T&T Red Force allrounder Yannic Cariah was reprimanded for a breach of the Code of Conduct during the third-round match against the Windward Islands Volcanoes which ended on Sunday in the Regional 4-Day tournament.

Cariah was reported by on-field umpires Danesh Ramdhanie and Gregory Brathwaite, along with reserve umpire Kellman Kowlessar, for a Level 1 breach, when he yelled an expletive after being dismissed caught in the 44th over of the Red Force first innings.

He admitted to the offence and accepted the imposition of the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

The Cricket West Indies sanction for a Level 1 offence includes an official warning/reprimand and/or fine of up to the equivalent of 50 per cent of player or team official’s match fee.

LONDON—Cricket’s world governing body, the ICC, is investigating an approach made to Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer to fix parts of the recent two-Test series against West Indies.

Media reports yesterday said that Cremer had rejected the approach, allegedly from a former Zimbabwe Cricket board member prior to the first Test on October 21, and reported the incident to head coach Heath Streak.

The matter was referred to Zimbabwe Cricket and then to the ICC who has since confirmed that its Anti-Corruption Unit was investigating.

“The ICC can confirm that there is an ACU ongoing investigation in Zimbabwe and because there is an ongoing investigation, I cannot share any further details,” an ICC spokesperson said was quoted as saying.

The Test, played at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, saw West Indies win by an innings and 17 runs inside four days.

Zimbabwe, however, hung on for a draw in the second Test at the same venue, leaving the Caribbean side with a 1-0 series win. (CMC)

When Shivnarine Chanderpaul made his regional debut for Guyana, some of the current players were on the T&T Red Force team were not even born yet and others were in school.

Today, the 43-year old will pad up yet again to face the local team as round four of the Digicel Regional PCL tournament bowls off at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba. The match will be a day/night affair and will get off at 2pm. Chanderpaul who has over 27,000 First Class runs to his name and an average of 54.51 will lead the Guyana batting against the T&T Red Force, who are on a high after defeating the Windwards Volcanoes in their last encounter at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain.

Chanderpaul struck a brilliant century, his 77th in First Class cricket to deny the Leewards victory against his team and in the process kept them at the top of the standings with 46.6 points.

T&T Red Force led by centuries from skipper Denesh Ramdin and Jason Mohammed defeated the Windwards by 10 wickets with three days to spare and moved from 4th position to second on 41.1. Ramdin knows it a tough match but his team is ready. “We always have a tough battle against Guyana and we expect the same this time around.

However, the boys are feeling good and will be looking to continue the good work they have started. We are all focussed on winning this title which we have not won in a very long time and we are taking it one game at a time.

“It was good to get the century in the last match and anytime I get a start, I look to go on to a big one and this is what I did. Jason also batted well and we will be looking for similar performances from the batting line-up against the Guyanese.”

There is will only one change to the T&T final XI for this game with Queen’s Park left arm spinner Khary Pierre making way for the returning Jamaican Sheldon Cottrell. The left arm pacer will look to add some spice to the Red Force fast bowling attack.

Last week Daniel St Clair bowled brilliantly and grabbed 4/25 in the second innings and six wickets in the match and he will be looking to continue in the same manner.

The Guyana Jaguars have won the PCL every year since it started which means they have three titles in hand.

Teams 

T&T Red Force: Denesh Ramdin (capt), Jeremy Solozano, Amir Jangoo, Kyle Hope, Yannic Carriah, Denesh Ramdin, Jason Mohammed, Imran Khan, Daniel St. Clair, Sheldon Cottrell and Roshon Primus.
Guyana Jaguars: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Rajendra Chandrika, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Leon Johnson (Captain), Keemo Paul, Anthony Bramble, Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, Romario Shepherd, Sherfane Rutherford, Keon Joseph, Vishaul Singh and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

LATEST STANDINGS

Team P W L D PTS
Jaguars 3 2 0 1 46.6
Red Force 3 1 0 2 41.4
Hurricanes 3 1 0 2 38.6
Pride 3 0 1 2 23.2
Scorpions 3 0 1 2 18.2
Volcanoes 3 0 2 1 15.6

Jamaica Scorpions will be strengthened for their trip to Warner Park in St Kitts to face Leeward Islands Volcanoes, as regular captain and frontline spinner, Nikita Miller has returned to the squad.

The 35-year-old, Scorpions’ most experienced player, missed the first three rounds while recuperating from a recent surgery.

Despite his side’s struggles, left-armer Miller was the leading wicket-taker in the last four-day season with 58 scalps, and boasts 461 wickets from 90 first class matches all told.

“To have Nikita Miller is always a positive and we are looking forward to him being in the team again,” stand-in captain Paul Palmer told the Observer newspaper here.

Without Miller, Scorpions have failed to win a match to date, and are one from bottom of the six-team standings on 18.2 points.

