- 1 year ago
Police officers were ordered to return their tactical gear... following another robbery perpetrated by men in police uniform
Hannah Mathura's parents werer charged for her murder
and Energy Minister Stuart Young issued an apology to the nation for unparliamentary comments
Hannah Mathura's parents werer charged for her murder
and Energy Minister Stuart Young issued an apology to the nation for unparliamentary comments
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening and welcome to the past seven days on six. I am Renessa Cutting as what
00:22made the news this past week. Police officers were ordered to return their tactical gear
00:29following another robbery perpetrated by men in police uniform. Hannah Mathura's parents
00:34were charged for her murder. Energy Minister Stuart Young issued an apology to the nation
00:40for unparliamentary comments. As per usual, if it was happening, it was on six. Let's
00:46get right into it. All officers of the TNT Police Service, with the exception of four
00:52operational units, were ordered to return their police tactical kits last week after
00:58a robbery perpetrated by men dressed in police tactical wear. The announcement was made
01:03by Deputy Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin. This decision comes after numerous reports
01:09of criminal elements utilizing clothing that resembles the tactical uniforms of law enforcement
01:14officers to commit robberies, kidnappings and even murders. We recognize that drastic
01:22times calls for drastic measures and therefore the Triantibego Police Service has taken a
01:31stance because we recognize that the lives of our citizens are at stake. Benjamin announced
01:39that this order falls on all officers of the TTPS, with the exception of those attached
01:45to the Guard and Emergency Branch, the Multi-Operational Police Section, the Inter-Agency Task Force
01:51and the National Operational Task Force. The men and women of the TTPS have been given
01:57until next Wednesday to comply with these instructions or face disciplinary action.
02:04Divisional commanders are to ensure that all tactical items of kit must be returned to
02:11the police quartermaster's stores by Wednesday the 23rd of October 2024. Failure to comply
02:19will result in the appropriate disciplinary actions being taken. The order, he said, was
02:25made by Police Commissioner Earl Howard Christopher and as such all officers will now be identified
02:32by grey and blue. From tomorrow, all officers, all officers in the division and branches
02:41are to be in patrol order number three, that is basically the grey and blue. Benjamin also
02:47issued a warning to criminal elements as well as the public that having a police uniform
02:52in their possession without proper authorization is an offence. The Police Service Act Section
03:0062 clearly states that if a person is found pretending to be a police officer or for any
03:10purpose seeking to use the police uniform, that person commits an offence and that person
03:20on summary conviction would be fined, one found guilty, at least $30,000 for imprisonment
03:28for three years. He also warned that persons who have camouflaged clothing may also face
03:35similar liabilities. Alexander Brucewall, TV6 News. But the decision for officers of
03:42the Police Service to return their tactical uniforms garnered a mixed response and even
03:47some confusion. Here's more. The divisional commanders of all ten policing divisions are
03:53tasked with ensuring that the tactical kits and associated items are returned to the police
03:58quartermaster's stores by Wednesday. Any officer who fails to comply with these directives
04:03will face appropriate disciplinary action. The order came into effect as of this morning.
04:09However, TV6 News was informed today that some officers of task force units throughout the
04:14country reported for duty wearing their tactical gear, as it was said that from their understanding
04:20they had until Wednesday to comply with the instructions. As such, they thought that there
04:25was a grace period for the transition to the grey and blue uniforms. Those that did report
04:31for duty in their tactical wear were told by their superiors that they were wearing the wrong
04:35uniforms and were instructed to immediately go to the quartermaster's stores to retain the gear
04:40and to secure the appropriate uniforms. This affected some of the officers and reportedly
04:47temporarily disrupted some operations in various districts as lawmen attempted to
04:51comply with the instructions given, as they were reminded that the orders came into effect as of
04:56today. The decision by the Commissioner of Police comes following numerous reports of criminals
05:03dressing in clothing that resembles tactical uniforms of law enforcement to commit robberies,
05:07kidnappings and murders. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin on
05:12Thursday, the TTPS has recognized that drastic times call for drastic measures and therefore
05:18the TTPS has taken a stance because it recognizes that the lives of our citizens are at stake.
05:25He added that the TTPS kept stringent records of all tactical kits issued and as such, he did not
05:31foresee any issues of unaccountability of these items of clothing.
