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121
310 people killed in latest Boko Haram attack while hundreds of girls remain missing
By Vladimir Duthiers, Holly Yan and Chelsea J. Carter, CNN
updated 6:25 AM EDT, Thu May 8, 2014

Source: CNN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Residents: Boko Haram's latest attack killed 310 people
United States and Britain are sending teams to help Nigerian forces
Nigerian authorities offer a reward for information leading to the girls' rescue
China offers satellite and intelligence assistance in the search for girls
 
CNN anchor Isha Sesay will be live from Abuja on CNN International on Thursday at 5, 7, 8.30 and 9 p.m. CET.
Abuja, Nigeria (CNN) -- As the world fumes over Boko Haram's kidnapping of hundreds of girls, the terror group's latest attack in northern Nigeria has left 310 people dead, residents said.
The world still doesn't know what happened to the 276 girls kidnapped almost a month ago, except that Boko Haram's leader said he plans to sell them.

Now, the militants may be going after those trying to find the girls.
The latest attack took place in the town of Gamboru Ngala. Troops had been using the area as a base in the search, witnesses told CNN Wednesday. Some of the victims were burned alive.
Word of the attack Monday came after President Goodluck Jonathan accepted U.S., British and Chinese offers of assistance to find the schoolgirls, officials from those governments said.
It's unclear what impact the latest attack could have on the international response to Nigeria's fight with Boko Haram.

Even as several countries ratchet up their support in finding the girls, the inability to find them so far has been unnerving.
"Every day when I wake up and I think about young girls in Nigeria or children caught up in the conflict in Syria, when there are times in which I want to reach out and save those kids, and having to think through what levers, what powers do we have at any given moment," U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

"I think drop by drop by drop that we can erode and wear down these forces that are so destructive."
Exactly how remains a mystery.
The latest assault
Witnesses described a well-coordinated attack that began shortly after 1:30 p.m. local time Monday at a busy outdoor market in Gamboru Ngala.

Wearing military uniforms, the militants arrived with three armored personnel carriers, they said.
They shouted "Allahu Akbar" -- "God is great" -- and opened up on the market, firing rocket-propelled grenades and tossing improvised explosive devices, witnesses said.
Some marketgoers tried to take shelter in shops only to be burned alive when the gunmen set fire to a number of the businesses, the witnesses said.

A few Nigerian soldiers who had been left behind at the village could not hold off the assault and were forced to flee, they said. Many sought safe haven in nearby Cameroon, they said.
The fighters also attacked the police station during the 12-hour assault, initially facing stiff resistance. They eventually used explosives to blow the roof off the building, witnesses said. They said 14 police officers were found dead inside.

The final death toll could be closer to 300, Nigerian Sen. Ahmed Zanna told CNN.
 Obama: 'This is a terrible situation'
Nigerians protest over kidnapped schoolgirls Nigerians protest over kidnapped schoolgirls
 US offering help for kidnapped girls
Monday's bloody attack by Boko Haram militants, some of whom U.S. officials say have been trained by al Qaeda, follows a pattern of revenge-seeking against anybody perceived to have provided aid to the Nigerian government.

International effort
Nigerian police announced a 50 million naira ($319,000) cash reward for information leading to the rescue of the 276 girls kidnapped from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok. The announcement came after Nigeria's government came under harsh criticism for its response.
The girls from Chibok aren't alone. At least eight girls between the ages of 12 and 15 were snatched Sunday night from the village of Warabe by Boko Haram, villagers said.

The Pentagon has started planning for how it can help Nigeria, a senior U.S. military official told CNN. It's unlikely at this point that U.S. troops would be involved in operations, the officials said.
Britain is sending a small team of experts to complement the U.S. team, a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday, but the spokesman didn't specify the nature of the team's expertise.
And Chinese Premier Li Keqiang offered satellite and intelligence services to aid in the search.

'I will sell women'
The increased global response to the April 14 abductions came after a chilling video described what may happen to the girls.
A man claiming to be Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau made the following claim:
"I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah," he said. "There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell. I will sell women. I sell women."

Boko Haram translates to "Western education is sin" in the local Hausa language. The group has said it wants a stricter enforcement of Sharia law across Africa's most populous nation, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.

The militants have even been known to kill Muslim clerics who dare criticize them.
The United States has branded Boko Haram a terror organization and has put a $7 million bounty on Shekau. But his location is as uncertain as the whereabouts of the girls.
Why hasn't the rescue effort produced results?

Why terror group kidnaps schoolgirls, and what happens next
6 reasons why the world should demand action

122
General Discussion / Re: Attorney General Anand Ramlogan Thread
« on: May 08, 2014, 05:34:20 AM »

DPP: Cops best suited
Published:
Thursday, May 8, 2014
DARREN BAHAW
 
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Anand Ramlogan
The issue of concocted, exaggerated civil assault cases filed by prisoners seeking unjust compensation from the State is now under a criminal probe. The latest development was announced by Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, yesterday, even as the Attorney General Anand Ramlogan was ordered by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to revisit his probe into allegations of an “unethical business venture” made by former solicitor general Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell relating to prisoner abuse litigation.
 
 
Given the announcement of an immediate criminal probe, reliable government sources said last night that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has been under criticism for twice referring the matter back to Ramlogan for investigation, may find the perfect excuse to scrap her decision and leave the matter in the hands of the police. There has been a chorus of objection against Ramlogan’s involvement in the probe ordered by the Prime Minister, given the role of his ministry in the settlement of cases filed by prisoners.
 