They lost to three-time reigning champions, Guyana Jaguars, by 263 runs in the opening round before drawing away to Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the second round fixture and then with Barbados Pride here last weekend.

Though most of the first two days of the last match against Pride at Sabina Park was lost to rain, Scorpions still found themselves battling to avoid defeat on the final day, and Palmer underscored the need for consistency and proper execution.

“I think we bowled well in patches, but we didn’t bowl well enough for long periods that’s required for four days of cricket,” he noted.

“We just have to work on that aspect and be more consistent, bowl to our fields, and stick to our plans and execute them as a unit.”

The fourth round of the Regional Four-Day Championship bowls off Thursday. (CMC)

Nikita Miller (captain), John Campbell, Garth Garvey, Trevon Griffith, Assad Fudadin, Brandon King, Paul Palmer, Stephen Taylor, Derval Green, Dennis Bulli, Damion Jacobs, Reynard Leveridge, Oshane Thomas.

The Past Cricketers Society of Trinidad & Tobago (PCSTT) hosted their 2nd annual ‘Cricketers can cook’ event last Saturday night on ‘The Greens’ at the Queen’s Park Oval and what a wonderful evening it was.

The PCSTT is an organisation that was formed in 2012 to honour and recognise stalwarts in the cricketing fraternity who have contributed significantly to the sport. The committee had in fact just met for a reunion get together which was so successful that it eventually formed itself into a society to do more for past cricketers that were in need of assistance in many areas such as medical aid.

In fact the society has contributed to the hurricane relief in the region, donated to the Secondary Schools team that recently toured England and gives support to many national youth players.

The reunions which have been previously held in Port-of-Spain, San Fernando and Arima for the members of the various clubs in Trinidad & Tobago, hope to be heading to the sister isle in 2018.

At all the functions, the society has found it fit to give 38 awards thus far and the list is not just limited to players, but administrators and umpires as without those two bodies the players inevitably cannot function.

Saturday night however was extremely special as “cricket’s who’s who” gathered to celebrate 6 more awardees: Kenny Furlonge, Andy Aleong (both also played football for T&T), Umpire Mohammed Hosein, and former Test greats Larry ‘Mr Dependable’ Gomes, Deryck Murray and Sir Wes Hall.

In reading out the bios of the gentlemen who all contributed to the sport in the country, the former test players were something to behold as each of them played integral roles in the development of cricket in T&T—especially from a playing perspective—whereas Murray and Hall also played major roles administratively.

In receiving his award Deryck Murray, former wicketkeeper/batsman, thanked the society for their foresight in organising the awards and made the point that when you receive awards from your peers it is even more special as when they themselves recognise the good you have achieved, you know the hard work was well worth it.

The lead actor of the night was undoubtedly Sir Wesley Winfield Hall. The 80 year old is not as steady on his feet as he used to be but his mere presence is just as intimidating as when he sent down his thunderbolts in the mid 50’s to the early 70’s having taken the first hat trick by a West Indian against Pakistan at Lahore in 1959. His voice just as powerful as his frame was in his halcyon days.

Sir Wes was the first non-Trinbagonian to be honoured by the society but an accolade that was thoroughly deserved as in 1966 Hall was hired on a 3-year contract by the West Indian Tobacco Company (WITCO) to promote youth cricket in T&T including playing for the national team in the then Shell Shield—the West Indies first class cricket championship. One of Hall’s first roles was to promote the Wes Hall Youth cricket league—a new nationwide junior cricket league which saw the birth of many young cricketers to the senior ranks.

Before Hall left Trinidad in 1970 he was asked by Fr Gerard Pantin if he would assist him in forming a humanitarian programme to assist the poor and marginalised residents of the Laventille community. Hall agreed and as he remembered on Saturday night, when the two men had to walk through the neighbourhood simply asking residents for ways in which they could assist them, he recalled how Fr Pantin always pushed him in front by saying, “don’t worry, they like you”. This mission grew to become Servol (Service Volunteered For All) which continues to operate in Trinidad and Tobago and in the Caribbean. Sir Wes is recognised as a co-founder of Servol. His speech was mixed with humour and emotion as he expressed his true love for Trinidad and Tobago.

Well done PCSTT! Continue to strive on and congratulations to the multitude of sponsors that have supported and continue to support your brilliant organisation.

Colin Murray

Il Primo Sole will again be a short-priced favourite for the Novice Median Auction Stakes over seven furlongs of Chelmsford polytrack tonight, but will this John Gosden-trained Raven’s Pass colt recoup recent losses and get back on the winning trail?

After perusing twelve rivals I’m confident Rav Havlin will find Il Primo Sole a ‘steering job’ because, on the time-handicap, it’s a foregone conclusion unless once-raced Music Society improves considerably or Hamdan al Maktoumn-owned Jahaafel, one of five newcomers, is yet another juvenile ‘special’ from the neighbouring yard of William Haggas.

