Recent events review Saturday, March 3 to Friday, March 9, 2018
Two suspected bandits were killed by police in a shootout in the Berbice River yesterday morning, hours after they reportedly raided a ranch house as part of a six-man gang and stole livestock and other property. The dead men have been identified as Indarjit ‘Danny’ Sham, 37, of Betsy Ground Village, and Amar ‘Punk’ Bissoon, 21, of Adelphi Settlement, East Canje, Berbice. Two other alleged gang members were arrested, while the remaining two were still being sought up to press time. The shootout occurred at approximately 10 am yesterday, when the party of police that was responding to the report of a robbery at a ranch house at Potoko River, Berbice River, came under fire. Soon after the lawmen disembarked their boat, they were confronted by the now dead men who discharged several rounds at them; the officers quickly adapted tactical positions, returned fire and fatally wounded the men who have been positively identified by the victims as members of the gang who committed the robbery,” the police force said in a statement last night.
US oil major Chevron, Brazil’s Petrobras and France’s Total are among nine companies seeking remaining oil blocks here and government is exploring both “direct engagements” and a “select bidding process” in assigning them. Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman told the Sunday Stabroek that in disposing of the oil blocks, government will be concerned to ensure that the interest of Guyana remains the paramount consideration over monetary benefits offered. Ultimately, government will be looking to secure maximum benefits that are both strategic and economic as we develop the natural resources. Contracts and their negotiations, therefore, are not to be seen only through pure commercial lens, but also what provides Guyana a good measure of security from threats and impending challenges,” he said. With the government being pilloried over what has been seen as a poor deal in 2016 with ExxonMobil, there will be pressure for expert negotiators to be hired to conclude future pacts. The type of agreement could also see significant change from the current Production Sharing Agreement. There is also the view that to limit the risk of corruption, there should be a public auction of the remaining blocks.
Responding to criticisms by the Chinese Ambassador of the design of the new proposed Demerara Harbour Bridge, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson says the government here will not take on debt that could possibly shackle the country. Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Cui Jianchun recently said that the current proposal for the New Demerara River crossing was not modern and China should be given the opportunity to lend funds to build a “21st century” one. The new proposed Demerara River Bridge will see the construction of an
An octogenarian was fatally struck down on the Melaine Damishana Public Road yesterday morning, between 5.30 and 6.00 am, as she was crossing the road to board a minibus. The woman has been identified as Lydia Rodrigues, 87, of 51 North Melaine Damishana, East Coast Demerara. Police in a statement yesterday said, Rodrigues was “standing on the northern side of the road. As the minibus BKK6714 approached, [Rodrigues] began to cross the road from north to south and ended up on the southern driving lane and the Mini Bus collided with her.” Police said the driver of the minibus has been taken into custody and is assisting with investigations.
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) yesterday ruled against Guyana Stores Limited’s (GSL) constitutional challenge to the 2% minimum corporation tax applied by the Guyana’s Revenue Authority (GRA) under the Fiscal Enactments (Amendment) Act. As part of its decision made available yesterday, the court told GSL that it should’ve utilized the specialized procedure provided under the Income Tax Act to challenge the GRA rather than bring claims for constitutional relief in matters where not only was an alternative remedy available but that remedy was the natural and statutorily provided recourse. To bring the case in these circumstances was according to the CCJ “an abuse of process.” Commission General of the GRA, Godfrey Statia told Stabroek News last evening that the court’s decision is a really “good win” for the authority as many taxpayers attempt to avoid the specialized procedure under the Act in order to delay and evade the payment of tax. GSL received a demand dated May 2012 from the then Commissioner General, Khurshid Sattaur for the sum of $3,811,346,397 in unpaid taxes and chose to institute proceedings in the courts of Guyana.
Two taxi drivers and a minibus driver were yesterday remanded to prison after they were charged with a $5.3 million larceny from a car. Alwin Solomon, a 34year-old taxi driver of Timehri, Asif Khan, a 54-year-old taxi driver of Belle West, Number Two Canal, West Bank Demerara, and Route 42 minibus driver Linston Grimmond were read a joint charge by Magistrate Judy Latchman in Georgetown. The charge alleged that on February 26th, at Alexander Street, they stole $5 million, 49 rounds of ammunition, a computer bag and a $350,000 phone, which were the property of Insanally Bacchus. The trio denied the charge.
