Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha secretary general Sat Maharaj yesterday pulled back slightly on his Indian Arrival Day ban on United National Congress leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar. His decision to pull Persad-Bissessar as a feature speaker from the organisation’s celebrations at the Parvati Girls’ Hindu School in Debe today remains, but Maharaj says she can still attend in her private capacity.

Maharaj made the comment yesterday in response to a caller querying about the situation on his programme on Radio Jagriti. He had banned Persad-Bissessar from the event earlier this week over her condemnation of the Maha Sabha’s decision to prevent on-the-job-trainee Nafisah Nahkid from accessing training at the Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College because she wears a hijab.

In announcing the ban against Persad-Bissessar, Maharaj also called on Hindus to “free up” the Hindu voter in the next general election and instead choose the party which has the best programmes. Maharaj did not address the call for Hindus to free up their vote during the programme yesterday.

But Persad-Bissessar is scheduled to attend two other events today hosted by other groups in Cedros and Ste Madeleine.

The Cedros Indian Cultural Committee in collaboration with the Siparia Regional Corporation is celebrating with a street procession from 10.30 this morning to Manmohansingh Park, which Persad-Bissessar will join.

The Corinth/Cedar Hill Coordinating Committee will meanwhile be hosting its fifth annual celebration starting with an interfaith service followed by a cultural programme at the Usine, Ste Madeleine. Persad-Bissessar is expected to deliver the feature address around 5 pm.

As the country celebrates the 173rd anniversary of the arrival of Indentured labourers from India, President Paula-Mae Weekes is paying tribute to the East Indian and national community, saying “while we may be a work in progress, there is evidence that we may yet claim a place of leadership in the matter of living in harmony.”

In the lead up to today’s Indian Arrival Day celebrations, national attention has been focused on Nafesa Nakhid, an on-the-job-trainee who was not allowed to take up an appointment at the Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College because she was wearing a hijab.

But Weekes is urging that as a nation we “continue to embrace the possibilities for greater cohesiveness,” even as “characteristics of our various origins are clearly recognisable.”

Weekes observed that while modern technology has made it “almost impossible” for any nation to be insulated from what is happening in other parts of the world, “so the possibilities of influence are very real,” and while T&T is not the only country that can boast of “diversity in its population,” there is, she said, “a Trinidad and Tobago brand that has enabled us to avoid serious manifestations of discord, as has been and even now is being experienced, in many parts of the world.”

The contribution of persons of Indian origin to Trinidad and Tobago, she said, “remains current, not confined to history, and is visible in every sphere of national life.”

She observed that while the day brings into focus “our compatriots of East Indian origin, this should be also a time of celebration for all of us.”

The President observed that the seed planted by the indentured labourers who came in 1845 and others who followed from the Indian subcontinent, “has flourished and has added considerably to our signature as a nation.”

She noted that the circumstances of arrival in T&T were such that those who came “clung tenaciously to family and customs,” in what could be described as a “means of survival in an environment that hardly provided evidence of the possibility of a better life than that which was left behind, having crossed the Kalapani with so much hope.”

Their vision for themselves and their progeny, Weekes said, did not match the purpose of those who held authority over them.

“However, by dint of sacrifice and faithfulness to the lessons learned from the civilization that had nurtured them, they built their security and contributed their distinctive strands to the tapestry of this Nation, in several aspects of our culture including our culinary arts and music,” she said.

The recently opened Mud House Museum, located in a house that was built in 1885 at Siparia Old Road in Fyzabad, Weekes said, bears testimony to the East Indian presence in our history, as does the Indian Caribbean Museum of Trinidad and Tobago that was opened on May 7, 2006, at Orange Field Road, Waterloo.

Almost three months after they were suspended, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Angela Siew, Commissioner of State Lands Paula Drakes and Deputy Commissioner of State Lands Bhanmatie Seecharan have all been cleared of any wrongdoing in the allocation of lands to Deputy Commissioner of Police Deodat Dulalchan in Felicity and have been told they can return to work. But two of the employees have opted to proceed on vacation leave and only one has resumed duties at the ministry.

The three were suspended after an internal investigative report into the allocation of the land was conducted.

Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat had initiated the investigation after he got a letter from farmer Selvin Mahabir, who indicated that he had occupied the land in Felicity for close to 14 years and felt he had a right to continued occupation, but instead it was given to Dulalchan.

Rambharat said the matter “raised a red flag” for him and “caused me to conduct an investigation. It was on the basis of those investigations I submitted the report to the Prime Minister.”

In that report, dated February 1, Rambharat told Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley that he had “lost trust in the senior officials.” He said it appeared from the investigation that the approval of the land to Dulalchan “had been fast-tracked and that proper procedures were not adhered to.” The three were subsequently suspended.

The Public Service Commission appointed an investigator to probe the matter and after an almost month-long probe which involved reviewing documents from the ministry, including the findings of the internal probe and interviewing the three senior officers, determined they were guilty of “no offence” and “had no case to answer.”

A well-placed source close to the three told the T&T Guardian the three senior public officers were happy they had been “exonerated on all of the charges against them,” but felt they were “unfairly targeted, after giving service to this country.”

The source said while they did not get a copy of the report, “the Public Service Commission informed them they had deliberated on the matter and found nothing to implicate the women in wrong-doing.” They were told that having been cleared they should resume duties at the Ministry of Agriculture on May 24 and advised that no further action was contemplated against them.

The T&T Guardian was unable to contact PSC chairman Maureen Manchouk and other commissioners who we contacted referred all questions to her.

A copy of the investigator’s report was sent to Rambharat as the line Minister who initiated the investigation into the trio, the T&T Guardian was told. But Rambharat yesterday denied he had received the report.

