Category: CANA News

Police says they have seized more than US$12 million in cocaine during several operations over the last weekend.

They said that on Saturday night, two men were arrested on Cat Island after they were found with US$7.8 million worth of cocaine in a joint operation involving US drug enforcement officers, DEA, and local officers.

Head of the Drug Enforcement Unit Superintendent Wendy Pearson said ‘while onboard a US helicopter on the southern tip of Cat Island, (we) observed two males in low-lying bushes along with a number or crocus sacks.

‘As a result of that, the officers landed where they proceeded into the low-lying bushes where they detained two males. They then checked those crocus sacks [and] discovered that each of those sacks contained a number of kilo packages of suspected cocaine.’

She said the men, ages 42 and 37, were arrested and taken to New Providence, where the drugs seized weighed 359 kilogrammes.

On Sunday, police, Customs officers and US officials, searched a container at a shipping port in Grand Bahama and found US$4.5 million worth of cocaine. No arrests were made in that matter. The drugs weighed 181 kilograms

US officials say cocaine seizures in the region have increased since 2021, noting that between 2017 and 2020, police seized 2,461.37 pounds of cocaine and between 2021 and 2024, the authorities seized 13,479.36 pounds of cocaine.

The West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) expresses condolences at the passing of Bernard Julien.

Bernard Denis Julien, born in 1950 in Carenage, Trinidad, played for the West Indies between 1973 and 1983 and was part of the winning 1975 World Cup team.

Bernard Julien was one of the players who received a life ban for touring South Africa in 1982-83. Julien died on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at the age of 75.

WIPA President and CEO, Wavell Hinds, remarked, ‘WIPA expresses sincere condolences to the friends and family of former West Indies cricketer Bernard Julien. May you find strength and peace amid your grief. We honour Bernard Julien’s lasting contribution to the game we love; may his soul rest in peace.

The President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Justice Winston Anderson, Monday urged Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries that are not full members of the Trinidad-based court to do so, saying that since its establishment 20 years ago, the CCJ has produced a well deserved and proud record.

Addressing a special sitting to commemorate his inauguration as the the fourth president of the CCJ, Justice Anderson said that fist and foremost, the emphasis will be on the continued production of superior judgments and that the CCJ has firmly rooted the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) in the rule of law ensuring the rights of all Caribbean citizens are respected.

‘A sense of belonging to a community governed by law has begun to take shape in our region,’ he said with regards to the CCJ, which allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services across the region.

While most countries are signatories to the Original Jurisdiction of the CCJ, only Barbados, Belize, Dominica, St. Lucia and Guyana are signatories to the Appellate Jurisdiction of the CCJ that was established on February 14, 2001 by the CARICOM governments to replace the London-based Privy Council. It also functions as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the regional integration grouping.

The Jamaican-born jurist, who was sworn into office in Jamaica in July, said that he hopes during his tenure to continue progressing the efficiency and transparency of the CCJ’s work, noting that in the 20 years of its existence, the CCJ has accumulated a significant body of judicial precedents.

He said the court has delivered a total of 347 decisions comprising 40 in the Original Jurisdiction (OJ), including an advisory opinion and 307 decisions in the Appellate Jurisdiction (AJ) .

‘While our case load has been modest.the decisions of the court have begun to shape the way we, the Caribbean people, live our lives and how we see ourselves,’ Justice Anderson said, adding ‘I suspect that this view needs little advocacy in relation to the original jurisdiction in which all 12 CARICOM member sates participate’.

He acknowledged that the greater work remains to be done in relation to the appellate jurisdiction.

‘We hope, and have reason to believe, that the people of those member states who have acceded to the AJ, recognise our contribution, and we hope that those states which have not yet acceded, will ultimately come to appreciate the value the court offers to the region.

‘The existence of the CCJ has significantly increased the access by Caribbean citizens to final appellate justice,’ he added.

Justice Anderson said that for example, there were 19 appeals from Barbados to the Privy Council in the 20 years immediately before 2005, but in the 20 years since joining the CCJ, there have been 105 appeals from Barbados, an increase of over 450 per cent.

He said in the case of Belize, there were 33 appeals to the Privy Council in the 15 years before accession to the CCJ’s appellate jurisdiction in 2010 and that since then, there have been 56 appeals from Belize to the CCJ, an increase of over 69 per cent.

