“Mind yuh damn business and go to hell!”

This was the Indian Arrival Day message sent by secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Sat Maharaj yesterday to Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph Harris. He said so in the feature address at the Maha Sabha’s and South Regional Council’s Indian Arrival Day celebrations at the Parvati Girls Hindu College in Debe.

Maharaj, who began by recounting some of the trials East Indian indentured laborers faced when they came to T&T 171 years ago, soon turned child marriage, an issue on which he has been very vocal in recent weeks

“We have a spectacle in Trinidad over the last few years, where you have the leader of a church, the most corrupt church in the whole world, they have corrupted more young children than anyone else, the Pope in Rome had to pay ten of millions of dollars for corrupting the children of the world and here we have a Catholic Archbishop telling us how to get our girls married,” he said. “Mind your damn business, Archbishop, mind your own damn business. This is the business of the Hindu community and the state.”

Turning his anger on the United Nations, Maharaj continued: “You even have ambassadors coming here, telling us we should change because the United Nations passed a resolution that a boy and a girl can’t get married until they reach 18 years old.

“Mt Hope reported last year 74 teenaged girls between 12 and 14 years old make child and they eh know who the father is but you have an archbishop who want to tell us how to get married? How to raise children? I say Archbishop, mind yuh own damn business.”

Maharaj said he had received permission to put full page ads in the daily newspapers with the marriage age in different parts of the United States.

“You have ambassadors coming here telling us what age we can get married I am publishing, I got permission to take full page ads, in the United States of America, where the UN is located, in every state there is a different age (for marriage) and the age is as low as 13, Mr Ambassador, cure your own evil before you come to tell us how to cure our own evil.

“This is my Indian Arrival Day message. Nobody must interfere with the way we worship, the way we raise our families, the way we bring them up.”

He was adamant the current legislation, which allows Hindu girls is get married from as early as age 14, is only a safety net.

“Because when you are young you take chances and if a girl at the age of 14 took a chance and she got pregnant, the two sets of parents will come together, they will offer support and send them back to school and they will take charge of the child. 

“This is the culture of our community, so don’t discuss our business out there, we will discuss our business and members of the state and media, we will discuss our business, discuss the business of the Hindus with the Hindus.”

Maharaj’s had a final message to Archbishop Harris and others opposing underage marriage: “Look at the mote in your own eye, before you point out the mote in eye of the Hindu.

“If I had to leave one message, the message is ‘Alyuh go to hell, this is a business of the Hindu community and the state.’ If we require a change in the law, we will invite the government to speak to us and change the law but at this point in time, over the last two years, not a Hindu girl under the age of 18 have gotten married. You ever see any statistics anywhere?”

The role of the Hindu woman should not be relegated to roti maker and pholourie fryer, says Pundit Hardeo Persad, spiritual head of Swaha.

Speaking at Swaha’s Indian Arrival Day Dinner and Awards at the JFK Auditorium, UWI, St Augustine, Persad said women have much to offer society and his religious organisation continues to advocate for the raising the legal age of marriage to 18. 

He said the Devi Bhagwat of the Hindu scriptures tells of the power of women and they should be given chances to make a contribution. 

“To put it simply, you teach a man, you teach an individual. You teach a woman you teach a family. She is the carrier of the values system into the future. Why should we stifle them? We believe they are professionals and they are good as any and better than many, and they can make a contribution in more fields than one. We see in our exams and so on the girls are excelling.”

Persad said society cannot continue to turn away from the issue of same-sex relationships. He said there is no need for homosexuals and lesbians to get married.

“We have a situation which we can't turn a blind eye to, the attraction to the same sex. There is an argument where they want to be allowed the opportunity to get married. My question is why do you want to get married? Nobody is stopping you from a relationship. If there is a problem because of your orientation you are victimised, there is prejudice against you there is something wrong with that but I cannot see, for me, that we can sanction same sex marriages because of that.”

On the issue of abortion Persad said it should only be performed if the mother’s life is in danger. 

The Police Service Social and Welfare Association has applauded Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley for his declaration that National Security Minister Edmund Dillon will not be dismissed.

President Insp Anand Ramesar said Dillon was not at fault for the escalating crime situation in the country. He said Government is responsible for implementation of policies and had no part to play in the operational aspects of crime fighting which is solely the responsibility of the Police Service.

“The call for the removal of the National Security Minister appears to be a bit premature. There are many other considerations that must be factored in before such a decision is even considered,” he said. 

In fact, Ramesar commended the minister for keeping his promise to absorb some 1500 special reserve police officers (SRPs) into the Police Service. He said the association is due to meet with Dillon in the first week of June to set the criteria for the selection of the SRPs into the Police Service.

The rebranding of the service, including new uniforms for officers, is on-stream, Ramesar said, and a committee, including two representatives from the association, has already been put in place.

Ramesar who also commended the minister for initiating a manpower audit into the Police Service added: “We are aware that the ministry will involve personnel from the UK and that in recent times those persons would have come to Trinidad to have preliminary considerations on the issue.

“These particular initiatives triggered under Dillon need to be allowed to have an impact before any call for his removal.” 

There have been calls for Dillon to be fired because of the country's abysmally low crime detection rate and high homicide rate.

However, speaking to members of the media over the weekend during the People’s National Movement (PNM) sports and family day at Mt Pleasant ground, Tobago, Rowley expressed confidence in Dillon, who has held the post since the PNM took office last September.

“I have absolutely no such thought to dismiss Minister Dillon. As a matter of fact, the National Security Minister is working very, very effectively in ensuring that we put the country in a position to respond to the crime challenges. “It is not just a question of changing a minister,” Rowley had said.

CONCERN OVER COP 

SELECTION PROCESS

Ramesar has expressed concern over the “very delayed” process for the selection of a permanent Police Commissioner.

With the latest six months extension granted to acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams expiring at the end of June, Ramesar lamented the lack of proper stakeholder participation in the process.

“In the first instance one needs to look at the performance of the Police Service Commission in relation to national security. The selection process for a police commissioner must be expedited and the public must be informed every step of the way.” Ramesar said he would also be applying for the post of Commission but could only do so when the position was advertised. To date there has been no advertisement for the post.

