The son of a Pleasantville businessman has been whisked away from his home by gunmen wearing police tactical gear. The abduction was similar to the disappearance of hairstylist Ria Sookdeo almost a year ago.

The search for Clint Beharry went late into last night. Video footage from the Born Free Recreation Bar in Blitz Village, Pleasantville, showed two men dressed in police uniform running into a premises with firearms in their hands. Two minutes later, the suspects and a third gunman wearing a blue jersey walked out with Beharry in handcuffs. One of the gunmen was holding a box. The gunmen sped off with Beharry in a silver Nissan AD Wagon. Relatives declined to speak to the media yesterday.

Investigators said there was no warrant for Beharry's arrest executed yesterday and they did not believe that that the men dressed in uniform were police. While no motive was revealed for his abduction, investigators are probing whether it was related to him witnessing the murder of a relative.

On September 22, 2016, Sookdeo, 34, a hairstylist, dropped off her two children at the Picton Presbyterian Primary School. As she drove her red Nissan X-Trail to Picton Estate Drive to turn, a black Nissan X-Trail SUV pulled up behind, blocking her path. Two men wearing tactical gear forced her out of her SUV and into theirs and drove off.

She has not been seen or heard from since.

The brutal murder of former director of the National Museum and Art Gallery Dr Claire Broadbridge at her Fondes Amandes St Ann’s home last week Saturday continues to transfix the nation as her death has sparked outrage and discussions about the perception of the Government’s inability to deal with crime in the country.

Her death triggers the grisly benchmark to the 2001 triple murder of British national John Cropper, 59; his mother-in-law Maggie Lee, 83, and sister-in-law Lynette Lithgow-Pearson, 51, a former BBC television broadcaster, at Cropper’s Mt Anne Drive, Second Avenue, Cascade home.

The St Ann’s/Cascade area has recorded more gruesome homicides that many people have forgotten about.

• Retired Neal and Massy manager Clyde Commissiong, 80, and his 79-year-old wife, Denise, were killed after robbers stormed their Riverside Road, Cascade home on January 30, 2007.

• Brentor Straker, 29, of Cascade, was shot and killed at Mt Hololo Road in St Ann’s, on May 12, 2009. Police said he had been a suspect in the murder of 34-year-old Roberta Patterson, who was found dead near a river at Fondes Amandes Road in St Ann’s, on April 29, 2009.

• Eighty-two-year-old retired businessman Ousman Ali, the founder of the Medicine Chest Pharmacy at West Mall, was strangled at his Coblentz, Cascade home on September 1, 2011.

• Timothy Clarke, 30, was shot in his bed at his Ariapita Road, St Ann’s, apartment and his girlfriend Crystal Grey sustained a gunshot wound to her leg on May 6, 2013.

• “Big Brent” Miller, 38, survived an assassination attempt while driving along St Ann’s Road around 10.30 am on August 23, 2013. He was ambushed by two gunmen who shot him in the chest, arm and lower back.

• Cascade pensioner Donaldson Mottley, 67, was found murdered at his Hislop Trace home in March 2016.

• PH taxi driver Colin “Crabby” Harewood, 35, from Casablanca Road, Cascade, was shot and killed near his home on March 22, 2016.

• Motape Hutchinson, 30, of Ariapita Road, St Ann’s, was shot to death on the roadway on August 1, 2016.

Fear among residents, the elderly at greater risk

The Guardian reported in 2012 and 2014 that residents from St Ann’s/Cascade, an area known for its lush vegetation, quiet and peaceful, had been the victims of violence, frequent robberies and home invasions.

No one is immune from the ravages of crime in the area—from large companies, small mom-and-pop establishments to individuals.A 54-year-old St Ann’s resident who was chopped about his body in a robbery in 2014 said he along with members of the St Ann’s/Cascade community were saddened by Broadbridge’s death.

He said there was a pervading fear among residents, especially among the elderly who were “jumpy” when they heard the news how Broadbridge was murdered.

The resident said that there seemed to be a trend to attack the more vulnerable and he warned his aged and retiree friends to be more careful.

After his attack he stopped wearing jewelry. But he said most of the serious crimes were committed by “outside people”.

He said a police post should be re-established by Queen’s Hall as was done in the past because when it was stationed there the incidents of break-ins were drastically reduced.

The man said when former prime minister Patrick Manning was in office, there were regular security patrols around the area and robberies were halted at the nearby shops.

He said a police presence—on foot and vehicle patrols— will reassure residents.

A local branch of a coffee shop chain, several food places and shops in the neighbourhood have all been the victims of armed holdups which included some of their customers.

Once such victim is lifestyle blogger Michelle Eng Leang who had a cutlass placed to her throat while the assailant took her cellphone and cash from her when she went to buy a juice for her son at a neighbourhood shop in St Ann’s in August.

Eng leang said “I lived in London for eight years and returned in 2011. I came out of one of the train stations affected by the bombings in July 5, 2005, and was living in east London during the acid attacks by gangs in 2011 and I did not feel as scared then as I do now.

“Since the incident I haven’t walked the street and would only go out to shop with my husband. The area has so many outdoor venues but I can’t take my son out because I’m scared.”

On Broadbridge’s murder Eng Leang asked what did the 80-year-old woman do to have her throat slit to make it so unforgivable to end her life when she was in her last glory innings.

Cascade resident Claudia Sheppard, 78, who had been living in Cascade for 50 years had her house burgled twice with six other attempts all in the same year in 2008.