“I have not received anything personally,” Rambharat said in response to questions from the Guardian.

Asked whether the findings were sent to Acting Permanent Secretary Farook Hosein, the Minister said, “I have not seen what the acting PS received.”

He admitted, however, that the Acting PS “advised me that the three were told to return to work.” But Rambharat said only Seecharan returned to work last Thursday, while Siew and Drakes proceeded on a month’s leave.

Asked whether he anticipated any issues in working with the trio after expressing a loss of confidence in them, Rambharat said, “My focus has always been to do what I am tasked to do as minister and to work with the staff in the ministry and elsewhere in the public and private sectors.” But he pointed out that the matter into the allocation of the land at Felicity to Dulalchan is “not yet completed.”

Dulalchan, through his Attorney Kiel Tacklalsingh, wrote to Rambharat in March after the minister indicated instructions had been given to terminate his occupation of the lands at Chatoorie Street, Felicity.

Yesterday, Rambharat said the matter is now in the hands of Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi.

DCP happy for officials

Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Deodath Dulalchan says he is happy that the three senior public officers in the Ministry of Agriculture suspended over the land which was allocated to him have been cleared and authorised to return to work.

Contacted by the T&T Guardian yesterday, Dulalchan said it was the first he was hearing of the development, “and if that is so that is good news.”

“At least I am happy that these three senior government officials who did nothing wrong are back on the job. I am quite elated to hear that they are in fact back on the job,” Dulalchan said.

Dulalchan, who was on the land tending his fruit trees when contacted by the T&T Guardian, said he had “followed protocol and gave a proposal to the Commissioner of State Lands.” He said he was “granted the licence by the Commissioner of State Lands,” and he was “happy that following an investigation, where it was alleged that these officers would have abused their authority, they were indeed cleared of that. I am quite happy for them.”

As to the legal action initiated against the Agriculture Minister, Dulalchan said he did not want to comment.

“I don’t know whether my legal team is aware of that. I just need to be a little cautious and I would really prefer my legal team comment on this.”

Dulachan said as a police officer he and other officers “continue to work hard and be diligent so the general public can feel comfort and safety.”

Reports on two investigations into the March fire which occurred on the Trini Flash water taxi are being sent to the Attorney General for action and also to private legal counsel on Nidco’s behalf , Works Minister Rohan Sinanan has revealed.

He did so yesterday, replying in the Senate to Opposition queries concerning the fire which took place on board the vessel. This caused 63 people to be transferred from that vessel— while at sea—to the Cabo Star cargo vessel.

Sinanan said, “The ministry regards this incident as extremely serious. Two separate investigations into the matter were commissioned. National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (Nidco) commissioned an independent investigation . The other was commissioned by the Maritime Services Division.”

“The reports of both investigations were submitted and their conclusions aren’t at variance. Basically, the reports concluded that the primary cause of the fire was due to the poor workmanship in the installation of the Lagging (thermal insulation) around the exhaust silencer over one of the replaced engines,”

“The supply and installation of the Lagging was done by R&R Industrial Supplies Limited, through a competitive tendering process. “Sinanan added, “Based on the findings of these investigations, I’ve directed Nidco to immediately refer the matter to the Attorney General’s office for consideration and action, and also a private legal counsel to consider Nidco’s recourse against the company responsible for the installation.”

He said the Flash hasn’t returned to service since the fire as certain class certification is required following a fire. Repairs would also be needed since the cable and cable racks were destroyed. It will return to service once it’s certified, he added.

Sinanan said since the fire on the vessel, Nidco did a complete check on the three other water taxis to ensure what happened with the Lagging on the “Flash” didn’t occur with the others. Two other water taxis were taken off the service the day after the fire.”

Sinanan said two will return to service by next week. Once the Trini Flash is repaired and certified, it’ll be back on also. The fourth vessel returns to work later this year, he added.

He said he saw no reason why— after repairs and certification—the Trini Flash shouldn’t return to service on the Tobago run or the PoS/San Fernando route.”These water taxis were designed for travel in waters between Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has announced plans of purchasing two new ferries to service the seabridge. He, however, noted that there seemed to have been a conspiracy to block communication with the Australian shipbuilding company, International Catamarans (INCAT), that could have eased the woes experienced, especially by corporate T&T.

Rowley described the revelation as “Horror in Hobart.”

He explained that while in Tazmania, he and his team discovered that there was correspondence between Austal, whose vessels are in this country, and “people on the Government payroll” who refused to respond because “it didn’t suit their agenda.”

A matter he promised will be pursued.

“When we were desperately looking for a ferry to service Tobago, to allow the Spirit and the Express to go into dry-dock there were people on the Government payroll in T&T, who refused to respond to INCAT, who were in a position to make vessels available to us,” Rowley said.

He added that Government employees from “all about,” were telling the Board (referring to the Port Authority of T&T Board) that “they can’t find nothing.”

“But, they were finding Ocean Flower and Cabo Star for us…We are going to pursue that matter,” Rowley said.

“People, who knew the hell that we are going through as a people…Tobago economy being wrecked…We go quite to Tazmania to see correspondence to people on the Government payroll in T&T…people who didn’t bother to reply because it didn’t suit their agenda,” he added.

Rowley, however, announced good news saying that the Government will see to purchase two new vessels at a cost of US$80 million each. Proposals are expected to come within two weeks whereby a decision will be made and an order placed, which will have a timeline of 18 months. He did mention that these new vessels will come with a seven-year maintenance agreement with capacity training included.

