Lennox Petroleum Services Limited has obtained an injunction barring the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) from entering its offices at Princes Margaret Street, San Fernando.

High Court Judge Frank Seepersad granted the injunction after lawyers representing the union failed to appear during a hearing in the San Fernando High Court yesterday.

Seepersad considered the injunction only after certifying that the case, which was filed after OWTU officials stormed the compound on August 29, was urgent enough to be heard during the Judiciary’s annual vacation.

The injunction is set to continue until the substantive case comes up for hearing before Justice Avason Quinlan-Williams after the 2018/2019 Law Term opens next week.

In his affidavit filed in conjunction with the application, the company’s CEO Wayne Persad claimed the dispute with the OWTU arose after its business arrangement with Rowan Drilling (Trinidad) Limited ended in April. The company had been previously contracted to provide labour support and human resource services for three of Rowan’s oil rigs in south Trinidad.

On August 27, the union wrote to the company requesting severance payments and retroactive salaries for Lennox’s former employees, who were sent home after the Rowan arrangement ended.

Persad said based on legal advice the company refused to honour the payments.

Prior to entering Lennox’s property, the OWTU informed the company it would be referring the issue to the Minister of Labour as a trade dispute. Police were then called in and assisted in removing OWTU members from the property.

As part of the injunction application, Persad claimed the protest affected the company’s operations.

“Many of the staff members in the office, who are mostly female, complained that they were fearful for their lives, as the members of the OWTU made advances towards the office areas and spoke and gestured aggressively,” he told the court.

“I am afraid that, unless restrained, the OWTU will continue their protest, and this will disrupt the operations of Lennox, which are already strained since the company is without a labour service contract.” Persad also claimed the OWTU was insensitive in taking the action as it occurred one week after the company’s founder and majority shareholder Pamela Persad was buried.

In addition to declarations that the union trespassed on its property, the company is also seeking compensation for the losses it suffered as a result.

The company is being represented by Thomas Cunningham and Stefan Mungalsingh.

An invasion of Venezuelans labourers without work permits has been discovered at the Red House!

That’s what Urban Corporation of T&T (Udecott) chairman Noel Garcia found when he called for a full-scale investigation into migrants working as labourers on the $441 million Red House restoration project.

Garcia made the disclosure in a telephone interview yesterday, following an exclusive June T&T Guardian article which reported that contractors working on the multi-million dollar project had been retaining migrants as cheap labourers.

In 2005, Udecott assumed responsibility for the project, which began 19 years ago.

The discovery of the Venezuelan invasion prompted Garcia to call on the site’s project manager for an immediate probe into the hiring of foreign labourers by the 12 sub-contractors undertaking the job and to submit a report to its board.

A warning was also issued by Garcia to the contractors that if the Venezuelans are not in possession of work permits, the Immigration Division would be notified.

Following the week-long investigation, a report was submitted to then Housing Minister and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, under whose purview Udecott fell then. Housing Minister Edmund Dillon is now line minister for Udecott.

In giving an update on the matter yesterday, Garcia admitted that he did not realise there were so many Venezuelans and other foreigners working on the construction site without work permits.

“It was almost a mini United Nations group…from Jamaicans to Venezuelans. We even had one American. A number of them hadn’t work permits.”

The Red House has a work crew of 200.

Garcia admitted that the bulk of the migrants were Venezuelans who came here seeking jobs.

Asked how many non-nationals had secured jobs at the Port-of-Spain site without permits, Garcia said “it was quite a few. I would say over 70 workers. But they have now gone. We had to get rid of them. We are not prepared to condone the breaking of the law.

“Some of them surprised me saying that they were with Living Waters. Not because you are with Living Waters seeking refugee status it gives you, in our view, the right to work on the Red House,” Garcia said.

Those who were non-holders of work permits, Garcia said, were immediately removed from the site.

However, he refused to say if Immigration Division had been alerted about the status of the labourers.

The T&T Guardian was told that the Venezuelans were paid $250 a day as labourers, while locals were demanding $400 for a day’s work.

In some cases, the Venezuelans, some of whom were women, worked beyond their eight-hour shifts.

“So any non-national working at the Red House must have a work permit. The Venezuelans are almost everywhere. They are now on construction sites,… in bars and supermarkets,” Garcia said.

In light of this development, Garcia said Udecott had to lay down the law, making it mandatory that any contractor retained by Udecott must ensure their migrant workers have valid permits.

“These foreign workers were not hired by Udecott. I want to make that absolutely clear. In terms of terminating those workers it was not Udecott’s responsibility.”

Currently, Garcia said there are 20 Colombians, three Cubans and three Americans on the site, all of whom have work permits.

Social, economic and political upheavals, as well as hyperinflation, shortages of food, medicine and other supplies, have forced many Venezuelans to flee their country and look for work in neighbouring countries, including T&T, to earn money and supplies to send back home to their families.

According to the August 2017 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees report, there are an estimated 40,000 Venezuelans in T&T. To date, approximately 2,000 Venezuelans have applied for asylum and the numbers are increasing, acting Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews told a Joint Select Committee of Parliament in April.

RADHICA DE SILVA

radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt

Earthquake displaced farmers from Los Iros are begging the Minister of Agriculture Clarence Rambharat to make good on his promise to relocate them.

Its been almost a month since 100 acres of arable farmlands were destroyed in the 6.9 magnitude earthquake.

Since then farmers have been unable to sow or harvest their crops.

Nobbie Mathura, who cultivates five areas, said it breaks his heart to see fields of peppers and other crops go to waste.

"I am extremely disappointed and depressed because time is passing and nothing is being done to relocate us in a timely manner," he said.

Mathura said when Rambharat visited on August 23, he assured that all productive farmers would be relocated as soon as possible. However, Mathura said engineers from the ministry are now saying that he cannot be relocated because he does not have a lease to the land.