Attorney Nafeesa Mohammed is calling for a more active relationship between T&T and the Saudi Arabia to facilitate local Muslims seeking visas for the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

Mohammed is the spokesperson for the families of five men, Wade Charles, Dominic Pitilal, Asim Luqman, Andre Battersby and Leslie Daisley, who were arrested on suspicion of terrorism and have been incarcerated in Venezuela since 2014. During last week’s visit by Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley confirmed that they had agreed “to repatriate our citizens who are currently in detention on both sides.”

Mohammed said she has not heard anything from the Government since that meeting but believes there will be follow up discussions this week.

“Part of the problem with the Hajj visa is that there is a need to regularise the relationship with the Saudi government at a diplomatic level. Recommendations were made to all stakeholders involved and I am hoping and praying that the Government will be able to engage in a more meaningful dialogue and anything can be done to expedite the problem. 

“Our arrangement with the Saudis need to be revisited and they need for a more decisive interaction with them and our Government,” she said.

Mohammed said since 2014 there were attempts to regularise diplomatic relations with the Saudi government and T&T.. 

She said another month of Ramadan has begun and the families of the five men continue to endure the hardship of their absence. 

Referring to Tariq Mohammed, who has been in a Saudi Arabian prison since last year, Mohammed said that he was not a threat.

Mohammed said: “He was taking his last year at the University of Medina in Saudi Arabia when he was detained for questioning. “The Ministry of National Security did a clearance letter and they did all the checks and he (Tariq) was not involved with illegal activities. This was cleared here. We are requesting a meeting to see what is going on and what is happening.”

National icon Holly Betaudier, 91, fondly known as Holly B and the Arima Kid, has died. 

He reportedly passed away at around 11.15 pm on Sunday at his Glencoe home. Confirming the tragic news yesterday, Betaudier’s son Holly Junior said his father recently contracted the virus which had “taken a toll.” 

An autopsy is expected to be performed today.

Declaring that the father of five had lived a full and generous life, Holly Jr said: “He’s done so much for so many people throughout his career.”

Recalling Holly B’s love for show-business and his desire to highlight genuine talent, Holly Jr said his father was the founder and original host of Scouting for Talent which began airing on the country’s lone television station at the time, Trinidad and Tobago Television Company (TTT).

Holly, who was an avid parang lover and music aficionado had been hosting talent shows and community caravans long before he began his television career.

Holly B’s love for local culture began during his childhood days in Arima. He became involved in media and entertainment in the 1940’s at the US Armed Forces radio service network and moved to television when TTT was inaugurated in 1962.

Recalling those early days in an interview some years ago, Holly said: “Before the station signed on, to me television was the forbidden fruit. 

“I say this because all my radio colleagues were going to America on vacation to observe what television was like in big countries. I recall Don Proudfoot, returning from the USA with pastel-coloured suits as he said he was told the warm-tones would be ideal for television lighting. 

“Others had various techniques that they learned from media classes abroad. I was comfortable in “radioland” with a programme, Holly’s Happy Moments, that I started in 1946 on the US Armed Forces radio service network—WVDI in Fort Reid, Trinidad. 

“At that time, WVDI mainly serviced the armed forces throughout the Caribbean.”

As news spread of Holly B’s passing yesterday, several people took to Facebook to extend condolences to the family, with some recalling their favourite memories of the media veteran.

The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) also posted a brief statement which read: “We extend heartfelt condolences to the family of Holly Betaudier and to the artistic community of Trinidad and Tobago on his passing last night. 

“Mr Betaudier, a quintessential television and radio broadcaster, producer and impresario, contributed in unquantifiable measure to the most positive aspects of our culture. 

“We offer special condolences to the parang musicians with whom he worked passionately and tirelessly and also to former TTT staff who will feel his loss in a deeply personal way.”

POLITICIANS PAY TRIBUTE

​Public Administration and Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie said: “I had the pleasure of serving with Holly on the executive of the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) and can attest to his dedication to professionalism and his love of the Trinidad and Tobago which he dedicated his life to improving. He will truly be missed.”

Cuffie said Holly career was “marked by his love for media and his love for culture and all things Trinidad and Tobago.” 

He said: “Blessed with eloquence and a gift for electronic media, he used his gifts to develop an unprecedented body of work around the promotion of local culture, particularly parang which he loved. 

“His love and dedication to his craft was evident to the very end. He was well loved and will be sadly missed by his listening audiences, the Arima community, his family and the country as a whole.”

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar described Holly as “a giant in the world of media who devoted his lifetime to the exposure and uplifting of our culture.”

Recalling his own account of how he eventually got on air, Persad-Bissessar said Holly was responsible for “discovering” personalities such as Poser, Sugar Aloes, Protector, Chalkdust, Singing Francine, Denyse Plummer and Crusoe Kid.

“Holly’s cultural work was delivered with sincerity and a passion to use media to build bridges in our multi-cultural nation.”

Adding that the nation owed him a debt of gratitude as his love for culture had made the country richer, Persad-Bissessar said few persons had come close to emulating Betaudier’s efforts at nation building.

“He will remain immortal as a true patriot who always put country first.”

President of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) Ceron Richards is threatening to take the state to court if something is not done soon about deplorable conditions at the Port-of-Spain Prison.

Richards told the T&T Guardian this may be the only option as the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OSHA) is playing games with the health and safety of prison officers and inmates at the facility. 

He said the POA has written several letters to the authority over the years, and has also had several conversations with former chairman Gaekwad Ramoutar, but only received frivolous excuses about why they cannot address the issues.

“There is an OSH board constituted by the Government, paid by the state and they are not functioning. They refused to go into Carrera, MSP and they refusing to go into Port-of-Spain,” Richards said in a telephone interview, adding it is their view the facility is not fit to be inhabited under current conditions.

Asked if Commissioner Sterling Stewart knew of the situation, Richards said everybody knows but they are playing games.

“I am telling you right now, the Prison Officers’ Association is looking at seeking legal redress for Carrera and we have sought legal redress for remand prison. We have an OSH matter before the court for Golden Grove prison and we will be seeking legal redress for MSP and Tobago prison as well,” he said.

Richards said the Tobago prison is even worse than Port-of-Spain.

“It is a sight to be seen. You should go and see that prison, it is the worst. Tobago prison is breaking all the OSH laws in T&T.”

