CABINET has approved the revised wages for teachers, following ratification of the agreement between the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) and the TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) for the period October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2023.
Former TTUTA president Martin Lum Kin and the CPO settled on a five per cent increase prior to the general election. New TTUTA head Crystal Ashe recently expressed concern that their salaries were not adjusted by January. He had threatened to lead a mass rally if the settlement was not approved by Cabinet.
In a media release on January 26, the Ministry of Education confirmed that all relevant documentation for the wage settlement has been finalised.
“These documents make clear that the approved salary revisions, consolidation of allowances, and associated benefits are now to be given effect through the established administrative and financial processes of the State, in consultation with the Ministry of Finance where required.”
The ministry said documents are being forwarded for administrative processing and the required steps are being taken to facilitate timely implementation.
“The Ministry of Education remains committed to maintaining open dialogue with its stakeholders and to advancing policies and processes that support the welfare of educators and the continued strengthening of the education sector.”
A forensic audit of the National Maintenance Training & Security Company Ltd (MTS) will be undertaken following concerns raised during a public inquiry between company officials and members of the Parliament’s State Enterprises joint select committee at the Cabildo Building, Port of Spain, on January 26.
It was also revealed that the company is owed approximately $850 million from the government and various state agencies.
The inquiry was briefly adjourned when an alarm went off in the building. The issue of firearm user certificates for MTS security guards was being discussed before this happened.
When the inquiry resumed, JSC chairman, Independent Senator Anthony Vieira, SC, thanked the police for their quick action in addressing the matter which caused the alarm. He did not say what the matter was.
MTS marketing manager Sherwin Gosine said there have been challenges getting these certificates over the last two years. “It has to be done in conjunction with with TTPS (TT Police Service) firearms department.”
Minister in the Ministry of Housing Anil Roberts claimed the reason for the delay was the former PNM government was waging war on licensed firearm holders.
“Hopefully this will not continue because safety and security is a priority of this Prime Minister,” he said.
In response to questions from Roberts, MTS CEO Brian Bachan said the company’s current debt is approximately $850 million.
Questioned further by Arouca/Lopinot MP Marvin Gonzales, Bachan said this debt was mainly from government and other state entities. These include: Educuation Ministry ($450 million), Judiciary ($180 million), Sport Company ($30 million), Board of Inland Revenue ($25 million) and the police ($25 million).
Public Utilities Ministry Permanent Secretary Neela Ram-Atwaroo said the ministry has been meeting with the Education and Finance Ministries with respect to collection of these outstanding monies. She identified one of the challenges in this area is differences in the invoices submitted to different ministries
Ram-Atwaroo said the Finance Ministry has given the assurance there will be an additional allocation “to treat with the arrears.”
In response to other questions from Roberts, Gosine said the company incurred expenditures of $250,000 for grass-cutting services. Roberts was surprised by this statement.
“I cannot fathom $250,000 to cut grass in Couva.”
Gosine said the grass at schools are cut twice in the rainy season and once in the dry season.
MTS chairman Adrian Barran said the new board encountered a series of challenges at the company when it assumed office last year.
The company, he continued, was “under considerable strain” and in need of a new direction.
In relation to the issues raised by Bachan, Barran said a forensic audit will soon be undertaken at MTS. In response to questions from the committee chairman, Barran told JSC members the company is in the process of selecting someone to do the audit.
He hoped the audit would begin towards the end of January or early February and be completed within six to eight months.
He identified advance payments to certain contractors and questions over quality of work done as some of the issues which the audit would examine.
Barran added that if the audit uncovers evidence of wrongdoing, that evidence “will be forwarded to the appropriate authorities.”
Other strategies to be employed, he continued, included contractual enforcement and financial recovery.
Gonzales observed that under the State Enterprises Performance Manual, MTS would need to seek permission from the Finance Ministry before undertaking legal action against any state entity.
Vieira added the manual is not a force of law, “it is just a guideline.”
He said, “The Companies Act would suggest, they have a higher duty to the company. So this is the difficulty that all of these state enterprises find themselves in.”
He said upon assuming office, the board was given instructions by the Prime Minister to ensure there is greater efficiency in MTS’ operations. The company, Barran continued, is currently working on a strategic plan 2026-2030 to achieve this objective. “We are in the process of recalibrating the process.”
Barran said since the company was formed in 1979, it has provided yeoman service to many different entities.
“The relevance of this institution is not in question.” He added the MTS board understands the need to improve the level of service of the company.
Roberts said he empathised with the MTS board for having to solve problems which were not of its doing. He claimed while the PNM was in government, Gonzales (who was public utilities minister) was reluctant to make any appeals to former finance minister Colm Imbert.
In response, Gonzales said, “I understand my duty as a member of this committee. I am quite capable of playing the politics”
He added JSCs are a forum where parliamentarians can “tackle the issues of the State in a very transparent, apolitical atmosphere, so we can make recommendations, so the citizens who are listening can benefit from our discussion.”
Vieira acknowledged Gonzales and Roberts’ points.
But he said serious issues were raised during the inquiry about MTS’ operations.
“Politics aside. This has to be addressed.”
Gonzales repeated his concern about the claims Roberts made earlier about him.
He said he expected all members of any JSC to conduct themselves in a proper manner.
The Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) has offered the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) a ten per cent increase for the period 2014-2019. It is projected to cost $2.6 billion, split between cash and non-cash options, with a recurring cost of $250 million per annum.
CPO Dr Darryl Dindial made the announcement to the media following negotiations with the union acting on behalf of government daily-rated workers on January 26.
Dindial said, “What is important to note is that the value of this offer is $2.6 billion. The recurrent cost of this offer, for it to continue to be funded, is an additional $250 million per annum. That’s a significant cost.
