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00:00:00And a very special good morning, Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the world.
00:00:17I'm Marlon Hopkins.
00:00:18And as always, welcome to The Morning Edition.
00:00:20It's Tuesday, July 23rd, and thank you very much for joining us, all right?
00:00:25So I hope that you had a good night.
00:00:27As I peered through my window this morning, I saw that there was some rain last night,
00:00:34right?
00:00:35Or maybe into this morning, right?
00:00:37So I hope that you all are taking it easy on the nation's roads and there is no mishap
00:00:42with you all today, all right?
00:00:45I did see something in the newspaper too.
00:00:47I'll tell you a little bit about the weather as the program progresses this morning, all
00:00:51right?
00:00:52So let's look at the front page of the Daily Express.
00:00:55Hines on his performance, what I'm satisfied with is that I give my mind, my time, my
00:01:01heart, and my soul.
00:01:02Proud of work and the picture, not going anywhere.
00:01:06National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hines left and Deputy Commissioner of Police Junior
00:01:10Benjamin leave a news conference of the Ministry of National Security in Port of Spain yesterday.
00:01:15So according to the minister, we hear your cries.
00:01:19Minister responds to calls for action on crime.
00:01:22National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hines is not going anywhere.
00:01:25With at least 54 murders being reported in the first 22 days of July and 335 killings
00:01:31for the year, there have been calls from various sectors for Hines to step down from his post.
00:01:37In response, he simply said that he would not be able to rate himself and that citizens
00:01:42were allowed to freely express their views.
00:01:45That is not for me to judge.
00:01:47What I'm satisfied with is that I give my mind, my time, my heart, and my soul to work
00:01:53as minister and I do so very proudly and very confidently.
00:01:57But he says I do understand what my role and responsibilities are and I understand full
00:02:03well what all the other roles and responsibilities are.
00:02:07All right, so we're moving on to some sport now.
00:02:11Thief in the Night umpires council surprised by TTCB removal proposal.
00:02:16The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Umpires Council is not taking kindly to its proposed removal
00:02:21as an affiliate member of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board.
00:02:25Among constitutional amendments being proposed by the TTCB is the taking away of the TTCUC's
00:02:33affiliate member status.
00:02:34The proposed amendments are part of the agenda for the TTCB's third 2023-2024 quarterly meeting
00:02:41set for August 3rd.
00:02:43All right, so and to the top there, USA edged Germany in Olympics warm-up.
00:02:49USA's Anthony Edwards scores during an exhibition basketball game against Germany at the O2
00:02:55Arena in London yesterday.
00:02:57The Americans won 92 to 88 with Edwards contributing 11 points, one of the big stars in the NBA
00:03:04there.
00:03:05All right, so it's time to remind you of our Trinbago Unites feature.
00:03:08Remember to participate.
00:03:09Email your videos or images to this address.
00:03:11You see that address at the bottom there?
00:03:14All right.
00:03:15Make a note of it and you can send your photographs and videos to that address, that email address.
00:03:23We do appreciate all of the pictures that you're sending to us.
00:03:26Look at this picture.
00:03:27Yeah, a beautiful picture there.
00:03:30Do we have the name of the person who would have sent it?
00:03:32No?
00:03:33All right.
00:03:35So as I say, we want to say a very special good morning to you, to the person who would
00:03:42have sent that.
00:03:43But more so, when you're sending these beautiful images, we want to say a very special good
00:03:46morning to you.
00:03:47It's Rishi.
00:03:48Rishi, thank you for that picture there from Prince's Town.
00:03:52Yeah?
00:03:53What sort of...
00:03:54That looks like a bamboo branch.
00:03:55What do you think?
00:03:56Yeah?
00:03:57Yeah, some of them fellas.
00:04:00Some of them...
00:04:04Some of them fellas in studio who know about the bush.
00:04:08That looks like bamboo.
00:04:09Yeah?
00:04:10Glenn, what are you saying?
00:04:11All right, thank you very much.
00:04:12Okay, so we do have a lot for you on the program today.
00:04:19You have your coffee, your tea, get something to eat and come back.
00:04:40We'll be right back.
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00:06:06Do you remember when we fell in love?
00:06:36Do you remember how it all began?
00:06:44How could I ever forget?
00:06:46It's the first time.
00:06:48Do you remember?
00:06:50I can feel it coming in the air, coming in the air, coming in the air tonight.
00:07:00Do you remember?
00:07:03Who knows?
00:07:05Do you remember?
00:07:07How could I ever forget?
00:07:10Do you remember?
00:07:12Who knows?
00:07:14Do you remember?
00:07:16How could I ever forget?
00:07:19Do you remember?
00:07:21Who knows?
00:07:23What did I see?
00:07:27I see footprints that men have left on the sand while walking through time.
00:07:35I see bits of our ambitions, figments of our imagination.
00:07:41And I ask myself, when will it end?
00:07:45And welcome back, everyone, on this beautiful morning in Trinidad and Tobago, and more so
00:07:50in Port of Spain, yeah?
00:07:53When I came in this morning, the streets looked, you know, dry.
00:07:59I didn't, as I recollect, I didn't see any evidence of rain in Port of Spain today.
00:08:06So it may be a good day, but still, walk with your parasol, all right?
00:08:09So a new controversy has emerged between former police commissioner Gary Griffith
00:08:13and National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hines.
00:08:15Mr. Griffith claims that recently fired SSA employees have been recalled,
00:08:20but Minister Hines says this is not so.
00:08:22Mr. Griffith joins us this morning.
00:08:24Good morning, sir.
00:08:26Good morning, Marlon.
00:08:28Good morning to my fellow Trinidadian citizens.
00:08:30All right, Mr. Griffith.
00:08:32All right, okay.
00:08:33I get what you're trying to do there this morning.
00:08:35Mr. Griffith, I'm sure that you would have heard what the minister said
00:08:39about this matter yesterday.
00:08:41What's the situation as you know it?
00:08:43Well, again, this is almost identical to what took place with E.A. Gates,
00:08:47and you'll want to know what is the relationship there.
00:08:49In E.A. Gates, there were acquisitions made about persons
00:08:53stating that they were involved in a massive plan to assassinate a reporter.
00:08:57But then a few years later, while the matter was still under investigation,
00:09:00you decided to appoint someone as commissioner of police
00:09:03because you knew fully well it was never true.
00:09:05The same thing is happening here with the SSA.
00:09:07Why would you still have an ongoing investigation on a matter
00:09:10and persons who represent the state, who represent the SSA,
00:09:14who represent the government, would be meeting with these same persons
00:09:17who may be deemed cult members, terrorists,
00:09:20persons who want to overthrow the government,
00:09:22persons involved in an attempted coup?
00:09:25You wouldn't do that.
00:09:26So it is almost identical to what took place with E.A. Gates.
00:09:29You stated that Gary Griffith was involved in a plan to commit criminal activity,
00:09:33but then you knew very well it wasn't true,
00:09:35which is why you recommended him to be commissioner.
00:09:37So you come up with the same lie again.
00:09:40If this matter was still under investigation,
00:09:43why would the state have representatives to meet with these individuals
00:09:48to ask about what?
00:09:50Let's see if we can reconsider you returning.
00:09:52If you notice what Fitzgerald Hines did yesterday,
00:09:54he was moonwalking like Michael Jackson.
00:09:56I wish to compliment the media.
00:09:58The media decided to ask the hard-hitting questions.
00:10:01Usually the government will bully the media
00:10:03and the media will not ask the questions.
00:10:05I will continue to provide the ammunition to the media.
00:10:08All I ask you to do is to upgrade the trailer.
00:10:10And when you ask the hard-hitting questions,
00:10:12he started stuttering because he didn't know what to say.
00:10:14He kept saying, I have no comment to make on that matter.
00:10:17Because he cannot say that he does not know
00:10:19that representatives of the state legal persons
00:10:21have been meeting with the fired SSA persons
00:10:24and asking them, let us see what can be done
00:10:26for you to come back into the SSA.
00:10:30When pressed on the issue and whether there were even negotiations
00:10:33involving former members of the SSA,
00:10:36and if lawyers were involved, Hines reiterated,
00:10:38I am not in a position to say that.
00:10:42Of course he must be in a position to say that.
00:10:44Is there a rogue element in the SSA now
00:10:47meeting with potential cult members,
00:10:50potential assassins, potential terrorists
00:10:53that members of the government, representing the government,
00:10:56would be meeting with these individuals
00:10:58who are under police investigation
00:11:00and you as the Minister of National Security do not know?
00:11:03That is unbelievable for him to state that he does not know
00:11:07that persons representing the SSA legal persons
00:11:10have been meeting with the SSA persons.
00:11:12And the reason for that is because they know fully well
00:11:15they do not have anything to stand on.
00:11:17This is almost identical again to the firearms audit.
00:11:20You make all these accusations,
00:11:22you speak about the Stanley Jokey John report.
00:11:24Three years later, not one name called,
00:11:26not one weapon seized, and not one person arrested
00:11:28pertaining to what came out of the three audits.
00:11:32This is what they do.
00:11:33You pump the same lie over and over.
00:11:35And in fact, let me also add,
00:11:37the ridiculous excuse he tried to state
00:11:39well, the reason why they were fired
00:11:41is because they were in a unit that was not established.
00:11:43I, as the Commissioner of Police,
00:11:44I established the Gender-Based Violence Unit,
00:11:46the Social Media Monitoring Unit,
00:11:47the Special Operation Response Team,
00:11:49the Operational Command Centre,
00:11:51the Emergency Response Patrol.
00:11:52There were several different units
00:11:54that would not have been officially established
00:11:57in the police service.
00:11:58If it is that you figure it was incorrect,
00:12:01you re-assign them.
00:12:02But they fired these individuals.
00:12:04And again, to continue to state that
00:12:06the SSA must not have an armed unit.
00:12:08This is like stating that the CIA
00:12:10must not have an armed unit.
00:12:11How clueless can you be?
00:12:13But let me tell you, Marlon,
00:12:14this happens when you have a government
00:12:16in part of a National Security Council
00:12:18where not one of them has any training,
00:12:21qualification, knowledge, or experience
00:12:23in law enforcement.
00:12:24You may have seen National Security Councils
00:12:26in years gone by from Brigadier Theodore,
00:12:29General Sandy, Gary Griffith,
00:12:31General Alfonso, General Dillon.
00:12:33In this present National Security Council,
00:12:35it comprises only of persons who are attorneys
00:12:37and a geologist.
00:12:38And therein lies the problem.
00:12:40And now we have senior persons.
00:12:42We have a DCP actually boasting about
00:12:44and we see his AR-15,
00:12:46which are assault rifles.
00:12:48These fellows, they have not even held a weapon
00:12:50in years.
00:12:51An AR-15 is not an assault weapon.
00:12:53An AR-15 is a semi-automatic weapon.
00:12:56And therein lies the problem.
00:12:58We have persons in strategic positions
00:13:00who do not have any operational knowledge
00:13:02as it pertains to law enforcement.
00:13:04Mr. Griffith, here's what the minister has said,
00:13:07particularly and specifically about you.
00:13:10Hines also warned the media as well as the public
00:13:12from taking information presented by Griffith
00:13:15as gospel.
00:13:17He says, how does he know, you,
00:13:19how does he know what is happening in the SSA?
00:13:22Which weapon had ballistic testing done on it?
00:13:25Which weapons are the police investigating?
00:13:27How does he know that?
00:13:29Especially as he does not have a role
00:13:32in national security at this time.
00:13:34How are these things coming to his attention?
00:13:37Easy, because I am probably one of the most
00:13:39qualified, experienced persons in law enforcement
00:13:42in the Caribbean. Fitzgerald Hines is not.
