NEWS
Emailgate not closed
Integrity Commission Deputy Chairman, retired Justice Sebastian Ventour, yesterday accused the body which he sat on until yesterday of misleading the public on the emailgate affair. Ventour confirmed yesterday that he had resigned from the Commission. This followed the reported resignation on Wednesday of Dr Shelly Lalchan, another Commission member, and reports were circulating yesterday of yet another member contemplating quitting. In disclosing his resignation to reporters yesterday, Ventour declared, “When I took my oath, the last I would have thought is that I would have been part of any statement that would mislead the public of TT. I want no part of that. That in my view has been done. I am out!” On Tuesday, the Commission sent a letter to Israel Khan SC - one of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s attorneys in emailgate, to indicate that it was terminating its investigation into the matter. Read more...
Kamla wants Rowley to resign
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday called on Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley to resign immediately in the wake of word from the Integrity Commission that its investigation into the May 2013 Emailgate matter had been closed. She made the comment in the House of Representatives yesterday while making a statement on the matter. She began by recalling that it was exactly two years ago when Rowley, in presenting a motion of no confidence against her, told the Parliament about a thread of 31 emails which he said was allegedly exchanged among Persad-Bissessar, then attorney general Anand Ramlogan, Cabinet ministers Dr Suruj Rambachan and Dr Roodal Moonilal and then national security adviser Gary Griffith. Read more...
Cable and Wireless loses $$ from TSTT
Cable & Wireless Communications' revenue from its 49 per cent stake in telecoms provider Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) was down one per cent during CWC's financial year, the company said as it announced results for year ended March 31, 2015 in London Wednesday. The decrease from US$231 million to US$229 million was a result of a competition intensifying in the region, CWC said. CWC purchased Columbus International (operators of FLOW cable TV) for US$3.025 billion last November. The deal was completed on March 31 this year. "As a condition to the regulatory approval for the Columbus acquisition, we are required to divest our 49 per cent stake in TSTT and no longer retain significant influence over its management. Accordingly, our investment in TSTT has been transferred to assets held for sale," the company said in its financial results. Read more...
POLITICS
Al-Rawi wants answers on ‘fiasco’
A fiasco. This is how the PNM is describing the latest developments surrounding the emailgate affair including a statement by the police stating that it is still awaiting requested information from Google to complete its investigation, and resignations among the membership of the Integrity Commission following that body’s decision to terminate its investigation because of insufficient evidence. “We in the PNM call for answers into this fiasco,” PNM’s Public Relations Officer, Senator Faris Al-Rawi said yesterday. “Certainly, the nation needs to be reassured that the offices of the respective investigating agencies are not only competent but fair and transparent in their dealings.” The PNM said the statement issued yesterday by the Police Service about its probe into the emailgate affair, makes it more incumbent upon the Integrity Commission to “step forward and speak up”as to what were the findings of its probe into emailgate which was terminated on Tuesday. Read more...
Warner: ILP bids for all 41 seats
The Independent Liberal Party (ILP) is going the distance this general election and will contest all 41 seats. “We shall remain and we shall field 41 candidates in the election,” ILP leader Jack Warner announced on Wednesday night during a cottage meeting at LP 55 Pierre Road, Charlieville. Previously, Warner had said the party would contest 23 seats, but has now decided to bid for all 41. To strong applause, Warner declared, “Laventille East and West, we coming; Chaguanas East and West, we coming; Diego West, we coming; Siparia, we coming; Oropouche East and West we coming; Tunapuna we coming; San Fernando East and West, you better believe we coming too.”
The ILP leader said he never thought the People’s Partnership Government, of which he was once a leading Cabinet minister, would have had to fight so hard to seek a second term. Read more...
BUSINESS
Hamel-Smith chairs committee
FORMER Senate President Timothy Hamel-Smith will chair the newly created Procurement Implementation Steering Committee, which holds its first meeting today. Hamel-Smith’s senatorial appointment was revoked by President Anthony Carmona on February 2, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, when she reshuffled the Cabinet on that day. That reshuffle also saw the removal of Anand Ramlogan as Attorney General, following the launch of a police investigation into a complaint made against him by Police Complaints Authority (PCA) Director David West. In a statement yesterday, the Finance Ministry said, “In an effort to minimise opportunities for malfeasance in the public procurement of goods and services, Government recently passed the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Bill 2015.” Hamel-Smith was Senate President when this bill was passed in the Senate last December and when it was assented to on January 14 by President Carmona. The bill is still to be proclaimed into law. Read more...
