Year in review 2014

Jan 01, 2015 News

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January

GuySuCo in deep financial crisis
– owes creditors $10.5B

Early in January, Government found itself scrambling to find solutions for the country’s sugar industry as production fell to an embarrassing 23-year low in 2013. Production at the eight estates in Berbice and Demerara closed on December 21, the last day of grinding, at a dismal 186,807 tonnes. This was below the 190,000-tonne figure that had been targeted and which had been revised again and again from the original 260,000 tonnes at the beginning of the year. The situation left the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) owing banks and suppliers in excess of $10.5B, union officials confirmed.

Multi-billion $$$ drug contracts…Pre-qualification system flawed, must be scrapped – AFC says

Government’s multi-billion-dollar drugs purchases once again came under intense scrutiny.
The Alliance For Change (AFC) demanded that the administration scrap plans to shortlist or pre-qualify suppliers. The last pre-qualification period expired on December 31, 2013, and the Ministry of Health had been looking to select the suppliers for the next three years. A pre-qualified contractor is automatically considered when it is time to order critical or emergency supplies.

Georgetown Marriott Hotel… Brassington ‘mum’ on financial closure, casino operators

Work is continuing apace at the construction site for the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown, but it is unclear where the funding is coming from. Chairman of Atlantic Hotels Inc (AHI) Winston Brassington, at the end of 2013, had promised an update in the New Year, but has refused to answer any calls made to him from this publication.
Brassington had indicated that there would be financial closure with the private investor before the end of 2013, but this did not happen. The monies to be sourced through Republic Bank were yet to be secured, but the project continued.

Extra US$8M spent on V/Hoop GPL plant
…CEO says dumped sand disappeared overnight in swamp, and this continued for months

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and top brass of the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) toured the construction site of the company’s latest generation plant at Vreed-en-Hoop, along with members of the media, and it was disclosed that the project was just about 20 per cent complete and would see cost overruns in the vicinity of US$8M.
GPL’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bharrat Dindyal, in providing an update, said that the increase in the cost was related to the civil works and not the Warstila Contract which remains at US$26M.
Dindyal said given the nature of the soil there had to be a significant amount of work to be done, more than had been envisaged. He reiterated that when GPL first took possession of the site, it was a swamp. In explaining the soil conditions and what they had to deal with, Dindyal said that when the contractors for the foundation first arrived on the site, their equipment immediately began sinking.
Dindyal said that they decided to dump sand, but this would disappear overnight into the swamp and this went on for months.
According to the CEO, a decision was then taken to bring in geo-textile material and lay it down to allow some consolidation to get the heavy equipment around the site.
The new power plant had initially been set for commissioning in late 2013, but was pushed back to July 2014.

Mazaruni plane crash…Victims’ remains brought to city, probe continues
After three days in the Mazaruni Jungle, the bodies of a Trans Guyana Airways

pilot and aircraft loader who perished in a plane crash were transported to the Ogle International Airport. Though Guyana Defence Force Special Forces discovered the bodies among the wreck, they were only able to execute the extraction after seventy-two hours. Extra caution was exercised whilst cutting the plane to access the bodies, because of seven drums of fuel on board.
Relatives of the dead loader, Dwayne Jacobs and the Canadian High Commissioner Nicole Giles were at the airport when the bodies arrived. The pilot, Blake Slater, was a Canadian by birth and the holder of a Guyanese passport.

 

February
GT&T not being allowed to expand, says CEO

As the debate continued over the state’s aggressive E-Governance project to connect its offices and build internet towers across the land, the country’s biggest telephone company complained that a delay in permission to expand has halted the advancement of new technology in the local telephone and internet sector.

Speaking with media operatives during a dinner social, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) Radha Krishna Sharma, made it clear that Government has no business in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sector, and rather, it is an area that should be spearheaded with capital from the private sector.
During GT&T’s annual media dinner at Grand Coastal Inn, East Coast Demerara, Sharma explained that in 2010, the company spent US$30M to bring the Suriname/Guyana Submarine Cable System. The cable, he said, has tremendous potential for bandwidth delivery potential in Guyana and would have had developmental impact in keeping with the country’s national ICT objectives.

15-year-old shot dead after invading Paradise house
A 15-year-old was shot dead by a shopkeeper when he and two accomplices staged a barefaced daylight robbery at Fourth Street, Paradise on the East Coast of Demerara. The teenager, whose name was given as Leon McCurdy, and, whose last address was La Penitence, was shot dead in the upper flat of the house owned by businessman Eon Evans. The intruder had been deserted by his accomplices.
The police in a press release stated that three men, two armed with handguns and the other with a pair of scissors, entered the grocery and liquor store of the businessman. The men held up Evans’ son and took away an undisclosed amount of cash. While one of the men remained with the son, the two others went upstairs where they held up Eon Evans and his wife. The woman was subsequently tied up and placed in a bedroom, while the perpetrators took away Evans’ jewellery. The police said that as the men were leaving, Evans, who is a licenced firearm holder, engaged them during which one of them was shot and killed while the other two managed to escape.

Female soldier to face murder charge
A 22-year-old female soldier was arrested in connection with the murder of 55-year-old Donna Taylor, whose bound corpse was found in her Agricola backyard. Police took a statement from the slain woman’s British-based guest, Samantha Sabat, in which she identified the Guyana Defence Force rank as one of the individuals who invaded Taylor’s home.
Police indicated that they were treating the killing as a crime of passion, since they believed that the suspect, who is the girlfriend of Mrs. Taylor’s son, committed the act out of jealousy.   The Taylors’ guest, Samantha Sabat, was believed to have been the main target.

Gold prices, sugar slump will lower Guyana’s growth this year – IDB
A slump in gold prices and poor performance from the sugar sector will see Guyana facing major downside risks to its growth momentum, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) said. In its Caribbean Region Quarterly Bulletin issued in January, the bilateral lending agency said that this would lead to a lower growth forecast for 2014 at 4.3 percent.
“Further downside risks may stem from lagging investments in productive infrastructure, especially roads, ports and electricity; as the economy’s competitiveness and capacity to diversify are stymied by high energy costs, limited electrical generation capacity and poor quality of electricity service.”
During 2013, lower gold prices and weak output from sugar prompted authorities to lower the growth forecast from 5.3 percent to 4.8 percent.
The IDB noted that the struggling sugar industry still weighs heavily on Guyana’s overall economic performance.
“During the first half of 2013, non-sugar economic growth plateaued at 6.0 percent, while the sugar sector diminished by 32.5 percent.”

SWAT team will not be used as a political tool – Home Affairs Minister
– 27 ranks to commence training
Twenty-seven of the Guyana Police Force (GPF)’s finest were introduced to

the public in February as they geared for intense, high-level training to assemble the country’s first-ever Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.
They were identified during a special ceremony at the Police Force’s Camp Road Training Centre, attended by keynote speaker Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell, senior police officials, members of the security sector and several public stakeholders.
During the occasion, which marked the official launch of the much anticipated tactical unit, Minister Rohee addressed what he said was a continuous echo by persons who opposed the commissioning of a local SWAT team.
“This SWAT team, as far as I am aware, is not being established to oppose and suppress members of the public or members of the opposition and people who are opposed to the government.” He continued that the team is not being established, “to be used as a political tool, or to accomplish political objectives,” but rather to fulfill certain professional responsibilities based on established Standard Operating Procedures.

America St. money-changer gunned down by bandits

An America Street money-changer was shot and killed by bandits on Lombard Street, just minutes after he had left his Eccles, East Bank Demerara home. The assailants, one armed with a handgun, also grabbed a bag containing $1M, and made good their escape. Forty-two-year-old Brijlall Persaud was killed around 08:10hrs.
According to reports, Persaud was driving along Lombard Street when one of two men opened fire on his vehicle. The bullets shattered the glass on the driver’s side window. Persaud was shot to the head and leg. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Hospital.

Anti-Money Laundering legislation…Passing Bill will not lead to automatic removal from blacklist – CFATF
Guyana will not be automatically removed from the blacklisted status it holds with the mere passage of the amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill.
This was confirmed by Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) representative, Roger Hernandez, following an extensive meeting.
At the Public Buildings he met with members of the Special Select Committee tasked with addressing the amendments to the Bill.
CFATF submitted a number of recommendations following a review of Guyana’s legislation but the political opposition, specifically A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), made changes.
Hernandez was asked specifically if with the passage of Bill, Guyana would be removed from the current CFATF blacklist.
His response was a resounding “no” and he added that what is required is implementation.

March

Jagdeo airdashed to Florida Hospital
Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo was in a Florida Hospital in early March, having been airdashed to the United States of America. According to reports, Jagdeo had a persistent fever and diarrhea. A privately-owned Lear jet out of Florida transported Jagdeo and his entourage comprising Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop and his (Jagdeo’s) security detail. This publication learnt that the chartering of a Lear Jet, from Florida to Guyana and back for a medivac, would cost between US$35,000 (G$7M) and US$40,000 (G$8M).
On May 28, 2009, then President Jagdeo assented to the controversial Former Presidents (Benefits and Facilities) Bill bringing it into to law. Under that Act, he would receive free medical attention and medical treatment, paid for by the state, or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by him for the medical attention or treatment of himself and the dependant members of his family.

34 years later…Commission appointed to probe Walter Rodney’s death
Almost 34 years after his death, a team of international jurists was selected to probe the killing of politician/historian, Dr. Walter Rodney. The members of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) were sworn in by President Donald Ramotar, with the army shortly after announcing its intention to fully cooperate. Chairing the CoI was Barbadian Queen’s Counsel, Sir Richard Cheltenham, with the other members being Guyana-born, Trinidad-based Senior Counsel, Seenauth Jairam and Jamaican Queen’s Counsel, Jacqueline Samuels-Brown.
Shortly after the ceremony at the Office of the President, Head of State, Donald Ramotar, said that the Rodney family has been petitioning him to bring closure to the incident by ordering an independent inquiry.

Jagdeo used luxury jet, not air ambulance for medivac
When former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, was airlifted to the United States destined for a Florida hospital, he used a private luxury Learjet instead of an air ambulance. Air ambulances are planes or helicopters that have been specially fitted with medical equipment and beds and would also include medical personnel accompanying the aircraft to treat the passenger as they are taken to the hospital.
What Jagdeo used is a fixed-wing twin-engine, 10-seat jet. The jet was charted from Jedami Aircraft Charter, LLC, registered in Florida.
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) lashed out at the political Opposition over what it called disparaging and insensitive remarks made when Jagdeo took ill and had to be flown overseas for treatment. The party in a missive, sought to remind the Opposition that several of its members, including former Opposition Leader Robert Corbin and the late Sheila Holder benefitted from assistance from the State to seek medical attention abroad when it became necessary.

Embassies, civil society reiterate calls for early Local Govt. Elections
The pressure piled up for Guyana to hold local government elections early with a joint statement from civil society and three embassies signaling a growing unhappiness over the country’s situation.
“The political parties have reaffirmed their desire to hold local elections and are making campaign preparations.  It is therefore our hope, as the PPP/C, APNU, and AFC pledged in their 2011 election manifestos, that local government elections will be held…”
Also endorsing the statement were the Berbice Chamber of Commerce; Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry; Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Guyana Association of Women Lawyers; Guyana Bar Association, Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association, Guyana Trades Union Congress, Justice Institute, Private Sector Commission and the Transparency Institute Guyana Inc.

Ramotar’s non-assent of Local Govt. Bill is executive lawlessness – Ramjattan
President Donald Ramotar’s refusal to assent to a Bill passed by the House calling for Local Government Elections on or before August 1, 2014, represents the height of executive lawlessness.
This was the view of Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader, Khemraj Ramjatttan, who opined that the President is afraid to go to the polls under the reformed regime put in place.
Ramjattan said that the excuse being used by the ruling party to not call local government elections was “laughable and ludicrous”. The PPP/C had stated that there needs to be a voter education campaign before any election, given that the majority of citizens may not be au fait with the processes. The last local government election was held in 1994, some 20 years ago.

St. Lucia quarantines cargo ship after Guyanese crew member dies
Several Guyanese crew members were ordered quarantined by St. Lucian health authorities after one of their own died on board a St. Vincent and the Grenadines-registered cargo ship.
According to the Maritime Administration Department (MARITIME), MV LADY ZAI departed Georgetown, Guyana, on March 6. On board were 10 Guyanese crew members and a consignment of cargo in bulk, with its destination being St. Lucia. By the time the vessel arrived in that Caribbean island , a crew member had already died with another ill. MARITIME said that prior to the ship’s arrival in St. Lucia, Port Health officials there were informed of the situation and the vessel was immediately quarantined.
According to the Ministry of Health in St Lucia, the deceased was taken off the vessel and an emergency post mortem was done. The other crew member was simultaneously taken to hospital where he was treated, MARITIME said.

Tragedy at Port Kaituma…Mother, four children perish after berserk father torches home
A mother and four of her five children were burnt to death when a 50-year-old Port Kaituma

businessman set his heavily-grilled two-storey home alight with his family trapped inside.
Two of the man’s daughters and his two sons perished with their mother.
Police listed the victims as Lurlene La Cruz, 39, Leah La Cruz 14, Labron La Cruz, 8, Lavette La Cruz, 3, and Levon La Cruz, 1. Residents spoke of hearing the children screaming inside the inferno, but not being able to do anything to help them. They said that they feared the possible explosion from the gas cylinders and fuel stored nearby.
They identified the businessman as Lenus La Cruz, who owned a variety store that was in the bottom-flat of the property at Main Road. Sources said that La Cruz suffered burns to the head, back and limbs after fleeing from the burning building. He was subsequently detained at the Port Kaituma Hospital where he sought medical attention.

Four injured after another plane crash
A rescue team was Tuesday dispatched to the Region Seven community of Arau following another plane crash, involving a single engine light aircraft which, according to reports, crashed shortly after taking off from the area’s airstrip. One passenger, Ivor Williams, was seriously injured, while the pilot, Bernard Singh, 44, of Strathspey, East Coast Demerara, and other passengers; Troy Daniels and Leon Bristol, 24, of Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara,  were said to have suffered minor injuries. They were flown to the city by army personnel and later housed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The pilot and the three men who were identified as his employees were the occupants on board the United States-registered civil utility Piper Cherokee, which is a privately-owned plane. Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks were dispatched to the crash site and conducted the evacuation of passengers from the valley where the plane went down, to the Kaikan airstrip, which was closest to the accident site. The Piper Cherokee was said to have been operated by Singh, a Guyanese pilot.

Fire destroys Medex building at Liliendaal
The Ministry of Health’s Medex building at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, was completed destroyed by fire. The edifice housed several administrative offices under different departments within the Ministry of Health, including Food Policy and Environmental Health, Veterinary Public Health, Health Sciences Education, and that of a Government Parliamentarian.

Eccles biker shooting death…Rondy Jagdeo let go of murder charge
Five months after being accused of gunning down a man who was said to be a

good friend of his, Water Street businessman Rondy Jagdeo walked out of the city court after the Chief Magistrate discharged the murder charge instituted against him. The 28-year-old had been accused of killing popular biker Kirk Davis on September 3, 2013.
After spending almost two months on the run, Jagdeo surrendered to police custody and was then brought before the courts to be arraigned for murder, appearing before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on October 30, 2013. On February 5, the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) got underway before the said Magistrate.
The businessman who was represented by Attorneys Mark Waldron and Roger Yearwood was being prosecuted by Corporal Bharat Mangru.
The pre-trial matter engaged the attention of the court for a little over one month and some seven witnesses were called to take the stand on behalf of the Prosecution. The Prosecution was later ordered to close its case after failing on three occasions to produce its two remaining civilian witnesses to the court. After the Prosecution closed its case, Yearwood stood on behalf of the accused and made his no-case submission.

