Letter: Jack Warner to Guardian's Debra Wanser about misleading headline

Debra,
After reading today's issue of the Sunday Guardian, I pondered long and hard whether I should lodge any complaint of any kind owing to the sensitivity of the media but I have decided to do so owing to our long standing relationship and, more importantly, of credible interaction with you in your desk at the Sunday Guardian.

I was at the Police Youth Clubs' Sports meeting at Edinburgh 500 on Saturday last and, after the parade and judging of the bands I was approached by some members of the media on several issues including your Reshma Ragoonath. 

I hesitated to speak with them owing to my experience with the media these past weeks and based on my pronouncement at another function on Thursday last when I said that "You write, I'll read".

Notwithstanding my initial concerns, based on the advice of my Special Adviser, Francis Joseph (whom I contacted) that the members of the media present are of the highest tenets of the tradition (which was also confirmed by free lancer Daryll Heeralal who was present) I agreed to participate in the interview.

All the media persons present reported exactly what I said and except for the Guardian none of them had a misleading headline and herein lies my disgust at today's front page headline - which I never said. 

Nowhere in Ms Ragoonath's quotation from me was such a statement ever made. I was appointed as Minister of National Security by the Hon Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and it is within her portfolio to remove me (or any other Minister for that matter) at anytime. 

I perused Ms Ragoonath's quotations from in the article throughout and not once could I have found such a statement attributed to me. Why then the deliberately misleading headline, for which she can in no way beheld accountable? What it is intended to achieve is quite clear but why use the medium of the Sunday Guardian to achieve that?

I know your company's aim is to sell your newspapers and the debasement and malign of Jack Warner and his family are the biggest drawing cards in an otherwise sick society but is it really necessary to lower the bar so low?

I commend Ms Ragoonath for the professional way in which she wrote her article but, alas, I have nothing but shame for the continuing role of the Guardian and others in attempting to destabilise this government. 

And to add insult to injury, your newspaper then interviews two former PNM Ministers of Foreign Affairs to get their views on Jack Warner, with a front page blurb of Paula Gopee-Scoon, the worst Minister of Foreign Affairs ever!

I conclude by saying that, in future, before I give any interviews with your newspaper I will first seek to get certain assurances failing which I will not be participating in any interviews. Furthermore I will be forwarding this e.mail of complaint to the owners of the Guardian to show them what a "professional" work his staff at the Guardian is doing.

Regards | Jack Warner

PM Kamla still seeking information on Warner issue; won't comment further until facts are established

PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar: "I would make an informed decision in this matter once the facts are established."

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said in a media release Saturday she has no further information on matters reported in the international and local media relating to a story that first came from the Reuters news agency.

The Reuters story stated that Jack Warner's son, Daryan Warner, is a "cooperating witness" in an FBI investigation into alleged corruption in international soccer, citing unnamed U.S. law enforcement sources.

Read the story:

FBI has cooperating witness for soccer fraud probe: sources

Soon after the Reuters story came was brought to the PM's attention on March 27th she office release the following statement:

"I will not rely on published reports in the media, but will again seek to get official corroboration of the information now in the public domain before making any determination or pronouncement."

In Saturday's media release the PM stated that on that same day she instructed Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Dookeran to pursue the matter using the established diplomatic channels to obtain the relevant facts and seek clarification on the reported allegations.

She also asked Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, to write his counterpart, the US Attorney General, Eric Holder Jr., directly "to seek his personal intervention in the matter so that there can be official confirmation of the facts and circumstances surrounding this the alleged investigation".

She said, "Unfortunately, whilst there has been great diplomatic cooperation, attempts to elicit further information and clarification have thus far not been successful."It would be premature if not prejudicial for me to act without any official clarification or confirmation from the US Authorities on this controversial and sensitive matter."

The Prime Minister added that she is committed to upholding the high ethical standards "which the public legitimately and rightly expects of my Government, but I am equally mindful that the commitment to the rule of law requires balance and respect for the presumption of innocence.

"As Head of the Government, I would make an informed decision in this matter once the facts are established."

PM Kamla awaits report on nationwide power outage

PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine get up update from technical personnel when she visited the Powergen Station in Penal at around 5:08 Friday morning

Electricity has been restored to most of Trinidad and Tobago following a nationwide outage that began just after midnight Thursday due to a faulty system at the main natural gas supplier.

Read the story:

T&T national blackout caused by malfunction in gas supply system

On Friday evening the office of the PM issued a media release noting that Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar in the early morning hours of Friday 29th March - Good Friday - responded to the nationwide blackout by increasing the alert state and rallying personnel at TTEC, NGC , WASA and ODPM to bring the matter under control in quick time. 

It added, "Throughout the night Prime Minister led the security mechanisms via constant communication with the Commissioner of Police, Chief of Defence Staff and National Security Operations Centre.

"Fighting a flu, Prime Minister then visited the PowerGen facility at 5 am Friday with the Minister of Energy and Energy Resources for an update from officials.

"In less than eight hours power was restored to most of the nation. Not settled with those quick results the Prime Minister has ordered reports on the cause of the power failure with specific advice on preventing any such re-occurrence in the future.

"The Prime Minister wishes to reiterate her thanks and appreciation for the efforts of personnel from the utility, security and energy sectors."

PM Kamla among world's best dressed leaders

The lime green dress worn for the swearing-in

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is one of the best dressed leader in the world. That's according to VANITY FAIR magazine.

The fashion and lifestyle magazine's March 27, 2013 names Persad-Bissessar at number six among the 10 Best Dressed World Leaders.

The photo used

by VANITY FAIR

This is what it says about her:

"KAMLA PERSAD-BISSESSAR
Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
The first female prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago—and the second first female prime minister on this list—Kamla Persad-Bissessar chose a shiny, lime-green suit for her swearing-in and has not ceased experimenting with more adventurous fashion since. She pairs drop earrings with pearl necklaces, brooches with statement lapels, pink jackets with purple eye shadow, and, most notably, a punchy personal style with political appropriateness."

