Two police officers, who charged a taxi driver after he allegedly called one of them “an imps” during a routine traffic stop, have cost the State a little over $100,000.

Delivering an oral judgment in a malicious prosecution and false imprisonment lawsuit in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday, Justice Frank Seepersad ruled that PCs Darren Thompson and Criston Harris fabricated the charges against Anthony Evelyn, of Harmony Hall, Marabella, on November 28, 2014.

The officers had claimed that Evelyn used the derogatory term after they issued him a ticket for parking in a no-parking zone along Harris Street in San Fernando.

However, Evelyn denied any wrongdoing as he claimed it was Harris who used the term towards him, and he merely responded by saying “my mother eh make no imps.”

After hearing the testimony of all three men during a brief trial yesterday, Seepersad ruled that he believed Evelyn’s version of the events over the officers’.

“He did not engender feelings that he (Evelyn) would engage in rude and disrespectful conduct,” Seepersad said.

In analysing the evidence, Seepersad noted that both officers gave varying accounts of what transpired. They also admitted to not making notes of Evelyn’s alleged comments in the station diary after he was charged with resisting arrest, using insulting language and failing to comply with the instructions of a police officer.

The only note made on the incident mistakenly stated that Evelyn was arrested for making an illegal right turn.

The charges were eventually dismissed by a magistrate, which allowed Evelyn to make the civil claim.

Seepersad stated that the officers did have reasonable and probable cause to issue the ticket but not to charge Evelyn for the other offences. He inferred malice from their actions in fabricating the case.

In assessing the compensation for Evelyn, Seepersad took into account the seven hours that he spent in police custody before he was charged and taken to court.

He awarded $75,000 in damages for malicious prosecution and $20,000 for his protracted detention.

In ordering the compensation, Seepersad advised police officers to be courteous with citizens while performing their duties.

Director of Office of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) at US Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism, Irfan Saeed, is lobbying Government to allow citizens who travelled to ISIS conflict zones in the Middle East, in particular women and children, to return home if they desire. Once here, however, he said Government should give them support so they can go on to re-establish their lives where possible.

He said programmes and initiatives need to be put in place to ensure women and children in such circumstances are allowed to return home and taken care of when they arrive. Noting that some of the women and children are not in control of their circumstances in these conflict zones, Saeed said they have often experienced a lot of trauma and stress staying in these places.

“There has to be a policy to allow those citizens of those countries to return home to try and seek the help that they need or if they participated in any terrorist attacks to be prosecuted for it. They cannot just be left to stay in the conflict zones. Those governments should allow their citizens to return,” Saeed, a Pakistani, told Guardian Media during an interview at the Public Affairs Units of the US Embassy in St Clair yesterday.

“As we were looking at a lot of those countries that were producing foreign fighters, it struck us as very odd that here in Trinidad and Tobago the numbers were quite high. I believe at one point it was the highest number per capita than any country in the Western Hemisphere.”

Asked if the US had any information that T&T women and children were being held in prisons in Iraq and Syria for their affiliation with ISIS, Saeed said he did not have specific numbers.

“But what I can tell you is part of our policy is to work with a lot of these global partners around the world to ensure that they know how important it is to take back their citizens.”

He said those who travelled to the Middle East to join extremist groups do so as a result of a number of factors. While it was difficult to pinpoint how many Trinidadians have become foreign terrorist fighters abroad, Saeed said through social media they were able to get some information.

“But the numbers from my understanding, in the US, is a little bit lower. But even then, the numbers that we know about T&T were higher than the United States, two hundred I believe is what I have heard the last time. And that is almost double the amount we’ve had from the US in the last so many years.”

Saeed admitted this number surprised him.

“We are talking about a place like T&T, off the coast of Venezuela…a beautiful island, small country, small population, a tourist destination, yet you have individuals radicalised to violence, getting on planes and flying across the world to conflict zones.”

Of the 200 T&T citizens identified as having joined ISIS, Saeed could not say how many are women and children.

“I don’t have the numbers. But when you talk about the numbers of individuals going over, you have to draw a distinction. Some of them were women who were going over to fight.”

He admitted some of the young girls and women who go ISIS territories become part of a larger framework, noting it was a worldwide problem.

“You had a lot of instances of young girls….as young as 13, 14, 15 we have seen in the US, we have seen it in Europe…we have seen it in London in particular, where they would go over to be part of this global mindset,” Saeed said.

“Then you also had women who were going over simply as family members and they were bringing young children or they were having children over there. They have actually created one of the biggest concerns for us now because we have seen a large number of the women ….those families trying to return to their home countries bringing either young children or children who have spent the last five years in a terrorist zone or children who were born there.”

