Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has announced plans of purchasing two new ferries to service the seabridge. He, however, noted that there seemed to have been a conspiracy to block communication with the Australian shipbuilding company, International Catamarans (INCAT), that could have eased the woes experienced, especially by corporate T&T.

Rowley described the revelation as “Horror in Hobart.”

He explained that while in Tazmania, he and his team discovered that there was correspondence between Austal, whose vessels are in this country, and “people on the Government payroll” who refused to respond because “it didn’t suit their agenda.”

A matter he promised will be pursued.

“When we were desperately looking for a ferry to service Tobago, to allow the Spirit and the Express to go into dry-dock there were people on the Government payroll in T&T, who refused to respond to INCAT, who were in a position to make vessels available to us,” Rowley said.

He added that Government employees from “all about,” were telling the Board (referring to the Port Authority of T&T Board) that “they can’t find nothing.”

“But, they were finding Ocean Flower and Cabo Star for us…We are going to pursue that matter,” Rowley said.

“People, who knew the hell that we are going through as a people…Tobago economy being wrecked…We go quite to Tazmania to see correspondence to people on the Government payroll in T&T…people who didn’t bother to reply because it didn’t suit their agenda,” he added.

Rowley, however, announced good news saying that the Government will see to purchase two new vessels at a cost of US$80 million each. Proposals are expected to come within two weeks whereby a decision will be made and an order placed, which will have a timeline of 18 months. He did mention that these new vessels will come with a seven-year maintenance agreement with capacity training included.

With respect to the Spirit and Express, Rowley said that they can be repaired and sold as there was demand for them worldwide. The money earned will be used to help pay for the new vessels. He said Government will be moving speedily to “secure the slots.”

Rowley also disclosed that Austal officials will be in Trinidad next week to do a report on the six Coast Guard vessels which are “gathering moss.” The Prime Minister explained that the coasts of T&T are very porous and efforts will be made to repair those vessels to put them back on the borders.

In China, Rowley said they met with several top officials of Chinese State firms seeking to promote meaningful investments. One such, Rowley disclosed, was opening an avenue for the Chinese to invest in the Sandals project which is geared towards bolstering Tobago’s tourism.

On the issue of tours, Rowley said there were discussions with Chinese airlines — Air China and Hainan Airlines in bringing Chinese tourists to T&T.

The issue of industrial parks were also discussed where the Chinese will be able to invest in the manufacturing of goods.

Chinese State companies, including: Beijing Construction Engineering Group, China Communications Construction Company Limited, China Gezhouba Group International Company Limited, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, Shanghai Constructions Group and China Harbour Engineering Company, hopefully, according to Rowley, will consider investing and building among many - a dry docking facility in La Brea, the new terminal building at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago and a new central block for the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

Three US residents have been sentenced for illegally purchasing 36 guns and smuggling them into T&T from Atlanta, Georgia.

The men are Errol Alfred, 40; Kerry Fernandez, 34 and Jordan Dunham, 26, all from Georgia.

According to a report on NBC’s 11alive.com, Alfred and Fernandez were sentenced for their respective roles in illegally purchasing and trafficking the weapons, whilst Dunham, a co-defendant in the case, was sentenced for illegally purchasing some of the shipped firearms for the two men.

According to US Attorney Byung J Pak, between August 2013 and September 2014, Alfred and Fernandez purchased the guns from a local firearms licensee for the purpose of shipping the firearms to T&T for resale. Officials said the defendants hid the weapons in shipping barrels without the shipping company knowing.

Last Thursday, Alfred was sentenced to five years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Fernandez received a sentence of two years and three months, followed by three years of supervised release, while Dunham was sentenced to six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Special Agent in Charge, Arthur Peralta, said the unlawful acquisition and trafficking of firearms was a serious crime that “feeds and intensifies the violence that plagues so many communities here (referring to the US) and abroad.”

“This investigation illustrates the collective resolve of ATF and its law enforcement partners to stem the flow of illegal firearms within the US or anywhere these criminals choose to operate,” Peralta said.

There is now speculation that a “dip” on the drag-racing strip at the Frankie Boodram Wallerfield International Raceway may have contributed to two crashes that occurred during last weekend’s racing event. There was an attempt to repair the “dip” ahead of the event but that instead made it into a “bump.”

One of the crashes led to the death of Sangre Grande resident Darren Sirjoo, 28, whose funeral was yesterday.

A video posted on a Facebook page titled “The Aloo Pie Report” on May 27 at 11.10 pm showed the first crash, last Saturday, involving well-known racer Ryan Garcia. At just about the eight-second mark, Garcia’s car – an SKF Lancer – appears to jerk just before swerving to the left of the track where it crashed into a tyre barrier and then into a concrete wall. Garcia managed to walk out of the crash unhurt. However, the T&T Guardian understands he was so shaken up by the incident that he took this week off from his business.

That video up to press time was nearing 300 shares and had attracted over 11,000 viewers. But commenting on the video, one of the regular drag racers at the raceway commented about his experience.

“I experienced that same thing with that dip...they paved it during this week (referring to last week)...but poorly...now it isn’t a dip...its a bump.”

The racer even called for action to rectify the issues.

“I think everyone who goes to events, as well as those who enter to race or whatever, should come together and do something...don’t have any events until things are done professionally.”

Speaking further on his comment via phone yesterday, the racer, who did not want to be named, said about a month ago he participated in a Street Night Shoot Out, also called “Gangster Drags,” at the raceway and ran into the “dip.”

“It dropped but because my car did not have all that power in it I was able to pull it back and regain control. A lot of drivers I know experienced this but didn’t say anything, maybe because they didn’t think it was that dangerous until now.”

Another racer who viewed the video also commented: “That “dip/bump” is a major problem...but safety, in and around that track combined with vehicle safety standards played a major role here... Just saying.”

Also contacted on the incident, motorcycle drag-racer, Ian Atherly, a former mayor of San Fernando, would only say that the track “is not a 100 per cent”, but added that it was the fastest in the Caribbean.

“We were racing before that crash and it went down fine. I did just over eight seconds and it felt very good for me,” Atherly, who was also at the line ready for the next race that followed Sirjoo’s on Sunday, said.

Asked if inspections were done that day, he replied: “Yes, inspections are done prior to every race, during and before. The sticky stuff, which is used for traction, was placed on the tracks and the track was good.”

Asked how many track marshals are usually at the events and if they are all trained, Atherly said about 20, some of whom are “highly qualified having received training from the FIA.”

The FIA is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation of the world’s leading motoring organisations. Founded in 1904, with headquarters in Paris, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is a non-profit making association. It brings together 245 national motoring and sporting organisations from 143 countries on five continents. Its member clubs represent millions of motorists and their families.