05:35Alexander Broussois, TV6 News.
05:39In other news, the parents of Hannah Mathura were charged with her murder last Tuesday
05:45and made their first court appearance virtually last week before Master Sarah De Silva.
05:51The charge of murder was brought several months after the remains of 17-year-old Hannah were found
05:56at their Valzcene home by police. Following intensive months of investigations, the DPP
06:02finally gave the nod to charge the due and following a brief hearing, they were remanded
06:07into custody. The matter will be heard again in 2026. Eight months after the remains of 18-year-old
06:15Hannah Mathura were exhumed in the backyard of the family's home at Butu Road in Valzcene,
06:20her parents, 65-year-old Andrew Mathura and 63-year-old Alana Mathura charged with her murder
06:27appeared virtually before Master Sarah De Silva after entering the docket at the Tunapuda cell
06:32block this afternoon. The couple had separated tennies. Tahira Davis Gibbs represented Mr. Mathura
06:38while his wife was represented by Stefan Budram during the hearing. The state's case was overseen
06:44by police prosecutor Ashley Mongrew. When the matter was called around 1.25 pm, the couple,
06:50their faces solemn, stared intently into the camera. They were not called upon to plead as
06:56the charge was laid indictably against them. That on a day unknown between July 8th, 2017
07:02and March 13th, 2024, they murdered their daughter Hannah. After the charge was read,
07:08the Mathuras were informed of the legal processes needed for any alibis that they may have wanted
07:13to enter in the court. Inspector Mongrew in a submission told the court that the state intended
07:19to tender into evidence 26 statements. He noted that as at today's hearing, 14 was still outstanding.
07:26Inspector Mongrew said the state would also be submitting the post-mortem certificate
07:31and report as well as a DNA report. He said the state also intends to submit clothing from the
07:37scene as well as three interviews obtained from the couple themselves. When asked about the nature
07:43of the evidence the state intends to rely on, Inspector Mongrew noted that outside of the
07:48reports, it was mostly circumstantial. After further submissions, the court secured dates
07:54for the defense and the prosecution to file all necessary documents, exhibits and responses.
08:00It was then said that the case would return for a status hearing on March 25th, 2026
08:06and for a sufficiency hearing on April 1st, 2026. After further submissions, the matter was
08:13adjourned and the couple was remanded in custody. Among the people in the online gallery was Joshua
08:18Mathura, one of the couple's children. Hannah Mathura would have turned 25 this year. She was
08:24last seen alive in July 2017. However, she was never reported missing. A skeletal remains were
08:30discovered in the backyard of her home in March. In April, DNA results came in which confirmed that
08:37the remains were indeed that of the missing 18-year-old girl. Investigators have been
08:42meticulously crafting a case in this matter and wanted to ensure that all loose ends were tied
08:47up before approaching the DPP's office. Yesterday, DPP Roger Gaspard, after eight months of intensive
08:53investigations, gave the order to charge the couple with Hannah's death. Mark Besant, TV6 News.
09:00We had a quick break. We'll have more news when we return.
09:10Welcome back. Two shootings in Port of Spain last week wreaked havoc in the city.
09:16The heavy gunfire that erupted during mid-morning on Nelson Street forced teachers and students to
09:22vacate the southeast Port of Spain secondary school.
09:33Heavy gunfire echoed through Nelson Street and East Rye River, Port of Spain, shortly before
09:3810 30 a.m. Within minutes, police had locked down the block in search of not only the perpetrators
09:44but any alleged victims who could have been hurt during the incident. Investigators told TV6 News
09:50at least three people were shot and injured during the gunfire, including 34-year-old Swain Weeks,
09:56Mark Joseph, both in critical, and Nathaniel Forbes from the Nelson Street area. Minutes after the
10:03gunfire had subsided, students at the southeast Port of Spain secondary school located on Nelson
10:08Street were dismissed from classes. Tutors President Martin Lumpkin said the gunfire had
10:13left teachers and students traumatized and called on both the Ministry of Education and the police
10:19to step up their game in areas deemed hotspots where schools are located. We are calling on the
10:24Ministry of Education to increase and improve school security at schools in the areas that
10:34are deemed to be hotspots. We are also calling on the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to increase
10:42its patrol and to also have static patrols outside of the schools. Investigators believe
10:50that the shooting was a reprisal for the earlier murder of Kenneth Pei of Thomas Street, Lavant Hill,
10:55who was shot and killed on Fromager Street in Lavant Hill just before seven o'clock this morning.
