Bishop Claude Berkley yesterday urged citizens of T&T to follow in the footsteps of hard-working councillor Darryl Troy Rajpaul who was given his final farewell at the Holy Trinity Church, Port-of-Spain.

Berkley who delivered the sermon at Rajpaul’s funeral described him as “a man among men,” who gave dedicated and committed service to not only his Belmont East burgesses but the country as well.

Rajpaul, 49, a father of three, who was affectionately called “Raj, Doc and Stoppy,” collapsed and died during a football match in his community last Saturday.

Berkley said Rajpaul, whom he did not know personally, left many things for us to uphold through a lifetime.

He said in a nation that has been faced with troubles, financial constraints, cutbacks, crimes, murders, children’s issues and corruption, we can still celebrate his life today.

Based on the testimonies Berkley said he heard from Rajpaul’s friends and family members, he was “a man among men.”

This was after Rajpaul’s sister, Jenna Jobity-Felix, in delivering the eulogy spoke glowingly about her brother being the family’s support pillar and one who was always there for his friends.

Also paying tribute was Rajpaul’s son, Yevan, who spoke about the close relationship he shared with his father and Port-of-Spain City Corporation deputy mayor Hillan Morean.

Berkley said Rajpaul brought people and communities together, while advocated for peace through sports, mainly football and steelpan which he loved with a passion.

“Darryl has left an example for us of what good men are like in the 21st century.”

Berkley spoke about a poll undertaken in T&T a few months ago which gave public institutions way below 50 per cent of productive effort.

“Our productive elements are low. We prefer pay than to work for pay.”

He said Rajpaul never dodged work which we should follow.

“He was a decent and dedicated man to service which we need more of. This is victorious.”

Berkely said people who work hard are often condemned by those who shun their responsibilities on the job.

“But this man, from what I understand called his colleagues to order.”

Appealing to our nation to more productive, Berkley said his parents taught him that hard work never killed anyone, but spurs on the creative juices.

He said for Rajpaul to be described as a “genuine” person was rare in “this smart-man country.”

A Gasparillo man who claimed he stole $40 from a food outlet because he was hungry complained to magistrate yesterday that he was still hungry.

Chris Smith was subsequently sent for an evaluation at the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital after he began yawning loudly several times in the San Fernando First Magistrates Court.

Smith, 57, of Lumsden Street, Gasparillo, appeared before Senior Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine charged with stealing $40 from 4Rs mini-mart and fast food restaurant at Elizabeth Street, Marabella on Wednesday. He is also charged with being unlawfully found on the compound for the purpose of stealing. He was charged by PC Patrick.

Smith told the magistrate, “I was very hungry. You see what I going through right now and I hungry, that was the same way I was feeling on the day.”

“You cannot break into people places because you are hungry,” the magistrate told him.

He has to return to court on December 7.

Over a decade ago Nadia Pooran’s name dominated headlines.

So did details of the murder to which she admitted being an accessory.

The killing of a retired school teacher was described as demonic, merciless and evil by the courts, but Nadia is today saying the true story about the murder is yet to be told.

“He came at us,” she said, as she recounted the moments that led to the deadly confrontation.

It’s all she will say about that incident for now, as she is working on a film based on the incident.

But while telling her truth is important, Nadia is more concerned about sharing the lessons she learnt from a younger, angry and abused version of herself.

“A person doesn’t just get up one morning and go to a bar and lime and decide to kill somebody,” she said.

She admits to being very angry with the victim, but in retrospect says her anger didn’t start there.

A childhood of trauma could be part of the cause. At five years old, she found herself running from men who wanted to rape her. Over the years, some were successful and at 16 she became pregnant as a result.

By the time of the killing she had two children—one was only days old when she was taken into custody. Poverty also added pressure to Nadia’s already difficult existence.

She is now open about the pain she felt then. She admits to rebelling as a young person and bringing pain to her family, especially her mother.

Nadia said the first few months of incarceration were extremely difficult. The only time she saw her young baby was when her mother timed the passage of the prison van along the bus route. She would hold him up for Nadia to glimpse him through a small hole as the van sped past.

It’s these experiences that have brought her to be an advocate for prison reform. During her 13 years behind bars, Nadia earned passes in 15 CXC and CAPE subjects among other qualifications.

On the lessons learnt at that time, she said: “We need to stand out for ourselves and own up. Accept what we did and learn to move on. Forgive self and learn to move on.”

Her experiences as an inmate drive Nadia to help others behind bars. She remembers the attitude of some prison officers and the general treatment meted out to inmates.