Guyana gets $220B budget
A $6B bailout for the ailing Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), a $3.7B bailout for the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and a $625 increase for Old Age Pensioners were among the features of the $220B Budget announced by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh.
Under the theme, ‘A better Guyana for all Guyanese’ the Minister spoke for nearly three hours, detailing the largest budget ever, which comes on the heels of the eighth year of economic growth.
Dr. Singh, in his presentation, said that the budget is fully financed with no new taxes. Among the measures for the populace, specifically pensioners, was a five percent increase.
The Minister also announced that in an effort to give additional support to parents of school aged children, “Government will provide a cash grant to the parents of every child attending nursery, primary or secondary school in the public education system in the amount of $10,000 per child for the year 2014.”
Dr. Singh also announced a countrywide clean-up campaign to the tune of $1B, of which $500M will be used to clean up Georgetown.

Young mom kills two children with poison
Tragedy struck the community of Perth, Mahaicony, when a 21-year-old mother took the lives of her two children by feeding them a poisonous substance.
Jabari Cadogan, 16 months, died at the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital, while his sister, four-year-old Odacia Gordon, succumbed some hours later at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), despite the best efforts of staffers to save her.
The mother, identified as Awena Rutherford, 21, was also believed to have ingested the same poison. She was admitted to the GPHC.
Relatives said that Rutherford had given the children the deadly rodenticide known locally as ‘carbon tablets’, after telling them that she had “a surprise” for them. Kaieteur News was told that the young mother had bought the rodenticide earlier in the day, in the vicinity of the Plaisance car park.
Rutherford’s reputed husband, who lives overseas, reportedly called his mother earlier in the day and had asked her to keep the children at her Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara residence. Sometime in the afternoon, Rutherford reportedly went to Plaisance to collect the children.

Port Kaituma killer succumbs
…14 days after burning wife and four children to death 
Lenus La Cruz, the father who torched his Port Kaituma house with his wife and four children inside, succumbed to injuries he sustained while committing the heinous crime.
The 50-year-old businessman, had suffered burns to his hands, legs and back.
It was unclear why the badly burned suspect had initially been kept for some four days in the Port Kaituma Hospital, which lacks the facilities to treat patients with such injures.
During the days spent at the GPHC, La Cruz, who was under police guard, refused to speak to persons including the nurses who were taking care of him.

Guyanese bid farewell to Deborah Backer
Hundreds of Guyanese gathered at St. Andrews Kirk to pay their final respects to

former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Deborah Jan Backer. Backer died on March 21. She was 54.
The body of the Parliamentarian lay in state on the lawns of Parliament building before being taken to the church across the road for the funeral service.
President Donald Ramotar, First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar and members of the Cabinet, were among the mourners as the body lay in the Parliament building compound. And scores filed past to get a final glimpse of the woman who served as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.
Among the other prominent persons paying heartfelt tribute to Mrs. Backer were Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman; Opposition Leader, Brigadier David Granger; members of the Lions Club of Georgetown, the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers and the Guyana Bar Association.
Backer served as a member of several important organizations. Through her involvement with the PNC, she served as a councillor in Georgetown City Council.
She entered the National Assembly in 1997 and served until she tendered her resignation in February 2014; she was the Deputy Speaker, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Sectorial Committees and was also the main opposition spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Public Safety and National Security.
A lawyer by profession, Backer obtained her Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago after receiving a Bachelor of Laws at the University of the West Indies in 1981.
Many expressed gratitude for her life and service to the country as they bade farewell.
Backer who leaves to mourn a husband and two children, was laid to rest at Le Repentir Cemetery.

April

Probe into Gold Board racket unearths collusion
Several hundred million Guyana dollars are being siphoned off each month in a racket at the Gold Board, as a result of collusion between dealers, Government and senior officials of that entity.
An official within the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) explained the scheme that was uncovered and which led to the closure of the Guyana Gold Board sub-office at Bartica, Region Seven. Five low-level employees at the office were arrested.
According to the source, dealers would purchase gold from miners across the country at purity levels that vary. This gold would then be sold to the Guyana Gold Board Office and its branches countrywide. The source said that through collusion, some corrupt staffers in the Gold Board pay the dealers for gold at a 95 per cent purity rate, when in fact the purity level is far less. This means that despite the fact some of the gold sold to the Gold Board may be 60 per cent pure, the dealer is still paid for the gold at the 95 per cent rate.
According to the official, the racket had been going on for several years and as such had to be with the knowledge of very senior officials at the Gold Board and possibly at the Ministry level. The official opined that it is highly inconceivable that the Gold Board could not have picked up on the scheme.

Brutal end to kidnapping…Businessman’s body found in cemetery
After holding their captive for almost four days, kidnappers finally lost patience and murdered Enmore spare parts

dealer, Rajendra Singh, called Sunil, even before they could collect the $25M ransom they had demanded. The 40-year-old Singh’s body with a bullet wound to the head, was discovered in an isolated section of Le Repentir cemetery. His killers had used a jersey to tie his mouth and nose. The killers then proceeded to stuff him in an alcove created by some fallen trees. They had removed his pants, leaving him clad in his socks and his underwear. His hands were bound with what appeared to be his belt.
A worker who was in the process of identifying suitable land for burial sites stumbled upon Singh’s bound body.
News of the discovery was relayed to Singh’s immediate relatives who were obviously shocked, since they were desperately hoping that he would have been released without harm.

Opposition blocks Specialty Hospital, $1.1B Amerindian fund
– Health Ministry grilled over prices paid for drugs
In the first of its promised cuts to the year’s National Budget, the Opposition voted against the Indian-funded US$18M Specialty Hospital and a $1.1B provision for the Amerindian Development Fund. The blocking of the $910M for the controversial hospital slated for Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, and the $1.1B set aside for the Amerindian fund immediately sparked condemnation from the Government side, which said that the action undermined the possibilities of talks with the Opposition refusing even at the last moment to say what its concerns are with respect to the budget.
Amerindian representatives in the National Assembly for the Opposition insisted, during a hasty press conference, that they want a clear plan from Government on how the fund is being spent, with Toshaos and villagers complaining that the monies are benefitting mainly handpicked representatives of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic who collect $30,000 monthly and do virtually nothing.
An attempt at a possible resolution on the Specialty Hospital during a break failed.

Sooba’s appointment as Town Clerk quashed
– CJ rules Minister does not have such power
The decision to appoint Carol Sooba as the substantive Town Clerk of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) was quashed when Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang ruled that the Local Government Minister does not have the power to appoint any person in a substantive position within the body.
The Chief Justice was at the time passing judgment on the matter brought against the Local Government Ministry by Royston King who challenged the government’s appointment of Sooba to the office of Town Clerk, when he explained that the Constitution does not give the Minister the power to appoint any official earning a certain amount of money annually.
Chang emphasized that the Constitution specifically gives that power to a Local Government Service Commission; members of whom shall be appointed by the Prime Minister.

Ed Ahmad gears to make $600M on $8M GuySuCo land deal
…changes from wood processing plant to housing scheme
Almost five years after acquiring a huge piece of prime, seaside property to develop a value-added wood

processing operation, a New York-based Guyanese businessman has now instead converted the area into house lots. However, there has been no official announcement by the administration over the new arrangements and who would have given the permission.
The conditions of sale were that the company would have set up a factory to create jobs for persons in the neighbourhood. This condition was responsible for the low price they paid for the land. There has been no factory to date. Instead there is a multi-million-dollar housing development project.
The project, Leonora Mall and Hollywood Garden, is being managed by Leonora Projects which is owned by Shareef and Ed Ahmad. The latter is said to be a close associate of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. The name of the project is advertised on a signboard established at the site of what was to be the location of the wood processing plant.
The conversion of the almost 17-acre plot to the Leonora Mall and Hollywood Gardens raised eyebrows as again, it was the controversial National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL) that was involved. Winston Brassington, who heads NICIL, was the one that piloted this deal with Ahmad.
The land, located around a scenic turn, was once the managers’ compound. It was under the control of the state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and home to a pool and several of GuySuCo’s senior staffers. Around 2009, NICIL reportedly sold it to Ahmad for $80M or

about $4.7M per acre.
According to the company’s website, Leonora Projects is planning to construct 87 homes on the site. Company officials said that a house lot is now being sold for at least $7M.  This means that the $80 million plot of land is now worth more than $600M.

Combined Opposition slashes $37.4B from 2014 Budget
…Amaila vote responsible for $22B
Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, in late March presented a $220B Budget for 2014. By the time the voting was finished, some $37.4B was slashed from the Estimates, leaving the administration with only $182.6B. Those affected by the cuts were the Ministries of Health, Amerindian Affairs, Public Works, Finance and Office of the President.
On the final day for the consideration of the 2014 estimates, some $22.2B was lopped from the Capital Programme for the Ministry of Finance. The contentious allocation in the Ministry’s Capital Programme was that of a $16B allocation for the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project under the Bharrat Jagdeo-led Low Carbon Development Strategy.
When the project came up for consideration, Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, requested that the allocation be delinked from the rest of the programme, given that the party had no problems with other allocations, but maintained its positions on the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project.
He reminded that the party wanted to await the findings of the Inter-American Development Bank’s due diligence report on the project before it could take a positive vote for the allocation.

May

Walter Rodney COI begins work…Several files missing – policeman testifies
Former Officer in Charge of the Special Branch unit of the Guyana Police Force, and now Crime Chief Leslie

James, said that he was unable to locate several files which had covered developments that attracted police attention on and leading up to the death of Walter Rodney.
James said that he could not say whether the files are “lost” or have been “misplaced”.
James was the first witness to be called as the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry commenced.  The Crime Chief explained that the Special Branch unit usually deals with matters of national interest, such as treason, sedition and murder. He added that reports which are generated by the department would be filed and kept by the Head.
James submitted three documents from the Special Branch on Rodney labelled ‘WPA eight, nine and ten’ respectively to the Commission of Inquiry.
An additional three files from CID along with an arrest warrant that was issued in June 1996 for Gregory Smith in relation to Rodney’s death was handed over to the commission. They were later tendered into evidence. James explained that all files which are being submitted have been duplicated.

Over 15 million NIS contributions not yet entered in system – Dr. Luncheon
With over fifteen million records of contributions to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) yet to be entered and verified, Government has decided that the task must be concluded before the end of 2014 to relieve contributors of this burden.
This was revealed by Dr. Roger Luncheon, Cabinet Secretary and Chairman of the National Insurance Scheme Board, during his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President.
For years, numerous contributors to the scheme have complained bitterly of not being able to access accurate contribution records. This has frustrated contributors who are oftentimes unable to receive their benefits.
According to Dr. Luncheon, at an April 29 Cabinet meeting, members reinforced their earlier pledge to stakeholders to have the backlog of contribution records entered electronically and verified by the end of 2014.
He said Cabinet had been notified that the process would be executed by a combination of permanent staff, project staff hired into the service of the scheme specifically for this project, and by outsourcing to private contractors.

Media houses radio licences…Unthinkable applications ignored for decades – US Ambassador
United States Ambassador, D. Brent Hardt chided the Government of Guyana over what he called the

“censorship of the media”. The ambassador at a reception on May 2 to celebrate World Press Freedom Day criticized how Government had failed to properly address several pressing media problems.
According to Ambassador Hardt, back in 2012 he had expressed his surprise at knowing that Guyana alone had complete state monopoly of the radio. He said that in other countries with their ubiquitous “call-in shows” was a vital public forum, but in Guyana there is no such counterpart.
According to the Ambassador “it’s unthinkable that the licence applications for certain media have been delayed or ignored for nearly two decades”.
Ambassador Hardt made a further call for the newly-constituted Broadcasting Authority to immediately undertake a speedy and fair review of any outstanding licence applications and to ensure that all applicants are subjected to independent review.

Tragedy rocks East La Penitence…Child, three adults dead after consuming cocaine-laced tonic
A six-year-old boy and three adults from East La Penitence died after unwittingly ingesting the contents of a bottle of SSS tonic, which was laced with liquefied cocaine and was to have been smuggled to the United States.
Natasha George, 36, her friend, Simone Pryce, 36; Pryce’s reputed husband, Alex Blair, 42 and their son, six-year-old Jahaquel  Blair, all succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC),

after frothing at the mouth and collapsing with agonizing stomach cramps.
The couple’s 12-year-old son, Jamal Waterman, who also ingested the substance, was admitted in a critical but stable condition at the hospital. He survived because he spat out the substance and also drank some fruit juice afterwards.
Kaieteur News was told that ranks from the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit tested the substance and confirmed that the ‘tonic’ contained cocaine “in the purest form.”
According to police, investigations revealed that the bottle of SSS Tonic with the cocaine dissolved inside, along with cassareep and chicken foot, had been left at the house by a man known to them, for a female guest from overseas to take back when she was returning. She, however, did not carry the items and the victims consumed some of the SSS Tonic which had been left in their possession.
PPP accuses US Ambassador of meddling in local politics
Tensions between the government and the US Embassy escalated with the ruling party labeling the US Ambassador as a meddler in local politics. This was following criticisms by Ambassador D. Brent Hardt of Government’s hand in censoring the local media.
The ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in a statement titled  “Journalists must recommit to Guyana’s developmental agenda”, was harsh in its assessment of the diplomat.
“US Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. Brent Hardt, a known meddler in local politics, must be rebuked for his assertion that censorship of the media is practiced by the government. At the same time he purposefully ignores the Opposition slashing of the budgetary resources for NCN and GINA. This exposes the political duplicity of this individual.”
The party insisted that it was supportive of fair and objective journalism and “demands an end to the callous, personalised attacks which are most times riddled with libel and defamation against the President, his cabinet Ministers and public officials.”

CCJ orders Guyana to repay US$6M to ‘Thrill’ drinks importer
…for unjust environmental tax
Guyana has been ordered to pay back a whopping US$6M ($1.2B) for an environmental tax it took over time from the importers of the ‘Thrill’ brand soft drinks.
Rudisa Beverages and Juices N.V. and its local distribution company, Caribbean International Distributors Inc. (CIDI) had taken Guyana to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
Rudisa argued that the legislation violated the trade policy contained in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC), in particular the free movement of goods and the prohibition on import duties on goods that are of CARICOM origin. Both Guyana and Suriname are part of CARICOM. Rudisa, through CIDI, has been in Guyana since 2007.
According to the CCJ in its judgment, Rudisa’s application was based on the provisions of the Customs Act of Guyana which imposes an environmental tax on all imported non-returnable beverage containers. The legislation does not contain any exemption in relation to CARICOM goods.
The environmental tax in effect caused Rudisa to pay $10 on each imported container.
The Surinamese company claimed that no similar tax is imposed on local producers of non-returnable beverage containers and, by the definition of “Import Duties” laid down in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC), the levy must be regarded as an import duty.

