Black Immigrant Daily News

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File photo: PEP political leader Phillip Edward Alexander.

The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) addressed what it called “a series of falsehoods” alleged in a recent social media post by social activist Phillip Alexander.

Alexander claimed in an online video that residents of the Finbar Ryan Geriatric Home, near Goodwood Gardens, Westmoorings were held against their will, hungry and diseased, without any care. The home is managed by the SVP.

In a media release, president of the society Nigel Phillip told the public, “Those in our care are treated with love, dignity, and respect. As such, we assure the public that the 35 residents of the Finbar Ryan Home are fully cared for and fed.”

It added, “All residents of the home are, and have always been, accessible to their immediate family and friends.”

The SVP said inspectors from the Division of Ageing visited the home on Thursday and confirmed the absence of abuse.

He said, “As an organisation dedicated to serving the poor by modelling the actions of Jesus, the SVP plays a vital role in assisting the poorest of the poor within our national community.

“We offer sincere thanks and appreciation to all of our dedicated members, staff and ‘Friends of Finbar Ryan Committee’ who have all, as unsung heroes, provided unstinting service and dedication to the cause.

“We also acknowledge the national network of 65 independently run SVP Conferences and their dedicated and committed members, who tirelessly and quietly serve TT.”

The release said the SVP, like many other non-governmental organisations, has been adversely affected by the covid19 pandemic, which resulted in drastically reduced revenue streams.

While care of residents is partially funded by their pensions or relatives, or even caring citizens, the SVP has had to subsidise or fund in full the care of some residents, it said.

“The society welcomes any financial or other support that concerned citizens wish to provide, to assist the home in providing care for the elderly in our community.

“To give assistance please call St Vincent de Paul offices on 625-3562 to share your time, treasure and talents.”

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Vincent Nelson, SC. –

CONVICTED attorney Vincent Nelson’s inability to practise law was not caused by any alleged breach of an indemnity agreement with Government, but because of “his own criminal conduct.”

Nelson’s mega-million claim for compensation has been broadsided by the State. In fact, it is being countered that any income he says he could earn as a tax attorney, could only be possible if he concealed his activities, and this he cannot recover a penny of the $96 million he is asking the State to pay him.

It is the contention of former attorney general Faris Al-Rawi that when Nelson entered into the agreement with the Government, to provide evidence against Ramlogan and Ramdeen, he was already out of practice because of ill health.

Additionally, Nelson’s claims that Al-Rawi promised him immunity from prosecution and a conditional pardon, if he testified, were also rubbished.

In fact, the only admission was consensus that there was an indemnity agreement entered into in November 2017, on Government’s behalf between Nelson and Al-Rawi in exchange for Nelson’s evidence of criminal acts relating to the payment of legal fees for State briefs.

Al-Rawi, the current Rural Development and Local Government Minister, admitted Nelson was an informer/whistleblower but added he (Nelson) was acting as a co-conspirator and expressed a willingness to give evidence against other lawyers both in TT and in London, one of who is a King’s Counsel.

Insisting that Nelson had his own independent legal advice, Al-Rawi maintains it was agreed that Nelson’s statement would be disclosed to the DPP and police, and that everyone was aware that it was possible the DPP would not accept any recommendation from him (Al-Rawi) not to prosecute Nelson.

Al-Rawi’s defence is that it was a fact that once criminal proceedings began against Nelson, it would be published and there was always the likelihood that Nelson would be removed from Chambers; there would be disciplinary proceedings in all jurisdictions he practised law; as well as investigations by foreign criminal agencies and tax authorities.

Al-Rawi admitted to police Nelson provided the first draft of the now controversial agreement. Negotiations between the parties commenced because of Nelson’s insistence that he get assurances he will not be prosecuted.

Al-Rawi said he communicated to Nelson’s local attorney, Roger Kawalsingh that he could not grant Nelson immunity from prosecution, as that was for the DPP and, at best, he could only make a recommendation.

Nelson’s recommendation of immunity from prosecution was initially removed from the proposed agreement and a final clause (clause 4) only says Al-Rawi would make a recommendation to the DPP, and nothing more.

Last week, Al-Rawi said he received advice from two senior counsels – Douglas Mendes and Gilbert Peterson – who negotiated the agreement with Nelson on his behalf.

Al-Rawi admitted to exchanging WhatsApp messages with Kawalsingh but said he no longer has a record of those messages.

Nelson’s complaint that his statement was given to the UK’s whitecollar crime investigative unit, National Crime Agency (NCA), was also rubbished as Al-Rawi told police he had a duty to comply with his obligations under the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Act. The former AG also said it would be contrary to public policy not to disclose Nelson’s statement to the NCA.

Al-Rawi admitted he made requests to the NCA for TT to take the lead in the investigations and asked that no criminal proceedings be taken against Nelson by the UK policing body, so Nelson could continue to provide evidence in a matter that was of great interest to the TT Government.

Nelson’s statement was given to the NCA by then Minister in the AG’s Office, Stuart Young.

Nelson says this is a significant breach of the agreement, but Al-Rawi said the NCA agreed not to take action against the KC, and ceded criminal investigations to TT.

