NEWS
Don’t Be Like Politicians
A weeping President Anthony Carmona yesterday advised his own flesh and blood, son Christian and daughter Anura not to be like politicians but rather, live a life of service to others like the one lived by his former Butler at President’s House, Choy Richardson. Carmona who is currently embroiled in national controversy surrounding several allegations including that of using state funding to purchase bottles of wine bearing the Presidential Seal, struggled at times to contain his emotion and tears at the funeral service held at Santa Rosa Roman Catholic Church in Arima. He, his wife Reema and their children were among the large gathering of mourners in the church who came together to honour a man who had served as Butler at President’s House for the past 39 years. Richardson, 56, died last week after suffering a heart attack. He entered President’s House at the time Sir Ellis Clarke (now deceased) was President and during his tenure, served five Presidents the last of whom was Carmona. As he addressed mourners, a weeping President Carmona looked to his own children seated nearby as he had one important message for them. Read more here
Back to square one
The glimmer of hope the family of Ria Sookdeo felt when investigators arrested a police constable and his sister for the woman’s abduction was dashed yesterday after the suspects were released. Sookdeo’s father, Frankie Rajkumar, said they felt some relief when police went to Rochard Road, Penal, on Sunday and arrested the suspects and impounded the black Nissan X-Trail SUV believed to be used in Sookdeo’s kidnapping. After learning of their release, Rajkumar said it felt like they were back to square one. On Sunday, officers from the Anti Kidnapping Squad went to the home of the suspended police officer around 8 am and found the SUV parked in the backyard. Both occupants of the house were questioned by the police and left with police officers. Read more here
‘Stop spreading panic’
“Armchair meteorologists” on social media have to stop spreading panic because Trinidad and Tobago is not under any tropical storm, tropical depression, tropical cyclone watch or warning. This is the caution from Shakeer Baig, chief meteorologist at the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (Met Office), and chief executive officer (CEO) at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), Dr Stephen Ramroop. According to Baig, the Met Office is monitoring a tropical wave with an associated area of low pressure which is now located near 1,800 kilometres east south east of the Windward Islands. The area of bad weather is located east of Trinidad and Tobago. Read more here
POLITICS
AG backs equal opportunity for judges
The days of he who pays the piper calls the tune are long over, the Ministry of the Attorney General declares in its written filings to the Supreme Court urging a panel of Justices of Appeal to effectively open the door to judges falling under the equal opportunity law. The Court of Appeal yesterday heard the landmark case over the scope of the law which has been making its way through the court system for the last two years. The Ministry of the Attorney General, in written submissions filed in the case in February, called on the Court of Appeal to preserve the judge’s ruling. “The days of he who pays the piper calls the tune are long over, and has no place in a public sector which is striving to be administered in accordance with the democratic principles to which other institutions and indeed the citizenry at large aspire,” said Senior Counsel Avory Sinanan. A panel comprising Justices of Appeal Nolan Bereaux, Judith Jones and Peter Rajkumar reserved judgment. Read more here
Carmona defers response
President Anthony Carmona has deferred his response to questions now in the public domain relating to issues at President’s House. His response will be given on Wednesday. Last week President’s House announced that Carmona would have responded to questions about alleged purchases of wine, jewelry, the Auditor General’s report and the meeting with the National Security minister by yesterday. Even as the country awaited his explanation the President turned his guns on the media in his Republic Day speech criticising those whom he called “armchair journalists” who he said attacked others without evidence. Read more here
Kamla: I did not walk out
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar was adamant yesterday that neither she, nor her MPs, had abandoned the debate on the Tax Information Exchange Agreement Bill last week, after she was kicked out of the Parliament for the first time and was followed out by Opposition members. Persad-Bissessar instead accused the Government of abandoning the bill by failing to uphold its commitment to appoint a Joint Select Committee to sit over the legislation, which the Opposition had refused to support on the grounds that it gave the Minister of Finance too much power over private assets. Read more here
