’s Ltd since 2010.

A director at Victor E. Mouttet Ltd Group.

A director of Smith Robertson & Company Ltd and Desinco Trading Ltd.

Served as an executive director of Republic Bank Ltd since January 2, 2009 until November 14, 2014.

Board: Tender process compromised
The Port Authority of T&T’s board last night said it had launched an investigation into the procurement process used to acquire the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2 vessels, after receiving new information which suggests the process used had been “compromised.”

In a statement, the PATT said: “The board of the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago has received information today which suggests that the Management Evaluation Committee stage of the procurement process may have been compromised in relation to the time charter of vessels to service the inter-island sea bridge.”

It added that it had put measures in place to “ensure that the investigation is satisfactorily executed” and that “steps have been taken to facilitate the investigation consistent with proper industrial relations practices.”

A pre-action protocol letter has been sent to Mario’s Pizzeria after a six-year-old boy’s right arm was broken when he allegedly fell through a gaping hole in the safety net inside the designated playroom of the El Dorado outlet.

The boy’s parents are now seeking $204,000 in compensation from the fast food company for what they claim was negligence.

The pre-action protocol letter dated Monday and signed by attorney Kyle Fortuné was sent to Mario’s Pizzeria’s chief executive office Roger Harford threatening legal action.

According to the pre-action protocol letter, on July 8 Lamar Paynter visited Mario’s El Dorado branch around 8 pm with his grandmother Volouris Maynard.

“While playing in the designated play area my client fell through a hole in the safety net causing him to fracture two bones (radius and ulna) in his right arm causing him tremendous pain and suffering,” the letter claimed.

The letter claimed that “no assistance or apology” was given to Paynter and his family and he had to be taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex “in a private car”.

Paynter was in such “severe pain that he was sedated after his X-rays and a cast was put on his arm,” the letter claimed.

He was then warded overnight at the hospital.

On July 9, Paynter’s mother Charisse Bramble visited the fast food outlet and spoke to the management there.

On July 18, Bramble met with Harford about the situation, the letter claimed.

He provided his cellphone number to her, the letter claimed.

However, Bramble claims in the pre-action protocol letter that since meeting with Harford almost a month ago there has been no headway with respect to the situation. She has now opted to take legal action.

Two separate cases in this country where persons were awarded $93,000 and $195,776 for the pain and suffering caused by fractures to their arms were cited in the pre-action protocol letter.

“My client has incurred medical expenses to date at the cost of $800 as well as legal costs to date in the sum of $7,500,” the letter stated.

“In light of the foregoing, my client claims the sum of $204,000 in full and final settlement for pain, suffering and past and future expenses arising out of the negligence of your establishment,” it stated.

Mario’s has been given seven days to reply or face a lawsuit.

Acting Attorney General Stewart Young is assuring that if there is any culpability regarding the procurement of the Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2, those responsible will be brought to justice.

Young, also Minister in the Ministry of Attorney General and Legal Affairs, made the comment after speaking at a rotary luncheon in Port-of-Spain yesterday.

In a statement issued yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley appointed Christian Mouttet as the sole investigator into the circumstances surrounding the procurement of the two vessels. The announcement was made in a press release from the Office of the Prime Minister and noted that Rowley was acting on behalf of the Cabinet. Mouttet, who will be provided with support from the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, is expected to submit a report within 30 days.

Asked whether Mouttet’s appointment signalled a lack of faith in the Port Authority, especially amid calls for its chairman Alison Lewis to be fired, Young said this was not the case.

“Absolutely not. The Prime Minister and Cabinet has taken the decision to appoint a sole investigator and more will be heard about it in the days to come,” Young said.

Regarding how much was being paid to Mouttet, Young said, “at this stage there is no cost element associated with the probe and described Mouttet as one of this country’s stalwarts.

“He’s someone who is very respected and he’s someone who we see as being very independent and the Prime Minister saw him fit and he is fully supported by the Cabinet as being a good sole investigator into what he has been asked to look into,” Young stated.

Regarding possible legal action following the outcome of the investigation, the acting AG said it was too early to determine, adding he did not want to “pre-empt anything.”

Pressed about calls for the police to also launch its own investigation into the matter, Young said, “Let’s see what the investigation brings up. If the investigation brings up anything along those lines, as a Government we will send it to the police. I would expect persons to fully participate with a Cabinet-appointed investigator and if they choose not to do so then they will have a lot of questions to answer.”

