Trin | Surviving life in Trinidad and Tobago

Integrity Commission Members EPIC FAIL; Kidnappers granted bail!

What would you think about the processes established to investigate corruption and promote transparency in T&T, after reading the article below? Why on earth would the Integrity Commission, of all bodies, deny a man appearing before the Commission on charges of corruption the full right to be heard?! This is madness, no wait, this is Trinidad. Makes you wonder whose Integrity the Commission really exists to preserve, ent? Who appointed them? I hope it wasn't Richards because he's beginning to look like the #2 EPIC FAIL - A.N.R Robinson when he appointed Manning as Prime Minister in 2001. Boy we never recovered! When are the dumb asses gonna get the frig our of politics and let some sensible people win?!

Richards to present nominees soon

Richard Lord | 8:27 pm

Published: April 6th, 2009
The Trinidad Guardian

In the next 24 hours, President George Maxwell Richards is expected to submit the names of prospective nominees for appointment to the Integrity Commission. The former commission—John Martin (chairman), Justice Monica Barnes (deputy chairman) and members Peter Clarke and Vindar Dean-Maharaj—resigned on February 6, after losing a High Court matter against sacked government minister Dr Keith Rowley.

They admitted they were wrong in not giving Rowley a “full opportunity to be heard before the Commission” in the said matter. The court ruled that the Commission acted in bad faith by not giving the Diego Martin West MP the right to be heard. There have been increasing calls for the new members of the commission to be appointed. Last Friday in Parliament, Opposition MP and former attorney general Kamla Persad-Bissessar said she wrote to the President asking that the commission be appointed.

She said, “If we don’t get a response, we may have to issue a pre-action letter and file for judicial review on this issue. Yesterday, a release stated, “The Office of President is well aware of the imperatives of ensuring the due appointment of members of the Integrity Commission. Selection of members of the Commission is not a matter to be rushed, as these persons must be of the highest calibre and integrity.” Member of the Crime Commission, Gillian Lucky said yesterday - before the President’s release, “It was critical that the commission be appointed with rapid dispatch.”

Aside, below is blast from the past articles about the IC, just a remember when since trinis have such short memories.

On an even more unbelievable note, Jonathan Moonsammy, one of the four accused in the 2004 kidnapping of then 4 year old Sadaa Singh has been granted bail again. I can't decide which is worse - the fact that the case is almost 6 years old or that kidnappers are getting bail. WhyTF are criminals running our country, you ask? There you have it - our justice system is a backlogged waste of time laughing stock. Let's blow millions of dollars on luxury vehicles instead, why not!

Moonsammy, his cousin Kimberly Moonsammy, Coleen Osbourne and Keston Franklin all of San Fernando are charged with the kidnapping of Saada Singh, who was four-year-old when she was taken from Giselle Montessori in 2004. She was found wandering in Siparia days later.

"Stuck in traffic" was the excuse given by kidnap accused Jonathan Moonsammy when he surrendered to police and was brought to court yesterday, after failing to show up for his case two months ago.

His excuse was accepted. Moonsammy got bail again. The enquiry has been twice aborted because State witnesses were found sitting in court during the hearing of other State witness evidence.

Yesterday, it almost happened again. Two police witnesses were asked to leave the San Fernando Traffic Court when Magistrate Rajendra Rambachan began the enquiry for a third time.

Moonsammy did not show up for court on February 20-Carnival Friday-and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

"Imaginary" Dengue outbreak in Trinidad

With a straight face, Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira at the start of her Budget presentation said, “Our vision commits us to the nurturing of a caring society.”

The response of Opposition MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar better reflected the expenditure patterns of the Government: “The Prime Minister and his government have clearly shown that they subscribe to the view, ‘Keep them poor, keep them ignorant, keep them in fear.” - Trinidad Newsday September 30th, 2008.