ExxonMobil is not currently open to renegotiation of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) its local subsidiary signed with the Government of Guyana, according to the company’s Public and Government Affairs Advisor Kimberly Brasington, who yesterday said that if a
request had been made for an “astronomical” signing bonus, it would have rejected it and stuck with the original 1999 agreement which did not provide for any. “While I am not going to say no or yes— because you never say never, right?—I am going to say that we believe firmly in that principle that there is real value in the sanctity of a contract,” Brasington said, when asked by Stabroek News the company was open to renegotiation. Hinting that a change in contract might turn away investors from Guyana, she added, “There are a lot of eyes on Guyana right now, watching to see how this plays out—if this is a stable environment in which to do business.” Government late last month stated that the much criticised Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso Exploration & Production Guyana Limited and partners Hess Guyana Exploration and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited is final and will not be subject to any changes. “The president has said it— that we have dealt with the ExxonMobil contract and that we are not going back on it. It was dealt with at Cabinet and the president has pronounced on the matter and that is the final pronouncement as far as we are concerned,” Minister of State Joseph Harmon recently told reporters at a post-Cabinet press briefing. “We are looking at going forward, we are looking at the benefits to be accrued from this contract and from all future contracts,” he stressed. since taken full responsibly for the act. Stabroek News was told that this aspect of the matter is being dealt with by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). However, as it relates to Dookie, a reliable source related to this newspaper that he is likely to be charged with breach of discipline under the Police Discipline Act, Chapter 17:01. At the time of the discovery, Dookie was on duty but had failed to seek permission from his commanding officer to leave his location. Dookie proceeded on his annual leave during mid-January and has not yet returned. It is unclear when he will.
Fire ripped through four Pike Street, Kitty homes this morning completely destroying three and leaving the fourth uninhabitable and more than 20 persons, including children, are now homeless. When Stabroek News visited the scene this morning, residents and neighbours were gathered on the narrow one-way street looking on in disbelief. Some of the residents were also seen attempting to clean and salvage anything that might not have been damaged in the fire, while others took shelter at the homes of neighbours, trying to count their losses and figure out what their next step will be. According to the residents, the raging fire erupted at around 3:05 am, at Lot 185 Pike Street, on the southern side of the street, before spreading west and then east, to three other homes. “I would normally get up early in the morning to check on the children and use the washroom, and so when I finish doing that I come out on my veranda and I was looking out when I hear one of them guys yelling ‘fire, fire,’ and by the time I rush back inside I heard that my children get up and we run outside,” 46-year-old Angela Demmick recalled. Decker, field office director for ERO New York, in the release. “We will not provide a safe haven for those who commit crimes in their home countries. For those criminal aliens hiding within our New York communities, our message is clear: it’s not a matter of if we will remove you, it’s a matter of when,” he continued. Deokumar Basdeo
The Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) this morning advised the police to charge Bishops’ High School teacher Coen Jackson with the offence of sexual activity with a child by abusing a position of trust. Stabroek News was told by an official of the Chambers that the file was returned to Crime Chief Paul Williams who will now have to initiate the process which will see Jackson appearing before the Magistrate’s Court. The recommended charge falls under Section 18 (3A) of Sexual Offences Act Chapter 8:03. Jackson, 38, an economics teacher, has been accused of preying on his students and grooming them in preparation for a sexual relationship. On November 20th, an official complaint was made to the Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson by Cultural Policy Advisory Ruel Johnson against the teacher. On November 24th, the matter was handed over to the police after the Ministry of Education concluded its investigations.
A US$100 million expansion plan for the Pegasus Hotel was last evening launched with Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin in agreement with proprietor Robert Badal that taxes levied on start-up investors are too stiff. “I hope my friend Corlette is listening. How can you tax a business that’s not yet off the ground? It is not a good policy to tax what does not exist or what is being built.” Badal said, as he addressed a cocktail reception in the Savannah Suite of his Pegasus Hotel, where he launched the expansion project and where Guyana Revenue Authority’s Head of Project Coordination, Fitzroy Corlette stood. “History will tell us that we cannot tax ourselves into prosperity…a project needs to be nurtured and strengthened until it becomes profitable and generates free cash flows, not being laden with taxes”, he added. Moments later, Gaskin took up the issue during his brief remarks agreeing with Badal that the tax regime for start-up investors needs revisiting. “I do agree that taxing investors upfront is not the best way of securing investment,” Gaskin said, to applause from the mostly business persons and representatives in the room.
World renowned Guyanese author, Sir Wilson Harris has died at 96. The celebrated author of 26 novels, numerous works of poetry, essays and speeches, passed on in England yesterday where he had lived since 1959. President David Granger yesterday extended his condolences to Harris’ family, including his son Professor E. Nigel Harris, Chancellor of the University of Guyana. His other children are Alexis, Denise and Michael Harris. He is also survived by six grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. His wife of 50 years, Margaret Harris died in 2010. Author Ian McDonald, a contemporary of Harris’, told Stabroek News that he was saddened to learn of Harris’s death. McDonald described Harris, whom he first met in 1955, as a most lovable and memorable man who had “a smile which crinkled his face until his eyes nearly closed and a very distinctive, slow, quiet tone of voice.” “Arthur Seymour had introduced me to his writing by giving me a copy of Wilson’s strange and powerful poem Eternity to Season,” he shared, adding that he would meet with the then professional surveyor at Martin Carter’s home when he was in town. Much of Harris’s time was spent in the forest and savannahs whose great spirits, McDonald is convinced invaded his imagination forever. Sir Wilson Harris