The board of the Education Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL) has decided to terminate the employment of five managers following the completion of two forensic audits into its operations.

Those fired on Monday were Veda Ramnath, manager of procurement, Ria Narinesingh, divisional manager of finance: Frank Mahabir, manager of maintenence and repairs, Surendra Balgobin, manager of secondary schools and Deva Sharma, manager of implementation.

Prior to the firings, Ramnath, Narinesingh, Mahabir, Balgobin and Sharma had been sent on administrative leave.  

The news comes seven months after a secret “contract millhouse” was discovered at the EFCL’s head office in Maraval, which resulted in armed guards being called in to secure a mountain of potentially damning evidence which pointed to the illegal manufacturing of backdated tender documents worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The recent firings bring the total number of EFCL managers who were axed to seven in the last four months. Yesterday, both board chairman, Arnold Piggott, and Education Minister, Anthony Garcia, confirmed the managers were terminated. 

“Consequence upon all the information available to us as a board...  the board, having lost confidence in the five senior managers, took a decision to terminate their employment, effective Monday, June 6,” Piggott said in a brief telephone interview. He also admitted that EFCL corporate secretary, Verity Bynoe, had resigned ahead of the conclusion of the audit.

“The board has taken a very serious view of its mandate to restore the EFCL to good governance and financial discipline in the organisation,” Piggott told the T&T Guardian.

However, Garcia said the decision to axe the five was as a “result of investigations that were conducted into an internal audit, arising out of recommendations that were made... those persons were terminated.” He added the managers had been sent on administrative leave by the EFCL a couple months ago. He said a number of irregularities were found at the EFCL which resulted in two forensic audits being commissioned by the Education Ministry.

“Two audits were done...an internal and forensic audit. Arising out of those audits there were sufficient grounds to terminate those persons. A process had to be entered into, that process would have entailed they (managers) having appeared before a tribunal. All those things were done,” Garcia said.

The audits were done by international accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, which took snapshots of the systems used in the “millhouse.” Asked what was unearthed in the audits, Garcia said: “What I am prepared to say at this point is yes, there were irregularities that were found.” He stayed clear of answering if the audit found any level of corruption regarding how contractors were paid.

The EFCL owes its contractors and suppliers approximately $800 million. Admitting that he received a copy of the audits two months ago, Garcia said he could not disclose its contents. “It is under confidential cover which I must observe. I can’t reveal what was outlined,” he added. Garcia said the ministry’s legal team had also examined the audits.

“I don’t know what course of action those five persons would take. If they decide to challenge their terminations it means we cannot go out and advertise their posts like that. We have to look at what will happen first,” he noted.
Garcia also confirmed that Shah and Maharaj have since taken legal action against the ministry for their dismissals.

“I don’t know what is the outcome of that,” Garcia said.

The T&T Guardian understands, however, that the audit turned up a questionable arrangement over payment to contractors.

A source close to the investigation said it was discovered that when the ministry made payments available to contractors who had completed their jobs, those cheques were withheld and instead forwarded to other contractors who had either not yet started jobs or were in the early stages of their contracts. 

Some $100 million is said to be still owed to contractors who were affected by that practice. The source said it was a good thing the new board discovered the “secret room” and initiated the audits, adding it also worked cohesively and swiftly to rectify the situation. 

The owner of the Weight Loss Clinic, who was detained by police on Monday, is now warded at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital under police guard. 

According to a source at Fraud Squad, the 40-year-old doctor began complaining of feeling unwell while in custody at the Fraud Squad office, Port-of-Spain. She was taken to the hospital where she was treated.

On Tuesday, one day after she was detained, additional cases of alleged fraud against the doctor were brought to the attention of investigating officers.

The T&T Guardian was informed by a police source that when the news broke of the doctor being detained by police on Monday for questioning, several people either went to the Fraud Squad or contacted the offices, via telephone, to give  additional information that could assist them in their investigations.

A source at Fraud Squad, who wished not to be identified, said some of the people who have made contact with them have documents that could be used as evidence against the company. The doctor was detained by police while at her St James Clinic on Monday morning. 

The allegations surround allegedly tendering fraudulent cheques and allegedly receiving monies for service not rendered. According to reports, officers received information from a patient who claimed that over $25,000 in cash and cheques were paid to the doctor for a liposuction procedure. 

However, the patient claimed she never got it done and allegedly never got back any refund, whether full or partial. The T&T Guardian was also told  there were four other cases filed against the Weight Loss Clinic and its owner before Monday.

Further calls are being made to members of the public who have any information and allegations against the doctor that can assist them in their investigations to come forward and contact the Fraud Squad office immediately.

Despite the sharp decline in the T&T economy in the last 18 months, the country’s financial sector is in a strong and resilient position, Central Bank Governor Alvin Hilaire said yesterday. Speaking at the presentation of the Central Bank’s Financial Stability Report 2015, he said: 

“By most metrics, financial institutions remain well-capitalised, liquid and profitable with relatively low incidence of non-performing loans.”

The report states that the precipitous decline in energy commodity prices, coupled with lower production levels, has had an adverse impact on the central government’s fiscal operations, while the trade balance and the terms of trade have also worsened.  

According to the report: “Labour market conditions have deteriorated but job losses to date have mostly been concentrated in energy and energy-related industries.”

However, the report added: “Thus far, challenges within the domestic macroeconomic environment stemming from the fall in energy prices have not translated into a material decline in any of the key Financial Soundness Indicators (FSIs) of the banking and insurance sectors.”

Based on the banking sector’s FSIs, credit, market and liquidity risks appear contained with banks continuing to be well capitalised with regulatory capital-to-risk weighted assets ratio of 20 per cent, significantly above the eight per cent minimum.

The report also found that the banking sector’s profitability was healthy in 2015, with return on assets of 2.9 per cent and return on equity of 18.1 per cent, up from 2.1 and 13.5 per cent in 2014.

“Asset quality as measured by non-performing loans to gross loans steadily improved, having fallen from 6.2 per cent at the end of 2011 to 3.7 per cent at the end of 2015,” according to the report.  

The Central Bank found that even though the country’s banks were stress tested for adverse interest rates, foreign exchange, credit, property prices and liquidity shocks, capital adequacy ratios continued to be above the eight per cent statutory benchmark.

