02 April

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Prisons boss gets injunction blocking senior promotions

The injunction granted yesterday on behalf of acting Prisons Commissioner Deopersad Ramoutar, preventing the Public Service Commission (PSC) from carrying out scheduled interviews for the post of Deputy Prisons Commissioner, has been viewed as a victory by both senior and junior prison officers who are yet to be confirmed in posts they currently hold. The emergency application by attorneys Martin George & Co, filed in the High Court on March 30, was heard by Justice Frank Seepersad, who granted the injunction in favour of Ramoutar. The interviews, which were scheduled to begin at 8 am yesterday, had to be hastily postponed following...

31 March

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Prison boss goes to court again over promotion process

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ACTING Prison Commissioner Deopersad Ramoutar has obtained another injunction against the Public Service Commission (PSC) over what he says is an “arbitrarily imposed” selection process and interviews for the post of deputy commissioner. Justice Frank Seepersad granted the late-night injunction on Thursday, stopping all interviews which were carded to continue at 8 am on Friday. Some interviews were done on Wednesday. The restraint prevents the PSC from filling the position of deputy commissioner without filling the vacant positions of senior superintendent and assistant commissioner. Seepersad also granted Ramoutar permission to pursue his judicial review claim over the process. In August 2022 and February,...

31 March

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DPP not ready: 2 freed on sex charges

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SEVEN sexual offences against a fire officer and his former girlfriend in relation to an athlete were discharged after the Office of the Director of Prosecutions (DPP) failed to be ready in the matter. Machael James and Murisha Murray were before the Scarborough Magistrates’ Court on charges of acts of grievous sexual assault upon a schoolgirl between August 31 and October 1, 2014, at Mason Hall, Tobago. They were however freed after Senior Magistrate Rajendra Rambachan yesterday upheld the legal submissions made by their attorney, Martin George. In his submissions, he outlined the numerous hearings before the court and the many occasions...

30 March

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Tobago pair freed of sexual-offences charges over delay by DPP’s office, police

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After almost a decade, a Tobago fireman and his former girlfriend were freed on Wednesday of seven sexual-offences charges owing to the protracted delay by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the police in prosecuting inquiry. In a ruling, senior magistrate Rajendra Rambachan upheld an application by lawyers for the two to have the matter discharged. Attorney Martin George argued it was unfair and unjust to continue the case because of the prosecution’s failure to progress it. Rambachan agreed. The couple were charged on November 6, 2014, with acts of grievous sexual assault against a then-schoolgirl and track star in...

30 March

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Fireman and ex-girlfriend freed of sexual assault charges

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Almost a decade after they were charged with seven counts of grievous sexual assault of a teenage track and field athlete, a fireman from Tobago and his former girlfriend have been freed. Machael James and Murisha Murray were discharged by Senior Magistrate Rajendra Rambachan in the Scarborough Magistrates’ Court after he upheld an application by their attorney Martin George over repeated delays by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in prosecuting the case. James and Murray were charged with attacking the teenaged schoolgirl at Mason Hall on various dates between August and October 2014. George presented a detailed and lengthy...

29 March

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Judge reserves decision on Coco Reef resort lawsuit

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A HIGH COURT judge has reserved his ruling in the multi-million-dollar wrongful dismissal and defamation lawsuit brought by the former general manager of the Coco Reef Resort and Spa in Tobago. On Tuesday, Justice Frank Seepersad reserved his judgment in Eric Feniet's lawsuit, against Bella Forma Resorts Ltd and its Bermuda-based owner John Jefferis, to April 24. In his claim, Feniet said he worked at the resort for 25 years, moving up from food and beverage manager to general manager and director. In May 2020, he said he was told his position was being made redundant because of the economic consequences of the...

29 March

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‘I’ve been called an independent too long’ – THA secretary on new party

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THA Secretary of Food Security, Natural Resources, the Environment and Sustainable Development Nathisha Charles-Pantin says she is excited about next week’s launch of a new political party in Tobago, mainly because “I have been called an independent for too long.” Almost four months after declaring themselves independents, members of the Farley Augustine-led THA administration are set to launch a new party on April 4 at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex from 5-8pm, a post on Facebook said on Monday. The news came 12 days after THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris urged Augustine to form a new party so that Tobagonians could go...

28 March

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Attorney Martin George: No need for more powers for President

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ATTORNEY Martin George does not believe there is any need for the President or the Office of the President to be given additional powers to investigate certain matters. He was responding to statements made by former president Paula-Mae Weekes in a pre-recorded radio interview broadcast over the weekend. Weekes, who demitted office on March 20, said, "If you are asking the President to be responsible for identifying people nominated to hold certain independent, very responsible and very weighty offices, I think the President should be enabled to do more than go shoo-shooing around, asking people, ‘What you know about X?’" Weekes said the...

28 March

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Dismissed Coco Reef boss sues hotel

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The former general manager of the Coco Reef Resort and Spa in Tobago has begun his wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the company that owns the hotel and its owner. Eric Feniet took the witness stand at a courtroom at the Waterfront Judicial Centre in Port-of-Spain as the trial of his multi-million dollar lawsuit against Bella Forma Resorts Limited and its Bermuda-based owner John Jefferis commenced before Justice Frank Seepersad, on Monday Throughout his testimony, the Frenchman was repeatedly quizzed by the company’s lawyer Martin George over the unorthodox duties he claimed that he was asked to perform by Jefferis from when he...

28 March

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What my mentor ‘Bally’ taught me about success

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The road to success is paved with blood, sweat and tears. Congrats to my mentor, father figure, guide and confidant Mr Balliram Maharaj on this momentous occasion of his book launch. In my formative years as a young attorney, I was so fortunate to have three major mentors in my life—Anthony Sabga, Mr Isaac Mc Leod and Mr Balliram Maharaj. I would spend hours on end with each of these three fine gentlemen discussing world issues, business ideas, the future of Trinidad and Tobago, and how we could make this beautiful nation a better place. I would sit in their offices till late...

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