State funeral at NAPA next Wednesday

The state funeral of former president George Maxwell Richards is set for next Wednesday at the National Academy of the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port of Spain, where his body will lie in state and the public will be able to pay their respects.

So said Marcia Hope, director of corporate communications at the Ministry of National Security, who told Newsday yesterday that the parties involved in the planning of the funeral met yesterday to work out the programme.

Condolence books will be opened countrywide in every municipal, regional and borough corporation, including Tobago. One will also be opened at the Office of the President in St Ann’s and another at NAPA.

At yesterday’s meeting at the Ministry of National Security head office, Richards’ former chief of protocol, Lenore Dorset, who served as protocol officer in the Office of the President since president ANR Robinson’s tenure, represented Richards’ family. Among those present were representatives of agencies of the Ministry of National Security, including the Defence Force and Police Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister, NAPA and Belgroves Funeral Home. They are scheduled to meet tomorrow to continue to work out the logistics of the funeral, including traffic arrangements.