US wants Ish, Ferguson
By Curtis Williams
Trinidad Guardian 01.04.2006

The United States government has decided to extradite Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson on charges of corruption arising out of the Piarco Airport development project. This was confirmed yesterday by the assistant United States Attorney Richard Gregorie, who said moves were afoot to put the men before a US court. Ferguson and Galbaransingh are charged before the United States Southern District of Florida court with enriching themselves by overpricing contracts for the project.

The indictment reads: “The purpose of the conspiracy was to defraud the Government of Trinidad and Tobago by manipulating the bid process for certain Piarco International Airport construction packages, so that the defendants and their related companies would unjustly enrich themselves through the receipt of proceeds from excessively inflated contracts and to transfer those proceeds in interstate and foreign commerce, in order to conceal and disguise the nature and location of those proceeds.”

Speaking with the Guardian from his Miami office yesterday, Gregorie said it was their intent to have the two men taken to Florida to answer the charges. “I will not speak on the specific charges, because they are before the court,” Gregorie said. “But what I will say is that having filed the superseding charges last week, we will now be moving to have the two Trinidadians extradited to the United States to face the charges.” Gregorie said he was not in a position to say exactly when the request for extradition will be made, but he assured that it will not be long in coming.

“Extraditing Mr Galbaransingh and Mr Ferguson will involve the State Department and so there are diplomatic matters involved; but we are preparing the necessary papers, so that we can seek to extradite the Trinidadians.” It is alleged that both men used political influence to enrich themselves and business partners. The US government has alleged that in construction packages 13 and nine, Calmaquip and Northern Construction overpriced the work by more than $150 million and is seeking judgment in the amount of $201 million. Attorney General John Jeremy yesterday confirmed that the United States government has already asked for assistance in locating the two businessmen. He refused to divulge any more information, but said the requests are being dealt with in accordance with the Mutual Legal Assistance Act.

update........Official: Fire no accident
T'dad Guardian 17.02.2006
BY CAROL MATROO

Arson is apparently suspected as the cause of the fire which destroyed several businesses and damaged others on Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain, on Wednesday.

Public relations officer John Springle would only say the fire was “not accidental.”

“All I am saying is that the fire originated on the second floor of Naughty Girls, which was unoccupied at the time, and the cause of the fire was found to be not accidental,” Springle said in a telephone interview yesterday.

Springle also would not say what set off the fire.

The fire, which broke out after 5 pm, totally razed the building housing Naughty Girls, while causing extensive damage to Shoe World, a neighbouring church, a pre-school and a Republic Bank branch.

Springle said the fire caused damage to stock at Naughty Girls in the sum of $1.2 million—the building has not yet been assessed—while damage to the bank branch was put at $600,000.

Damage to the other buildings is yet to be tabulated.

Also commenting on PoS Mayor Murchison Brown’s criticisms of the non-functioning of downtown hydrants, Springle said Brown needed to readdress his statement.

Brown had said he was dissatisfied with what he saw during the fire exercise, and that the Fire Service needed to explain why the hydrants were not functioning properly.

Brown said yesterday: “I was there early when the fire started, and I saw the problem. Under the circumstances, I think there is room for improvement.

“The Fire Service has to make sure they have the proper equipment. I know they have new equipment, but I am not sure all have been commissioned.”

Brown said there was the expectation that things would improve at a greater pace, including the issue with the hydrants.

Springle said, though, this was not true.

“All the fire hydrants in and around Port-of-Spain are working. There was no water in the hydrants, and while they are all working, they do not make water.”

Springle said WASA was responsible for supplying water in hydrants for use by the public and for fighting fire as indicated by law.

He noted, however, that at the start of fighting a fire, there must be a build-up of pressure before water reached the hydrants.

“Half an hour after we received the call, there was water in the hydrants. WASA had water trucks to supply us with water,” Springle said.

Commenting on the several leaks in the hoses that were evident on Wednesday, Springle said holes in hoses did not prevent the firemen from providing the public with efficient service.

“The holes appear while work is being carried out. Due to the shock and trauma that hoses go through, holes appear, and it is a hazard that fire officers live with,” he said.

Fire guts 10 PoS businesses.....Helicopter used in fight
By Denyse Renne, T'dad Guardian 16.02.2006

Port-of-Spain Mayor Murchison Brown is calling for an immediate investigation into why newly-installed fire hydrants were not functioning during a major fire which destroyed several business places and a church on Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday. Speaking with the Guardian as firefighters were still trying to contain the blaze, Brown expressed displeasure at the Fire Service’s response.

“I have no reason as to the cause of the fire. I am dissatisfied with what I saw with the fire hydrants. One would have thought that following last year’s fire errors would have been corrected. “It is the duty of the Fire Service to ensure that the hydrants are properly functioning,” a tough-sounding Brown said. “I am calling on the Fire Service to explain the non-functioning of the hydrants.”

Noting that he was yet to speak with Fire Chief Lennox Alfred, Brown said what saddened him was the fact that the fire had left several people unemployed. He expressed sympathy to the employers, employees and the families of people who are now out of a job. However, CEO of WASA, Errol Grimes, dismissed Brown’s claims that there was a water problem and said WASA worked with the Fire Service. But Grimes admitted that WASA had a back-up system in which water trucks are deployed in the event of major fires.