For Dominica, the numbers were three to the Privy Council in the 10 years before joining the AJ in 2015, and 10 in the 10 years since then, an increase of 233 per cent. St Lucia sent one appeal to the Privy Council in the two years immediately before joining the AJ in 2023 and sent five to the CCJ in the two years since, an increase of 400 percent.

Justice Anderson said that the average increase in appeals has been 288 per cent,’ adding that Guyana, which is the CCJ’s largest, and in that sense, ‘our best customer of our appellate services’ was not included since the country abolished appeals to the Privy Council in 1970.

Justice Anderson said that on the hypothesis of an average increase of 288 per cent in appeals, there would have been a significantly larger number of CCJ appellate decisions had there been full compliance with the obligation in the CCJ Agreement for all member states to join the appellant jurisdiction of the Court.

‘Instead of 307 decisions, there would have been approximately 1,200 decisions. The opportunity cost of non-accession can therefore be measured in terms of reduced access to justice, which is also a denial of justice. Equally, there is a corresponding loss in the opportunity to fulfil the mandate of the CCJ Agreement to develop a Caribbean jurisprudence that is responsive to all areas of Caribbean life. ‘

He said that while the CCJ awaits the accession by the remaining seven jurisdictions, an important phenomenon should not go unnoticed.

‘CCJ decisions in the appellate jurisdiction are given favourable treatment and are increasingly being cited and relied upon by the judiciaries in countries which have not yet acceded to the AJ.’

He said a recent Study indicates that there are at least 450 instances where courts in non-AJ countries have accepted and relied upon decisions of the CCJ in numerous areas, such as constitutional and statutory interpretation, criminal law and sentencing, enforcement of foreign judgments and awards, commercial law and adverse possession.

‘This trend is an encouraging sign for the development of a body of jurisprudence applicable across the entire region.’

Justice Anderson said that very soon, the CCJ will launch its new strategic plan for the next seven years, 2025-2032, reflecting its overarching mission to harness and advance the growth in Caribbean jurisprudence.

‘It embraces our vision of judicial excellence, supported by ever-evolving institutional capacities and competencies. Our core values remain a steadfast compass, and the lodestar continues to be the unrelenting pursuit of Justice.’

Justice Anderson said that the strategic plan recognises, as the first area for strategic priority and intervention, the continued delivery of high-quality judgments to the people and states of the Community.

‘It considers the efficient management of court operations to be essential to upholding the CCJ’s reputation for judicial excellence and independence. Our Bench and administrative support will maintain a constant line of sight to the mission and vision of the Court. The pride of place given in our strategic plan to the judicial output symbolizes in a powerful way that administrative and logistical activities of the court will be intentional in their support of the court’s overriding function. ‘

He said that an aspect of judicial decision-making to which keen attention will be paid is the need to provide clarity of judicial guidance from the apex court and that subject to the overriding principle of judicial independence, ‘we will endeavour to seek consensus and avoid a multiplicity of similar opinions.

‘Instead of nuances in the reasoning of similar opinions the court will prioritise the importance of speaking with a clear voice, presenting coherent guidance, and delivering transparent justice. We will constantly review our procedures for decision-making with a view to creating various opportunities for discussion, consensus, dissension, challenge and agreement, all of which are critical to the adjudicative process.’

The CCJ President said that over the past two decades, the court has benefitted from the expertise of judges from across the region and across the world from various ethnicities, religions, and legal backgrounds.

‘Matters that have come before us are inevitably viewed through varying lenses and perspectives. This has strongly influenced and strengthened our judicial reasoning and has also counselled against unnecessary juridical splintering.’

He said that another area requiring attention is the promotion of accessibility to the court’s decisions, noting ‘it is essential that we make our judgments easily available to our all stakeholders: judicial officers, legal practitioners, law students, and the public’.

He said that while the court’s website contains all the judgments, and the online Library Catalogue makes all judgments and publications of the court readily available ‘accessibility may require a deeper dive’, adding that ‘searchability of judgments is essential to ensuring that relevant cases are followed or cited, as appropriate’.

He said this is where technology can play a vital role and that the CCJ in partnership with the Caribbean Agency for Justice Solutions (CAJS), has sought to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI), with the hope of harnessing its transformative benefits.

But even as he spoke of the contribution AI can make ln ‘fulfilling our responsibility to deliver justice efficiently, to protect and safeguard fundamental rights, and to uphold the rule of law in a rapidly evolving world,’ Justice Anderson said ‘we considered it prudent to issue earlier this year, a Practice Direction on the proper use of generative AI in court proceedings.