“One of the things that the CPO placed on the table is that, to treat with these arrears, we must consider non-cash options. The State has to act responsibly to ensure that jobs are preserved and jobs are created. So to offset this debt, because this is what it will be, and hopefully the NUGFW accepts the offer, once they accept this offer, it is a debt to be settled. And this debt has to be settled with a mix of cash and non-cash.”
Dindial said the NUGFW would speak to its membership about the offer over the next two days. He said if the offer is accepted, the payouts would not happen immediately.
“I’m hopeful we could sign off if not on Wednesday, then by Thursday. If we could sign off, the intent is to put the new salaries on after mid-year review because this was not budgeted for. So the Minister of Finance, the technocrats in the Ministry of Finance would have had to work to allocate and to find money to put on these new salaries in the month of June or July.”
Dindial said he had asked those present in the meeting for patience and advocacy.
National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) general secretary Michael Annisette, speaking to Newsday via phone following the meeting on January 26, complimented the negotiating teams on both sides for a mature exchange of responsible ideas.
“The proposals submitted were similar to those submitted to the Public Servants Association (PSA). There is a merger of cost of living for two collective bargaining periods, which is something NATUC was advocating for and was against when the (former) Rowley-led (PNM)administration removed the consolidation which is ingrained in our collective bargaining landscape as an industrial relations principle.”
He thanked the NUGFW workers and leadership for being patient, as the negotiations had been outstanding for more than 12 years.
“One would appreciate the financial constraints and strangulation that workers were facing. They rejected the four per cent offer which NATUC would have spoken against as we believe it is an unfair proposal being put by the government given the economic realities workers are going through.”
He expressed gratitude to the government and the CPO for moving the offer from four to ten per cent over the six-year period.
“As general secretary of NATUC, I am fully aware of the economic landscape the government has to operate under. What this meeting would have demonstrated, when you sit down with the trade union and discuss issues in a mature way and put the facts on the table, the union inevitably responds in a mature manner.
“Hats off to the NUGFW team who would have acted responsibly, with clear understanding of job security and the security of tenure of workers, but at the same time understanding that workers must have a level of wage increase that can carry them over the economic line.”
Annisette said there were a few issues which need to be tweaked, including further consideration of pensioners.
He said the CPO pointed out the government does not have the financial opportunities to pay out the $2.5 billion as it is dealing with several other institutions which fell under the remit of the CPO, such as the teachers, the Defence Force, the Contractors and General Workers Union, and others.
“The CPO did not pull any punches. He would have come to the table and said, ‘This is what we can afford, this is the economic reality the government is facing, they have to find money. They didn’t cater in the last budget so there’s an anticipation that in the next fiscal year, the workers will be paid.”
Annisette said there were several mechanisms for non-cash items, such as government taking over payments to state entities.
“For example, if you are owing HDC, it can be converted. If you’re owing the TT Mortgage Finance Company, you can look at that. If you don’t have an HDC home or if you’re in arrears with HDC, those are some of the non-cost items we were talking about.
“At the same time, what that means is that the worker will get a relief. If the government is paying that off, it means the money the worker would have had to find to make that payment will now go back into his pocket, thereby generating more economic activities, because we are a consumer economy, and the more disposable income a worker has, the more the country tends to benefit from workers having disposable income.”
Annisette said NATUC thinks the idea was well thought out.
“It is something we could look at moving forward as we try to work to build the economy, efficiency and productivity, but not making the workers the sacrificial lamb in so doing, understanding the worker is part of the growth and therefore they must share and their wages must be living wages that speak to the economic realities workers are facing.”
The CPO settled with the PSA for ten per cent in December 2025. Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo said all settlements reached prior to April 28 will be honoured. These included the TT Unified Teachers Association, the defence force and the Port of Spain and San Fernando City Corporations.
Former Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith is calling on the incumbent to provide answers to why some 1,200 body-worn cameras procured under his tenure are not being used.
Referencing now viral CCTV footage which contradicts the police’s account of a fatal shooting in St Augustine last week, Griffith said the incident is a serious concern as the deceased, Joshua Samaroo, was seen placing his hands in the air as if trying to surrender before officers opened fire.
The former top cop warned that while he sees merit in the Zones of Special Operations legislation, the incident has now pushed many citizens to reject it.
“For it to be successful, public trust and confidence… in the police service must take place. The public trust and confidence has been diminished constantly.”
He said under his tenure, public confidence in the service was at 59 per cent, while a recent survey placed it now at eight per cent.
To help improve this score, Griffith said the current leadership must revisit and action many of the changes he pioneered in the service while at its helm. Chief among them, he said, was to utilise body cameras he acquired. He said despite criticisms, this was adequate to provide accountability.
“Twelve hundred body cameras for 7,000 police officers is more than enough for every police officer who goes on patrol, on road block, on operation, on warrant exercise to have that body camera worn. I set up a standard operational procedure, standing orders to enforce it, that any officer that goes on anything – on patrol, a roadblock, an operation, issuing a warrant, vehicle or foot patrol – you must sign for it, you turn it on, it is returned and we checked. We were checking to make sure that the body cameras were being utilised.”
He said these cameras kept officers in line while simultaneously protecting officers from being wrongfully accused. He accused CoP Allister Guevarro of refusing to enforce the standing order he left the service with.
“I am asking the public, we must demand from the CoP and the Police Service Commission, who have continued to turn a blind eye to this. Why are you not using the body cameras? There’s a mandatory standing order, standard operating procedure, that if the officers do not use it they can be suspended immediately.
“Why is the Commissioner not enforcing it? Why you not using the tasers that are there? Why you not using the pepper spray? Why you remove the online reporting? Why you remove the police app? Why you remove the GPS tracking from the police vehicles? Why you remove the live feed cameras from on the vehicles that will ensure we see what is happening?