"I have peppers to pick. That crop was supposed to last over a six-month period but since the ponds dried up after the earthquake the fields are drying," Mathura added.

He called on Rambharat to organise to have the ponds dug once more to save what was left of their agricultural estates.

Los Iros Hillview Farmers' Association president Reshinand Ramraj said he was also hoping the relocation process could be done quickly.

"We are just waiting on the ministry and no one has told us anything. They repaired the road and work is ongoing right now but we are still waiting to see what will happen. Farmers are really suffering. We are not satisfied," Ramraj said.

He also expressed hope that the farmers will be compensated.

"If we can get back some kind of assistance to get back on our feet we will be able to begin cultivating soon," Ramraj added.

Contacted yesterday, Minister Rambharat said the process was taking longer than anticipated and he could not give a date as to when the relocation will occur.

"The ministry’s engineering team has been in Los Iros since the earthquake. They are working on the issues. They are not simple issues," he said.

Asked whether it was possible to have the ponds fixed, Rambharat said, "The farmers are requesting assistance to prepare the lands they are currently occupying. One person is on 25 acres of forest reserve illegally. Before we do anything we have to determine the geological issues in continuing to operate on that site; the engineering works that are required; and the relocation options."

He said seismologists and geologists were working with the ministry's engineering team.

"Our engineers are down there working with them and providing support," Rambharat added.

RADHICA DE SILVA

radhicasookraj@guardian.co.tt

Having faced what they called was the worst flood of their lives, Cedros residents yesterday called on the Ministry of Works to replace a manual floodgate which they say was removed during construction of the Cedros Bridge.

The residents spent most of yesterday cleaning up their homes and doing an assessment of damage following flooding caused by rains on Tuesday.

Nirmala Maharaj said the floodgates controlled the flow of water from Bonasse Village into the Gulf of Paria. She said it was only after the bridge construction began that residents began experiencing frequent flooding.

"I have been living here for 29 years and it was the first time I ever experienced this type of floods," Maharaj said.

Deodath Toolsie, who is 80 years old, said the manual floodgates were designed by the Americans during World War 2 and for decades served to keep out floods during high tide and during heavy rainfalls.

He said remnants of the floodgates were still present at the site.

Ainsley Gopaul, who has lived in Cedros for 58 years, said when the bridge construction began the contractors removed the floodgates and built a wall which hindered the water flow.

"This construction is hindering the water flow and preventing a fast runoff. We have never seen such floods in over 25 years. It was a disaster," Gopaul said.

He said he and Toolsie spoke to a civil engineer on site and showed him video footage of how the wall was restricting the water flow.

"In the past, we had worst rainfall than what we got on Tuesday and we never experienced that kind of floods," Gopaul added.

However, director of bridges Mahadeo Jagdeo, who worked closely on the project, said the floods were caused by several factors, including high-intensity rainfall and the restriction of water caused by three local channels which were situated in private property.

"Upstream of the bridge there are local water channels coming in. Property drain lines run alongside the road and another perpendicular. These three channels meet at the upstream end of the bridge and that contributed to the flooding. We cannot do anything to increase those channels because they are on private property," Jagdeo said.

He admitted that there is a piece of concrete that was constructed which exacerbated the floods and said this will be rectified.

Minister of Works Rohan Sinanan said there were no floodgates in Cedros but said a bridge was under construction. He said the project will be completed within the next month.

However, councillor for Cedros Shankar Teelucksingh said everyone in Cedros was familiar with the manual floodgates which worked well in preventing floods. He called on the ministry to look over previous designs and reinstall a floodgate that will control the water flow in and out of Cedros.

Minister of Local Government Kazim Hosein said yesterday that he was liaising with the Disaster Management Coordinator to deliver mattresses and other supplies for the affected residents. Acting Senior Disaster Management Coordinator Videsh Lall said 38 households were affected by the floods and forms were distributed to provide assistance through the Ministry of Social Development.

Police have charged four men with robbery with violence and possession of a firearm and ammunition against two Chinese nationals.

The Police Service said in a release yesterday that the men were charged after being arrested by officers of the Rio Claro Criminal Investigations Department (CID) during an anti-crime exercise in the district.

Eliot Hamilton, 27, a security guard of Lamonte Street, Longdenville; Odell Prieto, 19, a labourer of Sand Hill Road, Tabaquite; Keron Martin, 25, a labourer of London Street, Longdenville; and Omar Alexis, 18, of no fixed place of abode, were also jointly charged with assault with intent to rob, following investigations into an incident which occurred on September 9.

The statement said the incident is alleged to have occurred around 7.15 pm when the two victims, one a proprietor of a bar along Naparima Mayaro Road, Rio Claro, were preparing to secure the premises.

The victims were approached by two men, one armed with a gun and the other with a knife, who said it was a robbery.

One of the victims was dealt several blows about the body and relieved of a quantity of cash and alcoholic drinks valued at $800, before the suspects escaped in a white Nissan Tiida.

The vehicle was intercepted around 3 am the following day along Cunapo Road Junction, Tabaquite Road, Rio Claro, by officers of the Rio Claro CID, with the assistance of the Crime Patrol Unit and Eastern Division Task Force officers.

A search of the vehicle was conducted and resulted in officers discovering the stolen cash, drinks and a pistol loaded with nine rounds of 9 mm ammunition.

All four were arrested. The charges were laid by WPC Thampa Sookoo, of the Rio Claro CID and PC Sheldon Sutherland, also of the Rio Claro CID.

Two of the accused— Hamilton and Prieto were charged in connection with the robbery and assault of a couple on Saturday July 14, 2018, in the Rio Claro district.

The accused were conveyed to the Chaguanas Police Station, pending further enquiries into other robbery, shooting and firearm related offences in the Central Division.