Winning first-up with two-year-olds nowadays is frowned upon, resulting penalties marginalise opportunities but Il Primo Sole made a resounding winning debut when unchallenged at Yarmouth back in August under Robert Tart.

Next time Frankie Dettori was aboard when Il Primo Sole improved but was beaten just over a length at Sandown; six weeks later Havlin took over and they finished third in a bunch finish on Lingfield polytrack; distances were a neck/nose but, significantly, it represented a ‘career-best’ effort.

Il Primo Sole has only raced over seven furlongs and started 4/7 the last twice; serious, badly stung, punters might just look elsewhere but they wont find a danger!

Another vexing prospect is Bubble And Squeak, second on all three starts and one of sixteen ‘decs’ for a Fillies’ Novice Stakes over a mile; what beat Sylvester Kirk’s charge will win!

A similar comment applies to thrice-raced She’s Royal in a ten-runner Novice Auction Stakes over seven furlongs of Southwell fibresand; just a question of adapting to the ‘deep stuff’ which will be replaced within two years, in tandem with a new look for the Nottinghamshire course.

Floodlights will dominate a dramatic skyline in 2020!

Southwell, 1.15 She’s Royal; Newcastle, 5.55 Il Primo Sole; 6.55 Bubble And Squeak (e.w).

Today, on National Pancreatic Cancer Day, Guardian Media Sport honours the life of John E Sabga, an individual who contributed to local sport in ways in which few others that came before him had ever done.

“He was always willing to give, through guidance or actual assistance when he could, and he did it silently, he never did it for the public recognition, he did it for the passion he had to help others,” his son Matthew told Guardian Media Sport.

“As a member of the Queen’s Park Cricket Club he gave his endless support to the club, in addition to his alma mater, Fatima College, he also made contributions to countless secondary schools and sports clubs in T&T,” he added.

Furthermore, Sabga was a sports fanatic, he loved his West Indies and Soca Warriors teams, with whom he gave his endless support to, all over the world.

Matthew recounted a story in which, even when he was sick and undergoing chemotherapy, on his last trip home to T&T, he went to the Hasely Crawford Stadium to watch his Soca Warriors team play for one last time against Guatemala.

That relentless passion for sport can be appreciated within the countless articles of memorabilia, gifted to him through his friendships in sport, and hung proudly throughout his dream-come-true sports bar and restaurant ‘Trotters’.

One of the lesser-known highlights of Sabga’s sporting background was that he ran on former FIFA referee Ramesh Ramdhan’s ticket for the post of Vice-President of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association in the November 2015 elections.

His goal, his son explained, stemmed from his disappointment of the mismanagement of the national team, “he had nothing to gain from being vice president, this was purely his passion for T&T football, he wanted to give back to T&T football, being a life-long fan, he wanted to help take T&T football forward and not backward,” he said.

Words cannot begin to portray the type of man John E Sabga was, but as a friend of Sabga’s, Brian Lara, mentioned prior to dedicating a community T20 cricket tour match in his honour, “It is difficult to find a more passionate and knowledgeable man in sport as John Sabga and it’s guys like him that inspire you daily to keep going.”

In his memory, today, his wife, Natalie Sabga has launched the John E Sabga Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer.

The non-profit organisation aims to raise money to fund research and clinical trials to find an answer to the disease, and to educate and give back to the people of T&T who have suffered at the hands of the disease. To learn more about the foundation and to donate to the cause you can visit thejesfoundation.com

JONATHON MATOUK
 

Principal of Fatima College Fr Gregory Augustine is calling for a review of the marking at the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) after the school recorded the “worst marks”—a 30 per cent failure— in English Literature at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

Augustine, who was speaking at the school’s prize giving ceremony held yesterday, said, “There is a serious concern. From our information the reason why the results were released late this year was because the Literature was kept back. There was not sufficient markers... they had to get more markers and so on. But this is not peculiar to Fatima.

“Our literature results at CSEC in all the years....we have been doing Literature as a compulsory subject for over 20 years and this was the worst results we have ever had,” Augustine said. He said the 70 per cent pass rate was not acceptable as the school’s standards which was over 90 per cent.

“We do Literature and English Language as compulsory subjects and we have found that over these years that Literature helps in the Language results as all our students get ones in the Language.

“Literature is a more difficult subject but the students do well. Definitely something went awry this way,” Augustine said. Augustine said there was a meeting with Education Minister Anthony Garcia just before the opening of the September school term during which several other school principals had expressed similar concerns.

On the response from the ministry Augustine said Garcia was “well aware” of the issue adding that schools were still awaiting a response.

Augustine said some parents quarried the results but “many came back as the same.”

