Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a woman whose decomposing body was found in a river in central Trinidad yesterday morning.

According to reports, shortly after 10.30 residents of Penn Trace, Enterprise, Chaguanas, contacted police after they noticed the woman’s body wrapped in a rug on the river bank near a bridge.

When Homicide detectives arrived on the scene they noticed a hand protruding from the rolled up rug and called in fire officers to help recover it.

Investigators said the body was in an advanced stage of decomposition and they will have to wait until an autopsy is performed at the Forensic Science Centre in St James this morning to determine her cause of death.

The body was not removed from its makeshift wrapping , which will be opened at the centre by a pathologist to search for forensic evidence.

The scene was inspected and photographed by crime scene investigators.

However, police believe the body may have been dumped at another location and was transported by the river before it became lodged in a pile up of debris near the bridge.

Several groups on social media network Facebook yesterday post pictures of the body, along with a picture of a unnamed 21-year-old woman they claimed to be the victim. But police had not confirmed the victim’s identity up to late yesterday.

While Homicide detectives were on the Enterprise scene, they were called to a murder in Montrose, Chaguanas.

According to reports, around 2 pm, Ricardo Phillip was at his apartment when someone knocked on his front door.

Phillip answered and was greeted by two gunmen who immediately shot him several times. He was pronounced dead on the scene by a District Medical Officer (DMO). Phillip’s autopsy will also take place at the FSC this morning.

Investigators said Phillip was known to police and had recently moved to the area.

Detectives of the Region Three Homicide Bureau are continuing investigations.

Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Minority Leader and Public Services Association president Watson Duke will proceed with his planned “Swim Protest” today despite calls for him not to try it due to the danger associated with it.

During a press conference Scarborough Fishing Facility yesterday, Duke said the demonstration is being done “with Tobago in mind to highlight the many inter-island transport issues that were being put on the back burner by the Government.”

Saying he was ready to swim, Duke added: “Tobago is ready for the opportunity to decide its own future, a simple thing like sea bridge and the air bridge must to be decided by Tobago.

“For 125 years and eight months Trinidad has decided for us and still we have been battling problems after problems. We are saying the time has come for Tobago to be the final decision maker on the ferry it wants, on the type of airline system it wants operating the air bridge, so this is what tomorrow (today) is about and if we are ready for that, yes we are ready for that tomorrow.”

Duke said he had no point to prove.

Apart from Assemblyman Farley Augustine and members of the Fisherfolk Association, Duke was tight-lipped about the number of people who would be supporting him during the swim.

He also sent a message to his critics who believe he will not be able to make the entire journey

“It’s by any means necessary and we will hold fast to that. The idea is not to prove that we are the best swimmers or make the Guinness World book of records, but the idea is to ensure that Tobago is placed on the national agenda and if nothing is done within short measure, short order, what will happen, we may actually be forced to swim and go back to trading using fishing boats and canoes, that is the reality,” he said

Commenting on the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard’s warning that they will not be able to give support during the swim, Duke said he believes that all heads throughout the country had a vested interest in the effort and would lend the necessary support

“We believe that the Coast Guard, notwithstanding their grand standing, would be present, we believe that TEMA would be present and we believe that all of the regional health authorities would be present, because who is going into the water tomorrow, is sons and daughters of Trinidad and Tobago and what are the eventualities, anything could happen, so I believe all right thinking leaders, regardless of the spare of preparation, once it deals with emergency would be on high alert,” he said.

The swim protest is scheduled to start at 8 am from the Scarborough Fishing Facility and is expected to finish in Toco.

Grande Riviere resident Raymond La Croix, the first man who swam from Trinidad to Tobago, is supporting Public Services Association president Watson Duke on his swim today from Tobago.

La Croix, who achieved his swim in 1993 after two failed attempts in 1991 and ‘92, spoke to Duke yesterday, giving him some pointers and how to go about his swim today. He said he felt if Duke pursues and accomplishes the swim, “it will send a strong message and the ministers would listen and bring some solution to the people of Tobago.”

A former WASA employee and father of four, La Croix, 63, told T&T Guardian that for one to swim from Tobago to Trinidad it takes a lot of preparation. He said one must be physically, mentally and spiritually fit because it is not an easy task, noting he had wanted to do it since he was a teenager.

“It cannot be done in quick time, there must be preparation. I am longing to do it again, “ he said.

La Croix said he was preparing for his venture from the age of 17 and was bent on achieving this goal. He said he trained in Grande Riviere.

“I got down into serious training, walk up and down all mountains in Trinidad and my best walk was through Blanchisseuse,” he said.

