Reflecting on 2018

Jan 01, 2019 News

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The past year [2018], like other years gone by, was especially eventful with many newsworthy occurrences that this publication saw necessary to share with you our readers. The reports during the course of the year were not all heart-warming but rather there were some that might have enraged you or even evoked a few tears or two. What is however clear is that we sought to bring you information that we thought relevant to satisfy your news consumption needs.
Below we reflect on just a few of the news articles which were published that helped to stir your curiosity during the past year and we look forward to continuing to serve you in the coming year.

During the past year:

Bankers’ Association working with authorities to halt attacks on customers
– as businessman robbed after leaving banks

The Guyana Association of Bankers [GAB] during the past year said that it was working with “the relevant authorities” to stop an increased spate of robberies on banking customers.
This announcement was made by way of a statement which came a day after gunmen relieved a Drysdale Street, Charlestown businessman of $2M shortly after he visited two commercial banks at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.
Police said that Jonathan Alli, 30, who owns a grocery and confectionary establishment at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, and an employee, Dexter Cyrus, drove his bus to the GBTI branch to change two cheques valued at $1.5M. The men then went to the Demerara Bank in the same area, where Alli changed a $500,000 cheque.
The businessman and employee then drove to Alli’s Drysdale Street residence. Just as they exited the bus, a silver-grey car, with licence number HC 4682 sto

pped nearby. Three men, including one with a handgun, ordered Alli to hand over a bag containing the money.
The robbers also relieved Alli and his worker of their cell phones before escaping.
bandits shot Caricom Secretariat official, Lionel Persaud in the right leg and robbed him of $264,000.
Persaud, 59, a programme manager, was cornered outside his Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara residence at around 14:00 hrs, shortly after leaving a commercial bank.
The shooter and an accomplice arrived and escaped by car.
Persaud had visited the Republic Bank on the East Coast of Demerara before heading home in his car. When he arrived, the occupants of another vehicle approached from a northern direction and blocked Persaud’s path.
A man then exited from the back seat, pointed a handgun at the Caricom Secretariat official, and relieved him of a bag containing the cash he had withdrawn.
The bandit then shot Persaud in the upper right leg after he failed to respond quickly enough when ordered to lie on the ground. Persaud was the second person to have been shot.
Prior to this, electrical contractor Bisnauth Chan, also called Terry Chan, was shot in the head and relieved of $600,000 just after leaving a commercial bank and entering his workplace at Foulis, East Coast Demerara.
Chan, 38, had cashed an $800,000 cheque at the Republic Bank branch at Triumph, East Coast Demerara. The robber and an accomplice escaped with the cash on a CG motorcycle, which had no number plates. Chan has been admitted to hospital with a fractured skull. He is said to be in stable condition after undergoing surgery.
In its statement, the GAB stated that it was “deeply concerned about the escalating incidence of persons being targeted after conducting financial transactions at commercial banks,” adding,
“We strongly condemn these incidents, and wish to assure our customers and the public at large that we as an industry are working with the relevant authorities and internally with all member banks with a view to arresting this trend.”

 

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Top Cop’s firearm licence revoked on farewell day – “I did nothing wrong”, says Commissioner Seelall Persaud

Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud ended his tenure as the Force’s 31st Top Cop in 2018, in a pomp-filled farewell parade that was held after Government revoked the licence he issued to himself for a private gun dealership.
Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan further revoked Persaud’s gun licence after the state-owned Chronicle broke a story which revealed that Persaud had written an application letter to himself, then granted himself approval for his business, Professional Outdoor Supplies, to be a registered firearms dealership.
Ramjattan attended the ceremony, which was held at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary. However, he refused to respond to questions about his decision.
But speaking with journalists after the ceremony, outgoing Commissioner Persaud insisted that there was nothing unethical in his actions.
“Some officer give them [the Chronicle] some information that they quoted and it shocked them. I guess people are easily shocked these days.”
“If you look historically, over the last 25 years, you would see that all the Commissioners [of police], maybe with the exception of one, granted themselves firearm licences. So it’s not anything new, and we live in a society today, where one set of circumstances is good for one person, but not good for another,” Persaud said.
“Regarding the firearm dealership licence, in the 1980s there was a Commissioner who granted himself a dealership licence, so there is precedence. However, I was discouraged from going ahead with it.”
Repeatedly insisting that he had done nothing unethical, Persaud added: “No, there is precedence, it happened with all the Commissioners; [but] something is wrong with this Commissioner that they tell the public that it is wrong.”
According to the outgoing Top Cop, he only made the application in January “because the business will only start when I retire, that is in May.”
Asked if he was disappointed at the revocation of his gun dealership licence, Persaud said: “It was one line of business I was contemplating, but I have a lot of experience, a lot of credibility, so I am very confident; I’m saying I am very comfortable. I don’t think I will reapply. I don’t think I would pursue this. It is not significant.”
According to the report, it was in late January that Commissioner Persaud applied to himself, then granted himself approval for his business, Professional Outdoor S

upplies, to be a registered firearms dealer, as well as being licenced to carry various calibres of weapons.
Responding to a letter dated January 29, 2018, he had written to himself, Persaud is said to have written: ”Dear Sir, I refer to your application in relation to the above subject and wish to inform you that approval is granted for your business Professional Outdoors Supplies to become a registered Firearms Dealer.
“Please make contact with the Assistant Commissioner Law Enforcement at the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters, in connection with the issuing of the licence.”
The article stated that in another letter dated January 26, 2018 and headed “Application for firearm licences Mr Seelall Persaud (DSM), Persaud wrote to himself “Dear Mr Persaud, I refer to your application, in relation to the above subject and wish to inform you that approval is granted for you to be issued with firearm licences to use (1) 9MM Pistol, (1) 12, 16 or 20-Gauge Pump Action Shotgun.
“Please make contact with the Divisional Commander ‘A’ Division at the divisional headquarters, Brickdam, in connection with: the issuing of the licences and the conditions under which the licences are granted.
“You are advised to ensure that there is adequate means of security for the firearms when they are in use.” He further advised himself that “If you neglect to proceed expeditiously to obtain the necessary licences within one year, then you may be denied same if the conditions under which you were granted this approval have changed.”

