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The Prime Minister called on citizens to hold the fort, days before the reading of the 2025 budget

Five people were shot outside a daycare centre, while a shooting outside another school resulted in the arrest of 2 persons

And a PNM Senator resigned amid domestic abuse rumours
Transcript
00:00Good evening and welcome to the past seven days on six.
00:20I am Vanessa Cutting, as what made the news this past week.
00:25The Prime Minister called on citizens to hold the fort days before the reading of the 2025
00:31budget.
00:32Five people were shot outside a daycare centre, while a shooting outside another school resulted
00:38in the arrest of two persons, and a PNM senator resigned amid domestic abuse rumours.
00:45As per usual, if it was happening, it was on six.
00:48Let's get right into it.
00:50Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley called on citizens to hold the fort over the next few years as
00:56difficult times are ahead.
00:59But he said, despite the country's dwindling gas reserves, from which much of its revenue
01:04is derived, current and future investments promise a brighter future around 2027.
01:12He made the comments while speaking at Atlantic LNG's 25th anniversary function.
01:18Three days before the national budget is read, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is warning
01:23of difficult times ahead as a result of this nation's declining natural gas reserves.
01:30The period between now and 2027 second quarter would be one of difficulty for the people
01:35of Trinidad and Tobago because the current levels at which we are producing and the market
01:42situation would cause us, or should cause us, to be responsible and hold the fort with
01:54a very good view and good confidence that come 2027 we will be in a better position
02:03with this industry.
02:05Speaking at the 25th anniversary function for Atlantic LNG at the company's Point 14
02:11administration office on Friday, Dr Rowley said, however, Atlantic's restructuring, together
02:18with work on two gas fields moving apace, TNT's outlook is positive.
02:23If we don't add new gas to the mix coming in, we're not only talking about decline,
02:32but even holding our production where we are now, we need a strong stream of gas coming
02:38in to maintain the levels at which we are now.
02:41Manatee does that for us.
02:43The case of the Dragon field, which is a field in Venezuela, very close to our high viscous
02:49platform which BP and Shell operate at the time, the work, the seismic work, is either
02:58very close or is progressing, but the bottom line is it's in view, work to go on, and interestingly
03:04enough it's work on a proven field.
03:07We know exactly what we're going after.
03:09Dr Rowley says despite what has been or is being said about some of these arrangements,
03:15key players all want the same thing.
03:19Let us not be distracted too much by the geopolitical.
03:23Both Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela and the United States, we all have an interest
03:29in success, in peace and security, and good commercial arrangements between the neighboring
03:36countries of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
03:40Cindy Raghubati Kasing, TV6 News.
03:47With a wave of reckless crimes washing over the country, criminologist Darius Figueroa
03:53issued a call to the government to put provisions in the budget for the reform of the entire
03:58national security framework.
04:00Key to this reform, Figueroa said, is the weaponizing of customs and excise and immigration
04:06to give them greater teeth to secure all borders.
04:11With the country having recorded 470 murders for the year thus far, many are looking to
04:17the upcoming budget presentation to see what plans are in place to address the crime situation.
04:24Criminologist Darius Figueroa believes the introduction of another transnational crime
04:28entity has aggravated the crime situation, resulting in the reckless acts of violence
04:34we see today.
04:35In Trinidad and Tobago today, we have four different expressions of gangland.
04:42You have those who are affiliated with the Colombians, those who are affiliated with
04:46the Mexicans.
04:48You have one grouping who is holding on to whatever they could get from the Colombians.
04:54And then you have a huge grouping of persons who are displaced.
05:01They belong to none of the above.
05:02And a lot of the spontaneous, reckless violence is coming out of this dispossessed group.
05:12So therefore, you have to understand what is transnational organized crime and how it
05:16operates in Trinidad and Tobago.
05:18But presently, we are living in a society in denial.
05:23All we speak about is gangs.
05:26And although national security usually attracts a large sum of the fiscal pie, Figueroa believes
05:32widespread reform of the national security apparatus is what is needed for a meaningful
05:38change.