The Opposition had called for his removal from office pending the probe and has threatened to take to the streets in demonstrations if that was not done, while the Prison Officers Association has refused to meet with the team appointed by the PM, which comprised the acting solicitor general Carol Hernandez, chief state solicitor Christophe Grant, Minister of Justice Emmanuel George, Commissioner of Prisons Conrad Barrow, Inspector of Prisons Daniel Khan, if the AG was involved.
 
A hint of the PM’s review of her decision was contained in a statement issued by the AG on Monday which announced the postponement of the meeting of stakeholders following the assassination of Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal on Sunday and the summoning of an emergency meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the matter later that day. “The Honourable Prime Minister will also use this period to give deeper consideration to the concerns expressed by the Prison Officers’ Association,” the release had said.
 
 
Sufficient material
In his press statement yesterday, Gaspard said he was of the view that a police investigation was “the most prudent course” as the Police Service was “the organisation with the resources and investigative experience for such a serious task.” On August 30 last year, Donaldson-Honeywell, who resigned in January, had complained to the PM of breaches of professional ethics by attorneys involved in prison abuse litigation which “may have the effect of perverting the course of justice.”
 
Persad-Bissessar had referred her complaint back to Ramlogan, who said he had investigated the matter and found no evidence to support the allegations Donaldson-Honeywell had recommended that the matter be referred to the Inspector of Prisons, Law Association and the Police Service for investigation.
 
In a three-page statement, Gaspard said that having perused the February 5 ruling of High Court Master Patricia Sobion-Awai in the case of Jamal Sambury vs the State, and supporting court documents, “I am of the unflinching view that there is more than sufficient material contained therein to warrant an investigation into the commission of several offences, including conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice and conspiracy to defraud the State of Trinidad and Tobago.”
 
He pointed out that “in terms of the acceptance of any investigative findings, both in the courts of justice as well as the court of public opinion, such a course prevents any unfair allegation of bias being made about the Office of (the) Attorney General or the incumbent (Ramlogan) and ensures that any police investigation is not in any way contaminated.”
 
 
Cut and paste info
Sobion-Awai had made findings in the case of Sambury, a prisoner who claimed to have been beaten by police officers at the holding cell of the Princes Town Magistrates Court in October 2010, including false medical claims not supported by evidence. While the State accepted liability in his case, it disputed the gravity of injuries the prisoner claimed he sustained.
 
Sobion-Awai also raised concerns regarding the wholesale “cut and paste” of information in Sambury’s witness statement from a separate matter involving another prisoner, Jamal Fortune, which were intended to “mislead the court.” “To my mind, it was implausible that two persons could experience separate events involving different persons in such an identical manner,” Sobion-Awai stated. The assessment of what Sambury is entitled to comes up for hearing on May 21.
 
 
Bring on probe
Both Ramlogan and attorney Gerald Ramdeen, the lead advocate in the Sambury case, last night said they welcomed the criminal investigation and hoped for a speedy resolution. Speaking by telephone, Ramlogan said: “I welcome any investigation by anyone, anywhere, anytime into this or any other case so that the public can be reassured that the legal business of the State is being conducted with the utmost independence and integrity.
 
“It is my hope there will be a swift investigation into this matter because it does not bode well for public confidence in the administration of justice.” Ramlogan said in the Sambury case, the lawyers from the solicitor general and chief state solicitor department would have to defend, justify and explain the position they adopted in the matter and “therefore this investigation can only lead to a vindication of my ministry.” Ramdeen, in a separate telephone interview, said he was “confident that in the end my name will be cleared.
 
“I welcome the intervention of the DPP in this matter to finally bring a resolution to all the questions that have been asked,” he added.
News

123
How Abducted Schoolgirls Are Raped 15 Times A Day — Full Story




The about 300 students abducted on April 14 from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State are passing through hard times, with some of them being raped up to 15 times a day, one of those who escaped has disclosed.

According to a report published today by the British newspaper Daily Mirror, “Families of the schoolgirls, aged from 15 to 18, are certain their daughters are now being used as sex slaves by an extreme sect that has killed 1,500 people since the start of this year alone.

“They are captives in the wild Sambisa Forest in north-east Nigeria where Boko Haram has a heavily armed camp of bunkers, tunnels, ramshackle buildings and tents.

“One girl who recently escaped following an earlier kidnapping said she was prized as a terror leader’s wife because she had been a virgin. She said young female captives were raped up to 15 times a day, forced to convert to Islam and had their throats cut if they refused.”

The paper reports that “under President Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian government appears to have done little except issue an entirely false claimthat most of the girls had been rescued by defence forces.”
It quotes Mma Odi, executive director of the Nigerian charity Baobab Women’s Human Rights, as saying:

“It is a very bad situation for those girls. The men went to the school for no other reason than to make them their sex objects. The men will have reduced them to sex slaves, raping them over and over again.

And any girl who tries to resist will be shot by them. They have no conscience.


“The conditions will be terrible and it seems like the government has just abandoned them because they are girls and they are poor. If they were the sons of the rich, the government would act.


“Their abductors are not human beings and if the girls get out they will no longer be normal. They will have to have years of counselling to recover.” •Photo shows four of the abducted girls who managed to escape.


Also indicting the Nigerian military and the Jonathan administration, Professor Hauwa Biu, a women’s rights campaigner based at the University of Maiduguri, told Mirror: “They claim they are on top of the situation, that they are in the bush, but they are not there. If the government had acted straight away then they could have followed the gunmen’s footsteps or tyre tracks, but over the past weeks rain and leaves have fallen, covering them up.