11:01Investigators say Pei, who worked at the Port Authority as a linesman, was driving his Steeda
11:06motorcar along Fromager Street when upon reaching the corner of Richardson Lane and Fromager Street,
11:12he was approached by five gunmen dressed in black. The men opened fire on Pei and the vehicle.
11:18He attempted to drive off and later crashed into a wall. As the gunman escaped, Pei was shot multiple
11:24times. The injured victim was later taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital by police officers
11:29who had responded. He died a few minutes later. Police are treating the shootings as possibly
11:35gang-related. Mark Bassant, TV6 News. The education minister said that in fiscal 2025,
11:44the education ministry will be working on ensuring that the correct strength of security officers go
11:50to the schools when they are assigned. The minister said this is to ensure that the ministry gets
11:55value for money from the service providers. The minister was responding to questions posed by an
12:01opposition MP in the parliament about whether more money is to be spent on security in light of
12:06the problem of school violence. As incidents of violence, including those involving bullying,
12:13continue to occur in schools in Trinidad and Tobago, Kuva North MP Ravi Rattaram raised a
12:19concern about that as he sought clarification from education minister Dr Nayan Gatsbidoli
12:24about one aspect of the budgetary allocation to the education ministry during the meeting of the
12:30standing finance committee in the parliament on Thursday. Security services. Madam Minister,
12:36this would involve payment to MTS as well for security at all the primary and secondary schools?
12:42Yes. Honourable Minister, what we have, the figures we have in front of us here,
12:49the actual for 2023 is $227,426,213. However, the revised estimate for 2024
13:01is only $186 million. The education minister began her response by explaining that the education
13:08ministry pays all the bills it has, but there will be bills going into the new fiscal year
13:14that are applied to the last fiscal year. So to answer your question directly, because I believe
13:20your question was premised on the fact that we had allocation that was not being used,
13:25but that is not so. All right. Well, taking into consideration that the figures in front of us is
13:30not the figures that you have in front of you that we can't work with to deal with the specific issue
13:35that I made reference to with respect to the school violence. Can you advise if it is in 2025,
13:41the ministry is taking into consideration beefing up and adding additional security support for our
13:48schools to provide safety and security for our children out there? At this point, there was an
13:53intervention from Deputy Speaker Esmond Ford, who was at that time chairing the Standing Finance
13:59Committee. Minister did answer you, but again, I'll give you the opportunity again to add if you
14:07need to add anything there, Madam Minister. Based on what is available, and as I would explain,
14:13the annual allocation is less than what we will be billed for, and therefore we will have to
14:19via funds into this. What we'll be working on is ensuring that the correct strength of officers
14:24go to the schools when they are assigned, because that has been something that we have been working
14:30on to ensure that we get value for the money.
14:34Koba South MP, Rujunathan Darsing, posed a follow-up question.
14:38On this issue of figures, again the same line item. Minister, I heard you speak about additional
14:46money in terms of bills from MTS. With the increase in the minimum wage by $3,
14:53this sum could increase substantially then? That increase was accounted for. In this figure here?
15:03MTS is the National Maintenance Training and Security Company Limited, and it falls under
15:08the increase in the minimum wage applied to the public sector only in fiscal 2025.
15:16Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
15:19Schools need to be held accountable for situations of bullying.
15:23It was the view taken by psychologist Dr. Margaret Naket-Chattoo last week, who said,
15:29this country has a culture of silence, which allows the perpetration of these acts to perpetuate.
15:35She was speaking during the MSJ's Tuesday talk.
15:39A structure of colonialism. According to Dr. Margaret Naket-Chattoo,
15:43bullying is premised on that structure. And so she says, it has always been a part of our society.
15:49And there's bullying in all levels, in governments, in schools, in churches,
15:54in workplaces, in homes. There's bullying. What we have is a culture of silence. We don't talk
16:00about it. We don't expose the perpetrators. We don't expose the bullies. And when we do,
16:07we are ignored or ourselves bullied or harassed or silenced.
