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UPDATE (28/07/26):  Businesswoman Star Sabga was released from prison late last night (Monday 27th July, 2026). This comes after the State failed to obtain an extension of a temporary stay that had delayed her release following a High Court ruling. Sabga is said to have walked out of the Golden Grove Prison shortly after 11:30 PM after the 6-hour stay expired without the Court of Appeal granting the State’s request for additional time. Immediately following her release, Sabga was escorted by Police Officers to her home in Regents Park, Westmoorings, where she will remain under strict house arrest conditions, while her constitutional claim against her Preventive Detention Order (PDO) is heard by the Court. Earlier on Monday, High Court Justice Vigel Paul ruled that Sabga should be granted interim relief, finding that her legal challenge raised serious constitutional issues that should be determined by the Court. The ruling ordered her release, pending the outcome of the case. UPDAT...

The Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs said it has noted the “misleading and outright inaccurate reporting” in Friday’s Guardian Newspaper (25th July, 2026) with the headline “US Slaps T&T with 10% Tariff.” According to the Ministry, “This front-page story demonstrates the absence of diligent, intelligent and responsible journalism, which can mislead members of the business community and other commentators.” In a Media Release on Friday, the Ministry said it wishes to “categorically state that the United States of America has not applied any new tariffs on exports from Trinidad and Tobago . ” The Ministry states that, “Members of the public may recall that via Executive Order 14326 of 31 July 2025, United States President Donald Trump unveiled new reciprocal tariffs on more than seventy (70) countries globally, including Trinidad and Tobago. The decision was a follow-up to Executive Order 14257 dated 02 April 2025 (Regulating Imports with a Reciprocal Tariff to Rectify Trade ...

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Fraud Squad is advising business owners, retailers, service providers, and members of the public to remain vigilant against criminals who use fraudulent cheques to obtain goods and services. According to the TTPS, in this scheme, fraudsters present counterfeit, altered, forged, or stolen cheques as payment for goods or services. They often create a sense of urgency, requesting that goods be released or delivered immediately. Businesses that release goods before confirming that the cheque has been successfully cleared, may suffer significant financial losses when the cheque is subsequently returned unpaid. How The Fraud Works Fraudsters may: Request quotations for large orders via the telephone or WhatsApp; Present a fraudulent cheque to purchase high-value goods or services; Present a screenshot of the fraudulent cheque or deposit slip; Claim that the payment has already been processed or will clear shortly; Pressure staff to release goods ...

UPDATE (27/07/26): Dominic Hadeed, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Waters Products Limited, received a warm and emotional welcome from employees today (Monday 27th July, 2026), as he returned to the company’s operations for the first time since his Preventive Detention Order (PDO) was revoked. A video circulating on social media showed employees applauding and celebrating his return, with many describing the moment as a significant one for the Blue Waters family. Hadeed, who had been away from the business during the period of his detention, was greeted by cheering staff members who expressed their happiness at seeing him back at the company. Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, has revoked the Preventative Detention Orders (PDOs) issued against businessman Dominic Hadeed and his wife, Genevieve Hadeed. In announcing the revocation of the PDOs via a Media Release this afternoon (Thursday 23rd July, 2026), he stated that their continued detention was no lo...

The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has announced that cashier stations at all Licensing Offices nationwide have extended their operating hours to 3:30 PM daily, effective from Monday 20th July, 2026. The Ministry said in a Media Release on 16th July, 2026 that “extended hours will apply to cash, LINX, and cheque payments and are intended to provide members of the public with additional time to complete their transactions while enhancing the overall customer service experience. This initiative forms part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to improve service delivery, enhance accessibility, and better serve members of the public.” The Ministry added that it will “continue implementing practical measures to improve the efficiency and accessibility of services provided through the Licensing Division.” Please be guided accordingly.

The Ministry of Homeland Security said it has noted recent media reports regarding the availability of Passports in Trinidad and Tobago. “While public scrutiny is important, several claims contained in those reports are inaccurate, incomplete and fail to present the full picture of the Ministry’s ongoing Passport modernization programme.” In a Media Release issued last week, on 7th July, 2026, the Ministry said it “wishes to make it absolutely clear that Trinidad and Tobago is not running out of machine-readable Passports, and citizens can continue to apply for and receive Passports as normal. Contrary to suggestions that no action was taken to replenish Passport stocks, the Ministry has been actively managing the country’s Passport inventory.” According to the Ministry, the Immigration Division, which falls under the Ministry of Homeland Security, “has continued to procure machine-readable Passport booklets to ensure uninterrupted Passport services while the country transitions to th...

According to Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, the new e-Passport system is expected to come online within a matter of months, as he put forward a tentative timeline of early 2027 for the system to be rolled out. Speaking with reporters at the launch of a barbering programme at his Tunapuna Constituency Office on El Dorado Road on Monday (13th July, 2026), Minister Alexander said while he could not commit to a specific timeline, he anticipated that the system should be ready for use by 1st January, 2027. He said the e-Passport system was important to enhance efficiencies within the Immigration Division, while ensuring a higher degree of security was observed. Minister Alexander also insisted that there were currently enough machine-readable Passport booklets for the public, despite not being able to quote the exact number in stock as of Monday. He said, however, that they would have enough until stock is replenished in September. Alexander urged the public not to panic,...