00:13:44If he educates himself, he will understand
00:13:46that all legal weapons must have ballistic testing done.
00:13:49So if the ballistic testing is done on all legal weapons,
00:13:52it means that any time there's a crime scene
00:13:55and someone is killed, you can look now from the shells,
00:13:58from that round itself, and be able to pinpoint it
00:14:01to any legal registered weapon that belongs to the state.
00:14:04That is why, Fitzgerald Hines, because you probably
00:14:07held a water gun, so you do not know.
00:14:09That is how I knew, because the SSA,
00:14:11all the weapons that would have been in the SSA
00:14:13would have been weapons that came from the police service
00:14:16and the defense force, because the SSA weapons
00:14:18previously came from the Special Anti-Crime Unit
00:14:20of Trinidad and Tobago that Eddie Dillon
00:14:22and the PNM government handed over everything
00:14:24to the SSA in Camuto.
00:14:26So every weapon, ballistic testing is done.
00:14:28And if ballistic testing is done, it will mean
00:14:30that if there's a crime scene, you will be able
00:14:32to pinpoint that to the SSA weapon.
00:14:34So Fitzgerald Hines, try again with your lines.
00:14:37So do you stand by your claims that these workers
00:14:41who were severed, who were fired,
00:14:44do you stand by your claims that talks have occurred
00:14:49with them to bring them back on board at the SSA?
00:14:53No, it is not claims, it is fact.
00:14:54And that is why Fitzgerald Hines, as I said,
00:14:56Michael Jackson could not moonwalk as good
00:14:58as he did yesterday in that press conference,
00:15:00stating that he's not aware.
00:15:02He has no comment to make on that matter.
00:15:04They must be aware.
00:15:05This is similar to the minister stating he's not aware
00:15:07how the police were able to get approval
00:15:10to leave our territorial waters
00:15:12to kidnap a citizen in Barbados.
00:15:14Only a member of the National Security Council
00:15:16could give police that approval.
00:15:18And this present commissioner continues
00:15:20to refuse to investigate it.
00:15:22So it is a fact.
00:15:23They met, they have been discussing.
00:15:25And my point being is that if you are having discussions,
00:15:28why have discussions with these individuals
00:15:30when you claim they were part of a cult,
00:15:32part of a coup, part of a plot to destabilize the country,
00:15:35involved in terrorist activities.
00:15:37You have made these accusations on these individuals
00:15:39and now you're having discussions with them.
00:15:41And the reason being is straightforward.
00:15:43The reason being is that each and every one of them
00:15:45will probably sue the state for 10 to $20 million,
00:15:48multiply that by 24.
00:15:49This could be half a billion in taxpayers' dollars.
00:15:52Yet again, because of a mediocre response by a government,
00:15:55if they cannot control someone who holds high office,
00:15:58whether it is the commissioner of police,
00:16:00the head of the SSA, the industrial court,
00:16:03the integrity commission, the central bank,
00:16:05the TPP, the auditor general, that is what they do.
00:16:08So as we are coming onto Saturday,
00:16:1034 years since the attempted coup,
00:16:12when democracy was totally destroyed,
00:16:15we are seeing our democracy continue to be destroyed,
00:16:18not by terrorists,
00:16:19but by what is known as democratic dictatorship.
00:16:22But I think, Mr. Griffith,
00:16:24I think that both you and the national security minister
00:16:29have put the citizenry in between a rock and a hard place
00:16:35because you have a situation now
00:16:37where you are disputing what the minister said yesterday
00:16:40and yesterday the minister has disputed
00:16:43or did dispute what you are saying.
00:16:46So who do we believe this morning?
00:16:48No, there's not a dispute.
00:16:50What he did, again, is what he does.
00:16:52He said they have not been rehired.
00:16:55No one ever said they were rehired.
00:16:57What he said is that they have commenced negotiations
00:17:00with the fired employees
00:17:02for them to reconsider returning to the SSA.
00:17:05And then when the media asked him that question,
00:17:07that is when he started backing down.
00:17:09So he tried to mislead the country to say it's a lie,
00:17:11no one has been rehired.
00:17:13No one ever said that, Heinz, duh, try again.
00:17:15What he said is that you have now sent representatives
00:17:18of the state attorneys to meet with the fired employees
00:17:21for them to reconsider returning to duty.
00:17:24And that is the difference.
00:17:26And my point being is,
00:17:27why would you call these persons back in
00:17:29to consider returning
00:17:30if there's still an active investigation by your DCP
00:17:33who doesn't know the difference
00:17:34between a semi-automatic and an assault rifle?
00:17:36And that is the point.
00:17:37You will not call persons to come back in
00:17:39unless you are fully aware that what was stated was not true.
00:17:42And if it was true, don't get me wrong,
00:17:45if anyone is involved in criminal activity,
00:17:47whether you're a part of a cult or terrorist group,
00:17:49my point being is that you do not be foolish enough
00:17:52as a prime minister to make these statements in public
00:17:55whilst the matter is still being investigated.
00:17:57Because by doing that,
00:17:58you have now compromised the investigation.
00:18:00You have now smeared the character of all 24,
00:18:03where it may be five, 10, one, none,
00:18:05or 23 that could be involved.
00:18:07It was stupidity at the highest level by the prime minister,
00:18:11but I continue to state,
00:18:12this is what happens
00:18:13when you have someone leading National Security Council
00:18:16whose qualification is to look at the texture of stones,
00:18:19whether it be sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic.
00:18:22But you do agree that much more needs to be said
00:18:25about this matter
00:18:26in order to clear the air on this entire issue?
00:18:29No, definitely.
00:18:30But again, it goes back to the attempted coup.
00:18:33The Commission of Inquiry
00:18:34had one major recommendation
00:18:38to prevent a repeat of the attempted coup.
00:18:40It was the establishment
00:18:41of the National Operations Center.
00:18:43That National Operations Center,
00:18:44I established it as a security minister.
00:18:46It involved getting all the different arms
00:18:48of the protective services in the same building,
00:18:51in the same intelligence body,
00:18:53to see and understand everything that is going on.
00:18:55That is what caused the problem in 1990.
00:18:57The same thing happened here.
00:18:59What happened is after they established it,
00:19:01the PM, the Minister Dillon and the PM
00:19:03removed everyone that had any involvement
00:19:06in that National Operations Center
00:19:08and gave it solely to the SSA.
00:19:10So if there was any issue with the SSA,
00:19:12they caused the problem
00:19:13by not adhering to the recommendations
00:19:15made by the Commission of Inquiry
00:19:17into the attempted coup
00:19:18to prevent a repeat of 1990.
00:19:20Had there been the intelligence units
00:19:22of the police, of the defense force, and other arms,
00:19:24we would have seen and picked up
00:19:26if there was any type of clandestine activity
00:19:28by one unit.
00:19:29You can't have one unit
00:19:30being the sole intelligence agency
00:19:32that they can very well go rogue.
00:19:34So I'm not saying that they did.
00:19:36But if it did happen,
00:19:37it is because of the fault of this government
00:19:39not adhering to the recommendations
00:19:41made by the Commission of Inquiry
00:19:43into that attempted coup.
00:19:45I want to speak about
00:19:47some continuous allegations
00:19:50that have been made about you
00:19:52and have been made by the government.
00:19:54And even when we speak,
00:19:55or when they speak about the crime situation,
00:19:58they speak sometimes about
00:20:02how guns,
00:20:06and guns, legal guns,
00:20:09how legal guns have been used
00:20:12in the commission of crimes
00:20:14in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:20:16They also speak about
00:20:19thousands and thousands, maybe millions
00:20:22of pieces of ammunition
00:20:24being brought into the country.
00:20:27And sometimes they can't account
00:20:31for these pieces of ammunition.
00:20:35And I think that sometimes,
00:20:37well, most of the times,
00:20:38they do put these allegations
00:20:40at your feet in saying,
00:20:43well, if there was greater accountability,
00:20:47then we would not be in a situation
00:20:49that we are in right now
00:20:52as it relates to crime in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:20:55I really wish that Keith Rowley
00:20:57would follow Biden's footsteps
00:20:58because you cannot be so deceitful
00:21:00to feel like you could fool the country
00:21:02with your nonsense.
00:21:03Let me again reemphasize,
00:21:05every single legal firearm
00:21:07ballistic testing is done.
00:21:08So when you get your firearm,
00:21:09you're supposed to go in
00:21:10and do the ballistic testing.
00:21:11So it means that anytime there's a crime scene,
00:21:14you can pinpoint if it is that
00:21:15that weapon was used from a legal firearm.
00:21:18The answer is virtually zero.
00:21:2099.9% of all murders committed by firearms
00:21:23have been by illegal firearms.
00:21:25So that is a blatant lie.
00:21:27Additionally, look at what happened yesterday.
00:21:30An individual's life was saved
00:21:32and that of his family
00:21:33because of Gary issuing a legal firearm.
00:21:35So it seems that this government
00:21:36seems to be sympathetic to the criminal elements.
00:21:38They seem to have a problem.
00:21:39And the hypocrisy is mind-boggling
00:21:41when it is the same prime minister
00:21:43was harassing me to get a firearm dealership
00:21:45for somebody in Tobago
00:21:46to sell thousands of more firearms.
00:21:48You don't see any messages
00:21:49from ministers and prime ministers.
00:21:51See if you could fix up this boy
00:21:52to get a firearm.
00:21:54See if you could find the status.
00:21:55I will be the postman.
00:21:56I will collect it and send it
00:21:57from a friend in Tobago.
00:21:58So it is okay for the rich and famous,
00:22:00the prince in high places to get firearms.
00:22:02But when I was providing it
00:22:04for the small businessman,
00:22:05for the farmer, for the hunter,
00:22:07for the person who wants to protect their family,
00:22:09that is a problem.
00:22:1025,000 applications were backed up
00:22:13because of the incompetence of commissioners
00:22:15before me to do their job.
00:22:16So I am being accused for being too efficient.
00:22:18And my efficiency is just to provide
00:22:211,200 per annum out of that 25,000.
00:22:24So had I continued on that speed process
00:22:27they spoke about,
00:22:28it would have taken almost 20 years
00:22:30to deal with the backlog.
00:22:31And still in my three years,
00:22:33not one was lost,
00:22:34not one was stolen,
00:22:35not one was used for a crime.
00:22:37What Eleanor Christopher did
00:22:38is try to deceive the country by stating,
00:22:40we have 100 legal firearms
00:22:43that have been part of criminal investigations.
00:22:45It is not 101 because she was adding,
00:22:48when legal firearms are used to protect families,
00:22:51when police officers have a negligent discharge,
00:22:53when a security guard loses his firearm,
00:22:55when a police officer will use it
00:22:57in trying to defend himself.
00:22:59And think about it.
00:23:01When last have you heard a legal firearm
00:23:03ever used to kill someone?
00:23:05It isn't.
00:23:06And again, the ammunition that they speak about
00:23:08is ammunition that is marked
00:23:10from the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force.
00:23:12So you have no regrets.
00:23:14Is it safe to say then
00:23:15that you have no regrets
00:23:17by the way that guns and ammunition
00:23:21under your time as police commissioner
00:23:23that they were given out?
00:23:25Well, the facts are there, Marlon.
00:23:27Again, in my three years,
00:23:28not one was lost,
00:23:29not one was stolen,
00:23:30not one was used for a crime
00:23:31during that three-year period I was commissioner.
00:23:33I issued 6,000 firearms.
00:23:36There were 25,000 applicants.
