02 April

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Attorneys and activists welcome plan for human trafficking court

Plans announced by National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds for a special court to deal with human trafficking cases, have been welcomed by human rights attorneys and activists although they had concerns about infrastructure and sustainable funding for the proposed facility. Attorney Criston J Williams recalled that on February 24 the T&T Government told the United Nations they were developing draft policies to deal with trafficking. He questioned the rationale for the proposed court and said Hinds “should disclose the policy so we can see what the infrastructure of this is.” He said: “How we are going to train, develop the judges and...

02 April

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Prisons boss gets injunction blocking senior promotions

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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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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...

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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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...

24 March

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Attorneys: PCA reports affect public confidence in TTPS

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The eye-opening disclosures made in the Police Complaints Authority’s (PCA) latest annual report, where an increase in the number of reports being made against police officers was recorded, will continue to work to the detriment of the T&T Police Service (TTPS). In fact, attorney Om Lalla and former Police Service Commission member Martin George, also an attorney, believe it will continue to reflect a lack of confidence in the TTPS on the part of the public. The PCA’s 12th Annual Report 2021/2022, which was laid in parliament on Wednesday, said it had recorded the highest number of complaints against police officers, totalling...

21 March

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Panday: Persad-Bissessar is anti-President

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in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

THE absence of any Opposition UNC members at the inauguration of the country’s seventh President on Monday, did not surprise UNC founder, former political leader and former prime minister Basdeo Panday. Journalists who covered the inauguration at the Queen’s Park Savannah did not see UNC political leader and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar as newly sworn-in President Christine Kangaloo addressed her (Persad-Bissessar) during the opening of her inauguration speech. All attempts to contact Persad-Bissessar for a comment were unsuccessful. Panday, who was spotted at the event with his daughter Mickela, and at the reception which immediately followed at NAPA (the National Academy for the...