The photo the magazine chose in its publication is one with Persad-Bissessar wearing a sari:

The list in order of listing is:

1. David Cameron, PM of the United Kingdom
2. Laura Chinchilla, President of Costa Rica
3. Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
4. Sonia Gandhi, President of the Indian National Congress
5. Barack Obama, President of the United States of America
6. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, PM of Trinidad & Tobago
7. Werner Faymann, Chancellor of Austria
8. Joyce Banda, President of Malawi
9. Enrique Pena Nieto, President of Mexico
10. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, President of Iceland

Photo story: Multicultural Kamla

Kamla Persad-Bissessar: A PM for ALL the people

PM Kamla's message on Spiritual Baptist Shouter Liberation Day

On behalf of the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago, I extend warm greetings to the Spiritual Baptist Shouter Community, as our Nation commemorates Spiritual Baptist Shouter Liberation Day. 

In our daily lives we often we look for heroes, for men and women who can inspire us with their great deeds and sterling accomplishments. We speak highly of them and the honour which they bring to family, community and country. They may be individuals, but often they are groups or persons united around a common cause. 

Our Shouter Baptist sisters and brothers are one such group of heroic persons. For thirty-four years, from the enactment of the Shouters Prohibition Ordinance in 1917 to its repeal in 1951, the men and women of the Spiritual Baptist Shouter Faith experienced brutality, humiliation and discrimination in their enduring struggle for self-realization and acceptance.

Yet throughout these years of struggle they never abandoned their faith. Branded heathen and barbaric, persecuted by the authorities and forced to worship in secret; our Shouter Baptist sisters and brothers demonstrated a steadfastness and strength of mind and spirit that must be admired.

Their fight for legitimacy and equality is now part of our history. Their victory has become our shared triumph as a multicultural Nation and a reminder that freedom to worship as one chooses must never be taken for granted. In 1996 further status and recognition was given to Spiritual Shouter Baptist community by the granting of a national holiday on March 30th, to commemorate the anniversary of the repeal of the oppressive Shouters Prohibition Ordinance. 

As citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, we can take pride in the knowledge that in the face of persecution, we have another community who stood firm and has managed to evolve adding to the diversity of our country. 

The passionate expression of your Faith is indelibly etched in the hearts and minds of all citizens, as we acknowledge your contribution to the music and literature of our country. 

In solidarity with our Shouter Baptists brothers and sisters, today we clap, sing, dance and make a joyous noise in praise and thanksgiving for all that we are, all that we have achieved and all that we are yet to become as citizens of vibrant, talented and culturally diverse Nation.

May God continue to bless us all and may God Bless our great Nation. 

Read about Shouter Baptists Liberation Day - a column by Richard Thomas

T&T national blackout caused by malfunction in gas supply system

PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine
make a site visit to learn more about the nationwide power outage

Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine issued a media release Friday confirming that the nationwide power outage in the country was caused by a malfunction of the emergency shutdown system at the Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited plant at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate.

The full statement is published below:

"At 12:25 am on March 29 2013, the Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited (PPGPL) plant at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate tripped as a result of a malfunction of their emergency shutdown system. 

"This impacted the delivery of natural gas to the national gas grid. This also impacted the delivery of natural gas to the PowerGen Point Lisas power station which consequently resulted in blackouts across the country.

"Thereafter, systems and contingencies were put in place by Government to restore power in the shortest possible time as well as to ensure the safety and security of all citizens.

"On advice that the restarting of the PowerGen Penal facility was critical for restoring power throughout the country, the Prime Minister and Minister of Energy visited same in order to oversee the operations.

"The Prime Minister and Minister of Energy were assured by the management and staff that every effort was being taken to restore operations at the facility. The Prime Minister and Minister of Energy were kept updated by all relevant agencies including the NGC, PowerGen, TGU and TTEC throughout the night as to the status of efforts to restore the nation’s electricity supply.

"By the early hours of March 29 power had already been restored in some areas and work was apace to ensure same throughout the nation.

"The Prime Minister has requested that the Minister of Energy present a report on this incident with a focus on recommendations to ensure the future energy/ electricity security of the country. 

"The Prime Minister thanks all those dedicated officers and citizens who ensured the safety and security of the nation as well as those directly involved in returning the nation’s supply of electricity."

Nationwide blackout hits T&T: PM orders high security alert

Within minutes of a nationwide power outage in Trinidad and Tobago Thursday night Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar increased the country's national security alert.

Acting in her joint capacity as PM and Chair of the National Security Council she enacted the precautionary measure to ensure that law and order was maintained, and critical infrastructure remained secure during the blackout.

The Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force and Trinidad and Tobago Police Service were mobilised and deployed into several key areas throughout the country, supported by air patrols from the National Security Operations Centre. 

There was one reported incident of attempted looting at a supermarket in Barataria, but this was prevented due to the intervention of law enforcement officials on the scene.

Coordination of the security effort continues via the National Strategic Command and the National Emergency Operations Centre, comprising all emergency systems and these agencies were prepared to respond to any incident if necessary.

As Chair of the National Security Council Persad-Bissessar has requested a full report from the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs and the Ministry of Public Utilities as to the cause of the blackout and what contingencies or redundancies should be put in place to avoid a recurrence of such a situation.

She assured the public that all necessary agencies were working to rectify the problem.

Power was restored to most customers early Friday morning. 

A media release from T&TEC said:

“Customers in Penal and environs, served by the Syne village Substation, were the first ones to be reconnected after a nationwide electricity outage occurred at 12.37a.m. today Friday March 29,2013.

"The outage stemmed from two causes - a problem with the gas supply from Phoenix Park Gas Processors Ltd, which affected Trinidad, and a subsequent problem at the Cove Power plant, which affected Tobago. 

"TTEC was able to restart the generators at Cove soon after, restoring power to the island from as early as 1a.m. The final customer came back on at approximately 3a.m.

