Barge suspense continues

Aug 14, 2010 News

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While there was word of a barge slated to arrive here yesterday, up to press time it was yet to come in to Port Georgetown and be docked, and despite repeated checks with the lighthouse, a specific time of arrival was not forthcoming.
The road building equipment being brought in by contractor Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall of Synergy Holdings Inc was expected to arrive in Guyana yesterday, and it is suspected that the barge that the lighthouse was put on notice to expect, is the one with the equipment
Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn travelled to the interior yesterday, and no one at the Ministry could confirm whether the barge expected was that with the equipment.
Senior Engineer and advisor to the Minister, Walter Willis, said that he was still waiting on instructions from President Bharrat Jagdeo and as such could not speak to the media on the topic.
Minister Benn’s most recent pronouncement on the issue, which was on Wednesday last, was that the equipment would arrive in Guyana in “a day or two”
In a July 14 press conference hosted by Minister Benn, it was disclosed that the road building equipment being brought in by the contractor would arrive in Guyana one week later, on July 21. When this did not materialize a new arrival date was given – July 24 – and this too failed to become a reality.
According to the contract signed, Motilall was to have begun procuring the equipment from April 15, last, the start-up date of the project.
Since then Motilall has only imported four All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and one grader.
The Minister subsequently explained that it was a tropical depression in the Atlantic that had caused the barge with the equipment to be stalled.
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Board Member J.B. Raghurai and CEO, Paul Bhim, listen to a point made by a worker of LBI estate yesterday during the strike action.

LBI estate workers strike over conditions, pay

… agree to return to work today

General Workers’ Union (GAWU) in the harvesting area that was the source of contention.
The Corporation disclosed that after “a healthy discussion”, the workers agreed to resume work today, “satisfied that their concerns were adequately addressed by the GuySuCo officials”.
According to GuySuCo, the workers were urged to ensure that they always seek to solve their concerns through dialogue with officials, before resorting to strike action.
The idea is to ensure that opportunity days for harvesting are not lost because of the current weather pattern.
“Mr. Bhim assured the workers that his office is always open to address their concerns.”
Speaking on behalf of the workers, Lucien Pierre expressed his appreciation for the timely intervention of the senior GuySuCo officials to address the workers’ concerns.
Other representatives of the delegation included Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Rajaindra Singh; Acting Head of Industrial Relations, Francis Carryl; Board Member, J.B. Raghurai; General Manager of Agriculture Services, Raymond Sangster and Estate Manager of LBI, Kissoon Singh.
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Man accused of setting teen on fire remanded

A South Ruimveldt resident was yesterday remanded to prison for allegedly dousing a 17-year-old boy with gasoline and throwing a lighter on him.
Cleveland Emanuel, 25, of South Ruimveldt, was not required to plead to the indictable offence of attempting to commit murder when he appeared before Magistrate Allan Wilson, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
It is alleged that on August 10, last, with the intent to maim, disfigure or cause grievous bodily harm, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Theon Adams.
He was represented by attorney at law Adrian Thompson who applied for bail in a reasonable sum.
The lawyer in his address to the court said that Emanuel who suffered burns to the left ear was refused the opportunity to seek medical attention.
“The police refused to take him to the hospital even though he had serious burn injuries to his ear,” said the lawyer. Injuries to Emanuel were evident as he stood calmly in the prisoner’s dock.
Thompson further told the court that his client was the person who made himself available to the police.
In his bid for bail, Thompson said that his client posed no flight risk further adding that he had no pending matters in any court.
The lawyer added that bail should be considered because the virtual complainant was the person who instigated the fight.
“The incident happened a short distance away from my client’s house…..the VC was the person who went looking for trouble,” said the lawyer.
However Police Prosecutor Stephen Telford objected to bail. According to the prosecutor, the VC is still in a critical condition in the Georgetown Hospital.
He explained that on the day in question, the VC saw Emanuel assaulting a child, and intervened.
Telford said that Emanuel left and returned with a bottle of gasoline. After throwing the gasoline on the young boy, it was alleged that Emanuel threw a lighter on him.
The young boy because engulfed in flames and was later rushed to the Georgetown Hospital.
Magistrate Wilson in responding to both applications said that Emanuel should be admitted to seek medical attention.
However with the issue of bail, the magistrate said that he would not be granting bail.

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