“I was self-motivated and I went to the waters with God, full of confidence, most important removing all fears. I went out to Toco and the current did the rest, I was actually coming down on current. I had done it for myself not for any fame or glory.”

La Croix said he took 14 hours to complete his swim but was never recognised for his effort.

“It just went unnoticed,” he said, noting he had a special aptitude for swimming.

“I work with water and like water and lived by the sea. It was a great, great experience. I saw sharks swimming next to me, big sharks, but remained calm and did not make too much noise by my swim strokes in the water. I exhibited no fear and believed in God. God made the sea for us we could command the sea.”

On all of his swims he said the T&T Coast Guard assisted him, but admitted that during training he was once stopped by the same Coast Guardsmen who though he was an escaped prisoner.

La Croix said he believes it is easier to swim from Tobago to Trinidad as the current assists swimming. He added that at times strong current and rough water can steer you off course.

RALPH BANWARIE

HOUSTON—Rising flood waters from the remnants of Hurricane Harvey chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground in Houston yesterday, overwhelming rescuers who fielded countless desperate calls for help.
A fleet of helicopters, air-boats and high-water vehicles confronted flooding so widespread that authorities had trouble pinpointing the worst areas. Rescuers got too many calls to respond to each one and had to prioritise life-and-death situations.
The water rose high enough to begin filling second floors—a highly unusual sight for a city built on nearly flat terrain. Authorities urged people to get on top of their homes to avoid becoming trapped in attics and to wave sheets or towels to draw attention to their location.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez used Twitter to field calls for assistance. Among those seeking help was a woman who posted: “I have two children with me and the water is swallowing us up.”
People used inflatable beach toys, rubber rafts and even air mattresses to get through the rising waters to safety. Others simply waded while carrying plastic trash bags stuffed with their belongings.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said authorities had received more than 2,000 calls for help and would be opening the city’s main convention centre as a shelter.
Rainfall of more than four inches per hour resulted in water levels higher than in any recent floods and higher than during Tropical Storm Allison in June 2001, said Jeff Linder of flood control district in Harris County, which includes Houston.
The Coast Guard, which received more than 300 requests for help, deployed five helicopters and asked for additional aircraft from New Orleans.
The director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Brock Long, said the government expected to conduct a “mass care mission” and predicted that the aftermath of the storm would require FEMA’s involvement for years.
The fiercest hurricane to hit the US in more than a decade came ashore late Friday about 48 kilometres north-east of Corpus Christi as a mammoth Category 4 storm with 209 kph winds.
It weakened Saturday to a tropical storm and by yesterday the system was centred about 65 miles south-east of San Antonio, with maximum sustained winds of about 72.42 kph, according to the National Hurricane Center, which described the flooding as “catastrophic.”
One person was killed in Aransas County when in a fire at home during the storm. Another person—a woman who tried to get out of her vehicle in high water—died in flooding in Harris County, where Houston is located, though authorities had not confirmed a cause of death, said Gary Norman, a spokesman for the Houston emergency operations centre. (AP)

Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Minority Leader and Public Services Association (PSA) president Watson Duke yesterday described his swim protest from Tobago to Trinidad a resounding success.

However, he cautioned citizens not to try the stunt as the journey was long and rough.

Duke, along with Assemblyman Farley Augustine and four other swimmers, began swimming from the Scarborough Fishing Facility shortly before 10 am yesterday. He engaged in the protest to highlight the issues facing the inter-island transport system, as well as the Ocean Flower 2 debacle.

However, although he initially promised to swim from one island to the other, he had to abort the idea due to poor sea conditions and swam approximately seven miles before he altered his plan. Duke also fell out of a canoe, which caused some concern for those who were accompanying him. He eventually used a boat owned by a member of the All Tobago Fisherfolk Association to get close to Toco, where he swam to shore at the fishing facility there.

Speaking to reporters in Toco, Duke said the journey was symbolic and well worth it.

“The sea was rough. I will not encourage persons to travel to Trinidad by that means, but it was worth it because it’s really the only alternative that the average Tobagonian has to get to Trinidad ... so this afternoon was very symbolic for all of us. I want to particularly thank God, cause I mean when we left home this morning, we left women crying, husband crying, we left children wondering,” he said

He said the people of Tobago should have the final say on the operations of the air and sea bridge and there must be greater respect for the THA.

“We understood the purpose and we were pushed and propelled by one hundred and twenty five years of suffering and being told by a Central Government in Trinidad what type of vessel we should use, what type of plane we should ride on. So we have decided that we want to make it absolutely clear, from this day forward Tobago must decide, must be the final deciding voice on the ferry service and the air service, it comes with no constitutional change, all it requires is respect for the Tobago House of Assembly and I can’t understand why the Chief Secretary, Mr. Charles, has allowed so much disrespect to come to the people of Tobago. Tobago operates as a state within a state, that why it is a Tobago House of Assembly,” he said

Duke said the time for talking was also over.

