Recent events review Saturday, January 6th to Friday, January 12th
Saturday, January 6th
Exxon makes largest find since striking oil in Stabroek Block
Government and ExxonMobil yesterday announced a major oil discovery at the Ranger-1 well in the Stabroek Block, which is being called the largest single find since it began exploration offshore Guyana. The finding of more than 230-ft of high-quality, oil bearing carbonate reservoir at the well is also the sixth discovery made by the company here since 2015, following previous “worldclass discoveries” at the Liza, Payara, Snoek, Liza Deep and Turbot wells, which are estimated to total more than 3.2 billion recoverable oil-equivalent barrels. As a result, government and Exxon’s local affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited and Hess Guyana Exploration Limited yesterday said they were pleased and gratified by the development.
41 foreign women held after cops raid city hotel and bar
Forty-one women, all foreign nationals, were detained yesterday morning after the Guyana Police Force (GPF) raided the Diamond Hotel and Bar on George Street, Georgetown and investigators are working to determine if they are human trafficking victims. At a subsequent press conference yesterday, acting Crime Chief Paul Williams announced that the Major Crimes Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department conducted the raid on the business, where they rounded up the foreign nationals and eight local employees. The women are believed to be from Venezuela, Colombia and the Dominican Repub-lic, among other places. Williams also confirmed that some narcotics were found on the premises of the business. All of the persons arrested were taken to the Brickdam Police Station, where they were being processed up to yesterday afternoon. At the scene around 10 am, there were 11 police vehicles parked around the Princes and George streets intersection. Most of them were positioned along George Street, where the Diamond Hotel and Bar and the Guinness Umbrella Bar are located.
Six new radio licences granted
After twenty years of waiting on a radio broadcast licence, television broadcaster Chandra Narine Sharma was yesterday granted a licence along with Kaieteur News and four others. “After 20 years we now get a licence. After 20 years. We took 20 years to get a licence….I am happy, I should thank President [(David] Granger for that,” an emotional Sharma said as he collected his licence yesterday at a handing over ceremony at the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) head office. The other four companies granted both broadcast and frequency licences yesterday were the Pinnacle Group, owned by Alfro Alphonso, Brutal Communications Inc. of Brutal Tracks Recording, Blackman and Sons Inc (Hoyte Blackman Television Channel 9) and Two Brothers (the Slingerz Group). CN Sharma and his wife Savitrie Sharma receiving their radio licence from Chairman of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority Leslie Sobers Chairman of the GNBA Leslie Sobers explained that the new licencees comprised persons who have never had radio licences before.
Sunday, January 7th Exxon agreement should have had more benefits for local businesses, private sector says
The Private Sector Commission (PSC) yesterday said much more should have been done to incorporate local content and greater benefits for businesses here in the petroleum agreement between the government and ExxonMobil’s subsidiary. In a preliminary statement on the agreement, which government finally released two weeks ago after keeping it secret for more than a year, the PSC also called for world class negotiators for future contracts. It argued that though the cost of energy is currently the primary limitation to the expansion of business and growth in Guyana, there is nothing in the agreement to indicate that Guyana owning such large oil reserves would translate into reduction of the costs of energy to Guyanese. “The business sector and general populace of Guyana deserve to benefit directly from the abundance of oil at its disposal and we look forward to seeing future Agreements for other blocks offshore include provisions with greater benefits to Guyana and its people,” the PSC said, before adding that it expects that for all other blocks offshore, the Agreements with operators/contractors will consist of provisions that will ensure Guyana receives more royalty, rents, training and development for Guyanese and better local benefits for all Guyanese.
Monday, January 8th
Nine to be charged after Moruca drug bust
Criminal charges are likely against nine persons including Colombians and Venezuelans following an 11kilogrames cocaine bust in the Moruca River, north west during the first four days of this year. Head of the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA), retired Major General Michael Atherley told Stabroek News yesterday that 10 persons remain in custody following the granting of an extension for their detention even as investigations continue. During the 1st- 4th of January the bust was made and 11 kilogrammes of cocaine seized at a location in Moruca, Region 1. The street value of the cocaine has not been released. One source said that three speed boats and engines, a car, 11 mobile phones and a quantity of foreign and local currency were found in separate raids at a residence in Republic Park and a residence in the Pomeroon River. NANA on Friday issued a press release stating that the currencies amounted to US$87,134, Venezuelan bolívars $1,081,605, Colombian pesos, $201,000, Brazilian Reals $7,362 and $82,820.