The retired principal said perpetrators gained easy access from the Lady Young Road and the Morvant/Laventille area to perpetrate their crimes in Idlewild and the Cascade area.

Sheppard said two elderly residents residing in the development houses on the adjacent hillside were attacked and she knew of one resident who had his dogs poisoned.

She said the majority of these crimes were not committed by the young men from the area as she knew them all growing up as little boys.

Sheppard said they were more into PH driving, would not commit such gruesome crimes and would quicker look to protect residents.

She said areas like Knightsbridge and Idlewild in Cascade had their fair share of break-ins.

Sheppard said during the last administration when several members from the now disbanded Community Comfort Patrols (CCP) were stationed at Idlewild and did patrols in the area, incidents of break-ins and criminal activity were reduced.

She said they were a great help to the community and residents.

Sheppard said now that the patrols were removed the residents felt more vulnerable.

She said virtually every house in the area had burglar proofing and since the break-ins she had hardened her house with added security such as replacing her louvre windows with metal windows, increased the height of her wall, installed deadbolts, padlocked her garden gate and was one of the first early adopters of Blink Vigilance’s security system.

Sheppard said one resident resorted to hiring security guards, while some were forced to find other ways to protect their families and homes.

MP for Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West Stuart Young did not return the Sunday Guardian’s calls yesterday.

Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday asked mourners to ensure that the eight-year-old son of Lance Cpl Marcus Gay grows up knowing that his father was a hero.

Persad-Bissessar was among scores of people, including several arms of the protective services, who packed the St Christopher's Anglican Church in Siparia to bade farewell to Gay who was murdered in the line of work last week Tuesday in Moruga.

Describing him as a hero, Persad-Bissessar said Gay made the ultimate sacrifice in service of his country and deserved a hero send off. "

Persad-Bissessar, a close friend of Gay's mother-in-law, Kim Quashie, said "When I heard about the passing of Lance Cpl Marcus Gay, killed in the line of duty, doing his job in service of his country, I felt great sadness and fear."

Asking that Gay's legacy be honoured, she said, "We have to do our path to ensure that his son grows up knowing he is loved and most importantly knowing that his father was and is a hero, a man we can all be proud of, a man his son can emulate, a man who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country."

In the homily, Father Aaron Charles said Gay's death left the entire community, including the church where he also served as the captain of the football team, sad. "Sad because of his personalities, the way he lived and how his life was taken away.

"This is a lesson for all of us, like Jesus, Marcus died in service to his country and it is a call for us as a nation to begin to serve again," he said.

Gay's colleague Sheldon Dougan said Gay enlisted in the Defence Force in 2005. "His basic military training coupled with his character and personal drive to become the best solider ever was the foundation of his development into the exemplar military professional he was."

Cindy-ann Smith said her brother lived a life to the fullest and was devoted to his family.

David Scanterbury of the National Security Officers Foundation, also paid tribute to Gay.

Following the service a street procession, with Gay's casket transported in a gun carriage, was held from the church to the cemetery. Media photographers, however, were put out of the church compound by military officers who also hassled them while they were taking photos of the procession.

Members of the public were taken by surprise yesterday when they arrived at the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court (old court) only to learn that it had been temporarily relocated.

Apart from a notice stuck on the building, security officers were advising the public of the change and directing them where to go.

Talk had been circulating for weeks that the old court was going to be relocated for about a week but there was no confirmation.

A public notice about the court’s relocation in Sunday’s paper states, “The public is being advised that the building

known as the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court (Old Court), located at the corner of Knox and Harris Streets, San Fernando, will be temporarily

relocated to the Supreme Court Building, San Fernando located at Harris Promenade, San Fernando and the building known as the San Fernando

Magistrates’ Court (Madinah Building), located at No 7 Court Street, San Fernando from Monday September 11, 2017 to Sunday October 8, 2017.”

The notice further stated that the relocation was necessary in order to conduct urgent repairs to the roof of the old court building. “The Judiciary seeks

the understanding of the public in its efforts to provide a safe environment for all of its customers and staff, and regrets any inconvenience caused,” the

notice stated.

According to notice, the First Magistrates Court will now be heard at the San Fernando Supreme Court between 9 am to 4 pm.

The other magistrates courts, including the Second, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Courts, will be heard from from 12 pm to 4 pm Monday to Friday at the

Madinah Building. Cash services, including the payment of fines and compensation for those old courts will be done between 12 pm and 3 pm while

all other registry services will take place from 12 pm to 4 pm. Other cash services for the two courts at Madinah Building, including the paying of traffic

tickets, fines and maintenance, can be done between 8 am and 11 am .

Twelve T&T nationals who became stranded in St Maarten and the British Virgin Islands after the passage of Hurricane Irma were airlifted out of those islands yesterday.

The rescue exercise was co-ordinated by the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs and Ministry of National Security.

A release from the National Security Ministry yesterday said the Government, in conjunction with the government of Antigua and Barbuda and T&T's National Helicopter Services Limited, made arrangements to airlift nationals who had provided them with their information from St Maarten yesterday. However, the T&T Guardian was told that these nationals will be returning to Trinidad today.

An official request is also being made to the British government for assistance with respect to the evacuation of T&T nationals in the BVI, the release said.

Meanwhile, T&T nationals and other regional citizens who survived Irma's passage began arriving on flights at the Piarco International Airport last night, some of them just happy to be alive after experiencing one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the region.

