Recent events review Saturday, April 21st to Friday, April 27th

Gov’t ordered to pay TPL $1.7B in damages over Turkeyen land

The government was yesterday ordered to pay over $1.7 billion in damages to Toolsie Persaud Limited (TPL), after losing its challenge to the company’s ownership of land at Turkeyen, including the site of the MovieTowne cinema complex and shopping mall. The judgment in the legal dispute, which dates decades, was handed down yesterday morning by Justice Brassington Reynolds, who also ordered the government to pay interest as well as half a million dollars to the hardware company in court costs. In its action in the High Court for damages against the government and its agent, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the plaintiff TPL argued that it never repudiated its 1987 agreement by which it bought from the State, led then by the PNC government, several plots of land in the disputed Turkeyen/Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara area.

New house-to-house registration could derail polls, PPP warns

The opposition PPP yesterday said that the PNCR’s call for a house-to-house registration exercise to produce a new voters’ list “reeks of desperation” and could derail local government elections set for later this year and even the 2020 general elections. “House-to-house registration is a meticulous process that necessitates a protracted time period for its completion and accuracy. Therefore having realised that its support is diminishing, this desperate call for a new house-to-house registration by the PNC[R] three years hence, can only be seen as a deliberate attempt to postpone or even derail Local Government Elections [LGE] scheduled for later this year and General and Regional Elections constitutionally due in 2020. The PPP urges all Guyanese not to be misled by a now worried and desperate PNC[R] through its usual diversionary tactics,” the party said in a statement last evening. The statement came one day after the PNCR called for a new house-to-house registration process in response to the PPP’s recent concerns over the list. In addition to the PNCR, the Alliance for Change (AFC), the second biggest party in the governing APNU+AFC coalition, is also in favour of a house-to-house registration.

Walkout shuts down GGMC’s Brickdam office

The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission’s (GGMC) Brickdam Office was shut down yesterday morning after scores of workers walked out, in protest against the ongoing mercury burning at the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) lab. A source close to the issue reported yesterday that contrary to the claims made by officials, tests conducted at the office showed high levels of mercury in certain areas at the Commission. They stated, too, that the majority of affected employees registered high mercury levels within their systems. “Yes, you’ve heard the minister say that its fish and people’s diet and Kaizen [Environmental Services] said the place is safe but even today the guys tested and it was high. The GGMC Environmental Department carried out tests that proved there was high level of emissions in certain areas. They didn’t get to test everywhere but one of the main areas is where [the] chimney is and it was high,” the source related.

Banks DIH, ANSA, GraceKennedy keen on Wales estate

Three companies, including two regional conglomerates, have expressed interest in taking over the shuttered Wales, West Bank Demerara sugar estate in a deal that is expected to see the development of

significant agro-processing operations here. Sources have told Sunday Stabroek that Banks DIH, ANSA McAL, of Trinidad and Tobago, and the GraceKennedy Group, of Jamaica, have expressed interest in the acquisition of the now defunct estate. This newspaper understands that the companies have similar plans for the estate—investing in the planting of crops and their processing, mostly for export. It is unclear how far the discussions have gone and what crops the companies have discussed growing and processing here; however, representatives from all the companies have had initial meetings with the authorities here. Months after the APNU+AFC government ascended to office, it announced the restructuring of the Guyana Sugar Corporation, which it said had become unprofitable in its then form. Contending that it was impossible to make sugar production at Wales viable, it was argued that closing the estate would allow improvements to be carried out on better performing estates. A decision was made to keep only three estates, with Wales falling into the category of four listed to be closed given its underperformance over the years.

GRA gearing up for oil sector scrutiny

Acknowledging that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) lacks the technical expertise to deal with audits in the petroleum sector, Commissioner-General Godfrey Statia is moving ahead with plans to train his current staff even as he looks to the diaspora and other support in establishing a specialised unit within the GRA. Statia has assured that by 2020, when ExxonMobil is scheduled to begin production, he will have a team capable of substantiating cost claims and other submissions made by the company. “Yes, GRA needs technical experts versed in petroleum audit coupled with training,” the GRA Commissioner told Stabroek News, when contacted. Further, he noted, “GRA is setting up a special oil and gas unit to deal with the industry. It will be initially under the large taxpayers unit and then spun off separately in 2020.”

