A house for Mr Carmona

President-elect Justice Anthony Carmona is expected to move into the house at Flagstaff Hill, St James, which was once occupied by former police commissioner Dwayne Gibbs. Carmona, who will be both Head of State and Commander-in-Chief, is expected to be sworn in on March 18. He is expected to succeed President George Maxwell Richards.

Carmona, his wife Reema and their two children Christian, 12, and Anura, ten, now live in a townhouse at Flagstaff Hill. He would not be able to occupy President’s House, St Ann’s, due to its dilapidated state. President Richards and his wife Dr Jean Ramjohn-Richards were living in a cottage near President’s House, at St Ann’s. Asked about a house for Carmona, a source said yesterday the new president will be moving to a house in Flagstaff. 

“The house he is living in is on a cul-de-sac (a dead-end street). He would have to be moved for security reasons. He is living in a townhouse that he is renting, but he is going to live in the government house that Gibbs was living in.” Having failed to effectively deliver 21st-century policing initiatives, top cops Gibbs and his partner deputy commissioner Jack Ewatski both returned quietly to their native Canada in August 2012. 

Carmona is expected to spend about three months there, to allow Richards, whose term comes to an end on March 17, to move out of the cottage at President House. “This will give the incumbent enough time to pack and so on...there will be no rushing or pressure on the incumbent to move out.”

President House update: Years to repair
Asked about the state of the residence, the source said, “Not much work was done on the official residence. That would take years to repair. I don’t think any work is proceeding on it. “Richards is still living at the cottage. They have to fix it. As far as I know, the place looks derelict.” 

The Ministry of Works is responsible for repairs and maintenance at President’s House. Several calls to Minster of Works Emmanuel George’s phone yesterday went unanswered.

Swearing in on March 18
According to a television report last night, Carmona will be sworn in as President on March 18 at a public ceremony at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain, at 4 pm.