"In Trinidad, the process of restoration started at approximately 4.45 am as there was some delay in restarting the generators at the PowerGen plant in Pt Lisas. The process to restart a generator after a complete shutdown - called a black start - can take hours, as the machines have to gradually be brought back up to full capacity."

President Carmona's Holi message: "We will ultimately be vindicated once we commit to do what is right"

It gives me great pleasure to bring greetings to the Hindu community, and to the rest of the nation, on the occasion of the celebration of Phagwa, or ‘Holi’.

We cannot help but admire the colour, splendour and joy that characterise this religious festival of great significance to Hindus worldwide. It is, therefore, not surprising that our local celebrations, which include dancing, singing chowtal and pichakaree and, of course, the throwing of abeer, continue to be enjoyed by many citizens regardless of their religion.

Within the Phagwa story, however, lies the true reason for the joyful celebration. 

According to the story, Prahalad, a young boy, was the son of an evil King who demanded that everyone in his kingdom stop worshipping God and worship him instead. For choosing to continue to worship God, despite his father’s demands, young Prahalad was ordered to be burnt to death but miraculously, he was saved.

The courage of young Prahalad, in the face of persecution and certain death, was derived from his faith in God. He did what he believed was right, left the consequences up to God and he was vindicated – a powerful lesson from a child.

As a nation, we do well to aspire to the courage of this young Hindu devotee. Let us always remember that we will ultimately be vindicated once we commit to do what is right, regardless of the seeming consequences and attendant challenges in so doing.

My family and I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Phagwa 2013.

PM Kamla's Holi message

File: Celebrating Holi in Trinidad. Photo credit: Max Ottley

Dear Fellow Citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, 

For the first time in our diverse and multi ethnic Trinidad and Tobago three religious festivals will be celebrated this weekend: Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day, Easter and Phagwa.

Phagwa or Holi is celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago by the Hindu Community as the Festival of the Harvest and is signaled by the bloom of the Poui trees that are part of the landscape of our beautiful islands.

Phagwa is also known as the Festival of Colour in which people dance to special songs known as chowtals and squirt abeer and smear gulal on each other in merriment.

There is also a solemn religious significance. It marks the destruction of evil in the embodiment of Holika and the triumph of the forces of good.

Read the story of Holika and Prahlad

This like many other religious festivals transcends all boundaries and is now celebrated throughout Trinidad and Tobago as a national festival. 

There are various aspects of Holi, or Phagwa, which makes it significant to our lives. It is a time when cultural and social barriers are broken down and people gather in pure merriment. It reminds us that good always triumphs over evil and that we must always use the opportunities which present themselves in our lives in a positive way.

Today, as we play together today, enjoying the fun and friendship that is associated with Phagwa, let that sense of camaraderie extend to your daily lives, to your homes, to your schools, and to your communities. Be a true reflection of the beautiful colours of this festival that binds you to your heritage, your faith, your culture, your values, and your hopes for a brighter future.

On this auspicious weekend of festivals on behalf of myself, my family and my Government, I wish everyone Happy Holi.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, S.C., M.P. 
Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

PM's Easter message: "We are the Easter people, and hallelujah is our song.”

Dear fellow citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. 

Again I am grateful to be able to share some thoughts with you especially during this Holy Week, which, for many faithful citizens, is a particularly special spiritual time. 

Indeed, this year will be the first time that four observances will be celebrated on the same weekend. These being: Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day, Phagwa – also known as Holi – the Jewish Passover, celebrated by a very small community, and Easter, a major observance for Christians.

Although these religious festivals are celebrated internationally, I am of the opinion that Trinidad and Tobago has been especially blessed to be the repository of such a confluence of auspicious spiritual blessings – a gift of which we must all, as citizens, be mindful. It is a lesson that we must recognize and appreciate; that we should respect and love each other, albeit acknowledging that we can be different but united in diversity.

These various observances share common denominations. They are, undoubtedly, proponents of two special graces: Joy and Peace. If we are, individually and collectively, to understand and internalize the true meaning of those gifts, we are obliged to examine our consciences and in so doing, seek truth and beauty in all things; and affirming simply, and with humility, to no longer allow negatives from the past and present, to influence our thoughts and our lives, and reduce or compromise our inner sense of peace and well-being.

This calls for courage and faith. Faith in a higher power to love, guide, and protect us all so that we may stand in truth and light and be our best selves for community and country.

Let us, in our valiant efforts to improve our lot in life for the national interest, let go of all bitterness, anger, resentment, and regret and concentrate on the positives in every endeavour.

Let us willingly eschew the painful past and claim an inheritance of love and prosperity that will redound to the benefit of our young people and our children’s children.

My dear citizens, this is the season of renewed faith and joyful hope. 

Easter is the sacred celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It is the oldest and holiest Christian festival; the climax and centre of the Liturgical Year, and the holy day to which all other holy days point. Let us commemorate it with tremendous gratitude and thanksgiving.

Click here to read about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Let us love our neighbour as ourselves. Of all the earthly music which reaches farthest into heaven, is the beating of a truly loving heart.

Blessed Pope John Paul II, when departing these shores on the 5th February 1985 following a short visit here said, and I quote: “Do not be afraid, do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people, and hallelujah is our song.”

As we congregate across our blessed nation to celebrate and observe, with reverence, the various spiritual and religious festivals that define the rainbow character of Trinidad and Tobago, I am pleased to convey on behalf of myself, my family, and the Government, my sincerest best wishes to the national community for peace, love, joy, and prosperity now and in the future.

May God, the father of all creation bless and keep us and May God Bless our Nation.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, S.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

"Good can win if we hold strong to our beliefs in what is right": Jack Warner

This year our nation is blessed that three major religious sects in our cosmopolitan society are observing spiritual occasions all at the same time. 

The Christian community celebrates Easter; the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Our Hindu brothers and sisters celebrate the festival of Phagwa or Holi; the triumph of Prince Prahalad over his egotistical father King Hiranya-Kasapu and his evil aunt Holika. 

The Spiritual Shouter Baptist community observes Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day; the recognition of their rights to freely practice their religion.