“So what CXC is doing is they are not remarking. They are simply re-tallying so see if there was a mistake in the tallying of the marks,” Augustine said.

Asked whether the poor results could be attributed to the teachers Augustine said “certainly not.”

On CXC’s performance as a making institution Augustine said there were financial constraints and many changes taking place.

“And we understand that. We are living in challenging economic times. They are doing some adjustments but we don’t want to compromise the integrity of the exam and this is our concern as educators.

“In all your reviews and changes and attempts to make the exams more friendly for students and for markers you don’t want to affect the integrity of the exam,” Augustine said.

Garcia who was present during the ceremony yesterday said while there were discussions with CXC it was yet to be deciphered what was the problem.

He said it was not possible that the marks could be changed at this point. The minister also expressed similar sentiments regarding CXC’s marking system saying it must be ensured that T&T students were not placed at a disadvantaged.

A month after the Fyzabad Secondary School was booted from the Secondary Schools Football League for submitting false academic certificates for two players, principal Troy Jebodhsingh and physical education teacher Nigel Lakhan appeared in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court on six charges of corruption.

Jebodhsingh and Lakhan were each granted $120,000 bail with a $15,000 cash alternative.

Jebodhsingh, 50, has 27 years with the Teaching Service Commission of which seven was spent as a principal. The father of two also served as a police officer for four years.

Senior Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine read the charges that on September 6 at the Ministry of Education along Farrah Street, San Fernando, Jebodhsingh, being in a public office as the principal of the Fyzabad Secondary School, misbehaved by submitting A Level recommendation forms for 2017 O’Level results for two students to a School Supervisor III of at the St Patrick District Office of the Ministry of Education, knowing that they were not a bona_fide students of the Fyzabad Secondary School and was not qualified to pursue the Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

Also, on September 5 at Guapo Road, Fyzabad, while as principal of the Fyzabad Secondary School, him being a member of Teaching Service Commission, contrary to the Education Act, did misbehave himself in public office by signing a declaration on a Secondary School Football League players’ form, authorising the students to participate in the Secondary School Football League’s premier league competition knowing they were not bona_fide students and were not qualified to pursue CAPE.

The charges against Lakhan, 40, a teacher for 21 years, were that on September 5 at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, he submitted player registrations forms for the ineligible students, bearing the school’s stamp and the principal’s signature, knowing that they were false and intended to defraud. Also, at Guapo Road, Fyzabad, he intended to defraud with a forged Secondary School Football League’s player registration form bearing the school’s stamp and the signature of the principal.

Lakhan and Jebodhsingh were jointly charged with two offences that on September 5 at the Ministry of Education office along Farrah Street, San Fernando, they uttered false Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Secondary Education Certificates for January 2017 for the two players in contravention of the Forgery Act.

The charges against both accused were laid indictably, however, prosecutor Cleyon Seedan did not object to bail.

Jebodhsingh was represented by attorney Chateram Sinanan while Chris Ramlal stood for Lakhan.

Both lawyers protested against the arrest of their clients on Monday before warrants were issued. However, Seedan said the Fraud Squad investigators led by Sgt Smith were liaising with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The charges that occurred in Fyzabad were adjourned to November 22 at the Siparia Magistrates’ court while the Couva matters will be held at the Couva Magistrates’ Court on November 23. They are expected to return to the San Fernando court on November 28.

Protesting parents of pupils attending the San Fernando Methodist School are prepared to take their protests outside the doors of the Teaching Service Commission if a school official accused of child molestation is not removed.

The parents staged another round of protests outside the school demanding that the official be removed from the school.

The official who was never tried before the courts because the alleged victim and her parents migrated abroad, was reinstated last week, some three years after the alleged incident occurred.

Braving a heavy downpour, president of the PTA Daren Medford told the media that they were dissatisfied with the way the Ministry was handling the matter.

“We supposed to meet with the Minister and we hoping that they will take a decision about this. They saying that they are not responsible but we have decided that we will send a petition and even if we have to protest at the doors of the Teaching Service Commission we will,” Medford said.

Saying the ministry had taken a hands-off approach, Medford called on the chairman of the commission to act expeditiously on the matter.

Another parent, La Toya Leston-Williams, said she was not comfortable sending her daughter to the school.

“It is unfair to her that she has to attend classes in an environment like this. It is not right. We want something to be done now,” Leston-Williams said as she clutched her nine-month-old daughter Khloe Williams.

Glenda Modeste-Edwards, a former teacher, claimed the school official in question was promoted ahead of her because of connections he had within the ministry.

“I don’t know if this is the same situation playing off here and that was why he was reinstated but I worked with him and when I leant of the problems I came to support because we need justice,” Modeste-Edwards said.

In a statement, Garcia advised protesting parents that the removal of a teacher at the school is the responsibility of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC).

