By RICHARDSON DHALAI Friday, October 30 2009

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THREATENED: Chaguanas Mayor Natasha Navas....

CHAGUANAS Mayor Natasha Navas yesterday confirmed that death and kidnap threats have been made against her. The threats, she said, came in the form of telephone calls and letters sent to her offices at the Chaguanas Borough Corporation.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Navas at first seemed surprised that these threats had been brought into the public domain, but then quickly stated that it was true she had received the threats.

Navas also made it clear that these threats would in no way faze her and she remains committed to discharging her duties to the burgesses as mayor.

“Yes it is true, I have received death and kidnap threats,” Navas said although she declined to say whether any similar threats had been made against any member of her family.

“I will not confirm that threats have been made through email but I have received calls and letters through the Corporation which advised of kidnapping threats against me,” she said.

Navas said a report has been lodged with the Chaguanas Borough Corporation municipal police and that increased security measures were put in place at the corporation to ensure both her safety and that of the corporation’s staff members.

Navas declined to say what these security measures were or when they were first put in place.

Meanwhile, a source in the Central borough said some of these threats may have come from disgruntled workers dismissed from the corporation due to budgetary cutbacks.

Asked to comment on reports of a strained relationship between herself and the corporation’s chief executive officer, William Mark, Navas said these reports were untrue and that she enjoys a cordial, professional relationship with the CEO. “There is no truth to that report. I have a very good working relationship with the CEO,” she said, adding this was also true of the corporation councillors which were almost evenly split between the ruling PNM, Opposition UNC and the RamjackG faction of the UNC.

She also described Wednesday’s visit by former Chaguanas MP Manohar Ramsaran to the corporation as a courtesy visit which had been prompted by radio reports of a garbage pile-up within the corporation since September.