However, Atherly said there was a need for more infrastructure at the venue, including stands, proper viewing areas and wash-room facilities.

Atherly extended condolences to the Sirjoo’s family. He, however, added that much education was needed on the sport.

Meanwhile, scores of racers yesterday turned out for Sirjoo’s funeral yesterday at his residence in Sangre Grande. Sirjoo was described as a humble individual and one who always wore a smile and loved racing just as his life. Sirjoo, who was a writer at the T&T Coast Guard, was later given a military send-off at the Caroni Cremation site.

Efforts to reach T&T Automobile Sports Association (TTASA) president Fyzool Madan yesterday for comment were unsuccessful.

Businessman Gerald Aboud has issued a formal apology over comments he made on his Facebook page referring to this week’s back-to-back holidays— Indian Arrival Day and Corpus Christi.

In his apology, Aboud said he feels “hurt” but promised to “lick my wounds and recover because I am not one to stay down.”

Aboud’s comment of: “Two stupid holidays in the middle of the week” was screen shot and posted to a group page accompanied by the comment “1% disrespecting the 99%,” which quickly went viral on social media. The comment caused a lot of backlash and racist comments. Aboud is the chief executive officer of Starlite Group Limited.

Aboud, in a subsequent post, clarified that his initial comment was not “an attack on the public.”He further explained that his comment was based on the lack of productivity and challenges faced by most businesses due to the share number of public holidays in T&T, especially when they occur in close proximity to each other.

“There was absolutely no disrespect meant to undermine celebration of our East Indian heritage yesterday (Wednesday) or of Corpus Christi today (Thursday), (I myself am a Roman Catholic), I am and have always been a huge supporter of the equal treatment of every creed, race, gender and religion,” Aboud said.“Saying this I am reminded of and always mindful of our watchwords of Discipline, Production and Tolerance, my remarks were a reflection of the impact of so many public holidays on the first two. I humbly apologise if anyone was offended it was not my intention,” he added.

In another post, Aboud again apologised and added that he was plunged into deeper hurt by the matter in which it was handled by the public.

“Of course they were never intended against any race because I would be insulting myself. Honestly, I am quite hurt by the way this matter was handled. In highlighting with what I think is broken in society the matter was turned against me. Many asked why I didn’t respond earlier, that is because I did not feel it was necessary to defend a comment that was not against any group,” Aboud said.

In a release issued yesterday by the Starlite Group Limited, it condemned the “malicious attack” made against Aboud.

It even added that the group is not affiliated “with any political agenda,” “We at Starlite do all we can to promote good business practices and actively support our local entrepreneurs irrespective of the colour of your skin or the religion you may choose.

“We work with community leaders and local vendors to do the very best that we can to improve our country, but we are not perfect. We will continue to strive towards excellence, setting ourselves as an example of how we would like to see other areas of our community,” the release added.

In June 2017, chairman of the Global Brands Group of Companies, Mario Sabga-Aboud had also issued a statement apologising for statements he made in the CNN production, ‘Parts Unknown’ that featured T&T.

Sabga-Aboud received much criticism after he said that while people of Syrian descent represented one per cent of the population, they were the ‘most powerful’.

In the conversation that followed during a family dinner with ‘Parts Unknown’ host Anthony Bourdain, another family member made reference to the diminishing middle-class and expressed fear that it would no longer serve as a buffer between the “haves” and the “have nots”, leading to possible civil commotion.Sabga-Aboud did apologise and admitted that his words were “careless” and misrepresented himself and his values.

The T&T Police Service (TTPS) yesterday condemned the excessive use of force by citizens against a suspected paedophile in Oropune Gardens on Wednesday.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian, public affairs officer, ASP Michael Jackman said vigilante justice is a serious matter.

“The Police Service does not condone any use of force beyond that which is reasonably necessary in apprehending and detaining a person suspected of having committed, or being in the act of committing an arrestable/serious offence,” Jackman said.

“The same standard of accountability exists for law enforcement personnel as it pertains to our Use of Force Policy.”

His comment came even as the suspect remained hospitalised in critical condition last night following a severe beating at the hands of the residents.

Investigators are also calling on Oropune residents to go to the Arouca Police Station to record official statements on what may have transpired.

It was reported that at about 9 pm on Wednesday, officers of the Arouca station received a report of a wounded man lying on a road in the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) community in Piarco.

Police said hours before they arrived the man was involved in an incident with a six-year-old girl from the community. The child was reportedly walking with a group of her friends when the man attempted to lure her towards him.

“Come baby come. You are my cousin,” he reportedly said.

The girl instead ran home and reported the incident to her mother, who later found the man and confronted him.

The man is said to have run into a bushy area to hide. But the mother notified neighbours, who came to her assistance and lit a fire in the bushy area in an attempt to “smoke out” the man from his hiding place.

The plan worked and the man reportedly ran straight towards the mob of residents. He was then severely beaten and left at the side of the road until residents decided to contact police.

Yesterday, however, someone who claimed to know the suspect “very well” denied the suspect was making any sexual advances at the little girl.

The man also defended the suspect’s decision to take to social media to comment on the images of him following the beating that were released.

“It is so funny how people that know the least tend to always talk the most. This is an innocent man, his only crime is being too friendly to adults or children.

“This man was just at my house, a house full of children and took my baby for a walk a minute before this happened,” the man wrote on social media in response to the chain of comments connected to the images.

“And I am sure a lot of people would of seen him. All he told this child was am your big cuz (cousin) laughing, he always makes jokes nothing more.

“ So because nobody knew him from the area and he talk to a child he must be a rapist smh.”

Investigations are continuing.

As part of its cost-cutting exercise, the University of Trinidad and Tobago is now looking at shutting down some of its 13 existing campuses.

The plan is part of the university’s massive restructuring exercise which started on May 11 with the retrenchment of over 50 academic staff. In line with this, the university will be giving up all campuses deemed surplus to its operations

“The plan was to keep six teaching locations. There is a report but they keep changing it,” a UTT source who did not want to be identified told the T&T Guardian.

It is expected that UTT will give up the Chaguanas (Agora) campus once the main university campus in Tamana is opened.

“They have already met with staff there and indicated this,” the UTT source added.

Agora, which is the only building owned by UTT, will either be rented or leased. It is also suspected that one of the Teachers’ Colleges—Valsayn or Corinth will be closed.

“But this is the fallout if they close Valsayn, the people may gravitate to another institution close by and if they closed down Corinth, people in the south may look to go to the University of the West Indies Campus in Debe,” the source said.