“We are already punished by the courts, why further punish us? We still need to eat, still need to go to the doctor, still need love and care and attention, even though we may be a mass murderer we are human beings as well,” she said.

She remembers the threats to cut annual family visits short if women expressed too much emotion upon seeing their children. These are the things Nadia says need to change if inmates are to heal and reintegrate into society.

Since her release last year, Nadia has found that the punishment seems to be continuing. She hasn’t been able to find a job and when her home was destroyed by fire, an official told her she didn’t qualify for HDC housing due to her criminal record.

Fortunately, her personal development has not been stymied. As a result of interventions from her psychologist Keisha Ann Alleyne, Nadia has been able to come to terms with her actions and make amends with those she has hurt.

“I found peace, I found self. Until I was comfortable enough to reach out to the victim’s family and apologise for my part. And I wrote them many times and apologised as well,” she said.

Nadia and Alleyne are hoping to establish an NGO to help others struggling to come to terms with the effects of trauma, pain and the resulting actions. Alleyne said there are many people dealing with the negative effects of childhood trauma and don’t know it.

“Most trauma and the way people turn out today is because of what happened in childhood. And that goes straight across the board no matter what part of society you belong to.”

The two recently travelled to Norway to observe the penal system there. They’ve returned with initiatives they believe could improve the administration of justice here and truly help inmates to reform.

GOLDA LEE-BRUCE

As police continue the search for Nishad Radhay’s killers, his Athletics Central club is planning a memorial run/walk in honour of his memory this Sunday.

Radhay, 25, a doubles vendor, was shot dead at his Balmain, Couva home on Wednesday while preparing for a day’s work.

Police that around 2 am, two men stormed his house and shot him in the head before running off with cash and jewelry.

Athletics Central coach Tony Maxwell Hatt said the parents of Radhay’s killers should take the blame for their failures.

“It’s a horrific incident that is happening too often,” Hatt said.

He said the run was a celebration of Radhay’s life, in which the young entrepreneur overcame being an overweight child, who was bullied by his peers.

“He ballooned up to 260 lbs and at 5’ 7” he was not happy with himself and took up running to lose weight. He was a fit and accomplished runner. As the coach I thought this would be a good way saying thanks to Nishad for his efforts,” Hatt said.

The run/walk starts at 5 am at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva and will proceed to Balmain, Preysal, Gran Couva and back to the stadium for refreshments.

Hatt said there would be two miles of walking then ten miles of running. Participants will be asked to wear white to reflect peace. He invited all other clubs to participate.

“The run will be in memory of Nishad. We ran the route every Sunday and I thought that a run/walk would be a good way of remembering him. The idea came to me last night as I was asked to speak at the wake. I looked at all the sadness and thought that we needed a celebration of life so this morning I started this incentive. We are asking for donations of water and fruits if possible,” Hatt said.

Police yesterday denied they released two Beetham Gardens residents held on enquiries during an early morning raid, in an attempt to quell protesting residents who had vowed to continue blocking the main arteries out of the capital until the men were freed.

In a telephone interview with the T&T Guardian, Port-of-Spain Division head, Snr Supt Floris Hodge-Griffith, said the men’s release was not linked to any attempt to appease the residents, some of whom attacked and robbed motorists leaving the city after blocking the eastbound roads on the Beetham Highway and Priority Bus Route with debris.

According to ACP Radcliffe Boxhill, the men were held and released after they met the necessary criteria. Asked why the protest was allowed to happen, Boxhill said it was a lapse in judgment.

“We had adequate police looking on and after a few hours we saw nothing happening, we decided to leave and when we did they began protesting. It was a false sense of security, but when we responded we cleared everything up quickly,” Boxhill said.

Beetham residents began blocking the roads around 10 am following the arrest of one of their community leaders. Kenneth “Spanish” Rodriquez and Ancel “Chemist” Villafana were held around 7.30 am at Phase Four, as police conducted an exercise. Both men were detained at the Besson Street Police Station and released two hours apart, with Villafana being free after he paid an outstanding $2,000 for a fine he received some time ago.

There was bumper to bumper traffic for hours as motorists fled the capital in droves to escape being trapped during the afternoon rush hour. The congestion was cleared around 1 pm. So bad was the traffic that police turned a single eastbound lane of the PBR to a double lane.

Residents denied they blocked the roads and shot at officers over the arrests, adding the protest was a plea for jobs in the area.

One resident told the media the two men had children and “nothing on them,” so it was unjust for the officers to arrest them.

