Port-of-Spain – It has been one month since a state of emergency was declared in Trinidad and Tobago, and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar remains steadfast in her resolve to not back down in the fight against crime.
The state of emergency was initially declared for 15 days. However, the government convened Parliament to debate an extension. This was purely academic since the Constitution allows for an initial three month state of emergency. Also, the government commands 29 of the 41 seats in Parliament.
Speaking on September 13, Persad-Bissessar said: "As your Prime Minister, I give this assurance I will not abandon this fight. I will pursue this just cause to the end to ensure that our country and our people are safe in Trinidad and Tobago."
She added: "I want to tell you quite honestly, I intend to win this war. This is a fight not only between the government and the criminals, this is a fight between our citizens, our people and the criminals, our protective services… are working extremely hard," she told a news conference following a lengthy meeting of the National Security Council.
She urged the law-abiding members of the country to continue providing credible information to law enforcement officials.
"We are all in this together, we will win together; no criminal will be allowed to deny this country and its citizens their freedom."
At the start of the state of emergency, the murder rate stood at 261.
At first, the 9 pm to 4 am curfew applied to particular "hot spots". The cities of Port-of-Spain and San Fernando, the boroughs of Arima and Chaguanas, and the San Juan/Laventille and Diego Martin Regional Corporations.
Then on September 13, Persad-Bissessar announced 11 more crime hot spots: Carli Bay, Maloney, Moruga, Cedros, Claxton Bay, Toco, Dow Village in California, La Horquetta, Windy Hill in Arouca, McBean in Couva and Chase Village in Carapichaima.
"In addition to those areas on land, we will also have curfew imposed around the 362 kilometres of our Trinidad and Tobago coastline and that will extend outward, outland, three nautical miles," Persad-Bissessar said.
The Prime Minister said the state of emergency had allowed for law enforcement authorities to arrest people on outstanding warrants and other crimes.
She said also the decision of the Magistrates' Court to dismiss the charges against 21 detainees on September 12 was an assurance that the rule of law is still functioning.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard stated the detainees should be released due to a lack of evidence.
However, on September 13, four video clips displaying criminal activity along Nelson Street, Port-of-Spain, were shown as proof that the 21 men released were not as innocent as they seemed. The video clips were shown during a press conference held after a seven-hour-long meeting of the National Security Council.
The press conference was held at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, Port-of-Spain.
The Police Service provided the four video clips obtained from closed-circuit television cameras located along Nelson Street. The video clips showed a fatal shooting, a shoot-out, and motorists being robbed by armed men while stuck in traffic along Nelson Street.
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar described the footage as "disturbing images."
Sources close to the National Security Council said that "more gruesome footage" were withheld that showed "blood and gore".
The men had been charged under the controversial anti-gang legislation that allows for anyone to be held for a period of four months without bail once he or she is suspected of being a member of a criminal gang. The act came into force a few days before the state of emergency was announced on August 21.
"I would not want us to focus on the anti-gang legislation and what may have been the difficulty with the law coming in recently, and evidence being gathered prior to that," she said, indicating that one-eighth of those detained were held for gang related activities.
"Let us not lose focus, the fight that we have is a fight against criminals. It is not just only gangs and gang related offences. It has to do with homicides, it has to do with drug possession, it has to do with firearm possession and then all the other myriad offences…"
"Let us not lose sight of that whilst we pondered upon what happened yesterday or did not happen yesterday," she said in relation to the court cases, adding "some may see that as a strike, I do not see it as that. I see it clearly as the rule of law operating in our country.
"When I made my statement (in Parliament last week, I said) there are the checks and balances in the system when people were crying and wailing and gnashing teeth, saying this is only going to create injustice and abuse, and I said, no, you have the rule of law that will continue to operate under the state of emergency and people have their right and remedies and this is what happen in the courts yesterday.
"This is an example of the system which protects itself and preserves the rule of law," she added, indicating that she did not believe that there would be a significant number of detainees being released by the courts.
"There may be a slippage in that regard with one or two or three, but I think in the majority and, in the main, we will succeed in the task that is before us," she said.
She said that prior to the state of emergency there had been a "tremendous amount of slippage in terms of conviction rates in this country."
She said in many instances when cases "slip out of the courts," witnesses are afraid, some are killed, adding "there are many reasons why there is that slippage in terms of the conviction rate…"
Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs told reporters that 2,043 persons had been detained since the state of emergency, with 446 being held on gang-related activities. The police said they have also recovered 89 "sophisticated weapons of mass destruction" and an assortment of 12,000 rounds of ammunition.