“UTT O’meara may be either sub-rented or given up altogether and Corinth most likely to be given back to the Ministry of Education. Discussions are still underway.”

When contacted for comment on this move, a UTT official who wished not to be identified, declined to speak on the future status of the campuses, but said there are three independent teams “working on the same campus project…Quality Assurance, Capital Projects and the Consultants.”

In January this year, UTT’s Campus at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA) in San Fernando was closed down.

Chairman of the Board of Governors, Professor Ken Julien, had previously issued a release confirming that the main university campus at Tamana will be fully utilised to consolidate several programmes now being offered at its 13 campuses and any newly-approved programmes.

Meanwhile, the T&T Guardian was also told that within the last three years, UTT had hired at least 48 academic staff, including four professors, paying out approximately $4 million in salaries per month. The salaries ranged from $12,000 to $45,000 per month. Among the positions hired from October 2015 to December 2017 were: three Instructor Is ($12,000 to $15,000), four Instructor IIs ($15,000 to $18,000), 19 Senior Instructors ($18,000 to $28,000), 11 Assistant Professors ($22,000 to $32,000), two Associate Professors ($24,000 to $34,000) and four Professors ($35,000 to $45,000).

According to a UTT official, it was partly-based on these exorbitant salaries and the fact that academics was deemed to be overstaffed that the university started its retrenchment process with those staffers. So far, 57 academic staffers have received dismissal letters and an additional 287 non-academic staff members are also expected to be dismissed, Education Minister Anthony Garcia confirmed in the Senate late last month. According to these figures, an estimated total of 346 staffers will be losing jobs in the exercise. Garcia also confirmed that apart from staff cuts, other preliminary action to reduce costs at UTT is expected before the start of the new 2018-19 academic year.

On May 18, at a media conference, UTT’s deputy chairman and acting chairman of the Board of Governors, Prof Clement Imbert, indicated that as the retrenchment continues among the 125 academics, next to go will be about 20 managers and four vice presidents.

DATABASE SERVICE IN TROUBLE AFTER DEFAULT ON $2 MILLION BILL

In January this year, UTT was unable to renew its library databases and e-journals because it was unable to pay the $2 million renewal fee to its supplier.

In a letter to UTT staff dated January 22, 2018, Chief University Librarian Martha Preddie informed staff that so far, the university had lost access to the Science Direct database and added that they have not been able to renew the Naxos Digital Library.

Preddie advised staffers that it is likely that because of the university’s interrupted access to individual databases and e-journals, it “may be curtailed with or without notice from vendors.”

She then advised that they continuously engage to backup all of the references, search results and documents, emanating from their usage of all electronic library resources, “so that you would have retained them, should we lose access to a database or e-journal at any point in time. This advertisement also applies to references saved in RefWorks.”

Regards to this issue, in a previous interview, UTT’s deputy chairman Professor Clement Imbert said that efforts will be made to provide the same service but “not as lavishly as before.”

The situation is part of the university’s continuing financial woes.

Chairman of the Board of Governors, Prof Kenneth Julien, announced on November 1, 2017, that the university would not be able to continue operations beyond January 2018. He noted then that effective November 10, 2017, there were to be significant job cuts at the managerial and academic levels as a result of severe financial constraints and the further 11 per cent decrease in the university’s 2017/2018 recurrent allocation to TT$200 million.

UTT usually gets a monthly subvention of $16.7 million, but for the months of October 2017 to present, they only received $10 million for each month.

UTT recorded a deficit of $33 million in November 2017, while its reserves currently stand at $2 million.

From September 2019, all programmes offered by the University of T&T (UTT) will be available online.

This was disclosed yesterday by UTT president, Professor Sarim Al-Zubaidy.

In an apparent response to the T&T Guardian article which yesterday reported that the university will be shutting down some of its 13 campuses, Al-Zubaidy allayed any fears that the UTT was “shutting down.”

However, he admitted that the maintenance of some of the 13 campuses across the country was extremely high and some of them were being underutilised. As a result of this and as part of its cost-cutting initiatives, the said UTT has undertaken an ongoing campus rationalisation.

“Resulting from this exercise so far, the university has closed the UTT Campus at SAPA which had no programmes scheduled. The business facility, USTART, at Frederick Settlement was relocated to UTT O’Meara Campus. Both of these have resulted in cost savings for the university,” Al-Zubaidy said.

In moving forward, he said UTT will be better serving its students through blended and online learning.

“In this context, I have directed that all programmes be available online by September 2019. As you can imagine, this will take much effort and by September 2018, some of the programmes will be blended with online learning, for greater access by students,” Al-Zubaidy said.

“Again, let me state that UTT is here to stay and here to serve our students and UTT will continue to be an essential part of the tertiary education landscape of Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean.”

Yesterday, the T&T Guardian reported exclusively that as part of its cost-cutting exercise UTT will be closing some of its 13 existing campuses as part of its massive restructuring exercise which started on May 11 with the retrenchment of over 50 academic staff. In line with this, the university will be giving up all campuses deemed surplus to its operations. It is suspected that the plan is to keep six teaching locations and that UTT will give up the Chaguanas (Agora) campus once the main campus in Tamana is opened. Agora, which is the only building owned by UTT, will either be rented or leased. It is also speculated that one of the Teachers’ Colleges—Valsayn or Corinth—will be closed and UTT O’Meara may be either sub-rented or given up altogether.

Oropune residents are now said to be showing genuine regret, remorse and sadness for the man they badly beat last week, after they claimed he attempted to lure a five-year-old girl away from a nearby playground.

Victim Ashdale Mc Hutchinson, 49, died at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, at about 11 am on Sunday.

Mc Hutchinson, who lived at Bon Air Gardens, Arouca, with his mother Jeannette, was visiting his sister Anika and cousin Mario in Oropune Gardens last Wednesday, when he was confronted by a mob of residents. They severely beat him and subsequently hog-tied him before calling the police. Mc Hutchinson was hospitalised since the attack and never regained consciousness.

His sisters Anika, Alisa and Amanda were all overwhelmed with inconsolable grief while at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, for his autopsy yesterday.

“They didn’t have to tie my brother like a hog and kill him just so...for nothing. How could these people live with themselves now?” Anika said.

Mc Hutchinson’s cousin Mario said he invited him over to his house on Wednesday for the Indian Arrival Day holiday so that he could “eat roti and relax.” He said he left to go to a nearby parlour to purchase a cigarette.

“I was told that he went to the parlour and got none so he must have went somewhere else and I feel that was when he got lost,” Mario told the T&T Guardian.

“I was told that he came across the playground and some children were selling chow and he bought out all the chow and gave it away because that is how he was. He was a kind and generous person.”