In his presentation to an audience that consisted mostly of major financial sector executives, Hilaire focused on insurance legislation reform and upgrading of the national payments system. 

On the issue of insurance legislation reform, he said the current Insurance Act (IA) of 1980 remained essentially unchanged and had not kept pace with changes in the modern financial arena.

“The IA 1980 is fundamentally unchanged from the 1966 Act and does not require insurance companies to hold capital commensurate with their risk profile, reflect minimum, international corporate governance requirements, treat with consolidated supervision and address the oversight of financial groups,” he said, adding that since insurance reforms began in 2001, three insurance bills were laid in Parliament between 2011 and 2015. 

Commenting on the Insurance Bill 2015, the governor said it was on the short-term legislative agenda of the Government and he hoped the process could be fast tracked. 

Turning his attention to overhauls of the national payments system, Hilaire said that the rapid pace of innovation in technology globally made keeping pace as a country mandatory. 

“Concerted and co-ordinated efforts should be made to bolster the security and efficiency of the payments system, including completing steps for government electronic transactions.” 

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has challenged the manufacturing sector to grow its brands, supply the needs of the country, lean towards exports and earn foreign exchange. 

In the keynote address at the T&T Manufacturers Association’s president dinner and awards at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, he expressed confidence in the sector and “its driving role in the future prosperity of our economy.”

Dr Rowley noted the sector was the third largest contributor to gross domestic product (GDP) and the second largest non-petroleum contributor. He said since 2000, its output has grown from $ 2.1 billion to  $6 billion in 2015 adding that around the world the manufacturing sector helped to drive economic growth and raised living standards

“A very important point to note is that T&T’s manufacturing sector overall is a net foreign exchange earner and therefore a critical pillar in stabilising our domestic economy,” he said.

However, he added, over the decades manufacturers have had to grapple with two major problems: Productivity in the workforce and labour shortages. 

“This is a serious problem that cannot simply be ignored and reasoned as a reflection of our culture and this Government, through improved education and training at all levels, is committed to changing this,” the Prime Minister said.

“However, since the Government is not a manufacturer it has to be noted  this issue of poor work attitude and resulting low productivity is also a management issue and while the Government systems may be a nursery for this scourge, private sector contributions are not insignificant in this matter,” he added. He cited the Global Competitiveness Index 2015-2016 which said poor work ethic was the main challenge to doing business in T&T.

Dr Rowley, who acknowledged that the domestic manufacturing sector had been somewhat successful over the years in product and brand innovation, wondered how many of them were producing and exporting the same items today as they did ten and 20 years ago.

“The second relevant question with respect to manufacturing and the issue of diversification is, are our firms exporting to the same markets today as they were ten and 20 years ago? How have we done with respect to entering new, even difficult markets?” he asked. He said it was up to local manufacturers to reorient themselves and chart a new path forward in leading the way and rising above new challenges.

Dr Rowley said data provided by ExporTT showed that approximately 200 local firms consistently export to countries within Caricom and North America and less than ten firms were exporting on a regular basis to countries within Latin America “where successive governments have placed significant resources in negotiating trade agreements over the last 15 years.”

He said T&T had negotiated innovative trade arrangements which could provide valuable opportunities for immediate and growing trade access to a substantial market which had been largely ignored even though it was just seven miles away.

“The current circumstances have pushed the market towards us more than we have reached out to explore. 

“The Government of Venezuela has offered to put up a revolving fund of US$50 million to facilitate the purchase of a specific list of Trinidad and Tobago manufactured products,” he said.

Following the Prime Minister’s address, TTMA president, Dr Rolph Balgobin, urged manufacturers to expand in nearby massive markets, including Cuba, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Panama and Venezuela.

“In the bigger one right next door, Venezuelans are in need of manufactured goods in volumes which most of us will find unthinkable. 

“The opportunities are there and they are working with the agencies of government to make them as accessible to you,” he said.

Given examples of what could be achieved in Venezuela, Dr Balgobin said t they were in need of 5.6 million units of toilet soap, five million cement bags, a few thousand tonnes of mayonnaise and 18,000 tonnes of flour a month to start.

“That is the scale of the opportunity that is sitting right next door. We have an opportunity now to go out there to bring more exciting projects forward,” he added.

T&T Manufacturer’s Association award recipients: 

• Special Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr Aleem Mohammed, S M Jaleel & Co.
• Innovator of the Year 2016: Sacha Cosmetics.
Most successful new market entrants:
• Medium: Shazam Enterprises and Investments Limited.
• Large:RHS Marketing Limited. 
Manufacturer of the Year 2016:
• Small: Western Industrial Solutions Limited.
• Medium: Lifetime Solutions.
• Large: Blue Waters Products Limited.

President of the Law Association, Senior Counsel Reginald Armour, says he agrees in principle with head of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) David West’s suggestion that the PCA be allowed to investigate, charge and prosecute errant police officers.

Speaking at a town meeting at City Hall, Port-of-Spain, on Tuesday night Armour said he agreed with the suggestion in principle but had some concerns which he would discuss with West privately. Both West and recently appointed deputy director, Andrew Stroude, addressed concerns by the public as well as informed them of some of their suggested ammendments to the PCA Act. 

Some of the ammendments West said included the power to investigate, charge and prosecute police officers. He said there would be checks and balances from the High Courts as well as the Joint Select Committee of Parliament to ensure that the PCA if given the powers would act accordingly. 

West said the ammendments were not new, adding that the PCA in Jamaica, UK and Barbados already have similar powers and have had good result West added that the PCA also wanted to be the first on the scene involving police misconduct. He said police officers should not be allowed to investigate their counterparts and the PCA should be the sole authority to deal with police alleged wrongdoing and not the Professional Standards Bureau.

Addressing the panel, Wendy Apparicio, the mother of Joel Apparicio, who was killed by police two years ago, called on the citizens to support the proposed ammendments. She said since the incident she has had little update on the matter and was recently informed that the matter had been sent for a coroner’s inquest.

Another relative of a man killed by police, Angelo Joseph, said the PCA was the only way citizens could get justice and he supported all the ammendments. 