While he said they may never be able to accurately pinpoint what leads to such action, Saeed said high crime in a country can force someone to flee, while attractive salaries offered by the jihadist groups and opportunities to live in palaces were also used to lure nationals to ISIS during recruiting.

“We know of some payments (salaries) that were made but those stopped quickly. Money dried up very quickly, promises were not held and people started to return. It turned out to be false narratives.”

Saeed identified Shane Crawford as one Trinidadian who joined ISIS and had enticed other citizens on social media to become part of the terror group. Crawford is believed to have been killed in fighting with ISIS forces last year.

Asked if the US was concerned about T&T’s 2018 Carnival terror threat, Saeed confirmed they were.

“But our sole focus is not on T&T. My office does a lot of work globally. We work in places that are vulnerable to terrorist recruitment. And we know that ISIS knows where those vulnerable populations are.

“Once they identify T&T as a vulnerable population…a target audience if you will….a lot of their narratives shifted that way,” he said.

State-owned Educational Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL) has narrowly escaped a move by a restaurant supply company to seize its equipment to clear a $700,000 debt.

Lawyers and a bailiff representing Advance Commercial Equipment Ltd, of El Socorro, San Juan, yesterday went to EFCL’s office at Long Circular Road, Maraval, to seize equipment and vehicles which could be sold at auction in order to recoup the debt. However, they left after the company’s management paid the money, which included their fees for yesterday’s proposed action.

The company had sued EFCL over its failure to clear its debt for the supply of cafeteria equipment for seven primary and secondary schools across T&T.

The schools involved were the Aranguez Secondary, Couva West Secondary, Five Rivers Secondary, Manzanilla Government Primary, Charlieville Presbyterian, New Grant Government Primary, Cape De Ville Government Primary and Munroe Road SDMS. The equipment was supplied between 2011 and 2015 during the People’s Partnership administration. The company was paid periodically by the EFCL during the period but the debt claimed represented the balance owed.

EFCL had missed its deadline for filing its defence to the lawsuit and was given an extension to October 19 last year. After it missed the new deadline, EFCL lawyers applied for another extension. However, when the case came up for hearing before Justice Devindra Rampersad in January, they withdrew the application. As a result, Rampersad entered a default judgement against EFCL and ordered it to pay the entire sum claimed by the company within 60 days.

Varun Debideen and Kerishma Arjoon represented Advance Commercial Equipment.

EFCL, which is tasked with supervising construction and maintenance of schools, is currently facing similar claims from several contractors for almost $1.2 billion in unpaid fees.

Even with a change in Government, EFCL has still been the subject of controversy after allegations of irregularities in the company were raised in June last year. Its former chairman Arnold Piggott resigned shortly after the allegations arose but denied any wrongdoing. A central audit committee had also been appointed by Cabinet to investigate the allegations.

EFCL is the second State-owned special purpose company to face the prospect of lien from a debtor. In February, Tora Bora Construction and Contractors Limited seized computers and 13 vehicles owned by the Cepep Company Limited to recoup a $2 million debt.

The vehicles had to be eventually returned after the Court of Appeal overturned a decision by a High Court Judge who granted a default judgement after it failed to meet a deadline for filing its defence to the lawsuit. The company was not ordered to repay $500,000 that was paid to it in order to stop the action by the company’s bailiff, as the Appeal Court said it constituted partial payment of the debt. The decision is currently being appealed to the Privy Council.

Joeann Walters broke down in tears yesterday as she bade goodbye to her relatives after she was sentenced to 24 years in jail on drug trafficking and arms and ammunition charges.

Walters, 42, was charged 15 years ago but was only convicted in May after she was found guilty by a jury.

In passing sentence in the San Fernando Third Criminal Court, Justice Maria Wilson said it was unacceptable that it took so many years for the matter to be tried.

The judge said her own investigation revealed that it took a while for the exhibits to be analysed at the Forensic Science Centre, but in 2005 after a preliminary inquiry Walters was committed to stand trial in the High Court.

However, the judge said the indictment was only filed six years later. She said for various reasons, including Walters changing three attorneys, there were further delays.

Walters was arrested on December 16, 2003, in Couva. The State’s case was that Insp Sean Sookram and other officers, including Sgt Basanta, stopped a maroon Mitsubishi Lancer around 5 am at Carli Bay Road.

Walters, who was the driver, and two male occupants were ordered out of the vehicle. Sookram found revolver loaded with six rounds of ammunition stuck in the waist of her jeans. He also found six crocus bags, containing 18 packages of marijuana weighing 65.62 kg, in the car — two bags in the back seat and four in the trunk.