“If all of this is done, I can assure the public that it will minimise and prevent excessive use of force with the police.”
In a statement on the incident, the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) also renewed its call for body cameras to be used.
“The PCA takes this opportunity to reiterate that incidents such as these underscore the importance of the use of body-worn cameras by police officers. The authority has consistently and vigorously advocated for the implementation of body-worn cameras as a measure to enhance accountability, transparency, and public confidence in policing.”
In September, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander told the Senate that a $24.9 million contract to provide 3,000 body-worn cameras to the TTPS was terminated to save money. He said as of June 10, 2025, 17.9 per cent of officers use the cameras.
Guevarro later said the contract was cancelled because of inflated costs. Speaking at a police press briefing he said the cameras were being sold for $8,000 per unit under the contract while they could be acquired for $2,500 to $3,000.
Samaroo was killed and his common-law wife Kaia Sealy was paralysed after a police chase ended with officers firing about two dozen rounds into their Toyota Aqua on January 20. Guevarro, according to media reports, said officers were fired upon, and a gun and ammunition were found at the scene.
CCTV footage captured of the final moments showed the Aqua crash and Samaroo, the driver, putting his hands out the window. Three officers almost immediately opened fire. The footage has sparked outrage among many quarters of the population, with Samaroo’s family calling for justice.
Griffith said under his tenure, there was a similar shooting incidents, and he immediately suspended the officers involved.
“Why is the CoP not doing this? Additionally, these are the same police officers who might go back out on patrol with a weapon. This cannot and should not be taking place.”
FOR the second straight campaign, Defence Force (36 points) have left heads turning in the TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) top flight, after running up a mind-boggling scoreline in a league fixture. In the second game of a double-header at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva on January 25, Defence Force hammered the cellar-placed Terminix La Horquetta Rangers (nine points) 9-0 to make a huge statement in their title-defence.
Last year, Defence Force made a similar statement en route to copping the 2024/25 title, as they decimated a hapless Eagles FC team 10-0 in April 2025. The Army/Coast Guard combination romped to last season’s league title on the back of 20 wins and two draws.
In their ruthless rout of Rangers in Couva, Defence Force were powered by a pair of new signings as lanky forward Nicholas Dillon and playmaker Joevin Jones both scored hat-tricks to consolidate their team’s three-point lead atop the 2025/26 table. In the first game of the double-header, the second-placed Club Sando (33 points) got an equally important victory as they edged the third-placed Miscellaneous Police FC (27 points) 1-0. In the top-three clash, Sando were powered by nippy forward Tarik Lee, who scored his ninth goal of the season when he netted in the 22nd minute.
In the top versus bottom clash which followed, Defence Force didn’t take long to assert their dominance, as they scored three goals in ten minutes to run out to a 3-0 halftime lead. Jones opened the scoring in the 12th minute, with returning central defender Jamali Garcia netting in the 16th minute before midfielder Rivaldo Coryat made it 3-0 in the 21st minute.
The Army scored three goals in ten minutes again to kickstart the second half, with Dillon getting his first and Jones and fellow playmaker Kevin “Nash” Molino also scoring to swell their team’s lead to 6-0 by the 57th minute.
As they continue to bolster their squad ahead of their Concacaf Champions Cup tie with Philadelphia Union, which commences on February 18, Defence Force gave appearances to defenders Triston Hodge and Keston Julien, both of whom are new signings. Neither player featured on the score summary, but they had the best seat in the house to see Jones clinch his hat-trick in the 61st minute.
Late on, Dillon added to the massacre by completing his hat-trick, which came in the third minute of second-half stoppage-time, to wrap up the nine-goal onslaught.
In Couva on January 28, the TTPFL action is scheduled to resume with a double-header. From 6 pm, the sixth-placed MIC Central FC Reboot (18 points) will tackle the seventh-placed San Juan Jabloteh (15 points), with the fourth-placed Prisons FC (26 points) taking on 2023/24 champs AC Port of Spain (22 points) from 8 pm. AC PoS are currently fifth on the 12-team table.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS provider Digicel has launched its Deep Blue One subsea fibre-optic cable linking Trinidad to Tobago.
In a news release on January 23, the company said, “The submarine cable is expected to significantly enhance the reliability and stability of services in Tobago.”
Pieter Verkade, CEO of Digicel TT, said: “We are delighted to launch this improvement to our service ensuring that we have full redundancy for our customers in Tobago for mobile, home and entertainment and business. This means a more resilient network that can withstand challenges and keep Tobago better connected.
“Looking ahead, we project the fastest growth in Tobago West, while Tobago East will see a strong increase as more homes and businesses come online.”
Digicel TT’s head of retail sales and operations Roweena Crooks noted: “Right now, Deep Blue One is already carrying several gigabits of live traffic into Tobago, with Tobago West registering the heaviest users. This means thousands of people across Tobago are already relying on this connection to either stream movies and TV shows, make video calls, work online, run their businesses, or log-in to remote classes.”
She added: “As a Tobagonian, I know how important dependable connectivity is to everyday life on the island. Deep Blue One is a welcomed improvement to Tobago’s telecommunications infrastructure, strengthening network resilience and enhancing overall service stability. This investment helps minimise the risk of island-wide disruption and gives Tobagonians greater confidence in the reliability of their connectivity, now and into the future.”
The release said, “The growth in consumer traffic reflects how people in Tobago are using the internet more than ever. Deep Blue One was built to keep up with this increase in data usage. By supporting everything from remote work and schooling to daily communication and entertainment, the cable provides the infrastructure needed to handle Tobago’s current and future connectivity needs.“
Several members of the Venezuelan migrant community expressed frustration on January 26, the first day of registration under the Migrant Registration Framework (MRF), citing problems with the online portal – migrantregistration.gov.tt – and fears about their future.
