NEWS
‘Wetman’ loved by car thieves
The Nissan Tiida, whose male drivers/ owners are locally known as ‘wetman’, is the main car targetted by thieves, police yesterday stated, adding that for the first four months of this year, reports of vehicles being stolen have increased. As such, owners of Tiidas are being asked to place unique identification marks on their vehicles. ‘Wetman’ is a Trini slang, made popular on social media, which points to the easy ability of men - especially male Tiida drivers/owners - to attract females, including schoolgirls, for amorous relationships. After the Tiida, the Nissan B14 car is the next favoured target of car thieves. This was revealed by Sgt Christopher Swamber of the Stolen Vehicles Squad who spoke at the weekly police press briefing at Police Administration Building in Port-of- Spain. Read more…
Back pay bond payment never discussed: Protective bodies ‘disenchanted’
Associations representing workers under the Ministry of National Security yesterday described Government’s recent announcement that it would pay half of their back pay in bonds without consultation as “unacceptable”, “disrespectful” and “disenchanting”. They now want an emergency meeting with Finance Minister Colm Imbert to discuss the matter, saying inaction could lead to action from the bodies. Officers from the Police Service Social and Welfare Association, Prisons Officers Association (POA) and Fire Services Association (FSA) made the call during a press conference at the POA headquarters, Railway Road, Arouca. Read more…
Taxi-driver gets 7 years for killing teen
Taxi-driver Lawrence Harewood was yesterday sent to prison for seven years for breaking a traffic light and killing a teenage motorcyclist 15 years ago. In passing sentence, Justice Carla Brown-Antoine said: “The lesson that must be learnt from this tragic event and the message the court sends to all drivers is that when you have stopped at a red light and you get the green light, do not enter an intersection unless you ensure that it is safe to do so.” Read more…
POLITICS
THA car loans still outstanding
Car loans from 2007, taken by Assemblymen of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) are still pending, a Parliament committee yesterday heard. Officials of the THA admitted the matter was a “major shortfall”, and that, “there has been very little follow-up” to seek to claim money owed by assemblymen and contracted officers for vehicles. “We have certainly dropped the ball in that regard,” said Claire Davidson-Williams, Administrator, THA Finance and Enterprise Development. The disclosures were made at a meeting of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held at the International Waterfront Centre, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain. Davidson-Williams – a cousin of current Assemblyman Tracey Davidson-Celestine – said many of the same officials who failed to fully repay their loans were nonetheless allowed to cash gratuities and other financial entitlements at the end of their tenures. Read more…
Rowley on rising crime levels: Division heads must account
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says the heads of the nine police divisions in T&T need to be more accountable to citizens. He made the comment while speaking about the level of crime at an indoor meeting for the constituencies of Arima and D’Abadie/O’Meara at the Malabar Phase 4 Community Centre on Tuesday. Rowley, who asked the crowd whether they could name the people in charge of any of the police divisions, expressed no surprise when they said no. “You know why, because there is no accountability in the system and the people who should be in charge are hiding in the shadows and nobody knows who is in charge and when something happens you point at the Minister of National Security, you point at the Commissioner of Police and the divisional heads are unknown to you,” Rowley said. Read more…
Not One Cent More
Cane farmers will get the long-awaited $52 million. But not one cent more. That was the clear indication from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Tuesday night. He said the Government would honour the commitment given by the former People’s Partnership administration to pay the $52 million provided by the European Union to the cane farmers.But they must look for no more, he stressed. Read more…
BUSINESS
Duke: Stop the gas increase
President of the Public Services Association (PSA) Watson Duke has called on Government to put an immediate end to citizens having to pay higher gas and diesel prices and immediately pay public servant arrears of increments, in one tranche. Duke made the call at a press conference at the PSA’s Abercromby Street, Portof- Spain headquarters earlier this week. He alleged the People’s National Movement (PNM) Government was, “re-engineering class lines in TT. ” Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced several financial mechanisms in his mid-year budget review on April 8, designed to, “increase revenue and curb expenditure.” Among the measures were an increase in gas and diesel, tax to online buying and an increase in the price of alcohol and cigarettes. Duke said this was Government’s way of saying to the poor man, “know thy place.” Life, he added, was becoming harder for the poorer class. The Government, he said, saved $7.75 billion in the last six months, “by denying public officers back pay.” Duke said the association would not take it lightly. He added that Government cannot disrespect the trade union’s tripartite agreement. He said the unions did not agree to the paying of back pay in parts. Read more…
Contract labour an increasing concern
In the current economic environment, employers and the labour movement must address contract and other forms of non-standard employment, Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus said yesterday. “Given recent developments on the economic and labour fronts, particularly with the growing spate of retrenchment, issues pertinent to employment and decent work must assume greater prominence. “Contract employment has been a growing and burdensome issue that many have been speaking about but little action has been taken to facilitate genuine dialogue and serious examination of this issue in T&T,” she said. Read more…
REGIONAL
Security Forces Cut Down Thug In Search For 'Duppy Film'
Evidence suggests that the gunmen who yesterday engaged a joint police-military team in a fierce gun battle in a region known as 'Crusher', on the outskirts of Harbour View in east rural St Andrew, might have been preparing for an extended stay in the out-of-the-way community when the security forces disrupted their plans. Among the items abandoned by the men as they fled were a pot with raw meat; clean items of clothing, including underwear; a well-thumbed New Testament Bible; a mobile phone with a charger; as well as a pack of condoms - all stored in a well-worn knapsack. On approaching a river, the joint-security team reportedly came under fire from gangsters allied to Marlon 'Duppy Film' Perry, who has been implicated in the December 2015 murders of Corporal Kenneth Davis and Constable Craig Palmer at a shop on the Poor Man's Corner main road in St Thomas. The security officers returned the fire, and afterwards, a man found suffering from gunshot wounds was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Read more…
LIAT confirms resignation of CEO
The board of directors of regional air carrier LIAT confirmed on Wednesday that it has accepted the resignation of chief executive officer, David Evans, effective April 13, 2016. Julie Reifer-Jones, director finance and ICT, has been appointed to act as chief executive officer. The board of directors thanked Evans for his service and wished him every success in his future endeavours. As reported on Wednesday, Evans was said to have resigned after “a heated meeting with the board of directors last Thursday”. Read more…
INTERNATIONAL
Nigeria Chibok girls 'shown alive' in Boko Haram video
Russia defends close encounter with U.S. Navy missile destroyer
Russia acted "in accordance with international rules" when its unarmed fighter jets had two close encounters with the USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea, Russia's Defense Ministry said Thursday. Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov spoke to Russian state news agency Tass. Initial reports indicate two encounters with the U.S. Navy-guided missile destroyer occurred Tuesday night in international waters. One of the Russian jets flew within 75 feet of the U.S. ship's superstructure. The Cook "encountered multiple, aggressive flight maneuvers by Russian aircraft that were performed within close proximity of the ship," the U.S. European Command said in a statement. "We have deep concerns about the unsafe and unprofessional Russian flight maneuvers," the statement said. Read more…
14th April 2016