Antiguan cosmetologist Angie Skerritt said last night she was encouraged by the outpouring of love from the Antiguans to their fellow countrymen and women from sister-isle Barbuda, which was completely destroyed by Irma.

Speaking to the T&T Guardian minutes after disembarking Caribbean Airlines flight BW459 from Antigua, Skerritt thanked God that Antigua did not suffer the extent of infrastructural damage that Barbuda did.

“It was scary but it was not what we anticipated. We had very high winds but no rain. Thank God we survived,” Skerritt said.

“All Antiguans came out with clothes, foodstuff and water for the people of Barbuda. They were comforted, motivated and gave love and faith and that by itself was encouraging to me,” she added.

Skerritt is originally from St Vincent but now lives in Cedar Valley, Antigua. She decided to come to Trinidad on vacation for the rest of this week.

Architect Newton Charles, also of Antigua, said his Hurricane Irma experience caused much anxiety.

“Prior to the hurricane we were getting reports of the intensity of the storm, which was our first of that magnitude. I’m into building codes and our buildings are built to stand up to maximum 150 mph winds not as much as 185 mph and a Category 5,” Charles said.

“I thought nothing is going to stand but we made it through. Sad state for Barbuda though.”

Antiguan Nakeebah James a student here in Trinidad, said she was terrified during the hurricane’s passage.

“I went home for vacation. It was frightening, but thank God I am able to return to my studies.”

Meanwhile, Trinidadian Alicia Thompson was glad to be home although Dominica was spared Irma's wrath.

Returning from Dominica through Antigua and Barbuda last night on Liat flight LI309, Thompson, of San Juan, said after surviving Irma unscathed, setting foot on T&T soil had taken on a new meaning.

She said her experience of Irma was still a very scary one.

"I never looked at weather news like that when I was in Dominica before, because I wanted to know what's happening and which hurricane is going to hit," Thompson said.

She has been trying to return to Trinidad since last Friday, but only managed to get a flight out of Dominica yesterday evening. That flight went to Antigua before arriving in Trinidad.

"It was a bit fearful for me because we don't be on so much of an alert as the islands up north," she said.

A T&T national who wished not to be identified said he came in through Antigua from Jamaica and was “just lucky to escape Hurricane Irma in its entirety.”

Guardian Media managing director Lucio Mesquita wants Trinidad and Tobago to come on board to help those affected by Hurricane Irma.

He made the call as Guardian Media, in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce Trinidad and Tobago (AMCHAM) and Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), continued their drive to raise funds to help those islands affected.

Guardian Media is the parent company of the T&T Guardian, CNC3 and the Trinidad Broadcasting Network.

Mesquita said yesterday he was pleased to be partnering to help with relief efforts, adding it is a funding raising initiative where people can use their credit or debit cards to make donations.

“You help with cash and what we are doing is helping the organisations that are experienced in relief efforts,” Mesquita said.

On why they were asking people to donate cash at the moment, Mesquita said: “I am sure there will be the moment very soon where people will be asked to donate goods, but this will happen when the aid agencies let us know what type of goods they are looking for.”

He said people often collect things for relief efforts from the bottom of their hearts to donate, but it does not help and the thrust is to get things that are desperately needed.

However, he said the current relief partnership campaign will not stop at just collecting cash donations and as part of the ANSA McAL Group, the T&T Guardian will co-ordinate efforts for other items that can be used in the relief for hurricane victims.

Mesquita said when situations of disaster arrive, you must look for the best way to help and allow everyone to contribute in a way that really helps every single person affected.

At least 11 people were killed on Saint Martin and Saint Barts, four in the US Virgin Islands, four in the British Virgin Islands, and one each in Barbuda, Anguilla and Barbados.

“It’s hard not to be touched by the level of destruction on many of the islands. Trinidad and Tobago is not always quite in the path of hurricanes but the hurricanes have been here before, so we have to put ourselves in their positions and how awful it can be,” he said.

He said every donation counts and wants citizens to follow the Guardian Media companies to learn more about how to donate and help those affected.

PADF, which has worked to rebuild devastated communities across the Americas, has created a special portal for any financial contributions.

Join us and make a difference by going to: http://www.padf.org/irmaamchamtt to make a donation.

Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) president general Ancel Roget says heads must roll following the findings of an internal Petrotrin audit which showed operators were being paid for oil they did not produce.

“The OWTU has been consistently raising this issue about lease operators stealing Petrotrin’s oil and billing them (Petrotrin) for oil that they do not produce.

“We always say it is a corrupt arrangement with some top people and it does not do Petrotrin any good,” Roget said in a telephone interview, hours after Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar claimed one operator had been paid US$11.5 million by Petrotrin for oil it had not produced.

Roget wants the Fraud Squad to get involved, saying the internal audit is not good enough “as there would be a cover-up.”

He also wants Petrotrin to properly investigate the audit’s final report.

“Not just audit within the company…an independent auditor ought to audit those claims and to bring to the books all of those who are found to be culpable.

“We suspect because of who is involved in the company that they want to keep it under wraps. We are against that. We are calling for some action on that. Heads must roll. We are going to turn this place upside down because it is really bad.”

Roget estimates that Petrotrin has been losing “billions of barrels of crude oil annually” through the scandal.

Roget said what he also learned was that former Petrotrin chairman Andrew Jupiter “was hounded out of office by the PNM Government,” although he believed Jupiter was the best man for the job due to his wealth of knowledge in the energy sector.