 

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Female passenger awarded US$272,000 for 2011 CJIA crash

A Connecticut, US court last year awarded US$272,000 [approx. G$56M] to a female passenger injured in a 2011 Caribbean Airlines crash at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.
According to court documents, family members Indrawatie Shiwbodh, Yadram Shiwbodh and Maleisa Shiwbodh had filed action against the Trinidad and Tobago-controlled airline.
The action came to trial at the US court, with Indrawatie Shiwbodh standing before Judge Michael Shea.
According to court documents filed this week, after the issues were tried, the court issued a Memorandum of Decision on March 27, 2018 awarding the plaintiff (Indrawatie Shiwbodh) US$68,093.04 in economic damages and US$204,279.12 for pain and suffering, for a total judgment amount of US$272,372.16.
It was also disclosed that Caribbean Airlines had reached a settlement agreement with Maleisa Shiwbodh, and on April 9, 2015, a settlement was also reached with Yadram Shiwbodh.
In their complaint, filed in 2012, the family in the personal injury action suit for damages disclosed that that matter arose from a crash landing of Caribbean Airlines Flight #BW523 in the early morning hours of July 30, 2011 at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Georgetown, Guyana.
The plaintiffs claimed that they were travelling to Guyana from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
“Landing at night, the aircraft careened down the runway, overshooting the end of the runway and nearly plunging into a ravine. The impact cracked the fuselage into two parts,” the complaint stated.
The plaintiffs – who were a mother and father and their adult daughter – said they were paying passengers on the international flight and suffered personal injuries as a result of the crash landing.
The three plaintiffs all gave their address as East Haven, Connecticut, and declared that they were US citizens. They argued that as a common carrier, Caribbean Airlines is obligated and expected to provide the highest degree of care to its passengers.
They said through no fault of their own, they were injured.
“These injuries include, but are not limited to: (a) bodily injury and the resulting pain and suffering, ft) mental anguish, (c) the costs of past and future medical treatment, and (d) loss of income. Plaintiffs also suffered damages to and loss of their personal property and baggage.”
The suit also claimed that the pilot and crew failed to deploy the flaps and/or slats on the subject aircraft in order to slow and stabilize the aircraft during the approach and landing sequence.
They also failed to warn passengers to brace themselves or prepare for an impact as a result of the failed landing.
The Shiwbodhs were among 157 passengers and six crew members on the Boeing 737-800.
No one died, but dozens of people were injured.

 

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$30B syndicated bond secured for GuySuCo

It was reported in March that the Special Purpose Unit [SPU] in 2018 secured a $30B syndicate bond through several local and regional banks to help with the revitalization plans for the three sugar estates that were kept open under the ‘right-sized’ Guyana Sugar Corporation [GuySuCo].
The then recently-appointed Chairman of GuySuCo, Colvin Heath-London, told Kaieteur News that the SPU and GuySuCo’s management team was poised to decide how to capitalize on bonds with detailed plans to be revealed within weeks for Uitvlugt, Albion and Blairmont Estates.

Further, Heath-London pointed out that the SPU should have access to the bond within weeks.
The SPU, which is also headed by Heath-London, is an arm of the state-controlled National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited [NICIL], which is tasked by Government to execute privatization plans for the Skeldon, Rose Hall, Enmore and Wales Estates that were closed by the end of last year.
Government had expressed dissatisfaction with the old board – headed by Professor Clive Thomas – which oversaw the closure of the four estates.
The SPU had hired international consultants, PricewaterhouseCoopers, to value the four closed estates in anticipation for privatisation and divestment. GuySuCo has been racking years of losses with worker turnout about 60 percent. In addition, consecutive Governments have doled out billions of dollars annually to bailout GuySuCo.
It was revealed last year that the bi-partisan Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Economic Services was slated to begin to review the sugar sector. Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma, chairs the committee. He stated that the Heath-London’s appearance at the committee is part of a wider probe into three critical sectors of sugar, mining and rice.

“We have written to NICIL and GuySuCo requesting information about the sugar industry. We want to know their plans and concerns. When we get that information, we will begin to craft questions for the major stakeholders. We expect to meet with senior management as well as other persons who have an interest in the sugar sector. We will do the same for mining and rice,” Sharma stated.
The Parliamentary committee includes Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, who once held responsibility for GuySuCo before Cabinet approved the appointment of a new board last month, shifting control of the entity to the SPU.
Other members of Government on the committee include Carl Greenidge, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Simona Broomes, Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, and Jennifer Wade.
Opposition members on the committee include Juan Edghill, Collin Croal and Komal Chand, who also is the President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU), which represents the majority of sugar workers.
“We are progressing with our work by looking at the sectors that are relevant. They have issues, but we depend on them. We want to look at the issues the stakeholders have and to see how we can make them better,” Sharma stated.

 

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GDF Captain surrenders after fatally shooting reputed wife

A Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Captain, Orwain Sandy, the Aide-de-Camp to the GDF Chief-of-Staff, in 2018 surrendered to police officers after he allegedly shot and killed his reputed wife, Reona Payne, a Travel Agent, in Alexander Village.
According to reports, the incident occurred between 10:15 hours and 10:45 hours on the day in question [March 31] at First Street, Alexander Village in the vicinity of the Masjid.
A police officer said that Sandy and Payne were in [Payne’s] car when the two got into an argument. He told Kaieteur News that Sandy took out his firearm and allegedly shot the woman several times, killing her.

