Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Kazim Hosein last evening slammed former minister in the People’s Partnership government and current activist Devant Maharaj of attempting to embroil him in a possible scandal over the award of Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme Cepep contracts.

Hosein made the comment in response to calls by Maharaj for the acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams to launch a probe into a voice recording purported to be a telephone conversation between a Government minister and Member of Parliament (MP) discussing the award of Cepep contracts.

The 24-second recording was posted on social media yesterday and was attached to photographs of the two Government officials.

In the recording, a male voice is heard saying, “Them Cepep contractors in the pool, you want any of them again?”

A female voice is heard answering no, while the male warns “Dr ..... tell me to talk to all yuh directly…don’t send no email and no text….whatever email you have delete eh.”

In his letter to CoP Williams, Maharaj said if the contents of the recording is true, it suggests “a collusion and conspiracy to award contracts to individuals in circumstances where you are making a specific request to delete email documentation.”

He said such inference of deleting emails suggested that the people speaking wish to conceal the method of distributing these contracts.

“I call upon the minister and MP involved to confirm or deny that these are their voices and to clarify the manner in which Cepep contracts are being currently determined,” Maharaj said.

But in a written response to the social media clip yesterday evening, Hosein, the line minister for Cepep, said he received the Whatsapp clip bearing the photographs of high-ranking Government officials.

“It is my understanding that this clip originated from Devant Maharaj - an individual who has fallen out of favour with his colleagues and is grasping at any way back in. I see it as an attempt to make allegations against me and draw me into a scandal,” Hosein wrote.

In defence, Hosein said he speaks with all Members of Parliament, as well as Opposition on many matters, including Cepep “and I direct them to contact the board of the company. I remain dedicated to serving my country in this office and I will not let untrue narratives prevent me from fulfilling this mandate.”

The recording made its rounds on social media one day after the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government published a notice for the pre-qualification and registration of new Cepep contractors. In the ad, applicants who applied for Cepep contracts in 2017 or 2018 were advised not to re-apply.

Documents acquired by the T&T Guardian yesterday also showed what appeared to be a letter dated January 27, 2016, sent by another Government Minister and MP to the secretary of Cepep’s Tenders’ Committee titled “Priority List for Cepep Contract Amended.”

The letter listed nine contractors and read: “The following are the names of contractors who are well-known to me and they all operate in the constituency and have a record of performance in keeping with the highest level of reliability, cost efficiency and quality of work done.”

The letter came from the MP’s constituency office with a signature attached.

Contacted on the issue yesterday, Cepep chairman Ashton Ford said he was unaware of the audio, which the T&T Guardian forwarded to him via Whatsapp. Told of its contents, Ford said he could not comment as he was “new on the job”.

Asked if he would launch an investigation into the recording, Ford replied, “He (Hosein) is the minister. He will be responsible for that, not me.”

Ford said he could also not answer any question just yet as he had a board to report to, adding he could not conduct Cepep’s business through the media.

Questioned about the transparency of the award of Cepep contracts, Ford replied, “We will see.”

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi and Communications Minister Stuart Young also failed to respond to Whatsapp messages sent by Guardian Media Ltd yesterday about the audio.

Several calls to the cellphones of the Government officials purported to have been involved in the alleged conversation had also gone unanswered yesterday before Hosein issued the statement.

But Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, who served as line minister for Cepep for five years, said the practice of ministers and MPs submitting names of contractors was not new. He said during the People’s

Partnership administration and “over the years” MPs and government ministers had put forward recommendations to assist companies in their constituencies. However, he said no one made demands and all contractors were subject to the same evaluation process and had to meet all the necessary requirements before being selected for a contract.

The Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) has received $1.8 million from the State for its 2018 celebrations.

This figure is $200,000 less compared to what the ESC was given by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Arts in 2017.

Confirmation came yesterday from chairman of the ESC Khafra Kambon who said they received funding a few days ago from the ministry. He said the organisation was thankful and appreciative of what was offered to them which would go a long way.

“The figure is $1.8 million. It’s a reduction from what we received in the past. It (allocation) has been going down every year. Last year we collected $2 million.”

Asked if the sum was sufficient for the annual celebrations, Kambon opted not to comment.

“What worries me about that, is that it loses sight of what is happening. It always says that Kambon complaining about money and begging for money. That is how the headlines in the newspapers go all the time.

I don’t want to deal with the financial question. We will deal with the money question in time, in an organised systematic way.”

Pressed if they were facing any challenges with planning the celebrations, Kambon said erecting the village which consists of booths was very costly.

“It’s a hard environment where that is concerned. We will always use our will to overcome it. We are fighting the challenges. If you go to the Emancipation Village you would wonder how we even construct that.”

Kambon said this year’s celebrations will kick off on Saturday at 10 am with the opening of the Emancipation Village at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain.

The village will showcase concerts, African drumology, calypso, dance, theatre, drama, storytelling and steelpan, as well as local foods, a business symposium and creative learning workshops for the young participants until August 1.

Among those who will tour the village will be deputy chairman of the African Union Commission Kwesi Quartey, while a small delegation from Nigeria will also be present.

On August 1, Kambon said there would be a street parade starting at 8 am in front of the Treasury Building, downtown Port-of-Spain, which will end at the Queen’s Park Savannah where there will be a packed programme of cultural activities and speeches for guests and local and foreign dignitaries in attendance.

Kambon said an invitation has been extended to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to take part in the emancipation parade.

“Yes, we have extended an invitation to the Prime Minister. I don’t know what his schedule will be this year. Since Dr Rowley assumed office in 2015, he has attended our function every year. Every year at the parade, you see the Prime Minister and his ministers. This has become customary. We don’t expect this year to be any different,” Kambon said.

The informer who supplied former People’s Partnership minister Devant Maharaj with a voice recording which allegedly features a conversation between Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Kazim Hosein and colleague La Brea MP Nicole Ollivierre, over the award of Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (Cepep) contracts, has gone into hiding after allegedly being threatened for leaking the clip.

On Tuesday, Maharaj forwarded a copy of the voice recording to the media attached with photographs of the two high-ranking Government officials, which later surfaced on social media. Maharaj also called on acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams to launch an investigation into the recording.

In the recording, a male voice is heard saying, “Them Cepep contractors in the pool, you want any of them again?”

A female voice is heard answering no, while the male warns, “Dr …tell me to talk to all yuh directly…don’t send no emails and no text. Whatever email you have delete eh.”

Maharaj said if the contents of the recording are true it suggests a collusion and conspiracy to award contracts to individuals in circumstances where there was also an attempt to delete documentation surrounding those awards.

In response, however, Hosein slammed Maharaj for attempting to embroil him in a possible scandal over the award of Cepep contracts.

In his defence, Hosein said he speaks with all MPs, as well as Opposition, on many matters, including Cepep and he directs them to contact the board of the company.

“I remain dedicated to serving my country in this office and I will not let untrue narratives prevent me from fulfilling this mandate,” Hosein added in a statement on the matter on Tuesday.

United National Congress MP Roodal Moonilal also confirmed that MPs recommending people in their constituencies for Cepep contracts was nothing new and that this was also the practice under the People’s partnership government and over the years.

Yesterday, Maharaj said shortly after the recording surfaced on social media the informer was threatened.

“He (informer) called me and say somebody big in the PNM threatened him. He refused to say who because they gave him strict instructions not to share any information with me. The man is scared for his life.

He is very concerned. He has gone into hiding.”