There has been extensive flooding recently in Diego Martin, Port of Spain, Cascade and other areas in North Trinidad. This week commuters in Port of Spain recounted being scared and shocked at the way people cursed and threatened one another to grab a bus ride out of the flooded city. We have been reduced to living like savages, threatening one another to obtain a basic reliable ride home without fear, no matter the weather.

I wonder if the Ministry of Health has clued in to the connection between rain, flooding, large pools of water, mosquito breeding grounds or Dengue Fever. I haven’t heard of any announcements that the Ministry plans to increase the frequency of spraying mosquitoes given all the rain. Is this because Health Minister Jerry Narace still believes that there are no dengue cases in Trinidad and Tobago? What exactly is Jerry Narace doing everyday? Does he even work? Three months ago Narace informed the nation that there were no "confirmed deaths" from dengue after the death of eight year old Sasha Bickram.

By September there were numerous deaths and reported cases of dengue. At a Ministry of Health function at the Hyatt on September 20th 2008 Narace was asked to comment on the dengue issue. As expected he gave the generic "updates will be coming" response and then asked with a smile if we shouldn't be "speculating on what is in the budget" instead. Pardon me while I say what the fuck does an  outbreak of dengue have to do with speculating about the budget?

Narace is close to Prime Minister Patrick manning and is also the Public Relations Officer of the PNM. The Integrity Commission has launched an investigation into the dealings of Minister Narace based on a complaint from Caroni East MP Dr. Tim Gopeesingh, who claims that Narace’s family's business has been receiving state contracts. In September Gopeesingh told Parliament Narace and his family were receiving million-dollar contracts from State bodies through the family company, Reinsurance Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (Trinre).

"I received a letter today indicating that the commission was grateful for the information I provided to them. They had written asking for further information which I also provided and they indicated they are investigating the matter," Gopeesingh said. HotLikePepperRadio December 4th,2008.

Children, adults and senior citizens are dying from dengue, no preventative measures are being taken to deal with the flooding, much less the increased mosquito breeding from flooding and Minister Narace is smiling and dismissing a very serious question.

Tell us, Karen Nunez-Tesheira, Jerry Narace and Patrick Manning, are exhausted people resorting to threats of violence to escape a sinking city or Trinbagonians dying from an imaginary dengue outbreak part of your vacuous plan of action for "nurturing a caring society"?

‘Blatant abuse of power’ -illegal PNM rally

On Friday the Indo-Trinbago Equality Council (ITEC) faxed a written a letter of complaint to the Integrity Commission, claiming there was an abuse of power by acting Commissioner of Police (CoP) James Philbert, during a People’s National Movement (PNM) political rally while a no-confidence motion in Prime Minister Patrick Manning was being debated in Parliament on September 12th, 2008.

The letter stated "It is clear that the present acting Commissioner of Police did not exercise his powers in a fair and impartial manner and demonstrated and afforded preferential treatment to the supporters of the ruling party,"  and that CoP Philbert  "revealed a clear political bias in favour of the ruling party and failed to uphold the rule of law," .

It is public knowledge that no permission was granted by the CoP for this rally.

"The acting Commissioner of Police has thus far not charged anyone for the several violations and criminal offences committed," Maharaj wrote.

 Maharaj said no attempts were made by Philbert to disperse the crowd, in compliance with Section 3 of the Summary Offences Act, which deals with illegal meetings held without the CoP’s permission.

 Maharaj, in his letter, said the inaction and glaring omission on Philbert’s part was conspicuous because there was   much controversy over the manner in which he was appointed to act as Commissioner of Police.

 Contacted yesterday, Maharaj said he hoped that the commission would “unshackle itself from its political master and call a spade a spade.”

 “If the commission claims they are fair then this is one way of testing it. And I ask that my complaint be dealt with expeditiously,” he said.

 Maharaj added that he hoped the commission would launch an investigation to determine if Philbert abused his powers. He also threatened that if the Commission failed to take the necessary action, “we would have no choice but to sue.”

Trinidad Guardian, Sunday 5th October, 2008