In a video of the incident that went viral, moments after Mc Hutchinson was smoked out from nearby bushes and badly beaten by the residents, he was heard begging for his life. The residents had accused him of attempting to lure the child by calling her “cousin” but in the video he tried to defend himself, saying he would usually refer to people he would meet as family.

Sister Amanda confirmed his usually good-natured greeting to the T&T Guardian yesterday.

“I know my brother, he meant no harm. He was not a vagrant or piper. He worked very hard for his money at the Macoya Market. He was the sole breadwinner at home too. He took care of his mother,” Amanda said.

Anika also said her brother was robbed, adding she did not believe the alleged paedophile theory being used by the residents to justify the beating.

“They robbed him, his new shoes, new cellphone and money. It was nothing else but that. I want justice...police must lock up everybody from mother to child to everyone who beat him unconscious then revive him by dashing him with water and beating him again.”

It is also alleged that a plainclothes police officer was part of the group who beat Mc Hutchinson.

Yesterday, however, Jeannette said she had already forgiven her son’s attackers. “Only because God say to forgive,” she said.

At Oropune, Mario said a woman came to his house yesterday morning to offer condolences.

“She said she was very sorry for what happened to my cousin. She said she believes that something went terribly wrong, which led to the incident.”

A resident, who wished not to be identified and who was standing outside Building 140 when the T&T Guardian visited the community yesterday, described the incident as “sad.”

“I was sleeping and didn’t hear of it till the next morning. It is very sad and unfortunate.”

Another resident said he remains very shocked.

“This is just terrible to know that this man probably was innocent after all. Nobody not saying nothing but just expressing how sorry they are. People not even saying now whether they were there or not.”

Mc Hutchinson’s relatives explained that because he was such a “good man” they wanted to donate his two kidneys. However, it could not have been done because of a medical complication that was identified.

The autopsy is expected to be conducted today to determine the actual cause of death.

Officers at the Arouca Police Station have turned the case over to Homicide. The T&t Guardian was told officers have so far interviewed five people but no one is taking responsibility for the attack. In fact, those interviewed have been pointing fingers at others, officers said, noting persons involved in the attack could face charges in Mc Hutchinson’s death. Investigations are continuing.

The 12-year-old nephew of Ashdale Mc Hutchinson, who died after an attack by a vigilante mob in Oropune, was sent back home from school on Monday and also kept at home yesterday, as he is said to be having a hard time dealing with his uncle’s death.

His mother - Mc Hutchinson’s sister Anika - told the T&T Guardian her younger son broke down in tears when he came home.

“He is very traumatised and he just couldn’t stay in school on Monday, he was crying and crying and so uncontrollable with the grief and trauma. I even kept him away from school today (yesterday) and until he can deal with it.”

Anika said she was a single parent to three children and her brother acted as a father to them.

“From baby my 12-year-old was with him right through, that is why he is crying so much. The older one turned 18 years and he is also having a hard time dealing with this. He saw the videos going around and couldn’t look at it because he became very angry over how they treated his uncle.”

Anika said the incident had also left her so afraid and traumatised she had not returned to her Oropune home since the incident, adding she may never return to her house. She admitted she was now thinking about moving into her mother’s place in Lopinot so she can better take care of her entire family now that her brother was gone.

“I am drained. I am afraid for my life. I am too frightened to go back there. My children so traumatised. I too. I have not slept since, neither eaten since…neither my children. My sister’s children in a mess too…nobody could function right now,” she said.

She explained that her eldest son will soon be graduating and was looking forward to his uncle’s attendance.

“Now, we not even sure if he will go through with it. My brother didn’t deserve to go through that, the kind and giving person he was, well loved by all.”

Mc Hutchinson had five siblings, four sisters and a brother, and 15 nephews and nieces.

An autopsy on Mc Hutchinson, 46, at the Forensic Science Centre yesterday found he died of blunt force trauma - his head was beaten as though it was an inanimate object.

Anika and her mother, Jeannette, 70, emerged from the centre “in a state of shock and disbelief.”

“All the kick and cuff they hit my brother on his head, the rope they tied around his neck, he got serious head trauma. This is not easy at all…he just didn’t deserve this,” Anika said.

She claimed the residents attempted to burn her brother to death in the bushes because of the fact that dead men tell no tales, and when he ran out they robbed him and badly beat him instead.

The incident occurred on Wednesday a few minutes away from her home but in close proximity to their cousin Mario’s house, where Mc Hutchinson was invited that day.

Mc Hutchinson was accused of attempting to lure a five-year-old girl away from a nearby playground. He was chased after by Oropune residents and attempted to hide in some bushes, but the residents lit the bushes on fire, causing him to run out. He was then held and badly beaten and hog-tied. Parts of the incident were recorded via cell phones and shared on social media.

DILLON CONDEMNS ACT

Meanwhile, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon said yesterday that Mc Hutchinson’s death was caused by an illegal act and not vigilante justice.

In offering condolences to the family, Dillon said citizens have the power under the Criminal Law Act Chapter 10:04 Section 3 (2) to make a citizen’s arrest, but only if a person is in the act of committing an arrestable or serious offence, or was witnessed committing an offence.

“Anything outside of these parameters would be considered illegal, especially if assault is involved,” Dillon said.

In Mc Hutchinson’s case, Dillon noted that prior to making a citizen’s arrest, law enforcement personnel should have been immediately alerted rather than residents resorting to taking the matter into their own hands.

He urged citizens to “respect the rule of law when attempting to execute a citizen’s arrest in accordance with the Criminal Law Act Chapter 10:04 Section 3 (2).”

He also made the call for all citizens to work closely with law enforcement to police their respective communities in an effort to reduce crime and lawlessness.

Two men died following a drive-by shooting in the Beetham Gardens on Monday night, an incident police believe was linked to the murder of reputed gang leader Kevon “Fish” Joseph who was murdered in Gonzales hours before.

One of the men killed in the drive-by, Abraham Quamina, was Joseph’s nephew and it is believed he was targeted as a result of this blood relation. The other man, Alvin Gyan, 37, was on his way home from work. Both men were shot in the back of their heads and died at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

A third man, Derrick Huggins, was shot and wounded but he is currently warded at hospital in a serious condition.

According to a police report, at about 10.15 pm a car pulled up near a bar and its occupants opened fire before escaping in the vehicle.

However, Quamina’s relatives believe it was an unfortunate case of him being “at the wrong place, at the wrong time.”

Quamina’s mother was inconsolable at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, yesterday and had to be assisted to a waiting car. She kept asking relatives why her innocent son had to be killed like that.

