标签： Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jearlean John has announced a sweeping operational realignment across her portfolio, addressing longstanding systemic flaws that have drained public resources and driven steady decline in the country’s national road network. During a press briefing responding to media queries from the Express regarding the future of the Programme for Upgrading Roads Efficiency (PURE) Unit and the recent termination of the unit’s deputy director Hayden Phillip, John confirmed that the restructuring drive is already underway, with no pause to ongoing critical infrastructure works. The minister did not elaborate on the specific circumstances of Phillip’s dismissal, but framed the broader overhaul as a direct response to years of fragmented governance of road maintenance duties. Currently, national road infrastructure responsibilities are split across three separate state entities: the National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (Nidco), which manages major highways, bridge construction and slope stabilization projects; the Highways Division, which supports the Highways Authority in maintaining Trinidad and Tobago’s primary road network; and the PURE Unit, originally launched to address widespread pothole repairs before expanding to oversee local road maintenance under regional corporation jurisdiction. John noted this tripartite division of labor has created crippling operational gaps: rampant duplication of work streams, severe underutilization of skilled full-time government tradespeople already on the public payroll, and persistent waste of taxpayer funds, all of which have accelerated the decay of roads across the twin-island nation. She acknowledged that ordinary citizens have repeatedly and justifiably voiced frustration over deplorable road conditions, including shoddy repair workmanship, multi-week delays for basic maintenance, and potholes that reappear within days of being patched. “These public concerns align directly with the ministry’s own internal assessments, which make clear that we have lacked sufficient oversight and accountability mechanisms across every stage of roadwork planning, execution and post-completion monitoring,” John stated. The core goals of the ongoing realignment are to consolidate overlapping responsibilities, deploy the full expertise of underused in-house skilled workers, eliminate redundant spending, and deliver faster, longer-lasting road repairs for communities nationwide. John emphasized that no PURE Unit frontline staff have been laid off as part of the restructuring, and all existing PURE personnel will be integrated into expanded ministry operations wherever possible to boost overall workforce capacity and productivity. She stressed that the overhaul has not interrupted any active road maintenance projects, and will not do so moving forward. Recent ongoing works include culvert replacement along the 7.5-kilometre stretch of Western Main Road, and a full cylinder crossing rebuild at the 13-kilometre mark in Las Lomas, alongside widespread daily patching and paving operations across all regions of the country. John released verified performance data for the 2026 operational period, noting that between February and September of this year, the ministry resolved 4,036 separate road defects, while the Highways Division patched 335 kilometres of roadway spanning 40,410.48 square metres, consuming 5,343.5 tonnes of asphalt. Looking ahead to the 2027 fiscal year, the government will scale up its national road rehabilitation programme with 57 high-priority infrastructure projects targeted for communities across south, central, east and north-west Trinidad. Complementing road works, the ministry is rolling out an ambitious nationwide drainage improvement initiative designed to mitigate chronic flooding risks and prevent water-related damage to newly repaired roads. Priority zones for desilting and structural upgrades include the flood-prone Caroni, North Oropouche and South Oropouche river basins. Planned works include full upgrades to the Williams Street Pump Station in El Socorro South and the Bamboo No 3 Pump Station, design and construction of new sediment traps on the St Joseph and Arima rivers, and maintenance dredging of the lower Caroni River. Seven active drainage projects are on track for completion in the 2027 fiscal year, with additional planned works covering channel reshaping, river bank stabilization, reinforced channel linings and retaining walls, rehabilitation of failed drainage structures, and critical outfall drain upgrades. John concluded that the full suite of integrated infrastructure interventions is designed to maximize value for every dollar of public spending, deliver durable, high-standard public assets, reduce recurrent flood damage to communities, and reverse decades of underperformance in the national road network.