It is yet another occasion to cherish the diversity of our culture, the harmony with which we co-exist and how fortunate we are to share in so many experiences and traditions at the same time in the small place – something that not many other countries have.

What is of particular significance is that all three observances share the theme of renewal and rebirth, and the conquering of challenges to faith. 

Christ triumphed over physical death to bring the promise of a new life. Prahalad vanquished the evil forces that had conspired to kill him because of his virtuous beliefs. And Shouter Baptists defeated the forces of oppression and victimization, ensuring the survival of their way of life.

Each of these three faiths reminds us that good can win if we hold strong to our beliefs in what is right. They remind us that hope must be kept alive. And that even when things seem to be at their lowest there can still be a turn around.

This message of hope is very much relevant to our society as we battle the numerous manifestations of evil and destruction that are plaguing us today. Whether it is crime, economic hardship or other forms of strife, we can overcome it if we resolve in our hearts never to quit. 

On behalf of the United National Congress and our Political Leader The Honourable Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, I wish each and every one a happy and blessed “Holy Weekend”. 

I also wish to issue a reminder to the national population that in whatever way they chose to spend this weekend, the need for caution and safety should not be disregarded.

Jack Warner, Chairman - United National Congress (UNC)

Flu hits PM Kamla

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has the common cold and her doctors have recommended bed rest for her.

The office of the PM issued a brief media release Thursday advising of the PM's health condition. 

It added, "Prime Minister extends best wishes to all citizens on the occasion of Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day, Easter and the celebration of Phagwa."

Letter: Big business should not seek state subsidy

I read in one of the daily newspapers today (Thursday) a comment emerging from the Chief Operating Officer of the Ansa Mcal Group, Gerry Brooks, who is now suggesting that the Government provide incentives to companies engaged in upgrades of their operating systems.

This has got to be the most incredible hogwash that I have ever heard from a business executive in Trinidad & Tobago.

Does the Ansa Mcal Group understand the concept of competitiveness? Of needing to invest in its own survival and growth? Or being required to either compete, attract the best talent and provide the best goods and services, or fold?

Exactly how does a company, which has just recorded its largest ever revenue and profit, justify wanting State support to further enhance its profitability? What Brooks is saying is really tantamount to corporate URP!

Economic conditions set by Government policy have clearly been very favourable considering the company's record breaking results, so it is not that the comppany can argue restrictive tax structures or fiscal deficiencies.

What Brooks is really calling for is a free ride to profit by the company, without any requirement to take responsibility for itself. And I believe that he has taken capitalism well beyond reason by suggesting something as foolish as asking a Government to invest in a private company's profitability.

Perhaps when the Ansa Mcal Group begins investing in its own employee growth and benefit, then it can make such foolish requests of a Government.

Jairam Bhola

Commentary: Let's not lose focus on the role of media in a democracy

It's easy to lose focus. And the reaction to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's statement that there are "rogue elements" in the media demonstrates just that.

Speaking at a political meeting Monday the PM and Political Leader of the United National Congress (UNC) called on the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) to "not only be a watchdog body in defence of journalists, but also hold some of its members accountable for either wilfully or unwittingly misinforming the society."

She was referring to some recent local media reports that have been inaccurate and in some cases downright wrong and malicious. However, she was careful to preface her comments by stating that she was not at war with the media or picking a fight. She was, of course, bothered that some reports have been less than fair and truthful.

Persad-Bissessar said, "We need to take the profession of reporting to newer heights of personal and institutional professionalism and excellence" and added that the duty of the media goes beyond its role to inform and educate. "It is equally the duty of the media to be fair and to be truthful," she said.

She acknowledged the role of media by stating, "The fourth estate as journalism is in itself a political force in any democracy, and its integrity is based on being fair and unbiased." 

Read the story:

Kamla slams "rogue" elements in the media; reaffirms support for media

All of this had to do with a front page Guardian report about Anil Roberts being under investigation, which is not true. Roberts raised the issue first and announced that he was taking legal action against the writer of the article, her editor and the newspaper. 

That is his right in a free and democratic society as is the right of the media to publish without fear or intimidation. But what if the reporter and the paper erred?

The evidence in the public domain suggests that the Guardian got the story wrong since the Integrity Commission confirmed that Roberts was not under investigation. Roberts also claimed that the reporter used a direct quote from him although she never spoke with him.

In response to that the reporter told the media the comment from Roberts that she used "was solicited by one of her editors" and inserted into her story in the interest of "balance and fairness, and that is a normal practice".

However, she said she had called Roberts "several times" and he didn't respond. Yet she inserted a direct quote from him in her story while admitting she never spoke with the man.

And on Monday night Roberts produced a document which he said was from the reporter's colleague. That document, according to Roberts, stated that Roberts never gave a comment other than what he said about a robbery at the home of PNM legislator Colm Imbert.

So first she got the story wrong, inserted a comment from Roberts although she admitted that she never spoke to him and the man who is supposed to have "solicited" the comment has denied ever talking to Roberts about the matter.

If you consider all this data objectively you would have to conclude that the reporter erred. Why then is everybody chastising the Prime Minister for just asking MATT to police its own to make sure that journalists follow the ethical rule of truth, fairness and balance in reporting?

Why is the MATT president "perplexed" by the Prime Minister's statements? Suzanne Shepherd should know better. Nobody was "targeting" any reporter; people were saying the report was wrong and that reporters in general should follow the ethics and rules of the profession. 

Freedom of the press does not mean freedom to be irresponsible and freedom to distort reality. Everybody keeps talking about freedom of the press and what the constitution says. We all know what it says. However we must stop behaving as if that "freedom" is without limit. Does it give the media a licence to make up news and print stories without following the most basic rules of the profession? 

Does that freedom give the media the right to malign people without verifiable data? Does it give the media the right to fabricate stories and tell lies?

For now, the evidence in the public domain shows the paper was wrong and that it might have distorted or fabricated some of the information used in the story. If it goes to court we'll learn a lot more and perhaps sort out this business of media freedom and responsibility. 

