Former T&T Security Minister’s Body Washes Ashore

SCARBOROUGH, Tobago (CMC):
The body of former national security minister Martin Joseph washed ashore at Grange beach today, a few hours after he was dragged out to sea while bathing.

Police confirmed that the death of Joseph, and political leader of the main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), Dr Keith Rowley said the party’s deputy campaign manager “would be very difficult to replace” ahead of the 2015 general election.

Rowley, who has been in Tobago spending the Christmas Holidays, said that “every single member of the PNM family would miss Joseph,” who served as cabinet minister in the Patrick Manning government from 2003-10.

He said it was possible that Joseph had been pulled out to sea by the rip tide.

Meteorological officials had been warning nationals about the rough seas in Trinidad.

Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), Orville London “everybody is in shock and traumatised” at the death.

London said that Joseph, who served as parliamentary representative for the St Ann’s East Constituency from 1995-2002 was holidaying here with a friend and was not here on party business.

Joseph, who held a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, in the United States, also graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Regional Science: Minor in Economics from the George Washington University, Washington D.C. and held an Associate Degree in Marine Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.

He was also a lecturer in Strategic Management at the Institute of Business of the University of the West Indies.