Businessman’s wife was not arrested for refusing to sing statement

Aug 22, 2010 News

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– police

The Guyana Police Force has stated that the wife of a businessman who was handed over to Brazilian authorities early last week was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to obtain the passport upon a forged birth certificate and not for refusing to sign a statement as was stated by this newspaper yesterday.
The article quoted the woman’s attorney, Nigel Hughes as stating that his client Rosannah Melville, wife of Euclid Da Silva who was handed over to the Brazilian authorities on Tuesday August 17, 2010, was arrested by the police after she refused to sign a statement.
The Guyana Police Force in responding to the article reiterated that a statement is given freely and voluntarily by an individual and the police do not arrest persons for refusing to give or sign statements.
The Force clarified that following the arrest of Euclid Da Silva on August 13, 2010, he was found to be in possession of a Guyana Passport in his name.
Checks at the Central Immigration and Passport Office revealed that he had been previously issued two Guyana Passports, investigations into which revealed that the first Guyana Passport was issued on a forged birth certificate.
According to the police, subsequent investigations resulted in the arrest of Rozanna Melville yesterday (Friday) on suspicion of conspiracy to obtain the passport upon the forged birth certificate.
Her home was later searched during which two Brazilian Passports were found in her possession, police said.
Melville was informed by the police that she was under arrest for conspiracy to obtain a passport upon a forged birth certificate and unlawful possession of the two Brazilian Passports.
“At no time was Melville requested to sign any statement by the police nor was she arrested for refusing to sign a statement,” the force added.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Police Force has contacted the Brazilian authorities and is awaiting a response in relation to the authenticity of the two Brazilian passports found.
Da Silva’s relatives are maintaining that he is a Guyanese by birth and claim to have documents to support this.

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PNCR tells Govt. to stop playing politics with City Hall

It is time for the government to cease playing politics with the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and honour its responsibilities to the Municipality, the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform charged last Friday.
Recently, the party said that the health of the citizens of Georgetown and the capital city is too important to become pawns of a dirty political game.
The party’s chief whip, Lance Carberry said that the Finance Committee of the Council had written to the Minister of Local Government, Kellawan Lall to clarify under which regulation or by what authority the order to pay garbage contractors directly from taxes owed by the Government has been made. To date, the Minister has not responded, Carberry stated.
Carberry was speaking at the PNCR’s weekly press conference at its Sophia, headquarters.
Carberry said that the government deliberately prevented the Council from widening its revenue base. He added that the M&CC is being starved of its revenue from the rates that the government should have been paying, as required by law. The Council found itself unable to pay the garbage-removal contractors monies that are outstanding and the contractors stopped collecting garbage until the arrears were cleared.
Carberry stated that the President and his Minister are engaged in barefaced and illegal actions, and that the Government had approximately G$100M in rates outstanding to the City Council.
“President Bharrat Jagdeo and his compliant Minister Kellawan Lall are unabashed, unashamed and unrepentant”, said Carberry.
Carberry declared that the garbage situation in the capital city, although it is the responsibility of the M&CC, is reflective of the spitefulness of the Jagdeo Administration.

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‘Clay and Colour’ ceramic exhibition opens

An exhibition of ceramics, tiled ‘Clay and Colour” has opened at the National Art Gallery.
On show are works by tutor in ceramics at the Burrowes School of Art and former Curator of the National Gallery, Everley Austin.
Reflecting his interests over many years, Austin has produced a number of decorative floor and table vases as well as utilitarian goblets, bowls and vessels, finished in coloured, patterned and textured glazing, surface design and details.

Over 100 objects are presented, reflecting the range of ceramic technique from throwing to the more direct methods of hand building and moulding of clay.
A retrospective element is introduced by the addition of an early work, a clay-tiled mural made as he graduated from the Jamaica School of Art, where he studied from 1976 to 1980.
The exhibition, which marks Emancipation Month, is open to the public and continues to September 18th next.
The National Gallery is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm and from 2 to 6pm on Saturday.
It is closed on Sundays and holidays. Admission is free.

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