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Kidnapping / Elections / Help Us! - Page 6

Kidnap attempt - Second strike on Maharaj clan



By Robert Alonzo



For the second time in one month a member of the prominent Maharaj family of Arima has fallen victim to criminals.



Bandits yesterday made off with $25,000 from the Western Union outlet of the family’s Maharaj Westside supermarket.




This was before they forced the wife of the owner, Kumar Maharaj, the former president of the Supermarkets Association, to lie on the ground while one of the bandits sat on top of her.



Distraught relatives, still upset over the August 24 kidnapping of Maharaj’s nephew Ishwar Maharaj at a pub in Malabar, Arima, strongly believe yesterday’s attack was an attempt to kidnap Omelia Maharaj.



The bandit was said to have what employees described as a length of cord in his hand which he tried to use to tie Omelia’s hands.



The Maharaj family is said to be seriously considering selling off their businesses and migrating after this latest attack.



Some members of the family have already migrated after the  kidnapping.



Police said two men entered the supermarket at around 9.45 am and went to the money transfer outlet.



Nisha Persad, a customer service representative in the outlet told police the bandits said they wanted to wire money to the US.



She said she recognised them from the day before when they came and asked about the process of wiring money.



As they were filling out forms, Omelia was about to walk into the office.



Persad said she opened the electronically controlled door for her and one of the men grabbed Omelia and pulled her inside the office.



She was put to lie on the floor while one of the men sat on her and another ordered Persad to hand over cash from a drawer.



A male employee who saw the bandit trying to tie Omelia’s hands struggled with the bandit.



They grabbed the money and also took the video cassette from the surveillance camera in the outlet. Police believe the men may have had inside help.



A report was made and officers under acting Supt Errol Dillon, acting Insp John Daniel and Constables Solomon and Maharaj responded and conducted investigations.

Us Elections Kidnapping

PNM wants kidnapping a non-bailable offence, says Chin Lee
By Curtis Williams

National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee on Wednesday night made his first appearence on the PNM’s national platform, promising to take legislation to Parliament to stop kidnap accused from being granted bail. The National Security Minister said he was pleased that since the Anti-Kidnapping Squad received training from foreign experts they had solved the last three kidnappings. He said: “The Anti-Kidnapping Squad has trippled in size and since receiving the training in hostage negotiations, they have had a 100 per cent success record, freeing all the hostages unharmed, arrests have been made and money recovered.” Chin Lee told a PNM public meeting at Five Rivers, Arouca, that the PNM wanted kidnapping to be a non-bailable offence. The National Security Minister outlined a series of measures he intended to implement to reduce the spate of crime, including providing the police with the necessary technology and weapons.

Chin Lee promised that the size of both the police service and the military would be increased, with the military having a permanent presence in both North and South Trinidad. He said 62 new vehicles would be bought for the Defence Force, including 18 personnel carriers. Chin Lee added that mobile police stations, containing the latest equipment, would be introduced into crime infested areas. But he warned that all this would fail if government did not deal with poverty. Chin Lee, speaking from a prepared text, said while he could not condone crime he knew that there were people who felt it was the only way they could feed their families. “We will not win the war on crime if we allow the poor to suffer and live without dignity, or if we don’t reach out to the youths and show them leadership,” Chin Lee cautioned. He complained that when he took over the National Security Ministry it was in shambles, with 82 per cent of the police vehicles out of service and with morale low.

Kidnapping / Elections / Help Us! Caribbean / Tobago & Trinidad

Election debate cancelled

A PROPOSED national debate between political leaders Basdeo Panday, Patrick Manning and Wendell Mottley has been called off. The Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago said they were left with “little alternative” but to call off the event. A Chamber statement said that as at noon yesterday neither Panday nor Manning had sent any formal response. Mottley, the Chamber indicated, had earlier confirmed his participation. “The idea of a national debate was put forward more than a month ago with the intention of getting the country’s leaders to discuss the issues in a serious forum with the widest possible access to the public,” it said. It added: “The Chamber is extremely disappointed with the position adopted by Mr Manning and Mr Panday.”

Page 6 Us Elections Kidnapping

PM: $10 minimum wage if I win election
By LOUIS B HOMER
South Bureau

Prime Minister Patrick Manning has promised that he would increase the minimum wage from $7 to $10 if he is returned to office after the October 7 general election. He said: “Seven dollars is just not enough, and over the next five years we will increase the minimum wage and carry it to $10.”  But he added that the increase would not be across the board because “some jobs are likely to have a higher minimum than others”. Manning said before the increase was introduced “we will take steps to ensure that businesses are in a position to pay the minimum wages”. His announcement came as he addressed a PNM public meeting on Thursday night at the KFC car park on High Street, Siparia. Speaking about the PNM’s chances of winning the election, Manning extended the olive branch to members of the UNC. “Our doors are open. Come unto me those who are burdened and weary and we will give you political rest.”  He outlined plans for the development of the western peninsular from Point Lisas to Icacos.  “Instead of pursuing the Point Lisas model of industrial development, we will locate industrial plants along the west coast, and develop Moruga as a prime fishing centre,” Manning said. He also announced that the coconut industry in the south would be re-developed.

In the area of small business, he said, the government would encourage the development of a Credit Union Development Bank. On the issue of crime, Manning said “as soon as” his government was returned to power he intended to pass three pieces of legislation that would have an effect on crime. “One of them will be the modernisation of the police services,” said Manning. Ken Valley, the PNM candidate for Diego Martin Central, told the meeting white collar crime was a big problem and steps should be taken to have those “who commit this crime sent to jail”. Christine Kangaloo, a former PNM Government senator, said the reason why National Team Unity pulled out of the election was to give their votes to the UNC.