The informer, Maharaj said, is a former government employee.

Adding the informer has little confidence in the police, Maharaj said while Hosein sent out a release on the issue on Tuesday, he was yet to answer the direct questions about whether the voices in the alleged recording were those of his and Ollivierre’s.

“I just hope this matter is put to rest. Come out and say if the voice recording is yours or not,” he said.

When the T&T Guardian attempted to contact Hosein yesterday for a response to the latest allegation surrounding the issue, calls to his phone went unanswered. However, in response to text messages he replied: “I gave my simple response yesterday. Thank you.”

Meanwhile, Communication Minister Stuart Young yesterday defended his colleagues.

Saying he’d noted that even UNC MP Roodal Moonilal had said consultation between Parliamentarians on potential Cepep contractors was nothing unusual, Young said “And I understand this to be so also. I don’t think there’s anything untoward with the Minister having a conversation with an MP on this.”

Young, however, couldn’t verify if it was Hosein on the video Maharaj had queried. But Young was quick to point out that very shortly, the public will be hearing some “stuff” on UNC activist Maharaj which he’ll need to hunker down and deal with himself.

New TTT launch Aug 31

Communication Minister Stuart Young says the new Trinidad and Tobago Television Ltd (TTT) will be launched on August 30 with new programming.

He noted the previous TTT was launched live on August 31, 1962— Independence Day.

Changes are currently being made at the station’s Maraval Road location where its current incarnation—CNMG—is housed. The CNMG sign is being taken down in preparation for the change.

Young said changes are being made to the broadcast content of what will soon be the new TTT. After meeting with CNMG’s board and management yesterday, he said apart from a new logo, he wanted new programming and had some “interesting ideas for the news” going forward.

He also said he’d made presentations to Cabinet last week on the issue of fast ferries from Australia and Cabinet would take some decisions “very shortly” and announcements would be made on the future of fast ferries.

Young made the announcements after yesterday’s official swearing-in of the Port-of-Spain Spain Corporation’s Belmont East councillor Nicole Young.

Young warned his namesake that she had “some shoes” to fill following late Belmont East Councillor Darryl Rajpaul, but he said he was sure she’d do so in her own unique way.

The Ministry of Finance and Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) came under fire yesterday for allowing billions of dollars in tax revenue to be loss annually through non-filers without raising a finger.

The issue was raised by Ramnarine Ramdass, a chartered accountant and a former BIR employee who worked up to the level of assistant commissioner, during a T&T Revenue Authority (TTRA) stakeholders meeting with accountants and tax professionals at Government Plaza, Port-of-Spain.

The meeting was held in collaboration with the Finance Ministry and Institute of Chartered Accounts of T&T.

Delivering a presentation under the theme—A Practice in Good Governance, Dr Andre Vincent Henry, TTRA’s programme director for implementation revealed that an assessment done by Prof Karl Theodore last year gave a conservative estimate of between $11 to 16 billion in “tax revenue being loss every year” through non-filers under the current system.

Henry said a mechanism was needed to ring fence “to catch those who are engaged in bad practices as early as possible.”

He said looking out, people at BIR have been saying they were making track for agouti “the dishonest business community” to run.

With the facilitation of business and trade to allow the country to prosper, Henry said it “is seen as making an opportunity for unscrupulous business people to take advantage of the country.”

During a question and answer segment, Ramdass queried what has been preventing the BIR and the Finance Ministry from collecting those billion of dollars being loss yearly.

“We have all the laws, positions and know-how in place. Why aren’t we holding people accountable for the work they are supposed to be doing?”

Ramdass came to the conclusion that there was a tremendous amount of inaction on the part of the powers that be while staff was not being trained, stating that we are heading down a slippery slope.

“We always had an internal audit section and they are supposed to be looking after corruption. What is happening? Don’t they have somebody they report to? Don’t they have minister in charge of them?”

He said if we continue along this path, the country’s revenues will soon be dried up.

In defence, Minister in the Ministry of Finance Allyson West said the difficulty in the system was lack of accountability.

“The significant staff storage. While I recognise the need for the exclusion of the powers from these specific attempts, there is clearly a need to ensure that there is communication and action in respect to tax policies,” West said.

She said the decision as to what units the BIR are to be staffed with was solely their discretion.

“So the internal audit unit now has two people. What can two people do in the context on what we have to do?”

Decisions that are made, she said impacts on the collection of revenue.

“So that the system has to change. We need to set firewalls…but the firewalls cannot be used to debar the communication and enforcement of policy decisions.”

It was revealed that between 2008 and 2018 taxpayers have injected $400 billion in revenues into Government’s coffers.

West said the explosion of the narcotics and firearms trade, menace of terrorism, tax avoidance and the internationalisation of criminal activities have fuelled the complexities of tax administration.

She said T&T must ensure we have a tax administration that can be efficient in tax collection and duties.

Stating there was a need for fairness and equity in the tax system, West admitted that the tax burden currently falls on the shoulders of a few.

While employees have no choice but to pay taxes and some members of the business community have been compliant, West said “and what we see, is that, the people who are in the system and complying are the ones against whom all the tax collection action tend to be taken, while we leave the defaulting many out of the system all together. That is inequitable and it is demoralising. It makes paying taxes a psychological and financial burden and that has to change.”

West said the Government intends to build the TTRA with strong work rules and policies which will be buttressed by transparent and firm processes to deal with misconduct.

She appealed to the stakeholders to give vocal support for the enactment of laws to facilitate the implementation of the authority in a bid to stamp out corrupt practices by those who facilitate, encourage and instigate wrong doing.

“Because we all know tax administrators could not be corrupt unless taxpayers are encouraging them in being that way.”

The informant who recently released the voice recording which allegedly features a conversation between Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Kazim Hosein and colleague La Brea MP Nicole Olivierre over the award of Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (Cepep) contracts intends to go to the police on Monday.

The 31-year-old man, a former San Fernando City Corporation worker, said yesterday he decided to break his silence after months of being exploited, abused, blacklisted and unearthing wrongdoing within the People’s National Movement party.

Yesterday, the man, who the T&T Guardian met at a location under the watchful eyes of bodyguards and begged that his identity not be revealed, said he was now fearful for his life and intended to go to an attorney on Monday to draft up a statutory declaration which he would take to the police to safeguard himself.

The bodyguards were paid for by United National Congress activist Devant Maharaj, who exposed the voice recording on social media on Tuesday.

“I know they will go all out to silence me but I have already warned them that someone has a backup file of all my information which they would take to the police if I am found dead somewhere. So even if they try to get rid of me they can’t get rid of my evidence,” the informant said during an exclusive interview.

Having served as a checker at the corporation for several months, the man said he was transferred to Ministry of Rural Development and Rural Development last year where he held down the job of five people for a $5,000 salary. He claimed he was then offered a job at a PNM regional office with the promise of being paid a stipend, which he never got. He alleged that at this office there were a lot of wrongdoings.

“I started to complain of the exploitation. If I took a day off I would get cuss out. It was a lot to take as I was ill-treated and embarrassed at public events. One morning, I got a text and was told not to come to work. I was home for a month but I got paid,” he said.

The man returned to his job but after working he claimed his salary was frozen and he was later shifted back to the corporation.

In a text message with a minister, which he showed to the T&T Guardian, the informant said he threatened to raise his issue and other matters that were wrong at a Conversation with the Prime Minister meeting in Point Fortin.

