Letter: Jack Warner defends Dr Tim Gopeesingh

Activist Ishmael Samad has been carrying on a one-person crusade against Trinidad and Tobago's new education minister, Dr Tim Gopeesingh, alleging that the MP for Caroni East in not suitable to hold the post because of questionable moral behaviour.

Samad has written to several top officials including Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Works Minister Jack Warner, who received the correspondence while he was in South Africa attending the Fifa World Cup.

Warner has replied with a strong defence of his parliamentary colleague. The letter to Samad is printed below:

"I have taken note of the contents of your correspondence regarding the appointment of Dr. Tim Dhanraj Gopeesingh as a Minister in the People’s Partnership Government.

"I do wish to advise you that your comment is singular as it has not been echoed in any other quarters but, none the less, I have decided to respond to you as the issue of morality in public life has become a subject of constant discussion in our media and social life.

"Moreover though you addressed your comment directly to the Prime Minister I refuse to allow any attack made on any of my Parliamentary colleagues to go undefended by me regardless of any political niceties which may be the practice or norm.

"Your attack on Dr Gopeesingh is unwarranted and I will deal with that shortly but I do wish to ask you, how come,over the years, you have been reticent on issues of the personal lives of Ministers of the Peoples National Movement during the last Manning Administration?

"Allegations and accusations of their immoral private lives abound ranging from the Prime Minister to Junior Ministers and State Board Members and yet you said nothing. Why did you not select to conduct your one man protests against those individuals as you are now campaigning against Dr. Gopeesingh?

"Is the moral outrage only activated and animated when it is a Peoples Partnership Minister? You lodged no objection to the United National Congress against Dr. Gopeesingh on this issue as a Member of the Opposition at any material time.

"Indeed during the internal elections there were several allegations against persons' character but none involved Dr.Gopeesingh. During the run up to the screening process of the UNC there was no objection to Dr. Gopeesingh as a candidate of the party for the 2010 General Elections by you or any other person.

"During the bruising and brutal election campaign there was no issue of any personal issue of Dr. Gopeesingh on or off the platform. One would have assumed that there and then would have been the ideal place to make such a revelation. It is now passing strange that the People's Partnership having formed the government of Trinidad & Tobago this singular objection has now arisen.

"Now to the substance of your allegations, you assert that Dr. Gopeesingh’s private life is questionable but you provide no evidence. I guess if Ishmael Samad says so is so!

"There have been two media reports in weekly publications over the years that have made attacks on Dr. Gopeesingh on the same issue. Those of us in public life know all too well that weekly publications tend to be fast and loose with facts for the purpose of sensationalism and sales.

"This also begs the question as to the source of the information for your allegations. Have you done an investigation into the private life of Dr. Gopeesingh or have you based your rant solely on one or two media reports?

"If there is a comprehensive report then the principles of natural justice demand that it be made available to Dr. Gopeesingh so that he has the opportunity to respond.

"Let us for argument sake assume but not accept what is being imputed by you is true for a moment. You wrongly assume that one's approach to private life will automatically imply a penchant for public corruption. This is the premise of your thesis which pivots your demand for the firing of Dr. Gopeesingh.

"Again the empirical evidence for such a causal effect is not provided by you. Indeed my Party's collective experience with Dr. Gopeesingh is that he is an incorruptible person and that is one of the reasons why he got over 12,000 votes in Caroni East. How many votes did you get anywhere Ishmael?

"It is also distasteful that you have chosen to include religion and race into your submission with your comments on Hindus and Indo-Trinidadians. To widen the discussion to include the Indian and Hindu community is stereotyping at its worst and uneducated at best and as such undeserving of a response from me.

"It is regrettable that this colonial stereotype of the Hindu community is sadly being echoed by you. I ask you here and now where have you established yourself as a representative or researcher of either of these two groups to allow for such a commentary.

"I am also compelled to ask on what basis you arrogate unto yourself the right and responsibility to assume the self righteous position of the moral police and moral magistrate of those in public life?

"Let me end by reiterating once again that I will not remain quiet while you or anyone else attempt to denigrate my Parliamentary colleagues. You and I were at University together in the 60s and though you did not complete your education I have been following your exploits since then.

"I have never sought to say anything for or against whatever or whomever you chose to attack over the years but when one of my Parliamentary colleagues is attacked by you and moreso without reason, I will always stand up in his or her defence.

"Let that be a warning for the future.

Regards,
Jack Warner

Gopeesingh tells Yetming, Ganga stay out of UNC affairs

Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh has told former UNC MPs Gerry Yetming and Ganga Singh to mind their own business and leave the United National Congress to handle its affairs.

In a statement Wednesday, Gopeesingh also asked Congress of the People (COP) Leader Winston Dookeran to check to see if both men, who are now members of the COP, are undermining the party.

He was commenting on statements by Yetming and Singh earlier in the week suggesting that MPs who supported the Panday slate in the January 24 UNC election end their "Tabanaca" and support new UNC Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar for the leader of the opposition, a post currently held by Panday.

Gopeesingh disagreed with the assumption that there is a crisis in the UNC over the matter, saying it is in fact a non issue.

"Statements from both Mrs. Persad-Bissessar and Jack Warner show that there is in fact no crisis as both have said that the Opposition Leader post is not a priority with them. UNC MPs have also adopted this position while we continue our Parliamentary work," Gopeesingh said.

Gopeesingh noted a statement attributed to Yetming in which he is quoted as saying "’You can see that from the current mischief that guys like Vasant Bharath and Tim Gopeesingh are playing. Without any questions, they should support Kamla as Opposition Leader".

The Caroni East MP stated that his politics over the past 16 years has always been driven by service to people and that he put country first.

"I will always respond to the will of the people," he said, adding, "In this vein, I wish to categorically dismiss the comments of both Mr. Singh and Mr. Yetming as having no credibility whatsoever, and further advise them to tend to their own party’s affairs, that is, the COP."

He also had some more specific comments for Yetming, saying the former UNC Finance Minister has demonstrated "in his limited political life" that he is nothing short of a political opportunist who has never put the people’s interest first.

"He entered the UNC Government in the cushy position of Finance Minister with virtually no political experience at the behest of Basdeo Panday...Mr. Yetming’s record shows that, unlike me, he has never had the interest of any citizen in this country at heart. His aim is to be in Government and he will stoop to any level of groveling and ingratiation to achieve that."