A former police officer, who did not want to be identified, said police officers were an extension of society and officers who were abusive officers were just abusive people that became police officers. She added that the training at the academy was not sufficient to change who the individual was as they could easily put on a show for their superiors and get a passing grade.

Officers, she added, needed to have continuous training and the public must understand that there were external factors that they the public contributed that made some officer react negatively.

West, during the discussion, said  in some instances all a victim wanted was an apology from the officers, adding that 80 per cent of the complaints will be satisfied with that. That, he said, was the reason that the PCA wanted mediation services added to its portfolio.

Faced with an increase in human trafficking in the wake of Venezuela’s social unrest, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon wants co-ordinated patrols between Venezuela’s Guardia Nacional and the T&T Coast Guard.

Speaking to reporters after touring the Cedros port in the southwestern peninsula yesterday, Dillon said Venezuela’s crisis had triggered an upsurge in foreign nationals entering Trinidad through the ports of Chaguaramas, Cedros and King’s Wharf, San Fernando.

He revealed that a commanding officer of the Venezuelan Guardia de Nacional had arrived in Trinidad on Monday to engage in high level security talks with the commanders of the T&T Coast Guard.

“He will be here until Friday and part of the discussion is how do we co-operate with one another in patrolling the Gulf of Paria,” Dillon said.

Saying it was important to have co-ordinated patrols to stamp out illegal drug trafficking, gun running, contraband smuggling and human trafficking, Dillon said he was hoping that T&T Coast Guard officers could be sent to patrol on the Guardia de Nacional ships, while Venezuelan officers can board T&T Coast Guard ships.

Once joint patrols with the Guardia Nacional begin, Dillon said “T&T Coast Guard will patrol from north to south and they will patrol south to north.” He also said part of the discussion involved the launch of a programme, called VenTri–Venezuela and Trinidad co-operation, which is planned for August this year.

Asked whether he believed the law enforcement bodies had enough resources to tackle illegal entry through T&T’s porous coastal borders, Dillon admitted that more was needed.

“I am not satisfied that the Coast Guard has enough assets to deal with the influx of Venezuelan nationals. I think the Coast Guard needs additional resources,” Dillon said. He added that a major challenge at the Cedros port was the shallow harbour situated around the jetty, which does not facilitate the docking of large vessels. 

Dillon also said a Damen “mother ship” is stationed off the Cedros port and has the capability of deploying a fast speed interceptor or a speed launch vessel. Joint land patrols among Immigration, police, Customs and Coast Guard crews were also increased, Dillon said.

“In terms of the illegal movement of people, guns, ammunition, this is where the maritime security environment comes in. It is extremely important and the Coast Guard has been increasing our land based patrols, so there is a co-ordinated joint patrol on the land and to some extent at sea,” Dillon said. 

Such patrols have been ongoing at Cedros, Quinam, Blanchisseuse, Moruga, Erin and Toco, he added. Saying Trinidad is just seven miles away from Venezuela, Dillon noted that there had always been movement of people and commodities between Venezuela and Cedros. 

“That has always been our history but we have intensified our patrols both in the sea and on the land to prevent as much as possible illegal entry in the country,” he contended. 

During the tour Dillon chatted with several Venezuelans who were seen leaving Trinidad with boxes of toilet paper, baby milk, diapers, sugar, tomato ketchup and oil. Raphael Marcano, of Tucupita, said it cost 80,500 Bolivares to get to Trinidad. He said basic food items were in short supply and many people were suffering.

A homeless teenager who managed to conquer the male-dominated field of information technology and created her very own multi-million dollar empire along the way, Dawnna St Louis epitomises the spirit of perseverance, dedication and commitment which is inherent in the female psyche.

Selected as this year’s feature speaker at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business Women in Leadership Conference, St Louis was carefully researched by the organisers to ensure she fit the bill.

Designed for female leaders, the event, which will be held on July 14 at the Hilton Trinidad, was created to foster the development and leadership of women across both the private and public sectors throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Each conference exposes women from the corporate, governance and academic sectors to the hardships faced by the featured speaker, in their personal quest to attain success. The theme for this year is “The Spirit of Woman”.

Director, Academic Development and Accreditation, Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, Dr Kamla Mungal, acknowledged that of the more than 50 per cent of female entrepreneurs in T&T, many had encountered various hurdles in their pursuit of professional goals.

She said whether it included less financing than their male counterparts or shouldering more burdens, it was a reality that women were often faced with more social barriers and obstacles during the struggle to establish themselves as successful businesswomen.

Declaring that St Louis was not just another rags to riches story, Mungal endorsed her as an enduring female force who had managed to carve out her own niche by expanding her “kitchen table idea”.

Proud to claim ownership of the $100 million business consultancy firm BizIntel, St Louis recalled her personal hardships along the way as she revealed that she had been living in her car at the age of 19, when she realised there was more to life than becoming statistic as predicted by a guidance counselor.

Empowered with the knowledge that she was the only one who could overcome her fears to attain professional and personal success, St Louis related the struggles she endured as she embarked on the path to achieve success in the field of information technology where she earned certificates in programming language, such as Java and C#, along with her Project Management Professional and six Sigma Black Belt certificates. 

Along the way, St Louis also developed what she refers to as The Six, a radically simple to use business building strategy that she credits as the catalyst for the unprecedented growth of her business. 

Welcoming persons during yesterday’s press briefing at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, Mt Hope, executive director and professor of strategy, Miguel Carrillo, spoke of the resilient female spirit which allowed them to always place others needs and wants above their own, adding, “there is no gene for human spirit.” 

Carrillo said most women were more concerned about achieving fulfilment as opposed to accomplishment. He said the decision to put their family first sometimes and career second, often led to personal conflict but that it was always sorted out at the end of the day. 

During her video-link interview, St Louis revealed the rationale she used to negotiate salary packages when interviewing for various jobs. She explained that as a result of her strategy, she was now paid more than her male counterparts. St Louis is expected to speak about her strategy for success next month.

Some 19 years ago recommendations were made by the Auditor General's Department to strengthen the Internal Audit Units within the various ministries and departments but to date nothing has been implemented. 

And without proper functioning units accountability and good governance is now almost nonexistent. So said Auditor General Majeed Ali as he and members of the department appeared yesterday before Parliament's Joint Select Committee which was chaired by Bhoe Tewarie.