New confectionery company hits local market
Guyana’s confectionery market witnessed a serious shake-up in May

as Sueria Manufacturing Inc. came into operation.
The complex which was officially launched in grand style at its Eccles Industrial Site location offered to take the taste buds of “candy-crazed” children and even the discerning palates of adults on a tasty adventure.
The business was established by Frank Sanichara and his wife, Teshawna Lall.
Many of Guyana’s celebrated business tycoons, among them Dr. Yesu Persaud, and Hemraj Kissoon, joined President Donald Ramotar and First Lady, Mrs. Deolatchmee Ramotar, for the opening.
On display was the wide assortment of condiments produced by the company. There were Ginger, Ice Drops, Strawberry and Pineapple sweets.
The manufacturing company is also producing packaged peanuts, also available in four flavours—sweet and salty mix, salted, hot and spicy and honey roasted.
The welcome address was delivered by Mr. Tony Yassin, a close associate of the Lall family for

over 25 years.

Luncheon mum on profitability of GT&T shares sale
Two years after Government reportedly sold its 20 percent shares in Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) it remained tight-lipped about the financial transaction.
Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon during a post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President, would not reveal whether Government received the outstanding US$5M from the US$30M deal. He also declined to comment on whether Government’s decision to place the proceeds of the sale in the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL)’s coffers was a profitable one, earning more than the annual US$2.5M in dividends.
According to Dr. Luncheon, he would not be specific as to whether all the monies were received but assured that all the proceeds that were earned from the sale of the shares are retained in the coffers of NICIL.
The shares were reportedly bought by a Hong-Kong-based company, Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group.
Dr. Luncheon said it would be easier to say where Government has the money than to say who bought the shares. However, he believes these disclosures might have been made before.

June

CFATF tells members to limit business with Guyana
Guyana’s fate was ultimately decided at the Regional level; the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) told its members that it considers the country to be a risk to the international financial system. The regional body advised the implementation of further counter measures to be taken against Guyana in order to protect financial systems from the “ongoing money laundering and terrorist financing risks emanating from Guyana.”
As a consequence of failing to meet certain deadlines, CFATF referred Guyana to its parent body, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which will take steps which may include Guyana being blacklisted at the international level.
This decision was made at the conclusion of CFATF’s plenary meeting in Miami, Florida.

Man gets 78 years for dumping wife’s body in trench – attempts getaway
Drama unfolded at the High Court as Kevin Verwayne, who was sentenced to 78 years imprisonment by Justice Navindra Singh, after being found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict for the murder of his reputed wife, attempted to jump over the rails of the court balcony as he was being escorted back to the lock-ups.
As he threw his right leg over the rails, police Sergeant Wishart sprang into action, restraining Verwayne, who then began fighting him and other police officers. He was crying and incoherent and was eventually subdued and taken to the lock-ups without further incident.
Verwayne, 25, of Depot Dam Squatting Area, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, was on trial from May 16, for the 2011 murder of his 20-year-old reputed wife, Farida Ramdeen called ‘Susie’.

Sugar factories need US$95M repairs
Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has completed another strategic turnaround plan which focused mainly on mechanisms to increase production. The plan reflected a need for $19B (US$95M) to Capital Expenditure Plan for the improvement of Agriculture operations and rehabilitation of Factories over the next five years.
When the Opposition, in the Committee of Supply, approved the $6B budgetary allocation set aside for GuySuCo, it did so on the grounds that it would be provided with a credible programme to resuscitate the industry.

CHI conducts landmark operation for advanced heart failure
Remaining on a steady groundbreaking path in the delivery of cardiac care, the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI) performed an inaugural high-end heart surgery to cater to advanced heart failure.
The operation, referred to as Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy with Defibrillation Implantation, was conducted on one of Guyana’s oldest engineers, 70-year-old Egbert Carter. It represented the first such undertaking to be done on these shores.
Speaking to this publication soon after the near four-hour long procedure, CHI Resident Cardiologist, Dr. Mahendra Carpen, said that the landmark undertaking is in fact an auspicious moment for Guyana.
Dr. Carpen, since 2012, acquired skills to perform the intricate procedure which he already performed on several occasions in Boston, United States and in Trinidad.
“This is the first time that CHI has been able to do this and this is a very, very proud feeling.  The whole team is very excited about this because this represents the very high-end of cardiac device therapy for advanced heart failure patients.
“Very, very few places in the Caribbean and even around the world can say that they are capable of doing this,” noted Dr. Carpen.
He said that currently there are, at most, three facilities in the Caribbean that are able to deliver this level of heart therapy although there are many with capabilities to do so.

After 10 years, two IFMAS systems not operationalised…Billions in assets have gone untraced – Former Auditor General
Since the implementation of the Integrated Financial Management and Accounting System (IFMAS) in 2004 under former President Bharrat Jagdeo, two of its seven very important features have not been operationalised. In their absence, many financial analysts have opined that it opened up the floodgates for mismanagement and lack of proper accountability with regard to assets and consumables acquired by the government.
According to the website of the Ministry of Finance, the IFMAS emerged in January 2004 as the new mechanism for modernizing the business of the government of Guyana. This unit is responsible for recording all financial data generated by the Government and the payment function with reference to the issuing of cheques and the reconciliation of the main Bank Account, the recording of warrants; contingencies fund advances, deposit fund advances and the generation of the annual financial statements. It also corrects any mistakes made by Ministries, Department and Regions which may have inputted incorrect information. The generation of financial reports of all aspects of the data is also possible in this unit.
In speaking with this publication, Former Auditor General and anti-corruption advocate, Anand Goolsarran told this publication that the system was expected to ensure that there would be a more accountable mechanism for recordkeeping as it relates to government’s procurement.

Govt. 10-yr-old accounting system, IFMAS …Finance Ministry refuses to train operators
After ten years, the Ministry of Finance has failed to enforce what can be considered as the two most important of the seven features/modules of the Integrated Financial Management and Accounting System (IFMAS).
When contacted, Financial Secretary Nirmal Rekha said that the best person to pose questions about the status of the two modules would be the Accountant General, Jawahar Persaud.
“He has responsibility for that and as such he would be better able to answer such questions.”
Rekha noted, however, that the Ministry of Finance has put several mechanisms in place to improve its systems.
Accountant General, Jawahar Persaud, said, “I am annoyed with the (June 4, 2014 article) published in Kaieteur News. I was never contacted by this publication. “The article has already been published and I will not speak to Kaieteur News ever about any financial matter, regardless of whether it concerns the Ministry of Finance.”
But Junior Finance Minister, Juan Edghill, stated that the reason for this is because the Ministry lacks the capacity to do so at this point.
IFMAS was implemented in January 2004 under former President Bharrat Jagdeo to modernize the business of the government. The cost of the project was US$660,000 ($132 M).
In an attempt to explain why the Finance Ministry has not operationalised the other two modules, Edghill said, “It must be recognized that, the IFMAS is a foolproof and reliable system from which the Finance Ministry generates its financial statements which are in turn used by the Auditor General.
“The two modules have not been operationalized because we are still building a capacity for them. It requires technical support and the training of people and those things take time. We are in the process of building that capacity.”

New Guyana School student tops NGSA
“This is just the beginning; the sky is the limit,” Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, was heard telling some of the top performers in the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) as she scurried around the city to personally congratulate them Thursday.
The Minister, accompanied by some of her senior officers, braved inclement weather to meet the pupils and teachers at their schools and present them with bouquets of appreciation.
The Minister had earlier announced the NGSA results at a press conference convened at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).
The announcement saw the Ministry adopting an inclusive twist which embraced technological advances, thereby allowing the nation to share in the moment as it was streamed live via the Ministry’s website (www.education.gov.gy) and simultaneously broadcast via the National Communications Network (NCN)’s radio and television.
12-year-old Jorrel De Santos of the New Guyana School was announced by the Minister as the country’s top performer when she proudly announced the results. De Santos scored a total of 533 marks.
Aliah Mohamed of School of the Nations placed second in the country with 531 marks, while her colleague Analise Samaroo claimed fifth place with her 525 marks.
Jeremiah Bentham of Winfer Gardens Primary secured 524 marks thereby allowing him to share sixth position with two others – Jeron Boucher of Genesis Early Childhood in Region Three and Krystal Singh of the Success Elementary in Region Four.
Ravi Singh of Westfield Prep in Georgetown placed third in the country with his 530 marks while Isaac Mallampati’s 527 score saw him securing fourth place in the country, adding to the outstanding performance of New Guyana School.
Also securing places in the top 10 were Shania De Groot of Success Elementary who secured 523 along with Rueben Stanley of Mae’s Under-12.

IFMAS unused modules incorporated in others – Finance Minister
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, said that his Ministry is considering the implementation of the other two Integrated Financial Management and Accounting System (IFMAS) modules. He said that these two will be operationalized when his technicians recommend that is necessary.
At a press conference to address all queries on the IFMAS and why two of the seven modules belonging to the system were not incorporated, Singh explained that the systems currently in place are robust, and as such, the Ministry of Finance is able to generate comprehensive financial statements.
The Minister also stated that the implementation of the systems is not done all at once but in a “phased manner.”
The press conference was held at the National Communications Network.
Kaieteur News published articles where financial analysts had said that if the two modules responsible for Purchasing, and Inventory/Asset, were in operation, then it would be easy to trace assets.
The Purchasing Module seeks to provide the ability to create purchase requisitions and purchase order with self-creating commitments to reserve the necessary funds (fully integrated with the Appropriations Module currently installed), provide the ability to record the receipts and return of goods and automatically update the purchase order to reflect the transactions among other functions.
The Inventory/Assets Module seeks to provide the ability to create inventory and asset entries when entering a new record based on the requisitions, provide the ability to have automatic stock ordering when the system hits a user-defined reorder point, provide the ability for tracking issues and receipts, provide the ability to enter receipts for deliveries to stores via the Purchasing module, provide the ability to make adjustments to reflect inventory average and shortages, and the ability to provide queries and reports on current inventory, stock activity and receiving reports.

Hijacked taxi driver…Suspects lead cops to body in Parika canefield
The search for abducted taxi driver Dhanraj Latchman ended after two teens suspected of killing him led police to a Parika, East Bank Essequibo canefield where they had dumped his body two days earlier.
Police said that the suspects, aged 18 and 17, confessed under intense interrogation to strangling 17-year-old Latchman with the seatbelt of his car, after hiring him to take them from Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, to Parika.
The alleged killers also revealed that they had planned to sell the slain driver’s car.
Accompanied by ranks from A and B Divisions, the teenage suspects led the detectives to a desolate area some four miles off the East Bank Essequibo public road.
Within minutes, detectives found Latchman’s decomposed and apparently battered remains in a nearby canefield. Some of the slain man’s relatives were present but were not allowed to see the body.

Businesswoman’s body found with hands and feet bound
The murder of a peaceful and usually jovial 65-year-old resident of Albouystown has not only left many family members and friends in a state of grief but the suspicious features of the crime scene leaves them puzzled by many questions.
At 4:35 am on Father’s Day, the bound body of Sumintra (only name given) was discovered by her 42-year-old son, at her Lot 61 Barr and Sussex Streets residence. The mother of four was in her bedroom, clad in her nightgown. She was tied by the feet and hands which were attached to the bedhead. A kitchen cloth was covering her mouth. It was later discovered that whoever was responsible for her death had made off with a plasma television, a DVD player and $150,000.

Guyana barters prime land in deal with Chinese company
…during negotiations over Amaila Falls Hydro Project – NICIL says
The National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), came out in defence of gifting not one, but two prime pieces of land to China Railway First Group (Guyana) Inc.
NICIL, headed by Winston Brassington, said that in early 2013, with the expectation of the Amaila Falls construction project starting later that year, “negotiations were held with China Railway First Group on key matters related to the start of the project.”
This, NICIL said, resulted in two pieces of land being committed to China Railway First Group (CRFG).
The government holding agency made this declaration via a missive in response to an article published in Kaieteur News on May 4, last. The article noted that Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, after checking the Official Gazette, discovered that NICIL had gifted a plot of Turkeyen land to the Chinese firm. Ramjattan said that there was a double transfer of lands at Turkeyen from the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission to NICIL. He also explained that NICIL then transferred to CRFG, a piece of land. There was no cost attached to the land transfer.
The AFC Leader demanded that Government be transparent about the questionable transaction and explain why Lands and Surveys transferred the land to NICIL, and the said land was not sold to the Chinese group.

Govt. spends US$22.5M that was not approved by Parliament
 “No constitutional means permit expenditure not approved” – Greenidge
Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh submitted a Statement of Excess in the National Assembly, outlining that Government has spent more than $4.5B of the $31B that the opposition had disapproved.
The move was a departure from an announcement made previously by Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, who said Government would initiate an exercise to restore the money that was axed from the 2014 Budget.
Dr. Singh requested that the Financial Paper, the first for 2014, be debated and voted on when the House met again. While several of the allocations distributed by the Finance Ministry for the period ending June 16, 2014, dealt with salaries and other recurring expenditure for Office of the President, several of the allocations fall within the ambit of what the Opposition deemed contentious.

US to setup DEA office in Guyana
– President seeks to make country “totally inhospitable for drug traffickers”
The United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is establishing its first office here at the local Embassy. With much talk about the benefits of establishing the agency in the battle against drug smuggling, outgoing US Ambassador Brent Hardt in a joint statement with President Donald Ramotar, announced that the American-based DEA head office has approved, and the US Congress has given the green light, for the agency to be established locally.
Currently, Guyana works closely with the Trinidad and Tobago-based DEA office, in the sharing of intelligence and exchange of mechanisms to tackle drug-smuggling problems. President Ramotar registered his acceptance of the US agency and stated that it is a welcomed initiative.

 

July

Country’s corruption rating worsens

…Haiti first, Guyana second
President Ramotar, after nearly three years as President, still had not pronounced on the NCN report. The Marriott Hotel project still had more questions than answers. The Finance Minister spent $4.5B without the approval of the National Assembly. Then an Internal Auditor with the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority was sent packing because he unearthed fraud and recommended sanctions.
These are some of the things that contributed to the findings by Transparency International which rated Guyana as one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
The Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by Transparency International for 2013 found that Guyana slipped lower than the previous year giving rise to a perceived increase in corruption under the Donald Ramotar Administration.
Out of a score of 100 Denmark and New Zealand were best with 91 each. Somalia was perceived to be the most corrupt of the 177 countries surveyed.
In the Caribbean region Barbados was rated 15th with a score of 75 while Jamaica and Trinidad are tied at 83rd with 38. Guyana tied with Bangladesh, Kenya, and Ivory Coast at 136th with a score of 27. In 2012, Guyana had scored 28 points. Guyana remains the second most corrupt country in the Caribbean according to the report, just above Haiti which scored 19. The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be.

Dynamic Airways can’t land at JFK
…forced to fly in and out of NJ, Connecticut
New carrier, Dynamic Airways, couldn’t operate flights out of John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport, but the company was still selling tickets to passengers flying to New York.
Passengers onboard an early morning flight that arrived several hours late in the United States, were alarmed to have landed at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut when they were supposed to land at JFK.
The occurrence was a repeat of what took place a week earlier when passengers, on the brink of being stranded, had to be transported from JFK to Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey, to be flown to Guyana.
Dynamic Airways, in a release said that it was denied clearance by airport authorities to operate out of JFK after some ‘technical difficulties’ arose.
Passengers said they were shuttled by bus from Connecticut to JFK, New York, which is a three-hour drive. They said that they were unaware that they would not be flown directly to New York, despite their airline tickets saying that they had a direct flight to JFK.
Several persons expressed disappointment at being fooled when the airline failed to disclose that it would not be flying into the JFK Airport.