Port-of-Spain - Prakash Ramadhar, political leader of the Congress of the People, on Saturday said the government is ready to handle any backlash that may result after the State of Emergency is lifted. He also declared a stern warning to criminals.
"Let me tell them, that this country, our people have started to retake our nation and if they intend to disrupt us, we will use every authority available to us to deal with that. This nation will not be bullied by anyone, no criminality, no treachery is something we are afraid to deal with... our protective and security forces have shown their commitment to Trinidad and Tobago and, rest assured, this government will give them every resource available to fight whatever challenges may come whether national or international," said Ramadhar.
Ramadhar defended the government's decision to impose a State of Emergency, calling it a bold, but necessary move.
He added that the government is prepared for a possible tidal wave of lawsuits by some who were wrongfully arrested and subsequently released.
"This government is prepared for any eventuality, acting under the rule of law which we must always obey, respect and strengthen. A State of Emergency is something that nobody really wants to have but as we have it, let us make the best use of it. Let us use this opportunity, all of us working together in this very severe moment of crisis to work together and co-operate and bring this nation back together to return to justice through law and order," said Ramadhar.
While Ramadhar had high praise for the police, he acknowledged the need to cleanse the police and protective services in light of complaints of police brutality.
"We have to strengthen our institutions because no society will exist without institutions. We need to trust every institution so that our citizens can feel comfortable to make complaints, when they see crimes occurring - that there would be no feedback to the criminals," he said.
He also reiterated the statements of Chief Justice Ivor Archie, who during his feature address at the opening of the new law term on Friday stated that the rights of citizens have not been suspended with the declaration of the State of Emergency.
Ramadhar was speaking at the site of a police post in La Pastora Village, Lopinot where he joined MP for Lopinot/Bon Air West Dr Lincoln Douglas and president of the Lopinot/La Pastora Village Council, Donna Mora.
In February, Lopinot came under the spotlight following a clash between residents and farmers in which several farmers were attacked by cutlass-wielding men during a land dispute.
The altercation and several other incidents hurt tourist arrivals to Lopinot, said resident and public relations officer of the Lopinot/La Pastora Village Council, Darius Christo. It also prompted residents to insist upon having a police post in the area.
Eight months and one police post later, Mora says residents are thrilled with the latest addition and added that Lopinot, which won first place for Best Heritage Site in the Prime Minister's Best Village Competition, has regained its reputation as a peaceful and tranquil community.
"Lopinot is really a peaceful and calm place for all intents and purposes and we had a few issues that were causing agitation and fear for the villagers, we don't expect the police post to be a permanent thing, but enough to bring about… calm and restore the beauty and calm that Lopinot has," said Douglas.

 

Port-of-Spain - The Indian Caribbean Museum plays a valuable role in educating the next generation says Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh, the Minister of the People and Social Development. He was addressing the fifth anniversary dinner celebration of the museum last Friday at Gaston Courts, Lange Park, Chaguanas.
"I commend your vision, as well as your dedication in preserving such a significant part of our nation's history. As our only specialised repository of information and artifacts pertaining to the East Indian experience, the Indian Caribbean Museum is one of our most important links to the past," Ramadharsingh said.
Ramadharsingh said the museum provided a powerful bridge to Trinidad and Tobago's history and had also acted as a foundation for collective memory and acts as a space that advocates for mutual understanding and cohesion.
"This ensures that all segments of our multi-ethnic nation can appreciate the struggles and contributions of our East Indian forefathers. At the same time, the museum offers cultural continuity especially given its prime location en route to our legendary Temple in the Sea," he said.
Ramadharsingh said cultural monuments had a role in transforming communities: "We have already seen how cultural monuments have been instrumental in transforming the area, given the Dattatreya Yoga Centre as well as the Temple in the Sea. Both are iconic in their own right and I am sure that the Indian Caribbean Museum will achieve that same status within the community." Ramadharsingh said his ministry was interested in working with the museum since it had the potential to create positive changes among citizens, especially young people.
"The museum provides more than just an understanding of history. It offers a sense of self, a basis for cultural identity and most important of all, a boundless source of inspiration for all of us," he said.
Meanwhile, Sat Maharaj, the secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, the body that oversees the museum, made a public appeal for a kattiya. This is a bed using ropes. He said the Indentured Indians slept on this rope bed, but the museum was hard-pressed to find one. Maharaj said he has also instructed the museum to plant a root of sugarcane. He said since the closure of Caroni (1975) Ltd. seven years ago, the sugarcane has been disappearing from the landscape and soon it may vanish completely.
He said by preserving the plant at the museum those who visit the venue would have an opportunity to see a pant that was so abundant and impacted on the development of Trinidad and Tobago.
Maharaj said when Devant Maharaj took the role as the Minister of Transport, his shoes as chairman were filled by Kristal Ramroopsingh, 23, who is the CEO of Radio Jagriti. Maharaj said one of the plans for the museum was to expand the facility to include a multimedia hall to show documentaries on the museum artifacts.