With respect to the Spirit and Express, Rowley said that they can be repaired and sold as there was demand for them worldwide. The money earned will be used to help pay for the new vessels. He said Government will be moving speedily to “secure the slots.”

Rowley also disclosed that Austal officials will be in Trinidad next week to do a report on the six Coast Guard vessels which are “gathering moss.” The Prime Minister explained that the coasts of T&T are very porous and efforts will be made to repair those vessels to put them back on the borders.

In China, Rowley said they met with several top officials of Chinese State firms seeking to promote meaningful investments. One such, Rowley disclosed, was opening an avenue for the Chinese to invest in the Sandals project which is geared towards bolstering Tobago’s tourism.

On the issue of tours, Rowley said there were discussions with Chinese airlines — Air China and Hainan Airlines in bringing Chinese tourists to T&T.

The issue of industrial parks were also discussed where the Chinese will be able to invest in the manufacturing of goods.

Chinese State companies, including: Beijing Construction Engineering Group, China Communications Construction Company Limited, China Gezhouba Group International Company Limited, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, Shanghai Constructions Group and China Harbour Engineering Company, hopefully, according to Rowley, will consider investing and building among many - a dry docking facility in La Brea, the new terminal building at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago and a new central block for the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

It will be mandatory for almost 70,000 people—including police and prison officers, soldiers and private security firm personnel— to give DNA cell samples to the State under regulations to operate law using DNA material in the justice process.

In the Senate yesterday, Attorney General Faris Al- Rawi confirmed the categories of those from whom mandatory DNA samples will be sought. He was speaking on a motion to effect regulations to operationalise the DNA law, designed to assist the crime-solving thrust and administration of justice.

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Samples can be collected various ways including via buccal (cheek) swabs and saliva samples.

Al- Rawi said the DNA law was in the making since 1999 and it’s taken six year to operationalise it . He noted there’s been 13, 630 sexual offence cases since 2000 with 321 convictions— none solved with DNA use.

Al-Rawi said DNA sampling could have found the perpetrator of the Akiel Chambers murder, “Akiel Chambers! That beautiful boy, he’d have been 31 years by now - God rest his soul,” he added.

The AG said the DNA regulations requiring a database also make it mandatory for DNA samples to be taken from various security sectors— 6,839 police officers, 3,329 prison officers, 5,062 Defence Force personnel, 2,190 fire officers, 375 Immigration personnel, 306 Customs officers.

Samples will also be mandatory for all private security firm personnel.

As well, samples will be mandatory for 1,515 convicts, 2,317 in Remand Yard plus approximately 1,000 arrestees monthly. Suspects, detainees, deportees and similar others will have to give samples. He estimated it would be around 60,00o to 70,000 people, total.

Al-Rawi said a DNA Custodian has been retained, 11 people recruited to operate “hardware for the plan and the Prime Minister was expected to speak yesterday about a new Forensic Institute. Some 15,000 DNA (cheek swab) kits are also being cleared after arrival.

“It’s high time for this after 19 years, thousands of cases and billions spent, “ Al-Rawi added.

UNC Senator Wade Mark , expressing concern that almost 70,000 people may be “forced “ (sic) to give their DNA samples without consent , called for information on standards guiding the process. He queried whether there would be training for police taking DNA swabs.

Saying samples could be contaminated, fabricated or affected he warned people’s safety could be compromised without proper systems. He said he was aware the DNA Custodian was Jamaican and was working since January - but didn’t know their credentials. and was concerned if they were a political appointee.

Education Minister Anthony Garcia has refuted claims that in his previous posting as the principal at Fatima College, he engaged in discriminatory practices against Hindu students.

Reaffirming the level of integrity which he claimed had led to his Cabinet appointment, Garcia denied cutting religious bands off the hands of Hindu students

Issuing a strongly worded statement in his personal capacity yesterday, Garcia wrote, “I want to state in no uncertain terms and leaving no room for misinterpretation that I did not carry out these acts.”

Garcia said the damaging claims were being levelled against him by those wanting shake the public’s confidence and undermine the work he was doing at the ministry.

He referred to the claims as “defamatory” and “misleading.”

And he has issued a warning to persons who continue to persist with the false accusations, that appropriate legal action will be taken.

Pointing to the recent issue involving Nafisah Nakhid who was denied a placement at the Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College after she refused to remove her hijab, Garcia reiterated his position on all matters of a religious nature.

He said, “I have been quite vocal on my stance as it pertains to a person’s right to religious freedom and the protection that is offered to all citizens under the constitutions of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Garcia repeated, “I have it made it quite clear that religious intolerance will not be permitted at any of the nation’s schools.”

He surmised this statement had seemingly, “Rubbed some persons the wrong way.”

The Minister said this had led to some parties working to shift focus away from the issue whilst maligning his character.

In an effort to ensure his memory had not failed him, Garcia went so far as to consult with the present principal of Fatima College, RC priest Fr Gregory Augustine who had acted as the school’s manager during Garcia’s tenure.

Garcia said, “Father Gregory also went on to reiterate that zero tolerance on discrimination was a part of the school’s policy.”

Urging persons to be conscientious and respectful to others, Garcia acknowledged that T&T was a multi-cultural society where every creed and race lived harmoniously.

No discrimination in OJT Programme

“The On-The-Job Training (OJT) Programme does not discriminate according to race, class or religion.”

This was the assurance by Garcia who said there was no need to develop parameters via which OJT trainees would now be selected to be placed in schools across the country.

Garcia described the OJT Programme as an informal public service initiative which afforded persons workplace experience and training.

He said, it had, “Nothing to do with a person’s religion or ethnicity.”

Garcia said, “There are persons who are qualified who cannot get a job at the moment and the OJT Programme grants persons the opportunity to get some experience in the work-place.”