‘Recent unfortunate developments in some of our jurisdictions such Trinidad and Tobago and in The Bahamas where cases hallucinated by AI were cited by counsel and properly deprecated by the court, emphasize the need for vigilance in preserving the integrity of our judicial proceedings.

‘At the CCJ, we will continue to monitor the advancements in this field, and to responsibly incorporate emerging technologies to support our work.’

Just over a month after leading his newly formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party to become the main opposition party in the National Assembly, businessman Azruddin Mohamed, has been indicted by a United States grand jury on several fraud related charges.

US authorities said that Mohamed and his businessman father Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed have been charged with wire and mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, stemming from tax evasion on gold exports and the importation of a Lamborghini luxury car

If found guilty on the charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, the Mohameds, who were sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in June last year, could separately face a maximum of 20 years on each count, as well as maximum supervised release of three years, a maximum fine of US$250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

On the charges of wire fraud, the politician businessman could also be sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and maximum supervised release of three years and a fine of US$250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

The Grand Jury is also seeking a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, three years supervised release and a fine of US$500,000 or the value of the property involved in the transaction for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The US is also asking the court that ‘upon conviction.as alleged in this Indictment, the defendants ‘shall forfeit to the United States any property, real or personal, which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to such offense.’

The indictment states that the property directly subject to forfeiture as a result of the alleged offenses includes, but is not limited to, the following: a shipment containing approximately US$5.3 million in gold bars shipped from Guyana by Mohamed ‘s Enterprise seized at Miami International Airport on June 11 , 2024.

The unsealed indictment states that in the case of Azruddin Mohamed, from in or around 2017, and continuing through on or about June 11 , 2024, in Miami-Dade County in the Southern District of Florida, and elsewhere, the defendants, did knowingly, and with the intent to further the objects of the conspiracy, combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other and others, known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit offenses against the United States.

The indictment states that the purpose of the conspiracy was for the defendants to unlawfully enrich themselves and defraud the government of Guyana in connection with taxes and royalties owed.

The US accuses the Mohameds of reusing empty boxes with intact Guyana Revenue Authority and Guyana Gold Board seals for ‘shipments of gold to make it appear that Mohamed’s Enterprise had paid Guyana taxes and royalties on shipments of gold when, in truth and in fact, Mohamed’s Enterprise had not paid them on those shipments of gold.’

The Grand Jury also accuses the Mohameds of paying bribes to Guyanese government officials, including customs officials, so that customs officials would accept shipments of gold by Mohamed’s Enterprise with duplicate paperwork and reused seals thereby avoiding the proper payment of Guyanese taxes and royalties GRA and GGB seals from Miami to Mohamed’s Enterprise office in Guyana.

‘Nazar Mohamed and Azruddin Mohamed reused empty boxes with intact GRA and GGB seals for shipments of gold to make it appear that Mohamed’s Enterprise had paid Guyana taxes and royalties on shipments of gold when, in truth and in fact, Mohamed’s Enterprise had not paid them on those shipments of gold,’ the court document states.

In terms of the Lamborghini purchase and exportation to Guyana, the US Grand jury states he directed an unnamed individual to acquire a Lamborghini from California that cost approximately $680,000 for his benefit, caused the shipment of the Lamborghini via private and commercial interstate carrier from Miami to Guyana.

He also directed ‘Individual 1’ to create an invoice to make it falsely appear that the Lamborghini cost $US75,300 when, in truth and in fact, the Lamborghini cost approximately US$680,000, and caused the false Lamborghini invoice to be presented to the GRA and thereby avoided over one million dollars in taxes he owed to the GRA.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar has quietly carried out a minor re-shuffle of her cabinet less than six months after winning the April 28 general elections in Trinidad and Tobago.

While she did not remove any minister from her cabinet and has so far not made any public statement regarding the changes, the changes took effect from October 3, and were published in the official Gazette a day later.

As a result of the changes, the 73-year-old Persad Bissessar takes on several new responsibilities particularly in the areas of housing grants and self-help programmes. She has taken direct control of the Home Improvement Grants Policy, the Housing and Village Improvement Programme (HVIP), and the Government Aided Self-Help Housing Programme (GASHHP).

Persad Bissessar has also assumed direct responsibility for the portfolio of Constitutional Reform.

Changes were also made to portfolios of eight ministers among them being that the leader of Government Business, Barry Padarath who is also Public Utilities Minister, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, being given additional responsibilities that were under the portfolio of Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal.