Facility overrun by vermin

The T&T Guardian understands the Food Service Department is a major source of concern. A prison source sent photos showing large rats and cats inhabiting the ration room/diet shed and kitchen where inmates prepare meals daily. The walls and floors are covered with mildew and the drains filled with moss. The source, who provided the photos to support their claims, said this was not the only problem area.

“The prison is filled with vermin. We have had to deal with pigeon mites, cat fleas, flies, roaches and leptospirosis,” the source said, claiming one officer is believed to have died from complications related to leptospirosis two years ago, after allegedly coming into contact with contaminated items, but the matter was covered up.

Prisoners and officers alike are plagued by respiratory conditions, stomach problems and skin conditions believed to be connected to the conditions under which the food is prepared, the source said.

“Officers have to continue to take sick leave for lengthy periods at times because they keep getting sick. This is overbearing now and nobody is doing anything about it. The entire Port-of-Spain prison needs to be knocked down and built over from scratch,” the source said, noting officers are continually placed in financial difficulty due to the medical bills which are not fully catered to by their medical plan.

The CPO, the source added, visited the prison two years ago and said she could not comprehend how they operate under such conditions. What’s worse, the source claimed, officials from the Port-of-Spain City Corporation Health Department and Fire Service visit the prison annually to make health and safety checks and still pass the facility.

Asked if Stewart was aware of the situation, the source claimed he does not even visit the prison.

“He (Stewart) is aware of the conditions but he never comes. The only time he was present was when the Attorney General (Faris Al-Rawi) called for the big search in February,” the source said.

“That Port-of-Spain prison is a reject, only the superintendents and intelligence officers does pass through there.”

The source suggested that only President Anthony Carmona, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, may be able to influence the change needed.

Asked about the complaints raised by the source, Richards said the OSH board does not care about dealing with this serious matter.

“Under the OSH Act of 2004 (amended), all those complaints were made to the OSH board regarding Port-of-Spain prison and these complaints have been refused. I can show you the many letters the association has written, nobody seems to care. They have constructively refused by virtue of the excuses they continue to give,” he said.

He confirmed the prison was rat infested and said possible health issues which may arise from this were compounded by the fact that there is an inadequate health plan for officers.

“The prison service has no good health insurance for prison officers. All these terms and conditions of employment is what the association intends to treat with going forward in talks with the CPO in the next round of negotiations,” he said.

But he said a good health insurance plan cannot fix problem.

“It is not ideal for Port-of-Spain to remain as is and then we simply treat with it by getting a proper health plan. That should not be the direction going forward,” Richards said.

“The direction going forward is to fix Port-of-Spain prison and all other divisions that urgently needs fixing, not to look to remedy the condition by providing health insurance. Are we then legitimising the deplorable conditions?”

He said the OSH board of T&T must do its job.

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“They just don’t care, the Government does not care. Nobody cares. Prison is a social reject.

“As the population will say, these men behind bars have committed crimes against society, so why should they live under good conditions.” said Richards.

He reiterated that only the OSH board can determine the fate of the Port-of-Spain prison.

“The association cannot shut down any prison...We cannot do that. It is the OSH board to determine this and they must do their job.”

Commissioner Speaks

Contacted on the issue, head of communications at the prison service Wendell Bompart, who spoke on behalf of Stewart, said steps were being made, with consultation from the Ministry of National Security, to aggressively deal with these conditions. He said it was no secret that the conditions not only at the Port-of-Spain prison but others as well were far below adequate.

“Where the inmates live is also where the officers work. The Commissioner is not happy with the conditions at several divisions and as recent as a couple days ago he has asked for a full report,” Bompart said.

He said Stewart maintains that discussion on prison reform will continue to be defective if there is no criminal justice reform or infrastructural changes.

He, however, dismissed the source’s claim that Stewart does not visit the Port-of-Spain prison, saying the commissioner is mandated to visit all depots under his jurisdiction and does so as his schedule allows.

Asked about the claims an officer allegedly died as a result of complications from leptospirosis, Bompart said this was absolutely untrue.

On the issue of proper health packages/insurance plans for officers, Bompart said they receive assistance for dental, optical and other interventions from the government through the service. He said there are several prison medical officers (doctors) at each station to treat and attend to officers’ immediate medical needs. He said there are also health packages available from the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) with great health and insurance plans, as this is the purpose of the POA. He explained the regulations do not allow for the prison service to organise or facilitate insurance plans other than national insurance (NIS) and what is facilitated by the POA.

President of the T&T Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) Devanand Sinanan says he has confidence in the police following reports of a recording circulating on social media warning of terrorist attacks on schools. In the latest recording a male voice claims to have received word that there would be no Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) examinations today. 

“The word is that Isis has planned to blow up the schools so please keep your sons and your daughters and your nephews and your grandchildren away from the schools please. This is not no joke, this is not no kicks,” the male voice was heard saying.

Sinanan urged students and teachers to go about their business as usual. He said he is sure the police have effectively treated with the report.

“They would have also advised the ministry accordingly and there will be school as usual tomorrow (today) and the rest of the week,” he said.

“I am assuming that the authorities would take whatever precaution that is necessary to ensure there is the smooth running of school. There will be school as usual.”

Sinanan said there have been bomb threats in the past and on those occasions law enforcement officials maintained a necessary presence.

“We have also called for patrols around certain schools notwithstanding bomb threats to deal with normal instances of school violence and indiscipline.

“In terms of the bomb threats we have been assured by the Ministry of Education that all is well and we have to express our confidence in the authorities,” he added.

Education Minister Anthony Garcia said the matter was reported to the relevant authorities for further investigation and there would be school as usual.

“There will be no disruption to the CXC exams…Ignore that message, as it was somebody with a deranged mind who is trying to instill fear in the minds of our population. It is something we totally reject,” he said over the weekend.

“I am confident that all security measures are in place so that in the event there is any truth to these rumors, we will be prepared…You have absolutely nothing to fear or to believe that would cause any undue stress to the exams.”

Contacted yesterday a police official assured that law enforcement authorities were doing all in their power to ensure there are no disruptions at the various schools.

Economist Indera Sagewan-Alli says she has a responsibility to her ancestors in India and here at home to do better as that is an East Indian tradition. 

