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Crime Scene Unit investigators gather evidence outside Pennywise Super Centre, La Romaine on Monday. – Photo by Marvin Hamilton

Southern Division police have handed over 11 of the 17 bags of money found after Monday’s deadly robbery in La Romaine.

Head of the division, acting Snr Supt Richard Smith, did not disclose the amount on Friday but promised to do so “soon.”

The detectives handed over the money to the management of Pennywise Cosmetics Ltd on Thursday.

“All 17 bags were accounted for. We handed over 11 bags yesterday and would hand over the rest soon,” Smith said on Friday.

Police arrested a total of five people, including a 24-year-old TT Regiment member from Fyzabad, in connection with the robbery. Two are from Arouca and the other two are from Pleasantville.

The police were expected to approach the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for instructions on the soldier’s detention. Attorneys representing the soldier filed a writ of habeas corpus on Thursday.

A photo circulating on social media of three men wearing the uniform of a prestigious school in south Trinidad is not sitting well with the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM). A statement from CEO Sharon Mangroo criticised the “misinformation.”

“It is with great disappointment that a photo of three past students, falsely identifying them as ‘Three of the Pennywise Bandits’ has gone viral,” she said.

Only one person in the photo is in custody in connection with the incident.

Mangroo said, “As it pertains to the other two young men, however, we categorically state that they had absolutely no involvement in this tragic event.”

She added the three were schoolmates, and the photo was taken when they were about to graduate.

One is no longer living in Trinidad and Tobago.

She called on the public to refrain from casting any aspersions on the two young men, saying it could cause irreparable damage to their reputations and future endeavours.

“It is our hope that after all investigations are completed that justice will be served according to the laws of the land,” she said.

The CEBM and the school offered condolences to the families of the two murdered security officers, Jerry Stuart and Jeffrey Peters of Allied Security Ltd.

The statement added, “We pray that God may grant you all the strength and comfort during this difficult time. We also pray for the full recovery of the injured officer, Ms Peola Baptiste, who is the mother of one of the students at St Benedict’s College.”

Baptiste, of Claxton Bay, remained in hospital up to Friday.

She and her two colleagues were transporting money in a van out of Pennywise Plaza, where gunmen shot them.

The police later killed four suspects, all from Fyzabad, during a shootout at a house not far away. The police also recovered guns, bulletproof vests and other items.

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Energy Minister Stuart Young, from left, David Campbell, incoming bpTT president, Claire Fitzpatrick, outgoing bpTT and NGC president Mark Loquan chat after the signing of a new gas supply contract between the companies at Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain on Friday. Photo courtesy NGC –

The National Gas Company (NGC) has signed a gas supply contract with energy giant bpTT, which secures the future of the domestic supply for the coming years.

NGC described the contract as “a milestone” in a release issued after it was signed by NGC president Mark Loquan and bpTT’s outgoing president Claire Fitzpatrick at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain on Friday.

Energy Minister Stuart Young and incoming bpTT president David Campbell witnessed the signing.

The contract is a renewal of the existing NGC/bpTT arrangement, and will govern the terms and conditions under which bpTT will continue to supply gas to NGC’s domestic customers.

In the statement, Loquan said negotiations began in earnest several months ago, and the signing represented a continued collaborative relationship between the two companies.

He said the spirit of the negotiation process was respectful, mature, productive and professional at all times, with both teams working to put the contract in place, given its importance to upstream investments.

The statement also quoted Fitzpatrick, who said the contract underpins bpTT’s future upstream investment decisions, which will contribute to the longevity of Trinidad and Tobago’s petrochemical industry. She spoke of the relationship bpTT and the NGC have maintained for decades and praised the negotiating teams for their diligent and efficient work.

Loquan thanked Fitzpatrick for her open communication during the process and the hard work by the bpTT team involved, with tight deadlines and timeframes involved.

He noted the TT energy sector still faces challenging times even with the contract in place, due to the continued decline of existing upstream gas fields, and other upstream investments which did not perform as planned. Energy efficiency, particularly gas used for power, continues to be a critical focus for NGC.

bpTT is the largest supplier of gas to the domestic market and the renewal of the contract allows NGC to secure a significant volume of gas to help fulfil domestic demand.

The statement said neither Loquan nor Fitzpatrick could disclose the details of the contract because of a confidentiality agreement, but said they acknowledged the timeliness of the signing, and the resounding commitment to the energy sector.

The statement quoted Young as describing the contract as “another critical milestone” in the future of TT’s energy sector and energy security. “NGC has stayed the course and it cannot be over emphasised how significant it is that we have negotiated and secured a future supply of gas from bpTT in advance of the expiry of the current arrangements,” he said.

He said the contract also signalled that there was still “significant value to be extracted from the country’s hydrocarbon resources for the benefit of all citizens.” He said the Government will continue to work closely with all stakeholders toward building the resilience and sustainability of the the energy sector.

In a separate release, the Energy Ministry said the contract was part of discussions Young and the Prime Minister had in London with bp CEO, global operations, Bernard Looney and other executives on September 15.

NGC and bpTT last signed a gas supply agreement in 2017, when bpTT proposed to invest US$5 billiion in future development to alleviate a gas-supply shortage. At the time, the agreement supported bpTT’s Angelin project, the Trinidad Offshore Compression, Juniper and Dragon field ventures.

The renewed contact comes as negotiations continue on the restructuring of the Atlantic LNG agreement, where a gas shortfall led to the suspension of Train I.

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Officers attached to the Guyana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) Law Enforcement & Investigations Division (LEID) on Thursday seized in excess of 82 cases of smuggled liquor and over 62 bales of cigarettes from a property at Atlantic Garden, East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

GRA said these items are valued in excess $20M. Investigations into this incident are ongoing.

In its brief statement, the tax body emphasised that it will continues to maintain a “zero tolerance” approach against smuggling and other illegal activities, thereby allowing for a ‘level playing field’ for legitimate businesses and the collection of revenue.

As such, the GRA is encouraging persons involved in such activities to cease and desist therefrom, and bring themselves into compliance with the nation’s tax, trade and border laws.

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