Administered by the Ministry of Labour, Garcia said successful OJT applicants are presented with either a one year or two-year contract, depending on the placement.

Asked if a person’s race or religion is considered before a person is placed, Garcia emphatically replied, “No.”

He said, “If that is done, one can argue that there is discrimination on the basis of race or religion and placements have nothing to do with that.”

Denying the placement of Nafisah Nakhid at Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College last Monday, was a deliberate move designed to provoke the head of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS), Garcia said his ministry was not involved in the decision as to who would have been selected for placement.

He described the entire incident as unfortunate.

Pressed to say if the ministry would now be introducing guidelines for the placement of OJT’s at schools, Garcia said, “I don’t think there is need to pay attention to a person’s religion.”

“Everybody deserves to have an equal chance of being afforded an opportunity to be placed in the OJT Programme.”

In the case of denominational schools, the minister said, “Principals have the right to make recommendations before the person is placed in the respective school or the Board can make certain decisions before any placements are made.”

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says there is no need for Government to procure another naval vessel for the T&T Coast Guard as 12 were purchased under the People’s Partnership’s (PP) tenure.

Responding to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s claim that there was a conspiracy by Government employees to block Australian shipbuilders, International Catamarans (INCAT), from doing business with T&T, Persad-Bissessar yesterday said he needed to ask questions in order to understand what was taking place.

Addressing the audience at the Cedros Indian Cultural Committee’s Indian Arrival Day celebration in Bonasse Village, she did not speak of Government’s plans to purchase two new vessels to service the Tobago seabridge but focused on the proposed purchase of a naval vessel. At Tuesday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, Rowley said officials from Australian naval vessel builders Austal are expected in T&T next week to evaluate six Coast Guard vessels that are “gathering moss.” He said efforts will be made to return these vessels to patrolling T&T’s porous borders.

However, Persad-Bissessar said yesterday that the vessels were out-of-commission because they were not being maintained by the Ministry of National Security and that the Coast Guard is not receiving enough fuel.

“I am being told that not only maintenance, they are not even providing enough fuel, so it is not the fault of the Coast Guard, it is the fault of yourself and your Government for not replenishing the supplies that are needed,” Persad-Bissessar said to in an obvious response to Rowley. You have 12 boats, why you want to buy another one? Could you tell the country, why, when you have 12?”

She said while Rowley speaks about the Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), which were being procured by a previous PNM administration, those vessels were not suitable for patrolling the coast. Under the PP’s administration, the procurement of the OPVs were cancelled and in its place, four Damen Stan Patrol 5009 Coastal Patrol Vessels, two Damen Fast Crew Supply 5009 Utility Vessels and six Damen Interceptor DI 1102 interceptors were purchased. She said these vessels had different ranges and speeds and were capable of locking down T&T’s border,

“Please ask your national security advisers and your three ministers of National Security and do not go and spend more money on vessels for the Coast Guard. Use the ones that we already have, that taxpayers are already paying for and get it up and running and lock down our borders and let us try to put an end to this crime situation in our country.”

She also wished Rowley a happy Indian Arrival Day.

Despite the public castigation she received from Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) secretary general Sat Maharaj ahead of yesterday’s Indian Arrival Day celebrations, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she will attend any SDMS function she is invited to in the future.

In an interview yesterday at the Cedros Indian Cultural Committee’s Indian Arrival Day celebrations at Manmohansingh Park in Bonasse Village, Persad-Bissessar said despite Maharaj’s comments against her, she still respects him and holds no malice towards him.

Once a strong supporter of Persad-Bissessar and her United National Congress party, Maharaj, during a TV programme, last week revoked the SDMS’s invitation to Persad-Bissessar to deliver the feature address at its Indian Arrival Day function in Debe yesterday.

Maharaj’s anger towards Persad-Bissessar was in response to her condemnation of the Maha Sabha school board’s refusal to allow on-the-job-trainee Nafisah Nakhid the opportunity to train at the Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College because she wore a hijab.

Persad-Bissessar had urged the school’s board to reconsider its decision and called on Education Minister Anthony Garcia and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi to move swiftly to resolve the matter.

She said the matter was not a political but of natural justice, equality and fairness.

Yesterday, however, Persad-Bissessar seemed unphased by the attack against her by Maharaj.

“I respect Mr Maharaj for the great work he has done for Trinidad and Tobago through the schools, education, through the Maha Sabha.

“I think he has done a lot of work for all of us in Trinidad and Tobago and I do respect him for that,” Persad-Bissessar told reporters during the Indian Arrival Day event.

“As I said earlier, I have no intention for tit for tat with Mr Maharaj because I do respect him. I respect what he has done and I continue to encourage him to do the work that he must do.”

During the TV programme last Friday, Maharaj also warned that Persad-Bissessar would pay a political price in time to come and called on Hindus to free up their vote in upcoming elections.

“Vote for whichever party has the best programmes, vote for whichever candidate is the best candidate, not because they are Indian and Hindu or woman. The Hindu vote is going to be freed up.

“No more voting because you belong to the same race or the same class. Kamla you are going to pay a hell of a price, Maharaj said. In response to this, Persad-Bissessar yesterday said every citizen has a right to vote for whomever he or she chooses in a democratic society like T&T.

Saying that voting has nothing to do with race, religion or gender, she said she agreed citizens should vote for who they believe can best represent them and who can do their best for themselves and their children.

However, she said the issue was larger than her fallout with Maharaj and was about what should and should not be permitted in schools.

She said there is a need for clarification and interpretation of the Concordat of 1960, which governs the relationship between the State and denominational schools.