CANU arrests plywood cocaine suspect at funeral
Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) officers have arrested a suspect who was wanted for questioning in the April 2016 discovery of cocaine in plywood which was being prepared for shipment to the US. A source at CANU said that officers arrested Rajesh Kissoondyal on Friday while he was attending a funeral and investigators have questioned him on his knowledge of the 2016 bust. It is likely that he will face charges this week. An arrest warrant was issued for Kissoondyal. The cocaine was found at a sawmill on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway. The weight of the drugs was said to be around 50 kilogrammes. In 2016, GRA’s Drug Enforcement and Goods Examination units along with the Port Control Unit (PCU) were in the process of examining a consignment of 5/8-inch plywood destined for Florida, USA when on closer examination they detected the narcotic. The packages of cocaine were concealed between approximately 320 sheets of plywood.
Justice Benjamin wasn’t ranked No.1 in panel’s report – source
It was President David Granger who selected current Chief Justice of Belize, Justice Kenneth Benjamin to be the nominee for Chancellor of the Judiciary, following a report from the committee that he set up to help narrow down the applicants. Stabroek News was told by sources close to the process that Justice Benjamin’s score was not the highest as the committee used a points-based system to rank applicants and submitted their report with all the names and the points scored to the President. The points accrued by an applicant were based on a checklist that dealt with experience, legal knowledge, management skills, suitability and their personality and approach to legal problem solving among other areas. The issue of Justice Benjamin’s record pertaining to having a backlog of decisions in Belize was not looked at specifically but was dealt with in the context of identifying a candidate who can ensure that the large pile of pending cases here be expedited and new cases be looked at with alacrity.
Tuesday, January 9th
Kwayana, Andaiye, Bhagwan hammer gov’t on dismissal of thousands of sugar workers
Three foundation members of the WPA and prominent Guyanese: Eusi Kwayana, Andaiye and Moses Bhagwan have condemned the APNU+AFC government over the sacking of thousands of sugar workers without a plan for their future and warned that the administration is doomed to failure like its predecessors if it doesn’t recognize its “wrong turns”. Writing in the `In the Diaspora’ column in yesterday’s Stabroek News, the trio also rapped the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), the party they have been identified with for decades, and which is part of the governing APNU+AFC coalition. Noting that the establishment of the coalition promised changes in several major areas of national life, the three said that as foundation members of the WPA they have watched from the sidelines and with growing unease as the government “committed error after error”. Some of these errors, they said, might have been attributable to the newness of the administration or the usual difficulties of a coalition government but that they were shocked beyond belief recently when severance notices were handed out to hundreds of sugar workers at the start of the Christmas season, without a plan regarding the future of the workers, their families, their communities, and the wider economy of the country.
Korner Kick manager found dead with gunshot wound to head
The young manager of the Korner Kick Restaurant and Bar was found dead in his Garnett Street, Newtown, Kitty home yesterday morning with a single gunshot wound to his head and police are treating his death as a suicide. Dead is Tevin Parris, 21, of Lot 66 Garnett Street, Kitty, Georgetown, who managed the Bent and Lime streets, Georgetown business despite his young age. Stabroek News was told that Parris’ lifeless body was discovered in a bedroom located in the upper flat of his house by a relative around 8.20am yesterday. Commander of ‘A’ Division Marlon Chapman yesterday told Stabroek News that the police are currently treating the youth’s death as a suicide. Chapman confirmed that a gun was found next to Parris’ body. He said the police were trying up to yesterday afternoon to ascertain the owner of the firearm as Parris was not a licensed firearm holder. When this newspaper visited the scene, a large crowd, including relatives and friends of Parris, gathered in disbelief.