00:23:38Half of that 6,000
00:23:39were to law enforcement officials
00:23:41who needed it when they left
00:23:42to make sure their families could be protected.
00:23:44So I did what was required.
00:23:46And the country has seen it.
00:23:47And now we, unfortunately,
00:23:48another political leader
00:23:50is now trying to realize,
00:23:51hey, Gary's getting a lot of mileage for this.
00:23:53So let's see.
00:23:54I want to give out guns
00:23:55to every single law enforcement officer
00:23:57and give it out to everybody
00:23:58like hops bread.
00:23:59No, I am going to draw that line.
00:24:01So you have one political leader
00:24:02that is saying
00:24:03guns should not be for anybody
00:24:04other than my friends.
00:24:06Another one saying
00:24:07let's give it out to everybody
00:24:08like hops bread
00:24:09and use that as an avenue
00:24:10to win over votes.
00:24:11I am saying no.
00:24:12There must be a proper process.
00:24:14It must be regulated.
00:24:15The persons must have the requirements,
00:24:17which is what I did.
00:24:19That is why it was not given out to all 25,000.
00:24:21It was given out to 0.3% of the population.
00:24:25And in that 0.3%,
00:24:27many lives have been saved.
00:24:29Instead of them putting focus on that,
00:24:31they put 70 police officers
00:24:33that cost over 500,000 police hours
00:24:37in the last three years
00:24:38on a fishing expedition
00:24:39where they could not find one thing.
00:24:41And not one police officer
00:24:42has been earmarked to investigate
00:24:44what is causing illegal firearms
00:24:46to enter the country.
00:24:47So we can even move, Marlon,
00:24:48into what we have seen last week
00:24:50with this knee-jerk approach
00:24:52to try to say let's lift the,
00:24:54let's put one higher load
00:24:55so it seems that we were on a lower load
00:24:56below before.
00:24:57And what is happening
00:24:58is now trying to infringe
00:25:00on the rights of citizens
00:25:01by if two young men are at a street corner,
00:25:04we're going to charge you for loitering.
00:25:05If I arrest somebody,
00:25:07I'm going to arrest you
00:25:08if you don't support me
00:25:09to provide transport.
00:25:11It gives me the right now
00:25:13to search your vehicle
00:25:14without any just cause.
00:25:15And your car is supposed to be similar
00:25:17to that of your home.
00:25:18And then to top it off,
00:25:20we go into roadblocks.
00:25:21This is because the hierarchy
00:25:23of the police service
00:25:24have never gone further
00:25:25than to be able to understand
00:25:27national security.
00:25:28You never see roadblocks
00:25:29for hours in Miami,
00:25:30in London, in New York.
00:25:32What happens is 15 minutes.
00:25:34And the reason being
00:25:35is I was training
00:25:36the best military academy in the world
00:25:37when it is being prepared
00:25:38against wars against the IRA.
00:25:4015 minutes after a roadblock,
00:25:42it becomes irrelevant
00:25:44because especially now
00:25:45in the era of technology
00:25:46with ways, with group chats,
00:25:48with criminals having a lead scout.
00:25:50So anytime you have a roadblock
00:25:51for more than 15 minutes,
00:25:52you have to be the dumbest criminal
00:25:54in the world to stay in a roadblock.
00:25:56So all the roadblock will do now
00:25:58is to inconvenience citizens,
00:25:59frustrate them more,
00:26:01and get to despise the police more.
00:26:03That is why when I put an end to that,
00:26:05public trust in the police was 59%.
00:26:07Now it is 8%.
00:26:09And it is because we have
00:26:10the hierarchy of the police service
00:26:11who don't even know the difference
00:26:12between that an AR is not an assault rifle
00:26:14and wearing camouflage.
00:26:15That doesn't make you a Rambo.
00:26:17It makes you a Ramboot.
00:26:18You need to understand
00:26:19how to deal with national security
00:26:21as we go into the second quarter
00:26:23of the 21st century.
00:26:24What we did was technology,
00:26:26units, policies, covert operatives,
00:26:29and working with an SSA
00:26:30that was instrumental
00:26:31in giving me information
00:26:33to deal with what was known
00:26:34as predictive policing,
00:26:36intelligence-driven policing.
00:26:38It is not coincidental,
00:26:39Toronto and Tobago,
00:26:40that the massive spike
00:26:41in crime took place
00:26:42almost simultaneously
00:26:44to the virtual dismantling
00:26:45of the SSA.
00:26:46Well, according to senior officers
00:26:48over the past week or so,
00:26:50they have said,
00:26:51well, what they are trying to do now,
00:26:52everything is being based on data,
00:26:55and it is not being done
00:26:57in a willy-nilly way.
00:26:58But judging from
00:26:59what you have said earlier,
00:27:00you're not impressed
00:27:01by the initiatives that have,
00:27:04and of course,
00:27:05they are not new initiatives.
00:27:06They have been tried before,
00:27:07but as you know, and I know,
00:27:09and other people know,
00:27:10there has been a problem
00:27:11of consistency
00:27:13by the Trinidad and Tobago
00:27:14Police Service over the years
00:27:16because of lack of resources
00:27:17and so on.
00:27:18But as I said,
00:27:19judging from what you are telling us
00:27:20this morning,
00:27:21you're not impressed
00:27:22by what you have seen.
00:27:23Well, no.
00:27:24Well, high visibility is important,
00:27:26so that is a good thing.
00:27:27But the high visibility,
00:27:28the only thing they know
00:27:29about high visibility
00:27:30or rapid response
00:27:31or high deterrent
00:27:32is roadblocks.
00:27:33You can't roadblock yourself
00:27:34out of crime-reduced crime.
00:27:36Every single time
00:27:37there's a public calling there,
00:27:38you know there's a roadblock.
00:27:39Having a roadblock
00:27:40for two hours
00:27:41in the same area
00:27:42shows ignorance
00:27:43at the highest level
00:27:44in understanding
00:27:45law enforcement.
00:27:46As I said,
00:27:47you have to be the dumbest criminal
00:27:48to remain in a roadblock.
00:27:49So the quick wins
00:27:50they would have achieved
00:27:51would have been
00:27:52the first 15 minutes
00:27:53of that roadblock.
00:27:54That's when you catch them.
00:27:55A roadblock is,
00:27:56you hit and run.
00:27:57You move there,
00:27:58and you're going
00:27:59to a different place
00:28:00to a different location,
00:28:01and that is how
00:28:02you can deal with criminals.
00:28:03Also,
00:28:04you're supposed to pinpoint
00:28:05the criminal elements,
00:28:06know where their homes are,
00:28:07know where they're targeted,
00:28:08and that is where
00:28:09you have clinical strikes
00:28:10with operational units
00:28:11such as the Special
00:28:12Operation Response Team.
00:28:13Instead,
00:28:14they decided to
00:28:15mislead the United States,
00:28:16give them false information
00:28:17about SWAT.
00:28:18Remember,
00:28:19up to now,
00:28:20SWAT,
00:28:21not one person
00:28:22has been arrested
00:28:23for what they speak about
00:28:24human rights violations.
00:28:25But the Special Naval Unit,
00:28:26which was in the Defense Force,
00:28:28three persons
00:28:29who guarded
00:28:30the Chief of Defense Staff
00:28:31using weapons
00:28:32that the U.S. gave
00:28:33were involved
00:28:34in kidnapping
00:28:35and killing a citizen,
00:28:36but the U.S. still
00:28:37didn't have funding
00:28:38for the SNU.
00:28:39You know why?
00:28:40Because individuals
00:28:41in the state
00:28:42were misleading
00:28:43the United States
00:28:44and giving them
00:28:45false information about SWAT.
00:28:46So you remove SWAT
00:28:47that was critical,
00:28:48that put fear
00:28:49into the criminals,
00:28:50you replace them
00:28:51with something
00:28:52known as
00:28:53the National Operational Task Force.
00:28:54Ever heard about it?
00:28:55Well,
00:28:56their biggest delivery
00:28:57in the last three years
00:28:58was to arrest
00:28:59an old man
00:29:00for selling schoolbooks
00:29:01on the pavement.
00:29:02That is what
00:29:03they changed SWAT with.
00:29:04So my point being is,
00:29:05what we had was technology,
00:29:06not fighting,
00:29:07intelligence replacing,
00:29:08not finding roadblocks
00:29:09to try to
00:29:10roadblock yourself
00:29:11out of crime.
00:29:12Gary Griffith,
00:29:13it's always a pleasure
00:29:14speaking with you.
00:29:15Thank you very much
00:29:16for taking the time
00:29:17with us this morning
00:29:18and giving us your perspective.
00:29:19Bye for now.
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00:33:11When I started looking
00:33:12at Habitat for Humanity,
00:33:13Trinidad and Tobago,
00:33:14When I started looking
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00:33:16Trinidad and Tobago,
00:33:17they answered a call
00:33:18I have deep inside of me.
00:33:19What they were saying to me
00:33:20What they were saying to me
00:33:21was that we can make a difference.
00:33:22was that we can make a difference.
00:33:23I'd like to ask you
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00:33:25to consider coming on board.
00:33:26Consider helping Habitat for Humanity
00:33:27Consider helping Habitat for Humanity
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00:33:29in whatever way you can.
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00:33:42William Watson
00:33:43Still living
00:33:45Still living
00:33:51No son. No.
00:33:53William Watts
00:33:54William Watts
00:33:56No!
00:33:59Ew!
00:33:59Ew!
00:34:00Oh!
00:34:01Please!
00:34:02Oh!
00:34:08Please!
00:34:26This girl from Bahia, stayin' in Moruga This lady Red Rocky, she bumps up with Sweet
00:34:56As a man with a plan, well, I really didn't waste no time
00:35:00I make up my mind tonight, this Brazilian is mine
00:35:04As the music play, Lord, she started to sing
00:35:08To the soca beat, she put a samba swing
00:35:12Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding
00:35:42With the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago
00:35:45And you look at how the government and even the police service
00:35:49They are grappling with the problem
00:35:52As you look at this situation politically
00:35:56What's your feeling this morning?
00:35:59Well, politically it is not good for the government
00:36:03The population is dissatisfied generally
00:36:07With the way the government is handling the crime situation
00:36:11It seems, well, it is out of control and the government
00:36:15The forces, the security forces
00:36:19Don't seem to be able to get a handle on it
00:36:23And, of course, that is to no credit of the government
00:36:26The government needs to have, you know, initiated
00:36:30Put initiatives in place some time ago
00:36:33Which ought to have been bearing fruit by now
00:36:36But we are in a very dangerous situation
00:36:39Where we are facing really a danger to our society as a whole
00:36:43Do you think at all that the government's position
00:36:48Or government has made its position clear over the years
00:36:52And even now that, look, we are trying with this situation
00:36:57Do you think that the TTPS has made it clear also
00:37:01That we are putting all our resources towards this
00:37:06And that there is some sort of light at the end of this tunnel
00:37:10Any time soon, you get that impression
00:37:14That the citizenry out there, that they understand
00:37:18How mammoth the problem is
00:37:21But that all effort is being made to deal with the situation
00:37:26No, no, not at all
00:37:29The citizenry generally is discontented
00:37:32They are not satisfied with the government
00:37:35It's a very bleak situation for everybody
00:37:37Everybody feels insecure in the country
00:37:40And this government has been in place for nine years now
00:37:43Going on ten
00:37:44So they really have no excuse
00:37:46And when they came in
00:37:49When Dr. Rowley was being inaugurated
00:37:52People were being killed all over the country
00:37:56I have it recorded
00:37:57So they faced a situation where the crime
00:38:00Was already out of control ten years ago
00:38:03It has escalated and escalated and escalated
00:38:06To the point where people are totally bewildered
00:38:10So that the government really ought to have taken initiatives very early
00:38:15I told them, for example, about the initiative
00:38:19That was being taken by Andrew Hornet in Jamaica
00:38:24Where he has established the Zone Special Operations
00:38:29Under joint command of the police and the army
00:38:33Now, we have this army
00:38:36It's a wonderful resource
00:38:375,000 people, 5,000 personnel
00:38:41Who can help the police
00:38:43The government has not really made any serious attempts
00:38:46To bring the army into the picture
00:38:49They are now using joint patrols
00:38:53But will that suffice?