Calls to Jupiter’s phone went straight to voice message yesterday.

Energy Minister Franklin Khan said yesterday he was “troubled” that cash-strapped state-owned Petrotrin had paid for hundreds of barrels of crude oil it did not receive.

Khan made the comment at a press conference at his Port-of-Spain office, one day after Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar raised the issue.

Following a UNC congress no Sunday, Persad-Bissessar said according to a Petrotrin internal audit report, there was a significant difference between the quantity of oil it was purchasing from operators A and V Oil and Gas Drilling managed by Haniff Baksh and the amount it had received from its Pointe-a Pierre refinery. She said the audit team found that Petrotrin was paying the operator for oil it did not produce or “fake oil” since October 2016. It was estimated that for the period January to June of 2017, Petrotrin would have over paid the company US$11.5 million which was in excess of TT$80 million.

Khan said while he was troubled Petrotrin paid for oil it never got, Persad-Bissessar’s attempt to implicate him, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and the People’s National Movement in the matter was “unfounded and ill-advised.”

Asked if PNM had received money from Baksh or his company, Khan said, “Not to my knowledge.”

Asked whether Baksh is a friend of Rowley, which Persad-Bissessar had alluded to, Khan said he could not speak on behalf of the PM. Asked if Baksh was his friend, Khan said, “I know him as an operator in Petrotrin. I worked at Petrotrin. And he (Baksh) has been a contractor in the energy sector for a while, but I would not say we are friends.”

He also confirmed that Baksh’s daughter Allyson Baksh is a PNM senator. Khan said he also had no knowledge the previous board resigned based on the findings of the draft audit.

If the matter comes down to over claiming of oil, Khan said Petrotrin will have to seek legal advice. He said over the years there had been similar complaints with other operators leading to several investigations but nothing was proven. But he said the audit showed Petrotrin needed to “tighten up” on its systems of oil transfer, the accurate measurement of oil produced and shipped and leakages.

Khan admitted to praising the operator few weeks ago because they were recording significant increases in their production.

“At that point in time I thought it was reflective of a system that was working. I make no apologies for that as line minister, I deal with the facts that are before me.”

He added: “I want to give the country the assurance that we would not sweep it under the carpet and it is fully being investigated.”

Khan said the company was granted an incremental production service contract by Petrotrin in 2009, but in January of 2017, Petrotrin commissioned an internal audit into the discovery that there was a “discrepancy between the quantity of oil the refinery was receiving and the quantity of oil that exploration and production claimed to be shipping.”

Following the audit, a draft report was received by the ministry on August 4 and a final report was completed at the end of August and submitted to Petrotrin’s management. Khan said report will be reviewed by an audit committee of the new board, who will make final recommendations on a way forward and what action was necessary. He said he expected the final report in a few days.

Board meets on issue

In a release issued yesterday, Petrotrin’s manager of corporate communications Gillian Friday confirmed the investigation was in progress.

She said it was focused on the volumes for fiscal 2017 and the Ministry of Energy had been informed. She said Petrotrin’s production fields are predominantly in south Trinidad and production from both land and marine was approximately 44,500 barrels daily, which represents more than half of its local crude oil production.

Friday said the matter was reviewed by the new board at a meeting with management yesterday and the board noted the institution of more robust internal controls while the investigations are continuing. In addition, Friday said management has been mandated to apprise the board on a regular basis of the progress of its activities to resolve the issue and ensure greater assurance of production volumes.

There was a low-keyed observance of the disastrous events September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, at the US Embassy in Port-of-Spain.

The United States flag outside the embassy flew at half-staff in keeping with a proclamation from President Donald Trump and staffers observed a minute of silence at 8.46 am, the time when the first terrorist-piloted plane slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center 16 years ago.

Embassy officials said other than that no other activity was planned.

In the US itself, hundreds of family members, survivors, rescuers and officials gathered at the World Trade Center for a ceremony that began with a moment of silence and tolling bells.

Relatives read out the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed when terrorist-piloted planes hit the twin towers of the center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field, hurling America into a new consciousness of the threat of global terrorism.

Many of the 3,000 people who died that day were immigrants who were living the American dream.

Among them were 14 Trinidadians who worked at the two collapsed towers. Their ages ranged from 28 to 59, all of them had gone to work at the World Trade Center. They are: Conrad Cottoy, Rena Sam-Dinoo, Glenroy Neblett, Winston Arthur Grant, Clara Hinds, Stephen Joseph, Paula Morales, Jerome Nedd, Oscar Nesbitt, Anthony Portillo, Vishnoo Ramsaroop, Goumatie Thackurdeen, Boyie Mohammed and Joan Francis.

A Trinidadian woman, who asked only to be identified as Natalie, said yesterday she had a lot to be “thankful” for.

At the time of the terrorist attack 16 years ago, Natalie was employed at the Empire Blue Cross-Blue Shield in the North Tower. On the morning of the terrorist attack, she said she experienced “an inexplicable delay, which saved my life.”

As she was rushing to leave home for work, Natalie said she got a call from a friend who worked on Canal Street telling her that “two planes had crashed into the two towers of the World Trade Center and they collapsed.”

After turning on the TV, she recalled: “I started screaming and crying. I felt a sense of terror, shock and disbelief.”

She added: “I cried for months for those who died and for God’s grace in my life.”