“We have been talking for eight months. We have been keeping spot meetings, we have been doing all sorts of stuff, protesting … I am saying we are going to begin a new conversation, a conversation that says Tobago must decide and we intend to deliver a letter to the President, asking for a meeting to discuss the air and sea bridge; one to Caribbean Airlines, asking for a meeting on the air bridge and also the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, asking for a meeting on the sea bridge,” he said.

He said the next protest action would see a large demonstration on the port at Port-of-Spain.

Strong support

Thousands of Tobagonians showed up at the Scarborough Fishing Facility to witness the historic event earlier.

Duke was showered with cheers and applause as he entered the water. Clad in swim gear, he swam for approximately seven miles, passing two markers off Scarborough before needing any assistance.

During the historic swim, Duke described all the swimmers as “freedom fighters.” A banana tree was also planted on their arrival in Toco to mark the event. They returned to Tobago via pirogue at 6 pm.

Contacted yesterday on the swim protest, Tobago Chamber of Commerce president Demi John Cruikshank said his organisation stood in solidarity with anyone who saw the need to bring Tobago issues forward, especially that of the inter-island transportation.

“We commend Mr. Duke for taking a stand and we in the business community are in solidarity with him, in terms that he took the protest to another level, in terms of standing for Tobago in this time of need, so we want to commend him for what he would have done and commend him for taking the stand that he took,” he said

Cruikshank said while it was a dangerous approach taken by Duke, he believes a strong message was clearly sent to those in authority.

“I think the message was well carried by all media houses. If a Tobagonian did not know that there was a crisis, Mr Duke would have made sure today with the stand he would have taken. When you look at the crowd participation, yes he would have gotten his point over,” he said

Also supporting the protest was Inter-island Truckers and Traders Association president Horace Amede, who said he hoped Tobagonians understood the struggle that existed throughout the island because of the challenges on the sea bridge.

“I hope Tobagonians realise what is happening, because they cannot really get to Trinidad. I was in the health centre on Friday and they didn’t have certain drugs to do the A1 c, even medicine for cancer patients was scarce at Bacolet and because of the situation with the sea bridge, so it really needs to be addressed and addressed sooner than later. We hope after today that they will take us serious and realise the urgency of this matter,” he said

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan and the Vice President of Bridgemans Services PLC Andrew Purdey have both confirmed that they have been invited to appear before Parliament’s Joint Select Committee on Land and Physical Infrastructure which is looking into the procurement of the Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2.

Sinanan told the T&T Guardian yesterday that he had been invited to appear before the Committee, and will appear as requested.

The T&T Guardian understands that there were extensive discussions on the situation with the ferries at last weekend’s general council meeting of the PNM when the party’s political leader Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley again spoke to concerns about the procurement of the MV Superfast Galicia.

Asked about the discussion Sinanan said, “I will not speak about what transpired at the General Council.”

Purdey who is currently out of the country told the T&T Guardian he is “looking forward” to appearing before the Committee and will be back to make himself available.

He has already met with independent investigator businessman Christian Mouttet who was appointed by the Prime Minister to look into the procurement of the vessels. Asked whether he had held further discussions with the Port Authority on the Ocean Flower 2 which is now docked in Curacao, he said, “there have been no discussions with the Port.”

Purdey said there had been a “five per cent accuracy rate in the reporting of the local media on the acquisition of the vessels.”

Last Friday the Port issued a statement which it subsequently recalled stating that Bridgemans “initial submission to the authority was made via the Ministry of Works and Transport.” A direct submission was subsequently made to the Port dated April 28.

The Port said it received four submissions from Bridgemans Services Group and two from Ken Shipping and Marine “outside of the official tender process.”

Maritime attorney Nyree Alfonso confirmed last week to the T&T Guardian that she had also been asked to appear before the Committee. She has also been asked to make written submissions by Wednesday of this week.

Former Works and Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz under whose watch the Superfast Galicia was procured told the T&T Guardian he had also been asked to make a submission in writing and to appear before the Commission.

The Committee has also requested that former chairman of the Board of the Port Authority Christine Sahadeo and other Commissioners appear.

Former board member Ferdie Ferreira confirmed that he had received a request to appear and will be doing so. But efforts to contact Sahadeo proved futile,

Part of the remit of the committee is to look at the maintenance contract and Ferreira said he will speak to his own concerns about the contract which this country had with Bay Ferries at a cost of $7 million a month.