Gopeesingh noted that his record is one of unconditional service and pointed out that unlike Yetming, he remained loyal to to the UNC in its darkest hour, helping to build the image of the party and stabilize and cement its Parliamentary strength.

"I do not intend to fail in that duty but I will not be subjected to the machinations of failed politicians whose only intention is to latch on to the coat tails of whichever leader they see as having the possibility of fulfilling their power hungry ambitions.

"In this vein, I wish to publicly warn Mrs. Persad-Bissessar about the recent upsurge of former politicians rushing back to join the UNC. She needs to carefully sift out whether these people, who abandoned the party in its darkest hour, truly have the party’s and nation’s interest at heart, or their own."

Gopeesingh said while he welcomes unity of all parties, "I must say that I will not endorse anyone who has selfish political ambitions and who seek to use the UNC as the vehicle for their power quest. I also wish to assure the nation that I, along with the other MPs, are continuing our duty and serving the people."

Charlieville primary schools gets state-of-the-art computer lab

Jack Warner, Tim Gopeesingh, School Principal Indra Siew and standard 5 student Ruby Damaris Seebrat get ready to cut the ribbon to open the computer lab at the Durham Village Hindu School. In Photo below, Ruby shows the adults that she is not intimidated by the new technology

Two cabinet ministers - Education Minister Tim Gopeesingh and Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner - were at the Durham Village Hindu School in Charlieville, in central Trinidad Wednesday morning to formally open a new $100,000 computer lab that has been made available through corporate donors.

The lab consists of eleven computers, complete with educational software and a main server.

In a brief address before cutting the ribbon to formally open the lab, Gopeesingh praised the donors and his cabinet colleague for the foresight in establishing the lab. He promised that the People's Partnership government will ensure that through education they would become "the best citizens".

Gopeesingh said the idea of introducing computers into the primary school system is in line with the government's computer program for secondary school students. 

He noted that there are 338 primary schools in Trinidad and Tobago that have functioning computer labs with between eight and 15 computers in each lab. Most have Internet connections, he said. He added that his ministry is working have all schools fully equipped with the technology.

With respect to secondary schools the minister said all of them have computer labs and 20,000 students and 3,200 teachers have been given computers. In addition at least 1,000 teachers have been trained to teach computer technology.

Gopeesingh also thanked the project leader for the lab, Civil Aviation Director General Ramesh Lutchmedial. He urged the pupils and their teachers to make use of the lab to benefit from the world of education at their fingertips.

Warner, who is also the MP for the area, thanked both Gopeesingh and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for their commitment to technology education for children. 

He said no other prime minister and no other education minister have done as much for education as Gopeesingh and Persad-Bissessar to make children computer literate.

He said he is happy to see the new lab for the school, which had suffered from neglect and perennial problems with flooding. He noted that he made sure he fixed the infrastructure to end those problems and added the computer lab is a next logical step to improving things for the school and its students.

Warner said computers at the primary level is a logical component of the government's plan to equip every high school student with a computer, since pupils would be exposed to the technology at an earlier age and be ready to utilise computers in a more meaningful way when they get to high school.

He said he hopes all primary schools would have similar labs and added that he wants Durham Hindu School to be the flagship institution for the literacy initiative he launched with the computer lab.

Warner also praised Lutchmedial for his help, noting that when he asked him to help with the project he went right into it without hesitation.

Both Warner and Gopeesingh commended the children for their enthusiastic welcome, especially for the manner in which they all sang the national anthem. Warner was particularly impressed with that and the bhajan they sang, invoking the blessings of the Hindu deity, Durga.

Both ministers were welcomed with the familiar sound of tassa, with children from the school beating the traditional Indian drums.

Laptops for school kids cost TT$4,000 each: Gopeesingh

Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh has made it very clear that the laptop computers bought by the Trinidad and Tobago government for high school students cost TT$4,000 each, not the higher price stated in media reports.

The government began distributing the computers Wednesday. One local media report quoted the minister as saying the price per computer was much higher than the initial cost of TT$4,000.

The Trinidad Express stated on Thursday:

"ONE hundred and sixty-one first formers were yesterday presented with laptops that cost some $15,000 apiece, Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh said yesterday. Initially, Gopeesingh had said that each laptop amounted to $4,000; however with security and specially enhanced features the real cost goes far beyond that. "It's between $12,000 to $15,000 by virtue of the signature applications infused in it alone," he said while speaking to more than 100 form one pupils at the Lakshmi Girls' Hindu College in St Augustine during the formal laptop distribution ceremony."

The report created the impression that the price of each computer had tripled.

However in response to a query on the matter, Gopeesingh told JYOTI the cost per computer has not changed. It is TT$4,000 - no more, he said.

He explained that the government negotiated a package price of just under TT$83 million (US$13.046M) for the 20,300 computers. "We saved millions," he said.

Gopeesingh said Government received significant discounts for the software and accessories installed in each laptop. That has resulted in an overall discount price of $4,000 per unit as opposed to between $12,000 and $15,000 that each laptop would normally cost.

The laptops have faster processors, improved wireless capability, Bluetooth (wireless) connectivity, larger internal storage, faster hard drive speed, extended battery life, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 and Learning Essentials 2.0 for Microsoft Office.

Gopeesingh added that without the discounts “it would have cost us hundreds of millions of dollars” for the additional features.

The government is continuing with distribution of the first batch of 3,000 computers and expects to have all the computers handed out by the end of November.

South school takes the lead in SEA; girls lead again

Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh congratulates the Principal of the Canaan Presbyterian School, Daniel Sahadeo

The top student in Trinidad and Tobago based on the results of the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exams is Rebecca Jattan of the Canaan Presbyterian Primary. Rebecca will be attending Naparima Girls' High School in San Fernando at the start of the new school year in September.

Rebecca Jattan with her parents Robin and Stacey Jattan, and Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh

Shemiah Grant, a student at Atwell’s Educational Centre in Tacarigua, was second with Nishtha Mohan and Victoria Maharaj tied for third place. Mohan attends Freeport Presbyterian and Maharaj goes to Avocat Vedic school.

The girls are among 17,916 pupils who sat the SEA examination in May.