A businessman yesterday shot and killed a bandit who held him up as he was on his way to the bank.

According to police reports around 6.30 am, Mahadeo Gosein, 54, was leaving his Sixth Avenue, Barataria home and business, Sixth Avenue Supermarket, when three men dressed in Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) uniforms stopped him and took an undisclosed sum of cash.

Gosein was shot by what relatives suspect was a shotgun, but then pulled out his licensed firearm and returned fire, killing Allan Walker. This was the second time Gosein had shot an armed bandit.

In February 2007, 19-year-old Reuben Thomas, of La Brea, was shot by Gosein during a robbery attempt.

Gosein’s brother Ravindranath said the father of two girls was on his way to the bank when he was attacked. He said he heard a gunshot and then six to seven more and when he rushed outside he saw his brother bleeding and the dead bandit at the side of the road.

Ravindranath said his brother was operated on and was warded in a serious condition at the Intensive Care Unit at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope.

The dead man, who was identified by his aunt Michelle Walker, was a father of one from Second Caledonia, Morvant, and was was released from prison in May after serving time for arms and ammunition charges.

“I tired talk to him about the life he was living. I not going and put water in my mouth and say he was a good boy. He was a pest, I tired talk to him about leaving people thing alone,” Walker said.

“Yesterday (Sunday) I talk to him and he tell me he get a work in CEPEP starting Monday. That is the job he get?”

Head of the Southern Division and Gold Commander in charge of last Saturday’s Caribbean Premier League final, Senior Supt Zamsheed Mohammed, is maintaining there was adequate police presence during the match at the Brian Lara Stadium.

Scores of fans complained about being stuck in traffic for as long as two hours before reaching the venue to see the Trinbago Knight Riders earn their second CPL title in five years with a three-wicket win over the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

There were also complaints of a lack of police presence on the highway, resulting in chaos as errant drivers drove on the shoulder in order to get to the Tarouba stadium.

Contacted yesterday, however, Mohammed said the sanctioned strength for the match was 144 police officers, which was more than enough as officers were deployed both externally and internally at the venue, which the organiser said was at its full 15,000 capacity for the game.

“During the event I was at the operations centre and I also did some visits around and based on what I saw there was minimal traffic congestion because we had assistance from parking attendants,” Mohammed told the T&T Guardian.

“There was also signage along the highways indicating which lane to take. Prior to the game all the parking was filled and we had no choice but to use the bypass road. We had at least 50 officers outside the venue.”

But former national security minister Gary Griffith yesterday called for total overhaul of the extra duty allowance system in the Police and Fire Services. Officers are paid an extra duty allowance to provide security at events, as requested by an organiser.

Griffith, who owns a private security firm and is also the consultant for the T&T Football Association and the T&T Cricket Board, said, “All the police do is stay on the outskirts, the corners and the corridors to watch the event. There must be a total audit to deal with major events, because it cannot be himself unto himself.”

He said at international matches held at Wembley, police would not be in the venue but rather outside to direct traffic.

“But some of the police here don’t want to do that because they want to see the game. In the CPL game there was a blatant absence of police officers to assist in traffic control and that’s what caused major traffic congestion,” Griffith added.

United National Congress MP Barry Padarath is anxious to return home following Hurricane Irma’s passage through Florida, where T&T-born residents are now cleaning up and repairing post-Irma.

The Category Four hurricane rampaged through Florida last Sunday, boiling down to a Category One storm on reaching Tampa on Sunday night. Two deaths were reported. About 6 million Floridians were without power up to yesterday, according to reports.

“Oh my God—we were pounded from 3 am Sunday to 3 am yesterday—we dodged a bullet,” said Ft Lauderdale resident Oma Harry, originally from Penal.

“I feel like someone beat me up—so much stress! Hurricane Andrew passed quickly, but whenever you thought Irma was over, it just started back up again. It took so long! A lady nearby who couldn’t get into a shelter tried to stay in her car during the storm, but a tree fell on the car, trapping her inside.”

Harry added: “Tornado alerts were going off on our phones constantly. Our swimming pool almost overflowed into the house. We have many broken trees, one cut our house off from the road. It was just horrible!”

Harry said Joyce’s Roti Ship in Lauderhill was used as a hurricane shelter.

MP Padarath, who was staying in Orlando, which was hit by severe flooding, said at least ten houses near him lost roofs. Power and phones were also out.

“I’m anxious to come home once airport operations begin. The level of preparedness and dissemination of information was a good eye opener, which I think we in T&T need.”

Anton Boodan, outside Tampa, had expected the worst since his home wasn’t hurricane-proofed. Yesterday, he said, “Luckily, only some roof shingles were lost since Irma weakened.”

After 90mph winds in West Palm Beach, the Alexander family left there yesterday morning to return to Miami, where their house sustained some water damage.

In Gainsville, Ed Roberts and T&T-born wife Alisha weren’t affected, “but a Trinidadian a few houses away had a tree fall on his house and his car.”

Judith Whittingham and her husband, who were at an Orlando seniors community, said, “Boy, did we ever have heavy winds! Haven’t seen anything like this and we experienced Hurricane Andrew.”

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, whose return after his US medical check-up had to detour around Miami due to Irma, is expected home early this morning.

A&V Oil and Gas, the company named in a fake oil scandal at Petrotrin, says an internal audit report which inferred it is guilty of fraud is “reckless and calculated to irreparably damage” its trading reputation, brand and goodwill.