“They arrest the people just so and we don’t like it so we decide to act on we own. They (police) ain’t get no gun, no weed, no nothing, so why they doing that? People fed up, mothers need jobs, we frustrated plus we getting harassed, what else we would do? I and all come to block the road, I wanted some tyres to light up to let people feel it in the traffic so when they start to feel they (the Government) could say alright let we go and listen to the voice of the Beetham people,” a woman said.

Police said they will have to review footage taken from their drones and CCTV cameras before any arrests could be made. They said there were several offences which occurred, including the hijacking of a garbage truck which was used to block the road. Hodge-Griffith said while she was removing debris from the highway she was shot at and officers will be reviewing CCTV footage to identify the shooters who escaped in the “maze.”

Some car owners reported that their vehicles were hit by stray bullets and police said they received reports that motorists were robbed as they remained stuck in traffic. Some reported that their windows were damaged while some delivery trucks were reportedly looted.

The blocking of the main roadways by Beetham residents is not new, as there were similar incidents in 2011 and 2013.

CoP: No justification for act

“There is no justification for criminality,” acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams said in response to yesterday’s protests.

“This is a straight case of lawlessness by the residents…because of the major raids carried out in the Beetham there has been this reaction by members in carrying out these lawless acts.”

Also responding to a declaration of war on police by some members of the community who claimed they were responding to unfair treatment by his officers, Williams said: “I don’t know too much on the declaration of war against the police, but the police are employed by the citizens to address crime and to ensure that the environment is safe…anyone declaring war against the police would be doing so against the law-abiding citizens in T&T. We all must ensure that we do not endorse and support the lawlessness.”

Williams said the protest action disappointed him as he thought the community was beginning to change in a positive manner.

“Just this morning I was sharing with my wife that Beetham and Sea Lots seems to be improving and now hearing and seeing this has me so shocked. The residents have now set back themselves by this.”

With more threats for continued protest action, Williams gave the assurance there would be a continued heavy presence of police and soldiers. Up to late last night heavily armed police and soldiers remained in the community in a bid to ensure peace and bring a sense of safety to the travelling public.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday declined to answer questions about what Government will be doing to do to stop the Beetham Garden community from rioting in future.

Rowley was approached by the T&T Guardian hours after the Beetham residents blocked the roadway, threw missiles at motorists and robbed them, causing panic along the Beetham Highway.

Asked about the rioting before the opening of the Point Lisas Business Park in Couva yesterday, Rowley said, “Where are you standing? In Couva, well don’t ask me about Beetham. I am here to talk about Couva.”

However, Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis said Government cannot condone lawlessness such as what occurred on the Beetham Highway.

“The police have arrested two gang leaders and that kind of reaction we saw is not a reaction that the Government can condone because it is lawlessness and as a consequence, we cannot tolerate this,” Robinson-Regis said.

“The police were carrying out their duties lawfully. The police reacted to what took place today. The Government cannot condone that, it is not in keeping with lawful behaviour and it cannot be condoned.”

Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon also said Rowley, as head of the National Security Council and Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon have been dealing with these matters of security on a daily basis.

“We take these reports with a level of seriousness and I have every confidence it will be dealt with. Police are doing their jobs and the population has to understand that,” Gopee-Scoon said.

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Kazim Hosein said community programmes were needed to change the mindset of people.

“This has to start in the nation’s schools. We have to reach out to the young ones,” Hosein said.

Comedian Nikki Crosby, who was yesterday caught up in the protest along the Beetham Highway, broke down in tears as she relived the trauma she went through when she saw boulders being thrown at her vehicle.

This was the second traumatic incident for her, she having been robbed less than three months ago while with her husband.

Taking to social media in a video last evening, Crosby said she was not okay “experiencing this as a woman, alone, I was terrified…I sat in my Hilux and watch two boys throwing two boulder size stones at my vehicle and looking and waiting for them to hit but they missed every time…I have never been so petrified in my life…I got home and couldn’t stop vomiting.”

She said when the boys turned to collect more boulders she recovered from her “frozen state” and drove off.

“I want to know how much more am I supposed to take as a Trinidadian living in sweet T&T…I am an entertainer, a comedian, I am supposed to make you guys laugh and you supposed to make me laugh because there is nothing for me to laugh about,” an emotional Crosby said.

She blamed the politicians for the state the country is in.

“I blame every politician because they are taking advantage of us…this country don’t love me…it raping me, abusing me, robbing me and traumatising me - every day I cry for children in this country and women and feel so hopeless.”

Crosby said she believes because of the powerful prayers she did yesterday morning before venturing out she was protected her during the ordeal and urged T&T to pray.

“Pray T&T…this is what we need to do,” Crosby said.

With T&T facing a public debt of $93 billion, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday urged contractors, investors and business owners to give back to T&T by assisting with the reconstruction of Port-of-Spain General Hospital and the ANR Robinson Airport terminal in Tobago.