Manickchand launches verbal attack at 4th July reception

In what was seen as a shocking abuse of hospitality and a disregard for the diplomatic norms, Guyana’s Acting Foreign Minister, Priya Manickchand, launched into a verbal attack on United States Ambassador, Dr. D. Brent Hardt, at the observance of America’s 238th anniversary of its independence.
Just two days earlier, Ambassador Hardt, addressing a youth forum called Blue Caps, had been critical of the Guyana Government for its failure to hold Local Government elections.
This so rankled the ruling People’s Progressive Party that it issued a statement that chided Ambassador Hardt for meddling in the internal affairs of a sovereign government. Minister Manickchand extended this criticism when she shared the podium at the American Independence Anniversary observance.
Early in her speech she lauded Ambassador Hardt for his comments about Guyana.  She then launched into an assault on the comments of the envoy.

CARICOM Heads call for early resolution to Guyana/Venezuela maritime dispute
The Heads of Government meeting of the Caribbean Community called on Guyana and Venezuela to pursue negotiations with greater expediency towards the conclusion of a maritime delimitation agreement.
The Heads made known their official position in a communiqué issued at the close of the confab held in Antigua.
Head of State, Donald Ramotar, led the Guyana delegation which included Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall among others,
The CARICOM Heads reiterated their firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana and for the country’s unhindered economic and social development.
They expressed their hope for an early resolution of the controversy which arose as a result of Venezuela’s contention that the Arbitral Award of 1899, which definitively settled the boundary between the two countries, is null and void.

Govt. to spend even more on US$3M Supenaam Stelling
Government geared to spend millions more on the beleaguered Supenaam Stelling

which had already attracted just about US$3M ($600M), a figure well above its original price tag. Rehabilitative works were also to be carried out on the Parika Stelling.
An advertisement that had been running in the state-owned Guyana Chronicle, confirmed that the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) which falls under the Ministry of Public Works, was inviting sealed bids from eligible contractors to undertake the rehabilitation projects.
Kaieteur News was informed that the work is targeting the sections of the driveway of the Supenaam Stelling that had caved-in under the pressure of trucks traversing the facility, coupled with erosion. T&HD placed metal sheets over the large holes to facilitate the safe passage of vehicles.

India group eyes Guyana gold, diamond fields
…preparing to construct hotel
An India-based company, Sun and Sand Group of Companies headed by Rajesh ‘Lucky’ Satija

has promised a whopping US$54M investment in Guyana’s hotel industry. But even though the entity planned to start construction of the multi-million dollar five-star hotel and casino in July, it is quite eager to venture into Guyana’s gold and diamond sector.
The sod for the hotel was turned at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, to launch the “ultimate luxury hotel” project. But the event left media operatives with many questions unanswered.
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Irfaan Ali, used the opportunity to criticize the media for promoting negative headlines instead of those which highlight the country’s tourism potential. He was also critical of some sections of the private sector for belittling his Ministry’s investment in the hospitality sector.
He told the Director of the Sun and Sand Hotel, Bhushan Chandna, “You have targeted the right market and we want to say to you that your investment in this country is secure. We are going to work with you to ensure the success of your venture.”

Jagdeo racked up $45M in electricity, travel and security in 27 months
– does not include monthly pension, other benefits
After weeks of not providing answers, the Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, eventually responded to A

Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Desmond Trotman, disclosing that Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, racked up bills in excess of $45M on transportation, security and electricity bills to be paid for by the State.
The expenditure incurred by Jagdeo is provided for under the Former Presidents (Benefits and Facilities) Act, which he made Law in 2009.
This expenditure ($45,417,948) disclosed by Dr Singh, was separate and apart from Jagdeo’s monthly pension, which is excess of $1M, along with his other uncapped benefits.
The figures provided by Dr. Singh, represented the money the State spent on Jagdeo on the three items (transportation, security and electricity bills) from the time he demitted office in December 2011 up to February 2014 – a period of 27 months.
Jagdeo’s total electricity bill for the duration stated amounted to $9,875,680 – an average monthly bill of $365,766.
For transportation, Jagdeo utilized $15,220,748 with the largest amounts being reflected in December 2013 ($3,810,739) and February 2014 ($7,592,911).
In February, Jagdeo was medivaced to United States, Florida, where he was reportedly treated for Dengue.

Gang member shot dead after snatching $1.7M
– accomplice manages to escape
A 21-year-old suspected gang member was shot dead following a botched robbery at Ramchand’s Auto Spares store at Sheriff and Duncan Streets, Campbellville. Kevin Fields, 21, of Titus Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara, was shot in the neck shortly after snatching a bag containing approximately $1.7M from a businessman who had entered the store.
According to reports, the businessman, who had just left a city bank and Silvies General Store on High Street, entered the spare parts store. An eyewitness said that the businessman walked into the store with the bag and was about to transact business when Fields walked in.
The eyewitness told Kaieteur News that Fields snatched the bag from the man and sprinted out of the building to an accomplice on a waiting motorcycle. He then attempted to escape on the motorcycle but fell off.
According to the eyewitness, Fields, who had a handgun, shot at the businessman, who returned fire and hit Fields in the neck, killing him almost instantly.

AFC informs Govt of ‘no confidence’ motion
…Sends letter of intent to President
– Head of State welcomes challenge
As promised, the Alliance For Change (AFC) sent a letter to President Donald Ramotar outlining its intent of issuing a No Confidence Motion against Government.
According to the AFC in its letter to the President, “Our Party sees no other alternative than to proceed with this constitutional mechanism for removal of an unpopular Government that has ceased to enjoy the confidence of the National Assembly and who by its actions has demonstrated an unlawful and contemptuous disregard for the Supreme Law of the Country.”
The ‘action’ to which he was referring, was the spending by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh of $4.5B of the $30B that was disapproved by the combined opposition in the 2014 Budget.
The Finance Minister then went ahead and took the monies from the Consolidated Fund without the approval of Parliament.
President Ramotar, responding to the AFC’s letter, said that the move for a no confidence motion in the administration is the AFC’s constitutional right. However, he opined that it was based on a pretext that was completely baseless and spurious.
According to the President, he remained resolute that the actions taken by Government, and against which the AFC had complained, were expressly authorised and permitted by both the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
The President asserted, “as I have said publicly before, the PPP/Civic (Peoples Progressive Party Civic) and I, are prepared to face the consequences of such a motion and the electorate.”

Jagdeo’s pension among highest in the region
At least one regional economy that vastly outstrips Guyana’s pays its former Head of State a smaller pension than what Guyana pays its former Head of State. Jamaica has an economy of US$15B but pays its former Prime Ministers, roughly US$3,500 per month as pension, while the other benefits are capped. This is not the case in Guyana.
Under Jamaica’s laws, the Prime Minister when leaving office is entitled to benefits such as a gardener, a chauffeur, secretary, security and a maid, but no more than one of these.
Trinidad and Tobago, which has an economy of US$24B as against Guyana’s US$2.8B, pays its former Prime Ministers US$8,000. Even the medical benefits are prescribed with caps.
The United States of America, with an economy worth in excess of US$16 trillion dollars will pay President Barack Obama, US$16,800 dollars a month in pension and provide Secret Service protection, and reimbursements for staff, travel, mail, and office expenses.
Guyana pays its former Head of State, US$6,000 per month.

Jilted man butchers gay sex workers, kills self
A 31-year-old former security guard ran amok in the city, butchering two male sex workers before dousing

himself with petrol and setting himself alight.
Jason John Samuels, 27, also known as ‘Jada’, of Lamaha Street, was stabbed to death in a section of Leopold Street that is a popular area for transgender men, while Carlyle Sinclair, 23, also known as ‘Tyra’, was found dead in Lombard Street, with several stab wounds about the body.
Police identified the killer as Samuel Bristol, of Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara, who succumbed in the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Burn Care Unit, after setting himself alight.
Reports suggest that Bristol vented his rage on the two victims after being jilted by a male sex worker with whom he had an almost five-year relationship.
August

PNCR congress ends in major rift, Granger remains leader
– Gunshot fired during ruckus
Notwithstanding the confusion, division, claims of a rigged election and a single gunshot which sent the young and old running for cover, reinstated leader of the People National Congress Reform (PNCR), David Granger declared that the party’s 18th biennial congress was a success.
Granger maintained leadership unopposed after his only challenger, Aubrey Norton, just before voting commenced, announced that he was withdrawing because he was dissatisfied with the process.
Region 10 Chairman, Sharma Solomon also thought that the process was flawed and he too pulled out as a candidate for Chairmanship of the Party. Solomon and Norton were the only two who competed against Basil Williams for Chairman.
Williams retained his Chairman position. Volda Lawrence and Dr. George Norton were also given back their vice chair positions. And Ronald Bulkan, the only executive who had actually competed, was reelected Treasurer. His competition was Clement Corlette.

Brassington files 13 lawsuit against Kaieteur News
In what might be a local record in the field of litigation, head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Winston Brassington, through his attorneys, filed 13 lawsuits against the Kaieteur News, seeking damages totalling $1.3M for alleged libel.
The lawsuits which were served on the newspaper company and its Editor-in-Chief Adam Harris were all filed between July 18 and 21. All the lawsuits stemmed from statements contained in the newspaper’s popular satirical column “Dem boys seh”. The lawsuits dated back as far as January.
According to Brassington, some of the statements contained in the columns were published falsely and maliciously and were libellous of him and the office he holds.

Men dressed as cops abduct teacher, husband on way to airport
– victims dumped at Soesdyke, robbed of millions  
A planned vacation by private school teacher Latchmin Gopaul and her husband began with a nightmare experience, when two men in police uniforms abducted them while they were on their way to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
Mrs. Gopaul, her husband Lekraj Gopaul, and a taxi driver were held at gunpoint near Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, in broad daylight, by the two men, who claimed they were police ranks investigating an accident.
The victims were driven to a desolate spot at Yarrowkabra, off the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, where they were bound and relieved of millions in local and foreign currency, jewellery and other valuables.

Bai Shan Lin circumvents Guyana’s logging laws…Ships Billions $$$$ of high priced logs monthly
Even though Bai Shan Lin International Forest Development Inc. is yet to actually receive a logging licence, the company has teamed up with four companies in joint ventures to export billions of dollars worth in timber monthly.
One official from the Guyana Forestry Commission explained that Bai Shan Lin International Forest Development does not have an actual licence for the exportation of logs. What the company has is a State Forest Exploration Permit.
In that permit, Bai Shan Lin is required to do an environmental and social assessment study. The company is also required to do a forestry inventory and business plan which is to be submitted to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).
To circumvent the requirements, Bai Shan Lin opted for joint venture deals with Karbana Wood, Wiacho, Haimora Kabra and Paruni Wood Inc. The official told Kaieteur News that “…as it is right now, there should be limited exploration logging, but not much is done at the level of the Forestry Commission.  Most things fall under the Ministry of Natural Resources now”.

Not only in containers… Chinese vessels exporting logs in bulk
The largest logging company in Guyana, Bai Shan Lin, is doing way more than the

public knows and is doing so without the permission of relevant authorities.
This newspaper paid a visit to Kwakwani, Region Ten, and found that—in the words of a Kwakwani resident—Bai Shan Lin is “taking all it can get and using every way dem can think of to carry lumber out of this country.”
On the journey to Kwakwani, Kaieteur News noticed a number of loaded trucks, carrying Bai Shan Lin’s logo, making their way to Georgetown. Then there were 24 containers of logs that were shown on the front page of this newspaper’s August 7 edition as they waited to be exported.
But when Kaieteur News finally arrived at Kwakwani Waterfront, something else was discovered.
A short distance from Edward’s Crossing, was a freighter already loaded with logs ready to be shipped. On land, just beside where the vessel was anchored, lay hundreds of logs that were already marked and ready to be shipped.
Information received is that Bai Shan Lin, in addition to the numerous containers of logs it sends out every day, uses that vessel to export the merchandise. The vessel is named Yuan Heng Freighter. Kaieteur News was told that when one boat goes another comes, and so it rotates.

AFC tables No Confidence Motion against Govt.
The Alliance For Change (AFC) made good on its promise to file a No Confidence Motion against the Guyana Government.
In a history-making moment, the AFC’s General Secretary, David Patterson, accompanied by Treasurer Dominic Gaskin, delivered the Motion to Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs.
Patterson subsequently told this publication that the party would like to see the Motion debated and voted on as soon as possible.
A Partnership for National Unity had already signaled its intention to support the Motion.
The historic Motion was one line: “Be it resolved that this National Assembly has no confidence in the Government.” It was proposed by the party’s Vice Chairman, Moses Nagamootoo and seconded by Member of Parliament, Catherine Hughes.

IFMAS developers debunk Govt’s defence for non-­installed modules
Earlier in the year, Kaieteur News reported that Government was wasting assets and was not doing enough to prevent fraud in the national accounting system. This came about because the Ministry of Finance failed to implement two of the seven modules it had acquired for the Integrated Financial Management Accounting System (IFMAS).
In the wake of the news report and questions at a media conference hosted by President Donald Ramotar, the President ordered Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh to host a press conference to explain why the entire IFMAS package which was secured at a cost of $132M, was not being used.
Singh, at a two-­hour-long press conference, stated that the two unimplemented modules are for a more mature environment. This was despite the fact that when Guyana got the IFMAS system, it was specially tailored to suit the country’s needs.
A senior officer of the Canadian company that designed the IFMAS subsequently asserted that he was unaware of any case where a government bought the system and did not use all of the modules.
Doug Hadden, Vice President of Sales, in an exclusive interview with this newspaper, said that while Governments are treated with a sense of privacy, he would advise that all the modules be used.
Asked whether the system was designed for mature or small environments, he said it was designed for “the immature to the very mature. We have implemented this system in countries with a far less mature environment than Guyana has”.

QC student is top national performer at CSEC
Queen’s College (QC) was able to reclaim the top performing place in 2014 and copped several spots within the top 10 performing candidates at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations.
Sixteen-year-old Elisa Hamilton of QC was the top national performer with 19 grade ones and one grade two.
Bharti Bhoge of Skeldon Line Path Secondary School and QC’s Larissa Wiltshire obtained 17 Grade Ones, while Tressyia Ketwaroo of Skeldon Line Path Secondary and Lisa John of QC acquired 16 Grade Ones and One Grade Two  each.
Other top performers were Walica Deokinanan of Sarawati Vidya Niketan Secondary – 15 Grade ones, 2 Grade twos and 1 Grade Three; Varsha Boodram of QC – 15 Grade Ones, and 2 Grade Twos; Natasha Alladin of J C Chandisingh Secondary -15 grade ones; Aliyyah Abdul Kadir of QC – 15 grade ones and  Sarah Hack, also of QC – 14 Grade Ones and Two Grade Twos.
In addition to several more from QC, other top performers were drawn from the Anna Regina Secondary School, St Stanislaus College, Zeeburg Secondary, Tagore Memorial High, Abram Zuil Secondary, ISA Islamic Academy, The Bishops’ High, Central High, New Amsterdam Multilateral, St Rose’s High, President’s College and West Demerara Secondary.

QC students shine again at CAPE
It was Cecil Cox and Deowattie Narine, both of Queen’s College, who together claimed top performing places when the results of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) were announced.
The two top performers were able to secure Grade One passes in Seven Units each.
In addition to Cox and Narine, recording outstanding performances were Andy Sattan, Prashant Shivdas, Kaleshwar Singh, Benedict Sukra, Akeila Wiltshire, Sasha Woodroffe, all of Queen’s College, and Chaitram Mohamed and Karran Singh of St Rose’s High.

