NEWS
Bound, Gagged, Dead
A Gasparillo man’s worst nightmare came to pass when his 30-year-old autistic daughter died after she was bound and gagged by intruders during a home-invasion at the victims’ house early yesterday morning. It is believed that Carla Archalal suffocated after cloth was stuffed in her mouth by the intruders, who then wrapped duct tape around her head, effectively sealing her nose and mouth. She was bound with plastic tiestraps. Hours after his daughter’s death, 61-year-old Vishnu Archalal was struggling to come to terms with the misfortune which befell his family. “Even as I was tied up and helpless, I kept praying that no harm would come to my son and daughter,” he cried. According to police, at about two o’clock yesterday morning, while Vishnu, his son Marlon, 34, and daughter Carla were all asleep at their Bonne Aventure Road, Gasparillo home, three masked men had forced their way into the family’s business _ ‘The Bonne Aventure Mini Mart’ _ situated nearby, on the same premises. The intruders ransacked the mini-mart. They then gained entry into the house by prying open a door with a crowbar. Read more here
The evolution of subsidies
Chief Editor, Business Anthony Wilson explores the background to T&T’s reliance on subsidies to support the economy. In the original 2016 budget, the Government allocated 52 per cent of the country’s budget to transfers and subsidies. That’s an expenditure of $34.7 billion out of total expenditure of $66.4 billion that is used to lower the cost of education of the nation’s children, reduce the cost of drugs to treat diabetes and hypertension and build houses for the nation’s low to middle-class citizens to live in. The huge expenditure on transfers and subsidies is also used to reduce the amount of money that T&T residents pay to fill their cars with gasoline and lower the amount of money that comes out of the pockets of breadwinners to pay electricity and water bills. Read more here
Central woman turns up dead
A woman who went missing three days ago was found dead yesterday at the base of a precipice in Brasso. It was the fourth killing for the day. The body of Lisa Matagoolam, of West Macaulay, California, was discovered by police officers who were taken to the area by a close male relative. Police said Matagoolam, a 34-year-old sales representative was last seen alive on September 12, leaving her mother's home in Milton, Couva. She was picked up by a male friend in a gold Nissan Tiida car around 7 a.m. Police were told she was dropped off near Boomer's, on the Main Road in Chaguanas, as she headed to work at Jesse's boutique. Read more here
POLITICS
AG: Govt seeking legal advice
Attorney General (AG) Faris Al-Rawi yesterday disclosed that Government will be seeking legal advice to determine whether former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, former housing minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, former AG Anand Ramlogan and former Housing Development Corporation (HDC) chairman Rabindra Moonan were guilty of mischief in public office, regarding the failure of the former People’s Partnership (PP) government to protect taxpayers’ money with respect to the Las Alturas Housing Project. Al-Rawi also said Government has received preliminary legal advice which raises serious questions about the contents of Las Alturas Commission of Inquiry’s (COI) report, the inquiry’s cost has now climbed to $40 million and the HDC has initiated civil action in the court against China Jiangsu, the contractor for two failed buildings in the Las Alturas project. Indicating the intial advice on the Inquiry’s report was provided from Fyard Hosein SC, dated September 14, Al-Rawi said the additional advice which Government will seek, “is in relation to the recommendation that this matter be looked at and explored with greater precision.” Referring to Hosein’s initial advice, Al-Rawi said the report needed to be analysed as to whether it was unreasonable, biased or whether there were breaches of natural justice. Read more here
Jwala gets ok to challenge refusal of reasons for dismissal
Former Central Bank governor Jwala Rambarran has been given the green light to pursue his lawsuit challenging Cabinet’s decision to refuse to reveal its reasons for dismissing him last December. Delivering an oral decision in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday, High Court judge Nadia Kangaloo ruled that Rambarran’s attorney had “a real prospect of success” in his case over Cabinet’s refusal to accede to his requests under the Freedom of Information Act for information related to the revocation of his appointment. Rambarran was appointed to the post on July 17, 2012 and was told of his dismissal in a letter from Senate President Christine Kangaloo, who was acting President on December 23, 2015. Justice Kangaloo is the Senate president’s sister-in-law. Read more here
Govt acted in bad faith at close of Parliament
Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday noted with concern that Parliament has been closed with no mention by Government of its commitment to put the Tax Information Exchange Agreement Bill before a Joint Select Committee (JSC). She also accused Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi of being “malicious” for his remarks Wednesday that the Opposition seemed frightened over the possibility of Government being able to view the United States-based holdings of citizens, through passage of the bill and subsequent compliance with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Government has warned that failure to become FATCA compliant by the end of September could result in T&T being unable to trade internationally and also having to face a 30 per cent “withholding tax” on US dollars entering the local system from the United States. Read more here
BUSINESS
bpTT’s Christie hopes for new Gas Master Plan
Regional President of bpTT, Norman Christie, has expressed hope that the new Gas Master Plan will help to facilitate the company’s planned investment of approximately US $5 billion over the next three to four years in Trinidad and Tobago. “The current Gas Master Plan deliberations must result in clear policy decisions regarding matters such as gas allocation and price, and must incentivise upstream investments in an increasingly competitive environment... No sensible business person, recognising the context we are in, is going to invest approximately US $5 billion over the next three to four years into natural gas projects without knowing where the gas is going to go and under what pricing mechanism,” Christie stated. Read more here
Outgoing CTO chairman issues word of caution to Caribbean
Barbados Tourism Minister Richard Sealy has sounded a word of caution to the Caribbean that it should not become complacent in the face of the strong performance in the sector last year. Sealy told the State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC) being held here this week that the region had record arrivals in 2015, with 28.7 million visitors, while the figures for 2016 are expected to exceed 30 million. “We have to commend ourselves for that fact, given how challenging and competitive the industry is. The other thing of course is that we have seen that the room stock has increased as well, so that means investor confidence is also at a good place. Read more here
REGIONAL
In Cuba, text messages with controversial content are disappearing
Journalists in Cuba have evidence that the Cuban government is monitoring and selectively blocking mobile SMS messages based on keywords such as “human rights”, “hunger strike”, “plebiscite” and “state security”. According to a report by journalists Yoani Sánchez and Reinaldo Escobar, who run the Havana-based media outlet 14ymedio, text messages containing a range of sensitive keywords along with the names of various high-profile anti-Castro activists, are not reaching their destinations. However, the messages still appear as ‘sent’ on the sender’s telephone. According to technologist and opposition blogger Eliécer Avila, at least 30 keywords have been identified as triggers for the blocking mechanism. It is not clear how long this has been in place. The journalists have not yet shared a full list of terms tested, nor did they indicate whether they believe the blocking targets specific users. Read more here
Beware - Blair Warns Pastors To Rethink Actions; Miller's Flock Was Prepared To Listen To Him Preach From Behind Bars
Religious leaders, who, for decades, have worked with the police to facilitate the peaceful surrender of criminal suspects, have been warned to rethink their actions. Bishop Herro Blair issued the warning yesterday after parish judge Simone Wolfe Reece sentenced popular pastor the Reverend Merrick 'Al' Miller to a fine of $1 million, or 12 months in prison, for his corruption conviction, which is related to the capture of drug kingpin Christopher 'Dudus' Coke. But even if Miller had been sent to prison, members of his flock had no intention of abandoning him. One of them told The Gleaner that she was prepared to have his sermons streamed from prison "because if Kartel (Vybz, dancehall artiste) can mek music in dere (prison), him mus' can preach from behind bars, too". Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Bratislava EU meeting: Merkel says bloc in 'critical situation'
Alleged Duterte hitman denied protection after tell-all testimony
The man who publicly accused Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte of running a hit squad and personally killing people won't be given state protection. Senate President Koko Pimentel announced on his verified Facebook page that Edgar Matobato won't be put in protective custody because his life has not been threatened. "I've denied the request for protective custody of the witness (Edgar) Matobato because there is no Senate rule to justify it," he said. "There's even no showing that his life or safety is threatened." Another Philippines Senator called the decision "heartless." Read more here
16th September 2016