An online petition circulating on social media is calling on Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to remove or revoke the appointment of businessman Christian Mouttet, as the sole investigator into the charter of the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 11 vessels.

The procurement of vessels which were leased to the Port Authority of T&T by Canadian-based firm Bridgeman Services Group LP is now the subject of three investigations commenced by the Integrity Commission, the Port Authority of T&T and Mouttet .

The petition, which was started by Kendel Bhaggy and Suzette Lowe, began circulating on Tuesday, minutes after the PM hand- picked Mouttet for the task of gathering documents and conducting interviews and will deliver his findings to Cabinet and the PM in one month’s time.

Mouttet will get assistance from the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs in carrying out his duties.

Up to late yesterday, the petition had garnered over 300 signatures.

Once the petition reaches 500 signatures it will be sent to the Office of the Prime Minister.

In the petition, Bhaggy pointed out to Rowley that the people do not believe that the appointment of Mouttet was in the best interest of the country.

“Mouttet’s perceived affiliation to the PNM produces doubt in the minds of the people that this investigation will be for the purpose of getting to the truth behind the Bridgemans Services Group’s awarded contract,” Bhaggy wrote.

He suggested that the appointment of an independent forensic auditor should have been given the job instead of Mouttet.

Bhaggy said the people believed that there is a chance of a cover-up and the Government should not have taken this route.

“We are calling on you to remove or revoke the appointment of Mr. Mouttet and contract an independent forensic auditor to handle this investigation, in the best interest of the people and in the best interest of transparency.

We do not support your decision to appoint Mouttet as the sole investigator and we make that abundantly clear by putting forward this petition,” Bhaggy outlined in the petition to Rowley.

Many of the signatories expressed their feelings on the issue. Louwe stated she wanted justice as a taxpayer and that she was no longer accepting excuses from the Government to cover up their own.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Bhaggy said that while Mouttet may be an outstanding business man of great repute, he believes that Mouttet “has absolutely no authority to call on anyone to comply with an investigation and neither is he qualified in the area of forensic auditing or investigative processes.”

Bhaggy insisted that there was no political agenda as he and Louwe weren’t members of any particular party, “neither do we support the governing methods of either of the two main parties. We are ordinary citizens with the goal in mind to lobby for our politicians for change that positively affects the tax paying hard working citizens of this country.”

“The Government and all public officials are elected by the people and they must remember that they are accountable to the people.

The days of enriching friends of the party and those in the party at the expense of the taxpayers will no longer be tolerated.

We will continue to monitor the government and to bring to the public their questionable and corrupt practices. If those elected promised to remove corruption and are now part of the problem, it is now up to the right thinking citizens of this country to protect our country,” Bhaggy added.

In an interview hours after his name was announced by the Office of the Prime Minister as to investigate the procurement of the vessels, Mouttet defended his name saying he had not requested any payment for his services and saw no conflict of interest in pursuing the task.

Hours after Leon Grant was suspended as acting CEO of the Inter-Island Transportation Company Ltd at the Port Authority of T&T (PATT) he threatened legal action against the State-owned company.

Grant, along with PATT general manager Charmaine Lewis, received suspension letters on Tuesday, hours after the PATT board held a marathon meeting on Monday dealing with the award of contracts to Bridgemans Services Group LP for the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2 to service the sea bridge.

According to sources close to PATT, certain evidence came to hand which led them to believe the procurement process for the vessels may have been compromised.

“The information received was startling and blatant,” the source said.

In a press release late Tuesday, PATT said it had launched an investigation into the procurement process used to acquire both sea vessels after receiving new information which suggested the management evaluation committee stage of the procurement process may have been compromised in relation to the time charter of the vessels to service the inter-island sea bridge.

PATT further stated that it had put measures in place to ensure the investigation was satisfactorily executed and that steps have been taken to facilitate the investigation consistent with proper industrial relations practices.

According to legal sources, Grant contacted his attorneys soon after he received his suspension letter from PATT and was up to yesterday locked in meetings with his lawyers. Grant, who has over 33 years’ service, is said to be shocked over his sudden suspension, an attorney told the T&T Guardian.

“Grant has spent his whole life at the port and one of the things he has considered was taking legal action,” a legal source said.