He said that Sandy then drove himself to the Ruimveldt Police Station where he reported the matter to the Police. He was taken into custody and is currently cooperating with officers.

Payne was a mother of three; she worked as a Travel Agent at the Muneshwers Travel Service for a number of years.
The two had recently moved into their home in Diamond-Grove, East Bank Demerara. They also recently launched their business, Prestige Taxi Service, at the Wedding Exposition, last week.
According to a co-worker, after noticing that Sandy was not at work when she was expected to be there, he called her cell phone. The co-worker told Kaieteur News that P

ayne answered that she was not in a position to speak but promised to call back. She never did.
The co-worker said that during the conversation there was no indication, in Payne’s tone, that something was amiss; but the entire staff was left in a state of shock when the news of her death began circulating on Social Media.
The Guyana Defence Force, in a subsequent statement, said that Sandy is immediately interdicted from duty. It stated too that the force is saddened by the incident but noted that Sandy’s action was not reflective of the values and standards of the GDF.
The GDF further added that an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident was launched. “The Chief-of-Staff has ordered the Inspector General of the Guyana Defence Force to conduct a Board of Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

 

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Mom turns son, 16, wanted for gunpoint robbery over to cops

–hours after he escaped from police station
Aided by Sophia residents, a mother during the past year [April] turned her son over to the police, hours after the 16-year-old armed robbery suspect had escaped from custody.
The teen had escaped from the Cove and John Police Station, where he was being held for allegedly robbing a man at gunpoint.
But while in custody, the teen asked a rank to use the washroom, but used the opportunity to bolt from the station.
The teen then turned up at his mother’s home in Sophia. It was reported that upon seeing him, his mother alerted the police after she learnt that he had escaped from police custody.
The juvenile was subsequently handed over to Commander ‘C’ Division Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper in the presence of Crime Chief Assistant Commissioner Paul Williams.
The previous week the teen allegedly slapped a 34-year-old painter after robbing him at gunpoint.
He was among three persons in custody after police seized a Taurus pistol with six live rounds, two revolvers and 79 grams of marijuana.
It is alleged that the painter was walking through ‘C’ Field, Sophia when the teen pointed a ‘shiny’ object at him and demanded money and other valuables.
After the man handed over what he had, including a cell phone, watch and a haversack, the teen allegedly slapped the painter and told him to “run home”.
The victim reported the incident to the police and gave a description of the attacker.
Police, acting on information, went to the teen’s home, where they allegedly found him with a revolver, a cell phone and other suspected stolen items.
A police official stated that the teen claimed that he rented the firearm from a ‘C’ Field, Sophia resident, whom he identified.

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Ashni Singh, Winston Brassington charged with fraud

– accused given three weeks to appear in court
– lands sold to MovieTowne, National Hardware at the centre
Months after Special Organised Crime Unit [SOCU] completed its Pradoville 2 investigation, it instituted charges last year [April] against former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh; and former Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited [NICIL] Winston Brassington.
The two were jointly slapped with three charges of misconduct in public office as these relate to three plots of state land.
The first charge alleged that Dr. Ashni Singh, being and performing duties of Minister of Finance, and Chairman of the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited, a company owned by the Government of Guyana; and Brassington being and performing duties as the Chief Executive of NICIL, on May 14, 2011 at Lot 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, sold a tract of land, being a portion 10.002 acres of Plantation Turkeyen, East Coast of

Demerara, property of the State of Guyana for the sum of $185,037,000, without first having procured a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer.
It is further alleged that Dr. Ashni Singh, and Winston Brassington on December 30, 2008 at Lot 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, by way of Agreement of Sale and Purchase without due diligence, sold to Scady Business Corporation, a 4.7 acres tract portion of Plantation Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, for $150M knowing that the said property was valued at $340M by Rodrigues Architects Associate, a competent valuation officer.
The last allegation against the two stated that Dr. Ashni Singh, and Brassington on December 28, 2009 at 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, by way of Agreement of Sale and Purchase, acted recklessly when they sold to National Hardware Guyana Limited a tract of land at Plantation

Liliendaal, Pattenson and Turkeyen, situated on the East Coast of Demerara, being 103 acres, being property of the State of Guyana for the sum of $598,659,398 [VAT exclusive] without first having procured a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer.
Attorney-at-law Anil Nandlall represented Ashni Singh while Attorney-at-law Stanley Moore represented Winston Brassington.
When the matter was called before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts in April, the court orderly summoned the men’s name thrice. No one answered or appeared to the names.

SOCU Prosecutor Michael Somersall requested that the two accused be given adequate time to make an appearance before the Chief Magistrate.
The Magistrate after listening to the Prosecutor told the court that she will grant the Prosecutor and the accused lawyers three weeks to properly inform their client that they need to make an appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for the three charges to be read to them.
The duo is expected to make their appearance before the Chief on May 7.

 

 

 

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Pregnant Soesdyke woman admits to strangling husband on Mother’s Day
Almost two weeks after she reportedly lied to the police about her husband’s death, 28-year-old Melissa Silos told detectives that she strangled him on Mother’s Day [May 13].