Let's not lose focus on what is the real issue. No one is intimidating or targeting a reporter or challenging her constitutional right to freedom to write and publish. What people are asking is that this reporter and others working in the media follow the most basic rules of their profession.

The code of ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists states in part:

"Seek Truth and Report It...
"Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.
"Journalists should:
— Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.
— Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing...

— Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context."

Read the CODE

Journalism is an essential part of democracy. Let's do it right and be the watchdogs we should be. But please, let us not be thin skinned and cry foul every time we make a mistake and someone points it out.

Jai Parasram

Related: 
Commentary: Should the PM stand in defence of women no matter what the circumstance?

Read also:
Commentary: Media must be fair and balanced

Guest commentary: Rogue elements in the media

by Robin Montano - THE RAG
The uproar in the Press to the Prime Minister's allegation earlier this week that there are rogue elements in the media was entirely predictable. 

The media in Trinidad & Tobago are notorious for never apologising for anything they do whether right or wrong (and especially when they are wrong) and for guarding their turf jealously. 

This is a pity, because more often than is happy the media say and do things that are just plain wrong, and there is little or no redress other than a very expensive and time consuming law suit for defamation. They know this full well and tend to take advantage of it. For every law suit for defamation there must be at least twenty instances of the media being "naughty" and wrong.

Don't believe me? It happens all the time. Look, just the other day the Express newspaper published an article with a headline to the effect that the Attorney General was denying that a certain Rolls Royce motor car belonged to him. 

The article was even accompanied by a photograph of the car complete with a Trinidad licence plate! Most of the article (and the headline) was about the AG's denial that the car was his, but towards the end of the article it was reported that the car in fact was registered to a very well known company and quoted the managing director of that company as saying that the car was his and that he had owned several Rolls Royce motor cars previously. But you had to read the whole article to get to the truth. So, why the headline and the article? This surely wasn't news?!

The only reason that I can think of was that the Express wanted to embarrass the Attorney General. I can think of no other reason. What is news worthy about a Government Minister NOT owning an expensive motor car? The answer is: nothing! Nothing at all!! So, if they weren't trying to embarrass the AG why would they print such an article? Nothing else makes sense. If anyone can give me another plausible reason as to why the Express would print such an article I will immediately apologise.

This is the second time that the Express has attacked the Attorney General in this manner. The first time was over some apartments that he bought shortly after taking up office. Again, in that article (as in "the Rolls Royce article") the reader was left with the distinct impression that there was some sort of 'hanky panky' ... or to put it more bluntly, corruption ... taking place but that the paper just can't prove it. Certainly, that was my impression.

But this surely is wrong. A newspaper shouldn't be allowed to print an article like "the Rolls Royce article" without some more facts. If the newspaper suspects that the Attorney General is involved in some sort of corruption then it should say so ... and not slide around the issue in a manner that, frankly, reeks of dishonest and malicious reporting.

Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. The Guardian has also stepped into the act with some rather serious attacks on the erstwhile and very voluble Sports Minister, Mr. Anil Roberts. Basically what happened was that there seems to have been some rather serious allegations concerning the Boxing Board, the end result of which has caused the Integrity Commission to refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Guardian reported that amongst those being referred to the DPP was the Sports Minister. This turned out to be incorrect.

Now, any referral of any matter to the DPP is serious.And a report like this one is bound to make the ordinary citizen look twice at the Minister. But it wasn't true. What is true (at least from all that is in the public domain) is that there are some rather serious issues to be looked at that could possibly constitute corruption of some sort by certain people. 

But (at least for the moment) the Minister is definitely NOT one of them! The story is clearly not finished and, I dare say, a lot more will come out. But at the very least, surely the Guardian could have and should have published a front page apology to the Minister ... especially if there was no ulterior motive but just a desire to report the facts. So, why hasn't such an apology been made? It doesn't make sense ... unless, there is something else behind the article. But what?!? Does the Guardian have more facts that implicate the Minister? If so, then they should come out and say so. Or is there another more sinister and (ultimately) dishonest motive? What? And if there was no malice, why didn't/doesn't the Guardian apologise? It doesn't make sense!

And I am not getting into the counter allegations of the Minister against the reporter, nor of her responses to him. I am about what is right and about doing the right thing and about what are the undisputed facts. I do not accept the media's brushing aside the fact that it wrongly reported that a matter involving Mr. Roberts was referred to the DPP and effectively refusing to apologise for their mistake. 

It is right that someone should aplogise when he has done something wrong, especially if the mistake was a genuine one. (Of course, it is harder to apologise where the mistake was deliberate and not accidental!) I think that Mr. Roberts was right when he said that the media should be held to as high a standard as possible. 

I do not accept that freedom of the press means licence to print or broadcast anything that you want. I do not believe that the Prime Minister's statement about rogue elements in the media can even be remotely construed as an attack on press freedom. 

I do believe that there are rogue elements in the media, and by that I mean elements that have their own agendas, some of them hidden, and which have nothing to do with reporting the facts but everything to do with the furtherance of their particular agenda or agendas. And nothing that I have seen or heard over the last many years has convinced me otherwise.

The best expression of how I believe the modern media should operate comes from a man called C.P. Scott (1846 - 1932) who said:

"The newspaper is of necessity something of a monopoly, and its first duty is to shun the temptations of a monoploy. Its primary office is the gathering of news. At the peril of its soul it must see that the supply is not tainted. Neither in what it gives, nor in what it does not give, nor in the mode of presentation, must the unclouded face of truth suffer wrong. Comment is free but facts are sacred."

Our media certainly cannot put its hand on its heart and swear that this is exactly what it does. Lightning would strike them down if they did that!
Perhaps now might be an appropriate time for a Commission of Enquiry into the operations of the media in Trinidad & Tobago?

FBI has cooperating witness for soccer fraud probe: sources

Daryan Warner - Express photo

The Reuters news agency is reporting on Wednesday that Daryan Warner is a "cooperating witness" in an FBI investigation into alleged corruption in international soccer, citing unnamed U.S. law enforcement sources.