A relative explained to the T&T Guardian that life seemed unfair for Quamina. Two years ago Quamina was on his way home to Carlsen Field when he was kidnapped and robbed. This year he also spent four months in hospital after one of his lungs collapsed.

“Now he was killed. One shot to the back of the head,” the relative said, pointing out that Quamina had gone to the Beetham to drop a female friend off when the incident occurred.

Another relative told the T&T Guardian that Quamina was an intelligent individual who pursued mechanical engineering at the MIC at O’Meara. He was also a mentor with a non-governmental organisation providing assistance to other students.

Earlier in the day, Joseph was in the backseat of a car travelling along Belmont Circular Road when he and the driver were ambushed by two gunmen who began shooting at the car. The driver turned into Hermitage Road, got out of the Toyota Corolla and left Joseph, who was wounded. Eyewitnesses told police the gunmen walked closer to the vehicle and shot Joseph several times at close range.

But Joseph’s sister told the T&T Guardian her brother was not a gang leader. Rather, she described him as someone who loved life.

A relative explained that Joseph was arrested last week for possession of a marijuana joint and was granted station bail on Saturday. The relative said he was going home from the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court where he had his case when he was killed. Relatives said the driver was unknown to them but believed Joseph hired him for transport.

Gyan’s brother, Simon, said Gyan worked at a mechanic shop in Petit Bourg and was on his way home when he was hit by a stray bullet.

“He was walking home and that was the time he usually comes home. He has been living in the Beetham for the past 25 years. He was just killed innocently.”

The Beetham double murder took the murder toll to 244 for the year so far.

Investigations are continuing.

Man held with fake US in sting

A 24-year-old man was yesterday held for having US$1,700 in counterfeit bills in his possession during a sting operation at the Grand Bazaar’s food court.

According to a police report, at about 12.30 pm a team of plainclothes police tracked the man to the food court where they arrested him. The man is from Caparo and was up to last night assisting officers in their investigations.

The team of officers consisted of officers from the St Joseph CID and Crime Patrol Unit.

Investigations are continuing.

A high-powered assault rifle was among a cache of guns and assorted ammunition that was found on the Munroe Road, Chaguanas property of the Masjid-ul-Muttaqeen yesterday morning.

Police said at about 8.30 am, a team of workers who are currently conducting maintenance works on the ceiling in the ladies section of the mosque, found several black garbage bags stashed away in the ceiling.

The workers retrieved the bag and to their shock found the weapons and ammunition. The workers went to mosque’s office and reported their findings to Maulana Saeed, who contacted Imam Shiraz Ali. Ali then contacted officials at the Ministry of National Security and T&T Police Service.

A party of police, including Central Division Task Force and CID officers, went to the mosque and retrieved the bags, which contained two shotguns, two pistols and an assault rifle together with an undisclosed amount of assorted ammunition.

In an immediate reaction to the find, a staff member at the mosque sent out a voice message to Darul Uloom staff informing them of the find and asking that they not be alarmed. The male voice indicated that “it was no little find like little gun and thing…it was big.” He then ended the voice note by saying: “May Allah guide us…Assalamualaikum (a Muslim greeting that means Peace be unto you.”

The Masjid subsequently issued a statement saying the illegal firearms and ammunition were secreted there by persons unknown and condemned the act.

“This organisation does not condone any form of illegal activity. Those persons who planted these illegal items in our place of worship did so without the knowledge of the spiritual and administrative leaders of the masjid and our membership,” the statement read.

The administrators also gave assurance that they will co-operate with the police “in every way possible to discover the identities of those person or persons who are responsible for bringing illegal guns and ammunition into the masjid.”

It also noted that the doors of the masjid are open to all Muslims and non-Muslims and added that it has no formal security arrangements in place as it is “a place of worship where our members engage in fellowship, pray and social activities.”

With the holy month of Ramadan in its last ten days of the 30-day fast, Masjid officials said they were in shock.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, an official, who wished not to be identified, said they asked the police to conduct a thorough search of the entire compound to ensure no other guns, ammunition or other illegal items were hidden on the premises. Asked if the find hindered fasting Muslims from coming to the mosque to break their fast after 6 pm last evening, the official replied: “No...the usual numbers came out. People expressed concern because it is normal but we are all hoping that the people behind this are caught. Allah knows best.”

An investigating officer extended kudos to the workers and the mosque’s officials for informing them of the find.

“This could have gone otherwise and by them not hiding this by itself proves a lot,” the officer said.

Asked if the find had any connection to do with the increasing gang activities and shootings between members of the Unruly Isis and the “Muslims,” the officer replied: “We have no such information. This could be an isolated incident.”

Morvant police are investigating death threats made against the life of People’s National Movement councillor Franz “De Lamo” Lambkin.

The death threats came just over one month after he was robbed of a quantity of cash and other valuables, including important documents containing his personal information.

In this latest case, officers received information that on Wednesday at about 2.30 pm, two men were seen lurking around his home in Morvant. The men were also overheard saying: “His car not there…we have to get him to spray him down with bullets.”

On May 3 at about 8.20 am, Lambkin was driving his vehicle along the Lady Young Road in Morvant when, close to the Hilton Trinidad, he stopped to pick up a man he had seen before on the compound of the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation. After a few minutes, the man asked to be dropped off. But when Lambkin stopped his vehicle the man grabbed a pouch containing money and documents, including bank debit and credit cards.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Lambkin said he strongly believes that both incidents are connected. He added that during the May 3 incident he had conversed with the man about employment opportunities which would have become available soon at the regional corporation.

Lambkin said he lodged official reports on both incidents and given this latest one, he has been assured that police patrols will be heightened in and around his community, especially around his home.

Investigations are continuing.

The Imam of the Masjid-ul-Muttaqeen yesterday sent a strong message to those responsible for hiding high-powered guns and ammunition on the mosque’s Munroe Road, Cunupia property, saying stay away from his mosque.

“Take it elsewhere…don’t bring it to the mosque,” Maulana Saeed Ali said as he again distanced his mosque from the find and effectively banned the perpetrators from returning.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian, Ali said they did not want to reach a point where they would have to lock their doors to people.

Instead, he said, he would prefer to send out a stern warning to the people responsible for hiding the weapons on the compound to never return.

“Everybody is willing to attend prayer here at this mosque but whoever wants to be involved with this kind of illegal act do not make us part of that.

“This is a place to pray and worship, let it remain like that…don’t bring it to the mosque. We have a 24/7 hour policy here and we do not want to be forced to lock our doors,” Ali said.

The T&T Guardian was told by a worshipper at the mosque, who wished not to be identified, said the persons who hid the weapons in the ceiling in the women’s section seemed to have good knowledge of the compound.