Attorney-at-law Justin Phelps is expected to be sentenced for assaulting the boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend on October 19.

Delivering a decision in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning, Magistrate Aden Stroude found Phelps guilty of assaulting Giles Leung.

Phelps, who has been a lawyer for over 20 years, was also accused of assaulting Annalisa Smith and maliciously damaging her pair of glasses, which was valued at $3,000.

The charges arose out of an altercation which is alleged to have taken place at Smith’s home at Primrose Gardens, St Ann’s, on December 6, 2014.

While Stroude acquitted Phelps of assaulting the mother of his child, he convicted him of damaging her glasses.

Phelps had denied any wrongdoing throughout the trial before Stroude.

The assault charge carries a maximum penalty of a $4,000 fine and two years in prison. However, it is unlikely that Phelps will face a prison term as he is a first time offender.

The popular party boat Treasure Queen II sank some more yesterday and became a potential threat to other boats in the Chaguaramas bay.

The boat had begun taking in water in May but had been receiving repairs.

However, the vessel appeared to be almost totally submerged in the vicinity of Pier 1, Chaguaramas, yesterday.

Videos and pictures of the popular party boat depicting it going under were also widely shared on social media.

The status of the submerged vessel prompted the Ministry of Works to issue a notice to marine operators, advising caution in the area.

Veteran photojournalist Andre Alexander had his Nikon camera with him in his casket when family, friends, dignitaries and media colleagues paid their final respects at his funeral service yesterday.

Alexander passed away at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope last Wednesday following a battle with cancer.

The Mt D’or Seventh Day Adventist Church in Champs Fleurs was packed with people yesterday. The tributes to Alexander, as well as the crowd who were there to celebrate him, were a testament to the lives he touched.

Four members of the diplomatic corps in T&T paid tribute to Alexander, telling of the great working relationship they had with him.

Ambassador for the Dutch Kingdom Jules Biji, Ambassador of France Serge Lavroff and Jamaican High Commissioner David Prendergast all spoke glowingly of Alexander. Biji said his death would leave a void in the diplomatic circles. Ambassador of Venezuela Coromoto Godoy Calderon was unable to attend because she is out of the country, but the embassy’s attache, Rita Blanco, delivered remarks on her behalf with the assistance of a translator.

Alexander had been with the T&T Guardian since 1997. Current editor Irving Ward, in his tribute, said he had five words to describe Alexander - committed, dependable, detailed, selfless and infectious.

Alexander, Ward said, was committed to his wife of 34 years Mary Elizabeth Sutherland-Alexander, his family and his profession. He said Alexander was dependable when it came to getting the job done and his body of work had left an “indelible mark on the society”.

“He had an eye for detail, an eye that allowed him to record some of the most detailed expressions in his subjects and by extension the shots that brought out the most detailed elements of the persons, places and times when the event occurred,” Ward said.

“He was a selfless person. He always sought to ensure others were happy, comfortable, were always smiling. He never asked for much but gave a lot - his time, his advice, his respect, his uncanny perspective of life in photos.”

Ward said one thing people would remember about Alexander was his infectious laughter.

“That laughter of his eh. How many times were we down and he, realising this, cracked a joke and buss out in that infectious laugh?” Ward said.

“Even if the joke wasn’t funny, which it oftentimes wasn’t, you just had to laugh with Andre. I think it is because he understood that laughter was the best medicine that he always ensured we had our daily dose of it.”

Apart from the T&T Guardian, Alexander also spent 20 years at the T&T Express and was a founding member of the Newsday.

Newsday’s Editor in Chief Judy Raymond and Trinidad Express columnist Lennox Grant, in their tributes, spoke of Alexander’s professionalism and love for life.

Two eulogies were done for Alexander yesterday, one focusing specifically on his professional career and another done by his family. Andy Johnson delivered the professional eulogy while Cherri-Ann Sesankar delivered the family’s eulogy.

Alexander’s sister Avril Andrews said he had given his life to the Lord in the days before he passed away and also ensured that he was baptised into the Seventh Day Adventist faith. She said she was happy he was able to do this before he passed on.

Following the service, Alexander was cremated at the Belgroves Crematorium in Tacarigua.

Police investigators have sent out kudos to members of the public who provided them with critical information which led to the recovery of a mobile health clinic that was stolen from the compound of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital yesterday morning.

The Mitsubishi Mobile Screening Clinic, licensed TCB 141, was recovered nine hours after it was stolen at a dead end street at Gopaul Park, off St Lucien Road in Diego Martin.

According to a police report, at about 5.15 am someone posing as a driver presented what appeared to be a North West Regional Health Authority’s identification card to the security guard on duty.

The key was subsequently handed over and the man drove off the compound with the truck which, fortunately, was not loaded with thousands of dollars worth of medical equipment because it was not due to be used yesterday. The unit is used for HIV testing and screening.

The T&T Guardian was told by residents in the area that they noticed the truck parked on the street from about 8 am.

“We thought the clinic move into the area to give us check-ups but then we ain’t see nothing again happening and we began to have suspicions. Is only when we heard about it being stolen we realised that that is it, so we called in the police,” one resident said, who wished not to be identified, said.

Police said with the assistance of residents along with intelligence gathering they were able to make a quick breakthrough. Police also confirmed that all the medical equipment in the vehicle was intact.

Officers said last evening that an arrest is imminent.

Sgt Christopher Swamber of the Stolen Vehicles Squad is leading the investigations.

Contacted last evening, NWRHA chief executive officer Wendy Ali said whilst the incident was not deemed a security issue per see, it had put them somewhat on the alert.

“This was fraud where someone purported to be someone else, so it’s fraud, so it’s not a matter of whether or not we have to beef up security at this point,” Ali said.

She added that the NWRHA was yet to receive the police report officially and until then would not know their next move.