“That is what triggered all of this. As I came out of my home two hours after that text message was sent, two men brandishing guns approached and warn me to keep my mouth shut,” he claimed, adding the following day a senior superintendent also intimidated him.

Fearing for his life, the informant said he backed down.

So exactly how did he come to obtain the voice recording which surfaced online which allegedly features high-ranking government officials discussing the award of Cepep contracts?

The informant said last October he called Kazim, who has a habit of putting his cell phone on loudspeaker during conversations.

“When Kazim reached Balisier House he told me he had to go but I did not hang up my phone and neither did he. As he got out of his vehicle he was approached by Olivierre and that’s how my phone recorded the conversation with the two of them,” he said.

The informant insisted he did not tape the voice recording to blackmail or bribe Hosein.

In the recording, a male voice is heard saying, “Them Cepep contractors in the pool, you want any of them again?”

A female voice is heard answering no, while the male warns. “Dr ...... tell me to talk to all yuh directly…don’t send no emails and no text. Whatever email you have delete eh.”

In February, the informant said he was terminated by the corporation due lack of funds, which he knew was not true.

“They realised that I knew too much and wanted to get rid of me.”

He, however, showed the T&T Guardian a text message sent to him by one Government minister who told him that he was now blacklisted and would not get a job anywhere.

“That is what triggered me to expose the recording, because I felt victimised, exploited and abused and everyone in the PNM I went to for help, they turned their backs on me. I rally and worked with this party and this is not what they stand for….this is not the PNM I know.”

Since the recording surfaced on social media, the informant said yesterday he was offered his old job back at the corporation, which he has accepted because he has mounting bills to pay and needed to survive since he had been eating bread and water for the past six months to survive.

“I know this job offer is a bribe to keep me quiet…to hush my mouth. I am not going to back down even though I am living in constant fear,” he said, adding he will pick up duty on Monday.

Minister Hosein has denied any wrongdoing but admitted that he discusses Cepep contracts with not only Government officials but Opposition officials as well — a practice which has been going on for years. However, he said the award of contracts is not up to him but the Cepep management.

Pregnant Naomi Marquis and her husband Damian have been living in their car for the past six weeks after falling on hard times.

The couple was discovered living out of their Kia car at Balgobin Trace, Tunapuna, on Tuesday by WPC Crystal Jumadeen, a Cunupia community officer, prompting her to jump into action to assist.

Jumadeen and her colleague PC Vikash Harrinanan went to great lengths to find a rent-free apartment in Chaguanas which the couple will be soon moving into.

Naomi, who is five months pregnant with her second child, broke down in tears several times on Friday, as she related how their lives changed after becoming jobless.

Up to last year, the couple had lived comfortably with their three sons, ages 16, 13 and six, at a Cunupia apartment.

The two eldest boys are Damian’s children from a previous relationship.

Days after finding out she was pregnant Naomi’s life came crashing down after she was retrenched as a casino worker.

Not long after, Damian, 34, who worked as a security guard and bartender at an establishment, was laid off.

After losing their jobs the couple gave up their apartment and moved in with relatives in Freeport.

“The little savings we had in our accounts began to dwindle. We also had to sell one of our two cars valued at $18,000 for $4,000 when desperation set in. All this time we kept sending out resumes but got no response. Also, Damian was using his car to run PH but it could not settle our bills, buy food and pay our monthly car instalment,” Naomi told the T&T Guardian.

With little money coming in and five mouths to feed, Naomi said tension began to build and they had to flee the relative’s home.

Naomi, 29, and her son then moved into the home of another family member while Damian stayed at a friend’s house.

The mother of the two boys welcomed them into her home.

“We were no longer a family. Everyone went their separate ways which tore us to pieces. From a happy family, our lives were shattered in a matter of weeks,” Naomi said, as tears welled in her eyes.

Naomi then again found herself in the same situation.

“The pressures started to build at the relative’s home and I had no choice but to leave. I was fed up of complaints. I had become a burden to them. That’s when I decided to move into the car with my son and husband. It was a tough decision but I felt this was the best choice for us to be together. We packed our worldly belongings in the trunk and decided to fight up on our own.”

On the first night, they parked the car in front of Scotiabank in Cunupia.

“We decided to sleep there because the bank has a security camera outside just in case bandits attacked us it would be recorded. That night our son cried because inside the car was too hot as the air condition was not working. We had to drive around with the windows down to get some breeze. It was a restless and a scary night for all of us,” she recalled.

Damian said he approached the mother of his two sons who offered to keep their son while they continued to live in the car.

“We used to sleep in the car park at Price Plaza where it was safe. Naomi would sleep on the back seat while I would throw an eye out. It has not been easy for us, especially for Naomi, who is carrying our baby.

It has been stressful. Many nights she cried in the car just thinking of the happy and enjoyable life we shared months before.”

The couple spent their days hanging out at malls. Damian said he never expected their lives to turn upside down.

“I feel so helpless and hopeless. It’s as if all the odds are stacked against us. It’s not that we have not tried to get jobs… just the responses have been far and few between. Those who have responded want to exploit you for small money,” the father of three said.

Recently, one of Naomi’s friends who heard about their plight came to her rescue by allowing them to stay at her father’s congested home in Tunapuna during the day, where they can wash their clothes, shower and have a meal.

“We no longer go to Price Plaza to sleep. We have been parking the car in the yard of this home to sleep,” Damian said.

Having spent the last six months running from pillar to post, a relative has since offered the couple a piece of land in Freeport where Habitat for Humanity will provide $24,000 in building materials so they can erect a home.

Jumadeen said after she met the couple she went to Habitat for Humanity seeking help for them. She said having since screened them their application for help was being processed, which may take from a few weeks to a few months.

“I started looking around for a place for the family to live in. Luckily, someone offered them free lodging at an apartment in Chaguanas until their home is constructed. My heart sunk when I heard about Naomi’s struggles and suffering. I was brought close to tears after hearing what she has been going through as a pregnant woman. I felt compelled to assist,” Jumadeen told the T&T Guardian.

Jumadeen has also dipped into her pocket to buy foodstuff for the family so they would have something to eat when they move into their apartment shortly.

“I am also trying to get Damian a job so they can get back on their feet,” Jumadeen said.

Naomi admitted she always saw the police as being rogue elements, abusive and corrupt but Jumadeen has changed her perception.

“Officer Jumadeen has showed me that among the bad apples there are good and caring officers in the service. I can’t stop thanking her for all that she has done. She is one in a million,” Naomi said.

Gary Griffith’s strong stance against wrongdoing and dealing with the controversial Life Sport programme were just two of the reasons why Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley fully endorsed him yesterday as this country’s new Commissioner of Police (CoP).

Rowley made the disclosure while debating a motion to approve the notification of the nomination of Griffith as CoP in Parliament.

In wrapping up the debate, Rowley instructed the Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis to lift the whip on all PNM MPs, allowing them to vote for or against Griffith.

When the votes were taken, the PNM MPs all voted in favour of Griffith while the Opposition’s 13 MPs abstained.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar was absent from the House, which Rowley said did not see as “an important one.”

However, Barataria/San Juan MP Dr Fuad Khan seemed reluctant when called upon to vote. He was asked by the Parliament’s clerk the question three times before he gave an answer.

Questioned by reporters why he seemed so uncomfortable with his vote, Khan replied: “Go figure it out.” Khan had openly stated last week that the next CoP did not have to be a police officer.