The National Health Insurance System (NIS) was moved from the Ministry of Health to Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo, who is also Minister in the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development.

Tancoo was also given responsibility for the Export-Import Bank of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (Eximbank), which was moved from Minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism Satyakama Maharaj.

In national security, the prison system was removed from Justice Minister Devesh Maharaj and placed under the control of Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander.

Opposition Chief Whip, Marvin Gonzales, is questioning why Alexander has been put in charge of matters in the Prisons Service, when he has not addressed allegations in the public domain about visits to the prisons to meet certain inmates.

‘People were expecting a date for delivery of the 2026 budget, not changes in portfolios,’ Gonzales said regarding the reassigning of several ministerial portfolios, including Alexander’s.

‘These changes are a clear sign of internal instability in the Government just five months into office, and the Prime Minister is trying to manage.

‘The Prime Minister maintains the prerogative to make changes to Cabinet portfolios, but just five months into office, during which she installed the largest Cabinet with many ministers receiving salaries yet spending more time blogging, we’re now seeing changes in ministerial portfolios, like Finance Minister (Dave) Tancoo being stripped of key responsibilities like the Valuation Division, and other ministers stripped of the Self-Help programme and Lands.

‘So clearly there’s more in the proverbial mortar than the pestle. For instance, how come the Minister of Justice isn’t responsible for criminal justice?’ Gonzales added.

Political analyst Dr Bishnu Ragoonath told the Trinidad Guardian newspaper that while some portfolio changes can be described as fine-tuning the work of the respective ministries, there are some critical changes.

‘To start with, the Prime Minister is taking the responsibility for Self-Help and social grants. It was clear that under the previous government, there were concerns about how Self-Help was distributed, particularly as elections approached.

‘The PM has decided that this will now fall under her office, and that is critical in determining who gets what. More importantly, with her being the one to dispense, it takes away from other ministers who may have been seen to have the power of patronage. But are we sure it is the PM who will determine who gets what, when, and how?,’ he added.

The Belize government has confirmed that an unexploded and exploded ordnance (UXO) found last week in San Jose Nuevo Palmar Village, northwest of here is a ‘training bomb’ and that the general area was once used as a training ground, ‘and therefore, similar findings may occur’.

In a statement, the Ministry of National Defence and Border Security said it wanted to provide ‘critical information to the public’ regarding the the UXO incident that occurred on October 4.

It said that the UXO was identified as a MK1, General Purpose Medium Capacity/ Aircraft Bomb and that it was ‘confirmed to be a training bomb.

‘These MK1 General Purpose Medium Capacity Bombs are typically armed with TNT; however, this particular training bomb contained only a ‘spotting charge.’ This charge serves as an exploder, producing a small explosion to mark the point of impact during training exercises,’ the ministry said.

It said that the explosion caused by this UXO created a crater measuring approximately three feet wide and two inches deep and that ‘two additional UXOs of the same type were discovered at the site’ and ‘were safely stabilized and relocated by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team of the Belize Defence Force (BDF).

‘The Ministry wishes to advise the public that this general area was once used as a training ground, and therefore, similar findings may occur.’

The ministry said that the BDF Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, which serves as the national expert authority in such matters, emphasises that ‘if any person encounters a suspected UXO, do not touch, move, or tamper with it, immediately report the finding to the Belize Defence Force so that the ordnance can be safely disarmed and removed’.

The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) says it will host the two-day 2025 Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Privacy Symposium that gets underway here on Wednesday.

It said the event brings together privacy professionals from international development institutions to share best practices and address emerging data protection challenges.

The region’s premier financial institution said that since its inception in 2017, the MDB Privacy Symposium has served as a vital platform for collaboration among MDBs, focusing on the development and implementation of privacy programmes.

It said that this year’s edition will place special emphasis on the intersection of data privacy and artificial intelligence (AI), a rapidly evolving area of concern for global institutions.

The symposium will feature interactive sessions on topics related to ensuring privacy programmes are AI-ready, conducting privacy assessments of AI tools, embedding privacy in the project lifecycle, advancing the MDB Privacy Toolkit and reviewing lessons learned from privacy audits and assessments.

‘Hosting the 2025 MDB Privacy Symposium reflects CDB’s commitment to embedding global best practices in data privacy across our operations,’ said CDB’s acting Vice-President of Corporate Services, Ian Durant.

‘This forum will ensure that we can remain informed, proactive and aligned with international standards in the face of AI and digital technologies that are reshaping development,’ he added.