Ali also commended the officers for quick actions.

“I want to thank the officers for their active pursuit of the matter. As soon as they got the report they started acting...doing their investigations and I just want to thank them.”

The Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) is seeking a partner to lease the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery as a joint venture.

This fresh development comes weeks after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley gave the OWTU first dibs at purchasing the refinery and they refused, saying it belonged to the nation and not a private holder.

Speaking to the union members and Petrotin employees at the La Joya Complex, St Joseph, yesterday, however, OWTU president General Ancel Roget seemed to have a change of heart as he outlined an alternate plan to shutting down the refinery. He listed the lease arrangement as his second option.

“Now the OWTU is being totally committed to keeping the country’s sole refinery in operation and is confident of its viability. We are prepared to work with reputable businesses and investors in a joint venture to lease the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery,” Roget said to resounding applause from the gathering.

“Any type of arrangement that we enter into, that arrangement must see assets remaining in the hands of the people and benefiting the people.”

He said the lease arrangement would keep the refinery running and avoid a costly restart.

“The assets of the refinery remain in the state-owned company Petrotrin, as different from the sale of the assets to some buyer. Example, as a complete refinery, or as individual refining units and/or as scrapped plant and equipment,” he said

He said their plan was to prevent the cannibalisation of the plant. The lessee in this arrangement, he said, would take possession of all the increased crude, all 67,000 barrels.

“It will now find its way to the refinery, guaranteeing job security,” he said.

The Government, he said, would not have to spend any money in this lease arrangement. As part of its first option, the union is also proposing a restructuring of the US$850 million bullet payment owed by Petrotrin next year to keep the company alive.

Despite the Government’s firm stand that the refinery will be shut down by the end of the year, Roget seemed to think his alternate plan would find favour with the powers that be.

The main contention between the union and the Government is the company’s inability to service a massive US$850 million bullet payment due by August 14, 2019.

“Ask the current bondholders to refinance for a 3-5 year period with interest rate pegged to US five years treasury bonds yields,” Roget said.

“It is against the background of a well ordered Petrotrin. You take a lower interest loan to pay off the debt over a longer period.”

He said the Petrotrin workers could also buy back the bonds with a 10 per cent to 15 per cent monthly salary contribution.

“Now that is not a pay cut, that is a contribution,” he said.

He said pension funds and investment in the credit union can also help rescue the company, as it relates to the overhanging debt. This was one of the six critical areas the union explored to save the company from closure, he said.

“We are suggesting that the Government’s plan (to shut down the refinery) has created panic amongst the global markets and bondholders,” Roget said.

He said the yield rose sharply to 14 per cent as investors could not understand how the shutdown of the refinery would help service the billion-dollar debt.

“They are nervous because when they examine what has been proposed as revenue, it’s very very sketchy,” he said.

The union is also calling for a ramping up of Petrotrin crude oil production in order to make the refinery more viable.

“When we ramp up the production of indigenous crude we would import less. The margins will be greater,” he said.

Roget said Minister of Energy Franklin Khan talks about the reduced local production but there were many unexplored options to increase local crude levels. He said once more indigenous crude was produced, the country would be more insulated from currency fluctuations.

“The same board arrived at the same position in its February presentation to Parliament,” Roget said.

The union also proposed to have stakeholder agreement on the appointment of the board of directors as part of a reorganised internal structure.

“The Government must not hold the exclusive right to choose their friends and financiers, business interests to the board,” he said, adding the State company should be accountable to the Parliament.

During the presentation, Roget said he examined both the Lashley and Solomon report but never saw any directive to shut down the company.

He said even when chairman Wilfred Espinet was before the Joint Select Committee (JSC), there was never any talk of closing down the refinery and dismissing the workers.

“On all of those occasions, there was never any talk of shutting down the refinery and sending all the workers home. Absolutely no mention anywhere at all,” Roget said.

He said the same Espinet-led board painted a “glowing picture” of Petrotrin’s future to the JSC back in February.

“Who are these experts, these persons who advised the PM and what is the nature of that advice that would allow a Prime Minister to take a decision that would wreak havoc on the citizens of T&T?”

One of T&T’s outstanding theatrical producers, Gregory Adam Singh, was found murdered on Wednesday at his Arouca home.

Homicide investigators have described his killing as a “crime of passion” but not many details were released as the case is being described as “of a sensitive nature.”

Preliminary investigations revealed that Singh, 52, of Funny Farm Productions, was found in the bedroom of his Mohan Avenue home but was initially thought to have died from natural causes. Police said he was discovered by his brother at about 12.30 pm. However, investigators changed this theory when they found traces of blood in the house along with other evidence that suggested he was murdered.

The T&T Guardian understands that investigators have footage captured from a camera that was mounted in his room. It is believed he was strangled to death.

Singh’s relatives, who were visibly distraught yesterday, declined to comment.

The news of Singh’s death quickly spread among his beloved colleagues in the performing arts industry.

Close friend and co-producer Nikki Crosby, who was very distraught, described Singh as a “talented costume designer, stage manager and producer.” She said Singh was known for passing on “so much knowledge to younger theatre enthusiasts who wanted to learn about stage management and theatre on the whole.”

Recalling her own experience, Crosby said she knew him for over 20 years.

“Penelope Spencer and I (Hahaha Productions), as producers, joined up with him to co-produce plays. We wouldn’t know where to start now because he was the backbone of our productions,” she said.

“There’s hardly any theatre production that he wasn’t stage managing. We recently took the play “Granny does Florida” to Florida which he stage-managed and it was his last foreign show.”

Crosby said the theatre community, which is like a family, had lost one of its brothers and it hurts immensely. “He was a gentle giant and he was loved. He was really hard on you all the time but it only showed how much he loved you in his way,” Crosby said.