05:39For the TTPS, you have serious reform because we are still not touching the four horsemen
05:45of the TTP apocalypse.
05:47The issue of promotion, the issue of internal discipline, the issue of command and control,
05:54and the issue of organized crime within the TTPS.
05:59Figueroa is also calling for an armed unit of customs and excise and immigration.
06:05That are specifically trained and operationalized for enforcement, where they will use the extensive
06:15powers they have under law to protect our borders.
06:19Customs and excise and immigration have more power over our borders than the TTPS.
06:27So they must be weaponized, they must have an enforcement arm of both of them.
06:33In fact, both of them are supposed to be joined together.
06:37The criminologist further notes with concern that all of the Coast Guard's large operational
06:43vessels are currently out of service.
06:45If you're Coast Guard, you have a serious problem with your equipment, your ships of
06:51the line.
06:52Right now, we have not a single ship of the line in the water, so there are serious questions
06:58to be asked.
06:59Do you think that that is by chance?
07:02Well, if it is deliberate, that means the Coast Guard then has to be disbanded and rebuilt
07:10from the ground.
07:11Last year, national security received the third largest budget allocation, at just over
07:17$6.9 billion.
07:20We had a quick break.
07:21We'll have more news when we return.
07:26Thanks for staying with us.
07:31Long violence claimed the life of two men and left a child and two other adults injured
07:37following a shooting outside a child care center in Malik, Mauritania.
07:41The incident sparked fear and concern among residents of the area, who said they are bracing
07:46for reprisal killings.
07:49The grief was palpable.
07:55Relatives of Jarelle Kelis wept openly at the crime scene at Basement Road, Malik, Mauritania
08:00this morning, where he was shot and killed together with his cousin, Kimo Kelis, who
08:05later passed away at hospital.
08:07They became the country's 42nd and 43rd murder victims, as gang violence continues to pervade
08:14the land.
08:15The prison killings occurred shortly after 8 a.m. in front of Roxanne's Learning and
08:19Child Care Center, perched on top of the Basement Road intersection in Malik.
08:25Investigators told TV6 News that the two gunmen came out of a vehicle parked a short distance
08:30down the hill from the center and walked up to the men and opened fire, while other bystanders
08:37were also in the vicinity.
08:39Jarelle Kelis was shot multiple times and died on the roadway, mere meters from the
08:43entrance of the child care center, while his cousin, Kimo, ran into the child care center
08:49as he was shot several times and died later at the hospital.
08:53In the melee of gunfire, as the gunmen attempted to hit their target, who police confirmed
08:58was Kimo Kelis, a known gang member, a four-year-old child was shot in the foot and two other adults
09:04identified as Joseph Collin and Adina Jackson were also wounded.
09:09Police say the child and other injured persons were rushed to the hospital, where they were
09:13treated and remain in stable condition.
09:16Minutes after the killings, relatives of several of the children rushed to the day care center
09:21to take their preschoolers home, these youngsters unable to comprehend the danger that only
09:26moments before existed outside.
09:30Staff at the school also appeared dazed, as Senior Superintendent Mervyn Edwards of
09:34the Northeastern Division told TV6 News that they would be offered counselling.
09:40Many of the residents in the area expressed shock and fear within the latest killings
09:44and said that gang rivalry is becoming more intense in this area.
09:50Only four months ago, Junior Joseph was shot and killed at a house just opposite the child
09:54care center.
09:56Edwards, who issued a voice note following the killings, warned that criminals were not
10:00safe anywhere.
10:01To the criminals, I urge you to desist.
10:05Stop what you are doing.
10:07A few of you are trying to unleash terror on the community.
10:11The Northeastern Division, under my supervision and leadership, will continue to attack you,
10:16to relentlessly pursue you and bring you before the courts of law to be dealt with.
10:23Investigators say they will not only be relying on the security cameras mounted above the
10:28child care center and helping them to piece this double homicide together, but are also
10:33hoping that these CCTV cameras just down the hill from the shooting will also assist them.
10:40Senior police intelligence sources told TV6 News that Kimo, who is affiliated with the
10:45Seven Gang, had been a target for several months now and a sum of $1 million had been
10:50offered for his head.