00:38:54Will joint patrols suffice?
00:38:57Former acting police commissioner Stephen Williams
00:39:01You know, expressed doubt about two soldiers
00:39:05Walking with a policeman
00:39:07In a community, whether that is effective
00:39:09And so I want to remind the government
00:39:13That Andrew Hornet in Jamaica
00:39:16Through the law
00:39:19A law that was passed in Jamaica
00:39:23The National Security Agency's law
00:39:27The National Security Act
00:39:30He has been able to bring together the police and the army
00:39:33Under joint command to do specific things
00:39:36One, uphold the law within a zone
00:39:39Two, rid the area of all illegal weapons
00:39:42Ammunition or other contraband
00:39:45Three, empower members of the joint force
00:39:48That is the police and the army
00:39:50To search without a warrant within a zone
00:39:53Four, establish if necessary a cordon
00:39:57And declare a curfew in the region
00:40:00And this act
00:40:03These zones of special operations
00:40:06Have been very successful
00:40:08To the extent that towards the end of last year
00:40:11The police commissioner of Jamaica
00:40:13Reported a 22% decline in major crimes
00:40:16With murders down by 21%
00:40:19That is the kind of action that we needed to take
00:40:22Dr. Rowley was reminded of that very early
00:40:25Holness and Rowley came into office at the same time actually
00:40:28Around the same time
00:40:30And Jamaica has got a handle
00:40:32We all know about how horrendous the crime levels were in Jamaica
00:40:37But they seem to be getting a handle on it and bringing it down
00:40:40We haven't had any specific special programs
00:40:43Last year when they talked about the police and the army
00:40:49They summoned about 100 reservists
00:40:53According to the Minister of National Security
00:40:56So that people could shop here and shop there
00:40:59Party here and party there
00:41:01I'm using his own words
00:41:03That is really a kind of slight, trite approach
00:41:09Using the army and the police
00:41:11And we have an outstanding example in Jamaica
00:41:14That has been very successful
00:41:17But they haven't developed that kind of approach at all
00:41:20But you know Mr. Maraj
00:41:22When there are spikes in crime in Trinidad and Tobago
00:41:25Sometimes you hear from members of the public
00:41:27Via the television station, the radio station
00:41:30You see them writing statements in the newspaper and so on
00:41:34And sometimes they call for the removal of national security ministers
00:41:39We have seen over the years
00:41:42We have had a number of national security ministers in the past
00:41:48And there continues to be calls for the removal of this one
00:41:53Well yesterday Heinz on his performance
00:41:55And he says what I'm satisfied with
00:41:58Is that I give my mind, my time, my heart and my soul
00:42:02And he's proud of his work
00:42:04How do you see these comments?
00:42:06Well Mr. Heinz is entitled to feel proud of his work
00:42:10And that he gave his heart and his mind and all of that into the work
00:42:14But the fact of the matter is
00:42:16All of his heart and his mind and his effort and so on
00:42:19Have not sufficed
00:42:21It has not sufficed at all to deal with the situation
00:42:24And therefore there's a clear inadequacy in his leadership
00:42:30That is evident by the escalating murders
00:42:35The escalating rate of crime
00:42:37The ineffectiveness of the police
00:42:40Is he inspiring the police with any new ideas
00:42:44Any strategic thinking and so on
00:42:47Has he thought for example of what I said about what's happening in Jamaica
00:42:53Or anything along that line
00:42:55I don't get that impression
00:42:56He's proceeding along a path
00:42:59That has not produced any result
00:43:06Mr. Heinz really should go
00:43:08Speak to leadership for me a little more Mr. Maraj
00:43:16Because there are people in Trinidad and Tobago
00:43:21And I'm sure other parts
00:43:23Where they believe that
00:43:25If you move someone from a particular position
00:43:29Then you may get better results
00:43:32We saw when the police commissioner's term was coming to an end
00:43:38There were calls for the government
00:43:40Not to give an extension to that contract
00:43:44Of course Mrs. Erla Christopher
00:43:48Remains police commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago
00:43:51But speak to leadership for me
00:43:54Well you know you have different kinds of leadership
00:43:57You have dynamic, creative, inventive, imaginative leadership
00:44:01You have leadership that is procedural, routine
00:44:05And so on that treads along the well beaten path
00:44:09And doesn't deviate from that
00:44:13I think we need to form a kind of leadership
00:44:16In Trinidad and Tobago
00:44:18To deal with this crime
00:44:20Something dynamic, something creative
00:44:24Something that can think outside the box
00:44:28Something that needs to look at what is happening
00:44:33In other parts of the world
00:44:34In our own Caribbean and so on
00:44:36For example
00:44:37And apply that
00:44:39You just can't go the same old routine way
00:44:43With a situation that is out of control
00:44:47When your own old way has not proven to be effective
00:44:52So you need that kind of leadership
00:44:55We had some of it
00:44:57There are instances where we have had it
00:45:00But I'm afraid we haven't had it in the last decade or so
00:45:05Yeah
00:45:06And I'm sure Mr. Miraj
00:45:07You have been looking on
00:45:09As to what is happening at the SSA
00:45:12However you would remember that a number of persons
00:45:15Were sent home recently
00:45:17There are reports
00:45:19And these reports are coming from former police commissioner
00:45:22Mr. Gary Griffith
00:45:23Who says that some of the same persons
00:45:26Or the same persons who were severed
00:45:29That discussions are being had with them
00:45:33To have them return to the SSA
00:45:36Of course there is a tit for tat happening now
00:45:39Between Mr. Griffith and the National Security Minister
00:45:43The National Security Minister
00:45:44Denying all the statements of Mr. Griffith
00:45:48How do you see this?
00:45:50Well I read a story
00:45:52I think in the Express
00:45:54Where the Minister has denied
00:45:57That they have rehired any of these people
00:45:59Who they have sent home
00:46:01And while that is true
00:46:02He didn't categorically say
00:46:04That negotiations are not taking place
00:46:09And that lawyers and the former employees
00:46:13And so on were involved
00:46:15So we await that
00:46:17But let me say this
00:46:18That SSA thing is very very striking
00:46:21Very dangerous
00:46:23They apparently
00:46:25Well the SSA is supposed to be an intelligence gathering unit
00:46:29They went beyond that apparently
00:46:32And had this special unit
00:46:35Got involved in operational matters
00:46:38And the statement by the Prime Minister
00:46:41About the SSA is very alarming
00:46:44And where he's talking about
00:46:46Saying that an audit into the SSA
00:46:49Found it was being run under the influence
00:46:51Of a religious cult
00:46:53Comprising highly trained military
00:46:56Operation operators
00:46:58Armed to the teeth
00:47:00With the latest weaponry
00:47:03On a treasonous mission to overthrow the government
00:47:05Now that should not be taken lightly at all
00:47:08That should not be taken lightly
00:47:11People may want to challenge it and so on
00:47:13But I await
00:47:15And I'm sure that the government
00:47:17Will eventually
00:47:19Will eventually have to provide the evidence
00:47:22For this very alarming statement that was made
00:47:26I am very serious about that
00:47:29Wherever the security of our country is concerned
00:47:32Citizens must be very serious
00:47:35So that even though for example Marlon
00:47:38That we point to the deficiencies in the police service
00:47:41And so on
00:47:43And we ought to be able
00:47:44We ought to be free to speak our minds about
00:47:47What we consider the deficiencies
00:47:49At the same time
00:47:51The police is
00:47:53Our
00:47:55The only force that we have
00:47:58The only
00:48:00Mechanism that we have
00:48:02Between order and chaos
00:48:04In our society
00:48:06And we seem to be leaning towards chaos
00:48:09So that this situation with the SSA
00:48:11Is very very serious
00:48:13And we should not let our loose sight of it
00:48:16The Prime Minister has made a statement
00:48:19A strong statement in the Parliament
00:48:21On the issue
00:48:22And I await
00:48:24We all await
00:48:25The results
00:48:27Of the evidence
00:48:29Of the follow-up
00:48:31Because these people have been
00:48:33On a treasonous mission
00:48:35Against the state
00:48:36Surely
00:48:38The law has to come in here
00:48:40And we await to see what happens
00:48:43Mr. Maraj I'm going to ask this
00:48:45I suspect it's a rhetorical question
00:48:48But are there political repercussions
00:48:51If the government
00:48:52For the government
00:48:53If they do not
00:48:55Effectively
00:48:56And adequately
00:48:57Deal with the issue of crime
00:49:00In the run-up to the next general election
00:49:03Well let me put it this way
00:49:05There ought to be
00:49:06There ought to be repercussions
00:49:08Political repercussions
00:49:10But it all will depend
00:49:12On what kind of image emerges
00:49:15From the opposition
00:49:17We have the main opposition party
00:49:20And then you have
00:49:21Some other parties
00:49:23You have the National Transformation Alliance
00:49:25Led by former commissioner Gary Griffith
00:49:28Who incidentally in my view
00:49:30Performed very very well
00:49:32As a police commissioner
00:49:33And that kind of initiative
00:49:35That he took
00:49:36As a police commissioner
00:49:38Maybe is what
00:49:39Some of that
00:49:41Is what we need right now
00:49:43In Trinidad and Tobago
00:49:44In dealing with the crime
00:49:46But to come back to your question
00:49:47Yes it will depend
00:49:49On what happens
00:49:50With the opposition
00:49:52And the opposition
00:49:53The main opposition
00:49:54And the other forces
00:49:55The opposition forces
00:49:57In the country
00:49:59How
00:50:00Whether they will gel together
00:50:01Whether they will come together
00:50:04You know
00:50:05And join
00:50:06Mount a joint platform
00:50:09To present a solution going forward
00:50:13Remains to be seen
00:50:14But yes
00:50:16There ought to be
00:50:17Political repercussions
00:50:19For a government
00:50:20That has been in office for 10 years
00:50:22Who knew from the very start
00:50:24The situation
00:50:26With crime
00:50:27Who have not
00:50:29They have not done anything
00:50:30To arrest the situation
00:50:32And bear in mind all the time
00:50:33That in dealing with the situation
00:50:35With this crime situation
00:50:37You have to deal with it in phases
00:50:39You have to deal with the immediate
00:50:41The short term
00:50:42And the long term
00:50:43What long term measures
00:50:45Have we taken
00:50:47In the last 10 years
00:50:49To arrest
00:50:51What I have called
00:50:52The social decay
00:50:54In our country
00:50:55Which is producing
00:50:57Which is really at the heart
00:50:59Of the criminal crime
00:51:01That is being produced in the country
00:51:03And we are talking about
00:51:05The social decay that is manifesting itself
00:51:07In various ways
00:51:09Domestic violence
00:51:10Teenage pregnancies
00:51:11School
00:51:12School
00:51:13Hooliganism
00:51:14You know
00:51:15Domestic violence
00:51:17As I said
00:51:18Hooliganism
00:51:19And you know
00:51:20General
00:51:21Juvenile
00:51:22Delinquency
00:51:25There has been some
00:51:26Cultural degradation as well
00:51:29All of that
00:51:30Pulled together
00:51:31Creates a society
00:51:33That is incubating crime
00:51:35I am not aware
00:51:37Of any effort in the last 10 years
00:51:39By this government
00:51:40To arrest
00:51:41That root cause
00:51:43That environment
00:51:45That immense
00:51:47Decaying environment
00:51:49That is in our society
00:51:51Which is the cause
00:51:53The root cause
00:51:54Of the level of crime in this country
00:52:07Yeah
00:52:08Indeed
00:52:09Yes it is
00:52:10It's a mammoth task
00:52:11And it really requires
00:52:14But the thing about it is that
00:52:16This government has been in office 10 years
00:52:18They ought to have been doing something
00:52:21Well
00:52:22It's maybe
00:52:23It's not too late to start
00:52:25It's not too late to start
00:52:26I wish the police well
00:52:28I wish the police well
00:52:29I wish they would
00:52:31Come to terms with it
00:52:33That they would develop the capacity
00:52:34To deal with this
00:52:36Because we depend on them
00:52:38As much as we criticize them
00:52:39We have to
00:52:40We depend on them
00:52:41And we wish them success
00:52:43We want them to succeed
00:52:45We want them to succeed
00:52:46We want the police commissioner to succeed
00:52:48We want all the officers
00:52:50We want the police army effort to work
00:52:54We don't want it just as a token show
00:52:58For the community
00:53:00It must work as it has been working in Jamaica
00:53:04As it has been working in Jamaica
00:53:06And as I have pointed out to you this morning
00:53:09So all of these things
00:53:10We as citizens want them to succeed
00:53:12We want the government to succeed
00:53:14In dealing with the crime
00:53:15We want the government to succeed
00:53:17It is in all our interest
00:53:19That if they come up with a solution
00:53:22Suggestion
00:53:23I am sure they will
00:53:24I mean people are complaining about the roadblocks
00:53:28And so on
00:53:29And that is understandable
00:53:30But I am sure the police service
00:53:33Would also have a particular aim
00:53:36With these roadblocks
00:53:38That they might have them to detect
00:53:41Or to find the criminals and so on
00:53:43I am prepared to give them the chance
00:53:45I am prepared to give them the chance
00:53:46Because I depend
00:53:47We depend on the police
00:53:49For our safety
00:53:50For the order of our society
00:53:52The stability of our society
00:53:54We depend on the government
00:53:55We may criticize the government
00:53:56But we depend on the government
00:53:58For that order and that stability
00:54:00And we want them to succeed
00:54:02We want Mr. Hinds to succeed
00:54:04But he has not succeeded
00:54:05And it has been so very long
00:54:07And he is not inspiring anybody
00:54:09That he will succeed
00:54:10Yes, Mr. Miraj
00:54:12It is always a pleasure speaking with you
00:54:13Thank you very much, sir
00:54:15Thank you very much, Marlon
00:54:16Anytime
00:54:17All right, bye-bye
00:54:18All right, so it is time for a quick break
00:54:20We are coming back, everybody
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00:55:57The choice is clear
00:55:59The TV6 News is the number one news broadcast
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00:56:28TV6 News delivers results
00:56:37Good morning, I am Anselm Gibbs with a news update
00:56:41The Minister of National Security is denying claims
00:56:44That any of the 28 employees
00:56:46Fired from the Strategic Services Agency in March
00:56:50Are being rehired
00:56:52Are any members of the SSA in communication
00:56:54With those former fired employees at this time?
