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Crime scene investigators at the site where Allied Security guards Jeffery Peters and Jerry Staurt were killed, a a third guard, Peola Baptiste was injured, during the robbery at Pennywise Plaza, La Romaine on September 19. – File photo/Marvin Hamilton

Critically injured security guard Peola Baptiste continues her recovery, but her condition is still too delicate for her to be told of the deaths of her colleagues, Jeffery Peters and Jerry Stuart, killed in last month’s heist at Pennywise Plaza, La Romaine.

Baptiste’s daughter, Dianna Wellington, represented her at Stuart’s homecoming service at Belgrove’s Funeral Chapel, Tunapuna on Friday. She is expected to attend Peters’s farewell at Mt D’or Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church on Monday.

Wellington said her mother had to undergo emergency surgery to repair a damaged artery at Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope.

While she is responsive, Wellington said she is not really speaking.

“I talk to her and I know she is hearing me. She would nod her head and stuff like that.

“What we want is for our mother to come out of the hospital. I know she will not come back the way she used to be, but I am confident she will come out alive,” she said.

Peola Baptiste –

“I have faith and nothing could waver that faith that she is coming out of there. I believe it and I am speaking it. All we are doing now is waiting and praying for that day.”

Baptiste, 57, was in the van with Peters, 51, and Stuart, 49, carrying out an in-transit deposit when they were ambushed on September 19.

Friends and relatives of all three Allied Security officers were scheduled to hold a candlelight vigil at the La Romaine site of the shooting on Saturday evening.

Police killed four of the six suspects involved in that robbery, but investigations are still continuing for others. The four young men, all from Fyzabad have been identified as Greg Dodough, Deaundre Montrose and brothers, Kyle and Keyon Ramdhan. There were reports that Dodough’s funeral took place in Fyzabad on Saturday.

Four other men held during a police manhunt – Christopher Noreiga, 24, and Brent Walcott, 23, both of Ballantyne Street, Five Rivers, Arouca – were denied bail when they reappeared before Senior Magistrate Armina Deonarinesingh on Thursday.

Deonarinesingh upheld the objection to bail by court prosecutor Sgt Harold Ishmael on the grounds that the AR-15 rifles they were allegedly held with, were prohibited weapons and capable of causing death on a large scale. Ishmael drew reference to similar type weapons used in the Pennywise heist.

The magistrate advised Walcott and Noreiga to apply to a judge in chambers for bail.

Jeffery Peters –

Noreiga and Walcott are facing charges for being in possession of the two rifles, three magazines and 38 rounds of ammunition for trafficking.

Two other men who was also held during police investigations – Rennico Khan, 32, of Midas Lane, Corinth Hill Extension, Ste Madeleine and Kemo Mc Sween, 26, of Union Hall, San Fernando – are also facing possession of arms and ammunition charges.

Khan also faces another charge of resisting arrest.

Allister Harris, 47, a security guard employed with another company, providing security at the La Romaine compound, was also shot. He was treated and discharged.

During a high-speed chase to La Romaine where the four suspects were cornered and killed during a shootout with the police, a nine-year-old boy, who was travelling in a vehicle occupied by his mother and three siblings, was shot in the face.

That matter is now the subject of an investigation by the Police Complaints Authority (PCA).

Director David West told the Newsday the PCA has initiated an investigation after the child’s father, Dwayne Asson reported suspicion that it may have been a police bullet with grazed his son’s face.

The child had to undergo surgery and is recovering at San Fernando General Hospital.

West said all ballistic tests of the bullets from the scene of the robbery and the police-involved killing will form part of the PCA’s investigation.

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A screenshot of a police video showing some of the weapons seized at a Piarco bond in April last year. –

US authorities have made major inroads in going after gun traffickers responsible for sending weapons of war into TT which often end up in the hands of criminal gangs fighting for turf, leaving a trail of dead bodies.

New information points to charges arising out of last year’s discovery of 30 firearms, including 15 high-powered assault rifles, 13 pistols and nearly a 1,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, at a Piarco bond, that is the focus of a multi-pronged probe by the Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the US Attorney General’s Office and local law enforcement.

The disclosure was made during an interview at the US Embassy on September 27 with ATF’s assistant regional attaché Michael Graham and Special Agent for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Randal Hill.

The discovery of the large cache of illegal weapons at the Piarco bond on April 22, 2021 is one of the largest shipments of illegal weapons through a legal port in recent times and there were two other significant busts later that month in Tacarigua and Couva, both suspected of being shipped from the US.

Local intelligence officers said at least three other shipments arrived at Piarco without detection and although they were tipped off about the April 22 incident, the local consignee was either alerted or spooked before he went to collect the barrels.