President of the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union Michael Annisette, and former Works and Transport Minister Fitzgerald Hinds have also been requested to appear.

The Committee chaired by the Member of Parliament for Mayaro Rushton Paray will meet in the Parliament Chamber on September 4 and September 5. The hearings move to Tobago on September 6, when the Committee is expected to meet with the Division of Tourism of the Tobago House of Assembly, the T&T Inter Island Transportation Company, the Tobago Truckers Association, the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association and the Tobago Division of the T&T Chamber.

JSCs have no power of subpoena and can only request people to attend sessions. There are no legal consequences for failure to attend if requested.

​TRANSPARENCY BODY CONCERNED ABOUT FERRY DEAL

Chairman of the local arm of Transparency International Dion Abdool told the T&T Guardian that the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (TTTI) is very concerned about the issue especially in light of recent statements made by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.

Abdool said TTTI had initially believed that the process had been followed and that perhaps the quality of the outcome was the issue. But he said the statements by the Prime Minister “has now opened up questions about the process and perhaps those involved.”

Abdool is optimistic that the “multiple investigations now underway will hopefully provide the answers to the issues that have arisen.”

TTTI he said had noted that “the issues, concerns, controversies regarding the procurement of the vessels have arisen in the absence of functional modern procurement legislation.”

Abdool is now calling for the operationalisation of the Public Procurement Act “with urgency so as to rebuild public confidence in State expenditure and place accountability on those responsible for public funds.”

TTTI said there are those who “suggest that corruption is part of the national DNA.” It said the present tumult over the Tobago ferry highlights the “sensitivity of the public to corruption.”

Weary of the criticism he received for removing of the landmark clock at Library Corner, San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello assures the public that he will not relocate “The Last Train to San Fernando.”

However, Regrello proposed that the train, formerly known as Engine #11, be relocated to King’s Wharf to complement that upgrade of the San Fernando Waterfront, where work is set to begin in November.

The San Fernando City Corporation and the San Fernando Heritage Trust celebrated the 50th anniversary of the engine being handed over to the City. Engine # 11 made its last trip to San Fernando on August 30, 1965, and later took up its resting place at the Eastern end of Harris Promenade.

Despite being placed there as a monument to Trinidad’s sugar industry and the long defunct Trinidad Government Railway (TGR), the engine began to oxidise and a homeless man had taken up residence on the train. It was in 2014 that former mayor Kazim Hosein got council approval to refurbish the engine. It was supposed to be completed in time for the 50th anniversary of Engine #11’s last trip but was delayed because of the extensive work to be done.

With King’s Wharf being the former location of the old railway station, Regrello said the area holds more significance to host the train. It will also allow more space in the heart of the city to address the long-standing problem of traffic congestion.

“What I am saying is that as the City progresses and we look at how changes have to be made, we are looking at the advancement of the vehicles and how we are over saturated. We have more people now. The City itself has been expanded to accommodate the Ste Madeleine, Tarodale and Tarouba areas so it is more activity here.

“We have to really revisit how we do things in San Fernando. With the waterfront development coming, which was the main hub for the train, we will actually look at the possibility of putting the engine down on the Wharf because it is appropriate as it relates to the area. There is a nexus right there and I think it may a good idea. I am not making that call, the council has to make that call. It would be in consultation with stakeholders to get their views as we develop the City,” Regrello said.

As for the historical clock, he said, it will be placed on the island near Republic Bank, several metres from its original location. He said work to relocate the clock should start this weekend with an electrical connection being made. The cube-shaped, four-sided clock atop a concrete pillar was gifted to the people of San Fernando by businessman Carlton K Mack to commemorate the fourth year of T&T’s independence on August 31, 1966. It was removed as part of the City’s traffic restructuring plan.

A pregnant woman who, together with her husband, stole $153,330 from her employer was described as cold-hearted by a magistrate yesterday before she ordered the couple to pay $186,000 in fines in three months.

Failure to do so could result in the couple serving a total of 181 months each in jail.

Alicia George, 33, a cashier/operator/supervisor and common-law husband Antonio Anthony, 37, both of King’s Wharf, San Fernando, pleaded guilty to 49 charges of larceny by trick in the San Fernando Magistrates Court.

George, who is two and half months’ pregnant, claimed she stole the money to pay for fertility drugs to realise her dream of getting pregnant.

According to the facts, read by prosecutor Cleyon Seedan, during the period January 9 and August 21, Chandra Maharaj, owner of the Master Class Premium Club at High Street, San Fernando, observed a steady loss of revenue from one of her roulette machines. The owner conducted an audit of the machine and discovered an unusual amount of $153,330 paid out to Anthony during that period. She then viewed the surveillance footage and made a report to the San Fernando CID last Thursday.