Delivering the feature address at the Edan K Point Lisas Business Park project launch in Couva, Rowley said many contractors and business owners became immensely wealthy because of the opportunities given to them by the State.

“I don’t know how wealthy you are. You know how much you own. During the period when things were good, a number of persons and entities - contractors, investors, businessmen - would have done extremely well and today are in control of significant resources which country desperately needs now,” Rowley said.

He said Government could no longer find money to do important projects and was looking towards the private sector for assistance. He revealed that Cabinet had taken a decision to provide Build, Own, Lease and Transfer (BOLT) opportunities to the private sector.

“The largest hospital block in the country has been condemned and this Government is required to replace that hospital block, 500 beds. We do not have the cash to hire a contractor. We have to find another way so we took a decision in Cabinet that we will Build, Own, Lease Transfer,” Rowley said.

“If you have the resources, here is an opportunity to come in and build the property, own it and lease it to the Government. The lease over time will cover the cost of your investment and give you profits and at the end of a period of time, the property returns to the State.”

He added that Tobago also has to build its tourism so reconstructing the airport terminal was also a necessity.

“We will go a similar way with the ANR Robinson Terminal building. We are talking about expanding that,” Rowley contended.

Saying government was struggling to pay its public debt as well as meet with expenditure, Rowley called on the private sector to spend some of its money towards building T&T.

He also lauded Edan K’s executive director Nyal Khan for building an industrial estate to encourage private sector opportunities.

The State’s case involving Oropouche MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, State employees and contractors in the Estate Management and Business Development Company Ltd (EMDB) lawsuit is now focused on a trail of text messages, which has unearthed job placements, a Housing Development Corporation house being awarded without proper procedure and cheques being collected on behalf of contractors.

The wad of text messages was filed in the High Court by the State on November 20 in a case which is focusing on alleged impropriety and collusion.

In the filed document the State will be using to argue its case against Moonilal and former EMDB CEO Gary Parmassar, it alluded to alleged improper behaviour between Parmassar and Moonilal. Contractors Namalco Construction Service Ltd, LCB Contractors Ltd, TN Ramnauth and Company Ltd, Mootilal Ramhit and Sons Contracting Ltd, Kall Company Ltd and Fides Ltd are also named as defendants, with the State moving to recover approximately $165 million.

The text messages were sought through an extraction report.

In a November 3, 2014 text message to Moonilal’s cellphone, Parmassar, who was acting EMDB CEO, allegedly asked Moonilal, who was line minister of EMBD at the time, to be appointed CEO. Another text message showed that on January 21, 2015, Parmassar forwarded his HDC reference number to Moonilal via a text message asking for assistance in obtaining a single family unit home at Oasis Green, Egypt Village, Chaguanas. At that time, Moonilal was housing minister. Paramassar was allegedly advised by Moonilal not to collect the keys to his new home at an April 26, 2015 key distribution ceremony at Oasis Green.

In two texts in December and January, Moonilal allegedly asked Parmassar to prepare cheques for two separate contractors. There were also text messages Moonilal sent to Parmassar at different times asking that jobs be given to four women.

Contacted yesterday on the allegations and information allegedly contained in the text messages, Moonilal said the allegations raised in the filed document was nothing new and it was a case of fabricated text messages to build a case against him.

“They have not been able to show screen shots of the text messages to verify by a server. They have published what they have cut and paste to create a narrative and it may be fabricated as well to suit their interest. It is very difficult. My lawyers are dealing with the matters. The question is really if anything is admissible in a court of law in the first place.”

He said the People’s National Movement (PNM) was on a political witch hunt to smear his name, adding the bigger question was whether the EMBD acted unlawfully at any time.

Saying at no time has the EMBD accused him of taking a bribe for his personal benefit, Moonilal said, “What they are accusing me of is being efficient by communicating with contractors and managers.”

As for requesting contractors’ cheques from the EMDB, Moonilal said they would have no record of such.

“That is a complete lie. What would I do with the cheques? At no time I have collected cheques.”

As for Parmassar asking to be appointed CEO, Moonilal said he did in fact express an interest, likewise other people.

“At all times there was a process for it to be done…through a board of directors. What is fascinating about this case is that they are talking about all types of crimes but they have not brought one director of the EMBD board before the court.”

Also contacted yesterday, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC, who is representing Kallco, TN Ramnauth, Fides and Mootilal, said he was recently retained by these contractors and had not looked at the documents, but promised to issue a statement soon on the matter.

Brave residents pursued three bandits who invaded the home of four Cuban nationals and managed to capture one of the suspects.

