Jordan chides US envoy over wealth fund remarks
Minister of Finance Winston Jordan yesterday fired back at United States Ambassador Perry Holloway for the latter’s recent opinion piece on prioritizing a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) saying it gives the impression that government was not moving in this regard when it’s the total opposite. “The suggestions contained in the Op-Ed may give the impression that the GCRG (Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana) and, by extension, the Ministry of Finance, under whose remit the drafting of the legislation for the SWF falls, has not made significant progress on this important piece of legislation. That impression is misinformed,” a release from the Ministry stated. Jordan also cautioned not only Holloway but all partners this country works with
“We would like to recommend that our partners exercise restraint when pronouncing on Guyana’s national priorities, and to refrain from making premature statements on its petroleum resource management, given the existing challenges of managing expectations and avoiding the Dutch disease,” he said.
Belle West woman, 68, murdered
The police say they are investigating the murder of 68-yearold pensioner, Ursilla Padarat, also known as ‘Data‘, of Belle West Housing Scheme yesterday morning. Padarat, who resided at Lot 556 Masjid Street was discovered in a sitting position on a chair in her house with a wound to the neck and another to the head, the police said. The body is presently at the Ezekiel Funeral Home awaiting a postmortem examination tomorrow. The police said that no one is in detention at this point. Stabroek News was told that Padarat was found minutes after 7 am with what looks like a stab wound to the neck. She was found by a neighbour who claimed that she usually cooked for him. The woman was said to have had a pen and book on her lap at the time she was found. The man said that only the previous night he had spoken to her and left her around 7 pm instructing her as usual to lock her door and gate.
US in extradition proceedings after murder accused arrested in Liliendaal
Murder suspect Troy Anthony Thomas, who fled the United States of America after an arrest warrant was issued for him for the offence of murder, was taken before the courts yesterday afternoon, where his extradition hearing is set to commence. Thomas, of South Ozone Park, Queens, New York, U.S.A, who allegedly murdered Keith Frank on December 11, 2011, was apprehended by ranks of the Guyana Police Force during an intelligence-led operation which began on January 31, 2018. The accused was arrested yesterday morning at a location in Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara. During his court appearance before Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus, an attorney who represented the interest of the United States, informed the court that an arrest warrant was granted in the USA for the accused in relation to murder, in January. The arrest of the accused yesterday, she noted, was in pursuance of the warrant.
Suspected robbers killed in seawall shootouts with cops
Three men, described by police as “suspected bandits,” were killed in shoot-outs yesterday with lawmen along the Seawall Public Road, in Georgetown, where they had reportedly trailed a customer of a city bank. Dextroy Cordis, 46, called “Dottie” of Lot 4 Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara, Kwame Assanah, a former soldier, of Buxton, East Coast Demerara, and Errol Adams, 57, called ‘Dynamite,’ of Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast and also Buxton, were fatally shot north of the GNS sports ground and their families are calling for a full investigation of the deaths. The Guyana Police Force, in a statement on the shootings, suggested that Cordis and Assanah had been identified as “two suspicious looking characters” spotted in a car in the vicinity of ScotiaBank around 10.30 yesterday morning. As a result of information received by “operatives,” the police said they were trailing the men in an unmarked vehicle and determined that they were following a bank customer, who eventually parked along the Seawall Public Road at Kingston. “At this time the two suspicious looking characters in the motorcar, drove up to the customer’s vehicle and exited, one brandishing a small (fire) arm at the customer,” the statement said. “At the same time the police anti-crime patrol, which by now was in close proximity called out to the suspicious looking characters, but the one who was armed discharged several rounds at the police who returned fire,” it added. As a result, Cordis and Assanah were fatally shot. Cordis was found approximately a foot away from the car, while Assanah was found leaning on the driver side of the vehicle. The statement went on to say that seconds after the exchange of fire, two men were spotted on a CG motorbike near the dead men’s vehicle and one of them opened fired on the police, who again opened fire. As a result, police say Adams was fatally shot, while his accomplice sped away on the bike. Adams’ body was found on the parapet of the road some distance away from the bodies of Cordis and Assanah.
Mother found guilty of killing children
Hofosawa Awena Rutherford, who was on trial for killing her two children, was found guilty of the crimes by a jury yesterday afternoon. Rutherford broke into tears and collapsed moments after the jury foreman announced the verdicts on two counts of manslaughter over the killing of fouryear-old Hodaciea Cadogan and one-year-old brother Jabari Cadogan Jr. On March 27th, 2014, Rutherford administered carbon tablets—a pesticide popularly known for killing rats—to her children, who subsequently died. She has since claimed she thought that she had given them cold medication. Her fainting led to Justice Navindra Singh deferring sentencing to 1 pm today.
Accused in rape of girl, 16, found not guilty
A man accused of raping a 16-year-old girl was yesterday afternoon found not guilty of the crime. After about two hours of deliberations, the jury returned with its unanimous verdict, acquitting Curtis Sulker, called “Redman.” “The jury has found you not guilty and you are free to go,” Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall told the expressionless Sulker at the conclusion of trial proceedings, which were held in-camera at the Sexual Offences Court of the Georgetown High Court.