Us Elections Kidnapping

Special Branch uncovers...
Plot to disrupt polls
By Darryl Heeralal

Special Branch has uncovered an election-day plot to disrupt the voting process in the critical five marginal seats.

The Sunday Express has learnt that Special Branch intelligence has gathered information about a specific plan to disrupt voting through phoned-in bomb threats to the head office of the Elections and Boundaries Commission and certain polling stations in the marginal constituencies.

Sources within the Branch, the country’s premier intelligence gathering agency, told the Sunday Express that the “targeted polling stations” are located within the five marginals —San Juan/Barataria, Ortoire/Mayaro, Tunapuna, St Joseph and San Fernando West.

Four of the five marginals are held by the UNC while the PNM's Eddie Hart is the incumbent in Tunapuna.

Chief Election Officer Howard Cayenne told the Sunday Express that the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has no contingency in place for responding to such a situation, should it arise.

Cayenne said that the Commission has to depend on the law if polling day is disrupted for any reason.

Chapter 2:01 of the Representation of the Peoples Act and the Elections Rules govern all activities related to elections.

Cayenne says the Act states that if polling day is disrupted for any reason and any polling station is closed and voting is not completed, then that polling station will be reopened the following day to complete voting. He said in the case where a polling station is closed, the Returning Officer for the area will be informed.

Cayenne said that the police is given a list of all the polling stations in advance of polling day and the police “do whatever they will with the information”.

Each polling station is usually guarded by one uniformed police officer.

ACP (Crime) Frank Diaz said a meeting will be held tomorrow to finalise security arrangements for polling day.

Kidnapping / Elections / Help Us!

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Panday: $1,500 a baby
By Richard Lord

THE UNC’S campaign for next Monday’s general election reached fever pitch yesterday as party leader Basdeo Panday announced several goodies to be included in the 2003 national budget if it won the elections.

Panday made the revelations to a mammoth audience at a function to present the party's manifesto at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya.

The promises included:

• a reduction in the eligible age for Old Age Pension from 65 to 60;

•provision of Unit Trust shares to the value of $1,500 for every new baby born next year;

•$5,000 to the elderly for the repair of their homes;

• a new protective unit dedicated to highway patrol;

•the installation of cameras on the highways and other major streets to detect traffic offenders;

• free drugs to all HIV patients;

• liberalisation of the telecommunications sector;

•reduction of the duty on all car parts

He also promised to look at the possibility of reducing Value Added Tax.

Panday was very critical of the relationship between the PNM and the Jamaat al Muslimeen.

He also responded to the Sunday Express story on a plot to disrupt the election by causing bomb scares on election day.

Panday said four of the five marginal seats were now controlled by the UNC and raised the question of which of the two parties was more likely to try to disturb the election.

Panday was confident that the UNC would win in all the marginals.

He also described as “one of the most intemperate misdeeds of any Government” the calling of elections “so perilously close to the date on which the Government and the country will shut down if the 2003 Budget is not in place”.

Meanwhile, Soyan Fong—who has appeared in PNM advertisements for the election campaign—took to the podium to announce that she was a UNC supporter.

Kidnapping / Elections / Us - Page 6

EBC calls for...More cops for marginals
By Jada Loutoo

A request by the Elections and Boundaries Commission for additional police in the marginal constituencies on polling day is one of the issues to be tackled by Police Commissioner Hilton Guy when he meets his executive today.

The EBC made the request in light of reports of plots to disrupt the voting process.
The police are investigating the reports.

Chief Elections Officer Howard Cayenne, in a telephone interview yesterday, said all the EBC wanted was order at all polling stations, especially in the marginals.

EBC officials met with senior members of the Police Service at the EBC offices last Friday to discuss the Commission’s needs and concerns for polling day.

Cayenne said the EBC expressed its concerns and there “may have been a special request for additional security.

“We are interested in conducting elections free from fear. We always want to ensure election day is incident-free,” he said.

On Sunday, ACP Crime Frank Diaz was reported as saying a meeting will be held to finalise security arrangements for the election.

Cayenne said it was usual for the Commission to meet with the police before an election to determine what security arrangements were needed.

“The EBC is not in the security business. We only conduct elections. The police is responsible for security,” he said.

Cayenne said the EBC was confident the police will deal with the situation accordingly.
Police sources said there was a likelihood there will be an increased in security in the marginal seats.

Security has already been beefed up at rallies and motorcades, especially in the crucial Tunapuna seat, sources said.

Kidnapping / Elections / Us Trinidad & Tobago / Caribbean - Page 6

3 in race for UNC Security Minister

By Gail Alexander

Two former Defence Force leaders as well as Rear Admiral Richard Kelshall are in the running for the post of National Security Minister if the UNC wins next Monday’s general election, UNC sources have said.

Kelshall took to the UNC platform on Sunday at Macoya to denounce the PNM’s association with the Jamaat al Muslimeen.

UNC leader Basdeo Panday in his subsequent address hinted he already has three persons in mind to be National Security Minister if the UNC wins the election.

Party sources confirmed Kelshall is among those considered, and he has made it clear he would be “willing to serve his country if called upon to do so.”

One of the contenders is said to be a former Brigadier.