Warner is the son of National Security Minister, Jack Warner. The report contains mostly background information that has been in the public domain for a long time and states that the sources would not say "who might be charged, if anybody, or when."

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar issued a brief comment Wednesday on the matter. "I will not rely on published reports in the media, but will again seek to get official corroboration of the information now in the public domain before making any determination or pronouncement," she said in a media release from her office.

JYOTI has published below the full unedited report (photos and captions added by JYOTI):

By Mark Hosenball

WASHINGTON | Wed Mar 27, 2013 3:07pm EDT

(Reuters) - An FBI probe into alleged corruption in international soccer has recently intensified after investigators persuaded a key party to be a cooperating witness, U.S. law enforcement sources said.

They said that the witness is Daryan Warner, the son of former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner. The sources declined to further discuss the role of Daryan Warner, who could not be reached for comment.

They also would not say who might be charged, if anybody, or when. While the exact scope of the investigation is not clear, among the matters under scrutiny are two previously reported allegations involving Jack Warner, who is currently national security minister in his native Trinidad and Tobago.

The deepening of the probe indicates that a succession of corruption scandals involving FIFA and other international soccer bodies in the past few years may continue to cast a cloud over the sport for some time.

Jack Warner was formerly head of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), as well as previously being one of a number of vice-presidents of FIFA, soccer's global governing body. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

File: Jack Warner: "I will hold my head high to the very end. I am not guilty of a single iota of wrongdoing."

Since at least the summer of 2011, the FBI has been examining more than $500,000 in payments made by the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) over the past 20 years to an offshore company headed by top U.S. soccer official Chuck Blazer. That was a period during which Jack Warner was also head of the CFU, a position he held from the early 1980s until 2011.

The precise reasons for many of those payments is unclear. In 2011, Blazer said that the payments were meant to be repayments to him by Warner of "a significant amount of money" which Blazer said he loaned to Warner in 2004. Warner told the media in Trinidad that the payments were above board.

Chuck Blazer

The Internal Revenue Service has joined in the investigation, which is looking into potential violations of U.S. tax laws and of U.S. anti-fraud statutes, including laws prohibiting wire fraud and mail fraud, law enforcement sources said.

"It's shaping up like a major case," one U.S. official familiar with the matter said.

In a telephone interview from Trinidad, Francis Joseph, a spokesman for Jack Warner, said that neither Jack nor Daryan Warner would have any comment on the investigation. "Nobody will speak to you about that," Joseph told Reuters.

In 2011, Jack Warner told the Parliament of Trinidad: "I will hold my head high to the very end. I am not guilty of a single iota of wrongdoing."

Daryan Warner was first interviewed by the FBI late last year after flying to the United States, a U.S. official said.

PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE

Jack Warner quit his FIFA and CONCACAF positions in June 2011 in the wake of allegations of bribery in a report by a lawyer commissioned by Blazer, a member of FIFA's executive committee and former general secretary of CONCACAF.

The report alleged that Warner collaborated with another FIFA vice president at the time, Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar, to bribe Caribbean soccer officials so that they would back a bid by Bin Hammam to become FIFA's president. Bin Hammam and Warner both have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

File: Mohamed Bin Hammam

Bin Hammam's U.S. lawyer, Eugene Gulland, said that while he had heard that U.S. authorities were investigating CONCACAF issues, Bin Hammam had not been contacted about the probe.

When Warner resigned his FIFA position, the organization declared that "the presumption of innocence is maintained" in his case. Spokespeople for the FBI and IRS had no comment on the investigation.

Blazer, who has announced he will not seek re-election as the U.S. member of FIFA's executive committee and will leave the position in May, said in a telephone interview that he had been advised by lawyers not to make any further comment. "I can't say anything at all," Blazer said.

Bin Hamman was banned for life from all FIFA and soccer activities in 2011 for trying to bribe soccer officials in the Caribbean in the run-up to the election. His ban was subsequently overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the grounds that while it was "more likely than not" that he was the source of cash distributed by Warner "it is a situation of case not proven."

The ban was then reinstated in December last year for a separate matter concerning "conflicts of interest" while he was president of the Asian Football Confederation.

At one point recently, investigators from the FBI and the IRS traveled to the Caribbean and interviewed a witness regarding the alleged cash payoffs for more than two and a half hours, said a person who was in recent contact with the witness.

Andrew Jennings, a British journalist and author of the book "Foul! The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote Rigging and Ticket Scandals," said he has had several meetings with FBI investigators working on the case and provided the FBI and IRS with what Jennings describes as confidential documents he obtained related to payments from soccer organization funds to offshore bank accounts.

A law enforcement source confirmed that investigators had held discussions with Jennings.

In an email, FIFA's media department said the Swiss-based organization was "unaware" of any FBI investigation related to the Americas and Caribbean.

The New York-based FBI squad which is conducting the soccer investigation is a squad that specializes in "Eurasian Organized Crime." It is unclear why this particular squad is involved in the probe.

(Additional reporting by John Shiffman in Washington; Editing by Martin Howell and Claudia Parsons)

Political quote: Jack Warner

Celebrate the Good not the Bad: Jack Warner

Jack Warner said on Wednesday there is too much negativity in Trinidad and Tobago society, noting that when people "glorify bad things we empower negativity to stifle goodness and positivity."

The National Security Minister made the statement at a graduation ceremony in Port of Spain for Traffic Wardens, Transit Police Officers and Immigration Detention Centre Officers. 

The office of Law Enforcement Policy (OLEP) facilitated the training course for the three programmes, which comprised core modules and special units that were specific to the respective agency. The training was conducted at Hillview College, not the police academy, which Warner noted is sometimes stretched to capacity. He commended the "out-of-the-box" thinking that made it possible for the officers to be training at a public high school.

"It shows me that our administrators are capable of being creative in finding solutions to minor – and even major – problems. I have, however, been forced to ask myself why we have not seen more of this kind of thinking in the past?" Warner said.