“Meanwhile, nobody knows what kind of conditions they will be living in the camp.
“I cannot think what these girls must be going through.
“I have been told that the men feed them and treat them quite well, but we also know that other girls kidnapped have been highly molested.

“If the government had just acted straight away they could have saved these girls.”
The number of stolen girls has yet to become clear. It was previously put at over 100 but yesterday the Nigerian police said 223 girls are still missing after 53 managed to escape. Mirror, however, insists that 329 girls were abducted and that 276 are still missing.





source

124

Hundreds Of Young Girls Kidnapped In Nigeria And Forced To Marry Extremists
nigeriakidnappedgirlsextremists

Scores of girls and young women kidnapped from a school in Nigeria are being forced to marry their Islamic extremist abductors, a civil society group reported Wednesday.

Parents say the girls are being sold into marriage to Boko Haram militants for 2,000 naira ($12), Halite Aliyu of the Borno-Yobe People’s Forum told The Associated Press. She said the parents’ information is coming from villagers in the Sambisa Forest, on Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, where Boko Haram is known to have hideouts.

“The latest reports are that they have been taken across the borders, some to Cameroon and Chad,” Aliyu said. It was not possible to immediately verify the reports.

The Nigerian government needs to get international help to rescue the more than 200 missing girls kidnapped in the northeast by the Boko Haram terrorist network two weeks ago, said a federal senator for the area in northeastern Nigeria. The government must do “whatever it takes, even seeking external support to make sure these girls are released,” Sen. Ali Ndume said. “The longer it takes the dimmer the chances of finding them, the longer it takes the more traumatized the family and the abducted girls are.”

About 50 of the kidnapped girls managed to escape from the captors in the first days after their abduction, but some 220 remain missing, according to the principal of the Chibok Girls Secondary School, Asabe Kwambura. They are between 16 and 18 years old and had been recalled to the school to write a physics exam.

The mass kidnapping came hours after a massive explosion in Abuja, the capital in the center of the country, killed at least 75 people and wounded 141.

The failure to rescue the girls is a massive embarrassment to Nigeria’s government and the military,  already confronted by mounting criticism over its apparent inability to curb the 5-year-old Islamic uprising despite having draconian powers through an 11-month state of emergency in three northeastern states covering one-sixth of the country.

The military trumpets a success in its “onslaught on terrorists” but then the extremists step up the tempo and deadliness of their attacks. More than 1,500 people have been killed in the insurgency so far this year, compared to an estimated 3,600 between 2010 and 2013.

Jonathan, who is from the predominantly Christian south of Nigeria, has been accused of insensitivity to the plight of people in the north, who are mainly Muslims.

The military’s failure to rescue the girls also highlights that large parts of northeastern Nigeria remain beyond the control of the government. Until the kidnappings, the air force had been mounting near-daily bombing raids since mid-January on the Sambisa Forest and mountain caves bordering Chad.

Aliyu said that in northeastern Nigeria “life has become nasty, short and brutish. We are living in a state of anarchy.”

She said she will be among women marching in Abuja on Wednesday to protest the failure to rescue the kidnapped girls



Ihope the US will send a couple drones to blow the extremists to hell where they belong.

125
General Discussion / Re: Dana Seetahal murdered
« on: May 06, 2014, 10:29:53 PM »
Eh guys a very high profile person was shot in our country we cannot be fighting each other right now ,we have a case to solve .

We already have high profile ahsoul people telling us about hit from jail and police tip off( NEAL & MASSY) NM

and  DM an who on the run to Venezuela a set of ahsoul bullshit .

 

126
General Discussion / The Trinbagonian Mentality: We Like It So
« on: May 06, 2014, 07:15:03 AM »
Written by Bhiha Amarsingh




In 1981, the Mighty Sparrow launched a song called “We like it so (Steal Beam)”. He sang about all the


abominations we Trinbagonians have contended with from dawn to dusk, and his lyrics included a few things, which you’ll agree, we’ve become accustomed to, but still find annoying. He sang:




“Yuh pipe eh have no water… yuh pay too much for butter

Agriculture is in a state… planning is inadequate

Hospitals have no linen… is brown paper they using

Bribery and corruption… controlling every decision

We grieving with frustration… through mal-administration

Take yuh steal beam and go.”

The punchline chiming in at the end of each verse was: “We know… we like it so… we free.”


Hmmm… not very promising. In fact, this doesn’t sound much different from the complaints we’ve been hearing over the past few years or even today for that matter. Why are we still grappling with the same issues? Here’s a thought – OUR MENTALITY! Yep, I said it, and guess what? It’s time to hold ourselves accountable.

Somehow, for the past 50 years, we’ve managed to propagate, from one generation to the next, the kind of mentality that has enabled the never-ending saga of the problems our country faces. Yes, I agree we’ve progressed commercially, but not as a people – not in the way a nation stands together when it wants to affect change. Why is that?

In the days of Dr. Eric Williams’ leadership, it was reported that the former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, during a visit to Trinidad, said that T&T could not progress because of our “Carnival mentality”, a term now coined often enough to describe Trinbagonians and our ways. This statement was hard to ignore, and you could well imagine my indignation after reading it. Moments later, though, I found myself contemplating the truth of his words.

In fact, Kuan Yew wasn’t the only one to dub Trinbagonians as having a Carnival culture. The University of the West Indies did a study, “Recognition of Cultural Behaviours in Trinidad and Tobago”, in 2004, which listed ‘Carnival mentality’, as one of the characteristics of cultural behaviours in T&T.