The company is now demanding an unequivocal statement from Petrotrin chairman Wilfred Espinet and president Fitzroy Harewood by 4 pm today that these findings are preliminary and inconclusive.

Failure to do so could result in “such proceedings as are necessary or appropriate to protect our client’s interest” a warning a legal letter from the company's attorney, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC, warned yesterday. In addition, A&V has given Petrotrin seven days to pay more than US$6.3 million it claims is owed for crude oil produced in June and July.

The company broke its silence yesterday on allegations that it fraudulently collected US$11.5 million from Petrotrin by overstating the amount of crude oil it sold to the company.

Maharaj said while Espinet was appointed Petrotrin chairman on September 6 and publicly stated he had not seen the report, he still made “authoritative statements which implicitly corroborated the allegations of fraud and or fraudulent conduct and or breach of contract against A&V.”

He said his client was not consulted by Petrotrin’s auditors and was not invited to make any representations prior to or upon publication of the report, neither has it been given a copy of the August 17 report.

Maharaj said Petrotrin sent the company a letter dated August 25 which underscored that the internal audit was a preliminary report and that it is seeking independent confirmation of the findings. He said Petrotrin is obliged to expeditiously conduct an independent review and to notify A&V of its findings.

If the independent review makes findings which are adverse, in keeping with the rules of natural justice Petrotrin must convene an enquiry, notify A&V of the allegations and give its counsel a proper opportunity to make representations, Maharaj said.

Maharaj noted that there are 18 operators assigned to the same tank farm at Barrackpore, but Petrotrin elected not to audit any of the others.

The company is also claiming that out of the more than 100 ticket sales certifying receipt of crude oil from the Catshill wells, there were errors on the dates of the low dips on two of the tickets which were prepared by Petrotrin. A&V said it would be “disingenuous and wholly disproportionate for Petrotrin’s auditors to make findings on these two discrepancies.”

The company said it has invested millions of dollars in roads, equipment and support services in a sustained heavy drilling programme, drilling in excess of 38 wells at a rate of one well every five days. It said the decrease in production for June and July was because Petrotrin had instructed the company to stop drilling to allow for inspection of the drilling rig and for A&V to submit documents in relation to the Catshill wells.

One of the two people charged with murdering ex-curator Dr Claire Broadbridge is worried about his personal safety while he is locked away awaiting trial for her death.

John Smith, through his attorney Roland Bain, expressed concern over his safety among other things. Bain, who did not elaborate what concerns his client had, told acting Chief Magistrate Maria Busby-Earle-Caddle that his client was worried about his safety.

He added that his client is on medication that needed to be taken at specific times. Busby-Earle-Caddle said that matter could not be addressed by her but by the Prison Service.

Bain said his client, a joiner, was denied his medication on Tuesday after being in custody since September 5. Bain added that his client also wanted his mother to collect items taken from him by police, namely $1809 and keys to his business in Chaguanas and his vehicle.

Inspector Glendon Charles, who charged both Smith and his common-law wife Virginia Nedd, 32, assured that Smith's mother could collect all the belongings at the Riverside Plaza where Region One of the Homicide Bureau is located.

The couple stood about six feet apart from each other and had separate lawyers. Their relatives also sat apart from each other. The couple worked for Broadbridge for some time prior to her murder. Relatives of Broadbridge huddled together in the back seat of the courtroom.

Nedd's attorney, Darryl Worrell, said his client, a janitor, wanted her relatives to have possession of her cellphone, which the police confiscated.

He added that if the cellphone forms part of the case then his client will like that her SIM card be returned as that is a crucial part of her business.

He added that his client was hoodwinked by the police as she was arrested on the afternoon of September 5 but only made aware that she was the suspect in the murder the following night.

He added that when his client was arrested she was told she was being held in relation to an incident at her work and not in relation to Broadbrigde's death.

The case was then adjourned to October 12 after court prosecutor Insp Winston Dillon assured that the case file will be sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions within a month so that a State attorney can be appointed.

The murdered 80-year-old retired National Museum curator was found by the Fire Service who responded to a report of smoke seen coming from her Fondes Amandes, St Ann's home on September 2. She had been stabbed and her throat cut. After the killing her home was set on fire.

The family of Melan “June” Salvary has extended hearts of gratitude and thanks to the T&T Government for standing the full expenses of the repatriation process of her body and the body of her three-year-old grandson, Oliver Robert Doyle Gedio.

“We are very grateful that we are finally getting some closure,” Salvary’s sister, Emily Pasqual, said yesterday in an interview with the T&T Guardian.

“My sister will finally be returning home and I thank every one who helped us in our time of need,” she added.

The relative added that they can now “breathe relief” and focus on preparing for a funeral.

Salvary along with her grandson and other relatives were in their home at French Quarter, St Maarten last week Tuesday during Hurricane Irma when the house began to fall apart due to the strong winds and heavy downpour of rain.

Salvary while holding Gedio in her arms attempted to run to a closely house of another relative when she and her grandson were swept away by a massive wave that came up from sea.

During yesterday’s post-Cabinet media conference, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young, said the Government of T&T heard the plea for help in bringing the bodies back home.

“We are going to make all attempts to facilitate that,” Young said.

He added that both the bodies would be removed from St Maarten to Antigua and then to Trinidad.

“We will have the bodies removed from St Maarten to Antigua. We will be reaching out to the Government of Antigua through diplomatic channels of communications to then see if they can assist in getting the bodies back home from Antigua to T&T,” he said.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is admitting that A&V Drilling owner Nazim Baksh is his friend.