Around 8.15 pm the next day, investigator PC Crawford went to the club where he confronted George about the report. He told her as the supervisor she would have entered a code for the machine, causing the hydraulic system ​APto operate where she would have had access to the wheel and ball of the machine and that she had altered the outcome as to what colour and number the ball would be placed on. She reportedly said, “Officer, I never take all that money, is ah lil small money me and Antonio take once or twice.”

Crawford then went to the washroom area where he met George’s husband. He told Anthony that he would have placed bets on a roulette machine at the club where the outcome was altered by his wife to ensure that he would win. He reportedly replied, “Boss, I assisted my wife a few times but we eh take so much money.”

Crawford arrested the couple, conducted further enquires, including showing the couple the surveillance footage and retrieving tickets and receipts from the owner. George’s attorney, Annalee Girwar, said her client’s one desire in this life was to get pregnant. However, she said this entailed George visiting various fertility clinics and taking a plethora of drugs, but her salary could not cover her medical bills.

She said a non-custodial sentence will allow George to satisfy her debt and preserve the life of her child.

Anthony, who represented himself, said he worked part-time at the city corporation and sold dried goods.

“I real sorry my wife had to do what she had to do to try to make herself happy,” he said.

He said they were also stealing the money to help him raise funds for a heart surgery.

The prosecutor confirmed George was a first-time offender. However, he said they did not get a proper trace on Anthony because two criminal records were coming up on his name. In passing sentence, Magistrate Chankar said jail would be the easy way out for them.

“You are sorry because your luck ran out, that is what you are sorry for,” said the magistrate, who described their actions as selfish and calculating.

She said that neither looked remorseful, guilty nor sorry. The magistrate said, “She is cold-hearted.”

The magistrate said there was no excuse for their actions and scolding both prisoners. She said they would have continued stealing had they not been caught. The magistrate ordered them to pay $93,000 in fines and ordered the sentences to run consecutively.

If they do not pay the money, George will serve simple imprisonment while her husband will do hard labour in jail.

Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Minority Leader Watson Duke proved his point yesterday by swimming part of the journey from Tobago to Trinidad to protest the unreliable inter-island ferry service.

Many people took to social media yesterday in support of Duke while others doubted his ability to accomplish that feat.

The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard described Duke’s attempt to swim as “inherently dangerous because of the natural ocean currents between the islands”.

In 1993, Grand Riviere resident Raymond La Croix swam from Trinidad and Tobago after two previous unsuccessful attempts.

But long before La Croix’s venture, as history books record a rebellious slave by the name of Sandy made the treacherous journey in 1770.

“Sandy was one of the heroic figures of the period of slavery in Tobago, he was quite a heroic person and quite a personality,” historian Gerard Besson told the T&T Guardian.

Besson said when he heard of Duke’s plan to swim from Tobago to Trinidad he immediately thought of Sandy.

So who was this heroic figure Sandy and why did he make this swim?

According to historian Professor Bridget Brereton in her book An Introduction to History in Trinidad and Tobago, Sandy was born somewhere in West Africa but we do not know exactly where.

We do not know Sandy’s true African name but we know that he was enslaved and brought across the terrible Middle Passage to Tobago sometime in the 1760s, Brereton wrote.

Historian Rita Pemberton in an article entitled “Sandy’s Liberation War 1770” stated Sandy was a carpenter on the Grafton Estate in Tobago.

On November 11, 1770, Sandy plotted with other slaves to seize arms, kill their masters and lead a general uprising on the island in a bid for freedom.

It was the first slave revolt in Tobago and it lasted for six weeks and threw the entire island into chaos.

Tobago at the time was controlled by the English.

“Although only a few slaves joined in, it terrified the whites,” Brereton wrote.

The rebellion began at Courland Estate where one of the estate owners, Samuel Hall, was killed.

A military outpost at Hawk’s Bill Point was also attacked and two soldiers stationed there were killed.

The revolt spread to different parts of Tobago and forced the British authorities on the island to eventually call in reinforcements from Grenada, St Vincent and Barbados.

In all some 20 whites were killed.

“Rewards were offered for the capture of any of the resistors, for bringing in Sandy’s head, with freedom guaranteed for any enslaved African who brought Sandy in alive,” Pemberton wrote.

Sandy, however, was never captured.

According to an article by deceased historian Angelo Bissesarsingh detailing the history of Toco, he stated that runaway slaves from Tobago were a part of the society in Toco.

“Sandy escaped capture by jumping into the sea and swimming to Trinidad where some believe he lived out his life in Toco,” Bissesaringh wrote.

