The State has described yesterday’s public auction of ten properties belonging to Jamaat-al-Muslimeen leader Imam Yasin Abu Bakr and his second-in-command Kala Aki Bua, as a success.
The State were able to raise $5.2 million from yesterday’s auction.
Yesterday’s auction came after a ruling made by Justice Rajendra Narine on September 11 last year in an effort for the State to recover a $32 million debt which resulted from the destruction of the Police Headquarters during
the 1990 attempted coup.

CONVICTED cocaine trafficker Rick Gomes was sentenced to a total of 34 years in prison by High Court Judge Gillian Lucky today.
Gomes was found guilty on two counts of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking on Saturday.
He was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment on both charges. Gomes was convicted of being in possession of 18 packages of cocaine valued at $13 million.
He was also sentenced to five year in prison for possession of a revolver and three years in prison for possession of bullets. The sentences will run concurrently.

   CITIZENS will soon be alerted about impending disaster via their cell phone. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) in conjunctioin with the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT)are expected to launch an Emergenyc Short Message Service (ESMS) tomorrow, the ODPM has announced.

   PROSPECTIVE top cop Canadian Dwayne Gibbs has just concluded a meeting with Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and National Security Brigadier John Sandy where Gibbs’ anti-crime intiatives were discussed. Gibbs’ described today’s meeting as fruitful. Gibbs is now on his way to a meeting with Director of Personnel Administration (DPA) Gloria Edwards-Joseph to discuss his contract, including salary and remuneration package.

   THE family of Jamaat-al-Muslimeen Abu Bakr has so far bought two of his 11 properties which the State put up for auction today in order to recover a $32 million debt resulting from the 1990 attempted coup. The auction is underway and so far four properties have been sold. Bakr’s wife, Fatima, won the bid at $1.1 million for a house at Queens Park West and one of his sons picked up the winning bid of $1.3 million for property in Debe.