Rowley also responded to Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal who stated that if Griffith was selected by the House and appointed by the Police Service Commission he was likely to be a witness against former attorney general Anand Ramlogan who had been charged with witness tampering.

In 2015, Griffith was removed as national security minister by Persad-Bissessar over allegations that Ramlogan had sought to pervert the course of justice by asking the Director of the Police Complaints Authority to withdraw a statement he had made in support of the then Opposition Leader Rowley in a lawsuit.

Rowley said Griffith’s testimony in this matter was already on record.

“The matter which generated that…it was the attorney general of the UNC who sued the Opposition Leader seeking to restrain his public speech…and Madame Speaker, when the Leader of Opposition sought to defend his right to speak and defend the public interest, the then attorney general discovered that there was witness testimony that would have made his lawsuit a difficult one to prosecute,” Rowley said.

“Subsequent to that, he has since discontinued the case against the Opposition Leader because I am no longer to be restrained by him,” Rowley said.

Rowley said when the Emailgate issue surfaced in 2013, Griffith was the only one “to have turned in his device and asked that open access be given to his email account.”

Back then, Rowley had read a thread of 31 email messages in Parliament purporting to be a conversation between four people, whose email accounts were similar to those of Persad-Bissessar, Ramlogan, Griffith and Suruj Rambachan.

Following a probe into the matter, the police last year revealed that nothing of substance was found to file any criminal charges.

Rowley said while Moonilal had the temerity to ask him what made him change his mind to support Griffith, the PM said: “Let me give you a good reason.”

Rowley said under the last government, they opened a programme called Life Sport.

“It was supposed to be either $6 or $8 million worth. It eventually turned out to be a $400 million criminal empire that was being funded by the State. It led to murder and mayhem. It led to a level of criminality in the East-West corridor never seen before in the history of T&T.”

At that time, Rowley said Griffith was a member of the then People’s Partnership Cabinet.

“And he was in the forefront of alerting the public and standing on what he believed in against a Cabinet that was prepared to defend Anil Roberts and Life Sport in T&T.”

Rowley said the stance Griffith took was the reason why he supported him, stating that he was made of a different mettle.

“That is a good reason for me to change my mind because he stood up for the people of T&T against a Cabinet that was prepared to bury and hide Life Sport. And most importantly, a man who stood up to his colleagues who would ask him to do wrong and do right by the people of T&T.”

He said our country had not yet overcome the effects of Life Sport.

“Up to this day. Worst Madame Speaker…from the Opposition, I observed him (Griffith) becoming a pariah in the Government because he was prepared to speak truth to power.”

He said Persad-Bissessar fired Griffith in 2015 for speaking the truth in the same matter involving the former AG.

“He was prepared to be fired in a job that they love but he spoke the truth to the country and if there is a legal matter going on today his testimony is there and he will be crossed-examined in the court.”

The PM said all those who feel the Government had broken the law with Griffith’s nomination “the road to the courthouse is clear. The doors of the court are opened.”

Rowley said many people believed that anyone who served in the political arena should not be considered a CoP.

“We don’t share that view.”

National Security Minister Edmund Dillon congratulated Griffith. “We have a lot of work to do,” was Dillon’s curt response when asked about Griffith’s being approved as CoP.

Tears of joy filled the eyes of Naomi Marquis, who is five months pregnant, and her husband Damian yesterday after they began receiving an outpouring of help from members of the public and officers of the T&T Police Service (TTPS).

The help came in the form of job opportunities, financial assistance and baby items hours after Guardian Media highlighted the couple’s plight of living in their Kia car for the past six weeks after losing their jobs in February and falling on hard times.

The couple has three boys ages 16, 13 and six. The elder boys are Damian’s children from a previous relationship, while the six-year-old is the couple’s first child.

All three boys had to be separated from the Marquis’ when they decided to live out of their car.

WPC Crystal Jumadeen, a Caroni-based community officer, who stumbled upon the couple as they slept in their car, sprung into action and found a rent-free apartment in Chaguanas which the Marquis’ moved into yesterday.

Having submitted an application to Habitat for Humanity, the couple is awaiting approval of $24,000 in building materials from the organisation to construct their own home in Freeport. The approval can take a few weeks to a few months.

Damian, 34, admitted that after six months of constant struggle and helplessness they were finally able to smile, as he thanked Guardian Media for reaching out to them in their time of need.

But that was not all the good news that came their way yesterday.

Naomi, 29, found out yesterday that she is having a baby girl whom she wants to name, Crystal, after the officer who rescued them.

“We got amazing news this morning. I did an ultrasound and found out I am having a baby girl whom I am considering naming Crystal because if it wasn’t for her all this relief would not have been possible. Also, my former employer offered me my old job back. This is the first time we have smiled in months. It was tears of joy and renewed hope for us this morning…not one of helplessness, sadness and despair,” Naomi said. She previously worked at a casino.

“Hopefully, tonight we will be sleeping on a bed and not in the car,” Damian said. He too was also offered several jobs.

Among the companies that offered a helping hand were Massy Stores, Blue Waters and SM Jaleel and Company, while several security firms including Sentanta Security Services Ltd promised him employment.

Workers from several organisations have also offered free labour to construct their new home.

“Things are looking up for us,” a smiling Damian said.

He was unable to say when his sons, who moved in with a relative, would be reunited with them.

“I have to settle in and make sure everything is in order before our boys join us. I can’t wait to be a family again. We still need a stove, few appliances and foodstuff until we bounce back on our feet,” Damian said.

Naomi credited Jumadeen, who was praised on social media by the public for her good deed, for giving her hope and a place to sleep.

Many felt the TTPS needed more officers like Jumadeen for her intervention.

ASP Wayne Mystar, who is in charge of the community police in Central Division, said he would ensure that Jumadeen, who is on two years’ probation, is confirmed into the TTPS.

“Within that two-year period, she has to be evaluated. WPC Jumadeen will be confirmed in November at the end of her probationary period. Being a probationer it is highly commendable for a person who just passed out from the barracks to be using that kind of initiative,” Mystar said.

Mystar described Jumadeen’s attitude to her job as always positive, passionate and people-oriented.

“Hence the reason she was assigned to do community policing,” Mystar said.

He also asked Jumadeen to submit a report on the Marquis’ case to her superiors in order to be awarded and commended by the TTPS.

Jumadeen said several of her colleagues have also given a commitment to help the couple financially.

These include Cpl Bhaal and Ramjitsingh.

Anyone willing to assist the Marquis’ can reach them at 356-2466.

The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services has extended a helping hand to Naomi Marquis, who is five months pregnant and her husband Damian, who were forced to live in their car for six weeks after falling on hard times.

In a release issued yesterday, the ministry advised that contact was made to the Marquis family with a view of “providing psycho- social and other support services as deemed necessary.”

The Marquis’ plight was highlighted on Monday in the T&T Guardian, which resulted in an outpouring of support from the public and even police officers.

The couple, whose life began to go downhill after they lost their jobs in February, was stumbled upon by WPC Crystal Jumadeen, a Caroni-based community officer who sprung into action and located a rent-free apartment in Chaguanas owned by Wendy Brewster.

In the middle of cleaning the apartment and preparing to move in, Damian said they were visited by an official of the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services yesterday who offered them a $550 food card for one month.

“The ministry also offered to pay for an apartment, valued $2,500 a month, for the next six months,” Damian said. “We were not expecting the ministry to render assistance after so many people pitched in to help. This came as a shock to us,” he said.