10:52Sources say that Kimo had been fingered in the killing of a rival gang member some time
10:56ago and based on the information he received, the brother of that rival gang member who
11:01resides abroad ordered the $1 million hit.
11:04Kimo had been released on bail last year and Senior Superintendent Edwards said he was a
11:08firearms and drug offender and was known to the police.
11:12Mark Besant, TV6 News.
11:17Mere days after a gunfire erupted outside a secondary school in Belmont, forcing passers-by
11:22and members of the media to take cover.
11:25When all was said and done, two men were taken into police custody.
11:42Gunfire and high drama in Belmont.
11:47All of this unfolding near St. Francois Girls College on Friday and all while news crews
12:03have their cameras rolling.
12:05We are currently, the police are currently pursuing the second gunman.
12:08The first gunman has been taken into custody and has been taken probably to the Belmont
12:14Police Station.
12:15We are being questioned further.
12:16This is still a very active scene.
12:19Express reporter Jassi Gonzalez narrating while risking his life to get this footage.
12:25Police say around 11 o'clock on Friday morning, two gunmen shot two other men at Saranya Road
12:31in Belmont.
12:32The gunmen fled in a car which then crashed according to investigators.
12:42The gunmen got out of the car and as they tried to escape, they reportedly jumped into
12:46a train.
12:48Police say while underground, the suspects changed their clothing.
12:52But they did not get far.
12:54Responding police officers swarmed the area.
12:57We got the second man.
12:59The second man has been captured, ladies and gentlemen.
13:02It is now 20 minutes to 4 p.m.
13:06The second man has been captured.
13:09The police have him.
13:11After much drama and danger outside the nearby school, both suspects were held by police.
13:18According to reports, none of the suspects entered the school, which was placed on lockdown
13:23while all of this played out.
13:26Anselm Gibbs, TV6 News.
13:31Expect to see more police and soldiers on the streets, engaging business people and
13:36interacting with members of the public, so said the police last week.
13:41As the joint task force, one operation was launched.
13:45The operation is being rolled out in at least five policing divisions, including Port of
13:50Spain.
13:54Boots on the ground in the capital city, as police and the regiment interacted with the
13:59public and businesses on Wednesday afternoon.
14:02Another strategy by law enforcement in the fight against crime, as Deputy Commissioner
14:07of Police in charge of operations Junior Benjamin explains.
14:12We are more or less launching what is known as the joint task force one operations.
14:20This is a special operation where we are seeking to increase the presence of both the police
14:27officers and the defense force, so that persons could feel free in not just the capital, but
14:35in at least five divisions.
14:37We have looked at the Western Division, Port of Spain Division, Eastern Division, Central
14:41and Southern Division.
14:43He tells us the initiative was rolled out simultaneously.
14:46The DCP believes the increased police presence will provide a measure of comfort to the public
14:52and liaising with the business community is to gauge the challenges in order to address
14:57them.
14:58According to him, last night was one of the concerns raised by business people during
15:02the visit, and they welcome the increased police presence.
15:05He states that triggering an alarm and getting faster police response would be one of the
15:11benefits.
15:12We are looking at that.
15:13We are also looking at the different areas where persons might seek to escape, and therefore
15:17we're going to be clogging those areas as well.
15:20With a commitment to ensuring law and order, DCP Benjamin says there is also a focus on
15:25quality service.
15:27I think that the real challenge is not so much the reduction of crime, but the fear
15:31of crime.
15:32We need to reduce the fear of crime by really starting to treat the public with that level
15:38of respect.
15:40He tells us more trust in the police will lead to more information towards intelligence-driven
15:45policing.
15:46Major Steve Benny says the Defence Force is committed to supporting the TTPS.
15:51Our joint approach has worked in the past.
15:54With some obvious teething, it should be able to resolve some of the problems that we have.
16:00And according to MP Keith Scotland, operation by operation, the country will be brought
16:05back to where it has to be.
16:07We have a plan, and we will continue to execute that plan, and that plan should act at least
16:14in part as a deterrent.
16:16I don't want to speak too much about the plan, but we have a plan.