She also wished Nakhid good luck after she was transferred to the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government.

It was the first time Persad-Bissessar had attended the celebrations in Cedros, where she witnessed a re-enactment of the East Indians’ arrival to the shores of T&T.

She also took part in a street procession in which they were escorted from the old Cedros jetty to Manmohansingh Park on a boat that was being towed by a tractor.

Delivering the feature address, she said there was no more Mother India, Mother Africa, Mother Asia or Mother Europe, only Mother Trinbago.

She said despite things people may say, through diversity, citizens live in harmony.

Three US residents have been sentenced for illegally purchasing 36 guns and smuggling them into T&T from Atlanta, Georgia.

The men are Errol Alfred, 40; Kerry Fernandez, 34 and Jordan Dunham, 26, all from Georgia.

According to a report on NBC’s 11alive.com, Alfred and Fernandez were sentenced for their respective roles in illegally purchasing and trafficking the weapons, whilst Dunham, a co-defendant in the case, was sentenced for illegally purchasing some of the shipped firearms for the two men.

According to US Attorney Byung J Pak, between August 2013 and September 2014, Alfred and Fernandez purchased the guns from a local firearms licensee for the purpose of shipping the firearms to T&T for resale. Officials said the defendants hid the weapons in shipping barrels without the shipping company knowing.

Last Thursday, Alfred was sentenced to five years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Fernandez received a sentence of two years and three months, followed by three years of supervised release, while Dunham was sentenced to six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Special Agent in Charge, Arthur Peralta, said the unlawful acquisition and trafficking of firearms was a serious crime that “feeds and intensifies the violence that plagues so many communities here (referring to the US) and abroad.”

“This investigation illustrates the collective resolve of ATF and its law enforcement partners to stem the flow of illegal firearms within the US or anywhere these criminals choose to operate,” Peralta said.

There is now speculation that a “dip” on the drag-racing strip at the Frankie Boodram Wallerfield International Raceway may have contributed to two crashes that occurred during last weekend’s racing event. There was an attempt to repair the “dip” ahead of the event but that instead made it into a “bump.”

One of the crashes led to the death of Sangre Grande resident Darren Sirjoo, 28, whose funeral was yesterday.

A video posted on a Facebook page titled “The Aloo Pie Report” on May 27 at 11.10 pm showed the first crash, last Saturday, involving well-known racer Ryan Garcia. At just about the eight-second mark, Garcia’s car – an SKF Lancer – appears to jerk just before swerving to the left of the track where it crashed into a tyre barrier and then into a concrete wall. Garcia managed to walk out of the crash unhurt. However, the T&T Guardian understands he was so shaken up by the incident that he took this week off from his business.

That video up to press time was nearing 300 shares and had attracted over 11,000 viewers. But commenting on the video, one of the regular drag racers at the raceway commented about his experience.

“I experienced that same thing with that dip...they paved it during this week (referring to last week)...but poorly...now it isn’t a dip...its a bump.”

The racer even called for action to rectify the issues.

“I think everyone who goes to events, as well as those who enter to race or whatever, should come together and do something...don’t have any events until things are done professionally.”

Speaking further on his comment via phone yesterday, the racer, who did not want to be named, said about a month ago he participated in a Street Night Shoot Out, also called “Gangster Drags,” at the raceway and ran into the “dip.”

“It dropped but because my car did not have all that power in it I was able to pull it back and regain control. A lot of drivers I know experienced this but didn’t say anything, maybe because they didn’t think it was that dangerous until now.”

Another racer who viewed the video also commented: “That “dip/bump” is a major problem...but safety, in and around that track combined with vehicle safety standards played a major role here... Just saying.”

Also contacted on the incident, motorcycle drag-racer, Ian Atherly, a former mayor of San Fernando, would only say that the track “is not a 100 per cent”, but added that it was the fastest in the Caribbean.

“We were racing before that crash and it went down fine. I did just over eight seconds and it felt very good for me,” Atherly, who was also at the line ready for the next race that followed Sirjoo’s on Sunday, said.

Asked if inspections were done that day, he replied: “Yes, inspections are done prior to every race, during and before. The sticky stuff, which is used for traction, was placed on the tracks and the track was good.”

Asked how many track marshals are usually at the events and if they are all trained, Atherly said about 20, some of whom are “highly qualified having received training from the FIA.”

The FIA is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation of the world’s leading motoring organisations. Founded in 1904, with headquarters in Paris, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is a non-profit making association. It brings together 245 national motoring and sporting organisations from 143 countries on five continents. Its member clubs represent millions of motorists and their families.

However, Atherly said there was a need for more infrastructure at the venue, including stands, proper viewing areas and wash-room facilities.

Atherly extended condolences to the Sirjoo’s family. He, however, added that much education was needed on the sport.

Meanwhile, scores of racers yesterday turned out for Sirjoo’s funeral yesterday at his residence in Sangre Grande. Sirjoo was described as a humble individual and one who always wore a smile and loved racing just as his life. Sirjoo, who was a writer at the T&T Coast Guard, was later given a military send-off at the Caroni Cremation site.

Efforts to reach T&T Automobile Sports Association (TTASA) president Fyzool Madan yesterday for comment were unsuccessful.

A 23-year-old man drowned yesterday after getting into difficulty while swimming at a river in Blanchisseuse.

Police said Akil Stafford, of San Fernando, went on a hike with friends to an area known as Three Pools but died after he got into difficulty while swimming.

Friends told police that around 10.30 am, Stafford went to take a bath but started cramping up and got into some difficulty. They said they tried to save Stafford but were unsuccessful as he was pulled between two rocks by the strong current there.