Damian said when they looked at their options, they felt the ministry’s offer was a better choice, as they would have to give up the Chaguanas apartment by October 15, according to an agreement they had signed.

Having submitted an application to Habitat for Humanity, the couple is awaiting approval of $24,000 in building material from the organisation to construct their own home in Freeport.

The application can take a few weeks to a few months, Jumadeen said.

“If our application is not processed by October 15, we would have to vacate the Chaguanas apartment and move again which I want to avoid because by then Naomi would be eight months’ pregnant. So I decided to go with the six months offer instead. I want to thank Ms Brewster for opening up her doors to us.”

Jumadeen agreed with Damian’s move, stating it was the better option.

Yesterday, Naomi said they located two apartments at Cunupia and Chaguanas that looked promising.

“We just need to get a letter from the landlord stating that they will offer their place to us which we will take into the ministry for approval. This should take a few days.”

In the meantime, the couple said they will stay at a friend’s home until things are finalised.

Naomi said Damian was supposed to call Massy Stores yesterday to get more details about the job that was offered to him.

“A lot of the jobs offered to Damian were based in the deep south. He has expressed interest in working at Massy Stores. By tomorrow we would have more details.”

On Monday, Naomi had to be treated at the St Helena Health Centre after a breakout of eczema.

“I am on some medication.

Once the eczema clears up, I will call back my former employer about my casino job.”

Up to yesterday, the couple said help was still pouring in.

“We can’t stop thanking people for their generosity and kind hardheartedness,” Naomi said.

Government is expected to seal the deal on the contract with Gary Griffith before acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams goes on his pre-retirement leave on August 8.

This was the information from a source close to the Government yesterday, as they pointed out Griffith may pick up duties as CoP sooner than the country thinks.

Asked how soon Griffith would assume the CoP duties, the source explained that the process of appointment begins with the Parliament writing to the President Paula-Mae Weekes to inform her that notification for the nomination of a CoP had been completed and approved on Monday.

“The PSC now awaits the contracting aspect. The contracting aspect is between the designate and the Ministry of National Security. Those terms and conditions are settled and then Cabinet confirms the terms and conditions of contract via Cabinet approval. Once that is completed it is sent forward for the PSC to perfect the process of the appointment,” the Government source explained.

The terms of the condition would involve the length of the contract, remuneration and other perks that would be worked out. Griffith’s contract could fall into the $60,000 a month region because he was recruited from outside the Police Service.

As far as monetary compensation is concerned, the Salaries Review Commission recommends a monthly salary of $31,080 but that holds for those appointed from within the T&T Police Service.

It will also be decided if Griffith and his family will take up residence at the commissioner’s residence in St James. It was noted, however, that they will have to decide if the residence is to be renovated and outfitted for him or if Griffith will instead opt for the almost $8,000 monthly housing allowance.

Once the terms and conditions are finalised Cabinet gives its approval. Griffith will then sign on the dotted line and will receive his instrument of appointment from the Police Service Commission.

Asked what is the time frame within which Griffith can pick up work once this is out of the way, the source replied, “With immediacy.”

He said having been given information that “Williams is due to go on vacation on August 8, then one would assume that this process, having been perfected from the Parliament’s end, that the rest of it will move with alacrity. I can’t say that this would not take a very long period of time.”

On April 1, Williams was given his 13th extension as acting CoP for six months and this will end on September 30.

The Galleons Passage is expected to begin servicing the seabridge soon.

However, when it makes its maiden voyage to Tobago, all passengers will have to pay for the trip as there will be no free rides.

Confirmation came yesterday from Works and Transports Minister Rohan Sinanan, as he gave an update into the progress schedule of the US$17.4 million vessel which docked on our shores on July 16 after a long journey from China.

Sinanan said a T&T flag was finally installed on the vessel last Friday. The vessel arrived with a flag of convenience from Vanuatu, which is a small island in the Pacific.

“That is one part of the process that has been completed. We are now finalising the process with the Maritime Division and Lloyd’s Register broker and we are hoping that shortly we would have the vessel in place,” Sinanan said.

Asked to give a more specific time frame on the vessel’s actual servicing of the seabridge, Sinanan could not say.

“I can’t give you a date because the process is ongoing. It’s a procedure that has to happen. We expect within the shortest possible time.”

However, Sinanan said it was unfortunate that people have been constantly posting misinformation about the vessel while it was they were trying to finalise things for it to service the inter-island seabridge.

Last week, reports surfaced on social media that vessel had been leaking oil into the sea where it is docked off the Port Authority of T&T jetty, which Sinanan rubbished.

“People have just been putting false information in the public domain just to panic the population,” he said.

Questioned about when modification work on the vessel will begin, Sinanan noted that while some of the boat’s retrofitting had been completed in Cuba, the remaining works will be done by the National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco), under whose purview the boat falls.

Last month, president of the Transport Division of the Tobago Chamber Diane Hadad had proposed that in an effort to return confidence on the seabridge, Government should give consideration to “having the first couple of sailings free” as a gift to the people.

Following Hadad’s proposal, Nidco chairman Herbert George said they had toyed with the idea of sailing the Galleons Passage free of charge to Tobago.

Sinanan, however, shared a different view.

“That is not being considered. What Nidco and the Port Authority are working on is to give the population that whole confidence of using the seabridge. And I don’t think that free sailing had anything to do with that. The thought of a free sailing is not being considered.”

He said what made this possibility even further off was the fact that ferry tickets are already heavily subsidised by the Government.

“What we have to work on is the availability and reliability of the vessel, it’s not on free sailings,” Sinanan added.

were charged with allegedly defrauding the San Juan Laventille Regional Corporation of almost $22.5 million in a payroll scam, concerns are being raised about the pay sheets of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation (CBC).

Attorney Richard Jaggasar, who is representing a group of CBC workers, called for an immediate investigation into the corporation yesterday, saying he suspects there may be fraud and misconduct at the corporation.

At a meeting outside the old Chaguanas Administration building yesterday, Jaggasar raised a number of issues affecting the CBC workers and his clients, one of whom is Dhanraj Balkaran.

Jaggasar said he had been writing the CBC and the National Union of Government and Federated Workers over the contentious promotion and the lack of safety and security for CBC workers, some of whom were threatened and physically assaulted.

In January, Jaggassar said he filed a Freedom of Information request and received the files from the CBC in June. However, in perusing the files he said he discovered something worrying and disturbing. The files showed there were discrepancies with the corporation’s transport section attendance register for a period in 2017 and the timesheet and labour distribution for 2016.

“The concerns of these people (workers) are very real. If one were to look at the attendance register and the pay sheet distribution for any given period, for years one would see discrepancies. A situation similar to San Juan Laventille Regional Corporation,” Jaggassar said.

Jaggasar, in a pre-action protocol letter dated July 9 sent to CBC CEO Jameel Chadee-Ameeral, called for the removal of the transport foreman/dispatcher and called for an investigation into what he suspects is fraud.

The letter raised three concerns - failure to provide a safe and secure working environment, questionable appointment of transport driver/dispatcher and queries and concerns regarding pay sheets. Under the headlined queries and concerns regarding paying sheets, Jaggassar referred to a particular former checker who did not sign the attendance register for years yet being the draftsman of the pay sheets paid himself for a period he did not work. He also drew reference to one employee who consistently signs in and out of the attendance register and receives overtime pay regardless of the hours worked and the post he occupies. At a time when the country needs financial resources, Jaggassar said the bleeding of the public purse was not acceptable.

