Pan Trinbago members clash, police called in

POLICE were called in yesterday afternoon after some Pan Trinbago members stormed a meeting of executive members at the head office and demanded that they leave.

Among the executive members at the meeting were treasurer Andrew Salvador, secretary Richard Forteau, PRO Michael Joseph, ERO Darren Sheppard and trustee Allan Augustus.

Protesting members held up placards which questioned Forteau’s legitimacy and asking him to account for expenditures of the organisation.

However as the members jeered at him, Forteau moved to his office and locked himself inside. Members started singing: “Forteau in he office hiding from we,” and “Forteau leave the office now!”

Beverly Ramsey-Moore told Newsday, “We are not here for war. The president and the secretary are not speaking. The president gives the secretary an instruction and that instruction is not carried out. The constitution has its shortfalls and the membership is being screwed. We are saying that we want to decide the way forward. The executive has collapsed and as such, let them go, and go now!”

She thundered that the membership demands that transparency and accountability be the order of the day, that the pan players be paid, that the bands be paid and called on the Minister of Culture and the Prime Minister to intervene.

“Let the NCC (National Carnival Commission) and the government get together and pay us. We can’t take it anymore,” said Ramsey-Moore.

Some 55 minutes later, six police officers arrived to quell the situation. They met Forteau and president Keith Diaz who said, “The NCC is not releasing any funds to offset salaries, pay outstanding debts and prize monies for small, medium and large final bands unless they get a letter signed by me and all the executive members. I signed the letter but they refused to sign it and told the NCC that they are not signing it.”

He then spoke of the special convention he called for Thursday evening as a way forward because of a recommendation from a High Court judge, but the Forteau faction sought an injunction stopping the meeting from taking place.

Members nevertheless held discussions and decided to take the action that they took yesterday.

Newsday was also informed that Forteau called a staff meeting yesterday but Diaz said: “As CEO of Pan Trinbago and in accordance with the constitution of Pan Trinbago, I never gave any directions for Mr. Forteau to have any meeting with the staff of Pan Trinbago.”

Members vowed to keep up the fight and said they will be back at the head office on Monday.