Walters defence was that the police fabricated the case against her. Wilson noted that Walters had no other matters in court, but she said the offences were very serious and prevalent.

While there were no identifiable victims, the judge said the drug trade has a debilitating effect on citizens and the country. Wilson said it was also contributing to the spiralling crime situation and portrays a negative image to potential investors.

The judge found that an appropriate sentence for the marijuana trafficking charge was 18 years hard labour and seven years each the gun and ammunition charges.

However, after considering the mitigating factors, the judge reduced the sentences to 14 and five years respectively. Wilson ordered that the sentences run concurrently which means Walters will really serve 14 years in jail.

The three months she spent in custody also has to deducted from the sentences. Walters was represented by attorney Criston J Williams while State attorney Sabrina Dougdeen-Jaglal prosecuted the matter.

With limited space to dispose of more than 700,000 tonnes of waste produced annually in T&T, head of the Solid Waste Management Company Ltd (SWMCOL) Ronald Roach says recycling is essential.

CEO Ronald Roach, who was speaking at the San Fernando City Corporation ‘s statutory meeting yesterday, said 80 per cent of the waste is recyclable but currently less than five per cent is being recycled.

Noting that recycling is not an option any more, Roach said, “the reality is we are simply running out of space from which we can dispose of materials, of your waste.”

In collaboration with the Public Utilities Ministry, he said SWMCOL has been working with the various municipal corporations on a project which started in the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation in 2016. He said they recently launched the project at the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Corporation and plans are on the way to launch the project in San Fernando.

He explained the project will start off in the Gulf View and Embacadere communities and the residents will be asked to separate their beverage containers, including plastic containers, glass bottles, aluminium cans and tetra packs.

And once a week the recyclable waste will be picked up by designated trucks which will be processed at SWMCOL’s facilities. Interviewed afterwards, Roach said the public is interested in recycling but they don’t have the time to do it. He said the Curbside Recycling Project is expected to make it easier for people. Roach said SWMCOL operates three landfills, the largest being Beetham Landfill which receives half of the country’s waste. He said the Beetham Landfill is in a swamp and is running out of space.

“And, therefore, how do you relocate a site like Beetham? Where do you put that waste that is coming in now?...Nobody wants to have a landfill close to where they live so it becomes very difficult, if not impossible, to find new space to have a landfill site. The solution has to be that of recycling.”

Noting that 2010 statistics put T&T annual waste production at 700,000 tonnes, he said, “We do generate far too much waste than we should for an island state,” said Roach.

In fact, he said per capita T&T waste production is quite high in the Caribbean and Latin America and is in the range of industrial countries like the United States and Europe. Roach presented a trophy while San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello presented a cash prize to students of Naparima College and San Fernando East Secondary who tied for first place in a recycling theme competition.

Several stunning replicas of historical sites and landmarks in the southern city of San Fernando created by primary schools from waste materials, as part of a recycling competition, hosted by San Fernando West PNM Youth League, were also on display.

Teachers and students have admitted to improvements in the SEA revision performance through the use of computers and high-speed internet connectivity in the classroom as part of the pennacool.com project.

On Wednesday, internet and television provider Flow launched its third instalment of the programme — Flow ICT Education Project—where 10 schools were selected to each receive 10 laptop computers and free WiFi connectivity.

Speaking at the launch of the project at the Hilton Trinidad, CEO and co-developer of the programme John Devaux said the programme was an attraction for students. He said every month over 500 students are rewarded with prizes and certificates for submitting work on the pennacool.com project.

Already 20 schools have benefited from the programme. The project started in 2016 with 10 schools being introduced each year, Devaux said.

Devaux said the online programme allows teachers and parents to track the performance of students and immediately correct questions.

Cogland Griffith, head of the National Principal Association and Principal of Cocorite Government Primary School, praised the project saying it was a motivating factor for his students.

Shazaad Mohammed, a Standard Five teacher at Warrenville TIA Primary School said pennacool.com and Flow ICT in Education Project has been beneficial to teachers.

“It has been a trying experience to be a Standard Five teacher, it’s no easy task. There are many sleepless nights and days are frustrated then came pennacool.com. It gave teachers an opportunity to get some rest. Not much more but we are thankful for that,” he said.

Mohammed said the programme encourages students to arrive before classes and they were doing better in their school work.

Sanaa Romero, a Standard Four at Warrenville TIA Primary School, who won one of the Inter-School Championships said she was excited even before she got the opportunity to use the tablet computer.

“My class teacher encouraged me to participate in pennacool’s competition so we could reap the rewards and benefits,” she said.

Romero said the tablet helped her advance in her school work and end of term test and place first in the competition.