Another group of hikers had to help his friends retrieve his body but he was already dead by the time he was taken to land, having been under the water for more than three minutes.

Councillor for Blanchisseuse/Santa Rosa Candice Allain said the drowning was the fourth in Three Pools, which attracts many hikers because of its remoteness and beauty.

Health and safety officer of the lifeguard branch of the National Union of Government and Federated Workers, Augustus Sylvester, urged swimmers to exercise caution.

“If you can’t swim do not go in unknown waters. Do not bathe in water beyond waist height. That is the basic and some people want to play with these balls, then somebody want to swim for it and drown,” he said.

Sylvester also warned that it takes four hours for food to digest but bathers should wait an hour before taking part in physical activity after a meal.

“The body is working to get rid of the food and they should avoid physical activities. Your safety comes first and these organisation should hire have qualified lifeguards to go with the group,” he said.

He said alcohol was another problem and should be avoided. Investigations are continuing.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is urging citizens to use the Feast of Corpus Christi as a means of growth and reflection.

In his Corpus Christi message yesterday, Rowley acknowledged the fact that today, millions of Catholics around the world will renew their conviction and belief in the real presence of the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

He said the commemoration of this event is integral to the expression of the Catholic tradition and provides an opportunity for believers to reflect on the tenets of their faith. It also allows believers to participate in both a display of outward faith and a deeper, more personal commitment to God, the PM noted.

Pointing out that the celebration of the Eucharist is a potent reminder of the presence of God in daily lives, providing peace, comfort and hope, Rowley said: “In Trinidad and Tobago, the active participation of every creed and race in the celebrations is testament to the tolerance and respect our citizens have for one another.

“I am truly grateful for the diversity and acceptance embedded in our national ethos which enables us to appreciate and celebrate our rich heritage.”

He added that many citizens will take the opportunity to observe the processions taking place in almost every parish today, while others will use the occasion to relax and to spend time with their loved ones. “These occasions reinforce the importance of fostering strong and resilient family units and strengthening community ties. The relevance of these bonds to the building of a stable and cohesive society should be understood by every citizen. It is equally imperative that time is set aside for introspection and self-evaluation to promote functional and thriving individuals, families and communities,” Rowley said.

The PM noted that in this regard, Corpus Christi is indeed an appropriate occasion to reflect on the need to adequately invest in communities.

“On this day, many citizens will plant seeds and crops with the hope of securing an abundant harvest. It is therefore instructive that as a nation, we carefully consider the nature of our contributions to society as we desire to obtain a more prosperous and secure future,” Rowley urged.

Islamic Front head Umar Abdullah says the use of a hijab by bandits in a recent robbery at the Gasparillo Mall was a total disrespect to members of the Islamic community.

In a video of the incident which was posted on social media, a man dressed in a hijab and another man dressed in a construction uniform were seen robbing a jewellery store at the mall.

In an interview yesterday, Abdullah said it was a total disrespect to the Muslims and their dress code, which brings into question the lack of religious tolerance.

“This was totally unacceptable. If someone take the flag and disrespect it, we know how we would react. No religious symbols should be disrespected,” Abdullah said.

He gave the recent example of on-the-job trainee Nafisah Nakhid, who was barred from an opportunity to train at the Lakshmi Girls Hindu College because she wears a hijab.

“In all these incidents it shows a disrespect and lack of religious tolerance in this country. To think a man or woman to use the dress code and do a robbery. It will put the state on alert on people wearing that clothing now. Our sisters are now targeted by state officials and the police,” he said.

He said although the men were committing a crime there must still be a code where religion was concerned.

“There must be some code of ethics, it’s best you don’t exist because everything we do there is a line. Bandits crossing every line and not fearing anything and this says a lot about our state and what it has become. It is a clear indication of a failed state,” he said.

Abdullah said he hoped members of the Police Service make an arrest soon.

“I want to state clearly that is a total disrespect on Islam, Muslims and an attack on our dear beloved prophet. That in a sense is a symbol of Islam not just a symbol of Muslims but the divine laws and a way of life that was given to us as Muslims and I am calling on the authorities to make haste and arrest and prosecute these individuals to the fullest extent of the law.”

Southern Division officers said yesterday they had not made any arrests in connection with the robbery.

Police said the killing of a 21-year-old man at Simon Road, Carapo, on Tuesday night was the result of ongoing gang-related activity in the community.

Kiedan Phillip, 21, of Simon Road, Carapo, was shot multiple times about the body.

A report said around 10.15 pm, Phillp was liming with several men on the side of the road when they were approached by four armed masked men. Eyewitness told police the gunmen opened fire on the group of men. Residents claimed the limers and nearby residents ran for their lives when the gunshots started. The residents later ventured out and found Phillip’s body and immediately contacted the police. The body was viewed by the district medical officer, who ordered its removal to the Forensic Science Centre, St James, for an autopsy tomorrow.

Meanwhile, police said yesterday are still seeking to identify the body of a man found along the Eastern Main Road in D’Abadie on Sunday.

The body is that of an African male in 30s who is brown in complexion with his hair in plaits and was wearing with a white T-shirt and black long pants.

The T&T Guardian reported yesterday that the body was that of Kern Romero, but relatives and friend took to social media to indicate it was not him.

Kerron Cabrera said Romero was not murdered but died on Sunday after he was warded at Mt Hope Hospital.

“He was ailing for some time and died from organ failure and not gunshot injuries,” Cabrera said.

Attempts made to contact relatives or friends were unsuccessful.

Several parents are continuing to keep their children away from attending classes at the Tranquillity Government Primary School in Port-of-Spain, after a teacher allegedly assaulted a nine-year-old pupil with a whip, put him in a headlock and cuffed him in the head last Friday.