ATF assistant regional attache Michael Graham chats with Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy Kirsten Miichener at Briar House, St Clair on September 27. – DARREN BAHAW

Graham, who was posted to TT in May, said the ATF is able to pinpoint the locations where the illegal guns are bought in the US and that agency works closely with the Homeland Security to find out where they were shipped to help build criminal cases against the offenders.

In reference to the weapon seizure at Piarco, Hill said his agency has been working with TT law enforcement “to uncover who is actually sending those weapons and receiving those weapons.”

“One of things that Homeland Security does is to try not to necessarily put the onus back on TT law enforcement, but we try to assist and identify who is actually bringing in firearms. The reason why I think this is important is because of this, hypothetically speaking if we could wave a magic wand and stop all the firearms coming from the US, then that means the people who are bringing in the firearms will go somewhere else to get them, whether it be Venezuela, whether it be any other country.”

He said the HSI is trying to help deter other likely offenders by helping “TT law enforcement arrest people in TT who are bringing in illegal firearms.”

Recent amendments in the US have increased the jail time for people convicted of gun trafficking crimes where convicts can face up to 25 years in federal prison.

“I have been working in the TT area for about a year and half and I believe in developing relationships. We want to make cases, we want to identify people, individuals and or groups that are involved in the distribution of illegal firearms, but I also believe in making good relationships because good relationships will bring in those cases and help identify those individuals involved,” Hill said.

Homeland Security Investigations agent Randal Hill –

Asked how close his department had reached in identifying the illegal gun traffickers in the US in relation to the Piarco case, Hill said the agency has made “some inroads in identifying the individuals who are involved.”

Graham said while he could not comment specifically on the Piarco bust, he said there were active investigations “where people are going to end up going to jail in the US.”

“So it’s not falling on deaf ears, the ATF and HSI are both heavily involved in firearm trafficking investigations and it is an issue domestically in the US as well as internationally. So it is not only firearms coming here, they are being trafficked throughout the US as well going into criminals hands.”

Graham said as those investigations are completed and people are indicted by US grand juries, information will be shared with the people of TT.

Hill said there has been “some success and hopefully soon you would be able get more information though the embassy about what we have accomplished.”

He said people in TT involved in illegal firearm trafficking can be extradited to the US to face trial which will serve as a deterrent for other like minded people.

“There are firearms all around the world, so if we stop firearms coming in from one place, then the bad guys gonna just get them from a different place. If you deter and make examples of individuals who harming these communities, I think it goes a long way.”

Graham said the figures quoted by local police that about 70 per cent of illegal weapons comes from the US is accurate and said an agent from US Customs and Border Protection is working alongside local customs officers to improve security at the ports.

Told that the scanners donated by the US government at the Port of Port of Spain were inoperable, Hill suggested that hand-held devices could prove just as useful and that the other scanners can be up and running to help detect prohibited items from coming into TT.

Commenting on the development on Saturday, acting Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob said he was aware that the gun find at Piarco had “reached a certain stage” but was reluctant to say if people were going to be arrested soon.

Acting CoP McDonald Jacob –

“I don’t want to say what percentage we have reached in bringing persons to justice but I know the ATF has reached a certain stage also. They may be a bit more advanced than us because some of the players are in the US and some of them have dual citizenship.”

Jacob said weapons coming in from the US can now be traced and that information helps in identifying the identity of the traffickers and the people receiving them in TT.

“We are thankful and we continue working with the ATF. Recently, we did some additional training with the ATF in order to continue dealing with the identification of the firearms.” He said the Special Evidence Recovery Unit at Cumuto also helps to analyse illegal firearms quickly to provide critical information to investigators.

He said data suggests that in the matter of just three months an illegal shipment of guns can leave a US port and end up in the hands of criminals in TT.

That information, he said, helps build our intelligence to undermine that whole organised criminal network this is existing.

Jacob said the partnership with US will help reduce the number of illegal firearms coming into TT but admitted more work was needed which is being addressed by the Ministry of National Security.

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PNM leader and prime minister, Dr Keith Rowley at a public meeting, Mt Hope/ Mt Lambert Community Centre on Friday. – SUREASH CHOLAI

THE Election Supervisory Committee (ESC) of the People’s National Movement (PNM) is not ruling out the possibility that the leadership of its political leader, Dr Keith Rowley could be challenged when the party holds its internal elections before the end of the year.

The question is whether the challenger would succeed, chairman of the ESC Anthony Roberts said on Saturday, as he announced the dates for the election at a news conference at the PNM’s Central Regional Office, Chaguanas which also serves as the ESC headquarters.