He said that the symposium also supports CDB’s broader strategic goals of deepening partnerships and enhancing institutional capacity.

‘This gathering of experts is not only about compliance, it’s about collaboration. By working together, MDBs can build stronger, more responsive privacy frameworks that will protect individuals and support innovation in development.’

Participants will include privacy officers, legal experts, and digital governance professionals from major global, regional, and sub-regional development banks. The event is expected to generate actionable insights, strengthen the MDB privacy community, and advance collective responses to shared challenges.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Women’s National Team Head Coach Angus Eve has named a strong training squad to begin their final preparations for the upcoming 2025/26 Concacaf W Qualifiers, the first step on the road to the next FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The squad, which sees a blend of experienced veterans and emerging talent, will assemble for a domestic training camp later this week.

The sessions are designed to build fitness and cohesion ahead of a busy international schedule, starting with a high-profile friendly against regional rivals Jamaica at home next month.

This friendly falls within the October international window and serves as a vital tune-up before the competitive action begins.

In November, the team will enter the preliminary stage of the 2025-26 Concacaf W Qualifiers.

The expansive qualifying tournament will see 29 member associations compete across the FIFA Women’s International Match Windows of November 2025, February 2026, and April 2026. Trinidad and Tobago has been drawn in Group F alongside Barbados, Honduras, and El Salvador.

The group stage format will see each team play two home and two away matches. The ultimate prize is a place in the 2026 Concacaf W Championship, with only the six group winners advancing.

‘The details on the Jamaica friendly during the October international window and the November games will be announced in due course,’ a statement from the TT Football Association confirmed.

Coach Eve’s selection features a formidable roster. The experienced Kimika Forbes is expected to provide leadership alongside Keri Myers and Malaika Dedier between the sticks.

The defensive unit boasts names like Victoria Swift, Rhea Belgrave, and Nathifa Hackshaw, who will be tasked with solidifying the backline. The midfield is packed with creative and combative options, including Asha James, Chelcy Ralph, and the versatile Karyn Forbes.

Leading the attack line will be veteran striker Kennya Cordner, supported by the likes of Aaliyah Prince, Tyeisha Griffith, and Afiyah Cornwall, offering a potent mix of pace and power.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WOMEN’S TRAINING SQUAD

GOALKEEPERS: Kimika Forbes, Keri Myers, Malaika Dedier, Tenesha Palmer

DEFENDERS: Victoria Swift, Rhea Belgrave, Chrissy Mitchell, Nathifa Hackshaw, Jade Bekai, Shaunalee Govia, Tsai-Anne Fernandez, Tamara Smart, Kaitlyn Darwent, Kanika Rodriguez

MIDFIELDERS: Asha James, Orielle Martin, Chelcy Ralph, Cherina Steele, Naomie Guerra, Renee Mike, Karyn Forbes, Alexcia Ali, Mariah Williams, Shurella Mendez, Shenieka Paul, Rasheda Archer

FORWARDS: Kennya Cordner, Aaliyah Prince, Nikita Gosine, Afiyah Cornwall, Kayla Prince, Tyeisha Griffith, J’eleisha Alexander, Jovanah Moreno, Sydney Pollard.

The former president of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Sir Dennis Byron, Monday said the region has every confidence that under the stewardship of Justice Winston Anderson, the court ‘will not only flourish but will firmly secure its place as the indispensable guardian of justice in our region’.

Addressing a special sitting of the CCJ to commemorate the inauguration of the Jamaican-born jurist as the CCJ’s fourth president, Sir Dennis said that Justice Anderson’s life’s work has prepared him for ‘this very moment.

‘In welcoming Justice Winston Anderson to the presidency of the Caribbean Court of Justice, we place our trust in a jurist of profound intellect, unwavering principle, and a heart dedicated to the people of this region,’ said Sir Dennis, who served as the court’s second president, adding that in Justice Anderson, his record speaks with a clarity and force that needs little embellishment.

‘He combines scholarship of the highest order with an unswerving commitment to justice, fairness, and the service of our Caribbean people. His intellect is not just sharp; it is generative.

‘He is not only a consumer of jurisprudence but a creator of it. As the author of seminal textbooks and a wealth of publications, he has shaped the minds of a generation of Caribbean lawyers. It is not just his learning but the clarity with which he applies his knowledge.