In an address to dozens of villagers yesterday at an Indian Arrival Day function at Robert Trace in Warrenville, she said: “I remember as young girl when people like Prof Brinsley Samaroo and Trevor Sudama lobbied for this holiday. They didn’t just want a day to sit down and do nothing. What they thought was important was that as a country, we took time to recognise the contribution of East Indians to the development of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Sagewan-Alli said while much had been achieved academically, much more has being taken for granted.

Also speaking at the function hosted by managing director of Sheik Lisha Limited Churchill Azard Akaloo were Prof Samaroo, Pastor Clive Dottin and visiting lecturer from India at the University of the West Indies, Dr Syed Ejaz Hussain. 

Sagewan-Alli said everything was failing in society: “We are losing more than we are gaining and we need to stop and intervene. I know that intervention is what we need because if we don’t intervene . . . we have already lost about two generations which Cepep and URP jobs can’t buy.”

Samaroo, who gave the crowd a history lesson, said of the 227 East Indians who arrived here on May 30, 1845, ten or 12 were Muslims and the others were Hindus. 

“It was a man from Bombay called Ibrahim bin Yousseff who took his ship—Fath al Razack∏—and brought the 227 Indians to Trinidad,” he said.

Samaroo said there were 245 voyages after that between 1845 and 1917.

“Sugarcane didn’t start here in central or in south Trinidad but in north and later it moved to south and central. The early pioneers who developed sugarcane cultivation in Trinidad were the Indian indentured labourers who went to the place that is today called St James but if you think about St James in 1845 around there, what is now Western Main Road was a track,” he said, adding that the labourers planted sugarcane there and all the tracks were subsequently given Indian names such as Delhi, Bombay, Patna, Madras, Calcutta, Baroda, Mooneram and Nizam and Hyderabad. 

The Anti-Gang Act in its current forms can have far-reaching consequences which can result in murder cases being thrown out, says former Attorney General Ramesh Maharaj. 

He said the legislation was flawed from day one and former Attorney General Anand Ramlogan ignored calls to take a second look at it.

“You are going to make it very complicated to charge them (alleged gang members) with being gang members and being involved in other crimes because then you would be compromising the other crimes,” he said.

“Let’s say they are being charged with being members of a gang and also murder. The murder charge could also be compromised. It is another indication of how the last government acted recklessly in respect to some of the laws that were passed in this country,”

Maharaj’s comments followed calls by Senior Magistrate Indrani Cedeno for the Act to be amended. She did so last Friday as charges were dismissed against 13 people accused of being part of the gang reportedly responsible for the murder of Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal. Seetahal was shot dead on May 4, 2014, while on her way home at One Woodbrook Place. 

The DPP’s Office admitted to laying the charges indictably instead of summarily as prescribed by the legislation. Cedeno said an amendment of the charges could not be permitted as she felt the accused would be prejudiced by it. The penalty for the offence is greater on summary conviction than for conviction before a judge and jury. 

The magistrate also criticised the DPP’s office for its delay in seeking the amendment, as she said it should have been noticed at the preliminary stage. The DDP’s office cannot now re-lay the gang charges against the men as the six-month window for doing so has expired.

Maharaj, who agreed with Cedeno, said he was one of several people who made public statements about the legislation being defective.

“The legislation should not have been passed in the way it was passed. Instead of using that legislation to punish gang members the legislation would instead be used in a way in which gang members would not be properly convicted,” he said.

Maharaj who said blame was squarely on the shoulders of the then PP Government, said the public’s interest was compromised.

“It was defective. It is completely hopeless as it is not the basis of a proper conviction at all. I am glad that the magistrate has been able to show them that,” he said.

He added that there was already legislation in place to deal with criminal gangs, so the Anti-Gang Act was unnecessary. it was used just before the state of emergence was created and therefore was “used as a political tool”, he said.

Officials at the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort said yesterday they are “completely sympathetic to the bride and groom who may have been victims of a theft at the hotel.” 

The alleged incident on Sunday is being investigated by the resort’s security personnel and the police. 

The hotel’s management said in a statement: “The T&T Police Service investigation supersedes that of the resort and all inquiries should be directed to them.

“All that we can confirm at this time is that there was no forced entry and that all doors were securely operational and in-rooms safes, while unused, are functional. Electronic key card entry log revealed the guests’ key card was the only entry after the guests left the suite late Saturday afternoon and before the alleged incident.”

Eight of the men accused of murdering businesswoman Vindra Naipaul-Coolman almost a decade ago, were yesterday acquitted at the end of the longest and most expensive trial in this country’s history. 

It took a 12-member jury sitting in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court four hours to review the evidence presented in the trial over the past two years, before returning not guilty verdicts for twin brothers Shervon and Devon Peters, and their older brother Dwayne Gloster, siblings Keida and Jamille Garcia, Marlon Trimmingham, Ronald Armstrong and Antonio Charles. 

Two of their co-accused Trimmingham’s brother Earl and Lyndon Charles—were not as lucky, though, as the jury could not decide on a unanimous verdict for both men, forcing presiding Judge Malcolm Holdip to order them to be retried. 

As the jury foreman informed Holdip of their decisions yesterday, muffled screams and cries of relief were heard from the accused men’s family and friends who packed the public gallery to capacity. 

While some of the accused men wept openly and muttered silent prayers, Earl Trimmingham and Charles had dejected looks on their faces. In a showing of solidarity, each of the freed men patted their former co-accused on their shoulders as they were being led out of the court. 

Yesterday’s legal victory was mixed, however, as only one of the eight—Devon Peters—was immediately released and allowed to greet jubilant relatives outside the Hall of Justice on Knox Street. 

The T&T Guardian understands the other men were not immediately released due to an administrative error in their criminal tracing, which incorrectly stated they were still awaiting trial for Naipaul-Coolman’s kidnapping. The remaining men are expected to be released from the Port-of-Spain State Prison once the error is corrected this morning. 

The mix-up caused panic among their relatives, who were confused by the sight of Peters alone emerging from the court. 

“How come he get out and not the others? What going to happen to them now?” one woman said anxiously before her relative’s defence attorneys explained the issue. 

In a brief interview after embracing his father for the first time in almost ten years, Peters said he was happy and relieved that “justice was served” in the case. 

“I just want to put this whole thing behind me and start thinking about how to start over my life,” Peters whisperered to media personnel. 

