Port-of-Spain – Tunapuna Hindu Primary School principal Jeewan Ramdhanie returned to his office last Friday, saying “thugs” were not going to keep him away from duty. Ramdhanie was attacked in his office and hit on the head last Wednesday by two men. According to police reports, the men approached the school’s security requesting to speak to the principal regarding a recommendation. Ramdhanie was attacked and injured during the meeting.
He was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope, and treated and discharged. Ramdhanie complained of dizziness and headaches following his discharge from the hospital.
The school is run by the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Board of Management. SDMS secretary-general Sat Maharaj said he visited Ramdhanie last week following the attack. According the Maharaj, Ramdhanie attempted to return to office, but felt unwell while he was on his way.
“He was driving, but then he started to feel a little a dizzy, and he went down to see his doctor,” Maharaj said.
Maharaj said Ramdhanie was “kind” to the two men, and said it was during the discussion regarding the recommendation when one of the men took out a baton and dealt him the blow to the head. Video surveillance footage was handed over to the police, which Maharaj said will assist officers in the investigation.

Last week a team of officers from the Student Support Services Division of the Ministry of Education visited the school to provide intervention and counselling to students. Officials of the Employee Assistance Programme also visited and provided counselling services for the teachers.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley condemned the attack, saying, “I consider this to be a probably one of the worst criminal actions to have taken place here in recent times. There are far-reaching consequences of that stupidity.”
Rowley said actions like that had the potential to destroy the “already tottering school system”, adding, “For this to happen, it must not be accepted as a matter of course, examples must be made of them so that no third person contemplates same.”
Rowley said teachers should not have to worry about enforcing rules and regulations in schools.
“I trust that this will be the last time we will see such a thing and it should be condemned by every voice in this country, every parent, every organisation,” he said.

Port-of-Spain – Trinidad and Tobago is getting value for the (TT) $1.1 billion being spent on the construction of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital Central Block, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said last week.
“The cost per bed at the PoS Central block is significantly less than what we have built other facilities for in the recent past,” Deyalsingh stated. He said the Central Block is a “complete hospital and the only thing that was not being re-created was an Accident and Emergency Unit, because there was already one at PoS General Hospital”. He said Central Block should have been “priority number one for any government from 2009”.
Said Deyalsingh: “I want you as responsible members in the media to juxtapose $1.1 billion for a 540 bed hospital with $1.2 billion for a 100-bed hospital in Point Fortin and $1.6 billion for a 150-bed hospital in Arima, and a $1.5 billion for a 240-bed hospital in Couva,” he said.
He dismissed as “UNC misinformation” reports that the savings made by this government on the contracts for the Point Fortin and Arima hospitals were due to a reduced scope of works. The government was able to renegotiate the contract price for the Arima Hospital from $1.8 billion (the price agreed to by the last government) to $1.6 billion and the Point Fortin Hospital from $1.5 billion to $1.2 billion. Deyalsingh said the reductions were achieved by renegotiating the cost of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago fees.
“This government did not touch one square foot” of these buildings, he said.
Deyalsingh said the PoS Central Block, which would have 540 beds, was five times the size of Point Fortin, and over two and half times the size of Arima. It would cost significantly less than both hospitals, he claimed.
He also refuted reports that $1.1 billion price tag did not include equipment. He said the hospital would come equipped with an MRI, “which PoS hospital currently does not have”, two new CT scanners, two new X-ray machines, a catheterisation lab (for angioplasty), and a machine for bone density testing.
Included in the Central Block would be ten new operating theatres, ten ICU beds, ten high dependency beds, a coronary unit, an ICU for children, haematology unit, internal medicine unit, full rehab facilities, a neurosurgery unit, an orthopaedic unit, radiology and full lab facilities.
Deyalsingh also announced Cabinet approved a confirmed note on the creation of a position of National Director of Mental Health. This individual would advise the Minister of Health on policy to treat with mental health and would drive the policy directive for the decentralisation of mental health away from the St Ann's hospital and into the communities.
“This would change the landscape of how we deal with mental health,” he added.