Police said that around 11.40 pm Thursday, Carlos Lewis Bosca, 22, Babalo Bernard, 51, Osmani Toledo, 24 and Ernesto Molina, 24 were at their home along Leotard Street, San Fernando. Their front door was open, making easy for the three bandits, one with a gun, to enter the house. The men were tied up with plastic straps and shoelaces as the bandits foraged for valuables.

Cash, mobile phones and jewelry totalling $12,000 were stolen. Villagers heard the commotion and saw the suspects running along Leotaud Street. They chased the suspects and held a 32-year-old man from St Clements, Ste Madeleine.

The suspect was pointed out by the victims and several stolen items were recovered. The suspect was expected to be charged with robbery with violence yesterday while the search for his accomplices continued.

Also on Thursday night, the same team of officers arrested a 32-year-old La Romaine man who was wanted for several allegations of grievous sexual assault, as well as robbery, and other outstanding warrants in the Northern Division police district.

The man, who was arrested during an operation in La Romaine, was being pursued for over a year.

The Government monthly subvention for the University of T&T (UTT) was delivered late and fell short of over $6 million in October. November’s subvention is yet to be received.

This was the explanation given to UTT staff yesterday by its president Professor Sarim Al-Zubaidy as to why staff was not paid yesterday.

In a memo sent out on Thursday, staff was told that they would be paid on November 29. The reason given was because of the current financial situation.

Staffers and unionised members protested the late pay during at the O’Meara Campus in Arima expressing their disgust and disappointment.

In response, Al-Zubaidy said that UTT usually received a monthly subvention of $16.7 million, however, for the month of October they only got $10 million.

“This was received in November. As you would imagine, this figure has caused the university much concern as payroll accounts for over 70 per cent of our overall money spend,” Al-Zubaidy said.

“The situation for November is made even more serious when one considers that we have not yet received our monthly subvention from the Government and we have been informed that this will also be TT$10 million,” he added.

Al-Zubaidy said he was unhappy to see staff upset and inconvenienced but added that November’s late disbursement could have in no way be avoided.

He said the UTT is working with speed to help alleviate the problem and asked for the patience of staff members in the interim.

The Public Service Association (PSA)’s election on Monday has been postponed.

Team Fixers, one of the four slates vying for the election, yesterday obtained an injunction stopping it due to alleged irregularities in the list of voters prepared by the PSA’s elections committee.

Delivering a nine-page judgment in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday, High Court Judge Frank Seepersad ruled that the group led by PSA presidential candidate Solomon Gabriel had raised valid claims which have to be determined before the election is allowed to proceed.

Seepersad also stated that the election could not be allowed to proceed as it may render an unjust result which would prove difficult to rectify if the slate is eventually successful in its substantive claim against the elections committee.

“Serious issues have been raised in this matter and damages will not be an adequate remedy if the election is allowed to proceed and it is established at trial that the list of voters was flawed and/or compromised and/or its formulation violated provisions of the constitution,” Seepersad said.

“Such a course of action will occasion immense damage to the union’s reputation and seriously compromise the membership’s confidence in the election results,” he added.

In their lawsuit the group are contending that the list of voters is fundamentally flawed due to a decision taken by the union’s general council on October 5, to allow PSA members with union dues arrears to be allowed to vote if they clear their arrears before the election.

Almost 300 members reportedly made use of the allowance. The PSA has approximately 14,000 members.

The group contends the decision is illegal as the PSA’s constitution only allows members, who are in good financial standing for over a year, to vote.

As part of his decision on the injunction, Seepersad ordered that the general council disclose the minutes of the meeting to the group as it forms an integral part of their claim.

Immediately after Seepersad gave his decision, incumbent president Watson Duke stormed out of the courtroom with members of his Game Changers team.

A usually outspoken Duke refused to speak to reporters when approached outside the court.

Members of the two other teams-Sentinels and United Public Officers- were present in court but were mere observers as they did not file any legal action.

Speaking with reporters after the decision, Gabriel said they were not surprised by the court’s decision.

“It was wrong what was happening and we are happy we have a reprieve now to put this in the right place,” Gabriel said.

The group was represented by Raisa Caesar, while John Heath represented the elections committee.

The substantive case has been adjourned the case until Tuesday when it will come up before trial judge Nadia Kangaloo for case management hearing.

Oropouche MP Roodal Moonilal has queried whether money laundering occurred with the HDC’s February sale of a $4.5m Victoria Keys penthouse unit.

Speaking on a motion which he piloted in Parliament yesterday, Moonilal named a person who he said was known to the police. He said the person was said to be a victim of many things, from robbery to cheque issues and an accident.