“He loved every aspect of theatre. It was his life. There’s not one person that would have passed through theatre that would not remember him, he was a remarkable human being that will be missed.”

The National Drama Association of T&T also extended its condolences to the family and friends of thespian Singh, who was also known as Gregory Alejandro Adam.

Singh was involved in stage management for just over 20 years, but started off with fashion shows and then progressed to theatrical plays with Raymond Choo Kong Productions (RCKP), where he was also Choo Kong’s production manager.

Singh worked with most of the local theatre companies, including The Baggasse Company, JCS Entertainment, 3Hah Theatre Company, Funny Farm Factory Production and Ragoo Productions. He also stage-managed the Dimanche Gras show on two occasions.

A memorial will be held tonight at the Little Carib Theatre in Woodbrook at 7 pm.

Investigations are continuing.

Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerritt publicly thanked God for his many blessings yesterday as the center of Tropical Storm Isaac moved into the Caribbean Sea.

Skerritt received the news from the Dominica Meteorological Service as he was being interviewed on state owned DBS Radio station.

PM Skerritt declared “This good news. The center of the storm has gone into the Caribbean Sea. We are waiting for the entire system to move away from Dominica and in the next couple hours an assessment will be made so that we can advise the nation on the action that we take in that situation. We thank God for his many blessings,” the prime minister stated.

The prime minister said “for me personally and I am hoping for all Christians and people who believe there is a God, we must attribute the weakening of the storm to the good lord’s efforts. He said the Bible is clear that God does not give you more than you can bear, “we can’t handle anymore and he will spear us.”

Despite the good news, the prime minister urged residents to continue to be vigilant as the outer bands of the system could still cause heavy rainfall on the island.

He said, “We continue to monitor, we continue to ask people to stay indoors as far as possible, because while it may not be raining in Roseau, it may have a lot of rain in the mountains and that may cause rivers to flow heavily and get to us much quicker than expected.”

A decision on when a curfew imposed ahead of the passage of Isaac was to have been made by last evening and an announcement made on whether schools would reopen.

Several schools were being used as shelters and were occupied by persons who sought refuge ahead of the passage of the Tropical Storm.

Skerritt said while Dominica had been spared, he continued to pray and urged the nation to pray for the Carolinas in the United States where Florence was expected to hit.

The Dominican leader again appealed to the international community to do more to address the question of climate change, “we have said this is the cause of the frequency and ferocity of the storms.”

Every part of the world Skerritt said “is impacted and affected by climate change.”

Skerritt urged nations to step up to the plate “they talk about money but the effecting of the commitment ends at the promise, for years we simply kicking the can down the road and nobody is picking it up,” he said.

The Met Office said Isaac had become less organised and had become a weak Tropical Storm.

At 2 pm yesterday the centre of Tropical Storm Isaac was located near 14.9W 62.5N or about 130 km west-southwest of Dominica, moving W at 30 km/h with maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h.

While a tropical storm warning remained in effect for Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique it was expected to be discontinued later in the day.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi and the PNM Government should pursue the kidnapping cases of Debe resident Ria Sookdeo and San Fernando designer Kirby Mohammed with the same “exuberance” they employed to find Palmiste resident Natalie Pollonais, says UNC Senator Gerald Ramdeen.

“Those people are entitled to the same protection and the same rights and privileges as every other citizen of T&T,” Ramdeen said in the Senate yesterday, also calling for attention to the families of Sookdeo and Mohammed.

Sookdeo was reportedly kidnapped by people in police uniform two years ago near Diamond Village. This case was similar to that of Pollonais’ kidnapping last week.

Mohammed meanwhile, was last seen in February 2015 and his fam­i­ly was subsequently threat­ened to pay up.

Ramdeen spoke on the issue during debate on amendments to a number of laws designed to increase local judges from 49 to 64 yesterday.

He said despite $26 billion spent on National Security in three years and legislative agendas he wasn’t hopeful the current proposed legislation would bring relief in the justice system since it only dealt with the end-product of the situation. He said the proposal wasn’t needed “...if you ent catching people.”

Ramdeen noted increasing crime, with murders up 13 per cent over 2017 to 2018, rape/incest (up 29 per cent) and serious crimes (50 per cent).

He noted kidnapping had risen 32 per cent and kidnapping for ransom, 133 per cent, though robberies, narcotics and firearms crimes were at lower levels.

He said September 28 marks four months since proclamation of the Anti-Gang law, yet no one had been arrested on that basis.

Ramdeen noted the recent press briefing held by the Police Commissioner and National Security Minister citing the police’s good work on finding Pollonais.

Saying everyone was overjoyed she was found, Ramdeen added: “But September 29 will mark two years Ria Sookdeo was kidnapped.”

But Al-Rawi interjected saying: “We have leads on that.”

Ramdeen continued: “I’m happy to hear that. But I’d ask the Attorney General to do this: with the same exuberance he announced for Ms Natalie Pollonais.

“When the PNM goes to San Fernando City Hall (last night), they should meet Ms Linda Mohammed, the mother of Kirby Mohammed and tell her that the same exuberance they used to get back Natalie Pollonais, they’ll use to get some kind of relief to get back Kirby Mohammed and they’ll give some kind of closure to that family.”

Ramdeen noted Al-Rawi’s statement that this was “his constituent” and he’d gone to the family. Ramdeen said the country didn’t know that.

Ramdeen added, “The way T&T will know you’re doing your job, just as it was important for you to have the press conference with Gary (Griffith) and the National Security Minister (on Pollonais), it’s important for the country to know what you’re doing for the people you don’t find also.

“It’s important for the country to know the law enforcement agencies are continuing work on these cold cases so people will have confidence those cases haven’t been forgotten—I haven’t heard Ria Sookdeo’s father say anyone has come to meet him on the matter.”