Peters’ father, Anthony Gloster, whose other sons, Shervon (Devon’s twin brother) and Dwayne Gloster, were also acquitted by the jury, was left almost speechless by the verdict. 

“I always knew they were innocent. I just want to hug my boys tight right now,” a teary-eyed Gloster said. 

Naipaul-Coolman was abducted from her home at Radix Road, Lange Park, Chaguanas, on December 19, 2006. A $122,000 ransom was paid by her family but she was not released and her body has never been found. 

The high profile trial had been postponed several times in the past as the accused men were unable to retain attorneys to defend them.

Jury selection began almost three years ago after the Legal Aid and Advisory Authority instituted a special arrangement where $45,000 a month was allocated to retain both an advocate and instructing attorney for each accused. 

The trial initially began with 12 accused men but was reduced after Allan “Scanny” Martin was shot dead after staging a daring prison break in Port-of-Spain in July last year. Joel Fraser was on trial until January this year, when Holdip upheld a no case submission from his attorneys, who claimed the State had presented insufficient evidence linking him to the crime. 

Hostile witness hurt case

Since starting presenting evidence in the trial in March 2014, prosecutors had claimed Naipaul-Coolman was held captive in a red brick house at Upper La Puerta, Diego Martin, shared by Shervon and Devon Peters and their brother Dwayne Gloster, before she was killed, dismembered and her body disposed of. 

They relied on the evidence of their main witness Keon Gloster, who was allegedly present at the time of her murder but did not participate. 

However, Gloster was declared a hostile witness after he repeatedly claimed to be coerced by police into implicating the accused men, most of whom he is related to. 

In his sworn statements, which were tendered into evidence, Gloster had allegedly told police that three days after Christmas he went to the house where he saw all the accused men surrounding the former Xtra Foods chief executive, who was sitting on a pool table. 

Gloster claimed that James was interrogating her about her family’s failure to pay a larger ransom, when he drew a gun and shot her in the chest before inviting his co-accused to assist him in dismembering her with a rotary saw and burying her body parts in a forested area of the community. 

Besides his claims of coercion, defence attorneys also alleged that Gloster, who has epilepsy, was on a cocktail of medication which would have made him “suggestible.” 

The pool table was also a major source of contention, as it was not produced in court and several crime scene investigators, who inspected it weeks after her murder, said they did not notice anything suspicious about it. 

While all the accused men denied any wrongdoing in their interviews with police months after Naipaul-Coolman’s disappearance, Earl Trimmingham admitted to seeing her when she was taken to the community but denied participating in her murder. 

In addition to Gloster’s evidence, prosectors also relied on a roll of duct tape and a pair of latex gloves which were allegedly recovered by police in and around the red brick house. 

The items were sent to a laboratory in England for testing and Naipaul-Coolman’s DNA was found on both. Defence attorneys argued that both items could have been planted by police and neither had any fingerprints on DNA samples which were linked to the accused men. 

Although prosecutors admitted they had no evidence linking the men to the businesswoman’s abduction, they presented a gun allegedly found in Keida Garcia’s house, which was linked to spent shells recovered on the scene of the kidnapping. 

Garcia’s mother, Rita, the only witness called by the accused men, claimed the gun was found by police while she and her son were being questioned by their colleagues outside. 

She acknowledged that she signed the search warrant which stated the gun had been found in the search but claimed to have not read it thoroughly. Prosecutors were also forced to admit that one of the officers who allegedly found the gun had been accused of fabricating evidence in an unrelated drug trafficking case in the past. 

A fair and just outcome. 

These were the words used by both defence attorneys and prosecutors to describe the verdict in the Vindra Naipaul-Coolman murder trial, which ended yesterday with eight men being acquitted and two others being ordered to be retried. 

Speaking with reporters immediately after the verdict, lead prosecutor Israel Khan, SC, said: “The ordinary God-fearing people that sat on this jury had a reasonable doubt in the case and they acquitted. You cannot tell people if you have a reasonable doubt acquit and when they do you are angry about it.”

Khan also defended the State’s prosecution of the accused men. 

“The prosecution never wins or loses. We present the case to the best of our ability and leave it for the jurors to decide,” Khan said. 

He also said the case should serve as an example for those who have suggested the abolishment of jury trials to improve the criminal justice system. 

“Trial by jury is more than an instrument of justice, it ensures that freedom lives. This is where the ordinary God-fearing people get an opportunity to participate in the criminal justice system,” he said. 

His sentiments were supported by defence attorney Ian Brooks, who praised the efforts of the jury. 

“Strength of character by a jury is alive. The jury deliberated long and hard and came to a just and right conclusion,” Brooks said. 

“I think T&T should feel proud of the persons who commit themselves to jury service and the quality of persons who give verdicts,” Brooks added. 

Several other defence attorneys joined with Khan and Brooks to praise the use of juries in trials. 

Mario Merritt, who represented three of the accused men and led the defence team, said: “This verdict is a tribute to our jury system. Our jury system is alive and well and for those who want it removed, they need to think again.”

A 57-year-old Trinidadian woman was stabbed 83 times while at her Brooklyn, New York apartment on Saturday.

She was identified as Liza Millet, a resident of the YWCA, at 30 Third Avenue in the Boerum Hill neighborhood.

A woman believed to be the assailant, a 48-year-old resident at the building, identified as Dorothy Curry was subsequently arrested and charged.

According to reports, shortly before 7 am police responded to a dispute involving a knife attack. Officers later found Millet lying on the floor of her room with several stab wounds to her back and torso.

New York police found Curry barricaded inside her unit just down the hall from Millet’s apartment.

She was taken into custody after officers from the Police Department’s Emergency Service Unit forced open the door.

Millet was taken to New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Curry was taken to Kings County Hospital Centre for a psychiatric evaluation and was charged later on Saturday with murder.

Investigators recovered a six-inch kitchen knife at the scene.

According to a New York Times report, Millet and Curry had both lived for several years in the building, which provides housing for 285 women.

And according to Rolanda Telesford, a spokeswoman for the YWCA in Brooklyn, neither woman had a history of violence or complaints filed against them.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Millet's close friend, Margaret Charles said Millet came to Trinidad on May 20, to celebrate her 57th birthday which was the following day, May 21.