Al-Rawi denied criminal proceedings against Nelson in TT were a breach of the agreement. In relation to the conditional pardon, Al-Rawi said all he did was raise the possibility of one with the DPP.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Si nos biba ta pa Señor, y si nos muri ta pa Señor

Sea nos biba of muri di Señor nos ta, Romanonan 14:8

Cu hopi triseza, pero conforme cu boluntad di Dios,

Nos ta anuncia fayecimento inespera di nos ser stima:

Yolanda  ‘’Yola’’ Filomena Quandt

17-01-1947 + 14-10-2022

 Na nomber di su:

Mayornan: 

+ Pedro y + Lucia Quandt-Ridderstad

Yiunan:

Anouschka Forero y famia

Verouschka Billups “Uka” y famia

Milouschka Forero y famia

Zarkoviris “Sarki” Forero y famia

Diogenes Z. “Sarko” Ortega Quandt y famia

Diogenes O. “Odin” Ortega Quandt y famia

Mercedes Y. ”Mercy”  Ortega Quandt y famia

Rumanan:        

 Angel Francisco Royer y esposa  Maria y famia

+ Clara Quandt y famia

+ Dominico Quandt ‘Cocochi” y famia

+ Pablo T. Quandt “Toton” y famia

+ Ursula Plaza-Quandt y famia

Rona Thomas-Quandt y esposo Nelson y famia

+ Carlos “Carlito” Quandt y esposa + Johannna “Nanai” y famia

Nietanan, nietonan, bisanietanan y bisanietonan na:

Aruba, USA, Hulanda y Puerto Rico

 Subrinanan y subrinonan na:

Aruba, Hulanda, U.S.A y Corsow

 Famianan:

Quandt, Ridderstap, Forero, Ortega, Billups, Ramos, Castillo, Angela, Tromp,

De Santis, Shepard, Royer, Zijlstra, Plaza, Zapata, Thomas, Geerman, Lou-A-Cham,

Semeleer, Paula, Croes, Koolman, Pieters, Thode, Mateo, Fingal, Palm, Dirks, Maduro,

van Herwaarde, Schenkel, Breidel, Aparicio, Vos, Zievinger, Henriquez, Smolders, Ras, Kemp, Orman, Hoek

 Ex Esposo:

Diogenes Ortega

 Bon amiga & amigonan di:

Aruba, Puerto Rico y U.S.A

Nos mas sincero disculpa si den nos inmenso tristeza nos lo por a lubida un of mas famia of conoci.

Acto di entiero lo tuma luga na Puerto Rico.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

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Chief Secretary Farley Augustine. – THA Info Dept

SOON, the Tobago House of Assembly will commission its first department of public safety and security to deal with crime and criminality on the island.

Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, at Monday Mandate post-media virtual briefing, said the setup of the structure of this department is at an advance stage.

The idea of establishinh this department was first brought before the Assembly Legislature during a plenary sitting in June.

On Monday Augustine said, “You will appreciate that we have seen an uptick in some criminal activities…especially as regards gun shootings on the island, and murders. And so we wish to move on this project that was identified in the budget in June, the Department of Public Safety and Security. This department will encompass TEMA (Tobago Emergency Management Agency) as it now exists. It will also include a build out for physical security. We will also have plans in place to treat issues, including, terrorism issues, that we don’t normally think of as an island. And of course, the management of security around our main industry, which is tourism.”

Newsday was unable to get reactions from Chris James, president of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association and president of the Tobago Unique Bed and Breakfast and Self Catering Association Kay Trotman.

The department will act as a parallel localised security service to assist the Tobago police division with crimes.

“The Minority Leader reached out to me asking that we meet and that we find a way to have a whole-of-THA approach to treating with matters dealing with crime, and it is something that I have agreed with him. And sometime this week we will find some time to meet and to begin discussing some social intervention strategies.”

Augustine added: “Tobago will take a different approach to Trinidad and be able to demonstrate that we can work together when it matters most, notwithstanding differences in the politics.”

Tobago has recorded eight murders for the year.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Responding to previous remarks made in Parliament on the George Town Landfill project by the Premier, Wayne Panton, MP Joey Hew, the Deputy Leader of The Opposition, released a statement on October 13, 2022 explaining that the Opposition wished to set the record straight.

Overall, MP Hew said that “the Premier’s attempts to smear both the Progressives and the project are regrettable and must not go uncorrected.”

The true story, according to MP Hew, is that the Premier caused delays and “rather than seeking to explain his own delays and the risks they have caused, the Premier sought to deflect attention by manufacturing claims about the Progressives’ actions in government.”

On the point of misleading the country, MP Hew clarified that the Opposition has “never said there was a ‘fully negotiated contract’ that PACT could get on and execute as the Premier claims.”

Instead, the Opposition was clear from the outset “that more work was needed to complete the contracting process.”

As evidence of this, MP Hew provided a link to a YouTube video containing the statements previously made in March 2021 (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UUJNnxfb1g).

In relation to project delays, MP Hew intimated that the Premier and PACT government left the project to “one side. “

MP Hew continued: “The difference is that we would have gotten on and done the hard work, but the Premier and PACT essentially did nothing. The Premier himself refers to a document from legal advisors setting out the outstanding issues which he was given in August 2021. That was 4 months into the PACT government and meant 4 of the 6 months to get to financial close had passed before the Premier, as Minister responsible, even looked at the work that needed doing.”

In relation to the Auditor General’s report on whether value for money was obtained for the project, MP Hew said: “The Premier says the AG reviewed the project as it stood when we signed and concluded it did not represent value for money. We have not seen that report, so it is difficult to comment in detail. The Leader of the Opposition will ask for a copy since it has been brought up by the Premier.”

In the meantime, MP Hew suggested that “the delays and dithering” by the Premier “have created new financial risks in the project.”

The full statement can be viewed in the link below:

https://tinyurl.com/mpur9csy

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