Express newspaper graphic shows the four top students

Commenting on the results, Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh said students did better this year than in the past. He said it may be because children had an extra six weeks to prepare for the exam since it was shifted from March to May.

"It may not have reached the leaps and bounds that we may desire, but there has been an incremental increase and improvement in the academic performance of our students," Gopeesingh told local media. He added, "In 2010, 2011, it got better. In 2012, it's even better."

The minister said schools are doing better. "Last year, we had students in the first 200 places. This year, we have had a larger spread of schools, almost 81 schools, which have been successful in having students in the first 200."

Panday says discrimination and racism are real in T&T

United National Congress (UNC) leader Basdeo Panday launched a scathing attack on the Manning administration Monday as he defended his Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh for exposing what Gopeesingh called "ethnic cleansing" at the Port of Spain General Hospital.

And he said had Gopeesingh not used such strong and emotive language the whole issue of discrimination would have been swept under the carpet "as they have always done in the past, but they cannot do that now."

Addressing supporters attending the UNC Monday Night Forum in the Pointe-a-Pierre constituency Panday said, "Let them use their own words to describe what is taking place... And having purified their vocabulary I invite them to join with us in removing this scourge that has plagued our society for so long."

The "them" included the government, the media and his political opponent, Congress of the People (COP) Leader, Winston Dookeran. He said he expected racism and discrimination from the People's National Movement (PNM) because the party "was built on racial division, starting with Eric Williams in 1956," adding, "I would expect that kind of reaction from all those who have benefited and continue to benefit corruptly from racism and racist practices."

But he said he did not expect it from the COP. He quoted from a media statement attributed to Dookeran on July 21, 2009, three days after Gopeesingh raised the issue.

“In my view Dr Gopeesingh’s use of the term ‘ethnic cleansing’ was intended to be inflammatory and is unfortunate. It was also irresponsible, since he has caused widespread public alarm over his seemingly extremist statement”.

Panday challenged Dookeran to explain what he meant by those words. "Winston Dookeran, and by extension the COP, seem to be concerned not with racism and racial discrimination but with how you describe it. He says that Gopeesingh’s statement was irresponsible because it has caused widespread public alarm," Panday said.

He had no apology for Gopeesingh raising it because that's how it should be. "Did not Nelson Mandela cause widespread public alarm among the white racists of South Africa when he launched a violent attack on apartheid. Did Martin Luther King Jr not spread public alarm when he called for a boycott and the great march from Selma to Montgomery?" he asked.

He wondered why anyone should be afraid to cause public alarm if that is what it takes to defend the victims of discrimination. He said Dookeran was offended by Gopeesingh's words but didn't understand what Gopeesingh was talking about: racial discrimination against Indians in Trinidad and Tobago.

An angry Panday asked: "Why are you afraid to say that? Isn’t that clear? Are you trying to hide from the issue? If so, why? Is it because you are ashamed to be associated with a struggle against racism and racial discrimination in this country? Is that the new politics? Or is it because you are afraid of Roy Augustus, Robert Mayers and Vernon DeLima?"

Panday said Gopeesingh was talking about the politico-racism that pervades the Public Service and he denounced government minister Colm Imbert who described Gopeesingh's charges as "disgusting" and Manning’s comment that the MP "should not speak about such things in Parliament even if they were true."

Panday gave examples, which he said, show that the PNM's racism has caused division and hatred in the society. "For them the practice of racism and racial discrimination is not wrong, it is talking about it and standing up for the victims of racism that is wrong."

He said, "The PNM could practice racism in the most obscene way but you must not talk about it. No matter how much pressure they inflict upon you, you must not scream... If there was ever an opportune moment to raise once more the struggle against racial discrimination it is now."

The former prime minister said racism is the most significant factor "debilitating our struggle for national unity and, consequently, the task of nation-building."

He explained that it takes many forms, from the failure to provide running water, to bad roads and inadequate facilities at the nation's hospitals. He called it politico-racism when "they do not appoint the best persons to the jobs, but rather their friends, cronies and Party hacks who do not know one damn thing about providing water, fixing roads, and running hospitals or running government."

In an obvious reference to past statements by some supporters and officials of the PNM, Panday said they "will deny that there is any racism at all even if you fling it their faces; they will tell you that what you see happening is not racism but the redressing of an historical imbalance".

He said the PNM practises discrimination in the distribution of government housing, in approving small business funds and in its treatment of individuals, pointing out the names of at least a dozen people who have brought discrimination suits against the government and won.

He spoke about what he said was "vicious PNM racism at Petrotrin" and the historical racism he said that existed in the Robinson. Robinson, he said, expelled him and some of his former ULF colleagues "for insisting on putting an end to the discrimination against the appointment of Indians on the State Boards".

The newspapers described that act, he said, in a headline that read: "ULF grab for power." That was never the issue, he said.

Panday described institutionalized racism as a national scourge. "I have always argued that this country cannot solve the people’s problems despite its enormous wealth because it has failed to mobilise its most valuable resource and that is its human resource.

"And it has failed to mobilise its human resource because of the politico-racism and discrimination of the PNM. That policy has divided the people," he said.

1,700 teaching vacancies in T&T and teaching service not doing anything about it: Gopeesingh

Tim Gopeesingh "I work in a system where there are major weaknesses and I cannot do anything about it." (Guardian Photo)

There are 1,700 vacancies for teachers in Trinidad & Tobago and Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh is blaming the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) for failing to recruit the necessary personnel.

He plans to take the TSC to court about the matter because he is powerless to do anything about it. Gopeesingh told local media he has already received two legal opinions on the issue.

He said they have advised that under the rights and responsibilities of the Education Minister, the ministry could determine the criteria and specifications under which anyone being interviewed for a job could be hired.

Gopeesingh was speaking on Tuesday at an education event at the Rudranath Capildeo Learning Resource Centre in Central Trinidad.

"The minister has no ability to move teachers from one district to another district, although they are overstaffed or some are understaffed," he explained.

"So where do we go? I have to wait on the Teaching Service Commission and they will take years to do that. So I work in a system where there are major weaknesses and I cannot do anything about it," he added.

Gopeesingh gave a breakdown of the extent of the problem.