It stated that the “Carnival mentality was seen as having two dimensions: during Carnival season and outside the carnival period”. Outside of the Carnival season, this mentality manifested into a “non-stop, party mentality” that was practised throughout the year, where every event or occasion was treated as an excuse “to lime or party”. It was also seen as having filtered into the workplace (surprise, surprise) “where individuals have a very slack, laid back or ‘don’t give a damn’ attitude towards work”.

So, have we been enablers of our problems in T&T because of a “Carnival mentality”? Let’s look at how things work.

Here, everyting is ah small ting – rules included. The general mentality dictates that everything miserable in Trinidad and Tobago has become an accepted way of existence – everything from days without water in certain parts of the country to the dilapidated state of our roads, the corruption in our system, wanton littering and disregard for the environment, poor customer service, and, let’s not forget, our high crime rate. What was Sparrow’s take on it again? “We know, but we like it so. We free.”

As a Trini, I cannot deny the truth in this ‘Carnival mentality’ debate; but having said that, I also have to acknowledge the fact that there are many intelligent Trinbagonians who are hard working and more than dedicated to their jobs. Still, dis eh no Disneyland, and my name is not Mickey Mouse. So, I decided to get some more insight.

Where does this aspect of our mentality or behaviour come from? A friend told me that the problem was not our mentality; the problem was our culture. According to him, “Today, it’s a very selfish, inconsiderate and take what you can get culture, compounded by the fact that we just don’t like to follow rules”. This, by the way, is behaviour our leaders have gotten away with… for how many decades now?

As much as I may agree with this outlook, I wondered about other possible explanations, so I dug deeper, all the way into our colonial days. It was here I discovered a new term used to describe our Trinbagonian ways – ‘colonial mentality’, which refers to the deep-rooted results of forced submission, and the effect it has had on the psyche of its victims.

I suppose anything would be better than forced submission, and breaking social and legal rules, thus opposing our colonial masters, brought us closer to freedom. Those acts of defiance at the time were not only seen as okay, but necessary for survival.

Unfortunately, though, we’ve ignored the greater lesson, which is that breaking rules during our colonial days served its purpose then, for survival, and ultimately freedom. Decades later, this mentality is outdated; yet, we’ve continued to successfully pass it on from one generation to the next. Instead of breaking the rules, we should have broken the submission that would have enabled us to push for change and adherence to rules, thus bringing about progress in T&T.

And so here we stand today at the pit of the cesspit of all places, having to contend with the mess that we’ve created because of our continued submission, ‘is ah small ting’ attitude, total defiance of rules and our Carnival/colonial mentality, paralleled with decades of leadership that could only be dreamt up in some cartoon chronicle.

Our existence today is similar to that of our colonial days. We’re still focused on survival. Surviving in our homes with our burglar proofing. Surviving the dilapidated roads and the insane drivers on it. Surviving for days without water in some parts of the country. Surviving the rude mentality in many of our businesses and Government agencies, and surviving in a country with one of the highest kidnapping and murder rates in the world!

What we have is a country that is more than capable of greatness, but the only thing holding us back is our approach to change and challenges. Yuh know, that thing that people say separates the “First World” from the “Third World”? For some, the change in the Government last year brought about a sense of hope, but folks change eh go happen if the people are not on board. And for the people to be on board, there needs to be a shift in our mentality – one that seeks to enhance our country and not drag us further down into an abyss of hopelessness.

Trinbagonians may want to reconsider their ideas on attitude because this current Carnival/colonial Trinbagonian mentality comes at a great price and as a people, we should be far more powerful now. I’ve seen some Trinbagonians demonstrate the kind of mentality that it takes to bring about change. Unfortunately, as with everything in life, when the numbers are low… so is the impact.

It’s time we ask ourselves some questions and provide solutions to the answers. We’ve been our own masters for the past 50 years, with the ability to set new standards and follow the rules we’ve established, but somehow we’ve remained slaves to acceptance. Bob Marley was only 35 when he echoed the words, “emancipate yourselves from mental slavery”, which are still so pertinent today.

We keep saying that change starts with ‘the people’, but when and how can we significantly improve our mentality as a nation, and translate it into real, tangible action? Or is that, when it comes to progress, it doesn’t matter how long it takes, ‘cause we like it so’?

127
General Discussion / Re: Dana Seetahal murdered
« on: May 05, 2014, 08:21:41 PM »
Now the masses will know the difference between low life and high life .

128
Jokes / Re: Subject: Lawyers will love this...
« on: May 05, 2014, 07:53:51 PM »
Ah love it  :rotfl: :rotfl: good one.

129
General Discussion / Re: Dana Seetahal murdered
« on: May 05, 2014, 07:41:53 PM »
Bakes i did not say it was a robbery , the hit was planed but someone was watching her while she was in the club and I believe is someone that she knew.

130
General Discussion / Re: Dana Seetahal murdered
« on: May 05, 2014, 07:21:01 PM »
I think Dana was being monitored while she was in the club, if the investigator was to go to the club and check the video tapes while she was there maybe they might come up with some leads .

 Somebody knew her movements for that night  ,that person was in the club that night and is somebody that she knew, that person follower her outside and make the call .

131
General Discussion / Re: Dana Seetahal murdered
« on: May 05, 2014, 06:04:50 PM »
2. (10-12) God’s curse upon Cain.
 
And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”



3. (13-15) Cain complains of the severity of God’s judgment.
 
And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.” And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him .

People who commit these kind or crimes will have know rest .
 You live by the gun you will surely die by it ,if this killing shock you when the worse come you might die.



