NEWS
Former ArcelorMittal steel mill gets new owner
Aeternus Steel Holdings Ltd, a joint venture between local company Integrus Group and Dubai investors Cassia Group, has won the bid for the now-shuttered ArcelorMittal steel mill in Point Lisas. The winner was announced today. The plant was shuttered in March 2016, beginning liquidation proceedings soon after to pay off its reported $1.3 billion debt – most of which was owed to its parent, the ArcelorMittal group, which is headquartered in Luxembourg. Read more here
Venezuelans continue to enter South coast
Boatloads of Venezuelans are still continuing to secretly enter Trinidad through Icacos even though the National Security Minister Stuart Young announced that all borders are now in lockdown. Guardian Media visited the coastal villages of Coromandel, Fullarton, Icacos and Bonasse yesterday to see whether there was any physical proof of additional security. No additional police, soldiers or coast guard were seen. However, residents said the number of illegal Venezuelans had increased since violent street protests erupted in Venezuela following the attempt by Opposition leader Juan Guaido to oust President Nicholas Maduro. Shortly before the T&T Guardian team arrived at Icacos Beach at noon, residents said a boat with five Venezuelans pulled up and the occupants ran out and entered a forested area to hide. Read more here
POLITICS
AG to whistleblowers: Come and sing your soul
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi has invited whistleblowers to “come and sing your soul.” He made the comment while piloting the Whistleblower Bill in the House yesterday. He said the bill was a campaign promise of the Government and one of the critical tools to ensure the quality of evidence results in convictions. He explained the bill is to protect people who make disclosures from detrimental action and to define the process. Read more here
Money laundering case built against Ramlogan, Ramdeen
Former attorney general Anand Ramlogan and United National Congress (UNC) senator Gerald Ramdeen have been questioned by police about their alleged involvement in a money laundering scheme. The police questioning came after the men spent more than eight hours in custody at the Anti-Corruption Investigative Bureau (ACIB) in Port-of-Spain yesterday. While ACIB officers and police seniors remained tight-lipped throughout the day, Guardian Media was told that an international Queen’s Counsel is helping the State with its case against the two men. According to sources inside the ACIB camp, the foreign QC worked for Ramlogan during the time he was attorney general and earned over $20 million in state briefs. It is alleged the QC had an agreement to pay back a percentage of the money to Ramlogan in exchange for the brief. Read more here
BUSINESS
Raising the stakes
Shaun Rampersad has a single-minded vision for his family company – to make Ramps Logistics Ltd one of the best-known, most-trusted and well-loved brands in the Caribbean. “The whole idea is to build a brand that people want to be associated with, a brand that stands for something, so we are very particular – of course you want to make money – the number one purpose of a business is to make money so in order to do all the good stuff you have to be profitable too. Profit should drive good. Businesses should exist for the betterment of society – and we are particularly concerned about the societies in the Caribbean. Read more here
The Chocolate Box
Have you ever dreamed of a place that offers handcrafted, high quality chocolates produced locally and using Trinitario Cocoa sourced from estates around TT? Even if you haven't, Ashley Parsaram certainly has, and he's made your (secret) wish come true with the official opening of The Chocolate Box at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre, St Ann's. But this is not Parasram's only major accomplishment when it comes to cocoa. Chocolates made by his company, TT Fine Cocoa Company, are sold in the world-famous Harrods department store in London. Parasram boasted this was the first time in 184 years that Harrods had co-branded with another company. And British High Commissioner Tim Stew, hailed this feat. Read more here
REGIONAL
SOE Heat On - Gun, Ammo Seized, Dozens Detained As Operation Picks Up; Cops Vow To Observe Rights
Dozens of persons have been detained and at least one gun and several rounds of ammunition found as the security forces crank up their operations under a 14-day state of emergency imposed in three western parishes on Tuesday to get a grip on crime. Speaking with The Gleaner late yesterday, Deputy Superintendent Dahlia Garrick, who heads the police’s Corporate Communications Unit, described the first 24 hours of the crime-fighting initiative as being reasonably successful. She said the police recovered one firearm and several rounds of ammunition in Little London, Westmoreland, and investigations are continuing into that seizure. There were unconfirmed reports last night of the seizure of nearly 1,800 rounds of ammunition in MoBay. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Barr ensures Congress can't stop Trump now
Donald Trump was right: He can get away with almost anything -- a factor that is likely to mean an even more unchained presidency over the next 18 months. All the reasons why Democratic efforts to check the President will likely fail were revealed in Attorney General William Barr's trial by fire on Capitol Hill on Wednesday and his refusal to submit to a second round before the fired-up House majority on Thursday. The drama also showed that in the short span of a White House term, given certain partisan conditions, the modern political system will find it almost impossible to constrain a President -- especially one who poses such an overwhelming challenge to congressional custom as Trump. Read more here
Venezuela crisis: Dozens injured in clashes in Caracas
2nd May 2019