Al-Rawi interjected, “That’s Kamla’s style...”

Ramdeen replied: “Kamla isn’t in Government because they voted for you all to provide relief.

“After three years you’ve been an abominable failure on national security. So we don’t want to hear about Kamla. We want to hear about you; you control all the national security apparatus—take responsibility when you fail.”

A non-national of T&T can work in this country for 30 days without a work permit for one time only during a year, Housing Minister Edmund Dillon has pointed out.

Dillon gave the information in the Senate yesterday following queries from Opposition Senator Wade Mark on what action was being taken by Udecott against contractors who “openly flout” T&T’s Immigration laws by continued employment of non-nationals without the relevant work permits.

This followed yesterday’s T&T Guardian exclusive which revealed some 70 workers had been fired from the Red House project because they lacked work permits.

Dillon said, “Udecott has taken an initiative - whereby when the issue was brought to the public domain - they wrote the contractors outlining the Immigration laws regarding work permits. Additionally, Udecott has done random checks at all their sites between July, August and this month and has assured me that to date there is no one on any of their sites - non-nationals - without the relevant work permit.

“I also want to put into the public domain the Immigration laws. You have to do a lot of investigation. Non-nationals can come into this country - as long as they declare to the Immigration officer - and they can work without a work permit for 30 days. They can do so for once in any one year. So there are people - non-nationals - who can work for 30 days in this country without a work permit.”

Government has started preliminary discussions towards refinancing of Petrotrin’s US$850 million bond which is due for payment in less than a year.

This confirmation from Energy Minister Franklin Khan in the Senate yesterday, after he vetoed aspects of the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union’s proposals to save Petrotrin, which the union made public on Thursday.

After Khan vetoed the OWTU’s suggestions, UNC senator Wade Mark asked whether Government is considering negotiation with the bond holders to have the US$850m owed refinanced.

Khan said, “Obviously, as Petrotrin cannot come up with a cheque for US$850m, nor can the Finance Minister come up with a cheque for US$850m. So we obviously have to talk refinancing and those discussions are in a very preliminary stage.”

Petrotrin’s two outstanding US dollar bond issues have been cited by Government during discourse on its recent historic decision to close the company’s refinery.

Bourse Securities’ September report on Petrotrin said the first bond issue was obtained in May 2007 and involves an amortizing 6.00 per cent coupon bond due to mature May 8, 2022. The outstanding face value is approximately US$250 million.

The second - more significant issue - is Petrotrin’s 9.75 per cent coupon bond with a bullet payment of US$850 million due August 14, 2019. That was obtained in August 2009, Bourse added.

Yesterday, Khan said the OWTU had presented to Petrotrin’s board a proposal called “Saving Petrotrin - OWTU’s Alternative Plan.”

But Khan said the OWTU’s plan didn’t indicate a 15 per cent wage cut for workers in order to facilitate the repayment, He said yesterday’s Trinidad Express report on the matter was wrong. The OWTU, via statement yesterday, also said the Express story was wrong.

Khan said what the OWTU has proposed is, “to ask the bond holder for the US$850m bond payment to refinance for a three to five-year period with interest rate pegged at US treasury bond yield, which is 2.75 per cent plus one per cent risk premium.

“The current bond interest is 9.75. US five-year bond yield interests are for your prime borrowers - people who you are certain can repay the loan. So that (OWTU proposal) is a non-starter to start with.”

Khan said the OWTU’s second option is to issue a local bond for US$850m.

Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon remarked, “Who’s going to take that up?”

Khan continued, “... Same as the interest rate of 3.75 per cent. And finally, what they (OWTU) are saying is Petrotrin workers could buy back bonds with a 10 to 15 per cent monthly salary contribution.

“But Petrotrin still has to pay the full salary for you to buy back bonds. So even this, which is flimsy at best, is still not a 15 per cent wage cut.”

Commenting yesterday on Khan’s refinancing revelation, OWTU Education/Research officer Ozzie Warwick said it was interesting, since refinancing was the crux of the union’s proposal.

“For Government to move in this direction now shows that our plan is valid, even if you have differences on aspects of the refinancing formula,” Warwick added.

Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews admits there has been an increase in illegal immigrants to this country, but she is also admitting she is not in a position to give exact numbers “because a lot of the persons who have entered we know nothing about.”

But she is admitting that over the last year most of those who are entering illegally are Venezuelans.

The influx of illegal immigrants has created more than one problem for Gandhi-Andrews, who admits she has had to act “ultra vires the Immigration Act” because it makes no provision for asylum seekers or refugees.

Gandhi-Andrews was among Ministry of National Security officials who yesterday appeared before a Joint Select Committee of Parliament on Equality and Diversity, which examined the issue of the treatment of detainees at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) at Aripo.

As of yesterday morning, there were 118 detainees at the IDC. Of that number, 75 per cent entered the country illegally and most of them are Venezuelan nationals who, apart from entering illegally, have no documentation.

Responding to a question from committee chair Nyan Gadsby-Dolly on the number of illegal people in the country, Gandhi-Andrews said while there has been an increase in people entering illegally, “actual number we won’t be able to give because a lot of the persons who have entered we know nothing about.”

However, she said 19,000 Venezuelans had entered through legal ports of entry and of that number 17 per cent had overstayed their time.

Gandhi-Andrews said some of those persons are currently housed at the IDC while others were assessed and having determined that they have “some place to stay and somebody who is willing to support them while they are here, we would consider the risk and put the person on an Order of Supervision,” which she explained “is akin to bail.”

She explained that in order to determine whether someone would get an order of supervision, they look at the nature of the breach of the Immigration Act. “The Chief Immigration Officer would be able to determine whether or not that person can be released on an order of supervision and under what terms and conditions,” she said.

There are currently 1,700 persons on orders of supervision, she noted. Those persons would be released on a security bond which varies according to their nationality, she said.