Speaking to the T&T Guardian Brereton said there has been a “persistent legend” that Sandy swam from Tobago to Trinidad.

“We have no idea what happened to him but if as some people have speculated he got to Trinidad it definitely was not by swimming. The truth is we don’t know. We don’t know what happened to Sandy,” Brereton said.

Brereton said she believes that if Sandy, in fact, came to Trinidad from Tobago “it was in a boat”.

“All we know is that he was not captured and he was not killed in Tobago but there has been a persistent legend that he managed to get himself to Spanish Trinidad where he would have been fairly safe because the Spanish authorities if they found him would not have sent him back to British Tobago but we simply do not know,” she said.

One of the leaders of Unruly Isis gang appeared in court yesterday charged with four offences including resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.

Avinash “Krysis” Seepersad, also known as Abdul Wakeel, appeared before Chaguanas Magistrate Wendy Dougdeen-Bally.

Seepersad, 33, of Enterprise, Chaguanas, was arrested by the police last week Wednesday at Circular Road in Enterprise.

He was granted $30,000 bail by a Justice of the Peace last Friday.

His mother-in-law Rhonda Mohammed accepted responsibility to ensure Seepersad attend each court date and also report to the Cunupia Police Station twice a week between 6 am and 6 pm as a part of his conditions of his bail bond.

According to the charges, Seepersad allegedly used insulting language towards PC Anderson Ramjattan as well as resisting arrest as four police officers attempted to search him for illegal items.

Seepersad pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was represented by attorney Fareed Ali.

Ali told the court that Seepersad had lacerations about the body and suffered a broken nose during the incident. The court ordered that the evidence the prosecution intends to use against Seepersad be disclosed to the defence between September 22 and his next hearing date which is September 29.

Ali said the police version of facts was far from the reality of the events and intended to go full trial to resolve the issues.

Almost two years after Jonathan Hernandez was stabbed to death near his Arima home, a 24-year-old man from Caroni appeared in court charged with his murder.

Danny Sankaran, of Kelly Village, appeared before Magistrate Gloria Jasmath in the Arima Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with murdering Hernandez on August 29, 2015.

After he spent several days in police custody without being charged, Sankaran’s lawyers Wayne Sturge and Alexia Romero filed a write of habeas corpus writ calling on homicide detectives to justify his continued detention.

High Court Judge Magagret Mohammed ruled in their favour and ordered police to charge or release their client by last Friday.

Before the deadline had expired, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard, SC gave investigator WPC Alisa Hassanali instructions to charge Sankaran for the crime.

According to reports, around 1 am on the night of the incident, Hernandez, of John Street, Mt Zion, Arima, was walking along Devenish Street with his brother when two men in a car stopped alongside them.

The two men reportedly got out and had a short argument with Hernandez before one of them took out an ice pick and stabbed Hernandez several times. The men returned to their vehicle and drove away. Hernandez’s brother was unharmed.

Hernandez was taken to the Arima District Hospital where he died while undergoing emergency surgery.

Police had been searching for the suspects since the incident and only arrested Sankaran in a bar near his home, two weeks ago.

Sankaran was remanded into prison custody and will reappear in court on September 22.

Former attorney general Anand Ramlogan has been arrested.

At about 6 am today, officers led by acting Deputy Police Commissioner Harold Phillip went to Ramlogan's Palmiste Park home where they informed him he was under arrest for two offences.

The offences are (i) misbehaviour in public office and (ii) perverting the course of justice.

This is a developing story.

Several colleagues of Anand Ramlogan were denied access to the former attorney general this morning as they attempted to visit him just hours after his arrest.
 
The group of four attorneys arrived at the Police Administration Building at the corner of Sackville and Edwards Street, Port-of-Spain at around 9.45 am, where Ramlogan was being interviewed over offences related to misbehavior in public office and perverting the course of justice.
 
The attorneys who said they were there for moral support spent 45 minutes in the building before exiting and speaking to media.
 
While being interviewed by reporters, the attorneys were called by police.
 
They went into the building and exited within a minute before leaving the scene.

Whilst there may be a lot of achievements to celebrate in the country’s 55 years of Independence, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she is saddened by the number of challenges the nation currently faces, noting she feel it's in “crisis.”

In her Independence Day message, Persad-Bissessar said citizens continue to grapple with the scourge of crime and criminality.

“Our journey has been a challenging one; we have faced upturns and severe downturns, and today, unfortunately, we are faced with another sharp decline in our economy. There is a sense of hopelessness in the country, with thousands of citizens struggling to get by, having lost their jobs and only source of income,” Persad-Bissessar said.