A 41-year-old man wanted in connection with a reported home invasion assault was killed in an officer-involved shooting at a residential property in the Hindustan, Princes Town area of Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday morning, according to official statements from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).
The suspect, identified by law enforcement as Timmon Francios of Naggee Road, Hindustan, New Grant, was the target of an active manhunt launched after a 41-year-old woman filed a home invasion report on Saturday at approximately 1 p.m. from the Indian Walk neighborhood. The victim told responding officers that an unidentified male intruder armed with a cutlass forced his way into her private residence, physically assaulted her, and fled the scene before authorities arrived.
Following leads gathered over the course of the investigation, a team of officers assigned to the case traveled to a Naggee Road address shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday, where intelligence indicated Francios was staying. Upon approaching the property and clearly identifying themselves as law enforcement personnel, the officers encountered Francios who was in possession of a cutlass. Per the TTPS official media statement, Francios became immediately hostile, disregarded multiple explicit verbal orders to surrender his weapon, and moved directly toward the officers while swinging the bladed implement. Facing what they assessed as an imminent, life-threatening danger, the on-scene officers discharged their service weapons, striking Francios.
Emergency medical teams transported Francios to a nearby healthcare facility for urgent care, but he was pronounced dead a short time later on Sunday. In line with standard national law enforcement protocol for all police use-of-force incidents, the shooting has been formally referred to the independent oversight investigative body, with full open inquiries currently underway to review the sequence of events.
Trinidad and Tobago Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro used the incident to issue a public advisory to all citizens, emphasizing that unprovoked aggression or violent resistance toward officers performing their official duties creates unnecessary, fatal risk for all parties involved. “When law enforcement officers clearly identify themselves and issue lawful, reasonable instructions, members of the public are obligated to comply to avoid tragic outcomes,” Guevarro stated. “Anyone who chooses to threaten, assault, or advance on officers with a deadly weapon puts every bystander, every officer, and themselves in mortal peril, creating scenarios where officers have no choice but to deploy force to preserve human life.” The TTPS reaffirmed its public commitment to full, impartial, transparent reviews of every incident that involves lethal force deployed by on-duty officers, noting that the latest fatality pushes the total number of people killed in police-related confrontations across the country to over 32 so far this calendar year.

An overwhelmed, distraught mourner, understood to be a close relative of 53-year-old murdered attorney Taradath Singh, broke down in uncontrollable sobs beside Singh’s flower-adorned dark wooden casket during his recent funeral, recounting that he had repeatedly warned the legal practitioner that hostile parties were closing in on him. Clasping his head in his hands as he gazed down at Singh’s remains, the mourner wailed publicly through tears, “I talked to you, brother, I begged you. I told you they were coming. You’ve broken this old man’s heart.” He went on to laud Singh’s sterling professional reputation, insisting no local lawyer matched his genuine, unselfish dedication to his clients, before stumbling away from the casket past crowds of other grieving attendees, a parked hearse, and a marked police patrol vehicle stationed outside the service held at Singh’s Penn Trace, Enterprise home. The casket was decorated with vibrant red roses, alongside clusters of white and yellow blooms, while a large memorial banner emblazoned with Singh’s portrait hung on a nearby exterior wall to honor his memory. Singh was gunned down in a brazen targeted attack shortly after leaving the Power House Gym at the intersection of Caroni Savannah Road and ASJA Avenue in Charlieville at 6:25 p.m. last Tuesday, roughly one month after his BMW vehicle was shot at while he was arriving home. Dressed in a blue coverall, a masked assailant approached Singh and opened fire multiple times; the attorney managed to run a short distance toward the nearby ASJA compound before collapsing, and was pronounced dead minutes later. Singh’s brother Percival, who officiated the funeral service, shared a deeply poignant final voice note that Singh recorded just days before his death, in which he reflected on the universal ups and downs of human life, urged struggling loved ones to stay resilient through hardship, and prioritized collective peace, joy, and mutual love over calls for retribution. “Life is a mix of joy, sorrow, crying, and pain — it is all part of the package of living and dying. No hard moment lasts forever. Stay strong, enjoy each day, love the people around you, and work hard,” Singh stated in the recording. Percival emphasized that his brother had clearly sensed the looming threat against his life, made peace with his fate through his Christian faith, and intentionally left the message to guide his family and community rather than demanding justice for himself. He called on attendees to honor Singh’s legacy by practicing forgiveness, and urged the unknown perpetrators to seek repentance for their crime. During a press conference held the day after the homicide, Deputy Commissioner of Police Suzette Martin confirmed that active investigations were underway for both the fatal shooting and the earlier September 28 attack on Singh’s BMW, but declined to share details on potential suspects or possible links to Singh’s active legal caseload, citing the sensitive, early stage of the probe. WPC Mohammed of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations remains the lead officer assigned to the case. Following the emotional home funeral service, Singh’s remains were transported to and interred at the Waterloo Cremation Site.