Bai Shan Lin logging scandal deepens…Company halts massive E’bo operations
… but busy cutting new roads to Waini River
Chinese company Bai Shan Lin’s operations in Kwakwani, Upper Berbice River, may

have evoked widespread public anger and disbelief over the magnitude, but there were indications that those operations paled in comparison to what was happening in the Kwebana, Waini area in Region One, Essequibo.
Kaieteur News, as part of its investigations into the scope of the company’s operations, flew into Region One (Barima/Waini) and found that the company had halted its logging operations there in the face of increasing scrutiny of its Upper Berbice operations.
The extent of the Essequibo activities revealed that the scope of logging operations by the company was way larger than Guyanese were initially led to believe.
For several days, several trucks, laden with massive logs were seen sitting on the roadside in the dense jungle in the Kwebana area. The logs, seen by Kaieteur News, had already been certified with stamps and seals of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).
In Essequibo, the company had been logging various species of wood and selling what it was not exporting to Barama Company Limited, an establishment which has an operation based along the Essequibo River.
Bai Shan Lin also cut miles upon miles of road leading to the Waini River, and was looking to go even further.
There was a huge fleet of heavy-duty vehicles – some 35 bulldozers, 10 excavators, loaders and about 40 dump trucks – present on several sections of the road being built. Equipment was also present at various locations near loam pits, working to extract material for the road. At several locations along the winding road, massive logs were seemingly left abandoned.

Bai Shan Lin logging scandal…Burns thousands of abandoned logs in E’bo
– ships in US$25M in equipment before logging permission granted
Under-fire Chinese-owned firm, Bai Shan Lin, spent over $5B (US$25M) in equipment to conduct primary extraction activities even before it received permission to conduct large scale logging.
The admission by the company in a statement would raise questions whether Government and its agencies promised the company that it will clear the way for it to receive state forests to conduct logging activities. Both Bai Shan Lin and the Government of Guyana faced serious flak over the arrangements the latter has with the company.
The company has been conducting significant logging activities in especially the Upper Berbice, Region 10, area without any clear moves to establish its promised processing facilities.
While Bai Shan Lin has two State Forest Exploratory Permits, it has not yet been granted the clearance to log as a number of studies have to first be completed and submitted first to the regulators.
In its joint venture concession at Kwebana, Region One, several logs which were apparently abandoned in one of the trails for months, were found to be torched.
It was reported that workers of Bai Shan Lin, in an attempt to get rid of the logs which had been lying there for a while, set them alight.
The GFC tags on several of half burned logs remained unscathed.

Logging scandal…GFC defends delays in processing facilities
The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) defended its handling of logging

activities in the country by saying that all is above board and nothing is wrong. During a testy press conference at its Kingston headquarters, which was peppered with questions regarding the operations of foreign investors, the regulatory body in defence of the delays to invest in a timely manner in value-added processing, also said that it may be a case where producers are finding it more economical to export.
Along with his senior management officials, GFC’s head, Commissioner James Singh also criticized reporting by independently-owned Kaieteur News and Stabroek News in their coverage of the forestry sector. Two companies especially – Chinese-owned Bai Shan Lin and Indian-controlled Vaitarna Holdings Private Inc. – came under intense scrutiny amidst reports of their questionable logging activities. The reports had zeroed in on the absence of value-added processing which both companies had promised but had not delivered on.

GFC says Bai Shan Lin did no logging at Kwebana in 2014…Photo evidence rubbishes claims
Information provided by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) regarding logging activities by Chinese-owned Bai Shan Lin in Kwebana, Region One, in Essequibo, was discovered to be totally false.
The information raised further questions about what other information provided by GFC was also untrue.
In published statements and during a press conference at the agency’s Kingston head office, Commissioner James Singh said that for the year, no logging activities took place in the Kwebana concession – an area of 87,361 hectares that is under the control of the Chinese company.
Kwebana saw some 10,188 cubic metres logged last year. However, GFC claims that for 2014 no logging activities took place there. The figure for the production provided was zero. This was a startling claim from GFC, especially since Kaieteur News flew over the area and saw activities ongoing. There was an entire line of Bai Shan Lin trucks with logs parked at a section of the Kwebana concession. There were GFC tags and official markings on the logs – a clear indication that logs were being harvested with the full knowledge of the forest rangers.

 

September
CANU detains businessman in connection with narco submarine
Drug agents from the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) detained a popular Waini River

businessman as they intensified their probe into the discovery of a semi-submersible vessel in the Guyana jungle.
The man, who operates a large grocery and general store in the Waini River area, was removed from his home by CANU agents before being transported to the city for questioning.
The local drug agents were hoping that the businessman would be able to provide them with information about the owners of the vessel, which they believe is linked to the illegal drugs trade.

Remigrants ask Court to order GRA return detained SUVs
Three days after their two Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) were detained by the Guyana Revenue Authority, a remigrant couple has moved to the Court to have them returned.
The constitutional action filed by lawyers for Narootandeo and Gharbassi Brijnanan asked for court orders to be granted, and directed to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), quashing the decision over the weekend  to detain two Lexus LX 570 motor vehicles, registration numbers,

PRR 8398 and PRR 8399.
According to the Brijnanans, both vehicles were imported by them after their application for remigration status was approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 3rd July, 2013, and tax exemptions granted by GRA via a letter dated 8th July, 2013. The court action said that the grounds of the seizures were “arbitrary”, “unreasonable”, in breach of their legitimate expectations and of the provisions of the Customs Act, and was unlawful.
The Brijnanans are being represented by attorneys-at-law Robin Hunte, Ganesh Hira and Manoj Narayan. In their claims, the couple said they have homes in Number 61 Village, Berbice, and at Continental Park, East Bank Demerara, and that they were United States residents since 1997, acquiring citizenship in 2003.

Marriott Hotel’s private investors ‘yet to put a dollar’
– Brassington still seeking partners  – Source
The Georgetown Marriott Hotel is being constructed in Kingston, Georgetown and as of

September the only official source of funding was the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).
This publication was told that despite an announcement by Atlantic Hotel Inc (AHI), its owners, the project was yet to receive the funding from its private investors, US$8M or the Republic Bank syndicated loan of US$27M.
Kaieteur News learnt that Ace Square Investments was yet to put in a single dollar, while AHI’s Winston Brassington was busy running around trying to borrow a huge sum from a Trinidad bank to help pay off the contractor who built the hotel with purely Chinese labour.
This publication confirmed that Brassington was in China seeking new investors.

US$18M Specialty Hospital sinks in deeper trouble… Govt. moves to terminate Surendra’s contract
– cites fraud, non-performance
More than two years after controversially awarding a US$18.1M ($3.7B) contract to an Indian firm to build a specialty hospital at Turkeyen, Government announced that it was moving to scrap the deal for fraud and non-performance.
The announcement came days after reports that one senior official of Surendra Engineering Company Limited (SECL) had skipped the country following a court judgment in favour of a prominent contractor which did works on the East Coast Demerara project site, but was not paid.
After building US$12.8M Enmore Packaging Plant, the former administration under President Bharrat Jagdeo then turned around and granted a US$4M contract to the Indian firm to supply 14 pumps to help reduce flooding on the coastland.
Diligent checks found that the company had no history in pumps. That contract was still mired in problems as Government was unable to say where the pumps were and whether Surendra actually supplied all of them. The answers were sketchy at best.
Regarding the specialty hospital contract, which was award in August 2012, the Government of Guyana “Press Statement” said that SECL was written to, and  “deep concerns” about the execution of the project’s design and construction were expressed. Government admitted that all was not well with the performance targets it set for Surendra and monies it had advanced.

Umana Yana destroyed by fire
A significant part of the country’s history went up in flames after a fire, believed to be of electrical origin, completely destroyed the Umana Yana at Main Street, Kingston.

Officer in Charge of Operations at the Guyana Fire Service, Compton Sparman, told media operatives that fire crews and four tenders got to the scene within minutes, but were unable to save the structure.
“There is nothing else in there that could have started a fire, it can only be electrical, there was no cooking, no human activities going around to start a fire and fires don’t just happen, they are caused.”
No one was in the building at the time of the blaze, but a security guard who was on duty was rushed to the hospital with minor injuries.
The Umana Yana stood 55 feet (16.78 metres) high and was made from thatched allibanna and manicole palm leaves, and wallaba posts lashed together with mukru, turu and nibbi vines. No nails were used. Fashioned like the Wai-Wai benabs or shelters which are found deep in Guyana’s interior, it occupied an area of 460 square metres, which made it the largest structure of its kind in Guyana.
It was specially constructed to serve as a V.I.P. lounge and recreation spot during the Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference held in Georgetown in August 1972.

OP now probing Surendra over US$4M pumps
 – injunction bars Guyana from releasing outstanding monies
Surendra Engineering Company Limited (SECL), the Indian firm accused of submitting a fake bank guarantee to Government for the Turkeyen specialty hospital, headed for even more trouble in September.
Not only did Government move to terminate that US$18M contract, filing a court case and involving the police, but an active assessment was also conducted into another controversial deal involving the supply of 14 drainage pumps to the tune of US$4M.
That contract was awarded in 2011, shortly before former President Bharrat Jagdeo ended his second term.
Minister of Legal Affairs, Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, said that both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Office of the President were reviewing the pump contract, with Government not “oblivious” to the fact that there is another deal. However, the official declined to go into details, saying it was too early.

‘Illegally’ spent $4.5B by Finance Minister “not a police matter”
Almost two months after the Leader of the Alliance for Change, (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan, filed a complaint against the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, over alleged illegal expenditure in excess of $4.5B, the Guyana Police Force said that it did not find that the Minister committed a crime and legal advice is being sought.
The Force, by way of a statement, said it is obligated to investigate criminal breaches only and does not conduct investigations into civil breaches or administrative breaches of the law, save and except those related to the Police (Discipline) Act Chapter 17:01 regarding the conduct of its ranks.

Jagdeo/Sattaur plot to destroy Kaieteur News unearthed
Publisher of the Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, was provided with incontrovertible evidence of a plot by former

President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Khurshid Sattaur, to bring down Kaieteur News.
Confidential documentation, leaked to the publication, revealed that the Commissioner-General provided the former President with detailed tax information of a number of independent media houses in Guyana.
The disclosure of the information by GRA’s Commissioner-General to Jagdeo, represented a grave breach of the ‘Oath of Secrecy’ sworn to by Sattaur as an officer of the Guyana Revenue Authority, one lawyer said. In taking the Oath, Sattaur solemnly declared that he would “truly, faithfully, impartially and honestly execute the powers vested in him.”
He also swore that he would “judge and determine upon all matters and things before him without fear, affection, or malice”. And he swore, too, not to disclose any tax information concerning any taxpayer, but this has not been the case.

Sattaur addresses issue of plot to destroy Kaieteur News
…newspaper provides the evidence
Kaieteur News reported on what it said was a plot by Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Khurshid Sattaur, and former President Bharrat Jagdeo, to destroy the newspaper.
The news report prompted the following response from Sattaur.
“Dear Editor,
Reference is made to various articles in Kaieteur newspaper edition of 21/9 of which you are well undoubtedly aware. There would appear to be a deliberate and orchestrated effort on the part of the paper and no doubt that of the owner/publisher of the newspaper to give maximum coverage to the ongoing legal proceedings involving the vehicles imported by remigrants but “loaned to the Lalls”.
This can be construed as an apparent and continuing effort to influence the learned Chief Justice in his impending decision. This belief is further confirmed from the most naive reference made by the editor of the publication that “this matter is before the court and I am sure it will go nowhere”.
Perhaps the editor of Kaieteur News can enlighten the public what is meant by this statement and if he is privy to information that is not in the public domain. The GRA is still of the firm belief that the matter will be heard and determined expeditiously and justice will prevail.
While this reference to a current court case and these unjustified and baseless statements may appear to the uninitiated to be innocuous, Mr. Harris should be seriously reprimanded by the Chief Justice for contempt. The statement that “nothing in the law that says a man cannot loan his vehicle” betrays the ignorance, misapprehension, misinterpretation of the law or represents a deliberate attempt by the publication to disseminate this misinformation to the reading public.”

Man’s head found in plastic bag a few yards from body
Workers attached to the Ministry Public Workers made a shocking discovery while clearing out a cemetery at Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara. Hidden in a clump of bushes was the badly decomposed body of a man.
The particular area where the body was found is very desolate.
A few yards away a human skull and a pair of blood-stained shoelaces were found in a black plastic bag. There was also some “heavy duty” tape wrapped around the bag.
Several other bones which appeared to be human where scattered around the scene because dogs had begun to devour the remains. Police sources said that plastic handcuffs along with a car mat were found in the bushes close to the body.

Sattaur moves to silence Kaieteur News…sues for $500M
While criminal charges were promised, Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has filed a lawsuit against the Kaieteur News, its Publisher Glenn Lall and Editor-in-Chief Adam Harris, seeking in excess of $500M as well as an injunction preventing the publication from repeating a number of allegations against Sattaur.
Sattaur successfully secured an interim injunction against Kaieteur News, by way of Justice Sandra Kurtzious, from circulating or causing to be published any libelous statements against him.
In the court documents filed by Sattaur, it was claimed that Kaieteur News had libeled him on no less than nine times in recent weeks, dating back as far as August 31.
Sattaur’s writ was filed by his attorneys R. Satram, CV Satram and Mahendra Satram.

October
Very little space left for more TV, radio station in the city- Broadcasting Authority
Applicants for new television licences may find that there are not many left for allocation in the city. That is because there are few frequencies left available. And it may be the same for radio stations as well.
Speaking with Kaieteur News, Chairperson of the Guyana National Broadcasting, Bibi Shadick, said the body was dealing with regularization of current broadcasters to adhere to the law. No new applications from the Georgetown area were being considered. Rather, applications from religious organizations and from outlying areas, like from Region One, were being assessed.
The issue of radio, television and cable licences has been a sore one following revelations that several entities and individuals were green-lighted by former President Bharrat Jagdeo, shortly before he stepped down from office in November 2011.
Most of the approvals by Jagdeo, acting in his capacity as the Minister of Information, went to close friends and associates of the ruling party. Several prominent media houses, seen as being critics, were overlooked by Jagdeo.

 “Unsuitable soil” slows down airport expansion project
– engineers to make adjustments to runway
Engineers working on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) runway expansion project were required to make what appeared would be major adjustments to their plans due to unsuitable soil in some areas.
Kaieteur News confirmed that engineers were conducting soil tests on the southern end of the airport runway after encountering “unsuitable soil” at the northern section.
Because of this, officials said the proposed design of the expanded runway was likely to change from the original plan, in which the runway would have been extended to the north.
Public Works Chief Roads and Bridges Engineer, Ron Rahaman, who is overseeing the project, told this newspaper that workers commenced some amount of preparatory work north of the runway.
He explained that the soil on the south seemed to be better.

UK High Court overturns Sukul disbarment
The United Kingdom (UK) High Court overturned the disbarment of the former Appeal Court Judge, Rabi Sukul. The court ordered that his case be sent back to the UK Bar Council Tribunal. The London barrister, who was called to the bar in July, 1988, was disbarred on February 14, 2014, for “intentionally misleading his client by drafting false grounds of appeal.” The former Judge who filed an appeal had his disbarment formally suspended by the Bar Standards of England and Wales.
Following the appeal hearing, the UK High Court ruled the disbarment null and void and ordered that the case be sent back to the Tribunal which had imposed the disbarment in the Judge’s absence.
His lawyers had learnt that a document dated January 6, 2012 that is central to the case was not disclosed to the Disciplinary Tribunal.
In Guyana, Sukul had been appointed as the Court of Appeal Judge but following his disbarment, he was asked to resign by Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Carl Singh.