The ladies section of the mosque, the worshipper added, was a place where there was not much “woman traffic.”

“So whoever is responsible for hiding the weapons there would have known this because there aren’t much women coming here on a daily basis, especially at nights,” the worshipper said.

On Thursday at about 8.30 am, workers conducting maintenance works found several garbage bags stashed away in the ceiling of the toilet in the ladies section of the mosque.

In the bags were an AK-47 assault rifle, two Beretta pistols, two pump action shotguns, a quantity of assorted ammunition, a ski mask and a firearm holster.

Along with the guns, were 23 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 16 rounds of .40mm ammunition and 15 12-gauge cartridges.

Yesterday afternoon, a team of five investigating officers returned to the mosque where they conducted interviews with the Imam and recorded several statements from staff and workers.

No arrest was made in connection with the finds and investigations are continuing.

The mosque shares the compound with the Guiding Stars Academy Primary and Pre-School, but when the find was made on Thursday pupils and staff were not affected. The school is housed in the southern building on the compound, next to the mosque.

However, in an immediate attempt to calm concerned parents, the principal sent out a message assuring that the safety of the children was of utmost importance.

“Please be reassured that we always do our utmost to ensure the safety of our kids, to the extent of restricting unknown persons and even parents from using the facilities upstairs where our Std 1-3 classes are held,” the message read.

It ended by saying: “Jazaakumallahu khairaa for your continued support and understanding. Remember us in your du’aas on this blessed night of Ramadhaan.”

Gangs and gang wars are on the rise in T&T. Statistics reveal that in 2017 there were 211 gangs in T&T—an increase from 172 in 2016 and 92 in 2014. Gang-related murders totalled 998 between 2010 and 2017, while the number of guns seized in gang-related activities in T&T stands at 4,674 (as of 2017)—with some 1,195 firearms seized in 2016 alone. And the numbers of gangs and guns in their hands keep growing.

The Sunday Guardian was informed by a source in the Ministry of National Security that a “secret document” containing the names of gangs, gang members, and respective addresses/locations of the people and gangs in the country up to this time, is currently in the possession of Minister Edmund Dillon and acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams.

But what exactly is being done to deal with gangs and gang warfare in T&T?

Contacted yesterday, Williams said he could not divulge what the T&T Police Service was doing with respect to dealing with gangs, neither divulge if they actually have any information with respect to who the gang leaders and members are, but he assured that they are “doing key things” to address gangs.

Former national security minister Gary Griffith said what is needed to dismantle these gangs is a Covert Operational Unit (COU) in the Police Service. The COU allows for officers to go “undercover deep in the underworld” using an assumed identity for the purpose of gathering or confirming confidential information.

Griffith said during his tenure with the People’s Partnership government he implemented a COU. However, that was short-lived since he was removed from office and the unit has since been disbanded.

Speaking with the Sunday Guardian, Griffith explained that when the unit was in operation he received critical information, such as names and identities of key figures in gangs in T&T.

Griffith said the officers were also able to pinpoint police officers who were affiliated with certain gangs. He said they received information about planned “hits” and gangs being given state contracts under certain names. He said it was through this initiative that they realised over 35 murders were linked to the defunct Life Sport Programme, which was under the Ministry of Sports.

The then minister, Anil Roberts had tendered his resignation in 2014 in the wake of several allegations of corruption arising from the programme.

“Unfortunately, when I was removed as minister the unit was dismantled,” Griffith said.

Griffith said he strongly believes that the present hierarchy in the TTPS does not understand how to use technology and covert operations to “ascertain and pinpoint gangs getting state contracts...It shows the inability of the hierarchy of the Police Service to use these types of systems to shut down the gangs.”

The distribution of state contracts was identified as a main contributor to the fuelling of gangs and its operations.

“All gang members who have an affiliation with anyone who has state contracts, those contracts need to be pulled and it is not being done,” Griffith said.

He explained that the “more contracts” being given to these gangs will fund the gangs allowing them to “get bolder…they are going to get more profit, purchase more sophisticated weapons, they will hire more gang members, they will bribe more people, they will get more state contracts and look to kill other gang members who have contacts to get their contracts, and it will have a domino effect.”

Responding to calls for a COU, Williams said, “I don’t know what they mean by a Covert Operational Unit...well, you would not want me to comment whether we have undercover cops deep in the underworld...you don’t expect me to comment on something like that. I wouldn’t speak on that.

“Matters dealing with gangs are something that we cannot be commenting on. What we do is not available to the public because if it becomes available it will reach the gang leaders and members, but we would be doing key things and are doing key things to address the gangs.”

Dismantling gangs is a long-term project—Figueira

Criminologist Daurius Figueira, meanwhile, said that in order to effectively police gangs “you have to penetrate these gangs using various methods to dismantle them.”

He said the Anti-Gang Bill gives the police a wide range of powers, but will only allow arrests and may not give way to acquiring that needed evidence to prosecute and get people to testify.

“Evidence gathering and getting people to testify could only come if you penetrate the organisations (referring to the various gangs) and it takes time. It is a long-term project,” Figueira said.

“Now, with the Anti-Gang Bill police will only be arresting and charging them, loading up the Remand Yard which turns into gangland, which we already have. The Muslims and Rasta City gangs started in the Remand Yard and it’s now out and that is the problem,” he added.

Figueira questioned whether the TTPS has the means, personnel, and resources to dismantle gangs in T&T.

The public must assist in taking them down—Heerah

Commander Garvin Heerah, former head of the National Operations Centre (NOC), said that the prevailing threat facing T&T is the emerging structure and existence of organised crime and organised criminal activity.

Heerah said with this comes recruitment and ‘links’ in key positions, agencies, and public offices.

“Very visible in society today is the cross-fertilisation of militancy and criminality. These criminal organisations have leadership and command and control. Someone, some figure, somewhere gives instructions and with military precision, they are carried out, more so executed.

“They have their own judge, jury, and executioner.”

Heerah said criminal organisations can include small operations with a handful of individuals who are involved in selling drugs and committing petty crimes. It can also include large-scale organisations that participate in criminal activities as well as legal activities, often combining legal and unlawful activities to help legitimise their organisation and hide the illicit activities.

“In some cases, these organised groups/gangs are linked with foreign counterparts who are facilitating support services and resources,” Heerah said.

Identifying the two types of gangs—the street gangs or the common ones and the white-collar ones, Heerah described both gangs as “intelligent organisations, far more intelligent than the average person or police officer thinks. It requires a particular skills-set to take them down that includes encouraging members of the public to assist safely when they can.