She added, “Citizens seeking health care in our nation’s hospitals and health centres are unable to get medication, and in some instances, they cannot get the care they need because of broken or malfunctioning equipment. The recent cuts in education funding have resulted in hundreds of young people being unable to access tertiary education.”

She said she and her team “remain focused” and are developing policy proposals to build the economy, create sustainable jobs and to continue to develop the nation’s human capital.

“We want to realise a knowledge-driven diversified and growing economy; one that is no longer dependent only on oil and gas, but is also strong in the areas of tourism, agriculture, maritime and information and communication technology,” she said.

She emphasised that strong leadership is required to confront the challenges and that it was up to the people of T&T to continue to work towards advancing national development and building a prosperous future.

“We must be determined and unwavering in our efforts to take our country forward, and take whatever steps are necessary to secure the best possible future for Trinidad and Tobago, and I believe that together, we can live up to our nation’s motto:“Together we aspire, together we achieve.

"Happy Independence to all and may God bless our nation!” Persad-Bissessar said.

Two men are currently warded in hospital after being wounded in a shooting in El Socorro yesterday.

Police said shortly after 1 pm, residents Chanka Trace, El Socorro South, reported hearing a volley of gunshots in their community.

When they came outside several minutes later, they found two men lying on the road with several gunshot wounds.

Their attackers were reportedly seen driving away from the scene.

The two victims were taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope where they both remained warded in a critical

condition up to last night.

The victims were identified by police as Bobby Ramlogan, 48, of Prizgar Road, San Juan and Ram Balo, 55, of Bamboo Settlement, Valsayn.

Ramlogan has a house close to where the shooting occurred and police believe that Balo was visiting him when they were ambushed by the gunmen.

No one had been arrested up to late yesterday.

One day after police officers were mobbed by Princes Town villagers, a "PH" driver was ordered to attend anger management sessions for two years for cursing the police in an unrelated matter.

Andy Chase, 34, also called Kevon Charles, of Rio Claro, got a stern tongue lashing from San Fernando Magistrate Kerianne Byer after he pleaded guilty to obscene language and resisting arrest in the Fifth Court yesterday.

The court heard that around 11.30 pm on Wednesday, PC Mark Clement and another police officer were on patrol along Union Road, Marabella, when they heard Chase, who was standing near Smart Shop, use obscene language.

Prosecutor Sgt Krishna Bedassie said when Clement confronted Chase and asked his name he used disrespectful words. The officer then held his hand to arrest him, but Chase pulled his hand away violently. Using obscene language, he told the officer he could not lock him up because "my Godfather is Fitzgerald Hinds."

"Why were you so disrespectful to the police?" asked Byer, who stressed obscene language was still an offence in T&T. "I don't understand why when the officer came to make an inquiry that you would choose to be so disrespectful."

Chase said maybe it was because of the officer's approach. He said he was on his way to make a report to the Gasparillo Police Station because "some people came around me and my cousin." He said his head was also swollen and he was in pain.

However, Bedassie said Chase was taken to hospital but the medical report stated there were no obvious injuries. "Obscene language is an offence in this country and until that changes it is against the law. At the end of the day it is a matter of respect. Whether or not you feel someone has been disrespectful to you, you have to control your anger and treat with the situation accordingly."

However, the magistrate said Chase seems to have a penchant for that sort of behaviour, since he had previous convictions in 2009 and 2012 for obscene language and disorderly behaviour. Reminding him the maximum sentence for obscene language is 30 days hard labour and resisting arrest is two years hard labour, the magistrate fined him $900 on the resisting arrest charge. He has to pay the fine in a month or serve three months in jail.

Noting that he did not learn his lesson on the previous occasions, he was fined for obscene language and the magistrate put him on a two-year probation. She told him to report to the Probation Office department and undergo anger management to learn to control his temper during that period. If he disobeys, Byer said he will have to return to court for sentencing and she will not be lenient.

No one was arrested in Tuesday's incident at Indian Walk, where residents reportedly hurled insults at the police and even threatened to pelt them with stones in protest over the attempted arrest of another resident.

Tobago police are in search of two suspects who allegedly shot at two off-duty police officers yesterday.

According to reports, the incident occurred around 1.30 pm at Sandy Hill Trace, Lambeau, near Daniel’s Den Apartments.

According to reports, Supt Shirley Stanley–Caruth had just returned from doing a transaction at the Auchenskeoch Branch of Republic Bank and went to visit PC Larry Daniel at his Lambeau residence when two men pulled up in a silver Nissan Tiida vehicle and opened fire on them.

The officers were not hit and Daniel, using his personal firearm returned fire, striking one of his attackers in the leg.