132
General Discussion / Re: Attorney General Anand Ramlogan Thread
« on: May 03, 2014, 12:26:47 PM »
Lawyers in AG’s former law firm CLIENT SWAPPING


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SWRHA lawyer in the dark
Anika Gumbs-Sandiford
Published:
Monday, June 20, 2011

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan
A battery of attorneys from Freedom House Law Chambers—the law firm which Attorney General Anand Ramlogan formerly headed—is allegedly engaging in client swapping regarding a number of lawsuits they filed against the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA). Attorneys, who initiated legal action against SWRHA on their clients’ behalf, have suddenly ‘jumped ship’, and are now defending the same Regional Health Authority they brought legal action against. While ‘A-Team’ attorney, Gerald Ramdeen—who has been retained by Ramlogan together with Alan Newman, QC, Guyanese Akbar Ali, British forensic accountant Martin Hall, and local attorney Mark Seepersad, to ferret out instances of corruption and malfeasance in state enterprises—is now on record representing several claimants in numerous matters against the SWRHA. Attorneys Cindy Bhagwandeen, Kent Samlal, Rachel Maikhoo and Marissa Ramsoondar who are or were attached to Freedom House Law Chambers, previously represented the claimants.

Settlements
The matter does not end there though. Sunday Guardian investigations have unearthed that settlements are being struck behind the back of Harrikissoon and Company—the law firm that has represented the interest of the SWRHA for the past eight years. The Sunday Guardian has learnt that a retainer is paid to the law firm per month for legal services provided to SWRHA. Approximately five lawsuits per month may be filed against SWRHA by disgruntled patients seeking compensation and damages for loved ones. Sunday Guardian investigations revealed that within recent times, deals are being offered to claimants, the result of which, if accepted, brings litigation to a premature end. Under the Civil Proceedings Rules 1998 as amended, a claimant that is successful in a High Court Action may be entitled to prescribed costs which are usually calculated based on the value of the claim or the amount awarded or the amount agreed between the parties.

Depending on the matter, prescribed cost may vary anywhere from $30,000 to millions of dollars. Not only is the alleged action of some of the attorneys a breach of the Legal Profession Act, sources said, but also a conflict of interest in instances where the said attorneys initiated the matters involved. Section 26 (1) of the Act states: An attorney may represent multiple clients only if he can adequately represent the interest of each and if each consents to such representations after full disclosure of the possible effects of multiple representations. Embroiled at the centre of the controversy is Bhagwandeen, who has been retained by the Authority in a matter involving Tricia Francis against SWRHA and the Attorney General. Documents obtained by Sunday Guardian identifies Bhagwandeen as the instructing attorney in several of the lawsuits filed by Ramlogan against SWRHA before his appointment to the Attorney General’s office. Before Ramlogan’s elevation he was known for his vociferous stance in defending the civil rights of citizens. It was only recently the Attorney General stated that in some instances it was cheaper to settle ongoing matters instead of engaging in lengthy litigation disputes at the cost of taxpayers.

Bhagwandeen now defending SWRHA
Ramlogan, in handing over the Freedom House office, assured his former clients of the confidence he had in Bhagwandeen whom he had chosen to lead the Harris Street, San Fernando law chambers as he embarked on a new career path. However, in an about turn, Bhagwandeen has reportedly now been retained to represent the interests of the SWRHA. Sunday Guardian investigations revealed that sometime around February 22, the Authority retained Bhagwandeen to represent the said client. However, within days of Bhagwandeen’s retention, the firm of Harrikissoon and Company expressed surprise over the move. Concerns were raised on whether the Board was apprised that Bhagwandeen along with other colleagues attached to Freedom House Law Chamber initiated several matters against SWRHA, some of which are completed and some of which are still ongoing. Investigations further revealed that it was noted that given Bhagwandeen’s involvement in the said matters it could be perceived as a conflict on interest. The Authority was also warned of the severe implications such a move can have for both SWRHA and the Attorney General who is also a defendant in this matter and was the former head of Freedom House.

A pre-action protocol letter issued to SWRHA last August objected to the move. An excerpt of the pre-action protocol letter stated: “This matter is against SWRHA and the Attorney General. You are once again reminded of the very severe consequence that will occur as to the selection of Ms Cindy Bhagwandeen to handle the conduct of this matter. The rules quoted in the Legal Profession Act as regards to the selection of attorneys in the conduct of legal matters must be adhered to.” Harrikissoon further noted that based on the medical report dated January 20, 2010, submitted by Dr Hari D Maharaj it can be inferred that the claimant intends to seek a lucrative settlement. He said while the claimant’s attorney did not indicate any specific sum for general or special damages it was suggested that SWRHA should accept liability and then be fixed with an exorbitant claim for damages. Copies of the pre-action protocol letter were also forwarded to secretary of the board, Carol Joseph and the Authority’s fired chief executive officer, Paula Chester-Cumberbatch. No response has been forwarded to the law firm to date regarding the said matter.

Claimants offered deals
Instead, the firm has been placed in a precarious position in a Workman’s Compensation matter involving Andy Joseph against the SWRHA. Sources revealed shocking plans to settle a matter without the necessary information being related to the law firm representing the SWRHA. The claimant’s attorney brought the proposal to the knowledge of Harrikissoon and Company when the matter came up for hearing on May 24. Sources revealed that Harrikissoon objected to the proposal on the basis of two reasons—the said application ran afoul of the limitation period within which such an application can be made and the worker did not qualify under the said application. Insisting that a proposal was offered, Harrikissoon was then advised to contact the Authority’s senior legal officer to confirm the agreement. Harrikissioon confirmed in a document that a directive was given for the matter to be settled at the said hearing or else the file would be forwarded to another attorney. The decision, however, is not sitting well with the law firm as it is on record stating that they failed to concur with the view that the said matter ought to have been settled.