“I would argue that successful prevention of gang violence requires change in attitudes, social norms, governmental policies, and social infrastructures. Every member of the society should take responsibility for preventing gang violence. The initiative has to be inter-ministerial in its bearing,” Heerah said.

Criminologist and Academic Head Caribbean Institute for Security and Public Safety Ian Ramdhanie said one of the biggest political mistakes of the late, former prime minister Patrick Manning was to refer to gang leaders as community leaders. Ramdhanie said Manning tried ‘reverse psychology’ to empower them to see if it could bring about positive change, but it backfired in his face.

He said this practice should be criminalised immediately and any government authority that gives contracts to gang leaders should be dealt with severely by the law, “develop new law with this provision.”

“Just as for citizens who need a certificate of character from the police to get certain jobs for example, so too should all persons who are vying for government contracts be required to get one including gang leaders, gang members, associates, etc. A strong message needs to be sent. They should also be required to get financial clearance from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) or some other financial regulator, for example,” he added.

With respect to known gangs by state authorities, Ramdhanie suggested that these should be on a blacklist when it comes to government contracts.

He said private and international companies who tender for government contracts and use leaders and members of gangs on these contracts should be debarred.

Ramdhanie said a list of these known gangs should be published and be on a website so people will know not to do business with them.

“We should not make gangs feel accepted into mainstream society...They should not benefit from our wealth. They should be in jail, not working for us while other legitimate organisations lose out,” he said.

An undisclosed amount of money donated to the Hare Krishna temple—Sri Sri Radha Gopienath Mandir in Longdenville and to the construction of its Sunday school building for the children of the devotees were stolen during an early morning robbery yesterday.

Several devotees, including two women, who are residents at the temple, which stands on a three-acre of land were fortunately not hurt

One of the male devotees, however, who was found sleeping on the temple’s steps, was tied up and taken around by the three thieves—two armed with cutlasses and the other with a gun.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian, resident devotee Devendra Anuja, 65, said he was outside walking in the yard chanting to Lord Krishna until about 2 am before retiring to bed in the upstairs of the temple.

The incident took place at about 2.30 am. It is believed that the men were hiding in an old abandoned cow shed located at the back of the temple.

“The men came through an unlocked door to the back and they came through the main worship area where they broke the padlock to the donation box and took hundreds of dollars that were given by devotees when they attended our Sunday morning service. Then they made their way to the altar where we have all our deities. They looked around and touched nothing,” Anuja said.

“Then they made their way to a back office where they took the money we had raised for the school building and the renovation of the washroom area.” he added.

Devotee Patrick Henry Drakes, who suffers from chronic back pains, said he was sleeping on the steps as he normally do when he was awakened by the men.

“They asked me what I doing here. I told them that I am homeless and I come here to sleep. They tied my hands and we exchanged a few words to them. They brought me to the front of the deity of the founder of the temple and put me stand up asking me where they keep the money. I told them it didn’t have any here that they usually do not keep money here,” Drakes said.

Anuja said that while Drakes stood there one of the men attempted to strike the founder’s deity, “They ended up not doing it.”

He added that the men went upstairs to the women’s quarters and had just opened the door when something distracted them and they went back downstairs, “there were two women in there and luckily the thieves didn’t go in.”

Anuja, however, sent a warning to the three men, saying that “they have a price to pay for what they did.”

“They may break the laws of the land but they cannot break the laws of God and we are confident that they will be punished,” Anuja said.

Pundit Satyanand Maharaj, of the Satya Anand Ashram, said the recent spate of attacks show that criminal elements view religious institutions as “soft targets.”

“It appears that the criminal elements view religious intuitions as soft targets. This, coupled with the fact that the police appear to be impotent to deal with increasing criminality, augments the vulnerability of religious institutions.”

Last Tuesday, thieves broke into the Las Lomas #2 temple since its opening in February for the second time. Last month armed men entered the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Freeport where they robbed the spiritual leader Pundit Gajendra Kumar and his family of cash and jewelry.

In December 2017, Father Clyde Harvey was robbed by armed men at St Martin’s RC Church in Gonzales, Belmont, and several other religious buildings were robbed in separate incidents last year.

A 33-year-old woman from South Trinidad fears for her life and her four children, three of whom are living with her.

Her fears became more of a reality yesterday on the heels of Monday’s incident where Kemba Olufemi’s ex-lover Lloyd Logan, 60, tried to shoot her and then used the gun to beat her mercilessly on her head.

After the attack, Logan drank poison in the car park of Tropical Plaza, Pointe-a-Pierre, and later died at hospital.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian at her 68-year-old mother’s home yesterday, the distraught woman said this incident has brought on “indescribable fears” and reminded her of how often she would be badly beaten in public and no one would help her.

“I would be there screaming and begging people to come and help me but everybody just either looked on and did nothing or just passed straight like if they never heard me or saw me being dragged by my hair, or kicked or cuffed, or stomped on or even thrown in the air or into things,” the woman said as she broke down in tears.

She said up to yesterday she received several death threats from her 48-year-old common-law-husband who lives in Central. She played several of the voice messages left on the cell phone of her 15-year-old son for the T&T Guardian to hear. In one, a male voice is heard hurling obscenities and death threats.

“I will kill you and the entire family,” the man said in one of the recordings.

The woman and the man have three other children ages five, seven and 12.

“For 15 years I endured severe abuse. Many times he raped me. I was hospitalised at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex on one occasion. I was tied to the wardrobe at our home in Central and beaten. I was tied and forced to watch him do things in front of me. I was assaulted with cucumbers and deodorant bottles,” the inconsolable woman said.

The woman said she sought help from the courts but added that the system had failed her.

“Just this week I went to court and the matter was withdrawn by the magistrate despite the fact that I sent all these voice messages. The matter was withdrawn and I was told to go to the Family Court and see how I could get help,” she said with tears in her eyes.

“I thought the system would protect me but it has thrown me basically to my death. I am very scared. The man has stopped all money for me and the children. I don’t even have food for myself and my children much less to retain an attorney to protect my life and the lives of my children.”

The T&T Guardian was told by a police source that several reports were made to the police but that so far officers have been only able to secure an interim protection order for the woman.

An eight-year-old schoolboy is currently warded at the San Fernando Teaching Hospital with a broken left leg after an incident at his school last month where he was allegedly attacked by another pupil while at school.

The schoolboy from South had to undergo surgery where a surgical pin was placed through- and- through his left leg just above the knee in an attempt to hold the broken bones together.

He is said to be in extreme pain and cannot be administered with strong painkillers at the moment.