On Monday morning, members of the school staff met with the child’s parents and with parents of other pupils who saw the alleged incident.

The pupil’s father told the T&T Guardian the principal informed them that a report would be sent to the Ministry of Education. However, he said the teacher, in reporting the matter to the principal, did not indicate that he had used corporal punishment against his son.

“The story was similar to my son but left out the part with the whip. He (teacher) said he saw my son with a paper scissors, which is part of the book list and he (teacher) did not say anything after that.

“My son said the teacher started to hit him and my son held the whip and he put my son in a headlock and cuff him in his head and then the two of them tumbled on the ground and he proceeded to put him in a lock around his chest with his hand,” the parent said.

The parent admitted that when he saw the teacher during the meeting with the principal he was overwhelmed by emotion.

“I wanted to hit him but I have to be calm about it. You watching a man your size handle your son. I have no problem if my son do something and he get licks, but it have a line between corporal punishment and abuse. His mother is completely against corporal punishment,” he said.

The parent his son was taken for medical assistance following the incident and they now want him removed from the school.

Another parent whose daughter witnessed the event said he has taken her out of the school and she will not be attending classes as long as the teacher was present.

“I am concerned with her going in the class. Right now we (other parents) took our children away from the class. Right now they (school educators) getting social workers to give the children counselling. I am in fear for my child. If he could do a next child that then he could lash out at my child as well,” the parent told the T&T Guardian.

“I am not comfortable with my daughter being in that school with that teacher. He needs to be fired and no longer teach at any school and he needs to be processed by the police,” the man said.

“The principal is trying to arrange counselling and may put my daughter in another class. It is wrong he (the teacher) in that class.”

T&T Unified Teachers’ Association president Lynsley Doodhai said they were aware of it, but said the teacher claimed he was defending himself.

“TTUTA is calling on Ministry of Education to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident,” he said.

When contacted on the matter, however, Education Minister Anthony Garcia said the school’s principal will make to report to the school supervisor who will then report it to the ministry. Teachers at the school refused to comment on the incident and referred all questions to the ministry’s communication department.

Venezuelans detained at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) in Aripo are currently staging a hunger strike to protest for their freedom.

A video circulated on social media yesterday showed the Venezuelans standing united singing their national anthem in a form of protest. They are seeking either asylum or the opportunity to be returned to their homeland. This was the second day of protest by the Venezuelan detainees at the centre.

In confirming the situation yesterday, Venezuelan-born psychic and activist Yesenia Gonzalez said she was standing in solidarity with the detainees, noting they were protesting the conditions at the centre and other issues.

In a telephone interview, Gonzalez said she is hoping Government will resolve the issues facing the detainees at the IDC and the women who are incarcerated at the Women’s Prison in Arouca.

“The prisoners in the Detention Centre (IDC) are on hunger strike. I am planning to meet with the Minister of National Security to solve this problem. You can’t keep these people there when they serve their time,” she said.

“These are Venezuelan detainees at the Detention Centre singing their national anthem as part of their protest for asylum and freedom. Maybe the T&T Government could release them to persons willing to host them, under the supervision of the relevant authorities. I ask any lawyers, please help them, all those people who are suffering a violation of humans rights.”

Gonzalez said her compatriots face death in their homeland and come here for protection.

“They should release them and let somebody help them to go Canada or another country because they are seeking asylum. The Government should support that. They can’t get freedom, they hungry, they not treating them good,” she said.

Gonzalez said she often visits the IDC to chat with the Venezuelans detained there.

“I am seeking legal advice to get them out of there. I am asking for mercy, release them. You still have to pay money to keep them there,” she said.

Commenting on the issue yesterday, Prisons Commissioner Gerard Wilson said he was in the process of dealing with the issues of the Venezuelans at the Women’s Prison in Arouca. They are currently probing an incident last week in which there was an altercation between the Venezuelan and local inmates.

Wilson said he had since held a meeting with senior prison officers who were bilingual and received information from both parties.

“What I deduce is the language barrier is creating issues and the locals taunting the Spanish women indicating they were prostitutes,” he said.

He said at the moment he was implementing another strategy to place all the Spanish speaking inmates in one area with an officer who is bilingual to monitor them.

“Mixing them with the locals is creating some problem,” he said.

The refusal to allow hijab wearing on-the-job trainee Nafisah Nakhid to train at the Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College has only been seen in one direction.

This was the view shared yesterday by Archbishop Jason Gordon as he weighed in on Nakhid’s issue at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Port-of-Spain, after yesterday’s Corpus Christi procession which began at the Queen’s Park Savannah.

Yesterday, in sharing his thoughts on the matter, Gordon said as T&T approached 56 years independence, the nation has not decided the kind of society “we want to be.”

He said what was needed was a deep discourse among citizens on how to live in unity and diversity, which would no doubt take some time and work to achieve.

Gordon said if a Catholic child goes into a Muslim school with a cross exposed, it would not sit well with the school.

Similarly, he said, if a teacher goes to a Muslim or Hindu school with their cross exposed and rosary in their hands, professing to be a Catholic and Christian, they would not be happy in that environment either.

Gordon said he heard one thing, which he could not confirm, that Nakhid was asked if she would be okay going into the Hindu school as an OJT.

“If that is true…that is good. But I don’t think that the Hindu organisation was asked if it was okay for the woman to come in (the school) with the hijab. If we are going to be fair, let us be fair to everybody, please. We have to build a better society than this and these are the issues that creates the tension. We have to be fair right around.”

He said the problem with the hijab was seen in one direction.