Thirty-two year-old Julian Anthony Ribeiro called “Yankee” was laid to rest as relatives questioned the unexplained circumstances of his demise.
The crime was kept a secret until the week of May 20th when questions were raised about the various statements given by the wife, which did not add up. She said the man had come home intoxicated on the evening of May 11th, fell and hit his head, while in another statement she said she tried waking him up from the bed and he was unresponsive.
What raised eyebrows and blew the case wide open were the findings of the autopsy done by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, which indicated that the victim died of asphyxiation caused by compression injuries to the neck, in other words death by strangulation.
There was no head injury listed on the autopsy report.
Julian Ribeiro moved to lot 14 Soesdyke Back Road less than a year prior with his wife and two-year-old daughter. He got a job at Bounty Farms and was working to support his family. On the night of May 12th, he and a friend were having a few drinks before leaving for home at around 8pm. The landlady who resides at the same property said she heard quarrelling and cursing coming from the apartment just before midnight.

Ribeiro placed a call to his mother to wish her Happy Mother’s Day, and the mother claimed she heard the reputed wife in the background saying that he would not live to see his daughter grow up. Around four o’clock the next day, Ribeiro’s mom got the news that he died.
The family who lives in Florida was determined to get justice for their loved one and from the inception suspected the involvement of the wife in his death.
The police initially made no statement on the matter for almost two weeks but within the last two days they were able to get a confession out of the woman.
She told detectives after hours of interrogation yesterday at the Timehri Police Station that the two of them got into an argument and in her anger she strangled him. The reputed wife who is a few months pregnant will remain in custody and was set to be charged with the death of her husband. The two-year-old child will be placed in the custody of her grandmother, the victim’s mother.

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Govt. pays $265M in rent for $25M Sussex Street drug bond
After promising to cease rental of the controversial drug bond at Sussex Street, Albouystown, the Ministry of Health continues to utilise the facility and has racked up millions of dollars in rental fees.
This was disclosed by Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, in response to a written question from Opposition Member of Parliament, Anil Nandlall.
The answer, which was circulated at June 25th sitting of the National Assembly showed that the Ministry of Public Health paid $264.5M for the rental of the building to Linden Holding Inc. between July 2016 and March 2018.
The issue of the bond surfaced in 2016 when it was learnt that the bond had been rented under very lucrative terms to businessman, Larry Singh, during the tenure of former Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, who had defended the Ministry’s use of the facility.

The controversy surrounding the use of the bond intensified when it was discovered that in late 2016 that the facility was merely storing items such as lubricants and condoms.
Another visit to the facility during the past year revealed that although there were added items by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC], the manner of storage left much to be desired.
There are reports that suggest that a three-year contract had been signed for use of the facility, but Minister Lawrence had disclosed that the Ministry had planned to end the rental of the bond by December 2017.
However, she disclosed that Ministry had served a Notice of Quit dated October 2016 by then Permanent Secretary, Trevor Thomas. A reminder dated October 3, 2017 was sent by Permanent Secretary Colette Adams who had taken over from Thomas.
Lawrence had explained that the Government was hoping to take the money used for the rental of the bond and reinvest it in the public health sector. The Minister had disclosed plans to build more bonds and expand the ones the Ministry has.
The subsequent questions over the bond ultimately led to President David Granger ordering a probe and Dr. Norton being hauled before the Parliamentary Privileges Committee.

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No third term for Jagdeo
…as CCJ rules in favour of Presidential limit
A majority 6 – 1 ruling handed down by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is set to have far-reaching effects on the current and future Presidents of Guyana.
The CCJ, a Trinidad-based final appellate court, in a majority decision on June 26, 2018 upheld an amendment to Constitution, which bars Presidents of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana from serving more than two terms in office.

The ruling, in essence, set aside the judgments of two lower Guyanese Courts, [High Court and Court of Appeal], which handed down decisions in favour of Cedric Richardson, a citizen of Guyana.
Richardson had moved to the Court to challenge the amendment of the constitution, saying that it trampled his right to choose whomsoever he wants to be President. In his court case, he made specific mention to Bharrat Jagdeo, who had been President of Guyana twice before.
The two-term restriction created by amendments to Article 90 of the Constitution was enacted in 2001 by Jagdeo, who was President at the time.
The decision effectively halted any thoughts by Jagdeo to run for President at the next General Elections slated for 2020.
Through his lawyers, the applicant [Richardson] had successfully argued that the amendment was inconsistent with his rights under Articles 1 and 9 of the Constitution which declared that Guyana was a “sovereign democratic state”.
He said that in order for the National Assembly to amend the Constitution, the amendment had to be supported by a majority vote in a referendum. He said that no referendum was held before the amendment in 2000, and therefore the amendment was unconstitutional.
The amendment, which was made to the Constitution of Guyana in 2000, also added the further qualifications that a candidate for President must be a Guyanese by birth or parentage, residing in Guyana on the date of nomination for election, and continuously resident in the country for a period of seven years before Nomination Day.
At the High Court, former Chief Justice [ag.] Ian Chang, and at the Court of Appeal Justice former Chancellor Carl Singh and Justice B.S Roy – agreed with Richardson. They said that an essential feature of a sovereign democratic state was the freedom enjoyed by its people to choose whom they wish to represent them.
The amendment was therefore in their opinion, unconstitutional, because it “diluted the opportunity of the people to elect a President of their choice.”
Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, who also sat on the Appellate Court panel, gave a dissenting opinion.
In the CCJ, Guyana’s Attorney General Basil Williams relied heavily on the Justice Cummings-Edwards’ view.

