16 August

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Analyst: TPP’s criticism of state agencies could affect party’s growth

Analyst: TPP's criticism of state agencies could affect party's growth POLITICAL analyst Dr Bishnu Ragoonath says the Tobago People's Party's (TPP's) confrontation with state agencies may affect its growth as a new political institution. He also dismissed Chief Secretary Farley Augustine’s allegation that Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher is in cahoots with the government to undermine the THA. Both issues were raised on the TPP's platform on Sunday at the party’s launch in Scarborough. Ragoonath told Newsday, “I disagree with their view that licensing officers cannot come to Tobago and that the police (are) doing the PNM’s bidding. State institutions have every right to be...

07 August

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Differing views on stand-your-ground

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Independent senator and psychiatrist Dr Varma Deyalsingh says he has been a victim of crime five times. He said he will strongly support any policy or legislation to enact stand-your-ground defence by citizens. There has been comment and discussions ever since Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar promised to introduce legislation for stand your ground if the UNC wins the next general election. While many support it, at least two attorneys have spoken out against it. On Friday, attorney Martin George called on Persad-Bissessar to address concerns on her proposed stand-your-ground legislation and ensure it was not tainted by racial bias. A Friday article quoted George...

07 August

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Attorney calls on Kamla to address racial undertones in stand-your-ground proposal

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Attorney calls on Kamla to address racial undertones in stand-your-ground proposal ATTORNEY Martin George has advised Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to address concerns surrounding her proposed stand-your-ground legalisation and assure it is not tainted by racial bias. He further called on her to clarify that this piece of law won't negatively affect people based on their ethnicity. He said without proper understanding and careful consideration, the implementation of stand-your-ground laws could create more problems than solutions, exacerbating existing societal issues. In a video statement on Friday, George said it is crucial to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and justly by the law. Earlier this...

05 August

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Attorney warns about racial undertones of stand your ground

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Attorney warns about racial undertones of stand your ground Attorney Martin George has warned that while the United National Congress is promoting its stand your ground proposal, efforts must be made to ensure there are no racial undertones However, former UNC MP Dr Fuad Khan has called for snipers to be placed in business places to shoot those who come to steal and kill and says human rights should not apply when dealing with gangs. Inter-Religious Organisation head, Pundit Lloyd Mukram Sirjoo, also weighed in, supporting the UNC’s concept. They and several others commented yesterday on UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s “light em up” and...

05 August

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Gary’s wife wants Erla, Jacob to answer: Did you tap my phone?

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Gary’s wife wants Erla, Jacob to answer: Did you tap my phone? The wife of National Transformation Alliance’s (NTA) Political Leader Gary Griffith is challenging the Commissioner of Police (CoP) to break her silence and reveal if the T&T Police Service (TTPS) intercepted communications to her personal mobile device. Speaking at the NTA’s meeting in Diego Martin on Wednesday night, Nicole Dyer-Griffith said she and her husband were reliably informed that her cellular phone was a target of the TTPS. “A whistleblower brought to Gary and my attention that politicians were allegedly instructing law enforcement officials to target political opponents, using technology that...

04 August

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Court tells Dyer-Griffith bring the evidence, dismisses wire-tapping case

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Court tells Dyer-Griffith bring the evidence, dismisses wire-tapping case A High Court Judge has struck out a constitutional lawsuit from the wife of National Transformation Alliance (NTA) Political Leader Gary Griffith over her phone being allegedly wire-tapped. Delivering a decision on Monday, High Court Judge Karen Reid upheld an application from the Office of the Attorney General to dismiss Nicole Dyer-Griffith’s case against it and former acting police commissioner McDonald Jacob. In January, Dyer-Griffith filed the lawsuit in which she claimed that her constitutional right to respect her private and family life was breached when her cellphone was allegedly wire-tapped using the Interception of Communications...

25 July

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Dr Rowley and vetted units

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Dr Rowley and vetted units When the Special Anti-Crime Unit of TT (SAUTT) was established to fight “police corruption” by the Patrick Manning administration, two serious, related concerns were raised in Parliament: Was SAUTT a legal unit and to whom should it report, the minister of national security or police commissioner? These concerns were raised by then independent senator, the late Dana Seetahal and myself to which then minister of national security, the late Martin Joseph struggled to answer. Further, the UNC government in 2010 disbanded SAUTT and its head, Brigadier Peter Joseph sued and had to be paid $ 1 million....

25 July

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More good cops than bad cops in TTPS

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More good cops than bad cops in TTPS PCA: Increase in complaints against police officers (run over headline) Since 2019, approximately one out of every 24 officers in the T&T Police Service (TTPS) has been charged with a criminal offence. Over the last five years, more than 2,260 complaints were made to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) about the conduct of police officers. More than 1,640 were criminal complaints - an average of 328 criminal complaints a year. From that, 204 cases were forwarded by the PCA to the Commissioner of Police, 59 to Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard, and 33 were...

25 July

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Body of worker killed in accident brought back for funeral

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Body of worker killed in accident brought back for funeral More than a month after Allanlane Ramkissoon died at a hospital in Colombia following an explosion at the NiQuan Energy Trinidad plant, his body has finally been returned to this country for final rites. In a release issued yesterday, Massy Energy Engineered Solutions Ltd (MEES), the company Ramkissoon worked for, said his body was brought back to Trinidad yesterday. The company said it “continues to support Allanlane’s family and is assisting with funeral and other arrangements”. It also said it continues to participate in ongoing investigations to determine and understand the cause of the...

19 July

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PM: Vetted police units meant to work with US authorities

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PM: Vetted police units meant to work with US authorities THE Prime Minister says his plan to introduce special vetted units to the police is meant to position TT’s law enforcement to work with US security authorities in the fight against crime. Speaking during an interview on I95.5FM’s Afternoon Drive on Tuesday afternoon, Dr Rowley sought to defend himself from criticism of the plan, introduced during a PNM political meeting in San Fernando on Saturday night. At the time, he said the units would be used to help weed out corrupt police officers. Rowley raised the matter again during a National Security Council...