Bodeo brought before Health Minister
In another instance, the Authority’s chairman, Dr Lackram Bodeo was brought to the attention of Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis in the matter—CV 2011-00443 Jerrick Loutan (a minor by his mother as his next of kin and next friend Mahadaye Boodram) against SWRHA. The Sunday Guardian learnt that the law firm of Harrikissoon and Company received directions from Bodeo that the legal papers in the Jerrick Loutan matter be forwarded to attorney Larry Lalla. But further investigations revealed that Harrikissoon took issue with the stance taken, objecting to the course of action adopted by Bodeo. Citing grounds for dismissing the directive, Harrikissoon informed Bodeo that the Board is the decision maker for the Authority and not an individual member or chairman.

RHA ACT says:
The Regional Health Authority Act Ch 29:05 at Sub Section 20(1) implies that the decision to appoint an attorney to represent SWRHA is to be undertaken by the Board and not an individual director or chairman. The Regional Health Authorities like most other Statutory Corporations acts through its chief executive officers. The members of the Board are not capable of directing and or instructing the employees.

Ramdeen: Whose concern is this?
“If I as an attorney have been briefed by the Government to represent the Government in certain matters relating to probes in the investigations and I have a legal firm what is the difficulty in me suing the Regional Health Authority (RHA).  Why is that allegation of  any importance to anyone. My entire practice of law has been in the field of public law; my entire reputation has been based on suing the State; I don’t see why anybody  is making an issue out of that. “What is the link of being part of the ‘A-Team’ and suing the RHA; the SWRHA is not under investigation.” Asked if he has been retained as the attorney for the claimant, he said: “I would have to check my records and see what matters I am listed in for the claimants. I have a team of attorneys that work with me. The matters before the High Court are matters of public record. Of whose concern is this?  It is matter of public record that I represent the Attorney General in a number of matters. I do not see why is that a concern of someone who does not want to divulge what their position is? “I am briefed in a number of matters where I represent Freedom House as counsel. Only last Friday I was briefed in an Appeal to represent Freedom House against the Public Services Commission.”

Comments

Bhagwandeen responds
Confirming  she has been retained by SWRHA to represent the Authority in a matter, Bhagwandeen said: “I am no longer on record for any clients who are now suing the SWRHA.” Asked if she was on record for previous clients who filed action against SWRHA, Bhagwandeen responded: “Depends on which clients you are speaking about. Clients have taken their matters elsewhere. I am not on record for any of those clients; they have chosen to take their matters to other attorneys.” Quizzed on whether she is on record for any client suing the SWRHA, Bhagwandeen replied: “I have been briefed in only one matter regarding the SWRHA and that is because I have no clients who are suing the SWRHA; so there is no conflict of interest. All my matters involving clients who had previously sued the SWRHA have been concluded or they have chosen to take their matters to other attorneys which I would have no conflict of because I would have no dealings with those matters. “I have been retained for SWRHA, not the Attorney General, and in one matter. One lonesome brief and one brief is no reason to get rid of the client or anything of the sort. The way how it’s coming across is because you all think it’s because I am affiliated to the Attorney General.”

AG responds
Commenting on the allegations, Ramlogan said: “It would be unethical for any attorney to switch lanes from representing the claimant and, thereafter represent the defendant in the same case. It would be a serious matter that would be in breach of the Legal Profession Act and may warrant disciplinary action by the Law Association if that is the case. If it is not in the same case then the concerns do not arise.” In a follow-up interview, Ramlogan added: “I have checked my own records at the ministry and my information is my former firm and the attorneys there never, never acted for the claimant. They were not retained by the State to represent the Attorney General in this matter. I am advised Bhagwandeen has been retained by SWRHA.”

SWRHA
Chairman of the SWRHA Bodeo in response to the matter via e-mail stated when he took office this Board inherited certain arrangements pertaining to the handling of legal matters in the SWRHA. These arrangements included a monthly retainer, a brief fee, and refresher payments for medical negligence cases. “It was also discovered that one law firm handled virtually all cases in the last eight (8 ) years' despite the recommendation that this firm was to receive only minor briefs and and matters relating to public law,’ Bodoe explained. Fees paid to this firm up to 2009, Bodoe said, represent a substantial sum and some of these legal matters are still ongoing. At the moment the law firm of Harrikissoon and Company, Bodoe stated, holds the briefs for the majority of legal matters. However, the Board is in the process of reviewing all legal matters and is currently compiling a panel of attorneys representing different areas of expertise and legal experience. As a result, different attorneys have been retained in a number of matters. Based on Bhagwandeen’s considerable experience in the field of medical negligence, she was assigned as instructing attorney in the matter involving the SWRHA and Tricia Francis. However, the assignment of any attorney to any case is subject to review pending finalisation of the panel. When the panel is finalised, Bodoe stated that the Board believes that the legal work of the Authority will be more equitably distributed.

133
Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Farmer Nappy breaks down
« on: May 02, 2014, 09:33:33 AM »

134
General Discussion / Re: Attorney General Anand Ramlogan Thread
« on: May 01, 2014, 07:46:21 PM »
Door open for new prison litigation probe
Anand must meet with stakeholders
Published:
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Geisha Kowlessar
 
Text Size: 

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan
In the face of mounting public pressure, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has ordered Attorney General Anand Ramlogan to revisit allegations of collusion involving lawyers engaged in prison litigation.
 