During a guest appearance on TTT’s Focus public affairs program this past Saturday, Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander issued a formal public call for all local financial institutions to conduct a full top-to-bottom review of their operational and customer safety frameworks, in response to a sharp, documented rise in violent robberies targeting individuals immediately after they complete large cash withdrawals. Alexander laid out two distinct, verified vectors that criminal networks are exploiting to target victims, the first being visible surveillance of bank premises by operatives posing as routine customers, and the second, far more concerning risk of insider information leaks from bank staff who have been cultivated by criminal groups to share sensitive transaction details. Citing recent public data compiled by the Sunday Express, the minister noted that at least seven separate targeted robbery incidents have been reported so far this year, with a combined total of $380,500 stolen from assaulted victims. The two most recent high-profile cases saw female customers attacked and robbed shortly after completing large cash withdrawals at separate bank branches in Maraval and Trincity, with law enforcement confirming preliminary investigations indicate both women were identified inside their respective branches and followed by assailants who struck as soon as they exited the premises. To curb the risk of on-site surveillance, Alexander mandated that banks immediately relocate all cash-counting machines away from public corridors and high-foot-traffic customer areas, where bystanders can easily view the exact sums of money customers are handling. He also emphasized that banks must implement stricter access controls to ensure all transaction-related customer data is restricted exclusively to authorized staff directly involved in processing the account activity, eliminating exposure to unauthorized personnel or external visitors. Addressing the insider leak risk, the minister stressed that financial institutions bear full responsibility for vetting staff access to sensitive customer records and upholding the highest standards of data integrity for employees entrusted with private financial information, noting that criminals have demonstrated a pattern of recruiting insiders to share advance details of planned large deposits and withdrawals that allow them to target victims with near-perfect prior knowledge of the cash they are carrying. Beyond institutional reforms, Alexander laid out a suite of targeted guidance for the public and business community to reduce their personal risk. He strongly encouraged widespread adoption of online and digital banking tools to eliminate the need for customers to carry large sums of physical cash entirely, noting that while elderly users and other less digitally literate groups may require dedicated onboarding support to use these platforms safely, electronic fund transfers drastically cut the risk of violent robbery during transit. For businesses that still need to handle large volumes of cash for operational purposes, Alexander recommended that larger enterprises with sufficient budgets contract licensed private security firms for cash pickup and transport services, while acknowledging that small and medium-sized businesses with limited resources would need to explore alternative mitigation steps. He also advised all regular banking customers to avoid establishing rigid, predictable routines for their bank visits, such as travelling to the branch at the exact same time on the same day every week, as this pattern allows criminal surveillance teams to easily anticipate their movements. Finally, he urged local business owners to build collaborative, proactive relationships with their neighborhood police divisions, to streamline access to timely security support and rapid response in the event of suspicious activity related to their banking trips.

Hayden Phillip, former second-in-command of Trinidad and Tobago’s Programme for Upgrading Roads Efficiency (PURE) under the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure (MOWI), has been summarily dismissed following a sweeping series of internal and cross-agency audits that uncovered systemic governance failures, unethical procurement practices, and potential misuse of hundreds of millions of dollars in public infrastructure funds. The September 25, 2026 termination order, delivered via a 12-page official letter signed by MOWI Permanent Secretary Ian Ramdahin, accuses Phillip of gross misconduct, public office malfeasance, and fundamental breaches of his employment contract, with immediate effect barring him from accessing all ministry premises, databases, financial systems, and official communication channels, and requiring him to surrender all state-owned PURE and MOWI property in his possession.

Established in 2002 as a short-to-medium term intervention to address Trinidad’s rapidly deteriorating national road network, PURE gradually expanded into a full-scale, high-budget infrastructure management unit overseeing road rehabilitation, highway expansion, bridge construction, landslip remediation, and other critical public works across the country. The termination letter notes that Phillip’s appointment as deputy programme director never went through a formal competitive recruitment process, and was improperly influenced by a close relative employed within the MOWI.