16:12More than that, Dr. Naket-Chattoo says, silence is sometimes seen
16:16as a proper response to aggression. And that should not be the case.
16:20The psychologist questions why 15-year-old Jaden Lalchan
16:24felt that taking his life was the only way out.
16:26There has to be something else there that we're not looking at, something in the
16:32dynamics of the school, dynamics of the family,
16:34the power structures that continue to be perpetuated in the society.
16:39She says homes are failing in their responsibility to instill values
16:43and provide all-around support, for example, through the extended family.
16:47And so she believes the onus is now on schools to do so.
16:51It must be done in the schools. The schools have to lead by default here.
16:57The schools have to put things in place to address bullying.
17:02Dr. Naket-Chattoo says, while many teachers have been trained to deal with the issue,
17:06more is needed.
17:07We need a policy in place to address it and to move it forward,
17:11to move it forward in a direction where there are consequences for actions,
17:16where schools can be accountable for not being effective enough, for listening to a story
17:23and not following through on it. Schools have a duty of care.
17:29And I don't think many of them understand that.
17:31The psychologist believes that schools in which prayer and rituals are part of daily activities
17:37tend to have a more positive foundation for their students.
17:40She calls for a whole-of-school approach to addressing bullying.
17:44Where you create a positive school climate, you promote respect, you promote inclusion,
17:50you encourage students to have positive relationships with each other.
17:54In the classroom, you may not want to hear certain things, but let students talk,
17:59because they're talking from a frame of reference, from an environment that they come from.
18:04She says clear anti-bullying policies with consistent implementation are also needed.
18:10Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
18:14This is the past seven days on six. We'll be right back.
18:24Thanks for staying with us. A triple tragedy for Tobago last week,
18:29as three women were left dead following a road traffic accident on Saturday morning.
18:34The dead were identified as Makeda Fraser of Bon Accord, Aaliyah Williams of Bon Accord,
18:39and Patrice Julie Webb of Upper St. Francois Valley Road, Belmont in Trinidad.
18:45The incident occurred along Chauvin Road.
18:48Initial reports reveal at around 2.54 a.m. on Saturday, a white Nissan Latio PDY 6538,
18:58driven by Dijon Dukie, with three passengers, was traveling along Chauvin Road in the vicinity
19:04of Legrand-Colin when it crashed head-on with a silver Mitsubishi Lancer PDK 9001,
19:13driven by Kino Ke. There was one passenger in that vehicle, Patrice Julie Webb, who died at the scene.
19:20Two others, Aaliyah Williams, 20, Makeda Fraser, 23, who were in the other vehicle,
19:26also succumbed to their injuries. Three others, Dijon Dukie, Kino Ke, and Ricardo Toussaint,
19:33were taken to the Scarborough General Hospital with serious injuries.
19:38Aaliyah's father, Philbert Williams, said his daughter was on her way home when tragedy struck.
19:44I want to say to all, each and everyone, be very careful on this road because
19:51the carnival season is around, the spirits are around to take what they want to take,
19:58and I believe we should be cautious, right, on the nation road because that death didn't
20:06call for three families, right, including mine, hurting. Aaliyah didn't deserve to die like that, though.
20:16Mr Williams said Aaliyah always made him laugh and was his hairdresser.
20:21Aaliyah is my hairdresser. Well, when she's gone, I don't think I'm, I think I've got to get a cut,
20:28a haircut, right, because, you know what I mean, if I want my haircut, I'm here to done,
20:34she does it, you know, she do hairdressing and stuff, she was good at it.
20:37Meantime, Joyce Forbes, Makeda's grandmother, told TV6 News her daughter explained to her
20:44how the accident occurred. Ms Forbes said she heard of the accident from her neighbor.
20:49She said it was Makeda's dream to be a nurse.
20:53She went with her friends in something, and when she was coming home, she was near home,
20:59coming home, and she got in an accident with this other car, face to face, and she was pain in the
21:06car, and she hit her head and so forth. I said, oh my God. I said, if we go up the hospital,
21:12you think we're going to see anybody here? She said, no, let me check.
21:18And went up, but we couldn't see her today. They said not until Monday.