 
Persad-Bissessar made the decision yesterday, calling on Ramlogan to meet with acting Solicitor General Carol Hernandez, Commissioner of Prisons Conrad Barrow, Inspector of Prisons Daniel Khan, Minister of Justice Emmanuel George and the Chief State Solicitor Christophe Grant to revisit the matter and to chart the best way forward.
 
 
Her statement came even as the Law Association and Association of Law Officers added its voice to the list of those calling for an independent probe into allegations made by former solicitor general Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell, who expressed concern about what she called an “unethical business” venture in prison litigation matters.
 
 
Persad-Bissessar’s decision also came in the face of an ultimatum from Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley that she call a probe and order Ramlogan to step aside, or else he would launch public protests similar to that in the Section 34 matter. In a release yesterday, the PM said the decision to revisit the matter had come after Donaldson-Honeywell reiterated her call for a probe in the matter to continue and the Prison Officers’ Association also called for the same.
 
 
Noted recent issues
Persad-Bissessar said she was under the impression that when she (PM) dealt with the matter after it first raised in a letter last August by Donaldson-Honeywell, that the former solicitor general had expressed approval with how it was handled.
 
 
The PM said that was the impression she had when Donaldson-Honeywell subsequently penned a second letter which stated: "Honourable Prime Minister, your proactive attention to this matter is greatly appreciated as it underscores your recognition of the interests of those engaged in civil litigation on behalf of the State and their clients in the Prison Service.
 
“In light of the discussions with the Attorney General, through your intervention, I am now confident that the issues raised in my letter will be adequately addressed and accordingly would no longer seek further investigation through your office.” The PM said: “As for the objections carried in the media about my own handling of the particular report, given that the former solicitor general is of the view that the matter had been appropriately handled by me, who else could or should question her professional assessment? 
 
“In my respectful view, the issue was treated with the urgency and seriousness required and the former solicitor general's expressed opinion validates my actions in this regard.” Notwithstanding that, the PM said she had noted Donaldson-Honeywell’s statement this week that she expected the probe to continue and the POA’s calls for it to be probed further and had advised the AG to meet with the key stakeholders to chart a way forward. 
 

I am wondering would anything change after the AG speak to these people ? Idont think so .

136
General Discussion / Re: Trinidadian Father beats his son
« on: April 28, 2014, 05:50:56 PM »
I tuned in late too a program that was on going on the radio ,one of the person on the panel spoke  about  a boy hung himself, father and beating of a boy after that the facebook beating came up ,that is why i ask if it had any relation .
 .

138
General Discussion / Re: Trinidadian Father beats his son
« on: April 28, 2014, 04:49:25 PM »
Boy, 14, found hanging in bathroom
Story Created: Apr 27, 2014 at 8:58 PM ECT
Story Updated: Apr 28, 2014 at 10:43 AM ECT
 At  about 11.30 p.m. Saturday, Northern Division police responded to a report of the death of a 14-year-old boy.
Police said Jameel Miller of Ried Lane, D’Abadie was found hanging in bathroom of his home from a vest tied around neck. The discovery was made by a female relative who woke up to use the washroom. A chair was found about two feet away from where the body was hanging.
Investigators said they later found a note in a cupboard in the living room in which the teenager gave his reasons for taking his life.   


This article have anything to do with this thread, just asking ?

139
General Discussion / Don’t play with Ebola Virus
« on: April 28, 2014, 01:29:56 PM »
Don’t play with Ebola
Published:
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
 
Text Size: 
The Ebola virus, first discovered in 1976, is one of the most terrifying viruses known to modern medical science. Believed to have made the jump from animals to humans it is a deadly illness with a fatality rate of 90 per cent.
 
The Ministry of Health is entirely correct to proceed with an excess of caution in raising concerns and increasing the alert status of port health officials regarding the potential threat of the Ebola virus disease. With more than 200 cases reported in West Africa and a startlingly high percentage originating in Guinea, where 168 cases include 108 that have resulted in death, improving screening at all the country’s ports of entry is simply good sense.
According to Dr Clive Tilluckdharry, the government has ordered “strict monitoring,” and clearly communicating its mission will go some distance in improving the public’s reaction to the inevitable slowdowns that result when entering Trinidad and Tobago. The Ebola virus, first discovered in 1976, is one of the most terrifying viruses known to modern medical science. Believed to have made the jump from animals to humans it is a deadly illness with a fatality rate of 90 per cent. Severely ill patients can only be placed on supportive care. There is no vaccine that works on Ebola.
 
http://www.guardian.co.tt/digital/new-members
To read the full article, please sign-in or signup for your Free Trial of the Digital Guardian.
No payment details required, for your Free Trial.
 

140
General Discussion / Re: Trinidadian Father beats his son
« on: April 26, 2014, 03:15:20 PM »
That is joke to  what i use too get ,is kick and cuff when that was not enough the man get a cable wire ,one cable wire i would run up the wall across the ceiling and come down the nex wall was pressure from the grenadadian .

141
General Discussion / Re: Vicious,Brutal,Sadistic
« on: April 26, 2014, 03:05:27 PM »
Child ‘mentally scarred’ after beating
Originally printed at http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Child-mentally-scarred-after-beating-256786631.html

April 25, 2014
 Manager of the Victim and Witness Support Unit in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Margaret Sampson-Browne said yesterday she would support an investigation by the police into the Facebook beating incident of the 12-year-old girl by her mother Helen Bartlett.

The girl had posted indecent photos of herself on Facebook, and the mother posted last Sunday a counter video with her being beaten. The video went viral and sparked national debate.

In a telephone interview with the Express, Sampson-Browne said, “I am in support of the commissioner (Stephen Williams) who has launched an investigation. Whatever happens after the investigation, is up to the commissioner. I am in support of the stance the commissioner is taking.”