In confirming this at yesterday's post-Cabinet press conference, Rowley said he also could not wait to call him when the alleged fake oil fiasco involving Baksh's company and Petrotrin first broke.

Rowley, who said he knew Baksh "very well," added that he "did not know what all of his friends would do all of the time," but said if a person was his friend he would not "deny or disown" the person on the grounds that an allegation was made.

"Being a friend means something and we are all to be held accountable for our own individual conduct. And if it is I am expected that I say I don't know Mr Baksh then I will not do that," Rowley said.

He said when he first heard the news he called Baksh only to find out that he too was out of the country at that time.

"When I first saw the report it was shocking news. I did call him and he has denied it in very firm terms," Rowley said.

Asked whether he thought it was appropriate for him to call Baksh, the PM said "of course it was."

"In fact, I couldn't wait to call him to find out what all this was about and he said he did not know," Rowley said.

Rowley was out of the country when the issue was brought into the public domain last Sunday by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

In fielding questions yesterday, the PM lauded Persad-Bissessar for bringing the issue to the fore, saying he would have done the same if he had similar information as the Opposition. But in the same breath, he accused her of "jamettery" in her handling of it, saying the facts should be first confirmed.

However, he said the claims also reflected concerns that there was a systematic failure on the part of Petrotrin not only to effectively tackle corruption, but also to bring people to account.

"I am concerned about this to the point that I am frustrated. You cannot have certain kinds of operations and expect a certain kind of result," Rowley said

But he said said the facts ought to be first confirmed before any decision could be taken to refer the matter to the police or DPP.

"If this particular matter pans out it raises some serious concerns as to what goes on in Petrotrin. Petrotrin needs to be treated in a particular way and in a more serious way," the PM said.

On whether Baksh was a financier of the People's National Movement (PNM), Rowley said he would not be surprised as many financiers of political parties were private citizens.

"If I tell you that I am in an election or the PNM is in an election and you didn't contribute I would take a very dim view of that. The business sector has always made financial contributions but no one ought to be demonised for that," the PM said.

On whether the swearing-in of Baksh’s daughter Allyson Baksh as a senator was a political favour, Rowley denied this saying she was "hired based on qualification."

The final report of Petrotrin’s internal audit probe into the “volume discrepancy” allegedly involving the company and A&V Oil and Gas was finalised and being forwarded to Energy Minister Franklin Khan yesterday.

Khan revealed this in the Senate in reply to Opposition queries on the Petrotrin audit report controversy revealed by Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar last weekend.

Khan yesterday described it as a “volume discrepancy” issue. It has brought the Dr Keith Rowley administration into sharp focus particularly because of alleged players involved.

Questions on the issue posed to Khan by Opposition Senators Wade Mark, Gerald Ramdeen and Wayne Sturge played out in the presence of Government backbench senator Allyson Baksh, the daughter of the company’s owner. (C Box)

Khan said Petrotrin submitted an initial report to him on August 4 indicating they’d recorded discrepancies in the volume of oil shipped from their Exploration and Production Department to the volumes received from the refinery. Petrotrin said an internal audit was commissioned and was continuing then. The report was originally submitted by Petrotrin’s Internal Audit Division to Petrotrin’s president, he added.

“Procedurally, what happens after, is it goes to the Petrotrin board’s audit team for review; then the full board for deliberations and what course of action may be taken after.

“What happened last weekend was this report was leaked and is now in the public domain. So the board met urgently on Tuesday and Wednesday to consider the report’s findings,” Khan said.

He added: “My understanding is due process was taking place at Petrotrin. Serious allegations are being made and procedurally it had to go through these steps.

“What brought this matter to the fore is the leak that occurred last weekend. It’s gotten the whole population anxious about the outcome. I cannot breach due process and due process has occurred.”

Khan said the steps he intends to take on the alleged volume discrepancies, “...is to let due process take place. As we speak the board’s audit team and Petrotrin’s board are considering the report. They, in their own judgement, will determine what further actions are needed. At this point I cannot intervene and will not. I want to be very particular that due process takes place in a matter like this.”

UNC’s Ramdeen’s said Petrotrin had halted a (US)$6 million payment to A&V Oil and Gas over June-July. Khan confirmed that while the audit was being done Petrotrin had stopped payment pending probe outcome.

Khan said at this point, Petrotrin’s board hadn’t taken any decision to refer the matter to the Fraud Squad.

Whether he’d direct this be done, Khan replied, “My position is to let due process takes its course. When the Board makes its official recommendations to me, I’ll deliberate on it, consider our options and will so decide,”

Asked whether he’d refer it to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Khan added, “Due process...I’m following this thing step by step. The report was leaked - by who we don’t know - the process is in progress. Let due process take its course and we’ll determine that in the shortest possible time.”

NAZIM BAKSH, DAUGHTER MUM ON ALLEGATIONS

People’s National Movement Senator Allyson Baksh yesterday told the T&T Guardian the Petrotrin fake oil allegation matter was under investigation and she therefore had no comment.

Her father Nazim was similarly tight-lipped. He returned from the US having been delayed by hurricane Irma last evening.

But sources close to A&V Drilling confirmed their attorneys had earlier issued letters regarding the allegations being made.