About the project

pennacool.com is an online SEA revision website, with self-correcting revision exercises in Mathematics and English Language. In addition, there are online reports which allow for the tracking of student performance by teachers, parents and the students themselves.

The objective of the project is the improvement in student performance through the use of pennacool.com by teachers and students. This project started in 2016 and incorporates 30 schools over three academic years with 10 schools being introduced each year. The project implements four basic requirements for the successful introduction of ICT into our school system.

Selected schools

Princes Town Presbyterian No 1

St Mary’s AC

Libertville TML

Tacarigua Presbyterian School

Arima Girls’ RC

Richmond Street Boys’ AC

Point Fortin AC

Holy Saviour Curepe AC

St Finbar’s Girls’ RC

An impasse between Education Minister Anthony Garcia and the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Private Secondary Schools (TTAPSS) over an increase in fees for Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examination pupils assigned to their schools has left the Garcia looking for alternative places to put those pupils. However, Garcia is assuring all Government-assisted pupils will be placed.

Yesterday, acting TTAPSS president Leslie Hislop told the T&T Guardian private secondary schools principals felt they had no choice but to adopt the position because they felt they could not “continue to provide places at the current rate being paid.”

Hislop said the ministry has been paying $1200 per term for these students and it has been placing the schools in financial crisis. In addition, he said because the allocation from the ministry is late most of the time, “our reality is that we have to face workers every month and tell them ‘well I not sure I could pay you this month’.”

The affected schools are the Open Bible High School, Caribbean Union College, Southern Academy, Corpus Christi, St Charles, Bishops Centenary, St Joseph College and Johnson Finishing School.

Hislop, principal at the Caribbean Union College, said they were cash-strapped and had virtually used up every avenue of financing available. He said currently the schools were indebted to “various organisations, in some instances the churches that are responsible for running the schools, some people have even approached and received some funding from private business persons and the banks are no longer interested in treating with the schools because of the financial reality. Banks can’t go into a situation where you not sure you going to get your money back if you provide a loan.”

Administrator at Bishops Centenary College Akai Webster said the bank had recently extended her school’s overdraft by $450,000, which they used to pay salaries because of late payments from the ministry. She said they could not get an extension of the overdraft and yesterday they were again told by the ministry that the cheques to pay teachers’ salaries would not be ready until the end of next week.

“Teachers pay-day is tomorrow (Thursday), what am I going to say to the teachers? I don’t know what will happen when the teachers hear they will not be paid,” Webster said.

She expressed disappointment that for yet another time, the school had been put in this position although claim forms had gone to the ministry since May 21.

Hislop said Bishops’ case was symptomatic of the financial constraints which the schools faced and one which they just could not continue. He said at a recent meeting with Garcia, principals indicated they were willing to provide places but not at the current rate. He said the private schools provided a “vital service to the education sector” by providing places in areas where the demand for school places was very high.

He said if those students could not be accommodated because of the impasse, “we are looking at a few hundred students well who would be out of place in the Form One SEA intake.”

Hislop said the association had also written to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and sent him documentary evidence of the cost per student and why they were asking for an increase from $1200 to $5700 per student per term. He said they have received no response to their letter, which was delivered to the PM’s Office last Monday (June 18).

“More than likely, the schools will have to close or seriously have to adjust their structures. We are looking at job cuts and all that kind of thing while the schools go into recovery mode,” Hislop said as he noted the institutions will have to readjust their operations.

He said while they did not want to issue the ultimatum to the ministry they basically had no choice.

“We don’t want to lose our schools, we love education, we believe in offering a quality product to all children, but the reality is we cannot continue to sustain the schools at that rate, it is financially impossible.”

In the past nine years, he said the shortfall from the ministry towards funding the schools, which had as many as 80 per cent of their pupils funded by Government, was over $1.5 million annually.

“We are technically subsiding the cost of education to all the students who are placed in these schools by the Ministry of Education,” he said.

A $12 billion in debt, much of which is due in one year’s time, total employee costs amounting to 50 per cent of operating costs and an overtime bill of $22 million a month are some of the issues the board of State-owned energy company Petrotrin must deal with.

The grim picture was painted by chairman Wilfred Espinet at a conference titled Macroeconomic Conversations hosted by the University of the West Indies in collaboration with Guardian Media Ltd at UWI’s St Augustine Campus yesterday.

Added to the heavy debt is the fact that the company gives out some 5000 meal vouchers per month to people working only in the refinery and one particular member of management who had reported for duty but they had been unable to fire him.

Referring to the $12 million debt, in particular, Espinet said, “Faced with a huge balloon payment of $850 million US dollars...these are the things we came in and found in the company.”

He said a company like Petrotrin, which is involved in such high capital expenditure, ought to have a different structure in terms of employee cost.

