The Liquor Licensing Board: Sacrilegious, Cynical or Corrupt?

Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front) an Islamic Organisation situated in Bon Accord Tobago had
strongly objected to Urmela Ragbir and Dundee Mohammed of Stop n’ Shop located at shop #4 of Lal’s
Hardware Compound, #31 Store Bay Local Road, Bon Accord, Tobago, from obtaining a Licence to sell
Spirituous Liquors. We saw this as having a negative impact on our adult citizens and by extension our
youths, our families and our community. However the hypocritical pious, Ignorant, Narrow-minded Liquor
Licensing Board did not see it that way hence their Irrational, Unintelligent, decision to grant the same.

Every Citizen is a building block of this Society; it implies a sacred vow to protect and create a safe and
peaceful environment. The consuming of alcohol encourages vile and vulgar displays of human behavior,
thus creating a Godless society. It was Sacrilegious to grant such a licence and in so doing brought
humiliation on the Liquor Licensing Board by offering themselves to being very cynical indeed.

The sale and consumption of alcohol has negatively impacted on our society for many years.

This fallout has resulted in a gateway into the use of illicit drugs and as a consequence grown to addiction
and health issues, caused the break-up of families and homes, decreased productivity in the work place,
have contributed to an increased occurrence of crime – assault, rape, robbery and murders. Alcohol related
activities have placed an added burden on health care and health care reform and worst of all have
plunged the youths into a state of adolescence intolerance reaping havoc in the home and in school.
Adding another venue where alcohol can be brought will just make alcohol more easily available and
accessible to the public and in particular the youths. This action in itself would counteract all the initiatives
and programs being facilitated by our government in promoting a culture of Peace, safety and security in
our communities.

It was within this context we begged the Liquor Licensing Board not to grant this licence. The decision they
made to Grant this Licence will inevitable allow the continued degradation of our society at the hands of
reckless, irresponsible and immoral citizens of this Twin Island state of ours.

Being very Acrimonious we decided to pursue an answer as to what may have influenced their decision.
Further to our Assumptions, information has come to us that Urmela Ragbir is the wife of Subash Ragbir
CEO of MIC a Government Tertiary Education Program. Isn’t it ironic on the one hand we have the
Husband participating in the development of youths and on the other we have the wife volunteering her
services to destroy them? Which leads us to our next question: How is it possible that the wife of a
Government appointed CEO be granted a Licence to sell Spirituous Liquors? Especially in light of the
following:

1. There existed a number of Health, electrical, Fire and structural issues with the building where the
said business establishment is located. All the necessary Statuary checks and inspection was not
conducted according to law before approval was given.

2. The preservation of moral and ethical values in our community was compromised.

3. A number of religious organisations and churches are operating in very close proximity to the said
establishment i.e. less than 400 meters away.

4. A lot of families with children live in very close proximity to this business establishment.

5. A lot of very young children and teenagers frequent this same business establishment and there is
no clearly visible signs cautioning the Sale of alcohol to minors.

6. Just opposite operates a Day Care Centre.

7. The social culture in Tobago is as such that where ever alcohol is sold whether it be a Bar,
Supermarket or Mini Mart you’ll find individuals sitting right outside consuming the alcohol they
brought. And that was exactly what happened there. Urmela Ragbir and Dundee Mohammed
 would provide seating arrangements for their customers and would also gather and collect the
empty beer bottles and take it inside their shop. They would often times have a young boy name
Davanand Singh serve out Alcohol and cigarettes to the customers. Also visible at times were
children accompanying those customers while consuming alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Doesn’t
that type of activity bears the resemblance of a Bar? There isn’t any urinal so those customers
would pass urine all over the compound thus creating an unhealthy environment with a stench in
the air.

8. Directly arising out of the sale and consumption of this alcohol as it relates to this business
establishment – ‘Stop n’ Shop’ – is a number of criminal and civil matters that is now before the
courts.

9. Dundee Mohammed was convicted of a criminal offence and did spend time in a correctional
facility.

10. It is alleged that Urmela Ragbir the wife of CEO Subash Ragbir attempted to pervert the course of
justice by paying $100.00 to avoid prosecution in a matter where it is alleged she destroyed
property belonging to a tenant. That alleged $100.00 was logged at the Crown Point Police Station
by Officers Karute and Sergeant Piggott.

11. There are already too many Shops and ‘Watering Holes’ that sell alcohol in the Canaan, Bon
Accord and Crown Point area. Just to think, the very same street on which this shop is located
there were already ‘FOURTEEN’ Shops, Bars and Mini-Marts that sell alcohol and this does not
include the Shop in question and other areas of the community.

12. Copies of an objection letter and a petition were submitted to The Liquor Licensing Board and
others.

In consideration of the entire above, one would assume that the granting of this licence was politically
motivated. Our question is; was it?

Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front) sees this action as corrupt on path of The Liquor Licensing
Board. We therefore call on all Citizens of this beautiful Island of Tobago to lobby The Liquor Licensing
Board to review their decision in this regard and revoke with immediate effect any and all such Licence
granted to Urmela Ragbir; the wife of CEO Subash Ragbir and by extension urge all stakeholders and
Government agencies to have all such license reviewed and to further disallow all such first time application
for sale of Spirituous Liquors in communities where it will negatively impact on our adult citizens and by
extension our youths.

Ten (10) years from now when all statutory limits would have ended we may then come to the realization
that a wrong decision was made in granting this and all such licence and we did nothing to prevent it. At
that time it will be too late and nothing we do would be able to change it.

Umar Abdullah
Head of: Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front)
Tel: 1 (868) 365-6253
Fax: 1 (868) 631-8597
Email: waajihatulislaamiyyah@gmail.com