KN Publisher, wife released on self-bail
– after GRA alleges tax evasion charges on Lexus vehicles
On October 13, Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall, and his businesswoman wife, Bhena Lall, appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry, and were released on self bail.
The Lalls were jointly charged with conspiring to evade taxes on two vehicles imported by two remigrants. The couple was also charged with attempting to defraud the GRA of revenue.
They denied all the charges read to them in the court.
The court appearance came less than a month after a series of shocking emails between the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Khurshid Sattaur, the Attorney General Anil Nandlall and former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, which spoke of a plot to silence Kaieteur News.
It was a packed courtroom that heard Chief Magistrate, Priya Beharry as she read the charges.
The court corridor, stairs, passageway and yard were filled with scores of persons who had turned out in solidarity with the Kaieteur News Publisher.
Vendors, lawyers, staffers of Kaieteur News and every other media house in the city were in the courtroom.
Outside there were dozens of others who had turned up in support of the Publisher and his wife. The couple was greeted with loud cheers when they emerged from the City Magistrates’ Court, after signing the bail documents.
The Lalls were represented by a battery of high profile lawyers led by Senior Counsel, Rex McKay, Attorneys-at-Law, Khemraj Ramjattan, Nigel Hughes, Joseph Harmon, Robin Hunte, Brenda Glasford, Bettina Glasford and Christopher Ram.
Appearing for GRA were Attorneys-at-Law Sandil Kissoon and Mahendra Satram.
Cheers broke out when Lall walked out the court with his wife by his side, arm-in-arm for the most part.
As the couple made their way out of the compound, scores greeted the Publisher and his wife with a resounding round of applause. There were chants for the GRA’s boss to resign.
After interacting with the crowd, Lall walked to Kaieteur News office on Saffon Street, followed by a crowd.

Gold miners worry as prices plunge to four-year low
Gold prices fell to a four-year low on the world market bringing fresh worries for local miners who were banking on the shiny metal holding steady. The Wall Street Journal reported that most-actively traded gold contract for December delivery, fell US$22.20, or 1.8%, to US$1,192.90 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, erasing future gains for the year.
The situation saw the Government of Guyana worrying about the impact of the falling prices on mining operations and the economy.
Miners expressed concern because of loans and other debts they had incurred. Many of them had benefitted from the huge windfall from high prices but the crippling drop caught them in a lurch.
According to Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, as part of the continued mandate, his ministry and the regulators, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), met with the miners to determine the way forward.

MP moves to court to block property transfer
…says NICIL connived with Executive to avoid Parliamentary oversight
Member of Parliament for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Desmond Trotman, again petitioned

the High Court to prevent the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Atlantic Hotel Inc (AHI) and their head, Winston Brassington, from mortgaging, leasing or in any way transferring the title of the land and building on which the Marriott Hotel sits in Kingston.
He filed the action as head of the Committee for the Defence of the Constitution Inc.
Trotman, through an action filed by Senior Counsel, Rex Mc Kay, also sought to have the court grant a Conservatory Order restraining the Minister of Finance his servants or agents from encumbering, mortgaging, leasing or in any form transferring the properties.
The Conservatory Order is also meant to prevent the Finance Minister from empowering NICIL, AHI or Brassington from dealing with mortgaging, encumbering, leasing or transferring the title of the property.
He is also looking to have the Court grant any other Order it may deem necessary.
In his affidavit, Trotman noted that NICIL is a wholly Government-owned company, while AHI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NICIL.
He noted that by virtue of a vesting order issued in November 2010, the more than six acres of land on which the Marriott sits was transferred to NICIL. This information was published in the Official Gazette and three years later the land was leased for 99 years by NICIL to AHI.

Sattaur bypasses Govt, seeks info from InterPol, US Embassy
Amidst a systematic wave of attacks against the Kaieteur News by Government, evidence surfaced that Head of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Khurshid Sattaur, had been making other moves on his own.
He attempted to solicit information from International Police (InterPol) and the US Embassy in Georgetown. However, both the Embassy and Interpol rebuffed Sattaur’s attempts for information.
From the US Embassy he sought personal information on two remigrants who are United States citizens. The embassy immediately wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs citing procedural breaches and advised the Ministry to restrain Sattaur.
The Embassy said that it could not accommodate the request, explaining that it must be forwarded through the “correct channels”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs seemed to have been caught unaware of Sattaur’s request for information, and called on the GRA boss to follow the correct procedures in the future.
The Foreign Ministry in turn wrote the GRA Commissioner General asking him to forward such request through the Ministry, providing details of what he wants and the actions he is seeking.
Sattaur did not stop at the United States embassy. He wanted to trace phone calls which he said were made to him by Glenn Lall from the United States of America. Sattaur alleged that during the telephone calls, Lall threatened him. For the telephone call information, Sattaur wrote InterPol, Washington DC. He wanted a record of calls made to his phone and the owner of the telephone number. However, that international security organization in its response made it clear that it is barred from releasing the information.

Head found in plastic bag…relatives ID remains as MFK Trading boss
Speculation turned into reality when relatives positively identified human remains found at Cummings Lodge, East Coast of Demerara, a few weeks ago, as that of missing businessman Mohamed F. Khan. The relatives confirmed their worst fears when a nephew of the businessman was able to identify a belt and a pair of trousers that were found on the skeletal remains.
However, investigators insisted that they still needed to do DNA tests to ascertain definitively if the corpse was that of Khan. “His former wife and his nephew went to the parlour where the remains are being kept and identified it,” a police source confirmed.
The remains of a man of East Indian descent was discovered on a dam at Cummings Lodge on September 23rd, a month after Khan disappeared.
The skull, which was wrapped in a plastic bag, was located several feet from the body.

Ebola threat…Region imposes travel restrictions for West Africa
International travel was disrupted as restrictions were implemented and enforced by a number of territories in light of the prevailing Ebola outbreak that ravaged sections of West Africa. And Guyana, like a number of Caribbean and international territories, embraced this restriction in order to ward off the potential entry of the virus. Speaking of deliberate implementation moves was Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon, as he hosted his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing.
He told a gathering of media operatives that although the viral epidemic continues to devastate West African territories evident by high cases of fatalities, and has reached other continents, it has however not yet invaded the South American continent.
In its attempt to prevent the Ebola Virus from entering Guyana, moves were made by Government to institute restrictions against travellers from West Africa.

Log export doubles in 2014
Guyana’s log exports for the first eight months of 2014 more than doubled compared to the same period of 2013.
According to the Forest Products Development and Marketing Council of Guyana Inc. (FPDMC) in its August 2014 Market/Export Report, a staggering 86,250 cubic metres of logs were exported between January and August. This earned US$14.5M. In 2013, for the same period, 41,518 cubic metres were exported, earning over US$7M. This meant that log exports doubled in 2014.
For the year, up to August, log exports represented about 46 percent of the total forest exports as against the 30 percent for 2013.

Ronald Ramjattan awarded by Queen Elizabeth II
Although he left these shores more than a decade ago, Ronald Ramjattan still has a very prevailing presence in Guyana, throughout the Caribbean and further afield. He is the business mogul standing firmly behind the well known Baron Foods Limited.
As a Food Entrepreneur for many years he has maintained a flawless and distinguished reputation which was perhaps enough for him to be awarded with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) at Buckingham Palace. The award was bestowed upon him on October 9, by Queen Elizabeth II.
“I am indeed fortunate,” said Ramjattan who has been exporting his over 125 food products from Saint Lucia to Guyana for the last 20 years. All of his products have also been consistently maintaining an ISO 22000 Standard and are exported throughout the English, Dutch and French Islands of the Caribbean, North America and Europe.
His integral support to the Saint Lucian economy saw the Government there nominating him for the OBE award which was accepted by the Queen. Though grateful for the recognition, Ramjattan is of the belief that the honour “is a plus for Guyana and Guyanese living outside.”

Attorney General hints at imminent attack on Glenn Lall, KNews
— Police provided with audio, transcript of plot
Guyana’s Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall hinted at chilling  plans in relation

to Kaieteur News publisher, Glenn Lall and the newspaper’s staff.
Alluding to an imminent attack, Nandlall, in a profanity-laced 19-minute telephone conversation advised senior reporter Leonard Gildarie to get out of the Saffon Street office, which he described as a “dangerous place”.
He hinted at an intended hit on Lall and the establishment, and described himself as a “thoroughbred” and as a “Kshatriya” (pronounced Chatree), a reference to an upper social class in India, known to be united by their claims to rulership, the pursuit of war, or the possession of land.
Nandlall portrayed himself as a “bad-man” who “running things” in Guyana. He boasted that former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, his best friend Bobby Ramroop, and Winston Brassington, were no match for him.

Ramotar defends AG’s threat on KNews mere hours after revelation
Mere hours after Publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, released a recording of Attorney General Anil Nandlall vocalizing a threat of violent proportions, President Donald Ramotar and the government came out in defence of the Attorney General.
In the recording, Nandlall is heard talking about an imminent attack on Kaieteur News that would see the innocent paying for the guilty. He also made an offer of employment to a reporter whom he told was working in a “dangerous place”. In the expletive-laden conversation, Nandlall spoke of the heightened confrontation with Kaieteur News after the newspaper threatened to release details of his wife.
In a statement, the government sought to accuse the newspaper of manipulating “a private conversation of a Government Minister, whose conversation was illegally recorded, and distorted, and broadcast.”

President Ramotar must demand Nandlall’s immediate resignation
– Minister has brought the AG’s Office into disrepute – AFC
The Alliance For Change in a statement indicated the party was “shocked beyond disbelief” at the revelations in a conversation between Kaieteur News reporter Leonard Gildarie and Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall.
The party said that the transcript of the conversation “which the AG has most recently admitted as having said, highlights that he has proven himself wholly unfit to hold the office of Attorney General of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana”.
“President Donald Ramotar must demand the immediate resignation of Mr. Nandlall, as his  failure to act swiftly on this issue would be an endorsement of such behaviour by persons who represent our country at the highest level in Guyana and internationally.
“It is now clear to the AFC that our party, civil society organisations and the citizens of Guyana cannot continue to do business with this Government if it holds persons in the ilk of Mr. Nandlall as its representative. Only his immediate resignation could save this country the embarrassment of having one of its highest offices brought further into disrepute and disgrace.”

Recorded threats against K/News…The world is watching the Guyana Police Force – APNU
The brouhaha involving the Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall and Publisher of the Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, has evolved into an international scandal, and the world is watching to see how the authorities, especially the Guyana Police Force, will treat the matter in light of the lodged report.
This was the view of General Secretary of A Partnership for National Unity, Joseph Harmon.
In an invited comment on the professionalism of the Guyana Police Force and its handling of the matter, Harmon lamented its capacity to investigate certain crimes and further, its ability to guard itself from political interference.
According to Harmon, who is a practicing attorney who would at times have to interact with the Guyana Police Force over criminal and other investigations, the force is notorious for dragging its feet in the compilation of reports before approaching the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.
He observed, too, that it has been some time now since the report was lodged with the Police Force and a report is yet to be completed.
Harmon said that it is at present unclear if the Attorney General was even questioned by the Police, which would have to be included in any such report to the DPP’s office.

 

November

Cop gets 4 years for trafficking girl, 14
A Police Corporal who masterminded an operation designed to traffic a 14-year-old girl and her sister was jailed. Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine Beharry sentenced Huford David to four years’ jail at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The 36-year-old was accused of transporting the 14-year-old from Georgetown to Kumakuma Creek, Mazaruni River, where he forced her into prostitution. The Trafficking in Persons charge leveled against David detailed that the girl was sexually exploited within the period of January 1 to January 31, 2013.
The case was prosecuted by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Prosecutor, Sergeant Neville Jeffers.

President suspends Parliament to dodge no-confidence vote
Days after signaling his intentions to either suspend or dissolve Parliament in face of a non-confidence motion against Government by the Opposition, President Donald Ramotar made true to his promise, announcing on November10 that he had issued the necessary proclamation.
The announcement by the President to prorogue the Parliament shortly before a sitting of the National Assembly, immediately sparked demonstrations.
Below is an excerpt from the President’s statement:
“Fellow Guyanese, in my address to you on November 4, I indicated our desire for the National Assembly, in its post-recess sittings, to deliberate and give priority to important matters relating to the development of our country and the future of all of our people. I also extended a hand to the Opposition for us to put the nation’s business first rather than political gamesmanship.
I further advised that should I be provided with reasons to believe that the Parliamentary Opposition intends to disrupt Government’s business by forcing a debate on their No Confidence Motion, I resolved to respond immediately by exercising my Constitutional options to either Prorogue or Dissolve Parliament paving the way for holding of General Elections.
Consistent with my earlier position and in accordance with powers conferred on me by Article 70 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana, I earlier today issued a Proclamation proroguing the 10th Parliament.”

UG graduates urged to share ideas
– As 48th Convocation ceremony hosted
It was Joel Samuel Joseph of the Faculty of Social Sciences who was named the best graduating student when the University of Guyana Turkeyen campus held its 48th Convocation Ceremony.  Joseph, with a Grade Point Average of 4.0, was the valedictorian and was duly honoured with the President’s Medal for being the best graduating bachelor’s degree student.
The Business Management student in his valedictory speech likened the graduation to a West Indies win and went on to encourage the relevant authorities to ensure incentives are in place for graduates to encourage them to remain in Guyana and serve.
The Lindener also urged his fellow graduates to help develop their homeland even as he pointed out that “we graduates cannot do it alone. We require the support of others,” as he alluded to the saying “hand wash hand mek hand come clean.”
Joining Joseph in the awards receiving circle Sunday was Dave Umar Sarran of the Faculty of Natural Sciences. He was presented with the Chancellor’s Award for being the second best graduating bachelor’s degree student. Also receiving open prizes and awards were Soyini Ashaki McPherson (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences), Shanesha Deonath (Faculty of Education and Humanities), Kezia Abika Bess (Faculty of Natural Sciences), Sherod Avery Duncan (Faculty of Social Sciences), La Donna Fredericks (Faculty of Technology) and Thais Chelsea Fraser (Faculty of Technology).
A total of 1,605 students were scheduled for graduation at a particularly auspicious ceremony that was held even as the University celebrates 50 years of existence.
Ahead of the students being conferred with their respective degrees, diplomas and certificates they listened attentively to the feature address delivered by Caricom’s Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRoque.

Nandlall was crude and disrespectful – Manickchand
The deafening silence of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Members of Parliament on issues that came out of the recorded conversation between Attorney General, Anil Nandlall and a Kaieteur News reporter, was finally broken when Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand became the first government official to comment on the immorality of the utterances made by Nandlall in the recorded conversation.
Nandlall was heard saying that there are plans afoot to kill “innocent people” working at Kaieteur News in reaction to the many exposing stories the paper has been carrying. He was also heard admitting that he took taxpayers’ money and utilized it on his personal needs. Very disturbingly as well, the Attorney General, in the recording referred to a female Kaieteur News reporter as a “lil thing” and advocated for his relative to receive sexual favours
In an invited comment, Manickchand told Kaieteur News that “what Nandlall said was crude and disrespectful and flies in the face of the environment that we (the government) are trying to establish and foster in Guyana.” The Minister said that that environment is one where women should be treated as equals and celebrated for their worth in the development of Guyana and “not seen as chattel for men to use.”
The Minister said that she was shocked at the things Nandlall said and noted that she expressed to him how offended and disappointed she was at his remarks.