Reiterating that the responsibilities of the ministry and that of the TSC differ, Garcia said the PTA must adhere to the Concordat of 1960 which indicates that “The right of appointment, retention, promotion, transfer and dismissal of teachers in Primary Schools will rest with the Public Service Commission.

He said the Teaching Service Commission, established under Service Commissions, was in charge of the matter.

Garcia promised that he will continue to aid all stakeholders in any way possible and will give support in accordance with the guidelines set out by the Constitution, the Education Act and the Concordat of T&T.

A 30-year-old man, on his way to the barbershop in preparation for one of his daughters’ birthday celebration yesterday, was gunned down moments after dropping off the child at school.

According to police reports, around 8.30 am they received a report of shooting at Balthazar Street, Tunapuna. When they arrived they found Kevin Perreira slouched over to the front passenger side of his gold coloured Nissan Almera.

His his car was shot up by occupants of two cars, which police believed were following him. After he was shot, Perreira crashed into a wall at the corner of Green Street.

On arrival at the scene some four hours later, his mother Janice screamed for her child to get up “In Jesus name”. She screamed in agony calling for her son to hug her as he did the night before when she was told by him that he loved her and wanted her to stop working as hard as she was.

The single mother, according to relatives, did all she could to raise her children as upstanding citizens and she succeeded. Relatives dismissed, without the suggestion being made, that Perreira was gang affiliated and his death associated with such affiliation. He had a parlour and raised pigs and occasionally worked PH taxi to support himself, wife and three children.

Those gathered lamented that sometimes Perreira would have children in his vehicle, sometimes his own and query what would have happened to them if they were with him.

Relative said that envious men from the area wanted the St John Trace, St Augustine father dead because they were jealous of him and his success.

While at the scene some residents were overheard discussing how news of Perreria’s death came seconds after learning of another acquaintance being killed.

The residents were referring to Marvin Davis who died at 9.57 pm on Wednesday at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex after being shot while at a bar in Curepe last week Friday.

Police said then a masked man approached the victim and shot him before fleeing. He was to hospital. His shooting came days after his brother was shot.

The deaths of the men took the murder toll to 424 for the year, compared to 407 for the same period last year.

Government is looking on - like citizens - at a situation that “seems to be unfolding” following recent allegations about Chief Justice Ivor Archie and the security arrangements for judges.

This was the word from Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing.

Asked about a media reports which made certain allegations about the CJ allegedly discussing alternative security arrangements for judges with a third party, Young said, “There’s nothing for Government to get involved with. We’re looking on as well as citizens at a situation that seems to be unfolding. There’s no need for Government to intervene.”

He said he’d noted that the Law Association had observed some statements in the report were unsubstantiated.

“There’s nothing for us to look at, at this stage,” he added, saying Cabinet hadn’t discussed the claims.

Young also hinted that disciplinary action might be ahead for alleged culprits Immigration officers in last Sunday’s “sick out” at the Piarco International Airport.

Travellers were forced to wait for as long as five hours to be cleared in Immigration after arrival at Piarco on Sunday, after only two of the 15 Immigration officers turned up for duty.

He said a report on the issue was sent to National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and was passed to Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi for advice. Based on preliminary consideration, he said “action is going to be taken” and if advice from the AG deems it fit, disciplinary action could be involved.

Arising out of the problems caused by the incident, Young said Government has called for a contingency plan to deal with such situations.

Self-proclaimed community leader Cedric “Burkie” Burke and his driver Keon Bain have been granted permission to amend their malicious prosecution and false imprisonment lawsuit against the State over their arrests during the 2011 State of Emergency (SoE).

During a hearing of the case before Justice Robin Mohammed in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday, their lawyer Richard Clarke-Wills applied to amend the lawsuit in light of new information related which he claimed recently come to his attention.

The information related to their arrests at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port-of-Spain, on August 26, 2011.

Burkie and Bain were charged with being a gang leader and a gang member. They were denied bail for almost three months under the Anti-Gang Act before Director of Public Prosecutions discontinued the case against them due to a lack of evidence.

The amendment also relates to allegations that police allegedly told Bain that he was not the target of their investigation and that they wanted him to be an informant against Burke.

Clarke-Wills also informed Mohammed that he had previously held discussions with the Office of the Attorney General, who had previously indicated its intention to settle the duo’s case and over 40 others, which were filed by fellow detainees during the SoE.

However, he claimed that the negotiations broke down in June and have yet to resume.

Mohammed encouraged Clarke-Wills to continue the discussions as he pointed to the case of Kevin Stewart, a man from San Fernando who was among the first to sue the State after his release.

In July 2015, High Court Judge Joan Charles delivered judgement in Stewart’s favour and awarded him over $400,000 in compensation. The State appealed.

Delivering a 28-page judgement in July, this year, the Court of Appeal reversed Charles’ decision as it ruled that while there was insufficient evidence to arrest and charge Stewart, the police did not act maliciously.