Many complained that they were unable to complete the online registration process on the online platform, the first step towards legalising their status.
One man said when he tried to log in, he received a notification stating that his information was invalid.
Another said he encountered the same notification and was unable to reach the relevant page to complete the process.
Others raised concerns about whether migrants who were previously deported and later re-entered TT could face criminal prosecution and be arrested by law enforcement officers during the exercise.
Several people, fearful about their future, declined to have their names used.
Some migrants also took to social media to air their concerns.
One Facebook user posted that the registration page had collapsed, adding, “Slowly but surely, we have 30 days to do the registration.”
The registration exercise for all illegal migrants officially began on January 26, with applicants required to use the online portal.
According to the website, applicants must first create an account, log in, and complete Application Form 17A.
Applicants are then required to book an appointment, selecting a time and location where an immigration officer will review their application and supporting documents.
The list of supporting documents includes birth records, passport details, spouse information, travel details, employment history, travel documents for entry into TT, vaccination records and education information.
The final step requires applicants to print their documents and confirmation e-mail and present them at the in-person verification process, which is scheduled to begin at the end of February 2026.
The online registration period ends on February 25, while the specific start date for the in-person process has not yet been announced.
During in-person verification, applicants will undergo police background checks and mandatory fingerprinting.
Adult registrants are also required to pay a $700 registration fee.
This latest registration exercise applies to all illegal immigrants, regardless of nationality or whether they participated in previous registration initiatives.
Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander has said the updated initiative is a strategic move to promote equity and bolster national security.
At a post-Cabinet media briefing on January 22, Alexander urged all illegal migrants – whether they arrived in TT legally or not – to register.
Calls and messages to Alexander for comments on January 26 went unanswered.
The ministry identified the registration locations as the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima, the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, and the Dwight Yorke Stadium for the Tobago zone.
Officials from the Health Ministry are also expected to be present to conduct on-site health screenings.
Approved registrants will be issued a migrant registration card, which will legally authorise them to live and work in TT until December 31.
The ministry has reminded all undocumented migrants that participation in the exercise is essential, warning that failure to register within the stipulated period would result in deportation.
The ministry first announced the expansion of the framework in December.
The original programme, introduced in 2019 under the previous administration, allowed Venezuelans – the country’s largest migrant community – to register to live and work in Trinidad and Tobago.
An estimated 16,000 Venezuelans were registered under that exercise.
TRACK athletes normally steal the spotlight at athletic meets, but on January 24, Mercury’s Jafari Edwards and Burnley Athletic Club’s Peyton Winter were among those who grabbed the attention at the Wright Foundation’s Power in the Field Classic at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
Both Edwards and Winter showed their dominance by winning multiple age group events, while jumper Keneisha Shelbourne was also in good rhythm as the 2025 Carifta gold medallist cruised to a victory in the women’s long jump and later competed uncontested in the women’s triple jump.
In a field of ten in the boys’ under-17 long jump, Edwards’ first leap of 6.41 metres turned out to be golden as the Mercury athlete just saw off a late charge from Memphis Pioneers’ Zayne Martin, who achieved a distance of 6.37m on his final jump to grab second. Edwards wasn’t done there as he returned in the boys’ under-17 high jump to take top honours with a height of 1.75m. In the five-man field, Kaizen Panthers athlete Sebastian McKenna was the only other participant to clear the bar as he placed second with a height of 1.65m.
Winter has been a rising star in field events in the last few years, and showed her supremacy with wins in the girls’ under-20 shot put, javelin, and discus events. In the shot put, Winter got the better of newly-minted Female Multi-event Athlete of the Year winner Tenique Vincent with a throw of 12.91m. Concorde’s Vincent was second with a throw of 10.10m, with Sofia Quamina third with a distance of 7.96m.
It was a closer run thing for Winter in the javelin event, but her opening throw of 28.85m was just enough to hold off Lions Athletic Club’s JeNiece Alleyne, who hurled a distance of 28.23m on her third attempt. In the discus, D’Abadie Progressive Athletic Club’s Quamina again had to settle for a spot behind Winter who won the event by throwing a distance of 35.73m on her third effort. Quamina’s second-place effort was measured at 28.49m.
Vincent may have been no match for Winter in the shot put, but she was more fluent in the girls’ under-20 high jump when she cleared the bar at 1.65m to take first place. Cougar Athletic Club’s Kezia Joy Husbands was second with a height of 1.50m, with Kaori Robley third with her 1.45m height.
Meanwhile, Vincent’s twin brother, Tyrique Vincent, stretched his legs to good effect over the long jump pit with a distance of 7.07m to win ahead of Kaizen Panthers’ Imanni Matthew (6.71m) and Pace and Performance Factory’s 6.33m in the boys’ under-20 long jump. Tyrique was named the Male Multi-event Athlete of the Year at the National Association of Athletics Administration awards on January 3.
Mercury’s Jafari Edwards competes in the Boys’ Under-17 high jump, on January 24, at the Wright Foundation’s Power in the Field Classic at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain. – Ayanna Kinsale
Kaizen Panthers’ Robley also tasted success when she leaped a distance of 5.21m to win the girls’ under-20 long jump, with QRC Athletic Club’s La Queen Welch second in 4.93m. There was no moving Welch from her perch in the girls’ under-17 high jump as she soared to a comfortable win with a height of 1.64m. Toco Tafac’s Destiny Silverthorn was a distant second with a 1.35m height.
