Three Trinidad Cement Ltd (TCL) employees, among them an Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) official, were granted a total of $85,000 bail yesterday when they appeared in court on charges arising out of a confrontation with police. OWTU's TCL Mayo branch president, Earl Fahey, 59, of Mayo Road, and Lewis Guerra, 57, of Whiteland Road, and Mitra Naggessar, 26, of Poonah Road, appeared before San Fernando Magistrate Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds on charges of using obscene language, obstruction, child endangerment and resisting arrest.
They were arrested outside the TCL Mayo Plant, Whiteland, yesterday at around 9 am, after they allegedly blocked a police escort and maxi taxi transporting workers to the plant. At 4 pm the men, handcuffed to each other, were escorted into the Sixth Court. They remained handcuffed as they stood before Magistrate Ramsumair-Hinds.
OWTU president general Ancel Roget attended the afternoon sitting in a show of solidarity with the workers. They were represented by attorney Subhas Panday. Fahey, the father of two, was charged with using obscene language in a public place. He pleaded not guilty and was placed on a $5,000 bond. Guerra, the father of six, was charged with unlawfully exposing a child, Raydon Guerra, under the age of two, so as to permanently endanger or injure the child. Raydon, aged 23 months, is Guerra's son.
He initially pleaded not guilty. However, he was later called back into court and the charge re-read. He was informed the offence had been laid indictably and he was not called upon to plead. He also was charged with resisting PC Matthew Tyson in the execution of his duties. He pleaded not guilty to that charge.
Guerra was granted a $20,000 bail on both charges. He will reappear in the First Court today. Naggessar was charged with obstructing PCs Lincoln Morris and Shaheed Ali in the execution of their duties. He pleaded not guilty to both charges and was also granted $20,000 bail on both charges.
Fahey and Naggessar will reappear in court on May 23. Panday, in his application for bail, said all three men were permanent employees at TCL and had no pending matters or previous convictions.