“In my judgement it is quite plain on the facts of this case that the three police officers involved were motivated to apply the law fairly and with bona fides. The difficulty is that the provisions of the Anti-Gang Act require close application,” Appellate Judge Nolan Bureaux said in the judgement.

The Appeal Court reduced Stewart’s compensation to $50,000 as it felt that he was only entitled to damages for the 33 hours he spent in police custody before he was charged.

Mohammed agreed to give Burke and Bain until December 8 to file their amended statement of case. The State has until January 19 to respond.

About Burke

Burke became a social media sensation after he and fellow community activist Kenroy Dopwell turned up uninvited to the swearing-in ceremony of Port-of-Spain South MP Marlene McDonald as Public Utilities Minister in July. McDonald’s appointment lasted two days as she was replaced by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley following public furore over her connection to Burke.

It was the second sacking for McDonald, whose previous ministerial appointment as Housing Minister was revoked in March 2016 after she became subject of Integrity Commission and police investigations regarding allegations of facilitating a Housing Development Corporation (HDC) house for her partner. She was later cleared of any wrongdoing, leading to her second appointment.

A&V Oil and Gas, the company at the centre of an investigation by Canadian consulting company Kroll at state-owned Petrotrin, has reportedly hit a snag in its attempt to sell its lease on the Moruga East Block to Shandong Deshi Petroleum Group Company Limited of China.

The field is separate and apart from the Catshill Field from which A&V is currently supplying oil to Petrotrin and which has been the subject of an internal and independent investigation.

A&V Oil and Gas is the operator for the Moruga East Block under an Incremental Production Sharing Contract (IPSC) with Petrotrin, which dates back to November 18, 2009. That agreement expires in November 2019.

An agreement between A&V and Shandong was signed by A&V CEO Haniff Baksh and the chairman of Shandong Deshi Limited on November 11, 2016, with details and conditions of the sale of the lease, which was estimated at US$19.5 million, which Shandong was to pay in four tranches.

The first payment of US$6 million was to have been made on or up to 30 days after Shandong was granted the lease, another US$6 million payment was to have been paid within one year, the third payment of US$5 million was to have been made two years after Shandong was granted the new IPSC and the final payment of US$2.5 million was to be paid within three years after Shandong was granted the IPSC.

There was another alternative for payment in the sum of US$14 million in five tranches.

The T&T Guardian has confirmed that A&V had been trying to sell their interest in the Moruga Field to Shandong since 2015.

Petrotrin chairman Wilfred Espinet yesterday told the T&T Guardian that the Petrotrin board approved the commercial terms of the sale of the lease in August 2015. But this was “subject to the fulfilment of a number of conditions.”

However, he said the period stipulated under the conditional approval “expired without fulfilment of the conditions.” To date, he said those conditions have not been satisfied and “the bona fide operator for the field is A&V Oil and Gas Limited.” He confirmed the contract between Petrotrin and A&V expires in 2019.

Espinet said there is no way that the agreement can become operational without the approval of Petrotrin.

“A company cannot come in and operate without holding a title to the lease,” he said.

Espinet said such a sale could only be finalised “when the conditions are met, they will come back to us and say we met these conditions and on the basis of that Petrotrin can then say we agree to this transfer and advise the Ministry of Energy that we have agreed to the transfer to take place.”

The T&T Guardian tried to contact A&V CEO Baksh yesterday to find out whether he was still seeking to pursue the agreement with Shandong and whether they were close to fulfilling the obligations outlined by Petrotrin for the sale of the lease, but calls to his mobile phone went unanswered

As state oil company Petrotrin awaits the findings of Canadian company Kroll into the “fake oil” scandal relating to overpayment to a contractor for oil from the Catshill Field, the Auditor General is raising concerns about the process being used to verify oil and gas supplied by oil companies to the Ministry of Energy.

In his April 2017 report, Auditor General Majeed Ali said he has been reporting on lack of data for the last three years and the only response from the ministry is that verification of oil and gas is done by calibration of meters at fiscalisation points and witnessing of metres at loading of crude at ports.

The Auditor General said the Measurement Unit of the Ministry of Energy is constrained by a shortage of manpower and lack of measurement training. As a result, 75 per cent of planned activities are not done, so the accuracy of revenue from royalties and share of profits from oil companies cannot be assessed.

According to the Auditor General, at the time of the audit of the Ministry of Energy in January, royalties from 11 oil companies as at September 30, 2016, were outstanding. In addition, quarterly and annual reconciliations of royalties due and received were not produced for nine of the 11 oil companies as required by petroleum regulations.

The report also highlighted concerns about quarrying operations which fall under the ambit of the Ministry of Energy. It noted that of the 103 quarry operators in the country only seven have valid licences, 76 are operating with expired licences and 19 are operating with no licence. There is one new application to operate a quarry.