 

Port-of-Spain - Acting Comptroller Customs and Excise Division Anthony Chandler says the seizure of marijuana at the port of Pt Lisas with a street value of (TT) $30 million brought the total amount of marijuana intercepted to 1,876 kg. He also said investigations into the "owner" of the container were ongoing at a press conference Sunday at Customs House, Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain.
Among those present were Bernard Samad, Preventive Branch, Com Douglas Archer, Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, Inspector Kyron Wilson of the Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearm Bureau and Ashley Taylor Chief Executive Officer of the Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Company.
Chandler said: "For 2011, it brings it to 1,876 kg of marijuana that has been intercepted coming into our shores. Last year, we had 1,408 kg intercepted in about four shipments. We are working in tandem with the major sea ports to ensure borders are secure."
He confirmed the marijuana was found in a container with chicken parts. While news reports said a prominent businessman from central Trinidad was quizzed, Chandler added: "Investigations are ongoing. We are trying to identify the person or persons responsible for bringing illicit items into the country. We are also looking at smaller ports and marinas.
"This has been an ongoing exercise after discovering several containers coming in through Pt Lisas. We have a strategy where we identify certain containers at risk. Those containers were opened."
Quizzed on its origin, Chandler said: "It came from the US and went to Jamaica. The information is known. We are liaising with international partners. I can't say how close we are to making an arrest. We are pursuing it."
Taylor confirmed they were working closely with the various arms of law enforcement. A source said there was a "Jamaican link" and they are looking at the practice of "duplicate labels."

 

Port-of-Spain - A curfew party ended tragically early Monday morning, when Mahindra Maharaj fell to his death from the balcony of a luxury multi-million dollar condominium in Moka, Maraval.
Maharaj, 30, was liming with friends at the upscale, gated community known as The Hamlet, at St Andrew's Wind, St Andrew's Golf Course Road, Moka.
He had a swim in the plunge pool of the condominium, at about 1.30 am, and went to sit on the ledge of the balcony when he got out of the water. He slipped on the tiles and fell over the balcony, plummeting more than 150 feet to the ground.
Maharaj, the son of Bindra Maharaj who owns BK Hardware in Arima, was taken to the Port-of- Spain General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Maharaj was also the nephew of the former president of the Supermarkets Association, Balliram Maharaj.
An autopsy conducted at the hospital mortuary revealed Maharaj bled to death when his vena cava vein, which carries de-oxygenated blood from the lower half of the body into the right atrium of the heart, ruptured when his body hit the ground.
Bindra said his son had told him on Sunday that he was going to a meeting with officials from the YUMA Carnival band.
"I did not know where he went. I do not know about his whereabouts generally. I was shocked when I heard the news," Bindra said of his son, the first of his three children.
"All I was told was that he was at the apartment in Moka in a swimming pool and that he slipped on tiles and fell over several feet from off a balcony. I do not know how often he frequented there, or what. All he said he was going to a meeting about the Carnival band YUMA. I do not really know much about that either."
Bindra said his son lived with him at their own palatial home at Calvary Hill, Arima. The Maharaj family is well known in the eastern borough.
"I really do not know what he was doing at Moka at that hour. He was an adult so I never really knew about his whereabouts and can't say much but his death has hit me very hard," said Bindra.
Due to the state of emergency and the 11 pm to 4 am curfew that is in effect in several communities in Trinidad, including Maraval and Arima, Maharaj would have had to remain overnight Sunday at the condominium with his friends.
The average cost of a unit at The Hamlet is $6.5 million.
Maharaj's death is being investigated by Cpl John of the Maraval Police Station.