“This leaves a lot to be desired,” Ali said. The audited public accounts for the year ending September 30, 2015 were examined. Ali, who said those recommendations were made since 1987, added that such units must be the “internal watchdog” of the ministries and departments.

The second area of concern, which was again publically raised, was that $107 million was spent on unoccupied properties over the last six years. He said that was disturbing given the tough economic times, adding that no action had been taken to curb this.

Another challenge was that the department could not access certain information at the Board of Inland Revenue to form an opinion effectively on the completion of revenue figures. The Constitution and the Audit Act clearly define that the department has access to all books and documents of the country's revenue related to public accounts.

“Despite these clear statements, however, it continues to be a case that the Auditor General has very limited access to information at the Board of Inland Revenue and cannot form an opinion on the completeness of the revenue figure,” Ali added.

On measures to improve that Ali said it was critical that the Finance Minister and the Comptroller of Accounts be on board to ensure this exercise was run smoothly. Pressed by Tewarie whether things were being done to ensure that Ali said that was still not the case.

No accountability for furniture and vehicles
There exists no audited records regarding furniture and other items for at least five embassies, including London, Costa Rica, New Delhi and Ottawa.

The issue was raised by member Marlene Mc Donald who said she was appalled that inventory control was not maintained for furniture and fittings. She added: “Several items were not properly intact and these are State items we are dealing with. Pertinent information was not recorded in a number of instances.

“Six completed vehicles log book were not produced for audit examination. At the High Commission in London... documents not produced were the passport registrar... stock up emergency passports, cancelled passports were not produced for audit examination in contravention of financial regulations.” 

She said at the Consulate General in Toronto there was no checks and balances over the use of blank cheques.

“In other words expenditure did not exist. The High Commission in Ottawa and Brazil internal controls were also lacking,” Mc Donald said, adding that it was a reflection of poor staff training.

Ali said management letters were sent to the various embassies, agreeing that much more training was needed, including that of preparing a fixed asset registrar. 

“These are matters that the Comptroller of Accounts should be dealing with to make sure all these systems were in place because they also visit the embassies to ensure the controls were in place.

“The human resource should be strengthened,” Ali added.

McDonald said the issue could be that of the wrong people performing the wrong jobs.

The committee also heard that the Chief Personnel Officer also had a mandate to conduct human resource audits across all government agencies.

Pressuring the Ministry of Education to discipline three senior teachers, the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha Board has shut down the Rio Claro Vedic Primary School, leaving students in a quandary. With national tests just 12 days away, angry parents protested yesterday, calling for the ministry to intervene.

The board has accused one of the teachers of having an “inappropriate relationship” while another was accused of desecrating the school’s religious texts by dumping them in a bin. The books were compilations of Vedic songs and prayers.

Parent Meera Mansingh yesterday said since Tuesday new locks had been placed on the gates of the school and a fresh batch of private security was hired. 

“New security guards are manning the compound but we do not know why this action was taken,” Mansingh said. She explained, however, that some teachers were negligent in their duties and did not care about pupils. 

“Now that tests are coming up we really do not know what is happening. Yesterday a mike (public speaker) passed around saying that the school is closed until further notice but we do not know why,” Mansingh added. She called on Education Minister Anthony Garcia to intervene immediately and reopen the school.

But parent Vanessa Basdeo said the three teachers the board wanted to remove were actually among the hard-working staff members. 

“For two years the school was under academic watch by the ministry because of the poor performance of the students but recently under this new adminstration students started to do better and now the board wants to remove the hard working teachers,” Basdeo said.

Radica Gainder, whose son is in second year, said it was sad that students had to suffer because people were “fighting for position.” She said regardless of the issues, the ministry had a duty to respond. Contacted yesterday, T&T Unified Teachers’ Association second vice-president, Lynsley Doodhai, said the board’s decision to close down the school was illegal.

“TTUTA condemns what is taking place. The Vedic Board is acting in a lawless manner. If the board has concerns this is not the way to handle the situation,” Doodhai said. He added that the matter should be addressed by the ministry and the Teaching Service Commission.

“This action has disrupted teaching and learning in the school and we want to say that rather than locking out the teachers, this should be addressed in a civil manner,” he said.

Saying the lockout was counter-productive, Doodhai called on Garcia to address the matter in the shortest possible time.

Contacted yesterday, general secretary of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha Board, Avanti Supersad, said the lockout was a last resort. She said the board had been communicating with the ministry for the past two years but nothing was done to address the teachers’ conduct.

Asked why the board wanted the teachers out, Supersad said one teacher desecrated the Vedic books by throwing 22 copies inside a dustbin and throwing boxes of school lunch over it.

She said the teachers were not doing their duties and the standards of the school had dropped. She also alleged  one of the teachers had an inappropriate relationship with an on-the-job trainee at the school.

“We are a denominational board and one of the requirements is that religious education must be upheld, staff must conform to our moral and religious guidelines by attending faith-based activities and allow students to participate,” Supersad said. 

She lamented that only five new students had enrolled for the September term. Supersad also denied that parents were not informed of the developments. 

“We have all our minutes of meetings. Parents were informed of the school closure via a mike and a meeting was held yesterday to discuss the issues,” she said.

Garcia could not be reached for comment yesterday as calls to his cellular phone went unanswered.

Patricia Jycerie wept openly yesterday as she recalled how a nagging feeling to check on her younger sister saved her own life when her home was firebombed yesterday. 

Jycerie, 54, said she was just about to retire for the night around 1 am when she succumbed to an urge to check on her sister, Evelyn Antoo. Antoo, 52, was born with Down Syndrome and cannot care for herself.

As Jycerie made her way into her sister’s bedroom, she heard several loud explosions and saw the living room where she was seated moments before erupt into flames. 

Her son, Special Reserve Police (SRP) officer Reynold Charles, 39, who was asleep on the ground floor of the house, was awakened by his mother’s screams. He is attached to the Gran Couva Police Station.

When the T&T Guardian visited their home at Frasal Street, Gran Couva, yesterday, Jycerie said police were unsure whether the incident was linked to her only child’s job or an ongoing dispute with neighbours. 

“I had just finished watching ZeeTV when I keep feeling like I should check my sister who was sleeping in the backroom,” Jycerie recalled, noting they threw “channa bombs” inside.