CAL holds emergency drill
CARIBBEAN Airlines (CAL) yesterday advised its customers that the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (AATT) will be holding a full scale emergency drill at the Piarco International Airport today between 6 pm to 8 pm.In a statement, CAL said, “During the drill, there will be restricted entry to the Piarco International Airport.” The airline indicated that some of its flight times have been changed to minimise disruptions to customers.
CAL indicated that affected passengers with contact details, have been informed about today’s drill. “However persons travelling on May 22 are encouraged to check Caribbean Airlines’ website, www.caribbean-airlines.com, for information on their specific flights.” Persons collecting passengers who are expected to arrive around the start of the drill should get to the airport before 6 pm. CAL stated, “Only authorised persons will be allowed entry to the airport during the drill.” The Police Service will be responsible for controlling and directing traffic. Read more...
VTI appoints new director
Advertising powerhouse, Valdez and Torry International (VTI) Limited, yesterday confirmed the appointment of Astrid O’Neal as its new Executive Creative Director.O’Neal, formerly the agency’s lead on many of its award-winning campaigns, brings to the position a wealth of marketing and advertising experience, along with a fierce passion for creativity. Having been an advertising industry professional for 12 years and a Chartered Marketer for over five years, the past student of Holy Name Convent has consistently won both local and international awards for VTI each year, with a refreshing blend of raw talent and enthusiasm. President of Valdez and Torry International Limited, Steven Valdez, acknowledged, “The great thing about the VTI team is that we have an abundance of talent within the agency that we can draw from, and Astrid is proof of that.” Read more...
T&T Chamber to lead trade mission to Cuba
The T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce will be leading its first trade mission to Cuba next month. CEO Catherine Kumar confirmed that the mission would take place June 11 and 12. She said Cuba is an attractive market for T&T, especially as an economic partnership agreement is in place between the two nations. Kumar said the time has come for T&T businesses to capitalise on the Cuban market. Following a seminar on Cuba hosted by the Chamber earlier this week, Kumar said a new foreign investment act would stimulate investment on the island. “Businesses will be able to take advantage of some of the incentives. “A very attractive one is the reduction in corporation tax on profits,” she said.Kumar said market access was important, so talks on air transportation had started with Caribbean Airlines. She said: “Right now to go to Cuba, the most feasible way is to use Copa Airlines via Panama then to Cuba. It takes a while. If we can get a direct flight to Cuba it will help with some of the logistics, make life a lot easier and make flying time a lot easier as far as getting there and returning.” Read more...
REGIONAL
'Significant' oil deposit found offshore Guyana
Guyana looks to be set to join the group of oil producing nations, as news was made public by ExxonMobil that it has found a deposit of a 'significant' amount of oil in the Stabroek Block, some 120 nautical miles offshore Guyana.It was discovered in one of the two wells it drilled in the Liza-1 site, which realised more than 295 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone. The well was started or “spudded” on March 5, 2015, and the data will be analysed in the coming months to determine the full resource potential.It was drilled to 17,825 feet (5,433 metres) in 5,719 feet (1,743 metres) of water in the Stabroek Block, which is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers), the statement noted.In the released statement, president of ExxonMobil Exploration Company, Stephen Greenlee, said, “I am encouraged by the results of the first well on the Stabroek Block… over the coming months we will work to determine the commercial viability of the discovered resource, as well as evaluate other resource potential on the block.” Read more...
INTERNATIONAL
China warns U.S. surveillance plane
The Chinese navy issued warnings eight times as a U.S. surveillance plane on Wednesday swooped over islands that Beijing is using to extend its zone of influence. The series of man-made islands and the massive Chinese military build-up on them have alarmed the Pentagon, which is carrying out the surveillance flights in order to make clear the U.S. does not recognize China's territorial claims. The militarized islands have also alarmed America's regional allies. Former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell told CNN's Erin Burnett Wednesday night that the confrontation indicates there is "absolutely" a risk of the U.S. and China going to war sometime in the future. A CNN team was given exclusive access to join in the surveillance flights over the contested waters, which the Pentagon allowed for the first time in order to raise awareness about the challenge posed by the islands and the growing U.S. response. Read more...
22nd May 2015