He called on the Government to say if the person was also a victim of a money-laundering probe. Moonilal asked if Housing Minister Randall Mitchell knew the person. He said if the HDC continues like that it would be subject to money laundering.

He said others who obtained Victoria Keys units included an official from the Prime Minister’s office, a Udecott official, a Petrotrin Board member and former Permanent Secretaries.

Moonilal also called for a probe of how auditing firm PWC was recruited to audit the HDC in December 2015—and began seizing staff computers since then—although the HDC Board only approved PWC’s recruitment in January 2016. He queried why PWC was paid US$138,250 for doing a local audit.

He read alleged text messages between Minister Stuart Young and a PWC official and HDC CEO Brent Lyons which he said showed collusion. He said communication on the matter went to Young and not the Housing Minister and a similar occurrence regarding Young and PTSC was already under probe.

Moonilal said he’s taking the PWC issue to the Integrity Commission and police.

However, Housing Minister Randall Mitchell said the person whose name Moonilal raised would deal with him “at the appropriate time.” He said the Housing Minister was never involved in the sale of land at any time. Mitchell added HDC has been operating with the Financial Intelligence Agency to ensure all open market matters are subject to FIU regulations.

Mitchell queried what tendering procedures were done when the People’s Partnership invited a US IT auditing firm to have State accommodation at Federation Villas for the 2013 Emailgate matter.

Former People’s Partnership Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal and the former Housing Development Corporation managing director had both been noted, during the PP’s term in office, in photos with, and speaking about, one of the people who were arrested in Thursday’s Beetham protests.

Housing Minister Randall Mitchell pointed this out yesterday in Parliament, after Moonilal piloted a motion which accused Government of failing to implement a viable housing policy and affordable housing. Moonilal had also spoken about Thursday’s Beetham protests.

But Mitchell said he remembered seeing Moonilal’s photograph in the media, during the last term, with one of the people arrested in the Beetham protest.

“‘Ooohhh! ‘Spanish’...” PNM MPs confirmed.

Mitchell said former HDC managing director (Jearlean John) was also in the press “... congratulating ‘Spanish’ as one of the best contractors in East Port-of-Spain.”

Moonilal, in piloting his motion, criticised the Prime Minister’s initial reaction to the protests, noting he held a media briefing 24 hours later to “buff” Beetham.

“But he gave no new plan or policy to engage constituents. Engaging them with training, culture and sports is very important to empower people,” Moonilal said.

He said the protest showed people feel alienated.

—Gail Alexander

Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams has identified “a gap” in terms of police response and the timeliness of that response to Thursday’s outbreak of violence at Beetham Gardens, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon said during yesterday’s Parliament sitting.

Dillon said police had attempted to arrest two people at Beetham and had been “on the ground” when the protests occurred. But he said they “had to call for reinforcement” and dealt with the matter as quickly as possible.

“With respect to the events that happened (Thursday), the T&T Police Service has had lessons learned (from this) and is well prepared to treat with any eventualities in the future,” Dillon added in response to questions from the Opposition.

Dillon said from a law enforcement perspective, the reason for the eruption of violence was directly based on police arresting two individuals in the Beetham and the reaction of the citizens (there) in support of those two.

He said “zero tolerance” was proposed for any type of behaviour affecting the public. He also said there was no comparison with the events of 1990, but security agencies had plans to treat with matters like 1990’s.

Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, as National Security Council chairman, had given Williams directions - at a meeting yesterday morning - to handle the Beetham matter.

Dillon said joint police/Defence Force and other security agencies’ activities would heighten over Christmas into Carnival 2018 at malls, shopping sites and on highways. There will also be increased DUI and speed testing and Customs officers will heighten services to deal with possible illegal goods entering T&T.

During his contribution, former housing Minister Roodal Moonilal said several crime hotspots were among Housing Development Corporation locations. He said the People’s Partnership Government had interacted with people in Beetham, Laventille and Morvant.

“We were there, we had refurbishing programmes, painting, grass cutting, light-bulbs were changed every Christmas,” he said, adding the PP had community programmes like “Colour Me Orange” and Hoop of Life” and people were mobilised and obtained opportunities for work.

“That helps to keep people together. In Beetham we brought (basket-baller) Shaquille O’Neal for the Hoop of Life programme, the former prime minister called it the Hope of Life Programme.” Moonilal criticised the Prime Minister’s initial reaction to the protests, noting he held a media briefing 24 hours later to “buff” Beetham.

But current Housing Minister rebutted Moonilal’s claims about using social programmes to fight crime.