• 1,000 heads of departments and posts for deans have been vacant since he took over the ministry
• The posts of 500 principals, vice principals and senior teachers are vacant
• There is a need for 100 curriculum teachers and nearly 100 guidance officers

The minister said $400 million of his budget has been allocated for salaries for the vacant posts. The TSC doesn't seem to be bothered about the problem, he said.

"I intend to take them to the court. It is an independent institution and while I am Minister of Education I have my responsibility," he said.

He said he has even complained to the president, who hires and fires independent commissions such as the TSC.

“I wrote the letter to the President...because that is an independent, constitutionally enshrined institution, appointed by the President, and that will be left for his own decision. I have presented the facts to him,” he said.

“This is untenable and unacceptable because people look for a government to govern and perform. When the Government is stymied by these types of bureaucratic obstacles, solutions must be found,” he said.

2 employees under suspicion in SEA leak; police investigating

File: Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh

Tim Gopeesingh told reporters Thursday the Ministry of Education has suspicions about "one or two" employees in connection with the leak of the results of the Secondary Entrance Assessment Examination (SEA) results.

The Minister of Education said police have been called in to investigate the leak.
"The Ministry of Education did some internal investigations and we found that one or two people inside...we had some difficulty with them," he said.

Gopeesingh said Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs was told about the matter and he has indicated "that a team is being set up with the Ministry of Education".

Gopeesingh added, "Investigations are ongoing now so it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the matter, except to say that they are looking within the ministry and outside the ministry as well, at this criminal conduct in terms of a cybercrime."

Gopeesingh suggested that there could be a political motive behind the leak, noting that it is unacceptable for anyone "to bring about destabilisation, chaos and confusion in the lives of our children, parents and the wider society by interfering with the education system and trying to be dirty."

He said the leak created confusion in the minds of pupils, teachers, parents and families. He added that a similar situation occurred recently with someone tried to tamper with the papers for CXC. 

Gopeesingh explained that politicians had no influence over the exams or the results, adding that the system is recognised all over the world for its standards, fairness, and transparency and had stood the test of time.

T&T to be first UN state to have child care centres for all by 2015: Gopeesingh

File: Dr Tim Gopeesingh

Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh said on Saturday Trinidad & Tobago will become the first United Nations (UN) member to achieve universal early childhood care, which will happen by 2015.

He was speaking at the launch of UNESCO'S "Education For All Week", at the Cascadia Hotel in St Ann's.

Gopeesingh said by 2015 the government would ensure that there would be about 34,000 children between the ages of three and five "adequately housed" in Early Childhood Centres. He said this would be achieved through joint Government and the private sector initiatives.

"Eventually, we'll have one teacher to every seven or eight students and other auxillary staff in these centres with 50 to 60 students," Gopeesingh said.

"It is said that in early childhood you may lay the foundation of poverty or riches, industry or idleness, good or evil, by the habits to which you train your children. Teach them right habits then, and their future life is safe, for it is always easier to build strong children than to repair broken human beings," he said.

Gopeesingh also listed the successes of his ministry, and spoke of plans.

"My ministry is working to ensure that all secondary, primary and ECCEs have a television and radio equipment to allow them to access a television channel dedicated to education," he said. 

"The channel will feature trained educational personnel discussing various subject areas, it will be interactive and recorded and made available. We are also tackling the issue of Special Needs among our children, and the Ministry of Education has a project going with the World Bank to assist us in identifying these cases and what methods we can employ to manage them," he added.

T&T to close port for Summit of the Americas?

One opposition MP told Parliament Friday that it would make good economic sense to scrap the two international summits that Trinidad and Tobago is hosting in 2009 or get participating nations to help foot the bill. Now another MP is saying that the government plans to shut down the Port of Port of Spain for two weeks for the April Summit of the Americas.

Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh told the House of Representatives Friday he got the information from a bulletin sent to clients of the Port by its CEO, Wieger Koornstra. Gopeesingh presented the House with the contents of the bulletin which said:

“From April 9-22 the port will have limited use of its quay, since this space will be used to accommodate additional conference and hotel requirements via the berthing of two cruise ships. It is important that port users note that we will be unable to handle any general cargo, paper or car vessels for the period April 9 to 22, 2009.”

The Information caused a stir among members as Gopeesingh demanded an explanation, saying such a development would deeply hurt the entire business community. Gopeesingh called it one of the big secrets the Government was keeping from the population.

"Scandalous" was the response from information minister Neil Parsanlal who accused Gopeesingh of creating mischief. But he did not deny the impending closure or comment directly on it. Parsanlal also denied that planning for the summits is in a state of confusion, insisting that everything is going smoothly.

Parsanlal's reference to planning was ro rebut Gopeesingh's accusations that Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s hand-picked secretariat head for both summits is collecting a salary of $161,000 a month and not doing a satisfactory job.Gopeesingh said Luis Alberto Rodriguez's "incompetence" has led to another high profile member of the planning team to quit.

He said the secretariat’s chief of protocol, Joan Massiah, resigned in frustration. “My information is she was so frustrated by inaction and inefficiency, that she has resigned from the post this week,” Gopeesingh said.

The Trinidad and Tobago government is expecting the U.S. president and other leaders in the Americas to attend the Summit of the Americas in April.Gopeesingh said the government could be embarrass the nation, contending that planning is so bad.

He said up to now there is still confusion about the leasing of cruise ships to serve as floating hotels for many of the more than 4,000 visitors for the summit. He said it it's the same story with the 200 luxury vehicles for transportation.

Gopeesingh demanded that either Manning or Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon brief the nation about these matters.

Gopeesingh writes police commissioner asking for investigation of PM and cabinet ministers

Opposition MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh has written to the acting commissioner of police asking James Philbert to conduct an investigation into the possible breach of the Prevention of Corruption Act by Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Minister of Finance Karen Nunez-Tesheira, Attorney General Bridgette Annisette-George, Minister of Agriculture Arnold Piggott and the Public Officials of Estate Management Business Development Co Ltd (EMBD).

The letter, dated April 9, 2009, is copied to Senior Superintendant Harold Phillip, who is charge of the Fraud Squad. It is asking the police to investigate and determine whether any criminal acts were committed "and to take the appropriate prosecutorial action where persons have breached the law".