16:19Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
16:26This is the past seven days on six.
16:36Welcome back.
16:37Laura Luzama Lee Singh was replaced as a government senator on the advice of Prime Minister Dr.
16:43Keith Rowley last week.
16:45Lee Singh handed in her resignation after an interim protection order filed by her estranged
16:50husband Darren Lee Singh on September 19th was made public.
16:55Three days after an interim protection order filed by Darren Lee Singh, the husband of
17:00Laura Luzama, the Office of the Prime Minister issued a release this morning indicating that
17:05Luzama had resigned from her post as a government senator.
17:09The release added, quote,
17:11Under Excellency Christine Kangaloo on the advice of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley
17:16has appointed Ansel Dennis as a government senator, the former Chief Secretary of the
17:20Tobago House of Assembly, close quote.
17:24Appointments of the Senate are strictly at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who
17:27is not required to provide any explanation for any appointment or revocation.
17:32Luzama, who is also the PNM's education officer, shot into the spotlight after an interim protection
17:38order was granted by the court against her by Master Alana Jemison after her husband
17:43Darren Lee Singh filed an application.
17:46The court order outlines certain conditions, indicating that Luzama is not to engage or
17:51threaten to engage in the physical abuse of the applicant Darren Lee Singh by use
17:55of her hands, fists or any implement or by throwing any missiles or any object at or
18:02towards Lee Singh.
18:04She has also been instructed not to emotionally or psychologically abuse the applicant by
18:09the use of abusive, threatening, violent and obscene language against him and not to enter
18:15or remain in the guest bedroom of a property situated in Cascade, within a distance of
18:20one metre.
18:21The order cautioned that if she did not comply with these terms, she would be liable to a
18:25term of imprisonment and or a fine pursuant to Section 20 of the Domestic Violence Act.
18:31The matter is expected to be heard on November 28.
18:35In an express front page story today, Luzama had written a letter to Prime Minister Dr.
18:39Keith Rowley via her attorneys, asking him not to remove her from the Senate.
18:44Mark Basant, TV6 News.
18:49Also happening last week, the state held a national public consultation on domestic violence
18:55where it was reported that the statistics are showing an increase in domestic violence
18:59reports.
19:00Over 5,300 domestic violence reports were filed with the police in 2023, with roughly
19:081,700 of those reports being assaulted by beating.
19:12But despite the marked increase in reporting, the number of persons charged and prosecuted
19:18remains low.
19:49beaten cases.
19:51Just over 2,500 domestic violence reports have been lodged for 2024.
19:56The trend holds that a majority of victims are women.
20:00Between 2010 and 2022, there were an average of about 1,800 domestic violence cases per
20:08year.
20:09And of this number, 381 were murders.
20:138.4% of all murders committed between 1995 and 2013 were because of domestic violence.
20:22One such victim was Samantha Isaacs, hailed as a landmark case.
20:26The May 16, 2024 decision by Justice Robin Mohamed held that the rights of Samantha Isaacs,
20:34her son and her mother, Tut Lampkin, to the protection of the law, were infringed upon
20:39by the inaction of the police and the judiciary, eventually leading to her death.
20:44Samantha went to the magistrate's court for maintenance and a protection order.
20:50The magistrate appeared to have disbelieved her need for a protection order and thought
20:54that she was using the protection order as an excuse to get maintenance out of her partner.
21:00And eventually, on that fateful day, when he turned up and said she was not there, the
21:05magistrate dismissed the case.
21:07She was left without a protection order.
21:10The Attorney General further noted that at the time of Isaac's murder, the police were
21:14also not expressly obligated under the Domestic Violence Act to investigate domestic violence
21:21reports, a gap in the law which was rectified by amendment back in 2020.
21:27But even without the amendments, the AG points out that police officers can still act decisively
21:33on domestic violence reports.
21:36When somebody comes to you and complains, as Samantha did, that she had been brutally
21:43beaten by her partner, that constitutes a criminal offense.
21:48It's known as an assault.