Man gets suspended sentence for 67 kilos of cocaine
A confessed drug dealer who admitted to trafficking in more than 67 kilograms of cocaine may not spend a day in prison. Leonard Bacchus, who was arrested three years ago after a police raid netted the $300M worth of narcotics, which was contained in kunds, was handed a five-year suspended sentence by Magistrate Alex Moore when the matter came to a close.
Bacchus was also given a slap-on-the-wrist suspended sentence of two years for being in unlawful possession of 125 12-gauge cartridges and 115 .32 rounds of ammunition, which also stemmed from the raid on his Block 20 Enmore/Haslington Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara home on August 16, 2001.
In addition to being spared a mandatory prison term, Bacchus was fined $2.5M.
It meant that he would only go to jail if he commits another offence within the five-year period.
When the prosecution, which was started by Superintendent Karimbaksh and concluded by Inspector Stephen Telford, closed its case, the court found that a case was made out against Bacchus and Magistrate Moore ordered him to lead a defence. But in a surprise move, Bacchus, who was represented by Attorney at Law James Bond, changed his plea to guilty on both charges.
Magistrate Moore accepted the plea and then informed Bacchus that in addition to possible jail time he was staring at a fine of more than $300M. But, then to the amazement of most of the persons in the courtroom, the Magistrate handed down the suspended sentence for both of the charges. He then considered the pleas of Bacchus’ lawyer that he could only afford to pay a fine of $2.5M, which he was given up to the end of June 2015 to do.

Explosive Ombudsman report…Sacked manager claims victimisation after refusal to back proposal
Maurice Arjoon, who was one of three New Building Society (NBS) Managers sacked in 2007, has made

startling claims. NBS is the country’s largest mortgage finance entity.
Arjoon said he ran into trouble after refusing to back a proposal to lend $2B in 2006, to a committee, for the building of the Berbice River Bridge.
The claims by former Director/Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Maurice Arjoon, were contained in an explosive report by an independent public complaints body. The report was released in early November.
The report would have come from a complaint filed by Arjoon back in January with the Ombudsman, Justice Winston Moore.
On June 1, 2007, Arjoon, Kent Vincent and Kissoon Baldeo were all charged with fraud over the withdrawal of some $69M from a savings account.
NBS has repaid the account holder almost $74M.
The fraud charges were dismissed but NBS had already sacked the Managers citing fraud, negligence and serious misconduct.
The Ombudsman report essentially cleared the three managers, and questioned how investigators recommended

charges when there was clearly no evidence in the police file.
Justice Moore noted in his findings that: “The standard required for conviction of a criminal offence is proof beyond a reasonable doubt for every element of the offence – the acts as well as the mental ingredients.
“Without intending any disrespect to anyone, I would state that carelessness, most species of negligence, foolhardiness or even stupidity are not the standard of proof of guilt for a criminal offence.
“I do not hereby state any finding or conclusion that anyone at the NBS should be blamed for any of these.”
Assisting with the Ombudsman’s independent investigation of the complaint was Henry Chester, Deputy Commissioner of Police (retired).
According to the report, Arjoon in his complaint said that at the time of the “trumped up charges”, he was six months away from retirement, which would have entitled him to receive a lucrative monthly pension and substantial benefits.
Arjoon believed that an independent investigation would have revealed that persons from the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), including the Director of Public Prosecution, Shalimar Ali-Hack, did not want to take action against the real perpetrators of the fraud.
The reasons, he said, were simple. It was punishment for “certain decisions and/or recommendations I made in the interest of the NBS, but were deemed unfavourable to the President of Guyana and certain Directors of the NBS.”
The President at the time was Bharrat Jagdeo.
Government had been seeking monies to finance the construction of a bridge across the Berbice River.
Arjoon claimed that while NBS is supposed to be a private company, it is run by persons aligned to the Government and CIOG.

Ombudsman takes on Minister Gopaul
– tells him to “re-read” report on NBS fraud charges
Days after an explosive report that raised serious questions over the manner in which charges were laid against three top managers of the New Building Society (NBS), Ombudsman, Justice Winston Moore, took on a Government Minister who criticized him. According to the Judge, who has sweeping, independent powers to investigate complaints against public officials, he read statements attributed to Dr. Nanda Gopaul, Minister of Labour, that the NBS Board of Directors was not afforded a hearing by the Ombudsman.
Moore, in a statement, said that he spoke to Dr. Gopaul by telephone “advising him to read or re-read my report and to point out where in the report I made any finding on anything done by the NBS Board.”
The Ombudsman noted that the only mention he made of the NBS Board is in one sentence of the report, and in which he said that “I have no jurisdiction to pronounce on the action of the NBS Board in firing the managers and I therefore refrain from any comment.”
Justice Moore urged Minister Gopaul to do what is “honourable”.
The report angered Government officials. NBS Chief Executive Officer, Maurice Arjoon, and his two managers, Kent Vincent, and Kissoon Baldeo, were all charged in June 2007 for a $69M fraud at the bank.
The charges were later dismissed, but not before the three were sacked for what NBS Board of Directors said was “dereliction of duty, negligence and serious misconduct”.
In January, shortly after Justice Moore was sworn in, Arjoon who had been insisting that he was framed, filed a complaint with the Ombudsman’s office, insisting that he was deliberately and maliciously charged.

Teen sisters perish in suspected arson attack
The family of two teen sisters was Monday plunged into sorrow as news of their demise by fire began to spread. The girls perished in a massive blaze which completely destroyed the two-storey building they were living in with their father.
Fifteen -year-old Theresa and 12-year-old Feresa Rozario were said to have been burnt beyond recognition when they were trapped in the early morning inferno that also left their father, Hilrod Randolph Thomas, nursing second and third degree burns at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
. We believe that concessions were granted. Now we are hearing that the project may not be happening.”

Limited US airwaves fetch US$34B and counting
– but Jagdeo gives away Guyana’s to friends and family
A multi-billion-US-dollar auction for six blocks of airwaves has attracted huge interest in that North American

country. It has also starkly highlighted how Guyana deliberately set about giving away what is one of its most valuable assets. According to the New York Times online news, a government auction of airwaves for use in mobile broadband has exceeded expectations, becoming the biggest auction in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) history.
The demand for the electromagnetic spectrum or frequencies as they are known would signal how phone companies expect demand for internet will soar in face of rising popularity of smartphones.
FCC collected bids of more than US$34B as of Friday afternoon for six blocks of airwaves, totaling 65 megahertz of the electromagnetic spectrum. That total is more than three times the US$10.5B reserve price that the FCC, as the US regulators, put on sale.
The US auction had huge significance for Guyana as it continued to highlight how valuable the airwaves are considered for some countries while in Guyana it is given away to friends and family of the ruling elite.
The issue of the airwaves became a burning issue following an announcement by Government in late 2011 that former President Bharrat Jagdeo doled out several frequencies before he was due to step down in November of that year.
The radio frequencies went mainly to his best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, the ruling party, and to an overseas-based sister of sitting Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud.
These three were given multiple frequencies allowing them countrywide coverage.
Others were granted single frequencies, giving them limited range in their transmissions.
It would also be recalled that frequencies were given by Jagdeo to E-Networks and Quark Communications Inc., two companies he has close links with, to go-ahead to run cable TV services.
Quark, E-Networks and Global Technology’s iNet Communications, all with links to Jagdeo, are now standing at the head of the line for telecoms licences that will be automatically granted to them once new laws before the National Assembly are passed.
These licences and the frequencies will also allow the companies to offer telephone services, mobile services, internet and a host of other high demands services.

Sattaur drops threatening language charge against Glenn Lall
…new date set for trumped up tax evasion charges
The charge against Kaieteur News publisher, Glenn Lall, which claimed that he threatened Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Khurshid Sattaur, was dismissed by Magistrate Alex Moore.
It was three months after an investigation was launched into the allegations, that Lall was summoned to appear before the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.
The publisher of the local daily newspaper was being accused of using threatening language towards the GRA Head on August 29, last, at Plantation Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara.
Lall pleaded not guilty to the allegation. Magistrate Moore smiled and remarked, “Fortune smiles upon your favour”. The Magistrate went on to inform Lall through his Attorney, Khemraj Ramjattan, that a legal representative for Sattaur had addressed the court prior to his arrival.
He explained that Sattaur through his attorney, Joy Persaud, had refused to offer any evidence against Lall.
The GRA boss, the Magistrate said, was no longer interested in pursuing the matter and did not plan to appear in court to testify against Lall. The matter was accordingly dismissed.

Guyanese pilot caught with US$620K stashed in private jet en route to G/T
A Guyanese businessman was held in Puerto Rico after he was found in possession of US$620,000 in cash

that was stashed in an aircraft he was travelling in, heading to Guyana.
The bust was made when the aircraft stopped on the Spanish-speaking island to refuel.
The cash was unearthed when agents of the United States Customs and Border Protection carried out a routine search of the aircraft.
From all indications, the man attempted to conceal the cash, since initially he had only declared a small amount to US Customs Agents.
According to Special Agent DaRika Davis, who is attached to Homeland Security Investigations of the United States Homeland Security and is assigned to the Investigations Branch of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Lall and two other individuals arrived at the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport on a private aircraft bearing tail number N822QL.
Lall was the co-pilot, while the other two individuals were his father and the pilot of the aircraft.
When US Customs and Border Protection Agents who were at the airport approached the aircraft, the occupants informed them that they had only stopped to refuel and would be departing immediately for Georgetown, Guyana.
The officers however informed them that an outbound inspection of the aircraft was necessary.
Three agents, including Davis, were detailed to carry out the search. The money was reportedly discovered in more than one area of the aircraft.

Jet with stashed $$$ transported President on state trips
… pilot has private hangar at CJIA
The Guyanese pilot who was detained in Puerto Rico for failing to declare hundreds of

thousands of United States dollars stashed in different sections of his private jet has a private hangar at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). He had also piloted President Donald Ramotar on official trips to Brazil and Puerto Rico.
Khamraj Lall was detained in the Spanish-speaking territory which is an unincorporated territory of the United States. US Customs and Border Protection agents had carried out a routine search of the executive craft when sums totalling US$620,000 were found hidden under seats and near the plane’s engine.
Lall was the co-pilot on the flight. He was travelling with his father and the plane’s pilot and took sole responsibility for the hidden cash. The three occupants declared certain sums of money, far less than what was found by the customs agents.
Lall was permitted to build a private hangar at Guyana’s largest airport to conduct executive flight services and medical evacuation.

Magistrate suspended with immediate effect
The Judicial Service Commission took a decision to suspend controversial Magistrate Alex Moore, as

they investigated allegations of inappropriate behaviour made by an East Coast Demerara businesswoman.
The decision to suspend the controversial Magistrate took immediate effect, leaving a huge void in the Magistracy, since Moore was described as one of the more efficient Magistrates.
Moore was accused by the businesswoman of improper conduct during a hearing at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court on November 12.
The 47-year-old East Coast Demerara businesswoman, Seerojanie Singh wrote to the Chancellor of the Judiciary (Ag), Justice Carl Singh over the “torment” she claimed to have endured at the hands of Magistrate Moore.
Singh who resides and operates her business at Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara, told Kaieteur News that she felt very uncomfortable appearing before Moore, as his behaviour towards her earlier in the month was one she found very disrespectful. She was hoping to have her case transferred to another court.

December

Another Magistrate suspended
Magistrate Chandra Sohan became the latest victim of the newly-constituted Judicial Service Commission

(JSC) when he was given temporary marching orders following a brief hearing into complaints brought against him, relating to his work.
Kaieteur News understands that Senior Magistrate Sohan, who was presiding in the Georgetown Traffic Court, was suspended for a number of alleged infractions.
He follows Sparendaam Court’s Magistrate Alex Moore who was sent off temporarily by the JSC over alleged inappropriate conduct while on the bench.
According to reports, the JSC is looking into a complaint made by a woman, in relation to a court matter involving domestic violence. The matter was heard sometime last year at the Vreed en Hoop Magistrate’s Court, when Sohan was briefly presiding there.
There are allegations that Sohan appeared to be biased towards the woman’s husband during the time he was dealing with the matter. However, according to a source, Sohan is known to the couple and merely gave advice for an amicable settlement of the matter before it was dragged through the court.
In fact the matter was assigned to another Magistrate and the woman had been insisting on several occasions that she did not wish to pursue the matter in the court.
Surprisingly, she wrote to the JSC complaining about the magistrate’s conduct in the matter.
Sohan is also being accused of leaving the jurisdiction in December last year without permission.

Brassington pawns Marriott, adjoining state lands
From all indications, Republic Bank unable to gather investors to contribute to a US$28M syndicated loan for Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI) needed for the completion of the Marriott-branded hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.
This was made evident by the mortgaging or pawning of the hotel. The hotel was mortgaged to the very bank that was to be the lead lender of the syndicated loan (a loan offered by a group of lenders).
Also, AHI which was set up as a Special Purpose Vehicle to oversee the Marriott and is essentially being controlled by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) has mortgaged the neighbouring land that once accommodated the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department.
The accumulated loan for the two assets amounted to slightly more than what was supposed to be sourced through Republic Bank as a syndicate.
According to the Official Gazette published on November 22, last, the mortgage of the state land “and all future building and erections that may hereafter be constructed or erected” will last for a term of 99 years.
Kaieteur News was not able to confirm with Republic Bank the reasons for the change of plans. But, in September, Executive Director of NICIL, Winston Brassington, who also heads AHI and has been consulting and negotiating with himself on behalf of NICIL and AHI, said that the Republic Bank was “close to finalizing the documentation for the debt financing agreement.

Guyana is the most corrupt country in the English-speaking Caribbean – 2014 Report
Guyana has improved by three points over its 2013 rating on the Global Corruption Perception Index, but the country remains at the bottom of the list of English-speaking Caribbean countries.
The result of the 2014 Annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) revealed that out of the 175 countries surveyed by the international body, Guyana ranked 124, with a score of 30 .(0 being highly corrupt;100 being very clean.)
The only other countries in the region that ranked below Guyana were Haiti and Venezuela.

Multi-billion$$$ Amaila Falls access road…$1.7B Chinese – built section washing away
Just a few weeks after Government said that a critical section of the multi-billion-

dollar access road to the Amaila Falls hydroelectric dam has been completed, there is indisputable evidence that parts of it are washing away.
It would raise tough questions now about the level and quality of supervision carried out by engineers.
Section Seven, which ends the almost 200-kilometre road from Mabura to the Kuribrong River, Region Eight, was awarded to China Railway First Group (Guyana) Inc. in 2013 for $1.7B after problems surfaced with other contractors over deadlines.
Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, in early December said that 93 percent of the roadway is complete. In the case of Section Seven, that China Railway built, it was reported since October that that section was completed.
Following Minister Benn’s update, and based on complaints that all was not well, Kaieteur News visited the road and discovered significant signs of erosion at Section Seven.
What has made the situation more worrying is that parts of that roadway have not even been open to traffic, unlike other sections. As a matter of fact, warning signs have been erected restricting traffic.
It was in stark contrast to other sections constructed by local contractors. These are holding up well under the use of heavy traffic from loggers and miners alike.
What made matters worse, according to worried persons who took Kaieteur News to the areas, was that the rainy season had not really started, and “the little rain that fell” saw water in the valley area through which Section Seven runs, rising quickly, washing away portions of the road built with the red loam.