T&T Guardian understands that the men escaped in a vehicle registration number PDH 5313 which was later found, parked at Tank Road, Signal Hill, a nearby village, with traces of blood inside.

Police sources believe that Stanley–Caruth may have been followed from the bank.

Approximately 18 spent shells were recovered at the scene of the shooting.

Up late yesterday, no one was held in connection with the crime.

Scarborough CID is continuing investigations.

Anyone with information is asked to contact 800- TIPS, 555 or the Scarborough CID at 639–2515.

A plumber who claimed he stole 13 chocolate bars to give his children will spend the next four months doing hard labour in jail.

Neil St John, 52, of Mon Repos, pleaded guilty to larceny when he appeared before Princes Town Magistrate Nalini Singh. A video of the incident had been circulating on Facebook.

Prosecutor Sgt Shazeed Mohammed said Estate Constable Bissoon was on duty at Persad's Supermarket on Tuesday when he saw St John taking chocolate bars off the shelves in the grocery.

Sometime later the officer saw St John walk out of the grocery without paying for anything and with nothing in his hands. Another security officer approached St John and took him back into the grocery.

Upon searching him, Bissoon found the chocolates tucked inside in his underpants. The bars were each valued at $47.99.

St John offered to pay for the chocolates and asked for a fine. He said his intention was to buy the chocolates for his children, but he doesn't know what happened. He claimed he had been drinking puncheon rum earlier that day.

The prosecutor asked for a custodial sentence, citing the prevalence of the offence and his criminal record. St John had five previous convictions, three for a similar offence, in the last 10 years.

He was only released from prison in March last year having served a jail term for stealing from a business place in San Fernando.

Members of the Joint Select Committee (JSC) on National Security found loopholes in the security apparatus at two major ports of entry they toured on Tuesday.

The JSC, chaired by Laventille East MP Fitzgerald Hinds, visited the Point Lisas Port (Plipdeco) and the South and North Terminals at Piarco International Airport to get a first-hand view of how cargo entering the country is handled by the Customs and Excise Division and security personnel.

At the South Terminal of the airport, where large air cargo imports and exports companies are based, Airports Authority of T&T (AATT) security personnel told Hinds customs officers blocked their access to certain parts of the facility. Comptroller of Customs Glenn Singh, who was on the tour, said he was unaware of the complaint.

A representative of a private courier firm said surveillance footage at the bond could be made available upon request to the AATT’s security. However, the security officers said they needed to be able to get proper surveillance of every aspect of the property as the land and buildings leased to the aviation businesses are actually owned by the AATT.

Officers also complained that sometimes when they reported for duty, they found security cameras were taped off or repositioned. This raised an alarm for Hinds and he immediately ordered an investigation into the allegations. He told the T&T Guardian what he heard was of great concern and would be pursued with much “rigour and vigour.”

“In my genuine view, it is unthinkable that the AATT security, who have the responsibility for security in the airport, are running into blind spots for whatever reason. It is a matter of concern,” he said.

During the tour of a private aviation air freight business it was discovered that sea cargo was brought to the facility to be cleared by Customs and Excise personnel. Hinds and with other JSC committee members, including Prakash Ramadhar and Paul Richards, felt they weren’t given a clear explanation as to why this was done. Hinds asked for a report in writing on all the businesses that brought containers there to clear and the type of cargo involved.

The JSC members were also taken to the airport’s scanner room where they were shown scanners that could detect explosive devices in checked baggage.

At the sea port in central Trinidad, Singh said mobile scanners would soon be in operation at the Port-of-Spain and at the Point Lisas Ports.

He said the reason scanners given to the Port by US Customs and Border Protection in 2014 were not operational was because of the cost of their maintenance. He said the process to have the devices refurbished is almost completed.

It was also discovered that there is an unsupervised time lapse between the Port and the Customs Examination Station (CES) where containers red-flagged via intelligence are directed. Hinds was told it takes ten minutes for a truck to take the container to the CES and if that time passes security is despatched to make checks.

Hinds also raised concerns about the fact that only 15 per cent of containers entering the Point Lisas Port were checked.

The JSC was recently told that the illegal gun trade in this country was worth an estimated $100 million, most of which enters through legal channels. Last November, US$2 million was seized at the Port of Point Lisas.

Upon completion of all tours, Hinds said there would be a tally of all that was asked, responses and questions yet to be answered.

“We hope that parliamentary information will lead to ministers of Government who are responsible for the respective entities—in this case the Minister of Works and Transport—I would hope that he, from the facts that we would have gathered in this exercise, use those facts to drive his ministry and the boards to improve the weaknesses and vulnerabilities,” Hinds said.