The investigation that led to Phillip’s ouster traces back to a preliminary 2025 internal enquiry, which triggered follow-up probes by MOWI’s Internal Audit Department and the Ministry of Finance’s Central Audit Division. The most severe allegations against Phillip center on unreported conflicts of interest and improper personal benefits from contractors awarded lucrative state PURE contracts. Official documents name three companies registered under Phillip and two of his immediate relatives: Roads and Buildings Services Ltd, Lot #19 Villas Ltd, and Omnia TT Ltd. Investigators allege the $3.1 million Millennium Lakes condominium linked to Lot #19 Villas Ltd was directly transferred to Phillip by the directors of a major PURE contractor that had secured multiple multimillion-dollar public works deals. The MOWI further claims Roads and Buildings Services Ltd was used to funnel materials, labour, and business opportunities to affiliated firms in exchange for state contract awards, a violation of core public sector internal control rules designed to prevent corruption.

Audits also exposed a near-total absence of basic operational guardrails across the entire PURE unit, despite its stewardship of hundreds of millions of dollars in annual public funding. Investigators confirmed PURE had no formal written standard operating procedures for core functions including project management, quality assurance, risk assessment, budget tracking, contract administration, dispute resolution, or progress reporting. The unit maintained almost no formal written records of its activities and submitted no structured progress updates to MOWI headquarters, creating massive blind spots that rendered routine oversight and independent audits nearly impossible. No mandatory financial risk assessments were ever conducted on major high-value projects, and the unit had no formal policies in place to prevent fraud, collusion, conflicts of interest, or other unethical behaviour. This lack of basic governance also created dangerous information silos between PURE and MOWI leadership, leading to redundant project planning and widespread inefficient allocation of scarce state infrastructure resources.

A large portion of the investigation focused specifically on the high-profile Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway expansion project, which involved adding new travel lanes along the Chaguanas to Chase Village stretch of the national roadway. Auditors documented pervasive project mismanagement including delayed decision-making, poor inter-departmental coordination, flawed initial design work, and lax contract supervision. Most notably, the unit failed to escalate a $38 million extension of time claim submitted by primary contractor Seereeram Brothers Ltd to MOWI’s legal team in a timely manner, a misstep that could have been mitigated with proper oversight to save the ministry significant time and public funds. PURE leadership also repeatedly failed to flag early warning signs of contractual disputes to senior MOWI officials, allowing minor issues to escalate into costly, unresolvable conflicts.

Probes also identified major structural flaws in the joint procurement framework operated by PURE and the National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (Nipdec). Bids for high-value public contracts were evaluated exclusively by internal PURE and Nipdec staff, with no independent representation from MOWI leadership, legal counsel, certified procurement specialists, or external industry experts. This closed, insular review ecosystem eliminated almost all transparency safeguards, creating a high-risk environment vulnerable to both actual and perceived bias, favouritism, and conflict of interest. Investigators also found no documented records of required reviews from Nipdec’s mandatory Project Definition and Advisory Committee (PDAC), the body formally tasked with signing off on all major procurement recommendations, a gap the MOWI says has cast serious, legitimate doubt on the integrity of the entire public works procurement process for recent years.

All findings from the multi-agency investigation have been formally referred to the Office of the Attorney General for official legal guidance and potential follow-up enforcement action. When contacted by the Sunday Express for comment shortly before noon last Tuesday regarding his termination and the full scope of the allegations, Phillip repeatedly declined to respond, stating only: “I have no comment whatsoever.”