Related story: Gopeesingh asks PM to probe bribery allegations

Gopeesingh claims that all those named in his letter "conducted themselves in a manner which violates the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Chap. 11.11, and are therefore subject to criminal prosecution."

The Caroni East MP noted that in a letter dated July 31 2008, the Managing Director of the engineering firm Sunco Engineering Services Co Ltd, wrote to Manning complaining that a senior EMBD official asked for a bribe in exchange for payment of monies owed to the company.

"Once again, we hereby seek your assistance on the above for monies due and owing to Sunco Engineering Services Ltd for works executed on the project in accordance with the conditions of the contract in excess of $5m combined," Sunco said in the letter to Manning, which Gopeesingh attached in his correspondence to the police chief.

Gopeesingh said the letters highlight "a very disturbing scenario, which is the blatant, unwarranted refusal by a State-owned company...to pay a private contractor monies amounting to over eight million dollars for works already carried out on the projects regarding the distribution of Caroni Lands for ex workers."

He pointed out that the contractor complained in vain to Agriculture Minister Arnold Piggott and Minister of Finance Karen Nunez-Tesheira before making a direct complaint to Manning.

According to Gopeesingh the Prime Minister wrote to the contractor more than a year ago saying he had referred the complaint to the Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Mariano Browne.

"To date, over 580 days into the complaint, the contractor has still not been paid and has resorted to legal action against the EMBD in an effort to retrieve the money duly owed to the company," Gopeesingh said.

He added that he has been informed that Manning met with the contractor at his San Fernando East constituency office on March 2nd, 2009, but that Manning gave no assurances that he has taken any real action regarding the complaint.

The MP claimed that the EMBD official in question is "said to be a close, personal friend of the Prime Minister" and charged that the failure to take action by Manning and other members of cabinet amounts to dereliction of duty.

"Under the law, the Prime Minister is duty bound to commission an investigation into this allegation, and indeed, in the past, he has referred similar matters to the Integrity Commission, namely, the Dansam Dhansook corruption/bribery allegation against former Ministers of Works and Transport and Energy, Franklin Khan and Eric Williams respectively, upon which criminal charges were laid," Gopeesingh observed.

"In these circumstances I wish to request formally and officially that your office launch an investigation into Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Minister of Finance Karen Nunez-Tesheira, the Honourable Attorney General, Bridgette Annisette George and Arnold Piggott, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources, to specifically determine whether, by their failure to act upon the complaint of bribery as indicated in the letter from Sunco Engineering they misconducted themselves," Gopeesingh's letter said.

He said he is of the view that there is reasonable cause to believe that Manning and the others named may have committed an offence under the Prevention of Corruption of Act such as to warrant a full police investigation.

Gopeesingh stands by "ethnic cleansing" charge, produces evidence

Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh told reporters in Port of Spain Saturday he stands by comments he made in Parliament Friday about what he called "ethnic cleansing" at the Port of Spain General Hospital.

Gopeesingh's charge drew an angry response from the government with both Prime Minister Patrick Manning and House leader Colm Imbert criticizing him for making "irresponsible" charges without providing "a shred of evidence".

Imbert challenged Gopeesingh to produce the evidence and insisted that it was a fabrication. He said with the exception of Tobago, doctors of Indian descent are in a majority at health facilities in the country.

On Saturday, Gopeesingh produced evidence, naming doctors whom he claimed have been victims of discrimination. And he condemned what he said is an "overt attempt by Prime Minister Manning to subvert valid Parliamentary debate and cover up a crucial issue that is affecting all levels of our society to its detriment."

Gopeesingh said his comments in Parliament reflected a valid complaint from "various sectors of the medical fraternity, who, through blatant intimidation and ongoing discrimination by the Government, have chosen, or been forced to, remain quiet on the issue."

He charged that since the Manning administration came to office in 2002 there has been institutionalized discrimination in the Ministry of Health, which he said is having the domino effect of deteriorating the standard of health care.

"The policy I am referring to is the Ministry’s comprehensive, engineered programme to force senior, qualified local doctors out of the Hospitals," he said.

He added that qualified junior doctors are discouraged from working in the public health system by the government's policy of creating circumstances, including poor salary compensation and improper working conditions within the hospitals.

Gopeesingh said half of UWI medical graduates have been forced to leave the country to find work abroad. The policy, he said, has led to a drastic shortage of senior doctors and medical professionals in crucial positions at all levels in the public hospitals.

He said the Ministry has also started hiring foreign doctors to fill the glaring vacancies, despite the fact that these foreign doctors do not meet required local standards to get their licenses.

He said since the "Prime Minister and his cronies in the Parliament" have demanded evidence he is producing "just a few of the names of the senior doctors who have been forced to take VSEP, have not had their contracts renewed, and who have been frustrated out of the system from 2008 to present at the Port of Spain General Hospital."

• Obstetrics and Gynaecology:Dr Ajit Kuruvilla, Dr Gordon Naraynsingh, Dr Hemant Persad, Dr John Woo, Dr Mary Ahow
• Neurosurgery: Dr Steve Mahadeo, Dr Robert Ramcharan
• Opthalmology: Dr Shehenaz Mohammed, Dr Kim Hosein, Dr Robin Hosein
• Orthopaedics: Dr Godfrey Araujo
• Urology: Dr Lall Sawh, Dr Hassan Khan, Dr Fuad Khan

"I reiterate therefore that in the context of this reality, I make no apologies for my comments and that they are valid and worthy of national attention and Parliamentary debate," Gopeesingh said.

He condemned Manning's suggestion that the sensitive matter of ethnicity should not be raised in Parliament, saying Manning's reasoning reiterates his government’s blatant policy of "subverting freedom of speech and undermining Parliamentary democracy."

He said Manning must explain to the national community why he continues to violate the equal rights of citizens.

"In less than a week and a half, the Court of Appeal has ruled that the Prime Minister’s arbitrary use of his veto power against three Indo-Trinidadian senior public servants was discriminatory and wrong, yet the Prime Minister did not even apologise to the national public for his personal discrimination and violation of the Constitutional guarantee of equality," Gopeesingh observed.

He charged that the Manning government has shown bias in other areas of national life paying scant attention and providing only token financial support for events such as Indian Arrival Day, Divali and other Indo-Trinidadian events, festivals and groups, "while simultaneously spending millions of taxpayers money to fund religious events that are not related to the Indian community."