“What the workers are asking for is a full audit of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation to address these glaring concerns and these glaring inconsistencies in the pay sheets. I have been called by numerous corporations on both sides of the political divide alleging incidents of corruption within the corporation. This is just the first of many,” Jaggasar said.

Addressing the matter, Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodhan said any issue affecting the workers “is of paramount importance to us.” He said matters involving public money must have the highest level of accounting.

“We are not going to take that very lightly. I am going to listen to all the concerns of the workers. If the workers want to have a meeting with me to raise their grievances and concerns I will not ignore them. Thereafter I will address their matters with the council.”

There were four reports of children being trafficked in T&T for this year, according to the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU).

The information was revealed yesterday by Director of the CTU Alana Wheeler at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Children’s Authority of T&T and the Ministry of National Security.

The signing took place between the ministry’s permanent secretary Vel Lewis and the Authority’s chairman Hanif Benjamin at Temple Court, Ministry of National Security, Port-of-Spain.

The MOU seeks to facilitate improved services and care for child victims of trafficking, especially among the at-risk migrant population.

Benjamin, in delivering remarks, said that the MOU will further strengthen and aid in the provision of support and services to children in need of care and protection, specifically, trafficked children.

“Child protection requires a combined and societal approach. It is critical that we all work together to find solutions to the issues faced by children in this country,” Benjamin said.

He assured that children, who are born here, came here legitimately or were trafficked here, the authority will grant them rights.

“That is what we did when we ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991.

Benjamin said according to the Situation Analysis of Children in T&T, completed by Unicef 2017, they indicated that for two consecutive years T&T has been classified as Tier Two by the annual Trafficking in Persons Report, with Tier Three being the highest.

He said T&T continues to be a destination transit and a source country for adult and child victim of sex trafficking and forced labour.

Wheeler said the signing marks the achievement of specific objectives identified in its national plan of action against trafficking in people, namely to increase and strengthen coordination in Government’s anti-trafficking efforts.

In providing 2018 statistics, Wheeler said the CTU had “investigated four cases of child trafficking, involving one male minor and three female minors.”

The victims, Wheeler said, ranged from ages 15 to 17.

Following the signing, questioned by Guardian Media as to how many child victims of trafficking were reported last year, Wheeler said there was one confirmed case.

“This year it would have been four… that would be Venezuelan nationals and a Trinidad and Tobago national. To date, one person has been charged in one of the cases. And we have subsequent charges to be proffered on additional persons.”

Wheeler admitted that there has been an increase in trafficked children when compared to last year.

She said more cases were reported in 2018 as the police worked harder in their investigations.

“More cases would have been brought to our attention because we have been doing a lot of work and raising awareness among different stakeholders.”

Former Under-19 cricketer Michael Powell who lost half of his right foot to cancer is pleading with the public to donate A positive blood to help him walk again.

Powell, 28, needs six pints of the rare blood type to undergo an emergency surgery at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex as the Blood Bank is currently out of stock.

Up to two months ago, Powell, who played cricket with several clubs, including Wanderers, Merry Boys and Harvard, was gainfully employed as a paint technician, interior designer and gypsum installer.

So ambitious was Powell he started his own business where he retained a crew to assist him in his trade.

Now he is begging for handouts to eke out a living.

Powell said his life started to go downhill two months ago when he noticed a small bladder developing on the right side of his right foot.

He did not pay much attention to the bladder.

It was only after he started developing a fever and observed another bladder appearing on his foot, Powell visited the St Joseph Health Centre for medical attention, but he was referred to the Eric Williams

Medical Sciences Complex where tests showed he had basal cell skin cancer.

Within hours of the discovery, the doctors operated on his leg where they amputated the front part of his right foot.

“They removed my toes and piece of my foot. I was left with the heel and a piece of the instep which is just a stump.”
Thinking the worse was over, Powell said his leg became infected in July and doctors had to perform another surgery under the heel and instep.

“While in surgery the doctors ruptured two vessels where I began to bleed profusely. So they tied up the vessels and wrapped up the operation.”

The doctors told Powell that he would need an emergency surgery which requires six pints of A positive blood.

“From what I was told this blood is a rare blood type which the Blood Bank does not have in stock.”

Powell said he never knew his father while his mother lives in Florida. “I have no siblings. The few family members I approached did not seem interested in donating any blood. So I am turning to the public, especially those with this blood type to come forward and donate so I can walk again. The doctors told me if this operation is not done quickly I will not be able to walk again,” he said.

With his bandaged foot, Powell walks around with the aid of crotches.

“The wound is very painful. I have to fight the pain and go out and get.”

Up to May, Powell said he had everything going for him.

“I had a good job and I played Under-19 cricket for several clubs. I served my country with pride and passion. Now I am begging for handouts to survive because I have nothing. This has not been easy for me.

To me, this has been a hard blow. I still can’t come to terms with reality.”

The little money Powell had stashed away for a rainy day has been spent on maintaining himself and buying a honey-based cream to treat his foot.

“Though the hospital has been providing me with medication they don’t have this cream which I buy at $195 a tube.”

Powell uses three tubes of the cream a week. “Since I became sick I have exhausted my bank account. I am penny less.”

Now hard-pressed for cash, Powell owes his landlord $2,400 for his Barataria apartment.

“I have to say thank God I have an understanding landlord who sometimes would give me a little change when things are hard on my end.”

In a bid to help himself, Powell who is not a beneficiary of social welfare would hobble around on his crotches in San Juan to beg for assistance and blood.

“I only started doing this in desperation a few days ago.”

On a good day he would take home $120.

“My mother would also assist by sending US$60 for me. But these last few weeks I have not received anything as things on her end is difficult as well. It has really been hard. I try not to give up.”

In his quiet moments, Powell said he would ask God to deliver him from the obstacle he is facing.

“I took life for granted. I thought sickness would have never come my way at such an early age...that this only happens when you get old. But God has proven me wrong. This has drawn me closer to the Almighty because I realise that one day you are up and the next day a simple illness or disease can thrown you down and change your life in the blink of an eye. I am testament of that.”

Shocked passengers on board American Airlines (AA) flight 2703 destined for Trinidad watched on in horror on Friday as medical and cabin crew members tried to save the life of an 85-year-old woman.

The passenger, Nell Cuffie, also known as Helen, despite receiving treatment during the dramatic mid-air medical emergency, died.

The incident occurred after Cuffie went to use the toilet about one hour and 20 minutes before the flight arrived at Piarco International Airport.

The flight departed Miami International Airport at 10.41 am and was scheduled to land at 2.34 pm.

After an extended period in the toilet, the flight attendants opened the door and found Cuffie slumped over the toilet.

Cuffie was travelling with her younger brother Phipps Wilton and his wife Junette.

A passenger on the flight told the T&T Guardian that when Cuffie was found unresponsive, the flight attendants called on passengers with medical training to assist.

Several people came forward including CEO of the Global Medical Response of T&T Anderson Paul, as well as Sherar Andalcio, Kerdijra Ramoutar and Malisha Kirchren to provide medical care.

“The flight attendants gave her oxygen and used the automated external defibrillator (AED) machine to shock her while CPR was administered, but the woman did not budge,” the passenger recalled.

“That’s when we started to get scared and uneasy. We were all looking on in horror.”

The Boeing 737 plane was filled with passengers many of whom were locals returning home.