From a sample of 20 operational quarries selected for audit, royalties were not collected from 16 operators.

The report also noted that five operators mining on private land did not provide proof of ownership of the mineral rights in order to be exempted from paying royalties and evidence was not seen that royalties were received for the financial year 2015/2016.

The Auditor General said production data relating to the quantity of minerals mined, processed and sold for 17 operators was not submitted.

Government is currently probing the People’s Partnership administration’s 2012 purchase of an Arima building for $27 million despite advice from Government’s Property and Real Estate Services Division (PRESD) that the building wasn’t “the soundest structure.”

Minister in Legal Affairs and the Attorney General Stuart Young also claimed yesterday that after purchase, the building’s former owner was “allowed to continue operating there, rent free.”

Revealing developments at the weekly post-Cabinet press briefing, he added, “It’s under probe.”

Young spoke about the matter in the wake of the revival of similar issues this week from the Auditor General’s 2016 report, which was laid in Parliament in April. He said Public Administration Minister Maxie Cuffie subsequently gave statements addressing property issues in the report.

More recently, however, he said the Works Ministry wrote him last month requesting a probe of the former Transport Ministry’s purchase of a property at 3-3A Robinson Circular, Arima, during the PP’s tenure.

The property was to have housed a Motor Vehicle Authority Access centre.

Young said an October 2011 report by the Housing Ministry’s Permanent Secretary—who governs the PRESD—to Transport’s Permanent Secretary warned then that building wasn’t sound.

He said an independent valuator last month valued the property at $18 million.

“That’s a $9 million variance from the original price,” he said, as he cited the PRESD’s 2011 report to Transport noting the PP Cabinet in January 2011 agreed in principle to acquire the property.

The PRESD stated the owner originally sought $80m for the property, but the PRESD stated “this amount was over 300 per cent of the market value prescribed by the Commissioner of Valuations (CoV).” The PRESD said the owner commissioned a private valuator whose report suggested a market value of $31m, “which was approximately 20 per cent in excess of the CoV’s valuation.”

The PRESD also told the then Transport Ministry it was “unaware” of the process by which the Transport Ministry “would have gone through to identify this property for use as a Motor Vehicle Authority.”

It was found the building, which is currently unoccupied, had an RBC Caribbean mortgage for $14m.

Former PP transport minister Devant Maharaj yesterday confirmed the building had been purchased under the PP’s tenure. He, however, claimed moves for a Motor Vehicle Authority centre began under former PNM Works Minister Colm Imbert and continued under PP Works Minister Jack Warner “who selected the property.”

“I continued the process after Warner. I came in when the agreement was made to buy it and I continued it, but I was reassigned to Food Production two months after the building was purchased,” he added.

Denying he allowed anyone to stay in the building after it was purchased in April 2012, he said he’d spoken to the former owner, who said he’d moved out by June 2012 after the building was bought.

Maharaj said he’d never seen the PRESD’s 2011 report.

“I have a valuator’s 2007 report valuing the building at $27 million. If it wasn’t sound how was COP’s Rodger Samuel using it as a constituency office for which the Parliament was paying the rent?”

The 2017 Pan Shoot Out Competition (PSOC) is scheduled for December 12 at San Fernando’s City Hall on Harris Promenade, at 7 pm. Structured in two phases, Phase 1 will require participants to register for the PSOC, prepare a three-minute video of themselves playing a Christmas song of any genre and lastly upload the video to the San City Steel Symphony’s Facebook Page.

Predetermined judges will agree on 12 finalists who will compete in Phase 2 of the competition. Additionally three contestants who received the most “likes” on the San City Steel Symphony’s (SCSS) Facebook page will also qualify to perform at the December 12 finals.

San City Steel Symphony was established in 1990. The band was first created to cater for the recreational needs of the employees of the San Fernando City Corporation and their children. The band is housed at the City Corporation’s compound located at the Carib Street Complex in San Fernando. Today, the band serves as training and mentoring institution for young people in San Fernando and environs.

The band’s repertoire consists of a diverse mixture of Afro Caribbean, jazz, reggae, calypso, soca and contemporary idioms. The inclusion of wind brass instruments is used to create and give the band a unique and distinctive sound. African drums are infused in the band’s musical arrangements which root the ensemble in the rich Caribbean folk tradition.

Applications from prospective participants, 18 years and younger, will be accepted as having met the age eligibility criteria to participate in the PSOC.

PSOC 2017 will be streamed live via the internet courtesy WACK Radio 90.1 FM.

The organisation has also decided that part of the proceeds from any money generated will be donated to a pre determined charity.