He also charged that up to 2006, only 16 of 176 scholarships were given to Indo-Trinidadians to attend St Georges University Medical School.

"I therefore call on the Prime Minister to publicly respond to not only my provable claims that there is racial discrimination in the hiring practices of doctor, but also, that he himself has embarked on this general policy of institutionalized racial discrimination.

"To not respond nor promote a national debate on this issue of his own perceived racial bias and the illegality of his actions and those of his Government would be detrimental to our Constitutional guarantee of equality," Gopeesingh said.

South students top SEA exams; gov't will keep promise of laptops

Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh congratulates Ashaish on his success

Two girls and one boy - all from primary schools in south Trinidad - have won the top three spots in the Secondary Entrance Examination (SEA).

The results released Thursday show that Ashaish Mohammed is the top performer among the 17,270 students who wrote the examination.

The 11-year-old was a student at the San Fernando TML school. He will be attending Naparima Boys’ College from the new school year.

Second place in the national exams went to Priyanka Kissoonsingh of St Peter’s Private Primary School, Pointe-a-Pierre. And Charisse Alexander of San Fernando Girls’ Government school placed third.

Commenting on the results, Education Minister Tim Gopeesingh said the country's education system is weak with an outdated curriculum.

He pledged that the ministry will fix the problem and modernise the resources to improve the system.

He also promised that the students entering high school in September will get the laptop computers promised during the election campaign. Gopeesingh said he is working on getting the 17,000 computers.

He said Cabinet has appointed an inter-ministerial team "to ensure that every student, all 17,000 students, will have their laptops before school is opened.

The team is meeting Friday to work out the details of delivering on Government’s promise of laptops for every SEA pupil. Gopeesingh the team will prepare a note for cabinet on the matter.

"We are going to put in software packages for your education and learning but we will put security measures so you will not go and do idle things on the computers and you will promise your Education Minister you will use your laptops to further your education," Gopeesingh added.

Gopeesingh wants to make school term longer, close some schools

File: Tim Gopeesingh

Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh has said he plans to suggest to the teaching Service Commission (TSC) that teachers work longer hours. He also said government also plans to close "under populated" schools.

Gopeesingh was speaking at the 33rd anniversary celebrations of the T&T Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) in Chaguanas on Saturday. He said his ministry is currently collecting data on those issues.

The minister said there are enough teachers in the system so there is no need to hire large batches in the immediate future.

He said the pupil/teacher ratio in is 12 to 1 in primary schools is 12 to 1 and 13 to 1 in secondary schools. “I know facts, I have the empirical data,” Gopeesingh said.

The minister complained about some problems in the teaching service, including high absenteeism and unpunctuality. The minister said almost 12 per cent of teachers take more than their allotted sick and casual leave.

He offered some of his own solutions, one of which is respect to time off for going to the bank. He said that's not necessary now with electronic banking and extended opening hours.

He also suggested that the school terms should start one month earlier to facilitate the CXC and Cape exams.

The minister complained that in the last two years the TSC has met with him only once. He suggested that the TSC chooses instead to meet with officers who they can “tell what they want.”

In an immediate response, TTUTA president Roustan Job said the minister was making irresponsible and premature statements instead of engaging in meaningful consultation with TTUTA and other education stakeholders.

Government committed to Pan in schools: Gopeesingh

File: GISL photo

Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh said Tuesday the government of Trinidad & Tiobnago is committed to pan in the classroom.

He made the point to the Express newspaper in response to a charge by Pan Trinbago President Keith Diaz who told reporters Tuesday pan in the classroom is under threat of being removed.

Gopeesingh refuted the claims and noted that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has endorsed the idea of pan in schools, which was introduced under her tenure as Education Minister. It won't be changed, he said

In a statement published in the website of the Government Information Services Ltd (GISL) Gopeesingh said, "The Ministry of Education has always stood in respect and support of the Pan In the Classroom Programme." 

He added, "Ever since taking office in 2010, this Administration has displayed and maintained its commitment to the principles of equal opportunity, at every level of our social life – from Education to Culture, and beyond.

"It’s for that reason - plus all of the goodness this indigenous cultural learning opportunity brings to our young citizens in classrooms across the country - we reaffirm our retention of the Pan in the Classroom initiative, and indeed plan to learn from and widen its impact.

"Our esteemed Prime Minister the Honourable Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar declared the official position of the Peoples Partnership Government at the opening of the Marabella South Secondary School on Wednesday 10th May 2012 when she told the gathering, and the wider Nation, most emphatically: “Pan is here to stay! The programme has never stopped, it will never stop, and it will continue in schools across Trinidad and Tobago.”

"The Ministry of Education wishes to reiterate its commitment to increase exposure of the Nation’s children to a more varied curriculum. Schools will be given the choice of string, percussion and wind musical instruments, such as steel pan ensemble, dholak, harmonium, table, tassa drum set, xylophone, guitar, cuatro, African drum set, and non-melodic percussion instruments.

"Schools will be also supplied with an appropriate number of the chosen instruments relevant to class instruction and in accordance with the technical advice of Curriculum Officers or other designated agents of the Ministry.

"The present Curriculum will be adapted to allow for effective use of these diverse instruments of choice, as well as the seamless transition of Primary School students to the Secondary School Music Education Programme.

"Current teaching staff in Primary Schools, with the required competencies, will deliver the current and adapted Music Curriculum; Music Instructors will be contracted where there is a shortage of the desired competencies.

"The current Pan in the Classroom Unit will be increased to effect expansion of the Music Education Programme in Primary Schools and Secondary Schools. At present, 99 primary schools and 99 secondary schools are enrolled in the programme.

"Additionally, the Ministry of Education wishes to reiterate its commitment to meet with stakeholders. The Minister of Education, Dr the Honourable Tim Gopeesingh has already agree to meet with executive members of Trinbago, however a date has not been formally scheduled due to heavy commitments of previous engagements."

Gopeesingh asks PM to probe bribery allegations

Caroni east MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh is demanding an immediate investigation into reports that a senior official at the Trinidad & Tobago government's Estate management Business Development Company (EMBD) allegedly asked a local contractor for a bribe.