The T&T Guardian understands that auditors of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), upon instructions, entered PATT’s offices following the suspension and seized several computers, hard drives, company cell phones and other electronic devices.

A PATT worker said shortly after the auditing firm zeroed in on the computers, the internet at the office was disconnected and had not been reconnected up to yesterday, impeding the work at several departments. Also, some workers could not gain entry into the building on Tuesday night unless they presented their identification badges to port police.

Some sources believe a letter dated August 7, 2017 that was sent to Lewis, which was leaked to the media, may have been what led to the suspensions. It contained information about the Ocean Flower 2’s failed inspection from PATT chief engineer Brendon Powder.

Powder had ruled that the 21-year-old passenger vessel may not have been suitable to service the sea bridge because of mechanical problems and explosion risks identified during the sea trial he conducted in Panama. He instead recommended that the vessel should remain in Colon, Panama, to urgently attend all repairs prior to its sailing to Trinidad. Powder and a team of PATT officials, including Grant, visited Panama to inspect the Ocean Flower over the period July 30 to August 6.

The source said they had been trying to find out who had retained PWC in the matter.

“Is PWC going to take the personal material that they have seized and hand it over to Christian Mouttet, who was named as the sole investigator by the Prime Minister hours before the seizure? Remember what they have seized is people’s private information they are going with. If they take that into custody, who is going to give them permission to hand that over to someone else?”

The source said this could also be seen as an invasion of privacy.

Yesterday, workers at PATT’s administrative building at Dock Road, Port-of-Spain, remained hush-hush about Grant’s suspension. The few employees who spoke said they were all saddened, as they viewed Grant to be a hard and dedicated worker.

“Today is really a sad day at the office. Many of us did not even know that Mr Grant was suspended yesterday (Tuesday). I worked with him for three years and he always went the extra mile for the company,” said a female worker who requested anonymity for fear of being victimised.

Another employee said Grant’s suspension was not discussed among staff.

“Everybody went about their work today as normal without bringing up the topic because they feel they would be targeted by management. Everyone is staying silent on the issue but really don’t like what is going on. So who is next?” the employee said.

Several calls to Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan’s cell phone and the PWC’s office went unanswered yesterday, while chairman of the PATT Alison Lewis did not respond to a text message. Calls to Grant’s cell phone also went straight to voice mail and he did not return the call.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has dubbed the probe announced by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley into the procurement process for the Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2 as a “public relations gimmick.”

And she is calling on businessman Christian Moutett to step down from the position.

She contends that without the legal authority to enforce the attendance of anyone or to demand the production of any documents Moutett would have to rely on “voluntary participation in his probe by persons who may be culpable,” which would render “any probe into Ferrygate a mere public relations gimmick.”

Persad-Bissessar said “this increasingly sordid investigation mess is now bigger than the ferry fiasco. This is bigger than the collapse of the sea bridge.”

She accused Rowley of “seeking to sub-contract out the work of Cabinet,” by asking a businessman “without any legal authority and who does not appear to have any previous experience or expertise for this type of investigation,” to investigate processes and policy implementation at the Port Authority “which may involve criminal wrongdoing and misconduct in public office.”

As a “respected businessman,” she said, Moutett should “reconsider his position in the public interest,” and not be “used” by the Rowley administration in what she described as a “PR gimmick to sanitise its polluted governance.”

She is also calling on Moutett to say whether his business will be affected by the proposed construction of an interchange at the intersection of the Old Southern Main Road and the Churchill Roosevelt Highway.

If it is, she said, then Moutett and his business will be in or may have already started a protracted negotiation with the government over compensation for relocation, which means, she said, that Moutett “will depend on the State for a negotiated outcome in his favour.”

This, she said, “places him in a compromised position,” and on this ground alone she said he “must step down.”

To make matters worse, she said “we now learn that Mr. Moutett is undertaking this task free of charge. This is a serious matter...It is not about “helping out a partner for free”.

She is also calling for the resignations of the members of the Board of the Port Authority and Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan.

In a media release late Tuesday night the Board of the Port Authority indicated that “its procurement process may have been compromised”. Persad-Bissessar said, “the resignation of the Chairman and Board must be accepted as a minimum condition as we try to flesh out the mysterious and dastardly series of events that have led to this crisis.”

