Category Archives: Law

General T&T, Law, Media, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, Politics, UNC

Joan out of line

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PM, AG on Emailgate counter-attack

By Yvonne Webb
May 19, 2015 – guardian.co.tt

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarPrime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar last night called on Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Honore-Paul to step aside in the Emailgate matter over a statement she made on the issue last week.

Her comments came hours after Attorney General Garvin Nicholas expressed his disappointment and concern over Honore-Paul’s judgment last week in criticising Persad-Bissessar for suggesting that she and her colleagues had been cleared in the probe when the case was still open.
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General T&T, Law, Media, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, UNC

PM responds to Deputy DPP’s Emailgate statement: I am stressed

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By Richard Lord
May 15, 2015 – guardian.co.tt

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarPrime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday admitted to becoming stressed out after reading the reports of Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Honore-Paul criticism of her over the Emailgate probe.

She made the admission during a Mother’s Day function at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s.

The PM initially began by recalling to the gathering “all the good times and memories” she had as a child growing up. She then recalled a personal incident with her grandson, who had told his aunt that he was stressed.
Continue reading PM responds to Deputy DPP’s Emailgate statement: I am stressed →

Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Opposition Party, Parliament, People's Partnership, Politics, UNC

Deputy DPP Press Release on ‘Emailgate’

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BY THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS

Joan Honore-PaulRE: INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE EMAIL DISCLOSURES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BETWEEN MAY 20, 2013 AND MAY 24, 2013

Through various reports in the electronic and print media, it has become obvious that certain correspondence from the United States Department of Justice, sent to the Police Investigative team through the Central Authority, has found its way into the hands of parties who are not members of the Investigative or advising Prosecutorial teams. While the articles are numerous, the following excerpts are instructive:
Continue reading Deputy DPP Press Release on ‘Emailgate’ →

Elections, General T&T, Law, Media, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, UNC

Disregard for rule of law in T&T

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Risk consultancy on Rowley suspension

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarA global consultancy specialising in political and security risks has warned United Kingdom company BG Energy Holdings Group that the suspension of Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley from Parliament highlights a lack of reliable state administration and widespread disregard for the rule of law in Trinidad and Tobago.
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corruption, Crime in T&T, Editorial, Finance, General T&T, Law, Media, People's Partnership

Questions about that $60m theft

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Express Editorial
May 11, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com

TheftIt is not enough for Finance Minister Larry Howai to say that he expects all of the $60 million stolen from the National Energy Corporation’s account at First Citizens to be recovered. What is needed is prosecution of those who stole the money and full accountability from officials of the two State enterprises who were entrusted with managing the $60 million in public funds.
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Elections, General T&T, Law, Media, Opposition Party, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

A clear and present danger

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By Michael Harris
May 11, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarThe suspension from Parliament of the Leader of the Opposition by the UNC-led Government last week is a total abuse of power, a denigration of our Parliament and a threat to our democracy.

It is a total abuse of power because in the absence of any final report of the investigation into the e-mail affair from the police or the Integrity Commission the UNC Government went to the Parliament and, acting as investigator, prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner all at the same time, used its majority first to censure the Leader of the Opposition and then to banish him from the Parliament for the rest of this term.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Murder, People's Partnership

A horror story

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By Raffique Shah
May 03, 2015

Raffique ShahOne year ago, in this space, I wrote a column headlined “Dana’s Death in Vain”. It was written exactly one week after the popular, respected senior counsel Dana Seetahal was shot to death in what everyone who had his or her say, described as a “well-executed assassination”.

As the anniversary of her death passes without anyone being arrested or charged for her murder, I re-read that column.
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Finance, General T&T, Law, Media

Al-Rawi: Bounce dog, take it to hospital

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Newsday : April 22 2015

PNM Senator Faris Al-RawiIF YOU KNOCK down a person or an animal, you will have to stop and take them to a hospital or doctor, even if they are unconscious, PNM Senator Faris Al-Rawi said yesterday as he balked at the provisions of new motor vehicle and road traffic legislation.

Speaking during debate of a bill to introduce a new suite of road offences and to implement a Motor Vehicle Authority to replace Licensing Office, Al-Rawi said the legislation was far too voluminous to be considered on the Senate floor.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Police, Security

Police Mutiny

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By Raffique Shah
April 19, 2015

Raffique ShahOn the morning of Monday, March 23, when I became aware of the massive traffic gridlocks in several strategic arteries across the country occasioned by the police purportedly conducting legitimate roadblocks, my immediate reaction was, “This is mutiny!”

Later that evening, when television footage showed police officers of varying ranks holding tens of thousands of law-abiding motorists and commuters hostage, trapped in scorching heat and toxic exhaust fumes with no chance to escape, I thought that by the following morning I would wake up to hear that scores of police officers had been suspended from duty pending investigations into their misconduct.
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Crime in T&T, Culture, General T&T, Law, USA

Decriminalise it

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By Julien Neaves
February 22, 2015 – newsday.co.tt

MarijuanaWITH Caribbean neighbour Jamaica making moves to decriminalise marijuana University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor Emeritus Kenneth Ramchand is renewing his calls for marijuana to be decriminalised in Trinidad and Tobago for medicinal purposes.

In January this year the Jamaican Government tabled the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act, 2015 in that country’s Senate to decriminalise marijuana for medicinal, religious and personal use.
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