The pilot then made an announcement that he would have to divert the flight to St Kitts in order for Cuffie to obtain urgent medical attention.

Passengers were also advised not to use the rear toilet where Cuffie was being attended to.

“The flight attendant wrote out numbers on the beverage tissues which they handed out to passenger as a numbering system to use the toilet in front of the plane,” the passenger said.

The attendants began calling the numbers in an ascending order over the PA system.

“I got number 28. There were close to 200 passengers on the plane. They never reached my number because all attention was on this woman for over an hour.”

While the medical team battled with the patient, the passengers were left in wonderment because they did not know what was going on.

“No one said anything. Then we heard the woman had died and the pilot decided to fly the plane straight to Piarco instead of diverting to St Kitts, as he thanked all passengers for their understanding, cooperation and patience,” the passenger said.

When the plane touched down at 2.40 pm, passengers were not allowed to disembark the aircraft, as the District Medical Officer had to come on board and examine the decease.

“We had to remain seated in the plane for an hour until everything was sorted out,” the passenger said.

“After passengers left the plane, flight attendants expressed their grief and one crew member was crying,” a cabin crew member told the T&T Guardian.

Wilton, in a telephone interview yesterday, said everything was done on the aircraft to save his sister who he loved dearly.

“The doctors and cabin crew did everything humanly possible to resuscitate her, but they could not have saved her. They spent 90 minutes battling with Nell but God had a different plan. She was taken from us.”

After Cuffie’s husband died last year, Wilton said, “My sister was happy to come back home and live with me in Diego Martin. She migrated to the US where she worked in Florida for many years before retiring.”
Cuffie had no children.

Anderson extended condolences to Cuffie’s family yesterday.

An autopsy will be performed on Cuffie today at the Forensic Science Centre to determine the cause of death.

Although he received his letter of appointment as Commissioner of Police (CoP) last Friday from the Police Service Commission (PSC), Gary Griffith is yet to pick up official duties as top cop.

In a press release issued yesterday, the PSC announced Griffith as the new CoP of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) who will be responsible for directing all strategic activities of the service to promote and achieve higher levels of safety and security for the nation.

The PSC said the appointment of Griffith was in keeping with its mandate to appoint a person/people to hold or act in the Office of Commissioner or deputy CoP.

Griffith received his letter of appointment from PSC’s chairman Bliss Seepersad.

It also noted that finalisation of the terms and conditions of Griffith’s contract resided with the National Security Ministry.

In response to a WhatsApp message yesterday, Griffith, who is out of the country, confirmed that he had not taken up office as CoP just yet.

“Sorry. I am still not in office even though the appointment has been given. Awaiting this by the Ministry of National Security. Until then, there is an acting CoP who sits in the chair so it would not be appropriate of me to discuss such matters.”

There was no response to questions forwarded to Griffith as to when he is expected to take up duties as CoP and hammer out his contractual agreement with the ministry.

In a telephone interview with the Guardian Media, Griffith said his thoughts were irrelevant when asked about Stuart Young’s appointment as National Security Minister.

“That is a Government policy and the role and function of the Commissioner of Police is to work with whoever is appointed as Minister of National Security and I will do so,” he said.

Stating that the TTPS falls under Young’s ministry, Griffith said he intends to operate as a professional, serve with pride and adhered to the policies directed by Young.

“As the Commissioner of Police my job is to look at the policies that will be provided by the minister and or the National Security Council to implement those policies,” he added.

After buckling under pressure, Michael Powell yesterday admitted that he fabricated a story about being a cancer patient at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) to grab sympathy and donations from the public.

Powell, 28, was in fact treated at the EWMSC for diabetes, which resulted in part of his right foot and two toes being amputated in June.

For telling such a lie, Powell apologised to the T&T Guardian and North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA), which the EWMSC falls under.

“I am apologising for all that I have done….the misleading information I gave to the Guardian that I was treated for cancer. I am a type one diabetic. That is what I was treated for,” Powell confessed yesterday.

In a T&T Guardian article on Monday, Powell claimed he lost part of his foot and toes to cancer and needed six pints of a rare blood type for an emergency surgery to save his life as the Blood Bank was out of stock.

Powell, who moves around with the aid of crutches, also claimed he had used up his life savings to maintain himself and was owing $2,400 in rent for his apartment. As a result, he claimed he had been forced to beg for handouts to survive.

Powell’s plight gained widespread attention from the public, as several people came forward to assist him financially and donate blood.

Among those who were willing to offer a helping hand was former Sangre Grande Regional Corporation councillor and East Side Plaza manager Dayne Francois, who pledged a month’s salary to Powell and promised to donate blood to help him get back on his feet.

But within hours of the story being published in the T&T Guardian the NRCHA, in a press release, refuted Powell’s claims as they stated they had no record of him being a cancer patient, he was not listed on their records for surgery and they had an adequate supply of blood at the Blood Bank.

The T&T Guardian, in a bid to clear up matters raised by the NCRHA, telephoned Powell on Monday night and he agreed to be interviewed at his apartment and show all his medical records yesterday morning.

However, when the T&T Guardian arrived at his Barataria apartment yesterday, Powell could not be found. Repeated calls by the T&T Guardian to Powell’s cell phone also went unanswered.

The T&T Guardian then called Francois and asked him to set up to meet Powell to offer him $2,000 in cash and a cheque to take care of his medical expenses and pay his rent.

Powell later showed up at Francois’s Port-of-Spain office at 10 am and was surprised the T&T Guardian was also there. He was asked to come clean on his medical condition in light of the NCRHA statement.

Throughout an hour-long interrogation by Francois and the T&T Guardian, Powell maintained he was diagnosed and treated as a cancer patient. But when it was suggested the Fraud Squad could be asked to step in, Powell buckled and admitted that he had lied to the newspaper about his medical condition.

“I didn’t mean to add in the cancer part …I did it just for the story to be a serious one….to show that I was in a serious condition and I really need help. I want to apologise,” Powell said in his defence.

Powell said while he was warded at the EWMSC his blood count had dropped and the doctors told him to get friends and family to donate blood, so he came to the conclusion that there was no blood at the Blood Bank.

He admitted he fabricated a story that he needed emergency surgery to garner support whether financial or otherwise.

Asked if he had any remorse about misleading the public, Powell said yes.

“I am sorry for doing, what I did. I wanted help but maybe that was not the right way of going about it. I add in a few things that made it sound serious.”

Asked if people had already offered financial assistance to him following his story, Powell said, “All I got was blood donors. Two people offered to donate blood either Thursday or Friday. I didn’t get any money.”

Good Samaritan almost donated salary

Francois told Powell he too had been fooled by his sad story.

“I would have given you my hard earned cash if we didn’t unearth your lies.

“You duped me and I am sure you hoodwinked a lot of innocent people also with your untruths.

“What you are doing could amount to fraud. People are imprisoned for things like this,” Francois told Powell.

Francois told Powell people would no longer have faith in helping legitimate people in need or the underprivileged because of his story.

Throughout the interrogation, several people also called to offer help to Powell, as they had done on Monday, via the T&T Guardian, after the story first appeared.

Powell later wrote an apology letter to the NCRHA and T&T Guardian for his misleading information and the damage he had caused.

NCRHA corporate communications manager Peter Neptune later confirmed Powell was not in need of emergency surgery.

“What he needs is to take care of his health. If this is done the wound on his foot would heal and he would be able to work and support himself. We will provide him with whatever medical help he needs.”