BUSINESS
UTC’s Schools’ Investment Game is on
The Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) yesterday launched its 26th edition of its Schools’ Investment Game through a road show to various schools throughout Trinidad. The games will take place over an eight-week period and students will receive $100,000 worth of virtual money to invest in the TTSE , NYSE and NASDAQ. A maximum of five teams is allowed from each school participating. According to Shamine Chainani, Communications Officer for the UTC, “Each team must consist of a maximum of five students and a minimum of three. Each team must consist of one teacher. Registration commenced yesterday and will continue until Friday. The game runs from October 3 to November 25th. “Teams must invest in all nine UTC investment instruments initially in any proportion. Read more here
Clico/CLF shareholders: Deal likely on land for Sandals
As Clico and CL Financial shareholders await budget statements on the future of the company’s assets, they’ve shelved initial scepticism and agreed in principle to Government’s proposed Sandals hotel development on their Golden Grove estate in Tobago. Carlton Reis, representative of Dalco, the largest CLF shareholder, confirmed this after shareholders of both entities met Finance Minister Colm Imbert recently. Reis, who said he also represents CLF majority shareholder Lawrence Duprey, said shareholders, including United Shareholders Limited (USL), have agreed on the hotel idea after receiving assurances about the return of several CLF companies. He said the group will shelve previous concerns about the Tobago project on their estate and work with Government. Read more here
Malaysian casino told to comply with anti-money laundering law
The High Court has ordered a Malaysian firm which operates four casinos in Trinidad to put systems in place to identify and prevent instances of money laundering and terrorism-financing. Varona Limited, whose parent company is based in Kuala Lumpur, runs Club de Vegas on Frederick Street, Port of Spain; Winners Club in Newtown; and the Jackpot clubs in Chaguanas and Curepe. Read more here
REGIONAL
Clinics Under Gun - MoBay Violence Putting Pressure On Public Health Facilities But Cornwall Regional Coping
The rampant, violent criminality in Montego Bay, St James, is squeezing the lifeblood out of the public health system in the parish, but the main facility in western Jamaica, the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), is coping. Last week, medical personnel in sections of Montego Bay told The Gleaner that the pressure is getting to them, with some facing threats from criminals demanding special treatment. One doctor told The Gleaner that he was prepared to walk away from the public-health sector if he is not transferred from western Jamaica shortly. This has prompted Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton to plan a visit to the region. Tufton, who is now in Washington, DC, on an official visit, told a Gleaner special investigative team, now based in Montego Bay, that he has received the reports and will tour at least three clinics in the volatile communities on Thursday. Read more here
Brazil sees St Lucia as a port of entry for OECS business
Brazil would like to see the small islands of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) region do more business with it – and the giant Latin American neighbour to the south is ready to open its doors and markets to its tiny northern businesses. The Brazilian embassy in Saint Lucia is bringing a 20- to 30-member high-powered business mission to Saint Lucia next month but, while it is aimed at businesses in the OECS capital, there are also plans for the mission to arrange for its members, accompanied by Brazilian parliamentarians, to visit other OECS territories in the near future. Brazil’s ambassador to Saint Lucia, Sergio Couri, said the November 11-17 business mission’s objective is two-fold: to talk and do business in Saint Lucia and open the gates to do likewise with all the other OECS member states. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
6 takeaways from the first presidential debate
Hillary Clinton stepped onto the debate stage Monday night determined to show that only one candidate is ready to be president. Clinton poked, prodded and quoted Trump's own words, goading the famously thin-skinned Republican nominee. Trump took the bait, repeatedly interrupting angrily or dismissively throughout the night. He couldn't resist attacks, even when it was obvious they would backfire -- such as his criticism of Clinton for dropping off the campaign trail ahead of the debate to prepare. "Yes, I did. And you know what else I prepared for?" Clinton shot back. "I prepared to be president." Read more here
Mali Islamist jailed for nine years for Timbuktu shrine attacks
27th September 2016