Also in winner’s row was Ascend Athletic Club’s Daryan Boyce, who got the better of his clubmate Nykel Gomez in a tight boys’ under-20 discus battle. Boyce achieved a distance of 44.45m, with Gomez’s throw being measured at 42.16m. Burnley’s Jelany Chinyelu got the scalps of both Gomez and Tyrique in the boys’ under-20 shot put, with Martin (boys’ under-17 triple jump), Akeya Gonzales (girls’ under-17 discus), Ryana Regis (girls’ under-17 javelin), and Yanique Stewart (girls’ under-17 long jump) also among those who occupied top podium places at the classic.
A 30-year-old Barataria man has been charged with the November 13 murder of Brad Rico Guerra.
Denzil Phillip, of Barataria, was charged with the offence when he appeared before Master Mohammed in the North ‘D’ Court, on January 23. The matter was adjourned to April 22.
Guerra, 36, of Port of Spain, was found along the Brian Lara Promenade, Port of Spain, with stab wounds to his body. He was taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital for medical treatment where he subsequently died.
One male suspect was arrested on January 17 by officers of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations (HBI), Region One.
Investigations were supervised by acting ASP Ramjag, acting Insp Seecharan, acting Insp Ramsumair, acting Insp Stanislaus and Legal Officer PC Felix, all of HBI Region One, together with other various agencies.
Phillip was charged with the offence by PC Ramsawak, also of HBI Region One, on January 22, following advice from Director of Public Prosecutions, Roger Gaspard SC, on that same date.
The Central Bank and Clico’s management have withdrawn a 15-year-old civil lawsuit arising out of the collapse of the former insurance giant, as part of a broader winding-down of major litigation linked to the CL Financial (CLF) collapse.
Attorneys for the CBTT and Clico first conveyed the proposal to lawyers for the estate of Clico’s late former chairman, Lawrence Duprey; his company, Dalco Capital Management Ltd; former CLF executive, Andre Monteil; and his company, Stone Street Capital, as well as former CLF corporate secretary, Gita Sakal, last week.
At a hearing on January 26, they confirmed the position with the judge presiding over the lawsuit.
Justice Robin Mohammed acknowledged the notice of discontinuance filed by Clico and the bank, and will hear the parties on how costs are to be determined and the quantum in March. However, he has signalled that it would be on the prescribed scale and would only go into the assessed scale on very exceptional circumstances.
Senior Counsel Ian Benjamin, who led a team for the bank, said he expects discussions between the parties on the outstanding issue, since his client was a public institution.
In response, Senior Counsel Justin Phelps, whose submissions the other defendants adopted, urged against a lengthy assessment process. Phelps took issue with statements made by the bank’s attorneys in correspondence to the defendants, reaching the media, which, he said, were “highly prejudicial.” He called for an on-the record statement since, according to him, “The present position of these defendants is that not a single one of the serious pleaded allegations against them has ever gotten anywhere after 15 years.”
After hearing both sides, Justice Mohammed said that while the decision on liability was taken out of the court’s hands, the question of costs, on entitlement and quantification, remained with it and notwithstanding the rules on costs in a discontinuance, this could vary based on exceptional circumstances why costs should not follow.
Attorney General John Jeremie –
The decision to withdraw the lawsuit comes a little over a week after Attorney General John Jeremie, SC, announced in Parliament that the state intended to bring an end to civil litigation connected to the collapse of Clico and CLF.
Last week, attorneys for the Central Bank and Clico referred to the findings of the Sir Anthony Colman Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the failure of the companies, which was laid in Parliament by Jeremie on January 16.
“In light of the Colman Commission’s findings and in an effort to save further time and cost on these matters, we have been instructed by our clients to withdraw this claim and propose that the claimants be permitted to do so with each party bearing its own costs,” the letter to the defendants said.
The lawsuit, filed in 2011, sought to hold the former executives personally liable for decisions allegedly leading to the collapse of Clico and a multibillion-dollar government bailout and takeover in 2009. The defendants were accused of mismanaging the company by misapplying and misappropriating its income and assets to the detriment of policyholders and investors.
Through the claim, the Central Bank and Clico were seeking damages and restitution for losses allegedly incurred during the executives’ tenure.
The trial commenced earlier in January, with attorneys for the Central Bank and Clico leading evidence from two witnesses — former Central Bank governor Ewart Williams and the bank’s manager of insurance, Natalie Roopchandsingh. Williams completed his evidence and was cross-examined by all defence teams, while Roopchandsingh was in the midst of cross-examination when an adjournment was sought to consider the case’s future.
Although the Colman Commission completed its work and submitted its report in June 2016, it was not made public at the time. It was instead forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to determine whether criminal charges could be pursued.
Speaking in Parliament, Jeremie revealed that the state had incurred between $3 billion and $4 billion in legal, accounting and administrative costs, in addition to approximately $28 billion spent to bail out CLF and Clico. He said continuing expensive litigation could no longer be justified.
While noting that criminal proceedings fall within the DPP’s remit and that the Minister of Finance exercises oversight over the Central Bank, Jeremie said he had the authority to discontinue civil proceedings to prevent further expenditure of taxpayers’ funds.
“I can, however, end civil proceedings. And I propose to do so now, in a cost-effective manner,” Jeremie said.
BAT winding-up application
Meanwhile, the Central Bank announced on January 23 that it had applied for leave to petition the High Court for the winding up of British American Insurance Company (Trinidad) Ltd (BAT), another former member of the CLF group.
In a media release, the Central Bank said the application became necessary due to BAT’s continued insolvency. While the company has sufficient assets set aside to meet the obligations of traditional policyholders—including holders of ordinary and industrial life insurance policies, accident and sickness insurance policies, disability income policies and annuities—it does not have the assets required to repay its other debts.
“The Insurance Act 2018 requires that the Central Bank take necessary action when an insurance company continues to be insolvent,” the Bank said, adding that BAT was unable to improve its financial position despite its best efforts.