He also commended the graduating officers. "Let me advise you that now that you have demonstrated your capacity for brilliance, I have lifted my expectations of you. “Impossible” and “no” are words that you will have to erase from your vocabulary if you have not already done so," the minister said.

He also seized the opportunity to comment on something that he said is infecting the society.

"While some of you may take for granted those things which may seem to be simple and of little consequence, I want to tell you that in today’s society we need more now than ever to find every iota of goodness and positivity and to hold it up so that it becomes a beacon – a beacon of hope.

"One of the gravest problems that we face today in this country is that negativity gets too much of the spotlight. Negative behaviour gets too much promotion. And positive behaviour gets none," Warner declared.

"In the communities, the gangsters are given the glory. They are exalted for how many robberies they put down, how many murders they commit, how many women they use and discard, and even for how many children they abandon. They are given respect for disobeying the law, for being a nuisance to society and for disrespecting others.

"The result of this is that badness becomes that which our youths are programmed to emulate. And sadly, they don’t really see the ugly side to the shiny glamorous, romantic exterior.

"They do not see the side where they are lying in a pool of blood or in a drain with bullet holes in their bodies, gasping for breath while their mothers and grandmothers hold their bellies and cry. They don’t see that until they are gasping for their last breath."

Warner spoke of the Hoop of Life project, which the government introduced last year for youths. Last weekend the Champions of the Hoop of Life Community Basketball League paraded through the streets of their hometown of Laventille.

"Every single one of those young and not-so-young men is a success story," Warner said. He added that it is possible that some of them could have been victims of crime instead of being part of a success story. Each of them now knows what it is to fulfil a dream.

"Each of them has ensured that they have stayed clear of criminal activity for the duration of the programme...They have shown that they are the best in the country."

Continuing on the theme of the glorification of that which is negative and bad Warner asked: "When last have you heard anyone say anything good about Laventille?"

He said the "Hoop" champions have given their fellow community members and their relatives a reason to hold their heads high and something good to boast about. 

"They have put a spotlight on talent and they have given the country something new to think about – they have given us reason to keep hope alive and to continue the fight to make their community comfortable once again," he said. "I implore everyone to help us find the good out there and let us lift it up," he declared.Addressing the graduates Warner reminded them that they must exercise great responsibility and do their jobs as diligently as possibly. 

"You also have a responsibility to the organization to which you are attached and to the State of which you are an officer and an agent. That responsibility is to exercise your authority and power in a proper manner, not to abuse it and therefore not to expose the State to liability and criticism," the minister stated. 

"You have a responsibility to bring pride to your organization and not to bring disgrace upon it...And this reminder goes out to every single officer in law enforcement today. Do not practice misbehaviour and do not condone it from others," he added. 

Every one of us is under intense scrutiny. And we must be able to stand up to the scrutiny. We must prove our critics wrong. We must show them that not everyone is prone to abusing power. And we must show them results. 
"You must repay the faith that has been reposed in you by making our policies work; by being agents of success – agents of delivery, and by upholding the trust that comes with the power vested in you."

Commentary: Should the PM stand in defence of women no matter what the circumstance?

"It is very sad at this stage in Trinidad and Tobago's development where we have a female Prime Minister that women in the media are being subjected to these kinds of attacks and we have heard nothing from the Government, nothing in defence of these women." 

This is a statement attributed to Suzanne Shepherd, President of the Media Association of Trinidad & Tobago, in a story in the Express newspaper. 

Read the story:

‘Kamla trying to intimidate media’

I am assuming that she was quoted accurately. The story deals with much more, which I will address at another time. Today, I need to focus on that comment.

The statement was in reference one made by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at a political meeting on Monday night. This is what the PM said:

"I call on the independent Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago, to not only be a watchdog body in defence of journalists, but also hold some of its members accountable for either wilfully or unwittingly misinforming the society...

"I call on MATT to be more than defenders of journalists, but also uphold old-fashioned journalism, in which the naked facts represent the holy grail."

Read the story:

Kamla slams "rogue" elements in the media; reaffirms support for media

Earlier in the meeting, Sports Minister Anil Roberts named a female reporter at the Guardian Media and the Guardian's female editor-in-chief accusing them of distorting and fabricating stories.

He made a similar charge last Thursday and announced that she was suing the two journalists and their employer.

Read the story: 

Anil takes another dig at the Guardian

I am being cautious because I am taking the lady's quote off a newspaper and these days we are hearings that journalists are fabricating quotes and their editors are allowing the quotes to be printed. At least that is what Roberts has stated.

I do not believe that gender should be prostituted this way. Having a female prime minister doesn't change the fact that she is a leader who must deal fairly with everyone. There appears to be a suggestion that because Kamla is a woman she should stand up in defence of women. Does it apply even when the women are wrong?

Here again is what the Express quoted Shepherd as saying:

"It is very sad at this stage in Trinidad and Tobago's development where we have a female Prime Minister that women in the media are being subjected to these kinds of attacks and we have heard nothing from the Government, nothing in defence of these women."

There is evidence in the public domain that the front page Guardian story was wrong. And Anil produced a document Monday to show that he never gave an interview to the paper, yet the paper printed a report that contained a direct quote from the minister.

If the women fabricated stories, made up quotes and attributed them to a government minister, then such action goes against all ethical standards of journalism and integrity. Why then should the PM be defending the parties concerned just because they are women?

If we take the argument further, should the PM defend a woman who abuses her child? Should the PM defend a woman who is corrupt? Should the PM defend a woman no matter what the circumstance BECAUSE she is a woman?

I find that insulting to all women.

With respect to the PM's statement and the reaction... well that's for another time because the focus on this commentary is on another issue.

Jai Parasram

Guest commentary: What the PM said and what the media reported

It was predictable. It was ironic. It was predictably ironic. 

The Prime Minister’s mere whisper at the UNC’s Monday Night Forum for fair and balanced journalism was presented through screaming headlines of “rogue” elements in the media. 