“As soon as I reach in the room and I see her still asleep, I hear ‘Pow, pow, pow’ and I was about to run outside when I saw the fire already blazing. 

“They threw bottles into my bedroom, the gallery upstairs, the living room, the van in front the house... they were pelting the bottles one after the next. If I was in my bed I wouldn’t be here talking to you today... I would have burnt up.”

Jycerie was able to lead Antoo down the steps at the rear of the house while Charles ran up the front stairway with a garden hose to try to put out the flames.

During the interview, Charles complained of pains on his feet and hands as he suffered burns about the body. 

“I wake up hearing my mother screaming. I thought someone had broken in and was attacking her.

“I run out and saw the top of the house already engulfed in flames. I tried to put out the fire with the hose but it was too much. Some of the neighbours came out with water buckets but we couldn’t do anything else,” he said.

Jycerie watched in horror as the “house that doubles built” was destroyed by fire.

“I sell doubles for real years to be able to build this house. I always tell people, doubles build this house,” she said.

As the family waited for relief as well, fire officers trying to reach them were stopped in their tracks by a wooden bridge leading into their street. 

The bridge has a six-ton weight limit and the officers had to stop before it and drag their hose a few hundred feet to Jycerie’s home.

Charles said if the bridge had not presented such a problem the officers may have been able to do more to save the house.

“It was more work for them. If it wasn’t for that bridge, they would have been here a lot faster,” he said. 

He estimated his family’s losses at over $.5 million. 

Gran Couva police are continuing investigations. 

sharlene.rampersad@guardian.co.tt

Fraud accused Vicky Boodram has been sent to St Ann’s Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation on the request of her attorney.

Boodram, who is facing more than 140 fraud-related charges stemming from different transactions, re-appeared in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court.

When the matter was called, attorney Jason Jackson told Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John he was representing Boodram and had made certain observations about his client.

Jackson told the magistrate before he took any further steps for written instructions he would want her to be sent for a psychiatric evaluation at St Ann’s Hospital.

Jackson submitted a document to the magistrate to support his request. 

Boodram, a former travel agent, was initially charged with 109 fraud charges arising out of failed cruise ship packages. She was also charged with two money laundering cases and was out on $2 million bail.

However, in March she was rearrested by Fraud Squad officers on another set of alleged fraud matters. 

Those offences, which include 40 offences ranging from larceny by trick and uttering forged documents, involved multiple victims and different transactions. She was denied bail on those charges.

  Boodram’s reappearance yesterday was in relation to the latter charges. An order for Boodram to be remanded to St Ann’s was made before the matter was adjourned to June 23. 

However, when Boodram returns on that day the matter will then be adjourned to July 1 to meet the other charges.

The Court of Appeal has ordered a retrial for a 48-year-old man from Tobago accused of raping a 12-year-old schoolgirl in 2008. 

Appeal Court judges — Paula Mae Weekes, Alice Yorke-Soo Hon and Mark Mohammed — ordered the retrial after upholding an appeal brought by Clint Melville. 

In their judgment, the judges ruled that Melville’s trial judge failed to  direct the jury properly on how it should analyse a statement he had given to police in which he had denied the attack on the minor. 

The judges noted that the statement was crucial to his case as it was consistent with his defence presented in his trial. 

They also held that the judge was wrong to tell the jury the medical report on the minor certified she was attacked hours before she was examined as the official report did not give a suggested time at which the attack may have taken place. 

While they ruled that the misdirection on the report would not have led to his conviction by itself, they said that it and other shortcomings by the judge would have prejudiced his trial which ended in him being sentenced to 15 years in prison.  

The attack reportedly occurred on February 23, 2008. The victim testified that Melville invited her to his home, pulled down his pants and underwear and did the same to her and had sex with her against her will.

She said she told him to stop but he did not and again attempted to have sex with her a second time and only stopped when she told him she was in pain.

She claimed Melville offered her $20 to “build back her energy” and told her to go home. The girl reported the attack to her mother and then to police.

The High Court order granted last December “freezing” the assets of Super Industrial Services (SIS) was still in place and there has been no dismissal of the matter brought against SIS by the National Gas Company, Minister Stuart Young (Office of the Prime Minister) stressed yesterday.

NGC had applied for and obtained an injunction granted by the court last year, freezing SIS’ assets in its ongoing contractual dispute with the company over the construction of the Beetham Water Recycling Plant. 

At yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, Young stressed there had been no change in that as he denied yesterday’s Express report which stated the assets had been “unfrozen”. He said he was very surprised at the report. 

“There has been no lifting of the injunction regarding SIS’ assets and there has been no dismissal of the matter brought by NGC against SIS. In fact, the judge (in this matter) has called for a hearing tomorrow morning.

“My understanding is that SIS has taken a certain position in law which NGC’s attorneys feel are wholly inaccurate. A  judge will have to decide. But the matter hasn’t been dismissed or thrown out, it’s a very live matter - and in particular there has been no lifting of the injunction over SIS’ assets,” he said.

Young warned anyone who had to do anything in connection with SIS’ assets to be “very careful. Despite what was reported in the newspapers, the injunction continues to be in place.”

Young said he understood the attorneys may be looking at contempt proceeding, as he understood “Rain Forest, which appears to be a shell company, had certain mortgages over the SIS assets to a certain tune... those may have been released and discharged and may be in breach of the court order.”

In this matter, he said, it had been found that the company called Rain Forest had taken mortgages for “hundreds of millions” without any passage of money, over SIS’ assets and the mortgages have now apparently been released. He claimed that action “may very well be in contempt of the current court order.”

Yesterday the NGC also denied, via a statement, there was any “unfreezing” of the court order.

“Contrary to reports appearing in the media, the freezing order granted by the High Court on December 23, 2015 on the application of the National Gas Company of T&T Ltd over the assets of Super Industrial Services Limited up to the value of TT$180,000,000, remains in effect,” NGC stated.

“The injunction granted by the High Court on December 23, 2015, restraining Rain Forest Resorts Limited from disposing of properties mortgaged to it by SIS also remains in place. Neither the freezing order, the injunction nor the action have been struck out by the High Court. There is no court order to that effect,” it added.