“It has an extraordinary cost that could not possibly be sustained,” he added.

He said the overtime bill was “institutional overtime,” adding that in the company’s balance sheet to date there were 183,000 days of leave accumulated to the workforce.

“That’s 502 years ... that’s two hundred and twenty-something million dollars worth of leave accumulated. The worse part of it is that nobody has any record keeping of anybody in Petrotrin.

“We have an employee who is identified in a managerial position at four and a half years of being there and he has not attended one full week of work and the process of getting him out is impossible because you have what is called natural justice,” Espinet said.

He noted that the taxpayers had therefore now become a victim.

“Every single Trinidadian has a substantial amount of debt and I’m talking about the vagrants on the street, so if they’re not going to pay it somebody else going to pay it,” Espinet said.

He said if T&T wanted to remain competitive in the oil industry the board of Petrotrin must take charge of its operations.

“You’re dealing with the impossible. It is a challenge of unbelievable dimension. We came in and we started to cut cost and reduce waste,” he said.

“One of the big fallacies I want to remove is the price of oil has caused this. That is absolutely false. Petrotrin’s cost of operation is a problem. The management is a problem. When the cost of oil was $110 a barrel we were losing money.”

He said initiatives like the gas to liquids project had also cost the company large sums of revenue.

Former Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur, who delivered the feature address focusing on small states, said developmental challenges faced by such countries could be minimised and overcome by appropriate policy choices and more importantly, by the sustained forging of a coherence between the mix of policies and the choice of strategies that a country chooses.

Regarding trade, Arthur noted, “In respect of trade facilitation, as vetted by the World Bank’s statistic performance index and the cost to export a container, the Caribbean region enjoys the dubious distinction of having the worst indices of any group of countries in the world.”

He said beyond such determinants of trade, the region has been showing significant slippage on matters that can generate high levels of investment.

Justin Ferguson, who was shot in Port-of-Spain earlier this month, succumbed to his injuries last week while in hospital.Ferguson, 34, police said, died last Thursday at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

He was awaiting public transportation on June 10 at Independence Square when he was shot six times by an unknown gunman.Ferguson was taken to the hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and was subsequently warded in a critical condition.

Police are, however, yet to determine a motive for Ferguson’s killing.

Investigations are continuing.

Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon says the US$10 fee involved in the transaction to return a New York city million-dollar luxury condo to his friend Neville Piper was a standard transfer fee and not a sale price.

Sticking to his initial statement that the condo was gifted to him by Piper, Dillon said yesterday that he felt the need to “give it back” in the wake of the property dispute which developed surrounding the matter.

But in addressing calls by the Opposition to disclose how he came to sell the property for US$10, Dillon said using the word ‘sold’ was not feasible because it was a transaction involving a deed and the transfer of property, which involved a standard fee (US$10) to transfer the said property.

“It is transferred, which I did voluntarily,” Dillon said, adding the condo was a gift to him and because there was never any ill intent behind it in the first place, he merely returned it.

“Simple as that,” he added.

Dillon appeared before the New York Supreme Court on April 4 to settle the property dispute brought against him by Piper’s niece Esther Nicholls, who alleged that Dillon had sought to defraud Piper of his property and bank account. In a subsequent release, Dillon said then that there had been no finding of wrongdoing against him.

Dillon was speaking to members of the media after the Cycle 1801 graduation ceremony of the Civilian Conservation Corps’ (CCC) at the T&T Regiment Headquarters, El Socorro, yesterday. Some 749 students graduated during the ceremony.

Delivering the feature address, Dillon said a National Crime Prevention Programme will soon be launched within the 14 municipal regions in a bid to empower communities and residents and turn them away from crime, criminality and violence. Explaining it to the media after the ceremony, he said there will be three pilot areas: Central, Diego Martin and Tobago.“Through this programme we will identify issues and challenges and work on improving communities,” he said.During his address, Dillon also said 77 per cent of CCC graduates are employed, with 25 per cent of this being in the public sector, including the protective services.

“The remaining 52 per cent in the private sector, ten per cent represents those who are self-employed starting off their own businesses,” Dillon said.He urged yesterday’s graduates to “remain positive and focus at all times”.

“Failure is not an option…today you were given the tools and training to make you ready for life.”On another issue raised by the media afterwards, Dillon said he was yet to receive the full report on the social media leak of a list containing over 100 names of alleged gang members, gang leaders and their addresses and gang affiliations. He said while acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams has launched his investigations, the Ministry of National Security “has its own intelligence agencies looking at this…to identify who are the known perpetrators and gangs.”