She said the Cabinet and by extension, its committees have the responsibility to demand accountability from State enterprises and corporations but felt that Cabinet oversight had “collapsed under the weak leadership of Keith Rowley.”

Persad-Bissessar said Rowley needs to “bring clarity as to how the Port Authority can undertake an investigation into itself while the Prime Minister and Cabinet purport to appoint a “sole investigator” into the procurement of the sea bridge vessels.

The Prime Minister, she said, must say “who or which organisation is investigating on behalf of the Port and who are they reporting to.”

Persad-Bissessar said if it is true that accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) is the PATT’s selected investigator, then the country should be told on what basis was this company selected.

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan is admitting to being “disappointed” that four months after the new board of the Port Authority of T&T has assumed office, a solution is yet to be found to the sea bridge crisis.

In a telephone interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Sinanan said, “As line Minister, I really would have hoped by now that we would have had two vessels, I am disappointed that we don’t have the vessels.”

Sinanan also said he had no information about problems being experienced with the cargo vessel the Cabo Star.

After months of searching, the board announced in late June that it had leased the passenger ferry the Ocean Flower 2 and the Cabo Star to replace the Super Fast Galicia on the sea bridge between Trinidad and Tobago.

The Ocean Flower 2 never made it to Trinidad and the contract has since been cancelled, but the Cabo Star has been transporting cargo across the two islands.

However, Inter-Island Trailers and Truckers Association president Horace Amede told the T&T Guardian that the Cabo Star is fraught with problems. He said it “is overrun with vermin, the air-conditioning is not working and some of the toilets are not working.” The docking ramp on the vessel is also said to be “inadequate” and has created problems for the truckers. In addition, the vessel is also yet to be certified to carry the number of truckers who need to use it.

Well-placed sources told the T&T Guardian the vessel was configured for cargo and is not licensed to transport the over 100 truckers who need to use the vessel. Reconfiguration of the vessel, the T&T Guardian was told, would “cost a tidy sum.”

Sinanan said no information on the problems raised by the truckers with regard to the Cabo Star had come to him directly, but he had heard of them in the media.

Both the Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2 were leased from Bridgemans Services Limited, a Canadian company. Both are now the subject of investigation by the Integrity Commission and the sole investigator appointed by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, businessman Christian Moutett. The Port Authority is also conducting its own investigation.

In a statement on Tuesday night, the Port said having received information that the procurement process “may have been compromised,” an investigation into the procurement process had been commissioned, and measures had been put in place in order to ensure that the investigation is satisfactorily executed.

Last week, Sinanan announced the decision to cancel the Ocean Flower 2 contract after it failed to meet several target dates for its arrival to this country, which was July 17. A damning report from the PATT chief engineer Brendon Powder had also given the vessel a failing grade and recommended it stay on in Panama to address critical mechanical issues he detected during an inspection there.

Yesterday, Sinanan said the Port Authority will be going out to tender for another passenger vessel, but he could not say when this would be done or the length of time the process will take, adding, “We have to go through the proper process even if it means taking a long time. We will not want to hear allegations as is happening now.”

Of the unfolding events, he said: “In politics I expect anything.”

Efforts to contact both Port CEO Charmaine Lewis and chairman Allison Lewis were unsuccessful yesterday as they did not answer calls.

A 38-year-old man from Tunapuna, accused of using a car to kill a man during a brawl earlier this month, appeared in court yesterday charged with murder.

Joel “Cranky” Burnette, of Basanta Trace, Tunapuna, appeared in the Tunapuna Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with murdering Akeem Reid on August 1.

He was remanded into custody and ordered to reappear in court on September 13.

According to police reports, Reid and two friends were sleeping over at his girlfriend’s home at St John’s Road, St Augustine, when they were awoken by her ex-boyfriend.

During an argument, Burnette reportedly got into Reid’s car and drove into him. Reid was taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. His friends managed to escape and later contacted police. Burnette was charged by Cpl Dexter Bernard of the St Joseph CID.

Burnette’s court appearance comes less than a month after another man was charged with murdering a man using a vehicle.

On July 24, Anthony Sinanan, 37, of South Oropouche, appeared in court charged with the murder of 17-year-old David Sancarro.

Sinanan knocked down and rolled over Sancarro with his pick-up truck after the teenager attempted to intervene in a domestic dispute to allegedly protect Sinanan’s female companion.