When the question was put to Roberts about the interest the internal polls will generate and the possibility of a challenge to the leadership, he said that would not be surprising as it happened during the 2018 internals.

“You feel that can’t happen in the PNM?” he responded.

“It happened the last time we held the election. He had a challenger, and now that person (the challenger) is a senior member of the Cabinet.”

Pennelope Beckles, who lost the leadership vote to Rowley, is now an elected MP and the Planning and Development Minister in his Cabinet.

Anthony Roberts, (seated, second from left) with other members of the PNM’s Election Supervisory Committee at the Central Regional Office in Chaguanas on Saturday. From left are UTC executive director, Clarry Benn, Samantha Felix, secretary, and Senator Renuka Sagramsingh- Sooklal. – YVONNE WEBB

“So we are confident in the way we operate our business. This is about the business of the party and the best persons must run the affairs of the party,” Roberts said.

“Maybe that is why the PNM is here so long. We guarantee you, there would be no confusion or bacchanal in the way we do our things.”

Roberts announced three days of voting have been set aside on November 26, 27 and December 4. December 4 is also the date of the party’s convention.

Asked if the internals will take place before or after local government elections, which the Prime Minister said is constitutionally due this year, Roberts said only Rowley can make that announcement.

“But I like the question.”

Roberts said all 15 positions are up for grabs. The political leader will be elected to serve a four-year term, while the other positions will be valid for two years.

Nomination day is October 10 and Roberts said he expects it would generate a lot of interest.

“We are going to do it professionally and ensure that everything is above board.

“Everything is above board in the way we do our things within our business in the PNM.”

Nomination forms will be made available to all 41 constituencies including Tobago, over this weekend, Monday for the latest, Roberts said.

“The constituencies will be collecting nomination forms and thereafter, you have to get it in by 4 pm on October 10, at this venue.”

The United National Congress (UNC) recently held its party internal elections, which saw the return of Kamla Persad-Bissessar as its political leader.

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A resident leaves the Centre for Socially Displaced Persons at Riverside Plaza carpark when it was closed on September 1. – SUREASH CHOLAI

SOCIAL Development and Family Services Minister Donna Cox defended the decision to close the Centre for Socially Displaced Persons (CSDP) at Riverside Plaza carpark in Port of Spain on September 1.

In her contribution to the budget debate in the House of Representatives, Cox said, “The venue had outgrown its original purpose, and thus as a result, it became necessary to relocate the residents.”

In 1991, she continued, the CSDP was established as a component of the continuum of care for socially displaced persons and was envisioned to be a cumulative effort among public, private, and nonprofit entities to address social displacement, through the engagement of street dwellers and provision of of 52 temporary shelters; transitional housing and services and finally, permanent housing.”

But subsequent task forces and inter-ministerial committees over the years determined the CSDP was not fit for purpose and should be closed.

Cox dispelled a narrative being advanced by the UNC and other people that homeless people at the CSDP were thrown out on the street when it was closed.

She related accounts of different homeless people at the centre who refused to be relocated when it was closed.

In each case, Cox said the names she was giving were not the real names of these people, so as to protect their identity.

“Ms Ramlogan stated that she is not homeless but has a house in Borde Narve and comes to the street to hang out.”

Cox said a man named Edward Collier did not want to be relocated unless “he and his girlfriend (who also lived at the CSDP) can be accommodated in the same home and room.”

After saying many people who were living at the centre who declined placement in other facilities were unemployed, Cox said many of them “were using the facility as a hostel.”

She added that in one case a man” decided that he wanted to get married as his girlfriend was also at the facility.”

Cox said the ministry is now “meeting with relevant stakeholders, acquiring and outfitting a suitable venue to be used as a temporary assessment centre and the voluntary engagement of street dwellers throughout the country.”

In the long term, the ministry is looking at establishing or upgrading facilities in Carapo, Arima and Port of Spain to assist in the accommodation of socially displaced people who need rehabilitation services.

Cox said, “It is incorrect, if not a bit unfair, for persons to say that people have been left on the street. This has never been the case. We cannot force anyone to accept our services.”

Later in the sitting, Chaguanas East MP Vandana Mohit claimed the budget continues to “diss the public of TT.”

She rejected all of Cox’s earlier statements and what she said was a narrative that the UNC did not care about people.

“The UNC has always focused on people-centred governance.”

Mohit accused the PNM of showing “callous disregard for the poor and vulnerable.” She claimed a basket of basic food items under the UNC that cost $341.99 while now cost $648.97 under the PNM.

“Under a UNC government, the people of this country could have lived.”

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