Asked to comment on the view that the father was “a  deadbeat dad”, she said: “I would prefer not to comment on that. I have not read anything about it. I just heard what the mother was saying.” 

Sampson-Browne, who said she recently attended a conference on parenting hosted by the Ministry of Social Development, added that she felt the child had been “psychologically scarred” by the incident.

 She said: “It is sad when society believes that behaviour is correct. She may have gotten more than 20 lashes. Every look at the camera that child got a lash. She is psychologically scarred for life.  Could she go to her mom when she has a problem? Could she walk on the road? If you are angry with a child for a situation, you find some ways to deal with it.”

She added: “It (beating and video) is wrong. I will never tolerate it. And I hope the relevant authorities deal with it. What will happen when she goes back to school? What we have on the video is not a healthy interaction between a parent and child. Until someone could tell me it is not, I will hold on to that view.”

Sampson-Browne also queried whether the video would have gotten so many hits if it did not have “juice”. She said: “What about if the mother had made a video calmly stating “My daughter is doing X and Y. I am hurt. But I am caring for her.”

She sounded a warning, “We have to be careful if juice becomes infectious,” she said.

On the flip side, Bartlett said she was “willing to  support any mother who disciplines her child within the context of discipline”.

She said: “Because you are parent, you have a choice. You must understand the punishment sometimes does not warrant the behaviour. We have to examine the community and the society. A child did not wake up in the morning and decide she would wake up and expose herself. She is a child.” 

Sampson-Browne sent a message to Bartlett. She said:  “Not because you made (gave birth) her means you will abuse her in that kind of way. Would you accept the father beating down on her? You (mother) did it and recorded  it. You have determined how she will live for the next three or four months. You have determined how she enters a school and how she forges a relationship with her peers and teachers.”

Asked about people criticising her for labelling Bartlett’s actions as abusive, she said: “People are entitled to criticise. It is a lot of emotion. Sometimes your children can do something to get you angry. I am sorry for the society. The jury is out on that one.  I can’t accept it.”

In the move towards healing and reconciliation, Sampson-Browne said: “I am willing to work with the family because the whole family and community is traumatised. I am willing  to move them from sadness to sanity.”     —Michelle Loubon

142
General Discussion / Re: Vicious,Brutal,Sadistic
« on: April 25, 2014, 10:43:23 PM »
 :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:   Is only Trini could take serious thing and make yuh laff , we good like that .
 
Mods this thread and that one is the same why not link them eh ?

143
General Discussion / Re: Vicious,Brutal,Sadistic
« on: April 25, 2014, 07:24:00 AM »
e
Girl’s dad plans libel suit against mother
Published:
Friday, April 25, 2014
Kevon Felmine
 
Text Size: 

Helen Bartlett
The father of the 12-year-old girl whose Facebook flogging post has created a firestorm of comments over discipline has disputed her mother’s claim that he was a deadbeat dad. He spoke on Vibe CT 105.1 FM’s Mixed Nuts morning programme yesterday but declined to reveal his name due to his occupation. The man said he had always been there for his children. However, he admitted since his separation from Helen Bartlett, the mother of the children there were some problems which hindered his communication with his two daughters. He said he was only made aware of the incident when someone called him and alerted him to the video of Bartlett beating the child with a belt which has since gone viral on YouTube and Facebook.
 
In a telephone interview yesterday, a close relative of the father told the T&T Guardian, via telephone, the father met with an attorney yesterday and they have started the process of filing a libel lawsuit against Bartlett. “He met with his lawyer and we have a strong case because she has scandalised his name and have borne false witness against him. Legal action is being prepared. It is already in process,” she said. Asked whether he would be applying for custody of his children, the relative said the court had already awarded legal custody to the mother. “The children will still want their mother in their lives,” she added.
During a radio interview with i95.5 FM hosts Dale Enoch and Tony Lee on Wednesday, Bartlett said she was yet to hear from the child’s father. Bartlett said the father had refused to get involved in the matter. The relative said: “He can’t get them so right now he is trying to see about his name. This has rocked the family. It had shocked him. He is traumatised and hurt by this.”
The relative said that because the child’s father is a police officer, both of them would remain anonymous until necessary. The viral video of the Bartlett beating her daughter stemmed from a text message she received informing her that a teenage boy was trying to persuade the girl to have sex. After searching her daughter’s Facebook profile, she found seductive photos of her daughter. Although Bartlett’s action and the video have been criticised by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, police and other public figures, there has been support for the mother on social networking sites.
News

144
General Discussion / Vicious,Brutal,Sadistic
« on: April 23, 2014, 05:13:05 PM »
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,193733.html


Did any of you guys see this on Facebook ? I saw it ,  If this was my daughter i do not know what i might have done .

Is either we spare the rod and spoil the child or bend the tree when it is young .

145
Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Re: wackradio / Sprang ah lang
« on: April 17, 2014, 08:24:16 PM »
take in some vintage kaiso here .

146
I feel if the politicians want to solve the problems in Laventille they should read the book Laventille ,the answer could be  in there.

And beside that the  black man got to learn how to love themselves .

148
Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Re: wackradio / Sprang ah lang
« on: April 14, 2014, 07:42:45 PM »
Sprang with the swweet kaiso tunes

149
General Discussion / Re: NEW AFRICAN MAGIZINE
« on: April 11, 2014, 07:31:29 AM »

150
Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Re: wackradio / Sprang ah lang
« on: April 10, 2014, 07:31:55 PM »
Listen to some real kaiso the way it use to be.

http://www.wackradio901fm.com/

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