00:56:57I'm not aware of any
00:56:59I'm not aware of any
00:57:01I'm not aware of any
00:57:04I'm not in a position to know that
00:57:14I'm not in a position to answer that at this juncture
00:57:17I just told you that that is not true
00:57:20So I'm quite surprised to hear you premise
00:57:22Your last question on that
00:57:24That's not true
00:57:26Following the deaths of seven neonates
00:57:28At the Port of Spain General Hospital's
00:57:30Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
00:57:32The NWRHA will not be making
00:57:35Its internal investigative report public
00:57:38Given that it's now a legal matter
00:57:41That's according to an attorney for the NWRHA
00:57:45The authority through its lawyers
00:57:47Have indicated that they are prepared
00:57:49To consider reasonable settlement proposals
00:57:53From those parents
00:57:55The sticking point that we have reached
00:57:58Is that the Freedom Law Chambers
00:58:01Want the authority to admit liability
00:58:04And at this stage
00:58:06Based on the information that we have
00:58:08I have advised them that there is
00:58:10No basis upon which the authority
00:58:12Should admit liability
00:58:14However, that does not preclude the authority
00:58:17On a humanitarian basis
00:58:20And attaining a proposal to settle
00:58:25So that this matter can be concluded
00:58:27As quickly as possible
00:58:30And in the weather forecast
00:58:34Occasionally cloudy skies
00:58:36And breezy conditions prevail
00:58:38With intervals of light to moderate showers
00:58:40In different areas
00:58:42There is a medium chance
00:58:44That some of these showers
00:58:46May become heavy and or thundery
00:58:48And may be accompanied by gusty winds
00:58:50And localized street flooding
00:58:52Additionally, although spring tides
00:58:54Remain in effect
00:58:56Seas are relatively smooth
00:58:58With moderate and open waters
00:59:00With swells ranging from 1 to 2 meters
00:59:29Vitamin D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin
00:59:32Primarily synthesized through sun exposure
00:59:35You can also get it from certain food sources
00:59:37Like fatty fish, cheese, and egg yolks
00:59:40What makes it a powerhouse?
00:59:42It's its fundamental role in facilitating
00:59:44Calcium and phosphorus absorption
00:59:46Key minerals for bone health
00:59:48It's also a vital component
00:59:50In bolstering the resilience of our immune system
00:59:53It's a powerhouse nutrient
00:59:55Crucial for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus
00:59:57Promoting bone health
00:59:59And supporting immune system function
01:00:01But how does vitamin D3 relate to diabetes, you wonder?
01:00:03Let's delve deeper into this mystery
01:00:05Vitamin D3 is a crucial factor
01:00:07When it comes to insulin sensitivity
01:00:09And glucose metabolism
01:00:11Two key in the diabetes equation
01:00:13What is insulin, you ask?
01:00:15It's a hormone that keeps a tab
01:00:17On the glucose in our bloodstream
01:00:19Any impairment in its operation
01:00:21Can result in escalated blood sugar levels
01:00:23Creating an environment conducive to diabetes
01:00:25Vitamin D3 is seen as a game changer here
01:00:28It enhances the body's response to insulin
01:00:30Leading to improved regulation of blood sugar
01:00:33Additionally, it bolsters the functioning of the pancreas
01:00:36An organ where insulin is manufactured
01:00:38Thus contributing to the maintenance
01:00:40Of stable blood sugar levels
01:00:42An adequate intake of vitamin D3, therefore
01:00:45Can go a long way in preventing the onset
01:00:47Of type 2 diabetes
01:00:49But the benefits don't stop at prevention
01:00:52For those tackling diabetes
01:00:54Balanced vitamin D3 levels are crucial
01:00:57Research reveals that those with sufficient vitamin D3
01:01:00Have improved blood sugar control
01:01:02And lower diabetes-associated complications
01:01:05So, what's the key takeaway?
01:01:07Vitamin D3 is more than a vitamin
01:01:09It's our body's crucial ally against diabetes
01:01:12For prevention and control
01:01:14Ensuring we consume enough of this sunshine vitamin
01:01:17Either through sunlight, diet, or supplements
01:01:19Is an effective move towards improved health
01:01:23In conclusion, vitamin D3 holds a significant role in our health
01:01:27Particularly for conditions like diabetes
01:01:30This underrated vitamin is a potent force
01:01:32In our body's defense system
01:01:34With roles extending far beyond mere bone health
01:01:37It's influence across a broad sphere of our bodily functions
01:01:40Highlighting its importance in our overall wellness
01:01:43Of particular note is its effect on our body's ability
01:01:46To regulate insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism
01:01:49These functions are crucial in preventing and managing diabetes
01:01:52A condition that affects millions
01:01:54It's fascinating how this simple nutrient, often overshadowed
01:01:57Plays such a crucial role in our health
01:02:00Basking in the sun, or partaking in a meal rich in vitamin D3
01:02:04Not only feels good, but it's also wonders for our health
01:02:07So, the next time you enjoy some sunshine
01:02:10Or a vitamin D3-rich meal
01:02:12Remember the incredible work this humble vitamin is doing for your body
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01:03:55I am the seed of my father
01:04:08He is the seed of my grandfather
01:04:10Who is the seed of my whole culture
01:04:12He came from Calcutta
01:04:14A stick and a barb on his shoulder
01:04:16Alright, so welcome back everyone
01:04:18Thank you very much for staying with us
01:04:20We do have with us in studio
01:04:23And he's here every Tuesday
01:04:25TTPS Media Ambassador, Sergeant Ansel Ford
01:04:27That's the gentleman there
01:04:29Sergeant, thank you very much for coming this morning
01:04:32Pleasant morning Marlon
01:04:34Pleasant morning, Marlon
01:04:36Marlon, it's nice to be here
01:04:38Marlon, within the last, let us say, week
01:04:43Going into two weeks
01:04:45There would have been an intensified approach by the TTPS
01:04:50And a lot of commentators
01:04:52A lot of comments in relation to the action of the police
01:04:56Some see it as a harassment
01:04:58Some see it as not really targeting the real crime
01:05:03But Marlon, I want to say
01:05:06That policing involves a lot of things
01:05:11And whilst it is that part of our overt operation
01:05:16Would be to be in the public space
01:05:20Whether it be that we are engaging in roadblocks
01:05:24Searches, patrols
01:05:27Whether it's DUI testing
01:05:30All of these things
01:05:33They are geared towards a particular result
01:05:36And one, and this is consistent with the operating plan
01:05:41Of the Commission of Police for 2024
01:05:44Is public safety
01:05:47And this plan would have been rolled out
01:05:50Since April or so of this year
01:05:57And now, that yes, there was an increase in homicides
01:06:02And that featured on the headlines over the last weekend
01:06:06Into the last week
01:06:08But Marlon, understanding that public safety
01:06:12Involves police visibility
01:06:15Police activity
01:06:17We want to advise, or let us say
01:06:20Inform members of the public
01:06:22That this is not indirect response
01:06:26To the increase in murders
01:06:30It is a strategic approach
01:06:33That the Commissioner and her executive
01:06:36Would have embarked upon
01:06:38Since early on in this year
01:06:42So, whilst it is
01:06:45That yes, there were roadblocks
01:06:48There were other exercises
01:06:51A lot of intelligence-driven exercises as well
01:06:55And it resulted in somewhat of an inconvenience
01:06:58To members of the public
01:07:00Do we apologize for it?