21:49And therefore, the police have ample power to investigate, go and talk to the neighbors,
21:56go and talk to Samantha, get medical reports, talk to the gentleman himself, the perpetrator,
22:04and after a proper investigation, you come to the conclusion that there is sufficient
22:09evidence to justify a charge.
22:13But President of the Law Association Lynette Sebrant Sweet laments that there is still
22:18a tendency on the part of the police to simply refer victims to the magistrate's court for
22:24protection orders without pursuing the route of laying charges.
22:28When the protection order is granted, there is not a punitive sanction applied.
22:35It is in the nature of a quasi-injunctive relief.
22:40And so you are just told to do things that you were supposed to have been doing or to
22:44refrain from doing things that you should not be doing.
22:48It is only when you breach the protection order that the sanction of the criminal comes
22:53in.
22:54Such stakeholders gathered today for a public consultation towards improving policies and
23:00legislation to treat with the scourge of domestic violence.
23:04The goal is to respond effectively to every single report of domestic violence made known
23:15to the police.
23:17I can give you the assurance that the police, along with the rest of the society, have moved
23:24a long way in terms of its attitude to domestic violence.
23:28It is no longer, as was seen in the larger society, and certainly by elements of the
23:34police service, a matter of man and woman business.
23:37In this regard, a minister with responsibility for policing, Keith Scotland, is urging victims
23:43of domestic violence to report and to stay the course.
23:47Victims, if you do not report domestic violence and prosecute domestic violence, it will go
23:55unchecked.
23:57And I want to take this very brief opportunity to let you know that you have the support
24:04of the police, and if you do not report domestic violence, it will go unnoticed, it will go
24:10unprosecuted, and more likely than not, it will be repeated.
24:17What is up next?
24:18Keep it here.
24:19In sport, the Trinbego Knight Riders jumped one spot up to third place after beating the
24:31Barbados Royals by 30 runs in Taruba last week.
24:35TKR made 175 for seven, with captain Kieran Pollard getting 42.
24:41In reply, the Royals were restricted to 145 for nine, slipping to fourth position.
24:48It's important that all teams...
24:50Trinbego Knight Riders were told to take first strike by Barbados Royals in the Republic
24:53Bank CPL game at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
24:57Mahesh Tegshana made a mess of Jason Roy's furniture, and the batter fell for a duck.
25:01When Nicholas Puran came to the wicket, his first delivery was stared to the fence.
25:05They've looked to have gripped off the surface, takes the outside.
25:09But his cameo ended at 27, while Shakir Paris went for five.
25:16Casey Cotty and skipper Kieran Pollard had to then rebuild the innings.
25:23The two had a partnership that was worth 70 for the fourth wicket.
25:30Cotty was gone for 32, giving Naveen Ul Haq his second scalp, and Quinton de Kock his
25:34third catch.
25:38In came Andrew Russell, who kept smashing the white cherry out of the park.
25:44Pollard was out for 42, and Russell 31, with Tegshana grabbing three wickets.
25:49Naveen Ul Haq also took three scalps in the innings.
25:56The Knight Riders would eventually close on 175 for seven from their 20 overs.
26:02When Barbados Royals replied, left-arm spinner Akhil Hossain and Jason Roy combined in removing
26:07both Qadim Alain and de Kock cheaply.
26:11There was a 53-run partnership between Kevin Wickham and the left-handed Alec Athonese.
26:17Wickham gave Hossain his third wicket, when he was caught and bowled for 23.
26:24Athonese was out for a top score of 44, with Roy taking his third catch of the match.
26:30David Miller chipped in with 30, but it was not enough.
26:36Terence Hines bowled well and picked up two scalps, and Chris Jordan grabbed three.
26:47Barbados Royals were restricted to 145 for nine from their 20 overs, giving TKR victory
26:53by 30 runs.
26:54Vinod Naoni, Team Six Sport.
27:00And that's a wrap on the past seven days on six.
27:03I am Vanessa Cutting.
27:05If you didn't catch this segment in its entirety, you can find it on our website, www.tv6tnt.com.
27:13And you can find all these stories and more on the TV6 mobile app.
27:17Thanks for choosing TV6, and you do have a great evening.
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