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Police Commissioner Gary Griffith is not bowing calls for the suspension of the officers involved in the Morvant shootings.

Yesterday Commissioner Griffith responded to the advice of the Police Complaints Authority that the officers should be suspended while the probe into the June 27^th incident continues.

The police killings of Noel Diamond, Israel Clinton and Joel Jacobs saw violent clashes between police and protesters in and around Port of Spain last week.

The protesters believe the police carried out extra judicial killings.

At a news conference yesterday Commissioner Griffith took to task those who want the officers removed from their positions, including the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago and the P.C.A.

The Commissioner said there must be due process.

The Commissioner has taken the officers directly involved in the shootings off active duty.

A teenager has been charged with the murder of Dial Seepersad.

The 14-year-old boy was to appear before the children’s court yesterday.

He was charged on Monday this week.

According to reports, on July 2^nd this year, 44-year-old Mr. Seepersad was walking along Dookiesingh Street, St. Augustine, when he was approached by the suspect.

It is said an altercation ensued during which the boy stabbed Mr. Seepersad in the chest.

Mr. Seepersad died at the scene and the boy is alleged to have fled.

An investigation was launched into the matter and the minor was arrested on that same day in the presence of his mother.

Police probe 3 more murders, 1 in Laventille and 2 in Arima.

The latest incident occurred in Laventille this morning when gunshots rang out at St. John Street and the bullet riddled body of a man was later discovered in a car.

He has been identified Sheldon Best also known as “2 Bellies”.

He was found lying face down in the front of a silver Nissan Almera with bullet wounds to the head, back and buttocks.

He was clad in a pair of 3-quarter pants.

The vehicle was parked at the side of the roadway near a Utility Police.

Hours earlier a shop owner was gunned down in Wallerfield.

He is Rodell Flaunders.

Reports say shortly after 11 o’ clock last night, 33-year-old Mr. Flaunders was sitting outside his shop located at Mulberry Drive Jacob Hill, when he was approached by an armed assailant.

The man opened fire hitting Mr. Flaunders several times in the chest and back.

The gunman escaped.

Police were contacted.

Mr. Flaunders was rushed to Arima Hospital by officers, but died a short while later.

And Arron Castillo was shot and killed at Clovis Street, Arima.

That incident occurred at 10:30 last night.

Eyewitnesses told police Mr. Castillo was walking along the roadway when on reaching near a pan yard in the area he was approached by a man wearing a plastic bag covering his face.

The suspect then opened fire hitting Mr. Castillo some 8 times.

He reportedly jumped into a nearby drain and made good his escape.

The police were contacted.

However, by the time officers arrived Mr. Castillo was dead.

The government says it has no plans of rushing to reopen the borders ahead of the August 10^th General Election.

Both the National Security Minister and the Minister of Health say keeping the borders closed is one way to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.

The country’s borders have been closed since March this year.

It was one of the first measures taken to deal with the pandemic.

Opposition parties have been asking the government if the borders will stay closed for the election, which was announced by the Prime Minister last Friday.

Yesterday Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said he wouldn’t advise opening the borders now, when one considers what is taking place with the virus internationally.

National Security Minister Stuart Young said keeping the borders closed has nothing to do with the upcoming General Election.

One hundred and 33 positive cases of the virus have been recorded here.

Eight people have died since the virus was first detected.

So far this year, Anguilla, St. Kitts-Nevis, Guyana and Suriname have held elections during the COVID-19 pandemic with none of them re-opening their borders to allow in nationals wanting to participate in the process.

Outgoing MP for Couva north Ramona Ramdial pledges her continued support for the United National Congress.

Despite not being given the nod to represent the party in the upcoming General Elections.

The list of UNC candidates for the August 10^th poll was released on Sunday.

Political Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar has pulled Ms. Ramdial and 5 others including Dr. Bohendratt Tewarie, Fazal Karim, Prakash Ramadhar, Christine Newallo Hosein and Vidia Gayadeen-Gopeesingh, from the slate.

However in response Ms. Ramdial says she is down but not out.

Yesterday Ms. Ramdial told Newscenter 5 she is not yet certain of her next move.

A total of 10 sitting opposition MPs are not on the slate this coming election.

The Water And Sewerage Authority is saying the state of the country’s water resources is worrying.

WASA says drought conditions have been hard on the reservoirs and dams, and even with the start of the rainy season the storage levels have not yet normalised.

Chief Executive Officer of WASA, Mr. Allan Poon King says the situation has resulted in low levels of water, and significant depletion of the commodity.

He says Hillsborough in Tobago is said to be relatively comfortable regarding its levels.

Mr. Poon King admits there have been problems fixing leaks.

He says leak repair programs will be accelerated now that wasa has overcome some of the challenges in that area.

The ruling Peoples National Movement is likened by a former insider to the devil.

Louis Lee Sing, who now chairs the Port of Spain Peoples Movement, says the PNM, the party he once supported, has failed many communities.

Meanwhile, the former Mayor of Port of Spain, says Fuad Abu Bakr’s failed bid to contest the Port of Spain south seat on behalf of the PNM, has put him out of the entity called ‘Better United’.

The group consisted of several smaller parties, including the PPM, and Mr. Abu Bakr’s New National Vision.

Mr. Lee Sing says Fuad Abu Bakr left the grouping with the hope of being a PNM candidate.

Mr. Abu Bakr is now planning to contest the Port of Spain south seat on the ticket of his NNV.

Mr. Lee Sing announced yesterday, his Port of Spain Peoples Movement wouldn’t be contesting the August 10^th election.

He said his party will give support to the parties which make up ‘Better United’, including the Congress Of the People, the Movement for National Development and the Movement for Social Justice.

Fuad Abu Bakr says he will fight his recent arrest in the courts.

The Political Leader of the New National Vision was one of 72 persons arrested during protests and clashes with the police 1 week ago.

Yesterday Mr. Abu Bakr said he did not have access to medication or phone calls and all persons held were denied station bail.

Mr. Abu Bakr said his attorneys are working on a response.

He said the police service would hear from his attorneys.

There is no motive yet for the killing of dance hall artiste Kyle George.

Mr. George widely known as Rebel-6 was shot dead in Viceroy Crescent, Bon Air Gardens during the early hours of yesterday morning.

It is said gunmen stormed his house and opened fire, hitting Mr. George several times in the head and upper body.

Reports say he was shot 20 times, 26-year-old Mr. George died at the scene.

Fans of Rebel-6 have been flooding his social media pages expressing condolences and shock at his death.

His grieving mother says while she is in pain she wants no reprisals for her sons killing.

On a social media post yesterday the mother said her son was no gangster.

She said she spoke with him shortly before he was killed.

She is calling on for an end to violence.

She said while her heart is broken she does not want any retaliation for his murder.

She also wants the perpetrators to repent and ask for god’s forgiveness.