As the frustration mounts among detainees at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) in Aripo, seven Venezuelan nationals recently attempted to take matters into their own hands by allegedly confronting guards at the facility.

The incident has forced a heightened police presence at the facility.

One of the detainees, through an attorney, sent a message to the T&T Guardian saying they were only trying to highlight their mistreatment at the facility and the fact that their matters were dragging along through the courts.

The detainee alleged that they are beaten, denied medication, given spoilt food and only one bottle of water a day at the facility.

This situation, however, allegedly grew worst for the detainees after an incident where seven male Venezuelan nationals confronted two officers and begged them to look into why their respective court cases been delayed and also why the repatriation process was taking so long.

The T&T Guardian understands that since this incident security at the IDC had been beefed up, including frequent visits by police and the stationing of two or more officers at the centre to complement the Immigration officers on duty.

But when the T&T Guardian visited the centre yesterday, two men wearing jerseys with logos resembling the T&T Police Service’s official logo claimed they knew nothing of such an incident and referred all questions to officials from the Immigration Division’s offices in Port-of-Spain.

However, an official at the Immigration Division said Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Ghandi-Andrews was currently out of the country on training.

When told of the alleged incident yesterday, Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon said he had not heard anything of it but promised to look into it.

The family of a 20-year-old Mamoral woman is pleading with members of the public for assistance in locating her.

Sharday Emmanuel was last seen at her Mamoral Number One home on Wednesday morning.

A relative told CNC3 that she was already at work when Emmanuel left home and therefore she had no idea what time she left and what she was wearing.

Neighbours have also been unable to give any information on her whereabouts.

Calls and messages to her phone remain unanswered, something the relative said is strange, since, she said, Emmanuel always indicates where she is going.

Emmanuel is a nursing assistant at the Chateau Mabel Nursing Home for senior citizens in Longdenville and has been on two days off, Wednesday and Thursday. She is due back at work today.

Officers of the Brasso Police Station visited the family home late Wednesday night and are continuing investigations.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police.

The man charged with the murder of 20-year-old Shannon Banfield in December 2016 has been committed to stand trial in the High Court.

This follows the conclusion of a preliminary inquiry into the charge in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court.

Acting Chief Magistrate Maria Busby Earl-Caddle, who presided over the inquity against the accused, Dale Seecharan, 38, of St Helena, read the committal order to him on Wednesday. Assistant Deputy Director of Prosecutions Angelica Teelucksingh and State attorney Chanell Moe conducted the prosecution’s case.

Banfield, a bank employee of Santa Cruz, went missing on December 5, 2016. Her body was found on December 8 2016, at IAM and Company, Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain.

Seecharan was charged by Sgt Joel Grant, then attached to Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Region 1.

An 81-year-old Rio Claro businessman, accused of money laundering and forgery, has appeared before a Rio Claro magistrate to answer the charges.

Kelly Afzal Mohammed, of Guayaguayare Road, Rio Claro, appeared before Magistrate Alicia Chankar in the Rio Claro Magistrates’ Court after being charged with four counts of money laundering, four counts of obtaining credit by virtue of a fraudulent instrument, four counts of forgery of the fraudulent instrument and four counts of uttering fraudulent instruments, under the Proceeds of Crime Act and the Forgery Act. He was arrested on Wednesday.

Mohammed was granted $300,000 station bail by a Justice of the Peace. The matter was adjourned to September 28.

A statement from the Police Service claimed that between The period December 12, 2005 and April 27, 2006, Mohammed, the general manager of Haniff Mohammed and Sons Ltd, forged a former employee’s signature on four cheques amounting to TT$239,568.68, and deposited the funds into a personal account.

A report was made by the victim to the Fraud Squad on June, 13, 2012. It led to an investigation being launched and supervised by acting Senior Supt Totaram Dookhie, of the Fraud Squad.

Charges were laid by Sgt Brian Popaan, of the Fraud Squad, following advice received from Director of Public Prosecutions, Roger Gaspard SC.

Transport Commissioner Wayne Richards is assuring the public that there is no shortage of inspection stickers.

To substantiate his claim, Richards said he showed the media yesterday at Licensing Office, Port-of-Spain, rolls of inspection stickers that were available.

His comments came one day after a notice was put up at a Licensing Office informing the public that there were no inspection stickers available until further notice due to machine problems.

The notice was plastered on social media, which infuriated the public, many of whom complained that they had to wait for long periods to be attended to at Licensing Offices.

“We have thousands and thousands of stickers for both commercial and private vehicles,” Richards insisted.

He said on Wednesday, due to technical problems experienced with a machine, stickers could not be printed, but they had in stock.

The machine has since been repaired.