“We have to see it in both directions at this time. Then we will have equality and diversity. That is the meaning of trinity—unity in diversity. But that doesn’t mean everybody looks the same way,” he added.

He added; “We have been asked to accept the young woman with the hijab. The Hindus are being asked the same thing. But they need to understand that they need to accept children with a cross on them too…and praying with the rosary at lunch time in Asja Girls’ and in all of the schools. It has to be equal.”

During a TV programme last week, president general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Sat Maharaj revoked the SDMS’s invitation to Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to deliver the feature address at its Indian Arrival Day function in Debe.

Maharaj’s anger towards Persad-Bissessar was in response to her condemnation of the Maha Sabha school board’s refusal to allow Nakhid the opportunity to train at the college because she wore a hijab.

Persad-Bissessar had urged the school’s board to reconsider its decision and called on Education Minister Anthony Garcia and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi to move swiftly to resolve the matter.

Despite Maharaj’s comments against her, Persad-Bissessar said she still respects him and holds no malice towards him.

While some Catholic schools in the past have prohibited Rastafarians and hijab-wearing students from entering their compounds, Gordon felt that an adjustment to the Concordat would not help.

“I am not sure why everybody wants to go back to the Concordat because I don’t think they have read it. If they read the Concordat they would understand that this is a legal document regulating the relationship between the State and all boards of schools.”

He said the problem was not in the Concordat, but the kind of society we want to become by living together and how our religious symbols will be accepted in each other’s space.

“Then I think we have something to work with and that does not need a review of the Concordat. That needs an understanding of a kind of society.”

Gordon said if we can achieve this, other things will settle down.

Almost 12 years after Imo Osuna, the son of veteran calypsonian Michael “Sugar Aloes” Osuna, was murdered, his family is still mourning his death.

Even as 31-year-old Arnold “Redo” Isaac was convicted of the crime on Tuesday, the Osuna family is still questioning whether they would receive justice for his brutal murder.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian in a brief telephone interview yesterday, the elder Osuna questioned whether the death sentence passed on Isaac would ever be carried out.

“The only thing about it is they not hanging anybody here. He will stay in prison for people to mind him. It does not matter because he will stay there and my tax money will have to mind him still and is my child he kill,” Osuna said.

The last time a convicted murderer was hanged was in 1999. While the mandatory death sentence for murder has been handed down frequently since then, in almost all instances the sentences had to eventually be commuted to life imprisonment, due to the time limit for executions, set in the famous Jamaican case of Pratt and Morgan, and delays in the appeal process.

Asked how his son’s three children, who were young at the time, coped with their father’s death, Osuna said they still rued his absence from their lives.

“They hanging in there. Although they were young they were aware of the input of it in their lives,” Osuna said as he admitted that he, their grandmother and other relatives were forced to step in to fill the void.

It took a 12-member jury before Justice Norton Jack in the Port-of-Spain High Court almost four hours to return with a unanimous guilty verdict for Isaac at the end of his retrial, on Tuesday.

His first trial in January 2015 ended in a hung jury as jurors could not arrive at a unanimous verdict at the time.

According to the evidence in the case, 26-year-old Osuna was attending a christening near his home at Pioneer Drive, Sea Lots, when he was ambushed by a group of gunmen, who shot him several times.

The attack was allegedly in retaliation for an incident, days earlier, in which Osuna remonstrated with a group of men, for robbing a patron at his (Osuna) charity event.

Isaac has spent most of his adult life on remand for the crime as he was arrested and charged when he was 19.

During his first trial, several discrepancies with the evidence against Isaac were raised. The lead investigator had admitted that several pieces of evidence collected at the crime scene had gone missing after the Homicide Bureau’s Port-of-Spain office moved three times. He also admitted to receiving varying descriptions of Osuna’s attackers and that the State’s two main witnesses only decided to testify a year after the murder.

radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt

Police have launched a search for missing hairdresser Vidya Tambie who was last seen on High Street, San Fernando, on Tuesday.

Tambie, 20, of Cipero Street, San Fernando, works at Indra’s Beauty Salon, Southern Main Road, Marabella.

Her uncle Ramesh Tambie said she left work around 4 pm and took a taxi to San Fernando. He said someone saw her at Lord Street, San Fernando, where she usually gets to get a taxi to go home. However, she never made it home.

Her boyfriend Rajesh Ramkissoon, a police officer, said he started dating Tambie in January and they were happy together.

He said Tambie’s grandmother and other relatives approved of their relationship even though he had a four-year-old son and was separated from his ex-wife for two years.

He said Tambie was easily stressed and usually she would go to the back of her grandmother’s home in an abandoned cane-field to clear her mind.

He said police had reviewed all the CCTV footage and her cellular phone records. She was last seen on CCTV footage speaking to someone outside Indra’s Beauty Salon at High Street. Ramkissoon said he did not believe that Tambie ran off somewhere. Since her disappearance, villagers, family and friends have been searching the Golconda region for her.

“We are very worried and anyone with information on her can contact her uncle Ramesh Tambie at 316-9520. Sgt Santana and WPC Rajkumar of the Ste Madeleine Police Station, are continuing investigations.

Meanwhile, police are continuing the search for missing 12-year-old Hailey Kinsale. Investigators received information that she was spotted at Marabella and a search team went out to find her.

Kinsale was last seen playing at a basketball court near her Roy Joseph Street, San Fernando home. Police checked Kinsale’s laptop and found information that she was communicating with an older man via Facebook. The man, police believe is linked to her disappearance.

Police suspect the man may have abducted the girl the night she reportedly went missing. Kinsale, a standard-five student of the Marabella Anglican Primary School has been missing since last week Thursday.