The regulator assured that policyholders would continue to be serviced as usual during the winding-up process.
“Your policies remain in effect, and you will continue to receive all your contractually due payments and benefits, including pensions,” the Central Bank said, noting that this is possible because the Government injected sufficient assets to protect policyholders and the traditional insurance portfolio.
Andre Monteil, former Stone Street Capital executive. –
The Central Bank said it could not say how long the winding-up process would take, as the matter is still at the stage of an application for leave to be determined by the court.
BAT collapsed in 2009 alongside Clico, Clico Investment Bank and Caribbean Money Market Brokers, all part of the CLF conglomerate.
Government settles Proman-CLF Privy Council dispute
In a separate statement on January 19, the Office of the Attorney General announced a settlement of the Privy Council appeal involving Proman Holdings (Barbados) Ltd and CLF, describing the matter as one that posed a serious threat to Trinidad and Tobago’s economic well-being.
According to the release, upon assuming office, the Government inherited several complex legal disputes from the previous administration, including the high-profile Privy Council appeal arising out of a controversial share transfer involving Clico Energy Company Ltd, now known as Process Energy (Trinidad) Company Ltd (PETL).
The dispute centred on a purchase and sale agreement dated February 3, 2009, under which CLF, purportedly acting through Duprey, its then chairman, sought to transfer a 51 per cent shareholding in CLICO Energy to Proman for US$46.5 million. The transaction was challenged in the High Court, with Justice Devindra Rampersad ruling in September 2021 that the transfer was invalid.
Justice Rampersad ordered Proman to return the shares to CLF and to account for dividends and distributions received, which were ultimately valued at more than US$185.9 million, exclusive of interest.
Proman appealed, but the ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal, which described the matter as “high stakes, full-blown, adversarial litigation involving well-renowned Titans of Trade and Industry.” Proman then pursued a final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
The Attorney General’s Office said that immediately upon taking office, the Government—then the majority shareholder and largest creditor of CLF—sought advice from senior King’s Counsel in London on the prospects of success before the Privy Council.
After receiving that advice, the Government opted to continue settlement negotiations that had been initiated under the former administration. The statement said careful consideration was given to the litigation risks involved, including the “very real possibility” that aspects of the Court of Appeal’s ruling could be overturned.
Ultimately, CLF, with the agreement of its liquidator and the sanction of the court, agreed to sell the disputed shares to Proman as part of a compromise to bring the Privy Council proceedings to an end.
The Attorney General’s Office said the settlement allowed the state to recover significant funds while avoiding the substantial financial and legal risks of continued litigation.
“This decision balanced the national interest, the prospects of success and the need to protect public finances,” the release stated, adding that the settlement brought finality to one of the most significant and long-standing disputes arising out of the collapse of the CLF group.
Trincity Mall sale terminated
In late 2025, the government also moved to halt the sale of Trincity Mall, one of the most valuable commercial properties in the CLF portfolio and a key asset of Home Construction Ltd (HCL), a subsidiary. The government agreed to accept the consortium of buyers’ proposal for the return of their deposit and related costs.
The consortium of buyers behind the $505 million purchase of Trincity Mall expressed its intention to pull out of the deal due to the criminal investigation into the sale of CLF assets and the High Court injunction that halted the transaction. The injunction halted the pending sale just hours before it was due to be finalised, amid mounting scrutiny over the management of CLF’s liquidation.
The sale of the mall had received the go-ahead in April by liquidators Grant Thornton to the consortium comprising businessmen John Aboud and Anthony Rahael, along with contractors Kallco Ltd and Fides Ltd.
Attorneys for the consortium had noted that the buyers had been “ready and willing” to complete the transaction but could no longer proceed due to “serious concerns about the legality and validity of the sale.”
“We further note the recent reports on commentary by the main creditor of CLF (the government) regarding the sale of assets by the liquidator, as well as the report that the Commissioner of Police has directed the Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau (ACIB) to launch a criminal probe into the sale of key CLF assets,” a letter to the liquidators stated.
The letter said those developments “have a considerable negative impact, both on our client and on the transaction,” and raised questions about whether the vendor could “provide clear title or meet the conditions precedent” of the sale agreement.
It also added that the uncertainty surrounding the sale had already caused reputational damage, operational disruptions, and financial exposure for the consortium and mall tenants.
“At minimum, the issues that have been raised expose our client and the target to considerable (unwarranted) reputational risk,” the letter continued. “The injunction and/or the probes that are apparently to be conducted, to the extent that they impact the vendor’s ability to complete the proposed sale, will delay the closing of the transaction.”
It further noted that the mounting legal and political fallout constitutes a “material adverse change” under the sale agreement, entitling the purchasers to withdraw from the deal. She proposed an amicable termination under Clause 11.1(v) of the contract and requested a full refund of the deposit, along with reimbursement of costs totalling $4.75 million, inclusive of accrued interest.
“It is in the best interests of all parties to resolve this matter amicably.” That matter is still being finalised.
Police are investigating an incident in which a Rio Claro man was stabbed several times, and his house was set ablaze early on January 25.
Police said a 59-year-old man and 37-year-old woman were asleep when they heard someone calling outside the home around 3.30 am. The male occupant went outside and saw a man known to him armed with a knife, who then stabbed him several times.
The female occupant then ran out the front door as the suspect allegedly set the house on fire. Officers of the Rio Claro Fire Station responded, but the structure was completely destroyed.
A Blue Range, Diego Martin man who allegedly broke into a woman’s home and tried to assault her is in hospital under police guard after the woman’s relatives caught and subdued him metres from the home.
At around 2 am on January 25, the 38-year-old victim locked the doors and windows of her Diego Martin home and went to bed.