Gopeesingh told reporters at a news conference Saturday he has written to the authorities, including the Integrity Commission, asking for an immediate probe.

Gopeesingh accused Prime Minister Patrick Manning of failing to take action against the senior official. He also said several senior government ministers including Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Teshiera and Attorney General Brigid Annisette-George have failed to act on the allegations.

The MP produced documents, which he said he found in his mailbox, containing letters exchanged between Sunco Engineering Services Ltd to officials of EMBD as well as to Manning.

He said in 2006 The Government of Trinidad & Tobago awarded Sunco contracts valued at $29 million for drainage and road development works on two projects. He said the contractor received some of the money but is having great difficulty collecting additional payments. EMBD is still owing Sunco $8.5 million, he said.

Gopeesingh showed reporters a letter dated on July 31, 2008 from Sunco's managing director, Cobee Singh, to Manning seeking his assistance to get the outstanding and telling the prime minister that the projects have suffered because EMBD has not met its financial obligations to Sunco.

He said the latter included an allegation of bribery, which was also copied to several government ministers including the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Integrity Commission.

In the letter Singh wrote:

"We would like to report to you that a senior official from the EMBD made a financial demand in order to secure our payments. Accordingly, we have no alternative but to forward this matter to the Director of Public Prosecution for investigation."

The Sunday Express says it checked with sources close to Sunco who confirmed that the company has not received any official response to the the bribery allegations and it is still waiting to be paid the outstanding money.

According to Gopeesingh wrote a second time to Manning seeking his intervention to get the money. He said Manning advised that he would ask that junior finance minister Mariano Browne to look into the matter.

Gopeesingh told reporters that his letter to the Integrity Commission advised that the contractor is still waiting to be paid and has resorted to legal action against EMBD.

"Under the law, the Prime Minister is duty bound to commission an investigation into this allegation and indeed, in the past, has referred similar matters to the Integrity Commission," he stated.

Gopeesingh said in view of these developments he is officially requesting that the Commission investigate Manning, Nunez-Teshiera, Annisette-George, and Agriculture Minister Arnold Piggott "to specifically determine whether by their failure to act upon the complaint they have breached Section IV of the Integrity in Public Life Act of 2000 which outlines this duty of all public officials".

NO INTEGRITY COMMISSION

The Integrity Commission is currently dormant because President Max Richards is yet to appoint new commissioners to replace those who quit two months ago after a high court report lambasted the commission for its investigation of former cabinet minister Dr Keith Rowley.

The former Housing Minister was denied the opportunity to defend himself when he was brought before the Commission on allegations of corruption.

Gopeesingh and and his parliamentary colleague Sen. Wade Mark want to know why there is such a delay in making the appointments.

“The Leader of the Opposition has submitted names as were requested by the President for consideration for membership of the Integrity Commission so we have done our duty. We have submitted our names and the CVs of these people and quite a number of names were entailed, adequate to form the Commission,” Mark said.

Gopeesingh unhappy with schools security that cost $250M a year

Tim Gopeesingh told reporters Tuesday he is unhappy with security at schools in Trinidad & Tobago, which he said is costing the state nearly $250 million a year.

The education minister was speaking at a news conference at his ministry's office in St Clair. He said the services provided to schools are “woefully short", noting that one company - The National Maintenance Training and Security Company Limited (MTS) - has been getting the lion's share of the contracts.

Gopeesingh said the MTS contract has gone on for too long. “That contract has gone on from 2004 and it is still continuing on a monthly basis. The whole question of school security leaves a lot to be desired.”

He said the ministry would soon begin advertising for security companies in the seven districts in Trinidad and one in Tobago.

“We will have the districts dispose clusters so that you may have more than one team of security company providing that service,” Gopeesingh added.

Gopeesingh also announced that schools will have added security using computer technology available from the state-owned telephone company, TSTT, which offers electronic surveillance through its Blink security system.

“We would be looking to do that on a pilot project to reduce cost and enhance efficiency by using the Blink system where you monitor the principals’ room and the areas of the computers labs and a number of key areas and you have a service that would give you an armed response within about ten or fifteen minutes,” Gopeesingh said.

The minister said said the Blink system will cost about $3 million a year at an average of $2,500 a month per school. That, he said, is cost effective when compared with the present system.

“We are charged approximately $42 to 45 per hour by the security company and that has to stop,” Gopeesingh reiterated.

Gopeesingh also spoke about deviant behaviour in school, which is continuing despite the implementation of various task forces.

“The ministry of education over the last six months has put together an entire task force dealing with deviant behaviour, truancy and these types of abnormal and unwarranted behavioural pattern by school children particularly in the secondary schools,” Gopeesingh said.

He added deviant behaviour as a multi factorial problem that "stems from the home, improper guidance, community, peer pressure and from the inability of students to develop their self esteem and self worth having gone through the system and not benefiting from it."

Conflicting views of SIA; Browne supportive, Gopeesingh says it was a Gestapo type unit

Diego Martin Central MP Dr Amery Browne defended the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA) on Friday, telling legislators that the agency had been involved in investigating high profile murder cases and in the arrest of members of international terrorist Islamic organisations in this country.

Browne was speaking in the House of Representatives on a private motion brought by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, calling for Government to immediately report on its handling of the SIA files and data.

However, Government member, Dr Tim Gopeesingh presented a different picture of the SIA describing it as a Gestapo style unit that was harassing people and even trying to kill them.

Browne insisted that the SIA had successes in collaboration with other international and local agencies, including one case where members arrested persons who had planned to blow up a cinema in the U.S., adding that three of the members were Trinidadians, who were deported.

He said up to October 15 last year, SIA officials had been inviting the Government to review their work but the government didn't bother. And he claimed that disbanding the SIA has caused the escalation of murders.

In his contribution to the debate Gopeesingh painted a different picture of the agency that had been illegally spying on citizens, including MPs, journalists and even the President.

"Colleagues would meet you on the corridors of the Parliament and tell you where you went. How did they know that? Because that administration, from 2003 to 2010, went mercilessly against individuals who dared to oppose them," Gopeesingh said.

Gopeesingh charged that people "were being followed by black, heavily tinted vehicles after their phones were tapped."

He said, "They got harassing calls in the middle of the night by people set up by the SIA at that time. People were being run off the road. There were journalists being run off the road—on two occasions, and they tried to kill them.