NGC said the matter was still engaging the attention of the High Court but noted SIS was contending by letter from its attorneys that the matter had ended. 

“While the injunction remains in force it has come to the attention of NGC that RFRL has released the mortgages over the SIS properties which are the subject of the injunction. The High Court will be asked to grant relief in respect of this breach of the order of the High Court,” it said.

NGC also stated that under the High Court order which continued in force “it is a contempt of court for any person or entity notified of the freezing order and injunction knowingly to assist in or permit a breach of the order of the High Court.”

Conflicting views on case

National Gas Company (NGC) chairman, Gerry Brooks, says it was very unfortunate that a completely erroneous impression about the NGC/SIS court matter was created by attorney Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC.

"Firstly, Maharaj is not privy to the proceedings and secondly, the High Court action is actively before the judge," Brooks said, as he noted it was solely up to the judge to make a pronouncement on the matter.

But Maharaj, in a statement, said although he was not the SIS attorney, he represented several companies which were not owned by SIS or were subsidiaries of SIS and those companies and their workers were affected by the freeze order. As a result, the jobs of approximately 800 workers were in jeopardy, he added.

“I received the documents from the workers of these companies which show the correspondence which passed between SIS’ lawyers, NGC’s lawyers and the Registry of the Court. 

“Based on the contents of those letters, I looked at the rules of court and it is clear to me that the claim is struck out. Consequently, the freezing order which was granted in support of the claim was also automatically struck out. 

“In law, when a claim is struck out it is a dead claim and all the proceedings in relation to the claim are dead,” Maharaj said.

Maharaj said the situation occurred because NGC had failed to apply for relief. He said under Rule 27.3 (b) of the Civil Proceeding Rules (CPR), the High Court was required to give notice of a case management conference within 14 days of filing of the last defence in cases with two or more defendants.

 In this case, he said the court was required to give notice by the March 7, 2016 but did not. 

He said if the court failed to give notice within 14 days, the claimant was required to apply for a date for a case management conference but that did not occur and the claim was therefore automatically struck out on March 22. 

Maharaj said NGC had three months from the date of the service of the defences, February 22, 2016, to apply for relief from the sanction that the claim had been automatically struck out.

“Three months from February 22 would be May 22 2016. This is the only remedy which the CPR gave to NGC to apply to the court for relief from the sanction of the claim being automatically struck out,” Maharaj added. With reporting by Rhondor Dowlat

Former education minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh has described Monday’s firing of five Education Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL) as a “witch-hunt, political viciousness and outright victimisation.”

He was responding to the axing of managers Veda Ramnath, Ria Narinesingh, Frank Mahabir, Surendra Balgobin and Deva Sharma by the EFCL board, led by chairman Arnold Piggott.

The managers were terminated following the completion of two forensic audits into the EFCL’s operations which showed there were irregularities.

The terminations came seven months after a secret “contract millhouse” was discovered at the EFCL’s head office in Maraval, which resulted in armed guards being called in to secure a mountain of potentially-damning evidence which pointed to the illegal manufacturing of backdated tender documents worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Yesterday, in defending the five, Gopeesingh insisted that was another prevailing instance of “political viciousness and outright victimisation” at the hands of the ruling People’s National Movement Government against those who worked under the People’s Partnership adminstration.

“Where is Dr Rowley when he said he was going to govern T&T for all the people? This is in direct contrast to his words so it is not surprising they would have been dismissed. 

“All that is a lot of hogwash. They are trying to find something where there is nothing to find,” he added.

Gopeesingh said the manner in which the five managers, including EFCL’s CEO Sharma Maharaj and chief operations officer Kiran Shah, who were unceremoniously fired in February, the “EFCL may have to pay millions of dollars for wrongful dismissal.”

He also denied knowledge of a “contract millhouse.”

“There was no ‘contract millhouse’ that I know of. There will always be people who would try to make mischief. They are grasping at straws now.”

Having worked with the seven managers, Gopeesingh said they all operated in accordance with the EFCL’s board.

“All the managers reported directly to the board while the board reported to the ministry’s permanent secretary.”

Gopeesingh said he was not involved in the day-to-day affairs of the EFCL.

“There is nothing untoward as far as I am concerned that occurred under my watch and whoever is setting up that mischief is deliberate in its attempt. 

“They are on a witch-hunt.”

Gopeesingh said of the 60 ECC centres constructed under the PP, 53 were governed under the guidelines of the Inter-American Development Bank.

He said 38 contractors were involved in the construction of the Early Childhood Care and Education Centres while 28 contractors were responsible for building 40 primary schools.

“Some of those contractors lost monies on the job because they built schools for $700 a square foot, when it was priced between $1,500 to $2,000 a square foot in other areas.”

Questioned if $90 million allocated by the State to pay contractors was instead used by EFCL to pay favoured contractored, Gopeesingh said that was a matter for the board since everything had to go through rigorous checks and balances by the ministry before the Minister of Finance signed off.

Pressed further about the audit which discovered that a cache of almost $35 million in prepared and signed cheques which were withheld from the contractor, Gopeesingh said he knew nothing about that.

Gopeesingh said the PNM was focused on cutting jobs and undertaking forensic audits rather than dealing with issues affecting citizens.

One of the 11 men accused of murdering former Independent Senator Dana Seetahal, SC, claims to have been abused by police and prisons officers. 

Devaughn Cummings made the allegation before the start of yesterday’s second hearing of the preliminary inquiry into Seetahal’s assassination in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court. 

When the case was called by Senior Magistrate Indrani Cedeno, Cummings, who was seated in the prisoner dock, immediately got up and made his complaint.  He said while being searched by police in the holding cells at the St Vincent Street courthouse, he told one of them not to place his bag with his court attire on the dirty floor. 

“The officers just start to lash me,” Cummings said. 

He also claimed to have been the victim of several unprovoked attacks at the hands of prisons officers while in prison. 

“When the officers see me they does say that is the man who murder Dana and attack me,” Cummings added. 

During yesterday’s hearing, special State prosecutor Elaine Green tendered the witness statements of a crime scene investigator who processed Seetahal’s crime scene into evidence. Defence attorneys were then given an opportunity to cross-examine the witness. 