She told police she was awakened about an hour later by a noise in her bedroom, and saw a man standing near her bed with his back towards her and his pants down by his knees.
The suspect turned around and allegedly told her to get up, but the victim refused to follow his orders and the duo began fighting.
A male relative, who lives in another part of the house, heard the commotion and went to investigate.
Upon seeing what was happening, he began fighting with the man in the living room.
The assailant eventually ran out a door in the living room and escaped.
However, the victim’s relatives chased the man and held him until police arrived.
Officers from the West End Police Station arrived at the scene and found the suspect lying on the ground, partially beneath a silver Mitsubishi pickup.
The 40-year-old man was found covered in blood with a piece of rope tied around his neck.
There were wounds to his chest, left rib area and buttocks.
First responders took the suspect to the Port of Spain General Hospital where he remains listed in stable but critical condition.
Investigators believe the man tampered with a latch on the bedroom window to gain entry.
The woman and two other male relatives were also taken to the West End Police Station where they gave statements to police.
PC Bernard of the West End Police Station is leading the investigation.
A DUMP TRUCK DRIVER was robbed by four men while working at the Beetham Landfill, Port of Spain, on January 25.
Police said the victim, a resident of La Paille Gardens, Caroni, was driving a blue and red Nissan CK20 dump truck out of the landfill around 1.20 pm when he was approached by the men, who announced a robbery.
The attackers stole a grey Samsung S20 cellphone in a blue case valued at $2,000, a black wallet valued at $200 containing $675 in cash, and a First Citizens bankcard.
They also took a black Adidas strap bag valued at $60, which contained keys to the victim’s personal vehicle and his home.
Descriptions were provided for three of the suspects, all of African descent and brown in complexion.
The first suspect is said to be about six feet tall, slim-built, with a cane-row comb-back hairstyle and a long, slim, clean-shaven face. He was wearing a white vest and blue three-quarter pants.
The second also six feet tall, slim built, with low-cut hair. He was wearing a green T-shirt and blue three-quarter pants.
The third man is said to be five feet three inches tall, slim built, with a round face and no facial hair. He was wearing a yellow and black padded jet ski vest and brown three-quarter pants.
POLICE are investigating two separate reports of rape involving an 18-year-old in Enterprise and a 20-year-old in La Brea over the weekend.
According to reports, around 12.30 am on January 25, an 18-year-old woman was walking along Enterprise Street, Chaguanas, when she was approached by a man who identified himself as “Malcolm.”
Police said the woman, who was reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time, agreed to accompany the man to his home. On arrival, the man allegedly had sexual intercourse with the victim without her consent.
The suspect is described as being of African descent, slim-built, dark in complexion, and approximately five feet, six inches tall. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a blue T-shirt and blue jeans.
Investigations are ongoing, and police said the man was later identified.
In an unrelated incident, a 20-year-old woman from La Brea told police she was raped by her stepfather at their home on January 24.
The victim reported that around 11.30 am on January 24, she was changing her clothes in her mother’s bedroom when her stepfather entered and assaulted her. She made a formal report at the La Brea Police Station at around 5.30 pm on January 25.
The woman was taken to the Siparia District Health Facility for a medical examination. While the medical report noted no visible external injuries, it documented active internal bleeding and abrasions believed to have been inflicted by a sharp object.
The High Court has dismissed a claim brought by a registered nurse against the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) over salary deductions made following her prolonged illness.
In dismissing Nicolia McLean-Kelly’s lawsuit on January 26, Justice Westmin James ruled that the SWRHA acted lawfully and within the terms of the employment contract.
“The deductions from the claimant’s salary arose directly from the formal reclassification of her leave as unpaid following exhaustion of her contractual entitlement.
“The claimant argues that because she was initially paid in full while hospitalised at the defendant’s institution, the subsequent recovery of salary was unlawful or unfair. I do not accept that contention,” the judge wrote.
In deciding the case, Justice James held that the SWRHA neither breached McLean-Kelly’s contract nor improperly exercised its discretion in classifying periods of her illness as leave without pay.
McLean-Kelly had sued to recover $63,482.08 deducted from her salary after the SWRHA reclassified portions of her sick leave as unpaid. She also sought damages for breach of contract, loss of gratuity amounting to $13,917, aggravated and exemplary damages, and interest.
The nurse, who has been employed at the San Fernando General Hospital since 2018, became critically ill in July 2020 after contracting mycoplasma pneumonia while on duty. She was hospitalised for several weeks, including more than three weeks in the Intensive Care Unit, during which she suffered cardiac arrests and later underwent emergency lung surgery. She also sustained an unrelated injury in July 2021.
McLean-Kelly argued that the SWRHA unlawfully reclassified her sick leave as leave without pay and made unauthorised monthly deductions from her salary without notice. She contended that the SWRHA failed to properly exercise its discretion under her contract and should have treated her absence as paid sick leave or injury leave, given the severity of her condition.
The SWRHA denied the claim, maintaining that under clause 9(a) of the employment contract, contracted employees are entitled to only 14 working days of paid sick leave per contract year, with any additional leave granted at the employer’s discretion. The SWRHA said McLean-Kelly exhausted that entitlement by late July 2020 and that subsequent payments amounted to overpayments of public funds, which it was legally obliged to recover.
Justice James held that the contract clearly limited paid sick leave to 14 days and gave the employer a broad discretion to determine whether any extended sick leave should be paid. He found that this discretion was lawfully exercised in accordance with established HR policies applicable to contract employees, which “normally” provide for extended sick leave without pay.
He rejected the claimant’s argument that internal HR guidelines unlawfully overrode her contract, noting that the contract expressly required employees to comply with applicable policies and procedures. The judge also found it implausible that the claimant, as a senior nurse in a highly regulated institution, was unaware of the existence of such policies.