Expressing concern about this, they said the company’s name was being called “all over the place” and the allegations were being stated as “fact.” They added the company hadn’t done any wrong and had learned of the allegations in the papers. Sources added that it appeared to be geared to “get at the Government.”

During yesterday’s Senate exchanges on the Petrotrin issue, the UNC’s Gerald Ramdeen unsuccessfully attempted to have it debated as a matter of urgent public importance. It was necessary, he added, since it pertained to one operator - A&V Drilling - and the Catskill production field. He claimed the matter resulted in Petrotrin paying royalties to Government of approximately US$1.86 million for crude oil which wasn’t received over January-June 2017.

He said A&V Drilling continued operating the Catskill field and getting payment and despite Petrotrin’s internal audit report on the issue, Government took no steps to implement the report’s recommendations.

Senate President Christine Kangaloo said it didn’t qualify for debate under the regulation he’d presented it.

Being part of the relief efforts for those severely affected by Hurricane Irma in Tortola has been a “bittersweet one” for two of T&T’s local pilots— Dale Dass and Marcus Deonarine as they have put their own lives at risk to help those in desperate need.

On Wednesday, Dass and Deonarine boarded their jointly owned Piper Aztec six-seater light twin engine aircraft from Trinidad to Grenada where they loaded up 800 pounds of relief supplies, including emergency medical supplies, baby food and baby products. Its destination¿—the severely hit island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).

Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Dass expressed pride and happiness in being able to bring relief supplies to those, who have suffered tremendous loss during the powerful and very destructive Hurricane Irma.

“It was very heart breaking for us going into Tortola and as an aviation person, moreso to see planes overturned and millions of dollars worth of infrastructure completely destroyed.

“At the same time, we were very happy to get in items that are much needed. Imagine these people do not have basic water,” Dass said.

Dass and Deonarine operate the Tropical Interisland Express where they buy and sell planes from light aircraft to medium aircraft—now and then commercial planes.

They are also commercial and ferry pilots and part of a bigger group of local pilots.

But getting the supplies to the BVI was very risky for them as they were warned that they would be “entering at their own risk.”

Not being able to confirm whether or not they would have access to fuel in Tortola, they landed in Nevis, a 50-minute distance from Tortola for refuelling purposes to and from the BVI.

“We did have our concerns especially when you hear on the radio control they telling you to enter at own risk. It was one that we accepted to take and its outcome…successful,” Dass said.

Recalling the last few minutes of approaching Beef Island, Tortola, Dass said when they entered Puerto Rico’s airspace they were taken to the closest point at ten nautical miles before handing over to the tower control frequency for the airport in Tortola.

For them, though, communication was a major issue and they had to communicate with other aircraft all around them to ensure a safe approach.

“With the equipment we have on board it allows us to see other aircraft and allow us to request position, speed, altitude and distance.

“There was a lot of helicopter traffic but all were so helpful to us,” he said.

In the end, Dass and Deonarine were able to land at 7.50 am Wednesday on Tortola’s very short 4,600 foot runway safely and have the relief items delivered.

“On the ground we saw a lot of US military planes delivering relief items. It was overwhelming to see the support from the US military helping,” Dass said.

Dass has extended his services to further help from agencies/larger private companies, who would want to have emergency relief supplies delivered to the Hurricane Irma-battered islands to contact them at tropicalinterisland@gmail.com or 678-5823

Relatives of a Trinidadian woman who was living in St Maarten are now panicking and worried over their missing relative, who has now not been seen since Hurricane Irma ravaged the island last week.

The family’s last form of communication with Aliyah Gill was via a Whats App message, when she chatted with one of her aunts, Jaliy Lah Lum Wai, 63, of Port-of-Spain, just one week before the disastrous hurricane made its landfall.

Yesterday, Lum Wai told the T&T Guardian she is now very worried about the welfare of her niece and her two children.

“I do not know what area they live in in St Maarten but all I know is that they live very close to the coast line. I have had no contact with her and I am very worried,” Lum Wai said.

She added that all she knows about her niece is that she left Trinidad about two months ago for St Maarten, where she opened a restaurant selling Trinidadian food such as roti and doubles.

Gill’s sister, Kimberly, said they have made contact with T&T’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs but up to yesterday had had no feedback on whether or not Gill and her children - Dante and Mina - were located.

“We heard nothing at all, nothing. That is why we are so worried,” Kimberly said.

The relatives are hoping and praying Gill and her children are found alive and able to return to Trinidad as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Trinidadians who were evacuated by Government from St Maarten began arriving home over the last 24 hours. Relief efforts also continue across the region for those countries now trying to pick up the pieces. 

There is the possibility that the budget date may be announced in the House today by Finance Minister Colm Imbert.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley gave the hint at yesterday’s Post-Cabinet press briefing when he said the date was “very close” and within the next “day or two” Imbert would be in a position to give that information.

“A Minister of Finance would probably chose a time like tomorrow (today) to tell the country when the budget might be,” Rowley said.

On the health status of Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie, Rowley, who expressed concern, said, “He is making some progress. I don’t want to say satisfactory progress but there is some progress.”

Cuffie, a former journalist, is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for La Horquetta/Talparo. The PM, however, said the constituency would not suffer in Cuffie’s absence as his colleagues would hold on for him.

Asked what exactly was Cuffie’s “medical episode,” the PM said he could not say.

Last week Wednesday, a release from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) stated Cuffie had “a medical episode” which necessitated his hospitalisation. In 2012, Cuffie suffered a stroke.