Recent events review October 15 to October 21
were yesterday returned to Guyana, while the Ministry of Presidency announced an investigation into how they got fake passports to skip the country. Dataram and Boodnarine, who disappeared ahead of their September 27 sentencing for cocaine trafficking, were arrested by the Suriname police corps’ SWAT team on Friday afternoon. When arrested, they were found in possession of Guyana passports in the names of “David Persaud” and “Christine Persaud,” purportedly issued in April, 2013, and January, 2016, respectively.
Monday, October 17
GWI faces questions over unapproved water purifier
The Ministry of Public Health will today ask the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) to explain its use of the controversial antiseptic Polyhexanide, sold under the name Antinfek, in its treatment of water countrywide, given the concerns about its performance and possible effects on humans. “I will definitely ask my officers to have GWI explain,” Minister of Health Dr George Norton told Stabroek News yesterday. GWI Managing Director Richard Van West-Charles declined to comment on the matter yesterday. The Minister of Health’s statement follows email correspondence released by Director of the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Dept, Marlan Cole, among himself, GWI’s chemical engineer, Deon Anderson and representatives of the Pan American Health Organisation and World Health Organisation, which question Anderson’s proposed use of the polymer. “I thought that after my last email, and not hearing anything else that the matter was closed and they would not go ahead with the implementation,” Cole told Stabroek News yesterday. He said that he was very disturbed when he read yesterday in the Guyana Times that GWI has stopped using chlorine to treat water here and is instead using Antinfek; a chemical according to Cole that has not been tested or certified by the GA-FDD and has had negative reviews and a ban on its use in Haiti. 30th. Last year, Ramjattan had announced the Diwali holiday as November 10 and this was the same date that the GHDS motorcade in Georgetown was held.
Tuesday, October 18
Ulverston mom of four stabbed to death by children’s father
The heroic action of a Corentyne shopkeeper, who ran and grabbed on to a man as he was stabbing the mother of his four children, allowed her to escape, but was not enough to save her life as she subsequently succumbed. The man also escaped and is currently being sought by the police. Dead is Yansen Tamika Brusch, 38, of Lot 20 Ulverston Village, Corentyne, Berbice. According to information gathered, Brusch who operated the canteen at the Alness Primary School had just returned home from work and had gone to a nearby shop to purchase a few items when she was stabbed some five times about her body. Beverly Green, the owner of the shop where the incident took place, told Stabroek News that Brusche entered the shop around 1.15 pm, followed approximately one minute later by the father of her children, Winston Benjamin, also known as ‘Blood’, 40, a cane harvester also of Ulverston.