“We now have information that when he (Moonilal) was minister he paid the ‘coward tax’ to keep a false sense of peace in East Port-of -Spain. All the Life Sport and ‘Hoop of Life’ and ‘Colour Me Orange’ programmes was payment to the criminal element and we’re now reaping the ‘rewards’ and the National Security Minister now has to deal with this!” Mitchell added to UNC MP’s denunciation.

Fuelled by the memories of her brother being killed and the hope of a better future for her daughters, People’s National Movement Chaguaramas/Point Cumana councillor Akeilah Glasgow painted a love heart over a graffiti on her road acknowledging Scorpion Alley in Carenage as territory belonging to the “Rasta City” gang.

Speaking to the T&T Guardian about the reason for her act on Thursday night, a few feet from where the sign was painted, Glasgow said she was propelled to act because of her understanding of Rasta City’s influence as one of the largest criminal gangs in the country.

Saying it was time for citizens to take a stand against crime, Glasgow said she took her mother’s red paint and fashioned a misshaped love heart over the words “Rasta City” and nicknamed the lane “Love Lane,” as that is what should be promoted at the time when some communities are being overrun by crime.

Following in her footsteps, another unnamed resident painted over a wooden lamppost which had the words “Hell Town” painted on it in cream-coloured paint.

Glasgow said the mother of one of the children who painted the sign on the road later telephoned her and thanked her for doing what she did and apologised on behalf of her child.

“In our community we don’t have Rasta and Muslim, is only idle children doing this,” Glasgow said, admitting no one in the area was actually affiliated with gang activity but that it had been inculcated in them through the media.

“I am taking a stand to encourage people, we have to nip it in the bud. And as mothers she need to encourage the youth that they can do it legally, it really not making sense.”

Glasgow said in 2008 her younger brother Darryl was murdered, a case which remains unsolved. She admitted the community was once a violent place, but said it is now peaceful and she is hoping it remains that way so her daughters will be proud to stay and live there.

She said she lives with the peace that her doors are never locked and the words Rasta City carry such a negative connotation that merely seeing it in the middle of the road to and from home was enough to want her to get rid of it.

“I believe I saved somebody’s life. This has nothing to do with politics, it has to do with me being a mother and wanting the best for my children,” she said.

Glasgow said she is also not afraid of any repercussion for her stance. She posted in fact herself painting over the territorial markings on Facebook and up to the time of the interview it had earned 960 and garnered hundreds of comments, most of them supportive and encouraging.

Yesterday, however, she said her action was not done for the likes but to share hope to her community and others.

Speaking on the havoc caused by residents of Beetham Gardens on Thursday following the arrests of community leaders Kenneth “Spanish” Rodriquez and Ancel “Chemist” Villafana, Glasgow said everything that happened was illegal and it seemed the priorities of the people were “damaged.” She added that she believes in communities coming together, but supported Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s statement that their behaviour should not be condoned.

(See Page A5)

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday defended his refusal to address the Beetham Gardens protest during a function on Thursday, saying what was portrayed was in fact not what occurred.

Rowley was approached at the opening of the Point Lisas Business Park in Couva on Thursday, hours after the Beetham residents blocked the roadway, threw missiles at motorists and robbed them, causing panic along the Beetham Highway.

But his response then was: “Where are you standing? In Couva, well don’t ask me about Beetham. I am here to talk about Couva.”

In defending his position yesterday, however, Rowley said he was in the middle of a conversation with three people in Couva “when someone unknown to me…without identifying herself stuck a microphone in my face, in the middle of a sentence, to ask me for an interview on a subject.”

At that moment, Rowley said he was not prepared to address the issue and the reporter would not take a quiet gesture.

In his way, Rowley said that was not how things are done since he has been most accessible to the media and does not shy away from questions.

“What I expect is a little bit of good manners and a little bit of consideration in situations like that. That is simply what happened. I simply said I am in Couva dealing with the issue in Couva. I don’t know what the problem is from there.”

But T&T Guardian journalist Radhica De Silva shared a different story after hearing the PM’s account, saying she was never discourteous to Rowley. She said the PM was greeting people at the function and came over to her and shook her hand. De Silva said Rowley did not immediately recognise her and perhaps thought she was from the business community, but she soon identified herself and sought to get a comment on the Beetham issue.

“I identified myself to him as Radhica from the Guardian and told him I wanted to ask some questions. I was very courteous. He never indicated that he was not taking any questions and I asked him about Beetham first and that was the response he gave.”

De Silva said when the PM responded in this fashion on the Beetham incident, she then directed questions about Couva, but Rowley also did not answer those.