RULING
However, in June a majority decision was delivered by separate judgments from Sir Dennis Byron, the Court’s President, Justice Adrian Saunders, Justice Jacob Wit, Justice David Hayton, Justice Denys Barrow and Madame [Mme.] Maureen Rajnauth-Lee. Justice Winston Anderson offered a dissenting judgment.
In delivering the judgment, Sir Dennis noted that the appeal was heard by all seven judges of the CCJ.
He explained that the Court, after examination of the historical background of the amendment to the Constitution, recognised that it was passed unanimously by Guyana’s National Assembly during Jagdeo’s term in office.
The CCJ President said that the Court felt that it was clear that the amendment did not emerge from the desire of any political party to manipulate the requirements to run for the office of President.
“The Constitution was amended after extensive national consultation and therefore represented a sincere attempt to enhance democracy in Guyana.
The majority’s view was that Articles 1 and 9 did not confer on citizens an unlimited right to choose the head of state.”
According to the CCJ, the National Assembly had the power to amend the Constitution by a vote of at least two-thirds of all members of the Assembly, without holding a referendum.
The Court also outlined guiding principles for assessing when new amendments to the Constitution did not require the holding of a referendum.

Ultimately, the test was whether any such new amendments were “reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.”
To determine this, any court called upon to assess such a matter should “look to the history, substance and practical consequences of the amendment, to the reasons advance for it, and to the interests it serves”.
During a hearing at the CCJ, Attorney General Basil Williams had noted that the origin of the presidential term limit amendment dated back to political unrest in 1997.
Williams had highlighted the signing of a peace pact between the People’s Progressive Party /Civic (PPP/C) and the then-opposition People’s National Congress, (PNC) in 1998 named the Herdmanston Accord.
That pact, Williams said, provided the constitutional reform after broad-based national consultations.

 

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NY-based company sole sourced in $366M drug contract -major local suppliers disqualified

Questions were raised last year over a $350M-plus drug contract in 2017 to a New York-based company. The contract, valued at US$1,789,886.15 [$366,926,660.80] was awarded on sole sourcing to a company called HDM Labs Inc.
While there is nothing much wrong with the award of contracts, there seems to be many question marks over this particular one.
HDM Labs, according to sources at the Ministry of Public Health, apparently had little or no experience in supplying pharmaceuticals to the said Ministry.

In fact, HDM Labs beat out a number of experienced suppliers – Ansa McAl Limited, International Pharmaceutical Agency, Global Healthcare Supplies Inc., Caribbean Medical Supplies and Meditron Inc.
From indications, the contract was hurried through in a matter of days.
According to documents of the Ministry seen by Kaieteur News, on June 19, 2017 Permanent Secretary, Collette Adams, wrote Berkley Wickham, Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board [NPTAB], Ministry of Finance compound, asking for sole sourcing approval. Under the rules, sole sourcing must meet criteria that the items are emergency in nature and that only that one company has the possibilities of supplying.
The Permanent Secretary disclosed that the approval for sole sourcing was necessary to allow for the procurement of pharmaceutical supplies that were omitted from the major tender of 2017.
The letter, while not explaining the omission, sought approval for HDM to be awarded.

The Permanent Secretary, in her justifications of the choice of HDM, said that the US-based company has “great capacity” in delivering supplies within two weeks to the Ministry and that it was recognized as an efficient supplier countrywide.
She said that the company has pharmaceutical supplies registered with the Food and Drugs Department in both Guyana and the US; it has its own broker to expedite consignments.
“Based on experience HDM Labs Inc. has supplied pharmaceuticals to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC] using all Standard Operation Procedure.”
Adams said that the reason for the sole sourcing was because the “Ministry of Public Health had a restrictive tendering process done which was opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board dated the 23rd May, 2017. An evaluation report was prepared and none of the bidders were qualified to be awarded a contract.”

One day after writing NPTAB, the Ministry on June 20, 2017 wrote HDM Labs Inc, informing a Mr. Singh that his company has been awarded the contract.
HDM address was given as 153 Kingston Blvd, Island Park, New York 11558.
HDM’s principal is listed online as a Hardatt Singh who is said to the President and CEO of HDM.
The issue of drug contracts and their awards has been a burning one over the years with billions of dollars involved and accusations of significant wrongdoings.
There were supposed to be overhauls by the Coalition Government with Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, reading the riot act in 2018 to staffers warning that she is calling in the police and state auditors.
Singh’s name had surfaced in 2016 in relations to a $400M-plus fertilizer contract with Government.

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Pradoville 2 probe… Jagdeo invokes Presidential immunity, refuses to cooperate with SOCU investigators
Former President and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, in September refused to cooperate with investigators of the Special Organised Crime Unit SOCU) in connection with ‘Pradoville Two’ probe.
Jagdeo arrived at 14:00 hours on September 17 at SOCU’s office at Camp Road accompanied by former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, and other People’s Progressive Party [PPP] officials.
After speaking with reporters, Jagdeo was greeted at the entrance to the compound by Head of SOCU, Sydney James, before he was grilled by a team of investigators that included advisor to SOCU, British crime expert, Dr. Sam Sittlington.
Kaieteur News understands that Jagdeo faced questions about the transfer of lands at Sparendaam to the Central Housing and Planning Authority [CH&PA], a road contract in the community to Atlantic Construction for $13.7M and the authorisation by the then Cabinet to have the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited [NICIL] handle the transactions.
The session lasted for about 20 minutes.
Nandlall told reporters that the former President invoked the Constitutional provisions where the Executive President of Guyana is immune from answering any questions about acts done or decisions made while he is acting in that capacity.