Against a backdrop of recent organizational upheaval within the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC), its president Surujdeo Mangaroo formally inaugurated the highly anticipated annual nine-night Divali Nagar cultural festival in Chaguanas on Friday evening, centering his keynote address on collective solidarity, the safeguarding of ancestral heritage, and thoughtful ethical navigation of the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence landscape. Notably absent from Mangaroo’s opening remarks were direct references to recent high-profile board resignations, gaps in sponsorship support, and public criticism of the NCIC levelled by Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister. Instead, he framed the long-running national cultural celebration as a product of grassroots collective effort rather than administrative coincidence. “Divali Nagar does not materialize out of thin air. It comes to life only because hundreds of people donate their time, expend their energy, and pour their full passion into a mission far larger than any individual,” Mangaroo stated, before extending public recognition to his elected board of directors for their consistent loyalty and backing. He went on to express targeted gratitude to the full ecosystem of contributors that make the event possible: creative vendors and exhibitors showcasing unique products and entrepreneurial vision, performers ranging from musicians and dancers to traditional artists who keep ancestral practices vibrant, and the vast cohort of behind-the-scenes volunteers who carry out critical, often uncelebrated work to keep operations running smoothly. He also highlighted the indispensable role of corporate sponsors and institutional partners, whose financial and logistical support elevates the gathering from a small community event to a nationwide cultural undertaking. The 2026 edition of Divali Nagar unfolds shortly after three appointed board members – Dr Shane Mohammed, Ferida Ramkissoon and Varsha Ramharrack – formally stepped down from their posts. The core thematic focus of this year’s event, “Viveka: Discerning Truth in an Age of AI”, formed the central pillar of Mangaroo’s address, as he called on all Trinidadian citizens to cultivate intentional critical judgment to separate factual truth from misinformation, and ethical action from harmful choices. He explained that Viveka, a foundational concept in Hindu philosophical thought, extends far beyond basic knowledge acquisition. “Viveka is not merely the capacity to accumulate more facts. It is the hard-earned wisdom to identify what truly matters,” he clarified. Mangaroo acknowledged that breakthroughs in artificial intelligence have driven transformative improvements across research, global communication, and commercial sectors, but warned that the unprecedented ability of algorithms to generate massive volumes of content does not eliminate the fundamental human responsibility to verify information. “The fact that a piece of information is easily accessible does not make it inherently true. Just because a new technology makes a certain action possible does not automatically make it morally right,” he posed to the assembled crowd. He emphasized that these complex, high-stakes questions can only be resolved through deliberate human judgment, stressing that all technological advancement must be paired with corresponding moral accountability. He clarified that the event’s 2026 theme is not a rejection of artificial intelligence, noting the technology’s immense positive potential to support schoolchildren, medical practitioners, small-scale farmers, and local businesses. “The real test is whether we can embrace these innovative tools without surrendering our critical thinking, our core values, and our essential humanity,” he argued. Mangaroo issued a specific call to parents and formal educators to prioritize teaching young people to question unvetted content, cross-reference sources, practice mutual respect for others, and anticipate the tangible consequences of their choices. He illustrated this balance by noting that while AI can help a student complete a school assignment, it can never replace the deep process of intellectual growth that forms a young person’s mind; similarly, generative technology can draft a message of condolence, but it cannot replicate the tangible, compassionate act of showing up to support a person experiencing hardship. “We can surround ourselves with the brightest, most advanced digital screens, and still make the darkest, most unethical decisions,” he warned. “Let us welcome technological innovation, but never abandon our capacity for discernment. Let us equip our children with all the digital tools the future has to offer, while grounding them firmly in the timeless values that make any future worth living.” He added that as Trinidad and Tobago positions itself to seize new opportunities in a fast-shifting global landscape, national progress must pair technological advancement with equal investment in moral progress – a core purpose that makes Divali Nagar such a vital national institution. Shifting focus to the broader cultural significance of the multi-day festival, Mangaroo noted that Divali Nagar offers far more than food stalls, retail shopping, and live entertainment. It serves as a rare intergenerational gathering space, and a public platform for all members of Trinidad and Tobago’s diverse population to recognize and celebrate the profound, centuries-long contributions of Indian culture to the nation’s social fabric. He reaffirmed that the event’s ongoing success relies entirely on cross-sector collaboration between volunteers, small business owners, performing artists, corporate sponsors, public institutions, and ordinary attendees. “Every single person who helped bring this year’s Divali Nagar to life is not just helping to run a temporary event. You are acting as stewards of a living cultural inheritance, ensuring it is preserved and passed down intact to the next generation,” he told the crowd. “I wish all attendees a joyful festival, as you celebrate our shared cultural heritage, support our local exhibitors and performers, and leave with a renewed sense of the timeless wisdom our ancestral traditions can offer to the modern world.”