“At no time did I stick a tape recorder in Rowley’s face,” De Silva insisted. —SHALIZA HASSANALI

Criminal elements have been intercepting State resources directed to needy communities, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said at a press conference yesterday.

“I would not be fooling you or myself to say that is not happening in some areas and some instances,”Rowley said in response to questions on how Government intends to deal with State contracts being awarded to community leaders, which in turn empower and enrich them and lead to more criminal activity.

The issue, Rowley said, has to be dealt with to ensure that communities are supplied with relief they require.

Last year, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) awarded a contract to Sea Lots community leader Cedric Burke for the Bon Air South housing project. Burke is one of the contractors involved in building 60 town houses projected to cost $48 million.

Burke’s uninvited attendance to the swearing-in ceremony of Port-of-Spain South MP Marlene McDonald in July led to her firing as Public Utilities Minister days after her reappointment to a Cabinet post by Rowley.

In 2013, the HDC had also dismissed community activist Kenneth “Spanish” Rodriquez’s role as either a contractor or sub-contractor on a state project.

Yesterday, Rowley said some communities depend heavily on Government’s intervention and if the criminal element is allowed to benefit from it instead, those who truly need it will be denied.

He said the Government has to simply keep reviewing its allocation process and try to ensure that they help those in need to “minimise or eliminate, if possible, that kind of development.”

Admitting criminality gets in the way of the State’s allocation and the lawful recipient, Rowley said, “It would be a mistake indeed in communities to support and strengthen the criminal element by demanding state help if that state help is only to come to them... to criminal local empires. This only gets worse and creates more hardship for communities.”

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in condemning the lawlessness that took place in two Port-of-Spain communities on Thursday, and is warning criminals his Government will not tolerate anarchy.

He said criminals would not be allowed to make their own rules to create “a hell for us” law-abiding citizens.

The warning came at a joint press conference the PM held with National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair, yesterday, a day after Beetham Gardens residents blocked the Beetham Highway and Priority Bus Route with debris and threw missiles at motorists following the arrest of two residents, while residents protested at Clifton Towers, St Paul Street.

At Clifton Towers, Rowley said some home owners were chased out of their homes while others faced house invasion by people who had no respect for law and order.

The PM said the Beetham residents act had the effect of shutting down the city, terrorising those whose movements became restricted and left many traumatised and “will not and must not be tolerated by the national community regardless of the circumstances that may prevail in communities. There is no excuse for the lawlessness that we saw yesterday (Thursday).”

Rowley noted that a message was also sent that the police were not welcomed in these communities, but he said it was not feasible or affordable to put a police post in every community.

“What happened yesterday could have easily turned out quite nasty. Because if officers had reacted differently, these are people who are armed with dangerous weapons in defence of their persons and other citizens… this situation could have easily escalated to one where law enforcement officers could have resorted to that situation. And God alone knows what might have happened there.”

While admitting the country has been going through difficult times, Rowley said communities that ventilate their frustrations by burning tyres and blocking roads were in a breach of the law and peace. The protective services, Rowley said, had been tolerant of such breaches up to now.

“But yesterday it came to a point where we have to draw the line. And the line is being drawn here as such.”

Rowley said if these developments are being accepted as a way of life by the wrongdoers, “they will do so with impunity.”

He warned criminals who have been saying to the Government “we will determine what happens and how it happens, no Government can accept or tolerate that. To do so is to succumb to a call of anarchy. And this Government will not react in that way.”

He said if the disorderly behaviour was a way to deal with situations “then it means we are advocating anarchy as a way of life in T&T. And what that means is that there would be no way out of whatever difficult circumstances we find ourselves in now.”

Rowley said what should be a cause for alarm was that ongoing criminal conduct was taking up the bulk of the National Security budget, and gave the assurance that security agencies will enforce the law regardless of who you are.

The PM said he had instructed Williams to seek out the wrongdoers from Thursday and the Defence Force will provide support during the round-up of these individuals. As for those who encourage others to break the law and incite violence, he said they will find no sympathy from the Government.

Motorists travelling along the scenic the Manzanilla/Mayaro road were caught off-guard yesterday during a speed trap which netted 50 drivers.

The speed limit along the route is 50 kph and many of the offenders were maxi-taxi and taxi drivers, police said.

Some of the offenders had even exceeded the 80 kph speed limit imposed on the nation’s highways. Only on Thursday, the Police Service received nine more speed guns.

Each offending driver was given a ticket to pay the sum of $1,000. The exercise began at 10 am and ended at 3 pm.

ASP Joseph said this exercise was intended to bring about some change in the driving habit of those who use the Manzanilla/Mayaro Road.