01:07:02Marlon, no, we don't apologize for it
01:07:04It is necessary
01:07:07And if it is, we take a look at
01:07:11What was reported
01:07:14Let us say last week
01:07:16Based on the weekend's activity of crime
01:07:18Compared to what was reported this week
01:07:21In relation to activities
01:07:23Or let us say criminal activity
01:07:25One would recognize that there was a reduction
01:07:31In the number of murders
01:07:33That would have been reported
01:07:35And it could be easily said
01:07:38That what attributed to that
01:07:41Is the intensified activities of the police
01:07:45So the operations thus far
01:07:48Have been successful
01:07:50Yes, they have inconvenienced
01:07:53The general public
01:07:55But they have been successful
01:07:57Very successful, Marlon
01:07:59And whilst I can speak to some of the data
01:08:02A little later on
01:08:04Let me say that
01:08:07In terms of being visible
01:08:12Let us compare that
01:08:15With the behavior
01:08:18Of those criminal-minded persons
01:08:22Who, and I recall
01:08:25DCP Benjamin
01:08:27In his interview with you
01:08:29He was speaking about
01:08:31The movement of persons
01:08:34And firearms
01:08:36Whilst they go to commit a murder
01:08:39And the fact is
01:08:43Firearms don't do anything by its own
01:08:46If you arrest a firearm down there
01:08:47It remains right there
01:08:49So somebody has to operate the firearm
01:08:52Somebody has to move it from point A to point B
01:08:55In order to go and commit the crime
01:08:58And these exercises
01:09:01Be it roadblocks or otherwise
01:09:03It interferes
01:09:05It disrupts
01:09:07That sort of free movement
01:09:10You are on social media
01:09:12And I'm sure almost everyone
01:09:14Every adult is on social media
01:09:17And oftentimes you would see clips
01:09:20Of murders that would have been committed
01:09:24And persons just stopped
01:09:27And the vehicle exited
01:09:29Would have discharged a firearm
01:09:31Jumped back into the vehicle
01:09:33And they sped off
01:09:35That is their means of transportation
01:09:39So whilst it is
01:09:41That it may have been
01:09:43And it will continue to be
01:09:45An inconvenience to members of the public
01:09:49It is a necessary approach
01:09:52Some persons may say it is antiquated
01:09:56If it is antiquated
01:09:58And you are trying to detect
01:10:01Whether a vehicle
01:10:03Is carrying arms and ammunition
01:10:06Firearms don't have
01:10:08Some electronic means to identify
01:10:11Hey, this vehicle has a firearm in it
01:10:13It doesn't send off a signal
01:10:15What you have to do
01:10:17Is carry out a physical search
01:10:20Of the persons and the vehicle itself
01:10:25So is it then that you are saying
01:10:28That the citizenry
01:10:30Members of the public
01:10:32They need to understand
01:10:34The benefits of these exercises
01:10:37Definitely they need to understand
01:10:40So what we need
01:10:42For members of the public
01:10:44We need that level of trust
01:10:46The confidence
01:10:48And the support
01:10:50Because whilst it is
01:10:52That you may find yourself
01:10:54In traffic
01:10:56Owing to a couple of things
01:10:58Owing to the fact that
01:11:00Police conduct an exercise
01:11:02Owing to the fact that
01:11:04As people
01:11:06We have an inquisitive nature
01:11:08And we sometimes contribute
01:11:10By wanting to see
01:11:12What is taking place
01:11:14Because it is police
01:11:16As well as
01:11:18The amount of vehicles
01:11:20That are actually on the road
01:11:22Experience some level of inconvenience
01:11:24But the benefit
01:11:26Outweighs the inconvenience
01:11:29So Marlon
01:11:31Understanding that
01:11:33We are
01:11:35Taking an approach
01:11:37That is
01:11:39Let us say
01:11:41Intelligence led
01:11:43You
01:11:45And other members of the public
01:11:47We rely on that sort of
01:11:49Information from you
01:11:51That is just one aspect
01:11:53Of policing
01:11:55Where we get the intelligence
01:11:57Information
01:11:59But we need to go further
01:12:01Because we need the evidence
01:12:03So we are looking at the evidence
01:12:05Based on what it is you would have given to us
01:12:07And that
01:12:09Has legal requirements
01:12:11Court procedures
01:12:13And is necessary to investigate
01:12:15To come to that point
01:12:17So
01:12:19The persons may argue
01:12:21That I do pass on information
01:12:23To the police
01:12:25But it is not acted upon immediately
01:12:27That may be a fact
01:12:29Because of the
01:12:31Other processes involved
01:12:33To ensure
01:12:35That when it is we act
01:12:37The evidence is sufficient enough
01:12:39To meet that
01:12:41Threshold
01:12:43That the court requires
01:12:45So we can probably secure a conviction
01:12:47Against the persons who are involved
01:12:49Some cases we can
01:12:51Respond and we
01:12:53Catch the person in the act
01:12:55Evidence in hand sufficient enough
01:12:57To go forward
01:12:59We also have to
01:13:01Understand
01:13:03That
01:13:05Within the whole trust
01:13:07Technology
01:13:09Is being used
01:13:11Whilst it is you would
01:13:13See police out there
01:13:15That is one aspect
01:13:17Behind the scenes
01:13:19A lot of technology is being used
01:13:21Intelligence gathering
01:13:23Where it is we focus
01:13:25On
01:13:27Let us say priority offenders
01:13:29We focus
01:13:31On getting intelligence
01:13:33And harnessing the intelligence
01:13:35And that is not
01:13:37Let us say overtly done
01:13:39It is covertly
01:13:41But it is all geared towards
01:13:43An end result
01:13:45That amongst the public safety
01:13:47I guess what you are saying
01:13:49Really it is a suite
01:13:51Of initiatives
01:13:53That are being or have been
01:13:55Put in place
01:13:57To curb
01:13:59What we have been seeing
01:14:01As it relates to crime in Trinidad and Tobago
01:14:03So yes you have the roadblocks
01:14:05But you do have a number of
01:14:07Other initiatives
01:14:09Behind the scenes
01:14:11That have been initiated
01:14:13And put into action
01:14:15It is Marlon and you are on point
01:14:17Now
01:14:19Whilst we embark upon
01:14:21All of these initiatives
01:14:25It will
01:14:27Be a fruit
01:14:29As time
01:14:31Progresses
01:14:33In the immediate Marlon
01:14:35I can speak in relation to
01:14:37Some of the
01:14:39Successes just over
01:14:41The recent period of the exercises
01:14:43That have been conducted
01:14:45So Marlon just to speak about
01:14:47Firearms that have been recovered
01:14:49Based on those exercises
01:14:53Let us say Marlon
01:14:55At the close of the 19th of the 7th
01:14:5724th
01:14:59Seven firearms
01:15:01Were recovered based on the exercises
01:15:03And among those firearms
01:15:05Would have been automatic
01:15:07Rifles
01:15:09At least two
01:15:11And the amount of ammunition Marlon
01:15:13Assorted ammunition
01:15:15387
01:15:19Each round Marlon
01:15:21Represents
01:15:23A life
01:15:25Each round
01:15:27So that is directly
01:15:29As a result of some of the exercises
01:15:31Conducted so 387
01:15:33Lives
01:15:35Have been saved
01:15:37And if it is members of the public
01:15:39See it from the perspective
01:15:43That every round
01:15:45Of ammunition the police recovers
01:15:47Means one person
01:15:49Less
01:15:51Stand to be killed
01:15:53So these exercises are important
01:15:55And we
01:15:57Have to continue
01:15:59Now
01:16:01According to the
01:16:03Police operating plan Marlon
01:16:05When we are dealing with public safety
01:16:07One
01:16:09Of the objectives
01:16:11Is to reduce violent crime
01:16:13Another
01:16:15Enhance road safety
01:16:19Increase safety in public places
01:16:23Increase the focus on crime prevention
01:16:27This is an important element Marlon
01:16:29Crime prevention
01:16:31These exercises
01:16:33Speak
01:16:35In relation to crime prevention
01:16:37Because where it is
01:16:39That is a proactive approach
01:16:41As opposed to the crime
01:16:43Being committed
01:16:45And then we respond to it
01:16:47So the other item is to
01:16:49Improve crime detection
01:16:51Now
01:16:53On an improved crime detection
01:16:57Our investigations
01:16:59Take time
01:17:01And even
01:17:03When it is we think
01:17:05That we have sufficient
01:17:07Evidence that we can lay
01:17:09A charge
01:17:11We consult
01:17:13With the DPP
01:17:15And the DPP
01:17:17Being that person
01:17:19With that legal mind
01:17:21Would often advise
01:17:23Do some more inquiries
01:17:25Members of the public
01:17:27Would not necessarily
01:17:29Know all of these things take place
01:17:31Behind the scene
01:17:33And that
01:17:35Would cause us now
01:17:37To go back
01:17:39Gather more evidence
01:17:41And approach the DPP again
01:17:43And in particular Marlon
01:17:45We are dealing with capital offences
01:17:47Murders
01:17:49And
01:17:51Sometimes
01:17:53Much to
01:17:55Our displeasure
01:17:57We may have to release someone
01:17:59Who would have been
01:18:01Detained relative to a homicide
01:18:03And
01:18:05We are
01:18:07I want to say confident
01:18:09That this person
01:18:11Had some involvement in that homicide
01:18:13But
01:18:15Getting back to the initiatives that have been
01:18:17In place
01:18:19The police commissioner would have said
01:18:21Years ago she spoke about the
01:18:23Dynamic
01:18:25Sort of state of crime in
01:18:27Trinidad and Tobago
01:18:29And really that the initiatives that
01:18:31Are going to be looked at
01:18:33They have to fit
01:18:35That sort of dynamism
01:18:37Alright
01:18:39I was commenting yesterday
01:18:41Even the morning
01:18:43That DCP Benjamin was here
01:18:45And speaking about the initiatives
01:18:47Anti-crime initiatives
01:18:49Someone was being
01:18:51Shot in Port of Spain
01:18:53Yes
01:18:55So yes you have the initiatives in place
01:18:57But you have a situation
01:18:59Where
01:19:01How do I say
01:19:03There is still some fine tuning
01:19:05That has to take place
01:19:07Because incidents are still happening right
01:19:09Yes
01:19:11The response of the police
01:19:13Would be
01:19:15Based on
01:19:17What is happening
01:19:19Separate and apart from our standard
01:19:21Patrols and existing investigations
01:19:23Based on the trend
01:19:25Right
01:19:27Or let us say hot spot areas
01:19:29Or
01:19:31A particular type of activity
01:19:33We
01:19:35Have to be flexible
01:19:37And
01:19:39I want to say dynamic
01:19:41In terms of our response state
01:19:43And it would mean
01:19:45A
01:19:47Existing plan
01:19:49We now have to revise
01:19:51And develop an approach
01:19:53To deal with that particular issue
01:19:55Sergeant I just have about one minute
01:19:57Sure
01:19:59So
01:20:01This will happen Marlon
01:20:03From time to time
01:20:05Based on the problem that exists
01:20:07Based on the need
01:20:09To ensure that members of the public
01:20:11Feel safe
01:20:13Our exercises Marlon
01:20:15One might ask
01:20:17About the sustainability of it
01:20:19And we know
01:20:21That the resources
01:20:23Is not
01:20:25Infinite we know that
01:20:27We know
01:20:29That this intense policing
01:20:31May not
01:20:33Continue for
01:20:35Two years in
01:20:37But until
01:20:39The situation that exists
01:20:41To regain control of it
01:20:43Our effort is to ensure
01:20:45That that sort of intensified policing remains
01:20:47And what we want
01:20:49Members of the public to do
01:20:51Is to be patient
01:20:55Be supportive
01:20:57And see the
01:20:59Benefit
01:21:01Of it
01:21:03It may not be direct
01:21:05To you because you have not been affected
01:21:07By crime
01:21:09Indirectly
01:21:11You benefit from the exercises of the police
01:21:13Alright
01:21:15So
01:21:17You're in a roadblock
01:21:19Get your documents ready
01:21:21And as the officers approach you
01:21:23You present it
01:21:25And after that you continue
01:21:27On your journey
01:21:29You have no cuckooing sun
01:21:31But we look forward for the support Marlon
01:21:33Good way to end
01:21:35Officer
01:21:37Thank you very much again
01:21:39Alright so we do have a quick break
01:21:41But first we have this for you
01:21:45Image of blue skies
01:21:47And king page butterfly
01:21:49From Sham
01:21:51Thank you for that lovely picture
01:21:53We're coming back everybody
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01:26:47we give the assurance that the matter would be resolved.