Charles said Millet, who was originally from Belmont, stayed at her place at Crystal Hill, St Paul Street, East Dry River, Port-of-Spain.

“I heard about her death when her daughter called me crying. I was shocked because someone like Liza surely did not deserve to die like that. She was stabbed 83 times. I mean if she died in an accident I would have understand that but like this,” Charles said.

Charles said Millet migrated to the US 14 years ago. “She wanted to better her life and worked very hard at it. She did not have a lot of friends because she was always working,” she added.

Asked during her visit if Millet mentioned to her that her life was ever threatened, Charles replied: “No. If she was threatened she would have told me for sure because we were so very close, like family.”

Charles said her daughter was trying to arrange the funds to bring Millet's body to Trinidad for the funeral. 

However, she said, if the funds were not acquired in time, the cremation would then be held in Brooklyn and her ashes sent to Trinidad for burial at the family's plot.

Panic engulfed the Couva community yesterday after police and soldiers locked down the area and searched the mangroves for a suspect believed to be toting a bag of weapons, including grenades.

In the latest development in a week when three shopping malls were evacuated due to a bomb threat, a bomb expert from the Defence Force had to be called in to “make safe” a grenade that fell from a suspect’s bag as he evaded the police. 

There were contrasting reports of how the incident developed, including that the man threw the grenade at the officers.

However, the pin was still in place when the device was shown to the media, with police noting it cannot go off unless the pin is removed.

Investigators said if it was indeed thrown at the officers, it was probably a diversionary ploy by the suspect to escape pursuit.

Up to late yesterday, the Central Division Task Force, Special Branch, Canine Unit and Defence Force were searching the vast swamp area with aerial aid from the national security helicopter.

Police said Task Force officers were patrolling Carli Bay Road when they saw a man walk onto the road from the mangrove some 100 metres away. They said when the man saw the vehicle he ran back into the mangroves, dropping the grenade. 

After the grenade’s pin was secured and the device wrapped, it was taken back to the Defence Force’s Teteron Barracks, Chaguaramas base. Police speculated that it might have been part of a fresh shipment of weapons that came through an illegal port in the area.

There was no evacuation at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate during the police exercise but members of the Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Corporation’s Tactical Response Unit also set up road blocks searching for the suspect.

Many residents along Carli Bay Road were not fully informed of what was taking place either and some of them gathered along the roadside to see what was happening. 

Snr Supt of the Central Division Jason Forde said up to late yesterday he was yet to get the details on the recovery as officers were still in the fields. Energy Minister Nicole Olivierre, meanwhile, said she was unaware of the grenade find near the estate when contacted.

Fresh security alerts

Last Thursday, staff and customers were evacuated from the Trincity, Long Circular and Gulf City Malls after a bomb threat was made to the Trincity Mall. 

As a precaution, Gulf City and Long Circular Malls were evacuated, as there were already security concerns that were caused by several voice notes shared among Whatsapp users which warned citizens from visiting malls due to a pending planned ISIS attack. 

One person was held for the bomb threat at Trincity Mall but he was later released. Security agencies are yet to detain anyone in connection with the voice notes. 

The latest voice note warned of an attack against schools, particularly students writing the Caribbean Secondary Examinations Council (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations papers today.

But Education Minister Anthony Garcia yesterday assured parents and students that measures have been taken to ensure safety in schools.

On March 23, two men were injured when a grenade was thrown under a car where they and other friends were liming along Sixth Avenue, Malick, Barataria. 

Police believe the attack was part of a turf war between the Rasta City and Muslims gangs. A report stated that around 10 pm, a group of men and women were standing near the basketball court when a Nissan AD wagon drove by and an occupant threw a grenade at the crowd. 

Within seconds, the grenade exploded and Kristopher St Cyr, 20 and Ricardo Harewood, 29, were injured and taken to hospital. A nearby snackette and Harewood’s Mitsubishi Lancer were damaged by shrapnel.

“Offensive and disrespectful.”

That is how former president of the Trinidad Muslim League, Dr Nasser Mustapha, yesterday described secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Sat Maharaj’s attack on Archbishop Joseph Harris, over his comment that child marriage was legal statutory rape.

Saying Maharaj’s tirade does not promote religious harmony in T&T, Mustapha, a senior lecturer in sociology and deputy dean of graduate studies at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, said Maharaj’s comments were “offensive and uncalled for.”

“I know what he meant to say but it came across as offensive and his choice of words was disrespectful. I feel he could have disagreed in a more civil manner. 

“I know his intentions were good but he came across as aggressive. What he said does not augur well for relations because we should be building bridges for greater harmony between communities. 

“We must be concerned about the overall stability of our country. This will create friction among the congregations so I cannot support what he said at all,” Mustapha said.

He was referring to Maharaj’s call at an Arrival Day function that Harris should “mind his own business” and “go to hell” for what he (Maharaj) saw as the archbishop’s attack on the Hindu faith over child marriage issues.

Asked how he felt about Maharaj’s claims that child marriages were “Hindu business,” Mustapha said that was not so.

“All religious communities must conform with our laws. There are the Hindu, Muslim and Orisha Marriage Acts but even if your community believes in something and considers it your business it has to be ratified by the laws of the land. 

“You cannot say it is your business. It has to be approved by the Government and must conform with the laws of the State.”

Saying Maharaj may have become emotional while speaking within his own Hindu circle, Mustapha said he should now do the right thing and apologise.

Asked whether he was in support of the move to change the Marriage Act, Mustapha said he had not yet read the proposed legislation so he could not comment. 

He said, however, that the Inter-religious Organisation would not condone what Maharaj said.

But contacted yesterday, Maharaj said he would not apologise.

“I speak on behalf of the Hindu community and he (Mustapha) speaks on behalf of the Muslim community. I am entitled to my view and he is entitled to his,” Maharaj said.

Saying he stood by his comments, Maharaj said the question of an apology did not arise.

“The Hindus have a view. I stand by my view. I have not changed it so why should I apologise?” Maharaj asked.

In a radio interview yesterday, Archbishop Harris said he had no response to Maharaj’s harsh criticisms.

“I have never disrespected any religious leader in T&T. I don’t intend to lower myself and get down in that kind of behaviour so I prefer not to comment,” Harris said.

