Will and no Grace: Express digs through Seetahal’s estate

The Trinidad Express newspaper and its editor-in-chief Omatie Lyder pushed the boundaries of good taste this morning as the leading daily newspaper made the last will and testament of slain attorney, Dana Seetahal SC, its lead story.

And, to be clear, Mr Live Wire means that Lyder pushed “Good Taste” into a dark room to be water-boarded, beaten and probably forced to listen to Winston Dookeran speeches ad nauseum.

Photo: Trinidad Express editor-in-chief and MATT assistant secretary Omatie Lyder.
Photo: Trinidad Express editor-in-chief and MATT assistant secretary Omatie Lyder.

At a time when the Budget, a brazen attack on the Besson Street police station, gay rights, Trinidad and Tobago’s stance on ISIS, a missing police file on Junior Sammy’s son, Sean, and the accidental shooting death of 17-year-old Ricardo Mohammed by a lawman all cried out for further probes and analysis; the Express opted to rummage through Seetahal’s gifts to her family, friends and staff members instead.

And why?

Well, the only reason given for the intrusion by the Express was because the paper “obtained” it.

It is possibly the weakest justification for screwing someone since former NBA star Earvin “Magic” Johnson, in his admission that he was HIV-positive, said he slept with hundreds of women because they were there.

Investigative journalist Anika Gumbs and her boss, Omatie Lyder, may never have to explain why naming who got the cash and who got the furniture from Seetahal’s estate was a matter of public interest.

Did Seetahal leave all her earthly possessions left to former insurrectionist Yasin Abu Bakr? Was there an autographed picture with former Iraq President Saddam Hussein? Or maybe a book on conflict of interest bequeathed to Attorney General Anand Ramlogan?

Then how could Express justify this invasion of Seetahal’s private space?

Photo: Dana Seetahal SC was gunned down in Woodbrook in the wee hours of Sunday 4 May 2014.
Photo: Dana Seetahal SC was gunned down in Woodbrook in the wee hours of Sunday 4 May 2014.

The next time Express pontificates about the bigwigs that operate as though they are a law unto themselves and without consideration for anything but their narrow self-interests; Lyder, who, ironically, is an executive member of the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) should point a finger inwards.

Only corbeau feasts on the dead. For God’s sake, let Good Taste live in peace.

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About Mr. Live Wire

Mr. Live Wire is an avid news reader who translates media reports for persons who can handle the truth. And satire. Unlike Jack Nicholson, he rarely yells.

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91 comments

  1. When I read it, I said my gosh!! this paper don’t know about the word PRIVACY.

  2. Absolutely DISGUSTING !!!! This newspaper stinks to the core. As the days go by, they demonstrate the vulture ( corbeaux ) like attitude they have where they will go to any extreme to sell their newspaper. And then they call themselves professionals. SHAME on you Trinidad Express. Its about time you nasty Express people have some class about yourselves and behave like the develop countries with professionalism in journalism ! SHAME SHAME on you !

  3. What does her estate have to do with the express? Stop trying to mimic the shit from the states and try adopting the good

  4. Losing hope in the Trinidad Express Newspapers

  5. Why can’t the state of the investigation be made public this is high class crap.

  6. Find her murderers i dont care about what she had

  7. Very very distasteful…I could not agree more with this article.

  8. If you boycott the express what independent media is there left?

  9. There are no journalists in this country. None! Only fly by night reporters. Why not break a story. Find out who the political financiers are and make that front page news. I dare all of them.

  10. All because they want to sell their paper. It eh our business.

  11. Why not try to uncover who murdered this woman instead of publishing her private affairs.

  12. Hmmmm I wonder if that was the motive for her death… Someone must have know about it before her death?!!! …

  13. we now have the very lowest form of reporting, why this woman business have to be on the front page, and we are also missing a very important thing who give them the information. too many low lifes in high places

  14. Up in the dead woman business steups

  15. that headline was distasteful, so much important thing going on in the country

  16. This reporter obviously don’t have any business of her own. How dare u? This is private business. Did u get permission from her family? U should b fired. SHAME ON U!

  17. Best we lobby for the weather girls be the executive of MATT. They let you know there will be a possibility of something happening with facts behind it. They publicize the weather for people’s funerals not the execution of their wills.

  18. Obviously the writer had nothing better to report on…….probably better off in a bacchanal column rather than productive writing

  19. She should take a good look in the mirror’ for dropping that bomb’. It clearly didn’t pack the punch’ she was hoping for. Prob should have asked Lynn Whitfield for the grapefruit in the stocking and the instruction manual instead. Only for stooping so low she should point the finger upwards as well. This sets a dangerous precedent. Should step down immediately with apology.

  20. It was a decision I found difficult to defend. What was the point of that story? Made journos look very bad, IMHO.

  21. Is this journalism? What about privacy? What about respecting the deceased and her family? Since when is reporting someone’s will news? The Express has reached a new low.

  22. As I saw the headline I asked myself
    1. How is this really the public’s business?
    2. Why did the newspaper feel the need to get a copy of her will?
    3. Why the hell are we so fast?

    Too many macos with too much time on their hands.

  23. Boycott Gutter Press. Disgraceful, tacky, classless, irresponsible….

  24. very distasteful……..why is this anyones business…shame on The ExPress…….

  25. Comments from my tt media fb friends?

  26. Everybody is upset with the Express, I agree Dana’s estate is a personal matter, however this type of news sells newspapers. The “million” dollar question is did the family authorize this and if so “why”?

  27. No more that news paper!!! So lower, simple to sell,given the criminals a tip…

  28. Only corbeau feasts on the dead. For God’s sake, let Good Taste live in peace.

  29. I will just leave it as poor judgement for now

  30. This is so disgusting. The Express digging for the info is one thing and someone willingly offering the will for scrutiny is equally distasteful.

  31. Distasteful. Shame on the editor! I will be switching to Guardian and Newsday

  32. I refuse to read that Newspaper……….

  33. So sad media is gutter.Media is responsible for crime in this country.That info is sacred and confidential and ought not to be published.God is a God of love and justice they all have families do so does not like so.

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