Yesterday’s hearing was the first since Cedeno dismissed a preliminary application from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to amened a series of charges under the Anti-Gang Act, which were laid against the 11 men charged with Seetahal’s murder and three people others who were not: David Ector, Devon Peters and Stacy Griffith. 

In its application, the DPP’s Office had admitted to laying the charges indictably (heard and determined by a High Court Judge and jury), as opposed to summarily (heard and determined by a magistrate) as prescribed by the legislation. 

However, Cedeno said the amendment could not be permitted as she felt the accused would be prejudiced by it. Her decision on May 27 saw Peters being freed. Ector was not immediately released as he had an outstanding warrant for an unrelated offence and Griffith because she still faces a charge under the Anti-Gang Act in Seetahal’s case that was laid correctly. 

Rajaee Ali, his brothers Ishmael and Hamid Ali, Devaughn Cummings, Ricardo Stewart, Earl Richards, Stephan Cummings, Kevin Parkinson, Leston Gonzales, Roget Boucher and Gareth Wiseman are accused of Seetahal’s murder.   

Seetahal was shot dead behind the wheel of her SUV while driving along Hamilton Holder Street, Woodbrook, on May 4, 2014.

The accused men’s legal team includes Criston J Williams, Sade Duprey and Jennifer Osbourne. The inquiry will resume on June 23. 

Examinations at the Marabella North Secondary School were brought to a halt yesterday as teachers and students were evacuated when an anonymous caller phoned in a bomb threat. 

According to sources inside the school the call came in around 9.30 am. 

The caller informed his listener there was a bomb in the school building. Before hanging up, the caller recited an Arabic verse. 

The school was immediately evacuated and students gathered at the school’s muster point. 

Fire Services and police rushed to the school’s compound but all was calm for the next hour-and-a-half as they awaited the arrival of the Bomb Detection Unit of Special Branch. 

When the officers arrived with bomb-sniffing dogs just before 11 am, about 200 students were dismissed for the day. 

About 100 Form Three students were kept on the compound as the threat had interrupted their exams. 

After an hour-long search of the school buildings the students were allowed to re-enter around noon to resume their exams. 

An officer of the Marabella Police Station described the situation as nothing more than a “high school prank.”

Up to news time, no one was arrested or detained for the incident.

Meanwhile, second vice-president of the T&T Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA), Lynsley Doodhai, condemned the incident.

In an interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Doodhai said those types of threats were becoming too prevalent. 

“TTUTA strongly condemns what happened at the Marabella school this morning. These incidents are becoming more prevalent and create disruptions to both the teaching and learning process. 

“I hope that when the perpetrators of these bomb threats and other scares are found, they face the full brunt of the law,” he added.

He said those threats were especially damaging to students at exam time.

“Students will already be under some pressure because of exams and when you have incidents like these, where exams are delayed, it is cause of concern for TTUTA as the students are prone to higher levels of pressure and stress.”

Describing an attempt by Trevor Creft to murder his former common-law wife in 2009 as a horrific case of gender-based violence, a judge yesterday sentenced him to ten years in prison.

“Women must be treated with respect at all times. Anything short of that and those who cannot control their emotions will feel the full brunt of the law,” said Justice Maria Wilson, presiding in the San Fernando Third Assizes.

Saying a strong message has to be sent against such actions, Wilson noted in recent times in T&T there had been numerous reports in the newspapers about women in particular, being killed by current and former partners and spouses.

 “Such acts in my view amounts to extreme cases of domestic violence,” she said, adding people must stop resorting to violence to resolve their issues. 

In this matter, however, the victim, Tricia Anthony, was deemed as a hostile witness, as well as her mother and brother, after they claimed not to recall the incident on June 19, 2009. 

Anthony, who received a disability grant because of an injury to her right hand inflicted by Creft, told the probation officer she had forgiven Creft who was a good father and she pleaded for him to be set him free.

State prosecutor Mauricia  Joseph was force to rely on their statements from the preliminary inquiry at the magistrates’ court and their police statements to prove the case.

 Creft, a security officer from Fyzabad, was found guilty by a jury on March 23.

Anthony, then 21, was stabbed in the neck with a seven inch knife when Creft attacked her at her mother’s home in front of their two-year-old son. 

Anthony lived with Creft for a year-and-half but left him because he was physically abusive and often threatened to kill her and her family if she went to the police. 

Recalling the evidence, the judge said Creft called Anthony telling her he wanted a $100 because he lost his wallet in a taxi. When he arrived at the house, Anthony came downstairs handed him their son and went back upstairs.

When she came back and was handing him the money, he grabbed her hand pulled out a knife from his waist and grabbed her neck. She fell to her knees while her son stood on the side of Creft. 

She grabbed on to the blade and he pulled it away. She was then stabbed in the neck and cut several times.

More Government grants are coming for those who are being negatively affected by the economic downturn, with special attention to be paid to those who lost their jobs.

The good news, coming some five months before this year’s local government elections, was announced by the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services on Wednesday as it launched the first of four social dialogues to be held across T&T.

“The ministry already provides numerous grants and services to assist the poor and the vulnerable but we know we can and must do better,” Minister Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn announced during a feature address at the launch at the University Inn and Conference Centre on the St Augustine Campus.

She added: “As a first step we are looking internally at our processes and delivery to identify how we can improve those (grants) as to provide more efficient and relevant products and services to our clients.”

The dialogues will take place over the next two weeks and has been titled “Building Resilience to Secure our Nation”.

The ministry’s aim is to get views from the national community on how to develop a National Social Mitigation Plan.

The large crowd of NGOs, youth organisations, trade unions and private sector representatives which was expected did not turn up. A small crowd was seated around tables.

A ministry source, responding to questions from the T&T Guardian on the number of people who had their grants stopped and whether new grants are coming, said thousands had their food cards stopped because they failed the Government’s means test.

“There is a perception we would have stopped food cards from those who didn’t deserve them. People were called in to go over a new analysis and workers would have gone to their homes to do investigations,” she said.

As for the $500 Baby Grant, which was introduced by the last Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration and stopped by the PNM when it came into power after September 7, the ministry source said that was stopped because of the widespread number of grants given to the vulnerable.

He said not only more grants will be given out but they will be given out after a robust means test and would cater to people generally negatively impacted by the economic downturn. 