He also said he was not taking Maharaj’s criticisms seriously.

“The only person who can send me to hell is Almighty God so I am not in hell. If Almighty God condemns me to hell I will be quaking in my boots but you don’t get condemned to hell for speaking the truth,” he added.

President Anthony Carmona yesterday assented to the Strategic Services Amendment Act (SSA). 

The legislation seeks to give the SSA a wider mandate to investigate people suspected of involvement in crimes, including acts of treason, money laundering, sedition, terrorism, terrorist financing and corruption. 

It provides for the interception of calls by the Director of the SSA, Commissioner of Police and the Defence Force under specific conditions.

The legislation is now expected to be proclaimed by the President on the advice of the Cabinet.

In a release issued yesterday, Carmona said: “In every bill to be assented, there is always a need or cause for pause.”

He said the “assenting to bills can neither be pre-emptive on instanter,” adding that it is “often dependent upon His Excellency’s consultation and receipt of legal advice.”

The statement added that in future, assenting to bills “will continue to be for His Excellency’s consultation, a process of constitutional and legal reflection, analysis and determination vis-a-vis his duties and responsibilities pursuant to Section 61(2) of the Constitution of T&T.”

According to the statement, Section 61(2) states: “When a bill is presented to the President for assent, he shall signify that he assents or withholds his assent.”

The statement said the SSA legislation engaged Carmona’s remit “with the highest regard to the national security interests and democratic well-being of our republic.”

“The President has paid careful heed and acknowledges the impressive jurisprudential arguments in and out of Parliament by the public at large,” the statement said.

It said consideration was also given to arguments concerning privacy and fundamental rights.

“His Excellency assures that our republic’s safety, the security of its citizens and our fundamental rights and freedoms are of paramount importance to him always,” the statement said.

“It is therefore expected that the operation of the Strategic Services Agency (Amendment) Act will be engaged meaningfully and justly with respect to the rule of law, due process and the Constitution.”

Carmona reportedly gave careful consideration to the views inside and outside the Parliament before assenting to the legislation which he received on May 16.

The Opposition voted against the measure in the Senate three weeks ago and the Government secured passage of the measure with the support of two Independent Senators, Ian Roach and former temporary Senator Justin Junkere.

The support came after Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi arranged a meeting with Opposition and Independent Senators to clarify concerns they had over the measure. 

The UNC has, however, already indicated the legislation would be challenged in court and has filed a motion calling on the Senate to express its loss of confidence in Al-Rawi. 

Al-Rawi was unavailable for comment when the T&T Guardian attempted to contact him yesterday.

Camille McMillan-Rambharat, wife of Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat, is leading an online public campaign to end child marriages in T&T.

Using her Facebook page, McMillan-Rambharat has been raising public awareness about the existing Marriage Act which allows girls as young as 12 to be married.

In an interview McMillan-Rambharat said her campaign was not political.

“For over 20 years I have been involved in issues relating to children and young people, particularly girls. This includes issues on care and protection of children in foster homes, numeracy and literacy issues, nutrition, mentorship and career development,” she explained.

McMillan-Rambharat said the awareness campaign was being conducted by a group.

“We decided that there was need to highlight the different viewpoints and promote a solution. We focused on the legislative changes needed. 

“The group has received good support and the general response has been that people did not know much about the specific laws and the reason why they should be updated,” she added.

The minister’s wife said children should never be forced to marry.

“My own view is that marriage is regarded as a contract. Both parties must therefore be of an age that allows to give informed consent. Also the laws relating to minors must be consistent in its description of minors,”she added.

Asked to comment on statements made by secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha that child marriage was “Hindu business” McMillan-Rambharat said: 

“Our group does not link the public awareness campaign to any religious views. The age for marriage is for us a matter of civil law,” she said.

Asked why it was taking so long to change the controversial legislation, McMillan-Rambharat said: “It has taken this long because the public was not as heavily engaged on the issue as they are now. 

”Social media has contributed to the discussion and information-sharing and that has generated a lot of the interest and support.”

She noted that her campaign was to raise public awareness of the issues and promote discussion and change. 

“Our legislators have taken note and have expressed a desire to make the required changes,” she added 

She also said child protection required close attention to the management and protection of children in foster homes; increase in the availability of social services in schools; public awareness campaigns to cause people to be on the lookout for signs of child abuse, particularly sexual and physical abuse, and denial of access to education.”

“This is actually a public awareness campaign that highlights the agreement of both Government and Opposition to support legislative change. The campaign promotes an understanding within the wider public of the extent of the problem and the prospects of solutions,” she added.

Two months after US President Barack Obama visited Cuba as part of the process to normalise relations, he is being urged to further demonstrate his commitment to the process by immediately removing the remaining trade restrictions and returning Guantanamo Bay to the Cuban people.

While they welcomed the move by the US to once again include Cuba in the economic framework, the local chapter of Friends of Cuba is highly suspicious of the motives behind what it claims is a strategic move by the US to control Cuba’s growing relationship with the rest of the world.

During a press conference at the Communication Workers Union Hall, Henry Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday president Clyde Callender warned the Cubans to beware of the Trojan horse.

Relating the tale, Callender said: “I have warned my friends to be aware and to note the story of the Trojan horse. They were outside and could not get inside so they used the guise of the Trojan horse to get inside and when they did get inside, they caused a lot of damages to that place.”

Claiming that the US had employed a certain plan of action in the past, Callender alleged that they had “not stopped that isolation policy that they had for Cuba.”

Fifty-five years after President Dwight D Eisenhower imposed trade restrictions with Cuba by slashing the import quota for Cuban sugar, freezing Cuban assets in the US, imposing a near-full trade embargo and cutting off diplomatic ties with the Fidel Castro government, Obama announced on December 17, 2014 that discussions had started with Castro to normalise relations between the two countries. 

During his visit to Cuba in March, Obama said the US and Cuba had so far established diplomatic relations and opened embassies, in addition to co-operating on issues of health, agriculture, education, law enforcement; restoring direct flights; establishing a mail service; expanding commercial ties; and generally increasing the capacity of Americans to travel and do business in Cuba.

Claiming that the US was worried about Cuban influence throughout the region, including Latin America and as far away as Africa, Callender said: “The US was left out and have now come in. We are hoping they really do what they have promised.”