Told that the notice was misleading and gave the impression that there were no stickers available, Richards said, “Well, that is how some people read it. But we have sufficient stickers available, I can assure you.”

As for the long lines, Richards said that was expected, as people tend to do things last minute, while they could not increase its staff to handle the work load.

“We are public servants. Our staff comes from the Public Service Commission. We have to work with what we have.”

Drivers can be fined $5,000 for not having their vehicles inspected.

A private vehicle, over five years, has to be inspected every two years. Hired, heavy -T and rental vehicles require annual inspections.

Richards said with the authorities cracking down on drivers to ensure their vehicles’ stickers are up to date, Licensing Division had been seeing an influx of people “coming in for a change of colour of vehicles, engines and transfers and so on. People have not been doing the right thing.”

He said vehicle owners who changed the colour of their vehicles were now coming in to update their records.

“Now that they are going to inspect their vehicles they need to have all their records in proper order. People are now having those issues corrected.”

On Wednesday, Richards threatened to “shut down” any inspection station if they are found guilty of demanding an additional $300 inspection fee on vehicle owners when they go to collect their inspection stickers.

This was after he received a complaint from someone who had their vehicle inspected not too long ago at a station for which they paid $300, but did not collect an inspection sticker due to a scarcity.

However, when the driver went to the station to collect his sticker he was told he must pay $300 again to have the vehicle re-inspected which Richards said was wrong.

Yesterday, three testing stations said there was a mad rush by drivers to have their vehicles inspected and for collection of stickers.

A well-known gang member from Central was fatally shot by police on Wednesday during a high-speed chase along the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway.

According to a police report, at about 4 pm police officers, who were conducting enquiries in the Preysal area, spotted Keon Moore driving a car. Police said Moore was wanted man

The report stated that the officers attempted to stop Moore but he drove off and entered the highway heading south.

The police gave chase and were allegedly shot at in the vicinity of the Children’s Hospital. The officers returned fire, causing Moore to lose control of the vehicle, which crashed into the median cables.

Moore, who was shot several times, was taken to the Couva District Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police said Moore, who was well-known to them as a gang member of the Unruly Isis gang, was wanted in connection for several shootings, woundings and robberies in the Central Division.

Police officers said a 9mm Glock pistol and ammunition were recovered at the scene.

However, close relatives of Moore claimed that police officers had marked him for death and believed that it was impossible for him to shoot at the police while driving.

Asked why he was marked for death, a relative, who wished not to be identified, said: “Other people wanted him dead and we believe that police who are (alleged) friends from the other side wipe him out. They have their reasons, yes, but justice will come.”

Investigations are continuing.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert will lay in Parliament appropriate documents pertaining to the acquisition and procurement of the controversial US17.4 million Galleon Passage, which was purchased by the Government to service the limping seabridge.

This was revealed by Communications Minister Stuart Young at yesterday’s post Cabinet media briefing.

Young said having come out of a heated Senate session this week over the vessel’s acquisition “the narratives raised by the Opposition have fallen flat. What will happen is very shortly the Minister of Finance will lay the appropriate documents in Parliament for everyone to see. I don’t think there is any issue there whatsoever.”

He said the documents will make all of the issues clear.

On Tuesday, Senator Wade Mark piloted a motion against the procurement process of the Galleons Passage, stating that it was not done above board.

Mark also called on the Government to lay in the Lower House the vessel’s two valuation reports.

Young assured that the purchase was done with accountability and transparency.

“There is nothing abnormal with the procurement. A small Cabinet sub-committee of which I was a part was given a mandate to find a vessel. We were in an emergency situation. A vessel was found. And it was a good deal for T&T.”

As for the Darrly Smith report, Young said it was premature for this to be released because “certain persons whose names are in it should be given an opportunity to look at it and respond to it.” (See Page A8)

He also said the OAS report, done by Ambassador Christopher Thomas, will also be laid in Parliament, but could not say when.

The Fraud Squad was called in to State- owned Petrotrin yesterday but company officials remained mum on what the investigation pertains to.

A senior company official told the T&T Guardian: “I am aware that something inappropriate is being investigated. The investigation is on-going.”

But he declined to provide further details.

Petrotrin chairman Wilfred Espinet confirmed he had received a report on something at the company but could provide no further details.

A company source said the issue related to two tankers with false compartments. But security officials at the company referred all questions to the communications department, which was unable to provide any information

The T&T Guardian understands that the tankers are owned by contractors who operate for other companies and deliver fuel to the service stations.

Officials said Petrotrin does not employ any tank wagon drivers, the drivers come into the bond area fill up the tanks and the levels are checked by a Sergeant assigned to the bond.

Each tanker, according to Petrotrin insiders, has various compartments and all are checked and signed off.