The ministry would consolidate with other ministries which also gave out grants to avoid the “double dipping” by citizens, the source said.

In her address, Crichlow-Coburn citizens said should prepare for change. 

“I expect the strategies that will comprise the National Social Mitigation Plan may require changes to current programmes and policies and the creation of new tools and responses to effectively support people, jobs, investments and businesses,” she added.

In a surprise move, the Opposition walked out of Parliament yesterday, after its requests to debate the plight of financially disadvantaged sick children and the country’s soaring murder rate were refused by House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George.

The walkout occurred just before Finance Minister Colm Imbert delivered his explanation of government’s $2.5 billion withdrawal from the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF).

But even before the walkout took place, tensions had been generated between the Speaker and Opposition MP Roodal Moonilal over the way he had attempted to present a question.

Moonilal had filed a question for reply by the Government concerning the injunction granted to the National Gas Company against the assets of Super Industrial Services Ltd (SIS). 

He’d started to read the question he had originally filed with the Parliament. But he was halted by the Speaker and advised to read the question (number seven) as it was stated on the agenda. He remarked then that he should read “your question” (inferring the question as it was structured on the parliament’s agenda). The Speaker asked him to withdraw that statement and apologise.

Moonilal asked what he should withdraw. He was told to withdraw the statement he made about the question. He questioned, “What statement is that?”

The Speaker then suspended proceedings for three minutes.

During the break, Moonilal showed reporters the original question he’d filed and started reading. It was different from the one on the agenda. When proceedings resumed, the Speaker asked if he’d had an “opportunity to consider what your position is.”

Moonilal asked if he should read question seven and in response to her next question—if he would read the one on the agenda—agreed to do so. He didn’t apologise or withdraw the earlier statement, nor was he asked about it by the Speaker again, and proceedings continued.

But shortly after, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar unsuccessfully sought leave to raise two matters of urgent national importance for debate. 

One involved government’s failure to provide timely access to the Children’s Life Fund to financially disadvantaged children in need of urgent life-saving medical treatment. She noted several children had already died because of government’s failure to provide this and the lives of other children similarly circumstanced were in jeopardy. 

Another motion concerned government’s failure to address the unprecedented increase in the number of murders in T&T, which Persad-Bissessar said had citizens living in fear and was damaging T&T’s international reputation.

But the Speaker said the motions didn’t qualify under the Standing Orders where they were filed and suggested another SO. 

She added that while the matters were important, they needed to be filed correctly. She also said there was need for a meeting between the presiding officer and Opposition MPs and a request had been received. She said she expected the chief whip’s delegation to take the opportunity of the meeting next Monday for “all these matters” to be clarified.

Opposition MPs then rose and exited the chamber. 

Briefing thrown out of Parliament

The Opposition UNC was yesterday denied access to a parliament space to host a media conference after they walked out the House.

They had intended to explain the walkout to reporters, at a planned briefing at the office of the Opposition at the Parliament complex. But parliament communication official Jason Elcock told reporters that press conferences weren’t allowed while the House was in session. Instead, the Opposition addressed reporters on the parliament grounds.

Persad-Bissessar said she was casting no negative reflection or aspersion on the speaker’s refusal to allow the two matters for debate, but added, “We’re very disappointed as we believe it’s urgent to save the lives of children, one child (Naveen Harrypersad) died two weeks ago and another, previously.”

She noted the deaths occurred while parents awaited a determination by the Attorney General of the definition of ”exceptional circumstances” in order to access the fund.

“That’s totally offensive and horrendous,” she said, adding she also tried for the second time to have the murder situation debated.

“The National Security Minister gives us these platitudes, yet daily murders are occurring, unprecedented; they’re outstripping the numbers of days in the year. It must be a priority discussion—that’s what Parliament is for.”

Moonilal, explaining the matter with the Speaker, said a question had appeared on the agenda in his name but he hadn’t recognised it and was merely indicating to the presiding officer that it wasn’t his question. He said he wasn’t prepared to ask a question which wasn’t his and had a difficulty with that and was “merely enquiring if the Speaker had drafted the question, but I’m not rude to anybody, I have no intention of being disrespectful to anyone—I was just seeking clarification.”

Persad-Bissessar said the walkout had nothing to do with Moonilal’s issue.

“We walked out when we were disappointed that these two matters which are urgent to people were not allowed,” she said.

She also said Imbert’s HSF statement also lacked details on what the funds would be used for and was a waste of time.

A contracted employee working at the Prime Minister’s St Ann’s residence was stopped by Special Branch officers on Thursday when “traces” of marijuana were found in his vehicle, a Government security spokesman confirmed yesterday.

Word broke on this early yesterday, but both Ministers Stuart Young (Office of the Prime Minister) and Edmund Dillon (National Security) referred queries to the police and acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams.

The Police Communications Department later confirmed the incident, saying the man was someone who had gone to do work on the PM’s residence.

Traces of marijuana were found in his vehicle, a station wagon, around 9.15 am by Special Branch officers attached to the residence, as they did the normal check of vehicles and people entering the compound, a release from the police service said yesterday. An apparatus popularly called a “grinder” was also found with the ganja. The man was not allowed to enter the compound as a result of the find and officers were said to be preparing to lay charges against the man.

The T&T Guardian learned the man was employed by a contractor who has been putting up barbed wire on the fencing at the official residence/Diplomatic Centre compound. 

Meanwhile, yesterday in Parliament, Dillon addressed reporters on the issue of the prime minister’s security detail who, officials said, had been told their services were no longer needed when they turned up for duty yesterday with the PM. However, they were still on the Parliament compound yesterday awaiting direction. (See page A6)

Officials said the security detail was told “your services are no longer needed” when they went to pick up the PM. The T&T Guardian learned there had been issues with very extended periods of work.

The Prime Minister was later seen in Parliament with a Special Forces officer and not the usual Special Branch officer. 

He reportedly went to the Parliament with acting Attorney General Stuart Young’s detail of police and military officers. The AG has that type of security. Young is acting for AG Faris Al-Rawi, who is overseas at a Caribbean Financial Action Task Force conference.

Members of the PM’s (former) security detail also later went to the Parliament, where they were seen, and were on the compound awaiting instructions from the acting Police Commissioner, under whose ambit they fall. —GA