Port-of-Spain – Former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday last month issued a pre-action protocol letter to the All Trinidad General Workers' Trade Union, claiming he is being illegally and wrongfully evicted from his office at Rienzi Complex in Couva.
The trade union, which owns the property, served a “Notice of Eviction Letter” on Panday at his office last week. It then padlocked the office, preventing Panday from entering the building.
Panday’s letter dated on February 27 requested as a matter of urgency that the trade union immediately remove the locks, and refrain from blocking access and occupation of the premises. Panday said he had not removed his furniture, documents, and valuable personal property.
Panday is the honorary president of the All Trinidad General Workers’ Trade Union, and is founder of the United National Congress, which was previously housed at Rienzi Complex. The UNC left the building in 2016 after it was evicted by the union.
The letter stated Panday has held an office at Rienzi Complex for the last 39 years, until he was evicted on February 21. Additionally, that at his public installation in the office of honorary president in 1997 “it was made abundantly clear” he was entitled to an office space at Rienzi Complex rent-free for the duration of his natural life. It added Panday had spent sums of money in the development of the office.
“The union has always encouraged and acquiesced in our client’s belief that he would be entitled to the occupation of this office rent-free for the duration of his natural life,” according to the legal letter sent to the union.
Also according to the letter, when he was appointed Member of Parliament, Panday paid the union his (TT) $3,000 monthly sub-office allowance. Panday is contending the office reverted to its original occupation and use following the end of his tenure as MP.
“This was settled on the 29th December, 2010, when the union refused an offer of payment made for the use by our client's foundation of the designated office space. The matter was revisited by our client’s letter of the 24th August 2011, the contents of which has never been denied by the union,” the letter declared.
It also noted should the trade union refuse to remove the locks, allowing Panday access and occupation of the premises, High Court proceedings would be initiated.
The trade union is also being asked to pay all legal costs incurred, in the sum of $17,500.
Since then, a stand-off is taking place between Panday and All Trinidad General Workers Trade Union President General Nirvan Maharaj, and neither party is budging from its position.
Panday continues to insist there was no lease arrangement, while Maharaj is maintaining Panday owes $500,000 in rent. In making a financial decision in the interest of the union, Maharaj said there was no other choice but to lock the doors on Panday’s office.
Panday later told the media he has not removed any of his personal effects, including “sensitive” documents relating to the work he conducted under the Basdeo Panday Foundation, which is housed in the office.
Panday said the union has become concerned with money, and questioned the whereabouts of the accounts for property sold by the union.
“I recalled that when I left the union, its assets were in the region of millions of dollars. We had a building which was our first building in San Fernando. We had two lots of land given by Caroni Ltd in the countryside for the establishment of sub-offices, and I understand they have all been sold for huge sums of money which cannot be accounted for, and it is no wonder the union appears to be desperate for more money,” he said.
“I think what they want to do is rent the downstairs [at Rienzi Complex]. As a matter of fact, when the UNC was evicted, they smashed down all the walls,” he added. Panday said he had no desire to break the law in any way, and would leave the matter with his lawyers.
Speaking later with the media, Maharaj said Panday, or a representative, could come and collect the documents and other personal items. He added he too was consulting with his lawyers over the situation.
Maharaj said Panday showed no gratitude for years of occupation without the pressure of paying rent owed.
“Mr Panday, his secretary and/or a representative can call the union, speak with the general secretary, and make arrangements to collect all their personal items. That is no problem at all. I have no interest in his items, nor do I wish to seize any of his items,” said Maharaj.
He also noted some commentators reacted in an emotional manner without fully being aware of the situation.
“I have taken a decision based purely on a financial status for the union. I have been entrusted by the general council to take this action, and therefore I must. My own personal feelings are of no consequence here. I have to do what is in the interest of the organisation,” Maharaj stated.
“Mr Panday occupied some 9,050 square feet of prime property space, and if I were to charge him prime property rates, with the kind of parking we have, that would have been some $9,000 (a month),” Maharaj said.
Additionally, “I certainly feel a sense of pain and hurt because of the fact that there was absolutely no gratitude on the part of Mr Panday for the almost seven to eight years he would have stayed here without paying any rent. We allowed him the time because of who he was, but at the end of the day, I have to live with what people are saying… those who do not understand the intimate details of the situation.”
Maharaj said on February 6 a Notice of Eviction letter was sent to Panday's office, following which the union placed a chain and lock on the doors. He said several attempts have been made over the years to discuss rent owed, which Panday ignored.
There are plans for a supermarket to occupy the space Panday occupied at the Rienzi Complex. Panday has been at this location since the 1970s, serving as president general of the union, used the complex as UNC headquarters for years, and it also served as his MP's office.