“The questions related to when Mr. Jagdeo was the President and was the Chairman of Cabinet and as such we invoked that article that immunizes him from any legal process whatsoever,” Nandlall stated.
In the past few days, investigators questioned senior officials who were part of Jagdeo’s Cabinet in 2010.
The probe relates to lands which were converted into an exclusive community cynically dubbed Pradoville Two. The plots were sold, allegedly, below market value to mainly Government Ministers and others, who were handpicked by Jagdeo and his Cabinet.
State monies were used to develop the lands under questionable circumstances, SOCU is contending.
Jagdeo, who owns a mansion in Pradoville 2, said that he willingly met with investigators for one purpose and that was to establish precedence where constitutional office holders are questioned by SOCU.
“I would have refused to come here, but I did not want to because I’m looking forward to the future investigations that we will have and there will be many of them because we have a ton of issues because this [Coalition] Government at the level of the Cabinet has acted illegally,” Jagdeo noted.
Further, he noted that there are other matters that the PPP plans to file with SOCU and they expect that President David Granger and his Cabinet members will be invited to face questions at SOCU.
Jagdeo sought to walk back the reason advanced by former Minister Robeson Benn that Pradoville 2 was established for security reasons. This claim has been debunked since two former Ministers sold their properties shortly after construction.
“That was never discussed by Cabinet. Robeson said this was an aside. This was his view and he confirmed to me. He never said that in SOCU and that was his view…personally. If it were a security, I would not have gone to live there at the back next to the seawall where the gunmen can easily hide at the seawall and shoot at you,” Jagdeo stated.
He said questions related to the reason for the establishment of the community and other related matters will be part of the defence when charges are laid.
The Pradoville 2 lands sold to Jagdeo and several Ministers of the previous administration were undervalued by almost 2,000 percent. They were sold at $114 per square foot. Independent appraisals have pegged the price closer to $2,250 per square feet.
At a rate of $114 per square foot, this would mean that Government would only earn a meager $74.5M for the entire 15 acres of land set aside at Pradoville 2.

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Berbice Bridge Shareholders hike toll, Govt. says don’t pay

A standoff between the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. [BBCI] and Government commenced in October. This resulted after the company announced sweeping tolls increases from November 12, 2018, the same day Local Government Elections are being held. The announcement by the Berbice Bridge Company was made on October 16.
Hours after the BBCI’s announcement which includes a 365 percent for vehicular traffic and 745 percent for boats, Government, convinced that there are political machinations at work, said it will not be approving the increases and will be seeking legal advice on the way forward.
Once hailed as a blessing for Guyana, the viability of the structure is now testimony to a number of controversial Private/Public Partnerships projects undertaken by the previous government and which have been struggling.
The other one that comes to mind is the Marriott Hotel. Government had taken over the bank payments.
The bridge is now saying it cannot continue to run on the current rates and in any case its agreements with Government allow for tolls increases. In October, during a press conference at the studios of the state-owned National Communication Network [NCN], BBCI Chairman, Dr. Surendra Persaud, insisted that the bridge company has rights under the current agreement with Government and will exercise those rights by increasing the tolls.
The company claims that it is up to $6B in debts, including dividends to shareholders.
The chairman said that the Board of Directors met with Minister of Public Infrastructure [MPI], David Patterson, on Thursday, October 11, 2018, to follow up on the Berbice River Bridge toll adjustments request, in accordance with the Berbice Bridge Act of 2006.
During the meeting, the Minister made it clear that Government was not going to facilitate any increases that are covered under the “Public Private Partnership between the Government and the private investors in the bridge under the Concession Agreement.” The bridge was commissioned in December 2008, using almost 70 percent of financing from the National Insurance Scheme [NIS] and the rest from financial institutions, like the New Building Society, and companies including the Demerara Distillers Limited and Hand-in-Hand.
Patterson, instead, proposed that Government undertake the responsibility, only, for servicing the bridge pontoons and offered to arrange a meeting with the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, for further consultation.
However, according to Dr. Persaud, the options are outside of the contractual arrangements that exist within the Concession Agreement and are in breach of agreement.
The bridge has maintained that it is a private company. Since being commissioned, there have been burning questions over how a few companies which invested less than NIS had managed to take control of the board and company. The previous administration, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, had refused to release details of the financial deal. What is known is that the rate of returns was very attractive between nine and 12 percent.
On entering office in May 2015, the Coalition Government decreased tolls in an arrangement which saw an annual subsidy of over $150M being paid to the bridge, based on audited traffic figures.
Dr. Persaud maintained that the actual cost, in fact, of maintaining the bridge pontoons is a small part of the overall operational cost of the Bridge and would do nothing to improve the revenues.
He said, “Let me take this opportunity to refresh everyone’s memory that the construction of this bridge would not have been possible without a partnership with the private sector in which private sector financing contributed G$5.1B [US$25M].” The bridge and its approach roads cost about US$40M.
Persaud said that the company wrote the Minister since July 9, 2018, requesting that he implement a toll adjustment to the current toll charges for the bridge, in accordance with a prescribed toll formula.

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GTU, Education Ministry sign agreement after “long haul”

Soon after inking an agreement with the Ministry of Education which will allow for teachers to receive salary increases for the period 2016 – 2018, President of the Guyana Teachers Union [GTU], Mr. Mark Lyte, was in October already sharing tactical moves for a new agreement.
Although the union had started negotiations for a five-year agreement [2016 – 2020], Government in the end agreed to, and inked, an agreement on October 24, 2018 which only offered increases for a three-year period.
But according to Lyte, the union is ready to move forward with a new agreement in 2019. He anticipates that the union is in a better position to negotiate for more benefits for teachers.
“I believe going forward we have learnt so many lessons that will prepare us better for the next phase of an agreement between ourselves and government,” Lyte told media operatives.
Lyte, however, noted that while on this occasion the union was not able to get several of the things it negotiated for its membership, he is convinced that “it is a work in progress to go forward to a new agreement in the new phase in 2019 that we can have more benefits given to our teachers.”