IDB bars key local contractor for alleged `fraudulent and collusive practices’
Key local contractor Vevakanand Dalip Enterprise and its principal Vevakanand Dalip have been barred from Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) contracts for
13 years for alleged fraudulent and collusive practices. The banning is reported on the IDB’s website and runs from December 29, 2017 to December 28, 2030. The IDB said that firms listed in this manner have been sanctioned by the IDB Group’s Sanctions Committee because they were found to have engaged in fraud, corruption, collusion, coercion, or obstruction in violation of the IDB Group’s anti-corruption policies. These findings were made through an administrative process that permitted the accused firms and/or individuals to respond to the allegations pursuant to the Sanctions Procedures. Sanctions are meant to prevent and deter fraud and corruption in IDB Group-financed activities.
Wednesday, January 10th
TIGI head moves to court for deposit of Exxon signing bonus into consolidated fund
Anti-corruption activist Troy Thomas has asked the High Court to order Minister of Finance Winston Jordan to immediately deposit the US$18 million received from ExxonMobil as a signing bonus into the Consolidated Fund, while saying that his failure to do so is unlawful.In an application filed by attorney Christopher Ram, Thomas, the head of the Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI), is also seeking, among other things, an order from the court directing that Minister Jordan account for the bonus in the amended estimates of revenues of the public sector for the years 2017 and 2018, while again arguing that his failure to do so is a violation of the Constitution and the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA). A hearing on Thomas’ application, which lists the Attorney General as the firstnamed respondent, is scheduled for January 15th.
Canal farmer charged over 100 lbs cocaine in plywood, attempt to bribe CANU officer
A Canal Number Two Polder farmer was yesterday remanded on charges that he aided in the attempted trafficking of over 100 pounds of cocaine and offered a bribe of almost $1.5 million to a Customs AntiNarcotic Unit (CANU) for his release. It is alleged that Rajesh Kissoondyal, also known as Paddle, 47, between April 1st and April 21st, 2016, at Lot 37 Shamkumar Hariprashad Yarrowkabra, Linden- Soesdyke Highway, knowing or having reason to believe that sheets of plywood contained narcotics, to wit 48.554 kilogrammes (107 pounds) of cocaine, handled same with a view of procuring the commissioning of trafficking in the said narcotic. Kissoondyal, of Lot 12 South Section Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara, who was arrested while at a funeral last Friday, was not required to offer a plea to the charge. Meanwhile, Kissoondyal and another man, Shamkumar Hariprashad, 38, of 67 Alliance Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara, were also charged with attempting to pervert the administration of the law by offering a bribe to a CANU officer. It was alleged that on January 5th, at Homestretch Avenue, they attempted to bribe CANU officer Lyndon Thompson by offering him $1,495,000 for the release of Kissoondyal.
Pastor charged with raping church member
Joseph Persaud, the pastor who was arrested last November after being accused of rape by a church member, was charged yesterday with the crime. At an in-camera hearing before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Georgetown, Persaud, 37, of Lot 62 Avenue ‘A,’ New Scheme, Diamond, was charged with raping the woman. At the conclusion of the hearing, Persaud was granted his release on $350,000 bail and ordered to lodge his passport and report to the Ruimveldt Police Station every other Friday until the completion of the case. Persaud was also ordered to stay 50-ft away from the complainant and to make no contact with her, her relatives or any witness in the matter or cause anyone to do so.
Thursday, January 11th
Sugar workers to get 50% severance by end of month – President
President David Granger yesterday said that thousands of retrenched sugar workers will get 50% of their severance pay by the end of this month and the remainder in the second half of the year. His address to the nation which was also read by Prime Minister Moses Nagamoootoo in Parliament came amid growing calls and protests by workers, particularly in the Berbice sugar belt, for the payment of their severance considering that they had been terminated at the end of last year. Cries of `shame’ from the opposition benches greeted the PM’s announcement yesterday that the severance would be paid in two instalments. By law, the severance should be paid at the termination of employment and the failure of GuySuCo and the government to comply with this has raised eyebrows. The government’s unpreparedness to pay the severance on behalf of the cash-strapped GuySuCo will also raise questions about its management of the sugar reforms it initiated in 2015
Korner Kick Manager was murdered – autopsy shows
The police have launched a murder investigation into the death of Korner Kick Restaurant and Bar manager, Tevin Parris following a post-mortem examination yesterday and one individual has been taken into custody for questioning. Divisional Commander Marlon Chapman yesterday afternoon confirmed with Stabroek News that the injury sustained by Parris is not consistent with that of suicide and as such the investigation has taken a turn. The autopsy was performed yesterday morning by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary.