Giving an example of this, she said someone from Guyana may be required to post a $2,000 security bond while someone from an African country may be required to post a $30,000 bond.

That cost, she said, does not take into account the cost of the detention or repatriation.

Gandhi-Andrews told the committee that persons who are placed under supervision are required to report to the Immigration Department on a regular basis between once a week or once a month.

Persons who are placed in the detention centres “are considered high risk or awaiting some form of identification for them and somebody to come forward to say yes we are willing to support them, we are willing to post a security bond.”

Asked how long it would take for a detainee to be repatriated, she said it all depends on the cooperation of the detainee, whether they have to get assistance to get documentation, to determine the nationality of the person, whether the person would buy the ticket or the Government would have to buy it and some airlines require escorts for the deportees.

The process can take anywhere from one week to a month, she said.

Under the Immigration Act, a person entering the country illegally is liable to a fine of $50,000 and three years’ imprisonment and for a second offence, the fine is $100,000 or five years’ imprisonment.

No laws to help asylum seekers

Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews yesterday admitted that the influx of illegal immigrants is an “emerging phenomena” in the region and there are currently no laws in place to deal with asylum seekers and refugees.

“The current Immigration Act does not deal with these persons,” Gandhi-Andrews told a Joint Select Committee of Parliament on Equality and Diversity.

It is for this reasons she said she sometimes finds herself “between a rock and a hard place.”

Gandhi-Andrews said while she had allowed “certain things to happen” in the past, she was “running ultra vires to the Immigration Act but in the same interest of human rights.”

But she is hoping this will be addressed soon.

“We have been meeting and we have gotten to the point where there is draft legislation and a draft policy,” Gandhi-Andrews told the committee.

The United Nations Refugee Agency UNHCR estimates there are close to 7,000 asylum seekers in this country on the grounds that they fear persecution or fear of returning to their country.

The Living Water Community is the implementing partner of the UNCHR and legal adviser to Living Waters Gina Maharaj suggested there was a need for “better access to the IDC so that we can interview these persons to know whether they want to be registered as asylum seekers.” Gandhi-Andrews said the arrangement with Living Waters and UNHCR is that whenever they want to see somebody from the IDC an arrangement is made. But she said if Living Waters “want free access that is a different conversation” and that decision would have to be made “elsewhere.”

According to Gandhi-Andrews, there is also a security issue to consider.

“There are times when the situation at the IDC can be volatile. What we have observed is that when any individual from the outside goes in the detainees start to act up,” she said.

The Senior Immigration Officer at the Immigration Detention Center (IDC) in Aripo, Dennison Aley, says riots there earlier this year had more to do with the status of the detainees than with conditions at the facility.

In June this year, detainees crowded the north and south corridors of the centre in protest over what they described as their “unlawful detention” and inhumane conditions. Riot police were called in to quell the protests, which involved detainees from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Venezuela.

One detainee said then, “It has too much problem in here, they want to lock all we in one room with no breathing space and no water. We will die.”

But Aley yesterday told Parliament’s Joint Select Committee on Equality and Diversity that “most of the inmates were upset because they were asking about status and were not satisfied with the answers.”

He said upgrades at the IDC started in December last year and a number of improvements had taken place, including upgrades to the lighting, plumbing, ventilation and new beds and mattresses installed.

“The issue is always their status, why they’re being kept so long.”

Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews also reiterated that in the past months “we expended significant sums to improve conditions at the Detention Centre, we have had the Defence Force doing the work, it is still ongoing.”

During their appearance before the committee yesterday, National Security Ministry and Immigration Division officials were grilled by members of the committee chaired by Nyan Gadsby-Dolly. This followed a visit by the committee to the IDC, when they said detainees raised a number of concerns with them.

Committee member Glenda Jennings-Smith said in speaking to the detainees “they don’t have an understanding of what is happening, they don’t know what’s the next step, how to access information.”

But Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security Vel Lewis countered that “we discovered that a lot of what was said to members of the committee by detainees, a lot of what was said is really not true, it is not reflective of the situation at the detention centre.”

Aley said detention supervisors have a list of issues from the detainees. “They will come to me daily, I will personally interview them,” he said, adding he dedicates Saturdays to visit and listen to the concerns of the detainees.

Ghandi-Andrews said the enforcement unit communicates at all times with the detainees and keeps them up to date on dates for their inquiries and the efforts being made for their repatriation.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says while he is unfazed by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Oreo comment, but notes it has brought shame to the country.

The Prime Minister responded to the issue for the first time during his Team Red Rowley campaign at City hall Auditorium in San Fernando on Thursday night.

The former prime minister had described Rowley as an Oreo during the United National Congress’s (UNC) Monday Night Forum at the Union Presbyterian School at Claxton Bay, as she attempted to suggest he was under the control of the “one per cent,” a term now used to refer to the Syrian/Lebanese community.

On Thursday night, Rowley said he was reminded that at the PNM’s 2014 Convention he had identified that Petrotrin was in serious problems. However, he said the Opposition and Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union executive were now trying to convince the nation that he is lying and there is a secret plan to sell Petrotrin to the Syrians.

Said Rowley, “A multi-billion dollar issue and that is the nature of the conversation from the other side and when the conversation does not seem to be working as well as they like, they resort to my skin colour and the colour of the skin of my constituents. I on polling day have no other responsibility than to ask for the vote of my constituents and the largest block of Arab, Syrian Lebanese are in Diego Martin West and for that, I make no apology and I don’t care who they vote for I represent them.

“And I think it is a shame and disgrace on all the record of T&T that a former prime minister, a leader of the Opposition, could sink into such gutter politics to come out of the privacy of her race baiting and to come on national television and broadcast that kind of statement to the people of T&T.”

