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New Attorney General Reginald Amour is serving notice that he intends to make the Caribbean Court of Justice the final Court of Appeal.

The statement came at the start of the debate on a private motion in the name of Independent Senator Anthony Viera

In the Upper House yesterday Senator Viera said it is time the country adopts fully the CCJ.

The CCJ is housed in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago’s capital.

However the twin island republic has not fully adopted the court.

Attorney General Amour said the mandate given to him by Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley is clear.

However, Opposition Senator Wade Mark said there is reason for the public’s apprehension where the court is concerned.

Senator Mark said there are flaws in the selection process of those who serve at the CCJ.

Senator Mark is calling for the people’s involvement in the matter through a referendum.

Four CARICOM countries have adopted the CCJ as their final Court of Appeal

They are Barbados, Guyana, Belize and Dominica.

The Prime Minister describes as scam claims of millions of dollars in grants waiting for this country from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

This after Dr. Keith Rowley investigated what at first seemed like a legitimate initiative.

The Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley made the announcement during a media briefing on Sunday.

However details surrounding the amount and purpose of the grant were not revealed.   

However there was a twist in events yesterday as posted on the Prime Minister’s official Facebook page.

He says he will be referring the matter to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and all other relevant authorities.

A shutdown of the Desalination Plant will see several areas without pipe borne water today.

The Water And Sewerage Authority says parts of central and south will have no water because of the shut down.

It says the Point Lisas plant will undergo emergency repairs to the communication control system at the facility.

The operations at the plant will be stopped for a period of 8 hours.

Among the areas to be affected are Chaguanas, Caparo,  Marabella, Claxton Bay, Palmiste and Duncan Village.

Also Quarry Village, Debe, Union Hall and La Romain are to see dry taps today.

Labour leaders appear unfazed by the appeal of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley for them not to shut down the country.

Public Services Association President Leroy Baptiste is of the view the petition may be a little too late.

Yesterday, Mr. Baptiste said the Prime Minister and his government have disrespected the working class by their 2% offer.

Mr. Baptiste believes a battle ahead is inevitable.

The PSA President said workers are not asking for an increase, but for maintenance of their living standards.

On the morning show on i95.5fm yesterday, Mr. Baptiste said the government has also made a mistake by lumping all requests from labour into one.

Meanwhile government’s 2% offer comes up in the Lower House.

Members of the Opposition grilled Finance Minister Colm Imbert about what is now on the table.

Point-a-Pierre MP Davd Lee questioned if the State acted unilaterally when it changed the collective bargaining periods.

But Minister Imbert said the question is based on a false premise.

He faced more questions from Opposition MPs Rudranath Indarsingh and Rodney Charles.

The offer to workers came via the chief personnel officer last Thursday.

The Commission of Enquiry into the tragic deaths of 4 divers at a pipeline belonging to Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd. is in its pre-hearing stage.

The divers Yusuff Henry, Fyzal Kurban, Rishi Nagassar and Kazim Ali Junior were sucked into a 36-inch oil pipeline on which they were working in February.

One diver, Christopher Boodram was the lone survivor.

Yesterday Finance Minister Colm Imbert told the House of Representatives the evidential stage of the Commission of Enquiry will commence soon.

The COE was appointed on April 22^nd.

Former head of Jamaica’s Appeal Court Justice Cecil Dennis Morrison QC chairs the commission.

Local Sub-Sea Specialist Gregory Wilson is a member of the commission while former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj is its Lead Counsel.

The Prime Minister is being accused of not telling the truth, regarding the 25-year-old Robert Sabga report on child abuse at homes funded by the State.

Leader of the Opposition Kamla Persad Bissessar last night said Dr. Keith Rowley keeps changing his story on what happened with the report.

She insisted his government has done nothing about the reports on child abuse, even today.

On the Monday night forum of her United National Congress, Mrs. Persad Bissessar said the Sabga report led to amendments to laws, which seek to protect children.

She also called on the Prime Minister to go after high-ranking people in his party who are alleged to have had some involvement in the abuse of children.

A fatal accident in Icacos.

Twenty-one-year-old Sherine Sherwood died in that accident which occurred on during the early hours of this morning.

Ms. Sherwood was a passenger in the vehicle which is reported to have picked up a skid and flipped several times before hitting a coconut  tree.

The woman died at the scene of the accident.

The driver suffered some injuries and his now hospitalised.

The time of the accident has been given as 2:30am yesterday.

Sherine Sherwood was from Southern Main Road in Cedros.

Opposition Senator David Nakhid says something evil is going on regarding investigations into homes where child abuse is reportedly happening.

Yesterday the Senator called for more details of the Judith Jones probe.

Mr. Nakhid said the government appears to be trying to divert attention away from the concerns contained in the Jones report.

He said the government has diabolically diverted the narrative in the public space.

The Opposition Senator said people appear to be focused only on the 25-year-old Robert Sabga report.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley yesterday insisted he never saw the Sabga report, while sitting as a Member of Parliament 25 years ago.

He said, Mrs. Persad Bissessiar and Mr. Sabga need to apologise.

He said he would call for a public flogging but not at this time.

Police are now investigating the death of a baby in south Trinidad.

The mother of 9-month-old baby Sariah Ramsaroop is confused by her death.

The child was found dead in a bed at her Fyzabad home last Saturday morning.

Sariah’s mother Samantha Sinanan told the Express Newspaper yesterday she couldn’t believe her child is dead.

Twenty-three-year-old Ms. Sinanan said the child appeared to be good before she was put to sleep.

The child’s father Christopher Ramsaroop, is reported to have told investigating officers he found her cold and unmoving after 8 am.

Officers of the Oropouche Police Station were called to the family’s St. John Branch Trace, Avocat home.

AG Cpl. Fortune and WPC Foster were among the officers who visited the scene.

An autopsy is expected today.