"They went into the e-mails of children and spouses...(in a) Gestapo state with a Mugabe style of leadership", the Caroni East MP stated.

He said people could not report these things to the police because the police were under the control of SAUTT, which was an illegal arm of the State that was reporting to the Attorney General.

"People were blackmailed, their phones tapped and yet they had no ability to go to anybody to complain. Who were the real police? Who were the secret police? And who were the troops of the former administration? Citizens were left dumbfounded. They were confused as to who were the real police and who were the police operating under the arm of the former administration," Gopeesingh said.

Gopeesingh said the SIA had access to large amounts of "unaccountable" cash, noting that in the police raid on the SIA last year officer found $5.9 million. "They were paying friends and family with the slush fund to spy on other people and some of their own people," he said.

"There was money-laundering taking place in the SIA at that time. This country must know what was happening from 2003 to 2010. It was criminal acts that were perpetuated in the SIA between 2003 and 2010 by the last administration.

"Guns were there, money-laundering. Money was being given to people for spying on other people...A few of us whose names where on the spy list met at my office to discuss evidence and information which could have shown the former prime minister's involvement in the Guanapo church. We were followed," Gopeesingh said.

He charged that it was business as usual for the drug lords while the PNM Government was using the wire-tapping equipment to follow the activities of Opposition MPs.

Gopeesingh talks of racism at POS hospital; Government calls it irresponsible

Opposition MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh told the House of Representatives Friday the authorities have engaged in "ethnic cleansing" at the Port of Spain General hospital, a charge that was immediately refuted by both Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert who called the allegation irresponsible.

Even Gopeesingh's Parliamentary colleague Jack Warner disagreed.

The charge came during debate on a bill to establish an Ambulance Authority in Trinidad and Tobago, among other things “There has been an issue of ethnic cleansing at Port-of-Spain General Hospital as far as the doctors are concerned," Gopeesingh told the House.

“I understand that most of the East Indian doctors have had to leave Port-of-Spain hospital. I understand the Port-of-Spain hospital is a virtual African hospital now.”

But while he made the categorical statement about racism he conceded that he could not say if the reports are true. Then he went on to add that according to his information more than 150 senior doctors of East Indian descent have been forced out of the service.

He charged that there is a collaboration between the Medical Chief of Staff and the administrator at the Port-of-Spain hospital, dealing with this situation.

Imbert, in his contribution to the debate, accused Gopeesingh of uttering the “racist statements that could provoke racial hatred” without producing "a shred of evidence" to support his claim.

Imbert, who is a former health minister, noted that the vast majority of medical practitioners in the Public Service are East Indians so it was not possible for there to be a majority of African doctors at any public health institutions in the country.

He added that 80 per cent of the graduates of the faculty of medicine at the University of the West Indies were of East Indian descent. “I can say without any fear of contradiction that the majority of doctors in every hospital in the public health service, with the possible exception of Tobago, are of East Indian descent,” Imbert said.

He called Gopeesingh's comment “wholly irrelevant, baseless, unfounded, frivolous and vexatious” and demanded proof from Gopeesingh.

Warner also disagreed with Gopeesingh. He told the House, "I am in a political party where I meet this every day. Far too often, far too often, where I go, some of us resort to tribalism in the worst possible way and I don't want to be part of that, Mr Speaker, and, therefore, for the records, I want to say that I resent very much this thing about ethnic cleansing."

Warner's comment could help bury him deeper in the UNC's political quicksand. He is already accused of being a PNM stooge for voting with the government to pass a securities bill and is facing a disciplinary committee that could expel him for that.

Warner was clear that his comment was not to score points from the government side, which seemed to welcome his remarks. "You all clapping the table," he said in response to the desk thumping by government MP's, "if you feel you getting me expelled, I have news for you, you know."

TT government denies 14-day port closure; opposition MP provides proof

Works Minister Colm Imbert has denied that the Port of Port of Port of Spain will close for 14 days during the Fifth Summit of the Americas in April, noting that the port will suffer "only a brief interruption" and not a 14-day shutdown.

But opposition MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh has produced the proof after Imbert called him "irresponsible" for making the statement in in Parliament.

Gopeesingh produced a document written by the Port's CEO and sent to business people advising them that, "It is important that port users note that we will be unable to handle any general cargo, paper or car vessels for the period April 9-22, 2009."

Several business confirmed that they have received the same letter but the man who sent those letters is now claiming that claims of a 14-day closure are incorrect and the matter will be cleared up. But in news release he said, "The reality is that the two cruise ships that have been chartered to provide additional accommodation for the large number of visitors expected to for the Summit are scheduled to arrive in Port of Spain at 5 p.m. on Monday April 13, 2009 and to depart at 1 p.m. on Monday April 20, 2009, that is for a period of seven days and not for 14 days and falsely alleged by Dr Gopeesingh.

"Further, during that seven-day period that the cruise ships will be in the port, the port will not be closed down and container operations will continue, except for a brief period over the actual three-day period of the Summit, which is the weekend of April 17-19."

He added: "Dr Gopeesingh's statements are thus highly irresponsible and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms."

In a response to Imbert Monday Gopeesingh stood his ground, saying that his information came from a bulletin issue by the Port. In a news release he categorically denied claims made by Imbert in the media.

Noting the minister's claims there was a "mix up" and the port won't close for 14 days Gopeesingh accused Imbert of merely responding to the opposition's shocking disclosure and he eproduced the supporting evidence.

"The fact is that I quoted DIRECTLY from a Port Bulletin #53 issued by Port CEO Weiger Koonstra issued just last week on January 14. That is where the information came from and it is clear that the shut down of the Port as per this bulletin, would have taken place for two weeks," Gopeesingh said.

The Caroni East MP said when he raised the matter in Parliament Friday both Imbert and Information Minister Neil Parsanlal were present and ta no time did Parsanlal refute or even refer to the Port's shutdown in his response, "nor did Mr Imbert bother to respond".

He said the three-day shutdown that Imbert has now announced is "a placatory response to the public's concern over the previously announced two week shutdown. I am certain the decision to limit the shut down was taken only after the UNC raised the issue and it was highlighted so prominently in the media," Gopeesingh said.