The GTU President is nevertheless convinced that teachers will be satisfied with the package that the union has brokered for them.
“We believe that we have been able to arrive at a position that will bring some level of satisfaction to the members of the GTU and the teaching fraternity in Guyana.”
“Our teachers are going to benefit from outstanding clothing allowances, they will benefit from increases that date back to 2016,” said Lyte as he reflected on how “we were able to move away from where we were at the stage of thinking about arbitration to come back with the Ministry to sit and amicably resolve our differences and to arrive at a consensus in terms of our position.”
Regarding negotiating as a “long haul”, the GTU President added, “We want to assure our members out there that we fought very hard to ensure that all the benefits gained will reflect in a positive way on the lives of our teachers and we believe what has been gained today will result in our teachers being better able to service their classroom in a satisfied way; being able to satisfy their families in terms of the increases they will get.”
As he considered the lengthy period it took before the realisation of a multi-year package for teachers, Lyte said, “I want to thank the members of the Guyana Teachers Union…for giving the support that they had given and our teachers across Guyana who have supported us even in our difficult time, and I also want to express gratitude to the media who were there for every stage of it.”
Regarding the inking of the agreement as symbolic, Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson, said, “We consider the union to be an integral part of what we do at the Ministry of Education.”
He took the opportunity, yesterday, to share his belief that the Ministry cannot function effectively without the union and its input.
The agreement inked will allow for public school teachers who work for below $100,000 to receive 12 percent for 2016 and those working for more being eligible for eight percent in the same year.
The agreement also stipulates that the interim payment received by all public servants, including teachers in 2016, shall form part of the payment to be received for 2017 while all teachers will benefit from an across the board eight percent increase for 2018. Meanwhile, teachers will receive a lump sum of $350 million representing debunching monies owed for the period 2011 to 2018.
Signing the agreement yesterday on behalf the Ministry were CEO Hutson and Permanent Secretary, Ms. Adele Clarke. Signing for the union were Lyte and GTU’s General Secretary, Ms. Coretta McDonald.

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Pres. Granger undergoing treatment after cancer diagnosis

President David Granger has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, the disease-fighting network in the body.
Granger had travelled to Cuba to meet specialist doctors where he underwent a ‘medical intervention’.
According to a statement released by the Guyana Embassy in Cuba, subsequent to a series of medical tests, the President was diagnosed as suffering from Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and was placed in the Centro de Investigaciones Medico Quirurgicas (CIMEQ) on November 1, where he underwent a surgical procedure.
The statement did not indicate the stage of the cancer.
According to the statement, on Tuesday, November 6, the President, was discharged from CIMEQ and returned to his official accommodation.
The statement noted that the President’s medical personnel started the second phase of treatment and was placed in CIMEQ for a short period of two to three days.

“During this time, President has been working and resting in accordance with the advice he has been receiving from his doctors. He is in fine form and a good frame of mind. He is expected to fully recover under the supervision of his doctors,” the statement noted.
The President arrived in Havana on Tuesday, October 30, initially, for a medical investigation which he deemed necessary because of an unusual physical discomfort.
He was received by a Cuban Medical Team which commenced the first phase of medical examination.
“His Excellency, the President, wishes to express his deep gratitude to Guyanese in the Homeland and in the Diaspora, to the various Prime Ministers and Presidents, to the CARICOM Diplomatic Caucus in Cuba, to his friends and colleagues, and all those who sent their best wishes for his full and complete recovery – and his speedy return to Guyana,” the statement noted.
The President had recently travelled twice to Trinidad and Tobago and had done his annual medical check-up in May and was given a clean bill of health.
However, on his return to work, the President said that he started to experience certain symptoms, which were persistent, and took the decision to travel back to Trinidad to revisit the tests that were done in May.
According to cancer.gov, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma grows and spreads at different rates and can be indolent or aggressive.
Indolent lymphoma tends to grow and spread slowly, and has few signs and symptoms.
Aggressive lymphoma grows and spreads quickly, and has signs and symptoms that can be severe. The treatments for indolent and aggressive lymphoma are different.
Many chemo drugs are useful in treating lymphoma. Often, several drugs are combined.
The number of drugs, their doses, and the length of treatment depend on the type and stage of the lymphoma.

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Crash-landed Fly Jamaica aircraft… Elderly female passenger who suffered head injury succumbs

Rookhai Kalloo, the 86-year-old passenger who suffered a head injury while exiting the crash-landed Fly Jamaica aircraft, succumbed November 17.

Kaieteur News understands that Kalloo, who had suffered a fractured skull, passed away at the Georgetown Public Hospital at around 13.00 hrs. She was initially being treated at a private hospital.
Reports indicate that Mrs. Kalloo struck her head while coming down the emergency ramp of the aircraft.
The elderly woman, her daughter, and granddaughter were among the passengers on the Canada-bound aircraft which was forced to land at the CheddiJagan International Airport two Fridays ago.
According to officials, Fly Jamaica flight OJ256 had departed CJIA at 2:10 a.m. for Toronto, Canada. About 15 minutes into the flight, passengers said that the pilot reported that the Boeing 757 was experiencing problems with its hydraulic system and needed to return to CJIA.
Onboard were 120 passengers, including two infants, and eight crew members, which included six Guyanese cabin members and two Jamaican pilots.
In total there were 35 Guyanese, one Trinidadian, 82 Canadians, one Pakistani and 11 American citizens on board. The pilot, Captain Basil Ferguson, is being credited with averting a major disaster after stopping the plane inches from a steep drop at the end of the runway.

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SOCU prepares 19 charges for ex-Minister Irfaan Ali

The Special Organized Crime Unit [SOCU] of the Guyana Police Force in November prepared 19 charges against former Minister of Housing, Irfaan Ali.
Kaieteur News understands was informed that many of the charges have to do with the Pradoville Two case. However, SOCU had reportedly found that Ali acted illegally with the manner in which he distributed several other large and expensive plots of land.
Sources within SOCU have all confirmed that the agency will be moving swiftly in the near future to lay the 19 charges and ensure that justice is served.
But, one source said that SOCU is being careful to ensure that everything is done correctly, “given the fact that we have not had so many successes so far.”
SOCU believes that its case against the former Minister is strong and said that, “we have relevant pieces of documents to support our conviction that he, [Irfaan] aided by [former President Bharrat] Jagdeo, ripped off the State for the benefit of them, their friends and families.”
This newspaper sought more information as to the strength of case as it relates to evidence but SOCU officials are very tight-lipped about those details.