He added, “That is where they have gone with the Petrotrin issue. When all else fail, when rape fail, when paedophilia fail, they resort to racism but me, I from Mason Hall, Tobago, that eh fazing me at all.”

The PNM’s Lady Vice Chair Camille Robinson-Regis again demanded that Persad-Bissessar not only apologise to Rowley, but to the Syrian, Lebanese and Arab community. She waved a piece of paper, claiming she even wrote an apology for Persad-Bissessar and all the Opposition Leader has to do is sign it.

Dismissing any suggestion that the person who wrote Persad-Bissessar’s speech may have thought the remark was cute, she accused Persad-Bissessar of playing the race card to garner support.

“Kamla we make you out long time,” she said, as she called on Persad-Bissessar to accept that she was doing the country a disservice by resorting to the race card.

Saying that the time for race games was long gone, Robinson-Regis said the society was a much more enlightened and intelligent society and expects much more from its leaders.

The parents of 18-month-old Sheenece Jackson, who needs a life-saving liver transplant, are pleading with Health Minister Terrance Deyalsingh for help to save their daughter’s life.

Parents Sheldon and Lystra Jackson say they were told in August, after being in contact with the Children’s Life Fund Authority, that the surgery could not be done at the Argentina medical institution, ETHE Foundation, because the authority has now suspended its business with that institution.

Lystra said this development has pushed them back to square one while Sheenece’s life hangs in the balance. Unable to afford the surgery, which costs between $1.1 and $1.3 million, the parents said they have no choice but depend on the Life Fund and the public for help.

Diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver from birth, Sheenece has had two liver biopsies, surgery to remove her gallbladder, three blood transfusions and she continues to make numerous visits at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

When gastroenterologist Dr Sherman Soman told them she needed a liver transplant, the mother said they immediately contacted the Children’s Life Fund authorities and submitted most of the documents.

After numerous unsuccessful attempts to find a suitable donor with Sheenece’s O positive blood type, she said the Foundation’s surgeon, Dr Carlos Luque, who examined Sheenece twice here in Trinidad, informed them that through a procedure called ABO incompatibility liver transplant, they would be able to use a donor who was incompatible with Sheenece’s blood type.

However, Lystra said for a successful transplant using this procedure the child must be under two years old. “They (Authority) knew all of this. We kept them up to date on everything we were doing. We spent about roughly between $10,000 and $15,000 to do all the tests of the donor,” she said.

The final documents were eventually submitted to the Life Fund authorities in July.

Jackson (L) said, “Sheenece suitcase is packed and waiting and now they telling us that they no longer using that Foundation.”

The mother said their main issue with this is that it will be difficult to find a new institute that does the ABO incompatibility liver transplant, which means they will have to start over the process, spend more money and this will take too much time.

“For us to have to go over the whole process is unfair. The doctor says she does not have time because her condition is deteriorating daily,” Lystra said

“I am begging the Minister of the Health to intervene in this matter immediately and save Sheenece’s life. Her clock is winding down.”

Expressing his dissatisfaction with how they were treated by the authority, Sheldon said, “This is not a joke, my daughter’s life is deteriorating rapidly.”

Sheenece weighed 12 pounds at birth and she is only two or three pounds heavier now. Her tummy is swollen because of fluid which accumulates, her eyes are yellow and she has to take at least eight types of medication daily, her parent told the T&T Guardian. She also uses a special milk which costs $300 and lasts a week.

Case complicated—Fund CEO

In an email response to the issue, Children’s Life Fund CEO Selma Valentine-Ramdin said Sheenece’s application was registered in July and being processed.

“Sheenece’s case is more complicated given that she currently has an incompatible donor. All the liver transplants that have been funded to date have been with compatible donors and local experts have indicated that Sheenece’s situation is not the ideal circumstance.

“The CLFA is assiduously trying to find centres with the level of expertise to achieve the best possible outcome for this baby. The parents are also being encouraged to continue their efforts in seeking a compatible donor.” Valentine-Ramdin made no mention about the Argentina medical institute in her response.

When contacted about Sheenece’s case and the Argentina medical institute, Health Minister Terrance Deyalsingh said was yet to get the facts in both matters and so could not make a statement. He directed the T&T Guardian’s questions to the head of the authority.

Anyone willing to make donations to help Sheenece can do so through First Citizens Neo Account #2523650 or contact her mother at 342-2710 or 708-5053 or father at 751-4480.

Four suspects, including two police constables, a contractor and a labourer, who were arrested for the kidnapping of Natalie Pollonais, will spend the weekend in custody as investigations into the kidnapping continue.

Although it has been more than 48 hours since they were arrested, the four men are being kept at undisclosed locations and are being interrogated separately. The contractor, aged 36, of Princes Town, is represented by an attorney, while the labourer, of La Brea, is unrepresented. The two police officers, who are attached to the La Romaine Police Post, also have legal representation.

A senior police officer yesterday said all of the suspects have the right to make an ap­pli­ca­tion for habeas cor­puses to de­cide if their de­ten­tion was valid or law­ful. However, he said the continued detention four accused has been appraised and the police have sufficient grounds to jus­ti­fy to a judge why they have been de­tained since Monday.

The senior police source also said any citizen who is arrested can be detained for up to 24 hours but thereafter the police can detain someone without charge for seven days with the permission of a magistrate or a senior-ranked police officer.

“In this case, we are facing a long and tedious investigation and at this point, we are not close to laying any charges,” the source said.

Asked whether the men will be appearing in court on Monday, the source said that would depend on the direction the investigation this weekend.

Three of the four suspects were arrested shortly after Pollonais was rescued while being transported in an AD wagon along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway in San Juan.

Pollonais was abducted last Thursday after she left the C3 Shopping Complex in San Fernando. She left the gym and told her family she was going to visit a friend in Palmiste, but when she did not show up an alarm was raised.