NCRHA CEO Davlin Thomas meanwhile said staff stand dutifully at the gateway between life and death for over 125,000 patients who access their Emergency Department on an annual basis.

“To abandon reasonable due diligence and to malign our efforts and the very character of an organisation that save lives daily is sinful. We are dedicated to becoming so much better,” Thomas said.

The Ministry of Health will this month go on a recruiting drive for 250 specialised doctors from Cuba to service the public health care system.

This was revealed yesterday by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh at a press conference at his ministry’s Port-of-Spain headquarters.

Deyalsingh went to great lengths to explain that the Regional Health Authorities (RHA) have been experiencing problems with recruiting local doctors to fill 11 specialty areas for the past year, adding every doctor wants to work in what he called the “Cathedral of Medicine”, either the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), San Fernando General Hospital or Port-of-Spain General Hospital rather than the rural communities. However, he could not say if this “demand” was as a result of the prestige of working at these facilities.

“I have a need, therefore I would go to Cuba. That is why we have to employ foreigners because our locals do not have the skill set or don’t take advantage of the opportunity to work in the public sector for whatever reason,” Deyalsingh said.

He said even primary healthcare doctors have been resisting work in rural areas, which led to the ministry engaging the United Nations to get UN doctors to come here to work.

“So if every House Officer wants to work in A&E, but you need House Officers in oncology what are we to do? And that is the position we are faced with.”

In a bid to serve the public’s needs, Deyalsingh said this month the ministry will be sending a team to Cuba to recruit healthcare professionals in these 11 specialised areas that the RHAs cannot source locally.

Among them are paediatricians, gastroenterologists, cardiologists, haematologists, nephrologists, specialists in internal medicine, orthopaedic surgeons, paediatric cardiologists, maxillofacial surgeons, ophthalmologists and specialists in Accident and Emergency.

The contract for the Cuban doctors will be three years with an option to renew for a fourth, he said.

But Deyalsingh still also invited unemployed local specialists to join the RHAs, stating that the country needed them urgently.

Questioned how many speciality doctors will be sourced from Cuba, Deyalsingh said “about 250.”

Of the speciality areas, Deyalsingh said haematology, paediatric cardiology, orthopaedic surgeons and maxillofacial surgeons are in highest demand.

At the EWMSC, he said there is currently just one paediatric cardiologist while there are only two Cuban maxillofacial surgeons in the public sector.

Pressed on if specialists can be compelled to work in the public sector, Deyalsingh said this can only be applied if they obtain their specialist qualification via the Government, noting that to force them to work in the public sector would be a violation of their constitutional rights.

Asked how Government will bridge the gap, given that hundreds of medical students are graduating from UWI in areas where they cannot fill the public sector vacancies, Deyalsingh said UWI has started a DM (Doctorate in Medicine) programme in speciality fields.

“You are not going to get the output immediately. It takes time to train them and then they have to work under supervision…there is a lag time.”

He said as soon as graduates exit the DM programme, positions will be offered to them.

In May, Cabinet also agreed to employ 75 interns at public hospitals. Deyalsingh said the 75 interns will be employed at the nation’s hospitals “because UWI was producing all these interns. Now, it’s not that we needed these 75. I want to make that abundantly clear.”

He said these positions will “soak up” the supply coming out of UWI.

Although the Cuban recruitment drive will begin shortly, Deyalsingh also could not say when the positions will be filled and how soon the doctors are expected to arrive here to serve the public.

“We are trying to do it as soon as humanly possible. I am treating it with urgency.”

Asked if the ministry will pay more to attract the Cubans’ services, Deyalsingh said, “No, not necessarily, but we do pay for the board and so on here. So it is not really more.”

The National Carnival Commission (NCC) has begun monitoring all Government subventions handed to Pan Trinbago, the Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) and the National Carnival Bandleaders’ Association (NCBA) to run their affairs.

This was revealed by NCC chairman Winston “Gypsy” Peters yesterday, as he responded to rumours that the NCC had taken over Pan Trinbago’s operations.

As he denied the rumours, which surfaced on social media, Peters said while it was NCC’s responsibility to monitor subventions of the three organisations to ensure accountability and transparency it was never previously done.

In going forward, Peters said the NCC will ensure Government’s subventions are well spent and bring returns to taxpayers.

“Those are the things we are working on and is now the remit of the NCC. NCC has always been in charge of the subventions but in some ways we may have lapsed in the way we have administered it,” Peters said.

“Those lapses would have to be looked at in a different light. We will call for more string accountability.”

But the move, which came even as Pan Trinbago signed off on a Memorandum of Understanding with Government, was not done haphazardly, as Peters said it was prompted following an audit by the Ministry of Culture into Pan Trinbago, TUCO and NCBA for the periods 2013 to 2016, where certain observations were made.

“Things prompted a lot of decisions being made now,” he said.

While concerns were raised about allegations of financial impropriety at Pan Trinabgo, Peters said where there were funds unaccounted for “somebody will be culpable for it. And whatever has to be done in terms of whatever actions that have to be taken will be taken.”

“We are asking for the accountability of it and searching for where it went wrong. We are going to deal with all aspects of Pan Trinbago in terms of its subventions or any money that the Government will be spending on Pan Trinbago.”

In a press release yesterday, Pan Trinbago said president Keith Diaz and treasurer Andrew Salvador were signatories to a memorandum of agreement which deals with funding of its operations, events and development programme.

“The NCC, apart from funding artistes, has the right to insist on accountability for funds advanced and more than that, to have random audits done,” the release stated.

The steelpan body added that they recognise the usefulness of accountability and transparency.

Cabinet yesterday took a decision that all house officers who refuse to take up employment in the public health care system will have their Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses programme (Gate) loans pulled. The house officers will also be asked to repay the Government for their medical studies.

The announcement was made by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh at yesterday’s post Cabinet media briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Deyalsingh had said Regional Health Authorities have been experiencing problems recruiting doctors to fill 11 speciality areas for the past year, adding local doctor want to work only at either the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, San Fernando General Hospital or Port-of-Spain General Hospital rather than the rural communities. In light of this issue, Deyalsingh said Government had to hunt for 250 specialised Cuban doctors in 11 fields. The contract for the Cubans doctors will be three years with an option to renew for a fourth.

Yesterday, Deyalsingh said Cabinet had made a decision it believed could possibly help alleviate the problem.

“I was directed by Cabinet today that house officers will now be offered employment in the public health system and where they chose not to take up those offers, we will call in their Gate loans and they will be asked to pay back the taxpayer all the monies that the taxpayer paid for them to study medicine,” Deyalsingh said.

Deyalsingh said he will ensure that this decision is carried out.

He said a team will also be sent to Cuba from August 26 to September 1 to recruit the specialised doctors.

Asked if the Medical Board of T&T has to approve the Cuban doctors coming here to work, Deyalsingh said registration is being handled by the board and they have their cooperation. He said to source the doctors, his ministry would have to deal directly with Cuba’s health ministry.

“This going back to Cuba is predicated on an agreement that we have signed with Cuba in April of this year. Every two to three years this country-to-country agreement comes up for renewal.”

On what would be the budget for the Cuban doctors, Deyalsingh said this would depend on how many are recruited.

“There is a line item at the Ministry of Health to pay for this,” he said.

In October 2010, Deyalsingh said the UNC initially cancelled the recruitment of Cuban doctors to T&T and had to rescind that decision to their embarrassment in March 2011.