Colombians, Venezuelan charged over Pomeroon drug bust
Charges were yesterday brought against four Colombians, three Guyanese and a Venezuelan, following an 11-kilogrammes cocaine bust at Pomeroon, Essequibo River on January 2nd. Of the eight persons arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, one was charged with trafficking a narcotic, while the seven others, including a woman, were Joseph Persaud charged with aiding the trafficking of a narcotic. Guyanese national Gavin Adams, 48, a carpenter and farmer of Grant Woodland, Pomeroon pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that between September 1st 2017 and Tuesday, January 2nd 2018 he trafficked in 11.410 kilograms of cocaine. The seven others who pleaded not guilty to the aiding charge are Yeison Sanchez, 27, a driver; Jesus Amaya, 52, a farmer; Reginaldo Jaramillo, 45, a driver; Wilinton Reyes, 26, a farmer, all of Colombia and Guyanese nationals Ian Matthias, 38, a labourer and Troy Piper, a boat captain, both of Moruca, Region One and Venezuelan Angelica Malave, 33, of Paradise High, Caracas, Venezuela.
Friday, January 12th
Skeldon protest ups pressure over severance
At a protest held in Skeldon, Upper Corentyne yesterday, the President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Komal Chand called on the government to “respect the law” and pay thousands of laid-off sugar workers their full severance. With the government coming in for heavy flak over the severance, President David Granger on Wednesday announced to the nation that half would be paid by the end of this month and the other half in the second half of this year. Chand, addressing the former sugar workers and their relatives, stated that the government’s announcement on Wednesday is in violation of the law. He told the protestors, “When you become redundant you are entitled to your severance pay…It is your legal right”, to receive severance pay. He further added that the President of the country needs to respect the law. He said, “You cannot give them half and hold back half, the (workers) are supposed to get their severance pay at the expiry of their letters, two weeks already pass”.
Bullets rain as gang raids De Velde
Gunmen invaded De Velde Village in the Berbice River on Wednesday night and robbed two families of an undisclosed amount of cash and other items, and the victims are concerned over the slothful response by divisional police. “I want to register my concern because it was no ordinary robbery scene. Gunshots firing and nobody could have done anything to help. We called the police and report since last night [Wednesday night] and they said they coming tomorrow [today]. What is that? What are we supposed to do if these men return?” a traumatised Kenrick Lindie asked in wake of the attack, which left his daughter-in-law wounded. He further questioned why the police would take their time to respond to an attack of such a nature. “New Amsterdam Police Station is just two and half hours away. They could have come here today [Thursday] but they are not here. Spent shells are all over the place and we can’t do thing until the police come,” Lindie further said. Deputy Commander of ‘B’ Division Edmond Cooper told Stabroek News yesterday that the police are scheduled to visit the crime scene today and begin an investigation. According to Cooper, they were unable to journey to the village yesterday [Thursday] after receiving the report as they had to make the necessary arrangements for travel. He said that they have arranged for a boat to transport him and party of policemen to the village today.
Four-year-old dies injection at Suddie Hospital
A four-year-old girl died on Wednesday after she allegedly had an allergic reaction to an injection that was given to her at the Suddie Public Hospital, Essequibo Coast. Dead is Valentina Persaud of Jib, Essequibo Coast who was admitted to the Suddie Public Hospital on Wednesday morning last, after she suffered a seizure. This is according to the mother of the deceased, Vevina Persaud who watched her only child die at the hospital.