Port-of-Spain – Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley traveled abroad on Monday to undergo a series of coronary tests and observation at a health institution in California, US.
Rowley said his medical leave of absence will determine whether he would have to undergo any immediate procedures to treat and deal with an issue of plaque in his heart. His medical leave is indefinite.
Rowley said that in 2016, during exploration for prostate cancer, he subjected himself to a coronary test that revealed a “soft plaque” in one of the arteries.
“It was available. It turned out then that they did see… some soft plaque developing in one artery, and they didn’t think that it required any unusual response other than to observe it,” Rowley said.
According to Rowley, following this diagnosis, he made a few changes to his lifestyle. However, the growth appears to have progressed to a stage where it now where requires further medical attention. He said second test in 2017 indicated the plaque was bigger.
Admitting that he was very delinquent dealing with the coronary issue for over a year, Rowley said it is on his priority list.
"I would leave and join my doctors and family in California and I’ll go through whatever processes and procedures are required," Rowley said.
He explained a reason for the delay in further medical checks was he had other priorities. Among these priorities he said were meeting with the United Nations over the ongoing and deepening Venezuelan crisis.
Last month on February 18 Rowley said he visited his local doctor, and following an examination, was told he had to immediately treat with the heart issue. However, he said he again pushed it back since he had to attend Caricom’s 30th Intersessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government later that month.
There would have been a further delay following a request to attend a meeting with the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Whitehouse in Washington, DC, which was due to take place on Monday. However, this was cancelled for reasons which Rowley chose not to disclose.
Rowley and the Caricom delegation headed by St Kitts’ Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris had been invited to a meeting yesterday. However, he said on Friday night he received a message about the meeting’s cancellation.
Asked if the cancellation was a consequence of statements made during a media briefing last week where he maintained Caricom’s position, Rowley replied:
“I have been making comments about Venezuela for the longest while… I speak globally ever since we have been dealing with Venezuelans in Trinidad and Tobago becoming a problem,” Rowley said.
He added: “[What] We have been careful not to do is to intervene in their politics so that there is nothing that I said that at that press conference or that Caricom [that] would have dramatically changed anything. What we did do is to reserve our right to speak as independent nations respectfully and factually, and we do know that our points of view differ from other people. But that is not a crime, it is a point of view that is different,” he added.
Last Thursday Rowley said Caricom nations are maintaining their stance of non-interference in the Venezuelan crisis.
He summarised the crisis in Venezuela, including the sanctions imposed by the US – a position he said was “belligerent”.
Pompeo and US Vice President Mike Pence have been among the strongest voices advocating for a change in Venezuela’s government. The US has endorsed incumbent Nicolas Maduro’s challenger, Juan Guaido, as the rightful president of the country in the interim, until fresh elections are called.

Port-of-Spain – The European Commission said late last month its inclusion of Trinidad and Tobago in a list of ‘high-risk’ countries was not an intent to shame, and should not have come as a surprise, given Trinidad and Tobago’s “strategic deficiencies” in complying with anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing standards.
Ambassador of the European Union to Trinidad and Tobago, Aad Biesebroek, said the starting point of the Trinidad and Tobago review was the latest assessment by the Inter-governmental Financial Action Task Force, whose reviews are based on mutual evaluations “which ensure a fair and equitable process”.
The EC's statement follows grumbling by some members of government, including Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi. Speaking last week at an anti-money laundering conference, Al-Rawi said: “I wish to give public criticism of the EU's publication of our jurisdictions as not meeting compliance on the Financial Action Task Force methodology.” The Bahamas, US Virgin Islands, Saudi Arabia, Panama and Nigeria were among the countries listed.
Biesebroek has argued that “the listing does not entail sanctions or trade restrictions and it does not intend to shame the country”.
He said the use of the FATF assessment was vital to the process, as that organisation is the global standard-setting body for anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism.
He noted that the EC adopted the Delegated Regulation on February 14, identifying high-risk third countries that present strategic deficiencies in their regime on anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing.
“The confirmation that Trinidad and Tobago is one of the 23 countries in the list generated several reactions that call for clarifications,” Biesebroek said, adding: “The European Commission is mandated to identify high-risk third countries in accordance with the fourth EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive of 2015.”