Acknowledging that there are old infrastructures in PoS which needed to be addressed for there to be a better system, Grimes said these issues will be addressed shortly. The fire, which is reported to have started around 5.30 pm, reportedly originated at clothing store Naughty Girls, which is directly opposite Woodford Square. The fire sent several employees scampering for safety while others at nearby business places tried to salvage items. In the end, two buildings, housing ten businesses, were completely destroyed.

Fire appliances from Wrightson Road responded shortly after and tried to contain the fire, which was quickly spreading to the nearby Republic Bank branch and Mode Alive cloth store. Speaking with the Guardian last night, communications officer of Republic Bank, Ann-Maria Garcia-Brooks, said 100 bank employees have been affected.
“The Frederick Street branch will not be opened today, so we are asking our customers to use the Park Street, Independence Square and Promenade branches. We are also asking the affected employees to report to the Park Street branch, where they will be deployed to other branches,” she said.

The bank’s ground floor suffered severe water damage, the second floor was partially damaged and the third floor was completely gutted, she said. Officials will return to the bank today to assess damages. Around 6.35 pm, fire officers appeared to have the blaze under the control. However, shortly after, several cackling sounds were heard coming from the Local Assembly Church of Port-of-Spain, which is situated next to Naughty Girls. A few minutes later, sparks came from the building and flames were seen. Window glasses shattered and were strewn in the roadway.

In Woodford Square, curious onlookers screamed as the glass shattered, but none moved as they looked on. Even the rain could not help the firefighters, who struggled to work with low water pressure. By the time back-up fire appliances arrived on the scene, the building was completely gutted. Around 7.05 pm, a Special Anti-Crime Unit of T&T helicopter made several air assaults as they tried to help the situation. The helicopter, which had water baskets attached to the bottom, filled with salt water from the PoS harbour, made approximately ten aerial water drops.

Electricity was also cut off on Frederick Street, from Duke to Hart streets. Around 8.15 pm, fire officers seemed to have the blaze under control, while the scene was dark and morbid along Woodford Square and Abercromby Street.
There were several fire hoses strewn about Abercromby Street, while police barriers were set up, blocking access to Woodford Square and surrounding areas. Officials from the fire prevention unit are expected to return to the scene today to establish the cause of fire.

It was the second fire which gutted business places on Frederick Street in the capital city in less than a year. On April 14 a fire destroyed the Drag Brothers Mall, together with several other establishments, including Pizza Boys, Fabric Land and others. Firemen also faced water problems then and many of those businesses are yet to be restarted. (With reporting by Juhel Browne)

yet another bad move by Bolden I think, Politics in TT ? Second to crime its one of the things that must change in TT.

ATO SHOCKER Boldon now a UNC senator
Richard Lord
Wednesday, February 15th 2006, T'dad Express

Retired star sprinter Ato Boldon takes the oath as an Opposition Senator during yesterday's sitting of the Senate at the Red House, Port of Spain.

The man who has won the most Olympic medals for Trinidad and Tobago is now a United National Congress (UNC) senator.

Senator Boldon, 32, was appointed by Leader of the Opposition Basdeo Panday to replace Roy Augustus who resigned 24 hours earlier.

And Panday who was in the Senate to witness Boldon's swearing in along with UNC Deputy Political Leader Jack Warner, said Boldon was appointed "to help us (UNC) do what we can to bring the youths of this country at a level that will be admired by the whole world. That was the main purpose in appointing him."

Panday said Boldon "is a hero to the young people in the country, and the reason we asked him to join us in the Senate is so that he may be an inspiration to the young people in the country".

As the swearing-in exercise was completed Panday and Warner shook hands and smiled.

Warner said yesterday he was the one who asked Boldon to become a Senator.

Later at a scheduled news conference in the Parliament building, Boldon said he accepted the job in the Senate in order to be a bridge between the old and the young and the PNM and the UNC.

"My agenda is singular. I am not in this to be in the papers, for any political gain," he said. Boldon later added: "The UNC is not my agenda, neither is the PNM. The youth and sport in this country are."

Responding to questions on the problems within the UNC and in the country, Boldon said none of it was new to him. He said he was prepared to work with only those who were prepared to work with him. He said he did not expect his new job to be easy but he was accepting challenges.

He said he believed that young people feel that this country no longer cares about them.

Boldon said he knows "fully well how my country is. I don't expect everyone to understand my decision to suddenly have a cause for which I am willing to commit".

He said because of his successes in athletics he wants to "give back" to the people of this country.

He thanked Warner and Panday for the opportunity to serve.

Boldon said however that he was promised certain things by the PNM some four years ago but they did not materialise. He said he does not have much to do now, having retired from track and field. He insisted that he wanted something to do to contribute to the people of Trinidad and Tobago "and what I see in this opportunity is a chance to do something".

He then invited Education Minister Hazel Manning, Tourism Minister Howard Chin Lee and Sports Minister Roger Boynes to work with him "because 2006 is going to be a very important year for Trinidad and Tobago, because of our World Cup presence".

He said Trinidad and Tobago could become a better place if people were willing to make tough decisions and unpopular decisions. He said this country can also improve "if people were willing to not stand on the fence and to actually get into the field of play and do something".

Earlier in the Senate, Leader of Government Business Lenny Saith welcomed Senator Boldon, saying that "he has had a distinguished career in athletics and I am sure that after a few sittings he'll realise that this is slightly different to the tracks. You could run but you can't hide".

Royal Hotel tops 'em
By LOUIS B HOMER
Wednesday, December 7th 2005
Trinidad Express
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_business_mag?id=12100945...