Speaking from his bedside yesterday at the Paediatric Ward, his concerned mother said she was told that there was an incident involving her son at the school and that she should immediately come in.

She said, “When I got there I saw that my son’s leg was swollen and his leg bent. We took him to the hospital and X-rays done showed the bone completely broken. He has been warded here ever since and the doctors said his leg would have to remain in that pin maybe for the next 16 days.”

The mother said she met with the principal of the school and the mother of the child. “In the end it seems to me as though the principal is labelling it as an accident and the mother of the child said her son would never do anything like that (referring to the incident).”

The boy, who was engaged mostly on his tablet playing “subway surfer” took a few minutes to say what happened.

“I was in the auditorium when the boy come up and slap me in my eye and then he jumped kicked me and I fell down and started to cry.

The injured boy, in the presence of his mother added that the same boy had beaten him up before. When the mother heard this she expressed shock over this new revelation, “This is the first time I am hearing this one…He never told me this before.”

The mother said when she went to the Ministry of Education’s south office to lodge a report of the incident, she was told that the principal did not contact them on any such incident, “They took my report and told me that they will follow up on it. The police was not informed also but I did everything I know I am supposed to do.”

Before the T&T Guardian news team left, the little boy said he wanted to be an attorney when he grows up.

When contacted yesterday for comment, a ministry official, who wished not to be identified, said they have received a report on the incident and added that investigations have already commenced.

Efforts to reach the principal for comment proved futile as the school’s phone went unanswered.

A 19-year-old man from Laventille, who was wanted in connection with a series of shootings, was killed in a shootout with police officers yesterday.

According to a police report, at about 2.30 am Inter-Agency Task Force members went to the Picton Road, Laventille home of Shane Fraser to execute a search warrant. However, the officers claimed they were shot at the Fraser. The officers returned fire, shooting Fraser, who later died of his injuries at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

Fraser was said to be the main suspect in a series of shootings involving police officers.

Investigations are continuing.

In an unrelated incident, a 23-year-old Talparo man was arrested by police after a loaded revolver was found in his possession. Acting on intelligence a team of officers went to a popular bar in Arima where they searched the suspect and found a .38 revolver loaded with two rounds of ammunition.

The team consisted officers of the Northern Division Special Investigations Unit (NDSIU), Northern Division Area East Task Force and Arima CID.

The man will appear before an Arima magistrate today. NDSIU’s PC Kerr is investigating.

The International Women’s Resource Network (IWRN) has offered support to the 33-year-old mother of four, who has been a victim of domestic abuse for the past 15 years.

The woman, whose worst fears became more of a reality on the heels of Monday’s incident where Kemba Olufemi’s ex-lover Lloyd Logan, 60, tried to shoot her and then used the gun to beat her mercilessly on her head, told the T&T Guardian her own story of abuse and where no one came to her help when she was being beaten in public over the years.

The woman, who also received several death threats from her 48-year-old common-law husband who lives in Central, said the justice system failed her and exposed her life and the lives of her children at the mercy of the abusive man.

Recently, the matter was withdrawn from the courts and the magistrate instructed her to go to the Family Court as her next step.

However, the woman, who was inconsolable, related that because she was tied up, beaten badly and sexually assaulted by the man, said she is left with no money to see about herself and her children ages five to 15.

However, IWRN president Adriana Sandrine Isaac-Rattan yesterday confirmed that they were attempting to “get an attorney on board to help her.”

The IWRN was just one of few organisations that expressed the need to reach out to the woman, for which she is grateful.

“I feel happy and relieved that something positive going to happen and my life and the lives of my children will be saved…but I’m very scared at the same time. I want to thank everyone for helping me in advance—my children need it,” the woman said as she broke down in tears.

A University of T&T lecturer caught in a video using profanity towards his students was said to have been “only appealing to the students in the class to listen and take their studies for serious.”

The 39-second video, which went viral over the past 24 hours on social media, showed the lecturer, dressed in a grey hoodies jacket, scolding the students using “strong profanity”. The man was yesterday identified as a former Physics lecturer who was based at the South campus for the past 13 years. Ironically, he was one of the lecturers whose contracts were terminated in the first phase of a restructuring exercise by the university. The video in question, however, was taken seven months ago.

UTT management sources confirmed that the lecturer taught at the university but made it clear he was retrenched and not fired from the university over the said video.

In the video, the lecturer can be heard saying: “Listen, listen…if you don’t want to listen, it simple and you don’t want to hear pick up your bag and get the @#$% out the class…Alright! – because I have classes back to back and I had to tell the next class last week that I had four f@#$% funerals in two f@#$% weeks to come and f@#$% sit down here and hear alyuh don’t do alyuh work…” He then gesticulated and re enacted how the students would sit back on their chairs and act like they’re not listening and referred to them as “Big a$$@@%.”

However, speaking in his defence yesterday, the UTT source said the lecturer was at the time going through “serious emotional stress.”

“His mother had passed away around that time and he was under so much emotional stress that he had to hire a driver to come to work,” the UTT source, who confessed to being the lecturer’s friend, said.

A UTT lecturer, who also wished not to be identified, said on the day in question the then-lecturer was scolding his students because they were very disruptive in class.

“He had set up a lab for them and they didn’t go to the lab. He told them that he had to bend backwards for them to get the lab and was very angry that they did not go.

He was appealing to them to take their work seriously…yes the profanities may have been a little over but he was trying to drive home a point to them,” the UTT lecturer said.

The UTT lecturer noted that at the end of that very semester all the students in the said class failed their exams and the same ex-lecturer had to teach them again, “just to know that they all passed their exams the second time around so these students did take him for serious after all and bucked up. He was always known to genuinely care for the students and make sure that he always worked closely with them and supported them. He meant nothing abusive or bad.”

Another close friend of the ex-lecturer said he was very distraught and troubled over the release of the video. The friend said he was looking to move on with his life in a “new direction” and now has to deal with this issue.

“He heard about it and really is upset about it, so distraught that he has switched off his phone because he has been answering calls continuously since it went viral. He is out of teaching now and looking to go into a new different way in life.

Some of his former students who knew him well are rooting for him in all this though.”

But T&T Unified Teachers Association president Lindsay Doodhai yesterday condemned the use of obscene language by teachers during the performance of their duties.

“Teachers should not be using obscene language in their classes no matter the situation. Its use is inexcusable.”

Also contacted yesterday, Education Minister Anthony Garcia said he was told that UTT had since launched an investigation into the incident. He added that teachers need no reminder of how they are supposed to behave, “teachers know exactly how they supposed to behave, interact with students and compose themselves.”

He added that any teachers caught in similar situations will be investigated and necessary disciplinary actions will be taken accordingly.