On Saturday night at the well appointed Government Plaza on Richmond Street, Port-of-Spain, it was a bit of this, and a bit of that when young calypso promoter Stagieann Henry staged Gems of the Past. The pot pourri of music included past calypso gems, some of the current hits, a couple yet to be released and a pinch of sweet pan music.

Gems of the Past was Henry’s annual tribute to her father calypsonian Explainer when he celebrates his November birthday. With an audience that was larger than last year’s edition, held at the Police Mess in St James, the programme got off to a bit of a late start with host Godfrey Pierre at the controls. Musical accompaniment for the night was by Cummings & D Wailers.

National Junior Calypso Monarch 2013 Jeromy Rodriguez was the first artiste to take the stage and he performed Black Stalin’s Black Man Feeling to Party. He was followed by Organiser who maintained the tempo, his set including Doh Tell Ah Soul and Bandit.

The programme continued with three former national calypso monarchs—Sugar Aloes, Karene Asche, Devon Seale— holding the audience captive. Aloes rendered Nobody Loves Nobody and Just Being Me, as well as the late Ras Shorty I’s The Art of Making Love and To Love Somebody. Asche’s repertoire included Every Knee Shall Bow and Careful What You Ask For and Singing Sandra’s Voices From the Ghetto, while Seale, hampered by a strep throat, sang Cyar Buy Class.

Victoria Cooper rounded off the show’s first half by paying tribute to three of calypso’s most outstanding female practitioners. Her offering included Ella Andall’s Bring

Down the Power, Singing Sandra’s Die With My Dignity and Calypso Rose’s Fire, Fire.

Pan vibes filled the auditorium to begin the second half with Dane Gulston performing Ole Lady Walk a Mile and a medley of the late Lord Kitchener’s classics including Sugar Bum Bum.

Double-title national calypso monarch Chuck Gordon, preceded star of the night Explainer by singing Black Stalin’s Mr Panmaker, I Believe in You and the late Penguin’s Slipper. Explainer had patrons singing along as his set included Doh Touch Mih Ras, Sparrow’s No Money No Love, Kicksing in Parliament, Lorraine and Forever Young.

Johnny King made his entrance as one o’clock as Sunday morning approached and he upped the show’s tempo singing Nature’s Plan, No Other Woman and Ah Want It.

Former National Calypso Monarch and current Extempo champion Gypsy (Winston Peters) leads a star studded cast of calypsonians, as Kaiso Showkase, in collaboration with the San Fernando City Corporation, presents yet another classic show—Sando Alive—for the observance of City Week 2017. The show will be held on Sunday at the San Fernando City Hall on Harris Promenade, at 7 pm.

Also expected to grace the stage will be the Rapso pioneer Bro Resistance, and Dimanche Gras finalists Johnny King, Lady Adanna, Karen Eccles, Alana Sinette, Meguella Simon and the controversial Lady Gypsy. They will be joined by Exposer, Hamidullah, Anthony Johnson, Kerice Pascall, Makeda Darius, Nerukhi, Tricia Hamilton, Jonnelle Manwaring, King Harry, Curlissa Charles, Devika, Patricia Smith and several surprise guests.

Sando Alive closes a packed programme of celebration by the southern city and promises to be an expose of some of the 2018 hits in the South calypso hub, fast reclaiming the title “Mecca of Calypso”.

Kaiso Showkase is carded to open its doors on Friday, January 19 at its Carnival home, Palms Club, San Fernando.

Tickets for Sunday’s calypso feast event are just $100 and can be obtained at Tuco South Office, Penitence Street and Seon’s on Royal Road, San Fernando.

It’s home stretch time for Talent Expression 2017, the premier talent contest in the South, hosted by the Southern Marines Steelband Foundation. The semifinal of the 16th edition of this sustained community effort is done and dusted, held last weekend, and the smart money is looking to the final on Sunday, November 19 beginning at 7 pm at the Southern Marines Pan Palais, Marabella.

Contestants who made the final 11 (there was a tie for the tenth spot) are in for the race of their lives; in a race to the finish, with no clear favourite showing.

Led by the veteran vocalist Lystra Nurse, the field contains two young dynamic pan players, two all female dance groups with different styles, a father and two sons, all vocalists, the two sons singing calypso, the Maco Media Comedy trio, the indomitable Bernard Brereton singing a soca, his own composition and, Keisha Cobham, deep in rhythm and blues.

Talent Expression 2017 promises to be a thoroughly entertaining evening and admission is just $100. Tickets are available at the Pan Palais and from members of the Southern Marines Steel Orchestra.

FINALISTS

Talent Expression 2017 finalists
• Lystra Nurse
• Tyeesha Alexander
• Kumasu Cultural Performers
• Deryck Hinds
• Caleb Hinds
• Joshua Hinds
• Neeshana Dance Academy
• Bernard Brereton
• Maco Media Comedy Trio
• Keisha Cobham
• Akeem Cyrus