Only on Wednesday Espinet painted a grim picture of the company when he addressed a conference titled Macro-Economic Conversations hosted by the University of the West Indies.

Espinet said the company had a $12 billion debt, much of which was due in a year’s time, total employee costs amounting to 50 per cent of operating costs and an overtime bill of $22 million a month are just some of the issues which the company faces.

Espinet said if TT wanted to remain competitive in the oil industry the Board of Petrotrin must take charge of the operations.

In troubling times of rising criminal activity and unemployment, people are turning to dark magic and supernatural for help.

Guardian Media spoke to dealers who have been in the business of selling occult supplies for decades.

Two dealers in Chaguanas said there has been an upsurge by youths delving in the supernatural and the latest wave of immigrants from Venezuela are also turning towards the unseen forces for assistance to seek employment and hide from immigration authorities.

One of the dealers, who identified himself as Zion, 50, who runs one of a handful of full-fledged spiritual supply stores at the Chaguanas Market, shared his experiences with Guardian Media.

Zion operates from the second floor. One has to enter the market and wind through the maze of hawkers peddling vegetables and fruits on the first level to get to the staircase to access the second level. There the scenario changes from fruits and vegetables to a mélange of clothing and reasonably-priced curried and Chinese dishes.

Zion’s booth is located almost in the centre of the ageing complex. It is a small shop that is easy to walk past until one is captured and drawn by the scent of incense. The booth-like shop is filled to the ceiling with hundreds of dark bottles containing oils that bear names as Voodoo, Come to Me, Go Away Evil and Commanding. Amulets for sale are strung everywhere in the 16-foot square store. There are candles shaped in form of human beings, books, cards, soaps and sprays.

A glass with water containing a mysterious bush is placed near the doorway and the atmosphere is hypnotically filled with the scent of incense and spiritual oils. There is a steady flow of customers.

Some come with a prepared list of items that they have gotten from the individual doing the “spiritual” or occult work for them. Others come with a level of desperation written on their face looking for some sort of answers and assistance.

Despite the noisy overhead fan that does a poor job to keep the incessant heat off, Zion sits in a small chair and chats openly.

He was born a Hindu and got a vision that he should follow the road of the Spiritual Baptist. Zion said when he became a Baptist he went into a state of spiritual revelation called mourning where he was given another vision that he should enter into his trade to assist people the correct way so they would not be misled.

He started the business 18 years ago. He said growing problems are causing the upsurge in persons seeking spiritual help.

“People have problems and they are looking for an alternative to solve their problems because our social system is dead in this country, there is no help and people are resorting to spiritual help. Some for good, some for the wrong purpose, but mostly good.”

Despite some level of scepticism, people are seeing results, he said.

“This is real…It’s a good thing, this has nothing to do with religion, it has to do with spirituality.” He said there are spiritual workers from all faiths scattered across the islands who tap into the knowledge of the Kabbalah, an esoteric method, discipline, and school of thought that originated in Judaism.

He said with the upsurge of the Internet and social media more people are drawn towards the occult where they can find tremendous information on the subject.

Zion said the name of the oil can be misleading when it comes to the true purpose of the oil. He said it was important to get the proper information on the oils before using it, which he said can be found in occult books and online. He said the original intention of spiritual work was to get positive results

Government has moved up the date for the official launch of T&T Television (TTT).

The expected rebranding date is set for an early as next month.

This was revealed by Communications Minister Stuart Young at yesterday’s post Cabinet media briefing.

“CNMG is going to be rebranded TTT. So any previous decision taken or any previous talk about shutting down CNMG that is not going to happen. We are going to go and rebrand TTT. In fact, this morning the Prime Minister asked me at Cabinet how soon I expect to do it…I am hoping to do that by July,” Young said.

On Tuesday, Lisa Agard was appointed CNMG chairman.

This board, Young insisted was not transitionary.

“They are the board I expect to lead the charge and rebrand CNMG into TTT. In that re-branding process there will be a lot of fresh programming. They will change the way the broadcast is now. There may be two radio stations involved in this whole process.”

The line-up of programming will include documentaries and news.

Young said they have to choose a logo for TTT.

Next week, Young will meet with staff of CNMG to inform them of the changes that are coming.

Questioned what assurances given to workers about their jobs, Young said he has asked for information which was still coming to him.

“They are still in the process of setting up a separate Ministry of Communications. I never give assurances but what I can tell you, is that, right now from what they have told me, the initial numbers... there are vacancies to be filled.”

Last August, then communications minister Maxie Cuffie stated that Cabinet took a decision to wind up State-owned CNMG and restart the media house under TTT which was well known for programmes as Community Dateline and Panorama News.