The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (Bank) has issued a statement regarding the ongoing investigation into a quantity of US Dollar (USD) currency that was earmarked to be shipped out of the country. According to reports, US $2 million in cash, allegedly stashed in a white crocus bag, was seized by Customs and Excise Officials on 25th June, 2026 at the South Terminal of Piarco International Airport. The cash, which was linked to NCB Merchant Bank, was being transported to Miami via Jamaica when Officials intervened over documentation and accountability requirements. NCB Merchant Bank has maintained that the money belongs to the bank and formed part of a legitimate transaction conducted in the ordinary course of business with another regulated financial institution. In a Media Release on Saturday (4th July, 2026), the Central Bank said in light of the ongoing investigations, it needs to “exercise care in making any statement at this stage, but recognizes that the public has questions...

State-owned Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) has confirmed that Blue Waters bottled water is no longer being served on its flights, days after the airline is said to have quietly switched suppliers following the detention of the company’s principal owners , Dominic Hadeed and his wife, Genevieve Hadeed, under Preventive Detention Orders (PDOs). CAL confirmed in a Media Release today (Sunday 6th July, 2026) that it has changed its bottled water supplier for its in-flight service. While the airline did not identify either the former or new supplier, it said it conducted the procurement process in accordance with the Office of Procurement Regulation, ensuring a fair and transparent process. CAL said the change forms part of its ongoing transformation programme, which is focused on improving operational efficiency and supporting the airline’s long-term sustainability. The confirmation follows a Guardian Media report that the airline had stopped serving Blue Waters on its flights last Wedne...

UPDATE (17/07/26):  Businessman Dominic Hadeed and his wife, Genevieve Hadeed, are to remain at the Golden Grove Prison in Arouca, after the State secured a late-night Appeal Court ruling, which ordered a stay of an earlier judgment that ordered the couple be released from jail and be placed under house arrest. Following an emergency hearing last night (Thursday 16th July, 2026), Chief Justice (CJ) Ronnie Boodoosingh and Appellate Judges Mark Mohammed and Ricky Rahim granted an interim stay of the judgment delivered hours earlier by three (3) of their colleagues — Peter Rajkumar, Mira Dean-Armorer and Joan Charles. The panel also granted final leave for an appeal to the Privy Council by the State, as the move for the country’s highest Appellate Court to weigh in on the case was not opposed by the couple’s legal team. The last-minute development meant that the Hadeeds were not released from the Golden Grove Prison to return to their Westmoorings home as initially anticipated, and de...

Following the detention of a prominent businessman and his wife from Westmoorings on Wednesday (24th June, 2026), the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) has provided an update on the ongoing investigation. Reports state that the couple currently in Police custody is businessman Dominic Hadeed, Executive Chairman of Blue Waters Products Limited, and his wife, Genevieve Hadeed. According to the TTPS, as enquiries progressed on Thursday (25th June, 2026), Officers took a 69‑year‑old businesswoman from Westmoorings into custody. She is currently assisting with the ongoing investigative process and no charges have been laid. The TTPS is reiterating that “being taken into custody for the purpose of assisting with enquiries is a standard investigative procedure and does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing or adverse inference. The TTPS remains committed to ensuring that all investigative steps are conducted professionally, impartially, and with full respect for the legal and reputa...

EDITOR’S NOTE: The body of this article has been updated with new details. A prominent businessman and his wife from Westmoorings are now in Police custody after Officers executed search warrants at two (2) properties early this morning (Wednesday 24th June, 2026). The couple is said to be businessman Dominic Hadeed, the Executive Chairman of Blue Waters Products Limited, and his wife, Genevieve Hadeed. Reports state that plain-clothes Officers from a specialist unit arrived at the couple’s home in Westmoorings, around 5:00 AM, following which they executed a search warrant and seized several electronic devices, including laptops and cellphones belonging to the occupants. Investigators then drove Hadeed to his business in Trincity, to conduct additional searches as part of ongoing enquiries. However, it could not be ascertained if anything had been seized from that location. In a Media Release after the incident, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) said it “confirms that, a...

UPDATE (19/06/26): Hours after MATT publicly called on Guardian Media’s leadership to address allegations made by Seemungal following his departure from the company, the media organization used the front page of its newspaper on Thursday (18th June, 2026) to issue a strongly worded statement, rejecting suggestions that it has compromised its journalistic standards or allowed political interests to influence its reporting. GML defended its record of holding Governments accountable, arguing that accusations of political bias are nothing new and have been leveled against it by administrations from across the political spectrum. The company maintained that its journalists operate independently and according to established professional standards, insisting that its editorial decisions are made without fear or favour, and also pointed to its publicly available editorial policies, code of conduct and corrections procedures as evidence of its commitment to transparency and accountability. Gua...

Minister of Finance, the Honourable Davendranath Tancoo, will present the Mid-Year Budget Review during the sitting of the House of Representatives at 10:30 AM this morning (Monday 15th June, 2026). With today’s presentation fast approaching, pressure is mounting on all sides, as the Opposition, unions, nurses and business groups are demanding answers on jobs, wages, economic growth and Government spending as Parliament prepares to absorb an additional $2.93 billion in expenditure. The supplemental allocation approved last week will increase the 2026 Budget from $59.232 billion to approximately $62.162 billion. Prime Minister the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC, MP, and Minister Tancoo previously told Parliament that the additional funding is largely intended to facilitate salary increases and settlements involving 62,050 unionized workers.  Watch the live stream of the Mid-Year Budget Review below when it begins at 10:30 AM: Ahead of the review today, stakeholders outlined ...