In his ruling, Justice James concluded that the SWRHA’s decision was rational, non-arbitrary, and consistent with how other contract employees are treated. He ruled that the SWRHA was entitled to distinguish between contract and permanent staff and that the seriousness of McLean-Kelly’s illness, while justifying extended leave, did not compel the payment of salary beyond her contractual entitlement.
On the issue of deductions, he found that the overpayments arose because medical certificates could only be issued at the end of hospitalisation and that HR was therefore unable to reclassify the leave sooner. Once the overpayments were identified, the authority was legally bound under the Exchequer and Audit Act to recover the funds.
In dismissing the claim in its entirety, the judge ordered McLean-Kelly to pay the SWRHA’s prescribed costs of $19,479.80, excluding VAT. A 90-day stay of execution was granted.
McLean-Kelly was represented by Nigel Transcoso and Shivanna Kitwaroo, while the SWRHA was represented by Michael Rooplal and Marissa Ciara Ramsoondar.
West Indies have announced their 15-man team for the 2026 International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. The squad was revealed via a short video presentation by Cricket West Indies (CWI) on social media on January 26.
The team will be captained by Barbadian wicket-keeper/batsman Shai Hope and features many regulars and players who would have made the squad for the previous T20 World Cup in 2024. Some of the players retaining their spots from the last World Cup are: Test captain Roston Chase; Akeal Hosein; Gudakesh Motie; Rovman Powell; Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd. Left-handed opener Evin Lewis and recovering fast bowler Alzarri Joseph are two of the notable absentees from the squad, with hard-hitting Guyanese batsman Quentin Sampson arguably serving as the wildcard pick in coach Daren Sammy’s squad for the World Cup.
Sampson, 25, only made his debut for the Windies in their three-match T20 series versus Afghanistan from January 19-22. Sampson made 30 off 24 balls on debut, but followed that up with scores of two and three as the West Indies surrendered the series 2-1.
Via a post to his Instagram story on January 26, the 34-year-old Lewis hinted at a possible retirement.
“Just wanna thank everyone who supported me in my ten years of international cricket, but I think the time has come for me to depart,” Lewis said. “Stay tuned.”
A powerful and destructive player on his day, Lewis has played 70 One-day Internationals and 67 T20s for the Windies. In the T20 format, he has struck two centuries and 13 fifties and has amassed 1,799 runs for the Men In Maroon, averaging 29.01 at a strike rate of 152.07.
For the T20 World Cup, the two-time champions West Indies are in group C alongside England, Italy, Nepal and a Scotland team which has come into the tournament as a replacement for Bangladesh. The Windies will open their campaign against the Scots on February 7 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India.
A BARRACKPORE WOMAN is believed to have been killed during a home invasion on January 25.
Merril Sabessar, 65, was found dead in a pool of blood on her bedroom floor around 1.30 pm while her house appeared ransacked and her white Nissan Tiida was missing.
She was last seen alive on her front porch around 6.30 am that day.
Homicide Region Three is continuing investigations.
TAMEIKA DARIUS captured the 2026 National Calypso Queen title with a powerful performance that blended striking visual presentation and sharp social commentary.
Darius took the stage on January 25, at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s. She was dressed in a flowing white gown and an isicholo, the traditional flared headwear of the Zulu people. The look was completed with a glittering navy-blue waterfall necklace, creating an ethereal visual.
Her winning song, No Love, struck the audience with the force of a headline. Through pointed lyrics, Darius delivered a hard-hitting critique of modern society, stripping away pretence to expose what she portrayed as a growing coldness among people.
She sang of a world in which the “it takes a village” philosophy has been replaced by a disconnected “every man for himself” mentality, arguing this erosion of empathy lies at the heart of rising crime and social decay.
The competition was fierce, reflected in a tightly contested leaderboard. Naomi Sinnette secured second place after a strong showing, followed by Kerine “Tiny” Williams-Figaro in third and Alana “Lady Watchman” Sinnette-Khan in fourth.
Ultimately, No Love stood out as a plea for a return to humanity. Through her lyrics, Darius urged citizens to reconnect with compassion, suggesting unity, rather than indifference, is essential to building a better nation.
IN her opening address at the 2026 TT Energy Conference, at the Hyatt Regency on January 26, Energy Chamber chairperson Mala Baliraj promised to review the Safe To Work (STOW) programme and the governance of the chamber.
“We have committed to reflect, review and make changes as needed,” she said.
“Our intention is always to work towards a collaborative approach with all of our stakeholders as such, we hope to be able to reposition and create a space for open and structured engagement with the government that supports the best outcomes for the sector.”
She admitted that STOW served as a barrier to some companies and noted feedback from the membership that the programme did not always meet its goal of improving safety standards.
She said the same was noted in the chamber’s opening speech in 2025.
“Given the clear position of the honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, this configuration of contractor safety management certification and contractor pre-qualification will not be maintained in its current construct.”
With regard to the governance, Baliraj said the chamber will also make changes to its framework.
“The energy chamber is varied and includes ownership of every structure among the roughly 400 members. The range is from huge global corporations to micro enterprises and everything in between, in order to guard against the dominance of one set of interests over another, there is a robust, transparent governance framework that reflects the breadth of membership.”
The statements came after heavy criticism of the operations of the chamber from the government.
Last week, the Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, announced plans to boycott the conference and Minister of Energy Roodal Moonilal announced plans to attend the India Energy Conference instead which will be held from January 27.
Moonilal at the post-Cabinet media conference, on January 22, reiterated concerns by the Prime Minister on the STOW entry requirements.
“STOW through the Energy Chamber is holding businesses to ransom by having a monopoly on who can conduct business in the energy sector using health and safety as a strangling tool,” he said.