Gunmen storm Sterling Products Ltd, kill guard
Gunmen stormed Sterling Products Limited killing a security guard and wounding a 41-year-old Indian national before fleeing empty handed from the Providence, East Bank Demerara Company.
Wilfred Stewart, 45, a Beharry Group of Companies security guard, of Graham’s Hall, East Coast Demerara, was shot in the groin and hip as he sat in a security hut, after the gunmen, who reportedly arrived in a silver-grey car, forced their way through the main gate.
A Quality Assurance Chemist, an Indian national, was shot in the left foot by one of the gunmen who had entered the firm’s laboratory. He was treated at the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital.
Relatives of the slain guard said that he fathered two daughters and that his wife is expecting a third child. His mother, Gloria Stewart, said that her son had worked as a guard with the Beharry Group of Companies for over ten years.

State settles with Sparendaam torture victim for $1.5M
The Government conceded that the state was liable in the torture of 19-year-old

Sparendaam resident, Junior Thornton, and settled with the young man to the tune of $1.5M. Thornton’s hands were allegedly doused with methylated spirits and set alight while he was in custody at the Sparendaam Police Station lock-ups.
Kaieteur News understands that the State threw in the towel in the constitutional motion which was filed in late June by Attorney at Law Dexter Todd on behalf of Thornton, opting not to offer a defence.
The decision not to challenge the motion is a clear admission by the state that Thornton did suffer torture at the hands of the police, while he was in custody at the Sparendaam Police Station late in May.
However, according to Todd, this would in no way bring an end to the criminal matter for which police Constable Earwin Forrester is before a Magistrate, nor is it related to the civil action brought against Forrester and Commissioner of Police(Ag) Seelall Persaud for damages for personal injuries.
Another related criminal matter regarding the Attempt to Pervert the Course of Justice brought against a Police Inspector, who happens to be a relative of the victim, was dismissed on October 10 last.
Junior Thornton was picked up for loitering and was held in the Sparendaam Police Station lock-ups for a few days. It was alleged that he began behaving in a disorderly manner and refused to desist when asked to do so by the ranks on duty.

Brazil/Guyana fibre optic cable project collapses
More than four years after an agreement was signed between Guyana and Brazil for a fibre optic cable to link Government facilities, the project appears to have collapsed because of technical issues. It would appear certain now that billions of dollars have gone down the drain, unless Government finds a way to rescue the venture.
According to a Government source close to the project, continuous breakage to the cable has left the project in limbo. Time and again the deadlines have been pushed back. The cable passes through difficult terrain along the Linden/Lethem trail. Logistics have reportedly caused major headaches for contractors.
It was indicated that initially little thought went into the project as Government itself reported that cables not of the correct lengths were ordered. Independent supervisors hired to monitor the project were reportedly fired.
Physical works for the laying of 560 kilometres of cable began in April 2011. Poor weather conditions and the absence of appropriate equipment were cited for the slothfulness of contractors. Several of them were fired. Government had even reportedly resorted to foreign help in moving the cable project forward.
On the Brazil side, Globonet, a sidsidiary of Oi, the largest telephone company of that neighbouring country, had landed the fibre optic cable.
Under the agreement, Guyana was reportedly paying US$150,000 annually for internet connectivity. It is unclear what is happening to these fees now that the project remains incomplete.

DNA test confirms Turkeyen body is missing teacher
They waited five months to confirm the fate of their beloved one and when confirmation finally came, the relatives of school teacher Nyozi Goodman could hardly accept that she was dead.
Police announced that the results of DNA tests conducted on the remains of a female found at Turkeyen on July 24, confirmed that it belonged to the missing St. Stanislaus teacher, who disappeared on July 6 after leaving the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, where she had accompanied students on a sports assignment.
“The results of the DNA testing conducted by the Forensic Science Centre of Trinidad on the samples taken from the body that was recovered at Turkeyen, ECD, on July 24, 2014, have confirmed the body to be that of teacher Nyozi Goodman, of William Street, Kitty,” the police said in a statement.
“I did not want to believe that it was her. I was hoping that she is still out there,” said the woman’s mother Carol Green.
According to Green, she was disappointed with the way she found out about the results.
She said that she did not want to be told the results of the DNA test via telephone, since she had asked the Crime Chief to invite her to his office and break the news gently to her.
Jagdeo invested $20B from Treasury to enrich self, family and friends
Kaieteur News has been at the forefront of reporting on corruption and other questionable deals in which billions of taxpayers’ dollars were blatantly used to secretly fill the pockets of a few.
As a result of extensive research and consultations with worried industry experts, Kaieteur News unearthed that via a massive scheme, former President Bharrat Jagdeo, when at the helm of power in Guyana, engineered the heist of the telecommunications industry.
The plan was to use monies from the national coffers to finance a number of seemingly unrelated projects that cost Guyanese in excess of US$100 Million ($20B).
GT&T signed a US$30M deal with Suriname to land a submarine fibre optic cable in Guyana.
That cable has the capacity to service the demands of Guyana, five times over, providing ‘lightning speed internet service’ to the country by increasing its available bandwidth 3,000 fold.
The Jagdeo administration announced shortly after, much to the surprise of Guyana, that it was no longer interested in holding onto its shares in GT&T. That 20 per cent shareholding was one of the most lucrative investments for Government, earning as much as $500M a year. By the time GT&T’s fibre optic cable landed in Guyana, Jagdeo announced that Government had already made a down payment for its own fibre optic cable coming from Brazil. He said that the government cable will facilitate E-Governance—an ambitious US$32M plan to increase efficiency in the public service.

Miss Guyana cracks top 10 at Miss World 2014 pageant…
Guyana’s very own Rafieya Husain managed to be one of the top 10 contestants in the Miss World 2014 pageant, which was held in London. The achievement marked Guyana’s first time in over 40 years in making it this far in the international competition.
Husain took to the popular social media site, Facebook, to give thanks to all her supporters. At the time she remarked that she was still in “a world of emotions”. She remarked that despite being sick on the night of the competition, she gave it her all, and was proud to represent Guyana in the pageant.
The other nine contestants were Miss India, South Africa  (the eventual winner), England, Brazil, Hungary, Kenya, the United States, Mexico and Australia.
In addition to cracking into the top 10, Miss Guyana won the title of “Beauty with a Purpose”, which she shared with India, Kenya, Brazil and Indonesia.

Wanted cop, accomplice killed after store robbery
The rope finally ran out on fugitive cop turned bandit, Warren Anthony Blue, when he and an accomplice were shot dead by his former colleagues during a robbery on a Montrose, East Coast Demerara supermarket.
Blue, who disappeared two years ago before he could appear in court to answer a murder charge related to the death of Agricola youth, Shaquille Grant, was killed while fleeing the scene. His accomplice was killed inside the business place.
This was after they had shot the proprietor of the Lahago Supercenter, Latchmie Baburam, 52, and robbed the establishment of cash.
A police press release stated that the two men entered the Lahago General Store and held up the owner, Latchmie Baburam. The perpetrators took away $140,000 after shooting and wounding her to her foot.
The police said that public-spirited members of the community and police ranks who responded quickly to the report confronted the perpetrators. During an armed confrontation the two suspects were fatally shot.

Jagdeo stifled Guyana’s technological development
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo, through his actions, deliberately stalled Guyana’s technological development by more than four years.
Industry experts have opined that had he made use of the advanced facility Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) – which in 2010 already had the high speed fibre optic cable in place – Guyana would have been on par with the rest of the Caribbean. The GT&T cable has the capacity to service the demands of Guyana and five other countries like it.
There was consensus that all major Government facilities would have been connected via fibre optic. The plans to enhance the public service operations would have been in place.
A range of services such as “E-Health” allowing for video consultation, movement of information from one health centre to another and tracking disease outbreaks would have made life for the medical personnel much easier.
Regarding security, there would have been quick transmission of information including video and data between police stations with an enhanced database.
The police would have been better informed, able to conduct speedy background checks, monitor people, vehicles and police operations. It could have realized a faster implementation of surveillance mechanisms across the country, using cameras.

Second slain bandit ID’d as UG graduate
Computer scientist a few years ago, bandit in 2014; that’s how life turned out for 24-year-old Mahendra Sukull,who was shot dead by police during the robbery of a Montrose, East Coast Demerara supermarket.
Sukull, called ‘Vickey’ of Ramtahal Street, Prashad Nagar, was positively identified hours after he and former policeman Warren Blue were shot dead during an armed confrontation with policemen.
There are reports that instead of surrendering to the lawmen after he was cornered inside the Lahago Supercentre, Sukull unwisely tried to shoot his way past them and was subsequently taken out.
According to reports, Sukull attended private school all the way up to the secondary level. He then gained a Diploma in Computer Science from the University of Guyana, after which he embarked on many private jobs that reportedly paid him well.

40-ft. whale washes ashore at Kitty
Workers attached to the Ministry of Public Works and Police ranks had their work

cut out for them as hundreds of curious persons converged to view the remains of a 40-ft Sperm Whale. The massive mammal was discovered ashore at the Kitty Seawall, in the vicinity of the Russian Embassy.
It was almost as if there was a national event at the seawall as the presence of the dead whale attracted large crowds of young and old spectators and a massive traffic jam.
Onlookers braved the rain as they snapped photos, retrieved skin as souvenirs, and even climbed onto the whale’s back. The whale had reportedly been struggling in Guyana’s waters for some time. According to an official from the National Wildlife Management Committee, Annette Arjoon, this fact was brought to their attention a few days earlier

Judge gives girlfriend killer 83 years
Any plans of spending Christmas outside the walls of the Georgetown Prisons, ended abruptly for Paul Anthony Lo-Hing after he was sentenced to serve 83 years in jail for the murder of his girlfriend, Shoala Gilgeous.
Lo-Hing, a resident of South Sophia, was facing retrial for the murder before Justice Navindra Singh and a mixed twelve-member jury at the High Court in Georgetown.
Lo-Hing’s previous trial was conducted before Justice Diana Insanally; it ended in a hung jury hence the retrial.
According to the evidence provided in court, Lo-Hing strangled Gilgeous during a heated argument at their Block ‘E’, South Sophia residence on August 6, 2012.
According to reports, the accused shared a turbulent one-year relationship with the victim before she was eventually killed. Gilgeous’s body was discovered by relatives who ventured into the apartment building in search of her.
Lo Hing was subsequently arrested and charged for the offence, but maintained that he was innocent of the crime.

Jealous cane-cutter slaughters three – one critical
A jealous cane-cutter slaughtered his wife’s lover, his mother-in-law and nine-year-old step-daughter after forcing his way into a house at Tuschen New Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo.
The alleged killer, identified as Joshua Franklyn, also hacked off his spouse’s left hand at the wrist and chopped her about the body before fleeing the scene.
The woman, Geeta Boodhoo, was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where she underwent surgery.
Those killed were identified as 55-year-old Bibi Zalima Khan; her nine-year-old granddaughter, Ashley Boodhoo, and the alleged lover, Floyd Drakes, 30, all of Tuschen.
According to information received, Franklyn smashed his way through the louvre panes of the house he once lived in with his reputed wife, four children and two step children, before beginning his rampage.

Kaieteur News is a victim of state terrorism – Dr. Thomas
At a Working People’s Alliance (WPA) symposium, Professor Emeritus Clive Thomas spoke profoundly about what it means for Guyana to have a sitting Attorney General who vehemently threatened an institution. In Dr. Thomas’ eyes, Attorney General Anil Nandlall’s actions have further descended the country into a criminalized state. Upon such basis, Dr. Thomas said that Kaieteur News (KN) is a victim of state terrorism.
The recently retired professor told this to approximately 150 persons who gathered at the National Library’s conference room. The event was a symposium that focused on “prorogation and its aftermath.”
Former Minister of Finance, Carl Greenidge and Attorney-at-law Christopher Ram also spoke at that event.

AG threat against K/News…No evidence to charge Attorney General – DPP
After a delay of more than a month, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, finally advised

that there was no evidence to charge Attorney General Anil Nandlall over threats he allegedly made during a telephone conversation with Kaieteur News Senior Reporter, Leonard Gildarie.
The DPP said in a statement that the file on the matter has been returned to the police, advising that no charges be laid against Nandlall.
The advice came several days after persons protested outside her office accusing her of compromising the integrity of her office.
Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall, had filed a complaint with the police, alleging that the Attorney General threatened the safety of his employees when during the conversation, he spoke of an imminent attack on the newspaper’s main office on Saffon Street, if the entity continued with its exposure of government corruption.
The DPP in her statement referred to the recorded conversation between “personal friends” Gildarie and Nandlall as private. Based on the evidence contained in the police file, the conversation was “not between the Attorney General…and Mr. Glenn Lall.”
She explained that the offence created in Section 141(a) Chapter 8:02 is in relation to the speaker using threatening language with intent to provoke anyone else to commit a breach of the peace, that is, provoking another person

to do so.
According to the DPP, the threatening language must be such as is likely to provoke a breach of the peace by anyone else that is the person to whom the threat is directed.
She said that for the threatening language to result in provocation, the threat must be directly communicated to the person to whom it concerns, that is, in his presence and hearing.
“There is no evidence of this contained in the police file,” the DPP stated.
She further stated that the offence created in Section 141 (b) Chapter 8:02 is in relation to the person using abusive, insulting, obscene or profane language to the annoyance of another, that is, such language is used directly to the other person in his presence and annoys him.
“There is no evidence of this (also),” she pointed out.
“The alleged recording of a telephone conversation between the Attorney-General and the Minister of Legal Affairs and Mr. Gildarie, does not fall under Section 1a1 (a) or (b) Chapter 8:02,” Ali-Hack stated.
“In these circumstances the communication to Mr. Gildarie does not provide an evidential basis which can support the institution of criminal proceedings,” the DPP concluded.

‘Money jet’ pilot for February 2015 trial
A Puerto Rico Court has set February 23rd, 2015, for the trial of Khamraj ‘Kem’ Lall, the Guyana-born pilot who was allegedly caught with over US$600,000 in cash hidden in his private jet.
According to court documents scheduling the processes of the court case, the pilot will have until February 13 to file a plea agreement or signal a change of plea. The matter will be heard before Judge Jay Garcia-Gregory.
The matter made headlines in Guyana as Lall, who owns Kaylee’s Gas Station in Coverden, East Bank Demerara, was arrested by airport authorities in Puerto Rico in November, after his jet made stop to refuel, on its way to Guyana.

Brassington spends $1.7M to advertise unfinished Hotel
Marriott Hotel is the symbol of contempt for taxpayers’ $$$$ – Harmon
A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) General Secretary, Joseph Harmon, stated that the Marriott Hotel currently under construction in Kingston, Georgetown, is not only one of the most crass examples of Government’s financial lawlessness, but is also a symbol of contempt for millions of taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.
Harmon’s comment was made in light of the discovery that the Head of National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington, paid a whopping $1.7M for an advertisement of the unfinished hotel.
The advertisement was placed at the back of the 2014 issue of the Guyana Telephone Directory. The cost of the advertisement was confirmed by a sales representative of Guyenterprise Advertising Agency.
Harmon said that the nation knew from the start, that the Marriott project reeks of kleptocracy.

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