Acknowledging the contribution by Cuba to the rest of the world as they have exported skilled human resources in the areas of health, education and sports, Callender vowed that the T&T Friends of Cuba would, “never ever not give solidarity to Cuba.”

Adding that they were “fully aware of the gains, plots and plans by the US” to target left-leading governments, Callender reiterated:

“We call for Obama to remove that blockade immediately and also give back to the Cubans, their property which is the Guatanamo Bay.”

The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a US military prison located in Cuba.

At the time of its establishment in January 2002, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said the prison camp was established to detain extraordinarily dangerous people, to interrogate detainees in an optimal setting and to prosecute detainees for war crimes.

Vowing that Cuba would not abandon its socialist policies and principles of self-reliance, Burke praised the developmental strides made by the Cuban people during the revolution as they were forced to become innovative and disciplined to achieve what they had.

In response yesterday, the US embassy in Port-of-Spain cited Obama’s remarks when he visited Cuba in March this year where he said: “I’ve made it clear that the US has neither the capacity, nor the intention to impose change on Cuba. What changes come will depend upon the Cuban people. 

“We will not impose our political or economic system on you. We recognise that every country, every people, must chart its own course and shape its own model,” he said.

The embassy also noted that on May 16 of this year the Department of State sent a delegation to Havana to participate in the third Bilateral Commission Meeting with the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

Spending $50 million to aid Venezuela’s food crisis and $900,000 on a Mercedes Benz for Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley seems to be more important than the welfare of pupils attending the Siparia Union Presbyterian Primary School.

That was the case made by parents who, instead of their children turning up for school yesterday, sat under a tent at the school’s entrance with their placards. 

Only a handful of pupils turned up for classes and roamed around the school. On seeing the protest, some parents either left with their children or joined the protest. 

Teachers had to look for alternative parking for their vehicles as the road leading to the school was blocked with the parents’ vehicles.

Work to rebuild the school began on May 10, 2014 by Construction Services and Supply Ltd and was supposed to be completed by March 2015. 

However, parents said the work ran overtime and eventually stopped in September 2015, leaving pupils to continue classes in a plywood building.

However, Victor Roberts, who has two children attending the school, said the plywood was waterlogged due to the rain and had begun to rot. He said mould had built up on the boards and when it dried pupils were falling ill.

He added: “We have a number of problems in this school, one being a serious health and safety issue. We have over 300 children in two plywood classrooms. 

“There are a total of 400 children at the school and when rain falls we have to hustle these 300 students in other classroom in order for them not to get wet.

“As a result of the rain, the ply structure has deteriorated. There is a fungus that is commonly known to us as mould and during the sunny period, the dust from that mould causes our children to attend the Siparia Health Facility with asthma attacks.” Roberts said.

In addition to their woes, he said the rain had washed away some of the sand under the six-inch blocks used as the building’s foundation. 

President of the Parents Teachers Association, Reard Niamath, called on Rowley and their MP and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to bring a speedy resolution. 

He said the plan was to rebuild the school in three phases, with the first 95 per cent complete. If phase one is completed, he said it would provide nine classrooms which would provide relief for half of the population. Currently, infants to Standard One are housed in one building while Standards Two to Five occupy two other buildings. 

He also called on the T&T Unified Teachers Association to get involved as their members were also being affected by the conditions at the school.

“The children are coming to school because the parents are committed. As I said we come out on a daily basis. We do work for our children’s safety but it is reaching the point where the rain is upon is and there is so much we can do. We will have to stop the children from coming to school. 

“A lot of these parents here can tell you we have been taking children to the health facility in Siparia and we have to be keeping them at home because of these conditions. 

“They are getting wet when the rain falls. We have another plywood facility at the back of the school there that we have over 175 to 200 children cramped inside there. When anyone of them has the cold or the virus, it spreads rapidly in that area,” Niamath said.

A query was sent to the Ministry of Education regarding the status of the school but there was no response.

Local activists Nalini Dial, who is leader of the National Coalition for Transformation and businesswoman Saviri Maharaj are seeking assistance from the United Kingdom in wake of the upsurge in crime.

The duo said they wrote to Queen Elizabeth 11 after first seeking permission from the High Commission to the United Kingdom in T&T.

Dial said their decision to write the letter came in the recent wake of the recent killing of two police officers and a soldier last week in separate incidents and circulated voice notes on social media warning members of the public of a bomb threat to the malls and the nation’s schools.

In the letter, Dial and Maharaj said they were frustrated with the present Government and the inability to deal with the high murder rate and crime.

“We in T&T feel a sense of deep regret, hopelessness and helplessness. According to one commentator: “Trinidad and Tobago is now living on a steady diet of crime, murder and mayhem. After seven months of governance by the current political party, today citizens are more scared for their lives and not even the present economic decline and loss of jobs are of concern to them, as the lawlessness that now engulfs our nation,” the letter stated.

Dial wrote that it was in the context T&T was a former British colony which is still a committed member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

“We recognise there seems to be no active crime plan by our Government to control and treat with the epidemic of crime. We are very concerned that our safety and security will become worse if this plague is not addressed immediately and genuinely. We also concede that our major institutions governing security/ safety, education, health, social services, economy and politics are failing,” it said.

The women said frequently there are horrendous crimes being perpetrated against T&T women and quoted former attorney general, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC when he said: “Members of civil society have a duty to intervene and do something about this scandalous state of affairs. We have an important role to play which is to make government account, to put pressure on government and to make our voices heard.”

“We are taking it upon ourselves to appeal to Her Majesty’s Government to offer its expertise and advice in crime-fighting to our Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley and his Government. It cannot be disputed that a government which cannot protect its citizens is failing in its first and foremost responsibility to the citizens,” the letter said.

In a brief interview, yesterday, Dial said the reason they wrote for assistance was because they were concerned for their safety and security as well as all citizens.

Dial said that there were 200 murders to date and they did not trust the Government, the law enforcement, the court and other organisations which were there to protect the citizens. 

“We are asking for outside help. We don’t know if it will be offered but we are asking for it because we don’t believe this Government will admit to the fact that it needs help and we are asking for it,” she said.

Dial said since gaining Independence T&T can’t take care of its own business. 

“So we have gone back to our former leaders for the help. We hope that if offered, the Government will engage in discussions,” she said.