“I am sure you can understand why we cannot give out too much information on this but be assured that we have put in the work. I have told you more than enough,” one source said.
Ali is said to be very close to Jagdeo and is also one of the PPP’s candidates for Presidency to compete against the coalition in the 2020 elections.
Kaieteur News understands that while most of the charges are for Ali, he is not the only ‘big wig’ in the PPP/C that is likely to be taken before the courts for actions done while in government.
About five months ago, this newspaper reported that SOCU completed its investigation into the allocation of lands at ‘Pradoville Two’ to Cabinet members of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Administration and their close associates.
At that time, Head of SOCU, Sydney James, told Kaieteur News that the file was long completed and had been handed over to Police Legal Advisor, Justice Claudette Singh. “It is now at the stage where criminal charges are to be laid,” said James. He declined to name some of the persons likely to be charged.
This newspaper understands that when the file was initially completed, Singh requested valuation of the plots of land.
James confirmed that when investigations were being wrapped up, former Land Registrar Juliet Sattaur was called in again to “assist” the investigators.
He said, “She gave a statement in the initial investigation and she was called in two months ago. She was called in to verify something within the file.”
James explained that what happens next is all up to Justice Singh as SOCU has done everything it had to do.
“The DPP cannot have a say because she is mentioned in the file. Criminal charges are to be laid against a number of individuals but I like to keep it professional so I would not give names.”
DPP Shalimar Ali-Hack is listed as a beneficiary of the controversial Pradoville Two deal. A State Assets Recovery Assets [SARA] report said that on September 7, 2011, the DPP bought Lot 184 Sparendaam, ECD, Block IV, which is 0.2767 acres of land.
The investigation into the lands came after a special investigation of the Sparendaam Housing Project referred to as `Pradoville 2’ was completed. The investigation was part of a larger probe of the financial operations of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), was conducted by accounting firm Ram & McRae.
The investigation revealed that the allocation of the land was a clandestine arrangement that was handled personally by former Housing Minister, Irfaan Ali, and it was concluded that a criminal case for misfeasance can be made against the PPP/C Cabinet members who benefitted.
Lots were allocated to six Cabinet members—former President Bharrat Jagdeo, Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon and Ministers Priya Manickchand, Dr. Jennifer Westford, Robert Persaud and Clement Rohee—along with other persons with connections to the then government.

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Government Falls after AFC’s Member opposing vote
-General Elections in three months
In a historic political move, Alliance For Change [AFC] member, Charrandass Persaud voted with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on a no confidence motion, a move that forces the collapse of the coalition Government and early General Elections.
Persaud’s vote on December 21 gave the PPP/C a 33-32 majority at the end of a fiery debate and a tense voting process.
This is the first time that a Guyana Government has agreed to debate a no confidence motion and it is also the first time the Government has lost such a vote.
Under the Constitution, the Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.

Further, the Constitution states that notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members.
During the vote count at the end of the debate on the Motion brought by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, all 32 PPP/C MPs voted in favour of the Motion. Persaud was the third member of the Government side to vote. When Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, first called Persaud’s name he replied, ‘yes’.
His yes was followed by shouts of ‘no’ from the Government benches. Then there was a momentarily pause.
The Clerk then called Persaud’s name again and he replied ‘yes’ for a second time. The Clerk then stopped the vote count. The PPP MPs then objected to this delay.
During that time, Government MPs, including People’s National Congress Reform [PNCR] Chairwoman, Volda Lawrence, and AFC Leader, Raphael Trotman, were seen reaching out to Persaud. Lawrence then asked for a five-minute recess, but House Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland, denied the request, pointing out that the vote process must continue.
Isaacs then restarted the vote count of the Government MPs. When Persaud’s name was called for a third time, he replied, ‘Yes, yes, yes’.
At the conclusion of the sitting, Persaud told the media that the AFC members are sitting in Parliament as ‘yes men’ to the A Partnership for National Unit [APNU].
“We have not blended with the APNU. The other parties have. We have not. The Government is APNU/AFC. We have not blended. Why are we doing everything they want to do like passing Prime Minister Hamilton Green’s Pensions Bill. That man is getting favours from the PNC, not from us.
“Why are we giving him taxpayers money? And we voted for that. We are not opposing anything; We are not saying no to anything,” Persaud told reporters on the corridors of Parliament.

Persaud, an Attorney-at-Law, said that there are times when one has to vote according ‘to your conscience and not because of party affiliation’.
“I am not a PPP member. I am not affiliated with the PPP. This is not because of the PPP. This is because my conscience is now clear. My life may go; you know what? I would die a happy person with a clear goddamn conscience,” Persaud noted.
He also took aim at Lawrence’s controversial comments, “I am PNC; my friends are PNC. I will give work to PNC’.”
He said that he wrote to Trotman as the AFC Leader to indicate that the party needs to make a statement.
“He [Trotman] defended Volda Lawrence for having said that…The Minister was overwhelmed because of the loss at the Local Government Elections. What did Volda Lawrence do, she apologised for having said something she should not have said.
“Trotman looks like he was just pi**ed on by Volda Lawrence and I am taking all of that as a member of the AFC because we have no say. This is the one time that I have a say and I said it according to my conscience,” Persaud pointed out.

 

 

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