‘He thinks deeply about the law, not as an abstract set of rules, but as a living instrument for justice. His judicial legacy already speaks for itself. We need look no further than the landmark cases he himself identifies as pivotal,’ said Sir Dennis, himself a jurist of international repute who served as president of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)..

He said that Justice Anderson’s concern for a just criminal system didn’t end in the courtroom and that it fuelled his visionary leadership as founder of the CCJ Academy for Law, culminating in the historic Needham’s Point Declaration.

‘Its recommendations, for laws to support convictions with forensic science and recorded confessions, are precisely the tools needed to build effective cases against the guilty while protecting the innocent.

‘And its significance was amplified by its unanimous endorsement by CARICOM governments, a powerful testament to the region’s acceptance of Justice Anderson’s leadership. This has provided a concrete, regionally-approved framework for our collective fight against crime.’

Sir Dennis recalled other cases involving the new CCJ president, saying ‘these cases reveal a unifying thread: a mind dedicated to principle, a spirit committed to fairness, and an indefatigable drive to raise the standard of Caribbean jurisprudence.

‘He possesses all the human virtues one would hope for in a judge: integrity, humility, and an unshakeable belief in the principles of humanity and the fundamental equality of all people before the law’.

Sir Dennis said that through the CCJ Academy, Justice Anderson has nurtured the next generation of lawyers, judges, and scholars.

He has also served the community in many other capacities, from West Indian cricket governance to International environmental law, from global arbitration to education, always with a sense of duty and distinction.

‘His judicial leadership has already been accepted internationally, not only in the citation of his decisions across jurisdictions both in and beyond the Caribbean, but also in the fact that he was chosen to serve as the head of the Apex Court in the Seychelles.’

Sir Dennis said that he worked with Justice Anderson and that he understands, in his very soul, ‘the value of a Caribbean court for the Caribbean people, a court that commands the confidence of our entire community, from the shores of Jamaica to the islands of Trinidad and beyond.

‘He is a leader who embodies integrity, intellectual excellence, and humanity. At the heart of his vision lies a simple but profound truth: justice is for people, not abstractions. He believes, as I do, in the inherent dignity and equality of all.

‘His leadership will resonate with all our communities, including the Indian diaspora in Trinidad and the wider Caribbean family, because he stands for justice that is inclusive, humane, and fair to all.’

He said that it s this unique combination, his towering intellect, his demonstrable leadership, his deep humanity, ‘and his unwavering belief in our regional project, that makes him the ideal President for this moment.

‘He is uniquely suited to win the confidence of the Caribbean community and to eloquently demonstrate the value of finally and fully embracing our own court. It is this unique combination, his towering intellect, his demonstrable leadership, his deep humanity, and his unwavering belief in our regional project, that makes him the ideal President for this moment.

‘He is uniquely suited to win the confidence of the Caribbean community and to eloquently demonstrate the value of finally and fully embracing our own court,’ Sir Dennis added.

A four-year-old infant school pupil was among five people shot and killed after gunmen opened fire on a group of people playing games at a yard in Linstead, south east of here on Sunday night.

Police said that nine people were shot and that Shannon Gordon, a student of Rosemount Primary and Infant School, was among those killed.

‘Nine persons were shot, five persons have so far been confirmed dead. We are here trying to put together the pieces to determine what really triggered such an awful situation. The community of Linstead has been doing pretty well since this year,’ Assistant Commissioner of Police Christopher Phillips, told reporters.

The police say that several men, some reportedly wearing police-style vests, descended on the premises along Commodore main road, shouting ‘police,’ before opening fire on those in the yard.

The police have named the others killed as Mario Sullivan, 42, Jushane Edwards, 19, Iysha Washington, 39, a vendor, and 22-year-old security guard Famous Amos.

.Phillips said that the location where the shootings took place, is not unfamiliar to police, having been visited on multiple occasions in the past due to ‘long-standing issues and challenges’.

The police are working on the theory that last night’s incident might be a continuation of gang conflict, ‘which comes as a surprise to us because this area has been quiet for a while,’ said ACP Phillips, adding ‘unfortunately among the numbers we have a four-year-old who was brutally killed. the community is in shock.’

‘The men parading as law enforcement officers pose a worrying sign,’ said Phillips, adding ‘we have a team of top investigators working to put the pieces together to determine what triggered such an awful incident’.

Jamaica has recorded 522 murders for the period January to October 4, as compared with 883 for the same period, according to figures released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

The figures show a 40.9 per cent decline in murders in the country.