01:26:50It just led to the assistant secretary and myself
01:26:54and two other members pulling money together
01:26:57from our pockets to get the audit for 2014 and 2015
01:27:02completed.
01:27:04All members that you saw recently
01:27:07before the press making claims about the Office
01:27:09of the Secretary General was fully aware what was going on.
01:27:12It was no surprise.
01:27:13And at that point in time, no mention was made,
01:27:15no action was taken in the interest of the union,
01:27:19as which is just so recently.
01:27:21At the end of the audited report,
01:27:25I got a call from the register.
01:27:28We were underneath a forensic audit now,
01:27:30based on the findings of 2014 and 2015.
01:27:33Our union is in a serious situation
01:27:39where the type of representation of itself is very poor,
01:27:44is very lacking.
01:27:45There had been no real structure in place
01:27:47over the period of years.
01:27:49And the term of office I would have taken up,
01:27:52I would have tried my best to put things in place
01:27:54in accordance with the Constitution.
01:27:57What we witnessed inside there was
01:27:59that there was no really order, no real structure,
01:28:04no real quality representation regarding
01:28:08its role and function of the union when it got its members.
01:28:12So when all these things took place,
01:28:18coming back to the point of the audited financial reports,
01:28:23we decided that to get 16 and 17 done
01:28:28was just pulling teeth again.
01:28:31And despite how many times you would have raised these issues
01:28:34with each member of the branch that you saw on TV recently,
01:28:39it reached a point saying you have a personal agenda
01:28:42with members of the executive.
01:28:46We took out of office, and I think
01:28:49in the interest of our membership,
01:28:52I took a position that I'm going to stand together
01:28:54with a few members in the interest of our union.
01:29:00We would suffer these kind of result
01:29:03based on members of the organization
01:29:06not really showing keen interest in their business.
01:29:08All right.
01:29:09Mr. Morris, let's bring in Mr. Braffet here this morning.
01:29:12Mr. Braffet, what are some of the concerns that you have?
01:29:15Well, some of the concerns of our membership
01:29:18are that in 2020, a group of members
01:29:23were retrenched at Massey Stores.
01:29:26And we brought up the issue of what
01:29:30will happen if the union is deregistered.
01:29:34And we got no response from the retired executive.
01:29:38So that was one of our concerns.
01:29:41So we came together with Mr. Morris
01:29:43to set a way forward.
01:29:51Mr. Morris, you speak about the retired executive.
01:29:55Is there an executive right now at the union?
01:29:58No, no, no.
01:29:59Currently, over the period of years,
01:30:02based on the Constitution, there were no executive
01:30:05consistent with the Constitution.
01:30:08Arriving out of the audit, and a question
01:30:11arriving from the audit, I would have written to the registrar
01:30:17asking to give an understanding of what
01:30:19is the number of persons registered
01:30:22in accordance with the Register of the Trade Union Act,
01:30:27which is the complement we had.
01:30:30So what we did, we recognized that, listen,
01:30:33we were only operating with six persons, all of which
01:30:35were retired out of them numbers.
01:30:38And the required amount under the law is seven and above.
01:30:42So we were given the opportunity through the register
01:30:46to appoint a critical committee, which
01:30:51is identified as a temporary executive committee,
01:30:54to specifically complete the audited reports
01:31:02and the financial statements strictly for that.
01:31:05To answer the question now, we would
01:31:08have taken legal action in the interest of Siemens Union
01:31:11to remove the then-retired officers of the union, which
01:31:18was successful because they failed to make an application
01:31:22to answer the application in defense
01:31:25to look at what we call a default judgment.
01:31:28Currently, the executive that is there
01:31:31have two purpose, each section.
01:31:33One, the two elected officers, which was Ms. Chota and myself,
01:31:38continue the affairs of the union
01:31:40because we have been doing that since 2015 to now
01:31:43because the other parties would have never been at the office.
01:31:48They would have only been to sign checks
01:31:50where you have to take the driver
01:31:51and send the driver by their homes
01:31:53to get the check signed to get union business done.
01:31:55And with the appointment of the newly members
01:32:01to the special conference of delegates
01:32:03the sole purpose was to ensure that the audited accounts
01:32:08and financial statements are completed.
01:32:10And when that is completed, it was formally written to us
01:32:15that we could go forward now and constitutionally
01:32:18elect an executive to see the affairs of the union.
01:32:22To quote a very popular quote, so who
01:32:26is your leader at this time?
01:32:28Well, at current, based on what transpired,
01:32:33the union is being run as usual under the office
01:32:38of the secretary general with the appointment
01:32:40of the first vice president and the executive council.
01:32:47That's just to facilitate the aspect of operations.
01:32:51So you have no president general at this time?
01:32:53Well, the president general has been
01:32:55removed by the order of the court
01:32:58on the 18th of October last year.
01:33:02And he's now, based on the recent judgment
01:33:06from the appeal court, my understanding
01:33:08based on documents or correspondence
01:33:10from our attorney is that the court awarded in favor of them
01:33:15that the decision taken on the 13th of April this year
01:33:20not to allow them to set aside was reversed.
01:33:24So they get the opportunity now to reapply and make
01:33:27an application before the high court
01:33:30to set aside the order that was made on the 18th of October.
01:33:35Currently, we do not have an elected president.
01:33:41What we have is the office of the secretary general,
01:33:44the assistant secretary general, the first vice president,
01:33:48and all the other officers who were recently
01:33:51elected to the special conference
01:33:53as a delegate for a special purpose.
01:33:54So Mr. Aniset is no longer the president general of the SWWTU?
01:33:59Based on my understanding from my attorney, that is correct.
01:34:03But is Mr. Aniset still showing up for work?
01:34:10Well, it's alleged yesterday that they
01:34:12had a meeting yesterday, right, where
01:34:15they decided that the special committee, which
01:34:18was appointed on the 26th of July,
01:34:21and him decided that they're going
01:34:25to remove Mr. Morris and Mr. Stewart
01:34:31on a point based on what I was informed,
01:34:34an allege I will use for now.
01:34:36One, Gomala and Nazarene Haynes, if I'm correct,
01:34:43which is very unconstitutional as well in regards
01:34:47to how they are going about it.
01:34:51All right, I'm trying to, and I'm
01:34:52sure that members of the public are
01:34:55trying to understand this too.
01:34:59So I want to get back to, because you see unions
01:35:04in Trinidad and Tobago, and when members of the media,
01:35:09other organizations are dealing with unions,
01:35:12they usually deal with the president of the union.
01:35:15They usually deal with the general secretary of the union.
01:35:18And these are sometimes the faces of the union.
01:35:22All right, so I asked you a question specifically
01:35:26about Mr. Aniset.
01:35:27So Mr. Aniset is still functioning
01:35:29as the president general of the union.
01:35:31That's what you're saying?
01:35:35Based on the information I received yesterday,
01:35:37he would have acted in that capacity yesterday
01:35:41at the meeting held at the union hall between him
01:35:44and the temporary caretaker committee.
01:35:48He would have functioned in that capacity
01:35:51as president, where they claimed he read out
01:35:53some document from his attorney claiming that he
01:35:58has been reinstated.
01:36:00Our letter from our attorney states very different,
01:36:03where he would have written to Ms. Nyreen Allen Phones
01:36:06outlining the outcome of the judgment last week
01:36:11and his concerns that he is aware
01:36:14that the former president is acting contrary to what
01:36:18was handed down last week in regards
01:36:21to making the application to set aside the order, which
01:36:25was made on the 18th of October, which still stands.
01:36:28Based on what was said to me by the attorney
01:36:30is that he would be in some form acting in contempt of the order
01:36:34if he continues to do that.
01:36:36I don't know if there is a misunderstanding on his part
01:36:40in regards to the ruling of the court
01:36:42last week, because he's fully convinced
01:36:45and were able to convince those, as usual,
01:36:48that he has been reinstated.
01:36:50And that has been communicated to me.
01:36:52Yeah.
01:36:53All right.
01:36:54Let me give Mr. Morris a little rest.
01:36:57I could go all morning.
01:37:00And Mr. Braffett.
01:37:01So how do we, because you're the Massey Store Branch
01:37:05chairman, right?
01:37:06So how do, well, when I say we, you all,
01:37:09how do you, and it's really, I'm asking this question,
01:37:13I suspect I can ask it on behalf of the membership.
01:37:16Judging from what we are seeing and hearing here this morning,
01:37:20there is a level of bacchanal happening within the union.
01:37:23So how do you settle all of this?
01:37:25Well, I believe the only way to settle this
01:37:29is through the court matter.
01:37:32The members are waiting the outcome,
01:37:35because this has a hold on all the unions
01:37:38in terms of going forward with negotiations
01:37:42and outstanding settlements.
01:37:45Because some of the companies are not
01:37:48recognizing Mr. Morris and Ms. Stewart
01:37:51as the assistant secretary and the general secretary.
01:37:55So this whole thing is having a big impact
01:37:59on some of the companies.
01:38:00We'll be at Massey Stores, because our company recognizes
01:38:06the secretary general and the assistant secretary general,
01:38:09but it have companies that are not recognizing them.
01:38:12So that is causing a big problem for the membership.
01:38:17A bit of uncertainty, right?
01:38:18Let me add to that.
01:38:21During the period of years, that's
01:38:23to address what he just raised, the recognition
01:38:25of the assistant secretary.
01:38:28We were informed that a member of the executive
01:38:31would have sat and colluded with the senior, the management
01:38:35of Angostura, Plivdeko, Whitco, where
01:38:41they would have came up with a common position
01:38:45not to recognize or ignore the officer, the secretary
01:38:49general, and the assistant secretary,
01:38:53and only treat with the officer, the president.
01:38:56This is uncommon and unheard in any trade union.
01:38:59Because what you are doing, you are practically
01:39:01in breach of your rules and denying workers representation.
01:39:06And that's one of the key issues we face.
01:39:08The quality of representations in regards
01:39:10to the terms and condition of employment for workers
01:39:13and their rights and benefit are not being delivered
01:39:16and have not been delivered over the period of years.
01:39:19When you sit here and look onto the screen,
01:39:23they are looking at SWWTU, secretary general, grievance
01:39:30officer, negotiator, legal department, and also research.
01:39:37I do everything in the union.
01:39:40Over the period of 2015 to now, there
01:39:43is no record that any other executive other than Ms.
01:39:46Chowdhury reporting to work.
01:39:48No one report to work other than Ms. Chowdhury and myself
01:39:50over the period of years.
01:39:51So how do you settle all of this?
01:39:54New elections within the union, an option?
01:39:57Well, there are two issues that relates to your question.
01:40:01One, arriving out of the judgment last week,
01:40:08the honorable judge indicated to both sides
01:40:14that this is settled at legal matters.
01:40:16Get appointed third party and have the legal issue resolved.
01:40:23And constitutionally, it's to the conference of delegates
01:40:27where you constitutionally elect new officers or returning
01:40:31officers over a period of years, which
01:40:33have not been done since 2009.
01:40:38So we are at a dilemma where the union was not
01:40:43being run constitutionally since 2009.
01:40:46We are at a point where we have members who came to the press
01:40:52stating that Mr. Morris acted contrary to the Constitution
01:40:56and all they want is honesty.
01:40:59But lo and behold, Mr. Morris was in a meeting
01:41:02with the same members who was aware
01:41:05that based on the actions and the failure and refusal
01:41:10to carry out their constitutional duty
01:41:12in regards to the audited accounts,
01:41:14have brought us to a point where we face closure.