21:23Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.
21:26Switching gears now, Energy Minister Stuart Young said he regrets that his cross talk in a hot mic
21:32incident in Parliament last week had unnecessarily distracted public discourse, and for this,
21:38he offers his humblest apologies. The apology came after the Minister made a number of
21:44unparliamentary comments.
21:48About one week after a hot mic incident in the House of Representatives, Energy Minister
21:53Stuart Young issued a statement on his Facebook page in which he said that in the Parliament last
21:58Thursday, during the recently concluded budget debate, he made comments which were carried by
22:03a live microphone, which have gone viral and generated much attention. Minister Young went
22:09on to say that he accepts that more is expected of him as a representative member of Parliament.
22:17His comments were captured during the live broadcast of the Parliament Channel,
22:20as opposition members walked out of the chamber of the lower house
22:24when the wind-up of the budget debate commenced last Thursday evening.
22:33Days later, Minister Young appeared before the Standing Finance Committee
22:53as it began its examination of the 2025 allocation to the Energy Ministry.
23:04The following day, on Wednesday, Minister Young said in his Facebook post that he wishes to record
23:10his, quote, regret that this crosstalk has unnecessarily distracted public discourse,
23:17end quote. Minister Young then offered his humblest apologies. The Energy Minister also
23:22said he hopes and trusts that his record of service to Trinidad and Tobago speaks for itself.
23:28Minister Young also said be further assured that he will continue to serve without fear
23:33or favour, malice or ill will. The Energy Minister is the MP for Port of Spain North,
23:40St Anne's West and the House of Representatives. Former National Security Minister Guy Griffith,
23:46the political leader of the National Transformation Alliance, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday
23:51that he wanted to clarify his initial comments as he said he had not listened to the entire
23:56recording when he said Minister Young should not face disciplinary action. Mr Griffith said
24:02that having listened to the recording in its entirety, he, quote, can state the full comments
24:08were indeed disrespectful and crass and requires an unequivocal apology from Minister Young,
24:14end quote. Meanwhile, TV6 News has received a copy of a motion of privileges to be submitted
24:20to the Speaker of the House of Representatives by the opposition. The motion states there's
24:25precedent that while the offending words or statements were not immediately heard by the
24:30Speaker on review of the words or statements by the Speaker, same can be subject and referred
24:36to the Committee of Privileges. The opposition's motion also states that in 2007, the then Speaker
24:43was reported as stating that cross-talk was part of the Parliament's record and covered by privilege
24:50and therefore the words or statements used by the Member last week are within the remit and subject
24:57to the Committee of Privileges. Jule Brown, TV6 News. Sport is up next. Keep it here.
25:12In sport, Queen's Park took down the TNT Football Association's All-Star team in an
25:198-a-side match at the Queen's Park Oval. QPCC won the match 5-3, but the likes of Stern John,
25:25Denzel Theobald and Kenwin Jones showed they still had a good touch.
25:31Queen's Park All-Stars taking on a Trinidad and Tobago Football Association eight-member team
25:36including the likes of Stern John, Brent Sancho, Ross Russell, Kenwin Jones, Denzel Theobald,
25:42Wesley Webb and their president, Karen Edwards. There was an early shock with Queen's Park
25:47All-Stars taking the lead. Stern John was slowly finding his touch and it took a string of passes
25:53before his cracking shutout goal was just kept out. Denzel Theobald would be the one to get
25:58TTFE on the score sheet after a neat build-up and ball movement in front of what was a healthy
26:03turnout at the Queen's Park Oval. Fans would have witnessed a drop in concentration as some
26:08sloppy passing in the back allowed room for QPCC All-Stars to go ahead. In the end, QPCC went on
26:17to win the 15-minute contest 5-3. Derek Johnson, Jason Devenish, Shane Hamill-Smith, former Central
26:24FC player Shonda Silva and Devon Modest scoring for QPCC on a night of fun, friendship and football.
26:34And that's a wrap on the past seven days on six. I am Renessa Cutting.
26:39If you didn't catch this segment in its entirety, you can find it on our website
26:44www.tv6tnt.com and you can find all these stories and more on the TV6 mobile app.
26:52Thanks for choosing TV6 and you do have a great evening.
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