But the actual address on Monday and the print headlines on Tuesday bore little, if no similitude or resemblance. In fact, the newspaper headlines which followed the PM’s address was a classic case of ‘contextomy’, defined as the selective excerpting of words from their original linguistic context which distorts the intended meaning. Or, quite simply quoting of context.

Ironically, the Prime Minister actually prefaced the issue by saying, “it should not be construed as an attack on the media” and “we want no war with the media”. She went on to speak about “taking the practice of reporting to newer heights” and of the “importance of the Fourth Estate” to the promotion of civilized democracy. 

Read the JYOTI report:

Kamla slams "rogue" elements in the media; reaffirms support for media

The Prime Minister recognized the media’s role in educating and informing and linked that to our progress as an independent nation. All of these were headlines in themselves, but controversy won in the end, hence the predictability.Such misleading headlines carve perceptions and if not debunked is accepted as the truth. Such distortions tend to make its way upstream with some assistance from the politicians. 

In the Senate yesterday (Tuesday) Opposition Senator Terrence Deyalsingh is reported to have urged; “Don’t call media rogues”. Surely Senator Deyalsingh spoke within the context of the limited reported excerpts of the Prime Minister’s address.

In an earlier political dispensation and in the heat of intense industrial action, former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday had remarked “teachers who abandon their children are criminals”. The next day the headlines read, “Panday: Teachers are criminals”. 

Unfortunately, Mr. Panday’s very acute observation had lost its value through repetitive misrepresentation. It may be that the intention of the opponents of the present Prime Minister is the same today.

It is unfortunate that some other aspects of the Prime Minister’s address did not find its place in the mainstream media, having spoken at length on accountability and transparency as a pillar of the UNC, its manifesto and the philosophical guide of her Partnership Government. 

She reinforced the ideals presented two weeks ago by the nation’s President at his inauguration; that of discipline, tolerance and production.But none of these appealed to the journalistic instincts of our media professionals who once again opted for sensationalism over truth and fairness.
Ashvani Mahabir | Attorney at Law

$100 Million Cocaine Bust in Central: report

The Express newspaper is reporting that police in Central Trinidad made a big cocaine bust Tuesday night and seized drugs with an estimated street value of $100 million. However police did not arrest anyone, the paper said.

The paper said its sources revealed that the cocaine was packaged and ready for shipment. It said police raided a house in Endeavour at around 10 Tuesday night and found twelve packages hidden in large buckets.

The report said police officers of the Chaguanas Robbery Squad and Criminal Investigation Department had the home under surveillance for three days and moved in after getting a tip that the drug was about to be shipped.

An organisational note

JYOTI will be posting a very limited amount of information over the next few days due to certain organisational limitations. We hope to be back to full steam soon. 

Please browse our archives where you will find thousands of items of news, features and columns. We thank your for your support.

Guest commentary: Political Incest... (Ganging Up Time)

Reproduced unedited from the blog: Plainly talking

What is David Abdullah's role in the politics? Or, more importantly, what does he see his role as? 

Was his attempt at 'gutting' the Congress of the People (COP) in his now infamous 'meeting of citizens' in Gran Couva (surprisingly made up of predominantly members of the COP) designed to deliver those 'citizens' to the People's National Movement (PNM) under the continuous ruse of a 'Round Table' on national issues? 

Or is it that even the COP's members believe that their party is so dead that it is now open season for others to poach its members? And why would present and former members of the executive of that party (the COP) agree to meet with the political leadership of another party? 

Is it that they see themselves politically as one of the wandering tribes of Israel, always looking for the Promise Land but clueless as to how to get there on their own? 

And what of the irresponsibility and contempt shown to their membership by their attendance or the lack of any real leadership or direction to rescue their party from its own failed leadership? 

All of that is their own internal fight to fight, but what is the point to note though, is that every single time this party of 'integrity' and 'morality in public affairs' gets an opportunity to demonstrate those same principles they flub their lines, strange, isn't it?

But to get us back on point I have to ask, if he (Abdullah) is correct in his assertion that all we got in 2010 was exchange then, as he was part of the mechanism that delivered that exchange, why isn't he now trying to go forward in a new direction? 

Why is he working so hard to get us to re-exchange again? 

Something is not adding up and it appears that a concerted 'ganging up' against the United National Congress (UNC) is taking place by the very same people who were ganging up against the PNM not that long ago and one has to wonder at the incredible lack of vision it takes to even contemplate such a thing. 

Surely the replacement of a failed government by a government equally failing cannot be any justification to go back to the original failure, especially if one wants to fling words like exchange about, can it? 

And what of the people? What are they to make of all of this, the continued marginalization of their choices? Are they to continue to settle for 'one item from Column A and one item for Column B as their only political options?

What David Abdullah exposed in Gran Couva is not only the weakness inherent in the structure of these 'new' political aspirants but worse, the fear being openly displayed by the People's National Movement (by their continued presence on the MSJ's campaign) of their chief rival and a public admission that they may no longer be enough to fight the United National Congress on their own. 

And if that is not a clear indication of the failure of Dr. Keith Rowley's leadership to unite and repurpose his party I don't know what else is, because if the UNC is as widely despised and mistrusted as they say then surely a route similar to Tobago should be on the cards, shouldn't it? But again, that is another party's internal issues to sort out.

One is bound to ask though, if all of this is as a result of the players involved in this new budding partnership coalition - the 'Round Table,' having realized by their inability to pull crowds for their public meetings that it spells out a bad omen, that the electorate STILL has not begun to warm up to the idea of the PNM as an option again and worse, that the addition of the labor driven MSJ and former UNC Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj is having no effect? 

Could it be that simple? 

That the people themselves are saying quite clearly by their lack of interest in all of these shenanigans that they are tired of political games where leadership is concerned? 

If that is the case then David Abdullah might just wake up the morning after election to find that for all the calculation, conniving and congealing that what the people wanted was something different, something honest, with clear vision and new ideas? 

If that turns out to be the case then he might have been misreading his role in the politics all along and possibly might have been sitting at the Wrong Table after all.

Phillip Edward Alexander