01:41:18And trying to bully me to tell me,
01:41:20put back the same people who, one, is unfinancial,
01:41:25have not paid dues over 20 years or 10 years,
01:41:27retired, not functioning, cause us to, for example,
01:41:33can't account for about $1.
01:41:34Something million for 2014 to 2015,
01:41:37and telling me to put them back in officer signed checks.
01:41:40I said, I'm not going to do that.
01:41:42You are telling me, and tell the press,
01:41:45tell 2009 to be good at Mr. Morris's act constitutional,
01:41:47and we move this and we move that.
01:41:49And in the same breath, a whole donkey squad
01:41:52came to tell me to reinstate these person as signatories
01:41:58to the accounts of cement union that have us facing
01:42:02a forensic audit based on the outcome and possible closure.
01:42:08And tell me to put them back.
01:42:09You would see them coming to the press just now.
01:42:12This is what Morris has.
01:42:13This is just part of my evidence.
01:42:17I have a four-inch file with all my records,
01:42:21because I do not speak out of thin air.
01:42:23I speak with reference information.
01:42:26Judging from what you are saying here to us this morning,
01:42:29is this a matter for the police too?
01:42:32No, I don't recommend police in any aspect of the union.
01:42:37I see this as politics.
01:42:39An internal issue?
01:42:40I was only forced here, as you can see, historically.
01:42:43I don't like coming to the press.
01:42:45I try my best to keep all our business inside,
01:42:47and it has worked against the interests of the union.
01:42:51I was pushed by my members who support me to come to the press,
01:42:56because they always said I'm too diplomatic and soft.
01:43:00So I'm here this morning.
01:43:02Our main issue, for example.
01:43:05Mr. Morris, I can give you one more minute.
01:43:07Go ahead.
01:43:08For example, we are facing a privatization
01:43:12of the Port-a-Porter scheme,
01:43:14with an outstanding negotiation of 12% to 2017, 2014 to 2015.
01:43:22There's no discussions currently going on
01:43:25between the union and the company,
01:43:28and all the government.
01:43:31And I think that is something that the members need to be aware of.
01:43:35Your future relies on the parties that you select
01:43:39to represent your interests.
01:43:41And I'm making a clarion call.
01:43:42There are competent members in this union, or any other union,
01:43:48that need to come forward.
01:43:50It don't have to be me.
01:43:51That need to come forward with the level of integrity,
01:43:54moral and principles that covers or umbrella the majority of persons
01:43:59that could take this union elsewhere.
01:44:01They're just not coming forward.
01:44:03What you see is robberousers,
01:44:04and if you check their work history,
01:44:08you would see their records.
01:44:10Yes.
01:44:11Peter Morris and Keane Braffett,
01:44:14thank you very much for coming this morning.
01:44:16Thank you.
01:44:16It's something that we are going to be following up on,
01:44:20but we do thank you for coming here this morning.
01:44:21Yes, thank you very much.
01:44:22So it's time for a quick break,
01:44:24but first we do have this image for you,
01:44:26of a desert rose from Violet,
01:44:29and we are going to be taking your calls after the break.
01:44:31You're calling us on 623 1711,
01:44:33the extension, it's 1995.
01:44:36We're coming back, everybody.
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01:46:22♪ Yeah, so girl, I love only where you go my mind, oh ♪
01:46:27All right, so welcome back, everyone.
01:46:28So you're calling us now on 623-1711,
01:46:30the extension, it's 1995.
01:46:32So we just have a few minutes to take your calls
01:46:34before the program ends today.
01:46:36You know, I'm glad that I'm seeing this story
01:46:38in the newspaper this morning.
01:46:40Boys get second graduation after hairstyle row.
01:46:43So students of Harmon School of Seventh Day Adventist
01:46:46in Tobago are getting another opportunity
01:46:48for a graduation ball after the school's graduation
01:46:51was marred for two 16-year-old boys.
01:46:54Now, the boys were dragged out
01:46:56of the school graduation exercise on July 8th
01:47:00for wearing hairstyles against the rules.
01:47:02In Trinidad and Tobago,
01:47:04we're still having this stupid discussion
01:47:07and that you all are barring people from events
01:47:12because of the way that they look, their hairstyle,
01:47:15their color, how short you are, how tall you are.
01:47:19What kind of foolishness happening
01:47:21in this Trinidad and Tobago in 2024?
01:47:24We're still having this discussion?
01:47:27Well, you see how I'm getting on.
01:47:32To me, it's horrendous.
01:47:34Acts such as these are horrendous because of my hairstyle.
01:47:39And what are these rules?
01:47:41What are these rules that are in place
01:47:44and how long these rules have been in place?
01:47:48You understand where I'm getting from?
01:47:49How long?
01:47:50So is it since 1950, 1940?
01:47:53How long these rules have been in place?
01:47:55But again, to me, there is no place in this Trinidad
01:48:01and Tobago for acts such as these
01:48:04that have been perpetrated against these young men.
01:48:07All right, you're calling us on 623-1711.
01:48:09The extension, it's 1995.
01:48:12So you're calling us now, all right?
01:48:14Okay, DCP on citizens' obligation
01:48:16to help police working for you.
01:48:18Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Junior Benjamin,
01:48:20says he believes the Police Service Act
01:48:23was codified to cement the partnership
01:48:25between the police and the public.
01:48:28Benjamin was asked to comment yesterday
01:48:30on the use of the act to charge a maxi-taxi driver
01:48:33who did not aid police in making an arrest
01:48:36as he was fearful of repercussions.
01:48:39You remember, I was speaking about this some time ago
01:48:42where a gentleman is now before the court
01:48:45because he refused to help the police
01:48:47and it was on the grounds that he felt unsafe to do so.
01:48:51Central is on the line.
01:48:52Good morning, Central.
01:48:54A pleasant good morning, Marlon.
01:48:55Morning.
01:48:57Marlon, let me tell you something, right?
01:48:58I'm not saying I don't have good police officers, right?
01:49:00But by far and large, a lot of police officers out here,
01:49:04right, who are involved in the wrong thing, right?
01:49:06And they have knowledge about a lot of wrong things
01:49:08taking place on the ground, right?
01:49:11So let me tell you something,
01:49:12in the fight against crime
01:49:13and the fight against what it is we're facing here today,
01:49:17there are a lot of men within,
01:49:19under the umbrella of national security
01:49:21who are doing things outside of the view, right?
01:49:23In their best interest,
01:49:24not in the interest of the general public at large.
01:49:26As a result of that,
01:49:28we are facing what we are facing here today.
01:49:30What needs to be done, Marlon, right?
01:49:32You see all these things
01:49:33when we talk about human trafficking and whatnot,
01:49:36all these brothels, right,
01:49:38that register under a club name, right?
01:49:41You mean to tell me they do not know
01:49:44where these women coming from?
01:49:45They do not know what is going on in these places.
01:49:48It is just every so often,
01:49:51they boost one of these places
01:49:51just to show that what it appears in the eyes of the public,
01:49:54that we are doing something.
01:49:55They are not serious about human trafficking, Marlon.
01:49:58All these things that we see on television
01:50:00in connection with this mess that we're in,
01:50:02that's where, you know what?
01:50:04Human trafficking, this human trafficking,
01:50:06that, come on now, man,
01:50:07let's personally copy and use
01:50:09as to where these things are coming from.
01:50:11And the thing is,
01:50:12all these roulette machines,
01:50:13all bars that have roulette machines,
01:50:15and they have police officers working, right,
01:50:18moonlighting in these places and them, right?
01:50:21And they're not showing up for their duty.
01:50:22I'm telling you something,
01:50:23they're not showing up for their duty,
01:50:25the station itself, right?
01:50:27All these things, let me tell you something,
01:50:29all these things contributing towards the problem,
01:50:31what we're facing in society today.
01:50:33You understand what I'm saying?
01:50:34So the police, before they look to clean up the public,
01:50:38first they need to clean up themselves.
01:50:40All right, you too, sir.
01:50:41All right, so you're calling us on 623-1711,
01:50:43the extension, it's 1995.
01:50:45You know, getting back to that issue of human trafficking,
01:50:47as I told the representatives yesterday,
01:50:51I mean, everybody knows where these houses
01:50:54of ill repute are,
01:50:56and everyone, when they're having the bachelor
01:50:58and the bachelorette party,
01:51:00they know where to go to to get models, yeah?
01:51:04You're calling us, we do have a call?
01:51:05Let's take that call now.
01:51:07Gasparillo, good morning.
01:51:09Morning to you, Marlon.
01:51:10Morning.
01:51:11Marlon, I have looked at you
01:51:13for between 10 to 20 years as a presenter,
01:51:18and I've never seen you in a sleeveless jersey.
01:51:23Go ahead, I'm listening.
01:51:25Let's see where you're going with this, go ahead.
01:51:27Why I'm raising this issue,
01:51:29if it is a television station,
01:51:32how they're called dress code,
01:51:34why can't a school have dress code?
01:51:37Everybody is serious.
01:51:39All right, okay.
01:51:41You're calling us on 623-1711.
01:51:43The extension, it's 1995.
01:51:45It's a different Trinidad and Tobago
01:51:47and a different world we are living in now, you know?
01:51:50So sometimes people want to let their hair down, you know?
01:51:54And yeah, you know, to each his own.
01:51:58You're calling us on 623-1711.
01:52:00The extension, it's 1995.
01:52:03Heinz praises day of policing,
01:52:05113 held, seven guns seized,
01:52:08but Trinidad and Tobago Police Service
01:52:09continues to defend its initiative
01:52:15in your face operations, which took place last Thursday.
01:52:17Who do we have?
01:52:18Pleasantville, good morning, Pleasantville.
01:52:21Morning, Marlon.
01:52:21Morning.
01:52:22I'm so glad to make this very quick.
01:52:23Listen, Marlon, do we remember,
01:52:25how many of us remember
01:52:27that a former government in this country,
01:52:31not too long ago,
01:52:33was accused of attempting to set up
01:52:34an illegal flying squad
01:52:37under one retired inspector,
01:52:39Movin Cordner.
01:52:40He's now deceased.
01:52:41Do we remember that?
01:52:43And Mr. Jack Warner was involved in this.
01:52:45Vehicles were rented.
01:52:47A facility was rented.
01:52:49An illegal flying squad
01:52:51in the attempt to deal with crime.
01:52:54Whatever came out of that, Marlon?
01:52:57Well, as you say, Mr. Cordner is no longer here with us.
01:52:59All right, so that's going to do it for our calls.
01:53:01We are taking a short break.
01:53:03We're coming back, everybody.
01:53:04Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello.
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01:54:08All right, and that's gonna do it for our program for today.
01:54:11We leave you with this image.
01:54:12Have a good day, everyone.
01:54:14We leave you with some beautiful music.
01:54:16♪ Trying to come to terms with the whole thing ♪
01:54:17♪ And in confusion ♪
01:54:19♪ Curry come and then curry go ♪
01:54:21♪ Curry come and then curry go ♪
01:54:23♪ Curry come and then curry go ♪
01:54:24♪ Curry come and then curry go ♪
01:54:26♪ Curry come and then curry go ♪
01:54:28♪ And in confusion ♪
01:54:30♪ Curry come and then curry go ♪
01:54:32♪ But somehow a smell in the dust go ♪
01:54:34♪ Mr. West Indian politician ♪
01:54:36♪ I mean you went to a big institution ♪
01:54:38♪ And how come you care you like seven million ♪
01:54:42♪ When a West Indian unity ♪
01:54:45♪ I know it very easy ♪
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