PPP says expects fairness from DPP’s office on charges filed

The opposition PPP yesterday said that it expects fairness from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in respect of the review of high-profile charges filed by the state and two PPP/C MPs. In a statement, the PPP noted the expectation expressed by the Government that the DPP would review the private criminal charges filed by PPP/C MPs Juan Edghill and Vickram Bharrat against Ministers Volda Lawrence and George Norton for Misconduct in Public Office Contrary to Common Law. This expectation was expressed by Attorney General Basil Williams SC at a press conference on Saturday. The PPP said it is aware that a similar request was made by former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall for a review to be done to the criminal charges filed against former PPP/C Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh and former Chief Executive Officer of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd, Winston Brassington. Thus far, the DPP has not acceded to this request, the PPP said. The party said that it recalled that the DPP did not intervene when “frivolous” private criminal charges were filed against former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, two years ago, by Christopher Ram.

Hospital guard dies in horrific West Bank accident

Keith Redman Just before swerving off of the KlienPouderoyen, West Bank Public Road and crashing into a resident’s house early this morning, a drunk driver struck and killed a 60-year-old cyclist. Eyewitnesses are still baffled by the sequence of events that led to the death of Keith Redman, a security officer at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, who was returning to his Bagotville home. According to the information reaching Stabroek News, the red Toyota Corolla PMM 1895 was travelling at a fast rate along the eastern side of the road. While manoeuvring through a turn, the driver lost control and hit Redman, throwing him off of his cycle and some 80 feet away into a nearby drain. After hitting the man, the driver swerved, crashing through two utility poles and a fence and finally stopped after smashing into the side of a resident’s home, shattering one of its posts.

DPP nixes charges against ministers

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack yesterday discontinued the private criminal charges brought by PPP/C MPs against two government ministers since she said that the correct procedure, which included the filing of police reports, was not followed. The decision by Ali-Hack sparked a fierce attack on her from the PPP which charged that she had “buckled under pressure”. Last week, attorney-at-law Anil Nandlall filed private criminal charges on behalf of PPP/C MPs Juan Edghill and Vickram Bharrat against Ministers Volda Lawrence and George Norton for Misconduct in Public Office Contrary to Common Law. The two ministers were scheduled to make their first appearance at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court today. The DPP in a statement yesterday pointed out that the private criminal charges never resulted from a police investigation. The statement said that the charges for the offence of misconduct in public office contrary to the Common Law were discontinued by the DPP under Article 187 (1) of the Constitution.

GGMC workers stay off job over gold board lab’s mercury emissions

Many Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) workers yesterday refused to turn up for work at the agency’s Brickdam headquarters, where the operations of the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) laboratory, which have ignited safety concerns, continued unhindered. Almost all of the workers were directed by their managers to leave work indefinitely last Friday as the GGB was still burning gold at lab, which is located in the compound. The workers have said that the mercury emissions from the gold amalgam have made the environment unsafe and the recent deaths of two workers, as a result of kidney failure, have ratcheted up fears. After last Friday’s walkout, the Ministry of Natural Resources, in a statement, had emphasised its commitment to relocating the GGB’s lab “within the shortest possible time.”

Leonora labourer found dead at Stewartville seashore

Sunil Mangra The police in ‘D’ Division have launched an investigation following the discovery of the body of a 23-year-old labourer attached to the Uitvlugt estate yesterday morning at the Stewartville seashore, West Coast Demerara. Dead is Sunil Mangra, a resident of Para Field, Leonora, WCD. Divisional Commander Rishi Dass confirmed the incident with Stabroek News. He said while no foul play is suspected, the police are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine how Mangra met his demise. Reports reaching Stabroek News revealed that around 6.30am yesterday, a pump attendant reported for work and discovered Mangra’s lifeless body lying at the seashore. The police were summoned and the body was examined. There were no

visible marks of violence, Dass said. Mangra was last seen alive on Saturday.

Detained vessel has to pay $36m in taxes for undeclared fuel – GRA

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has detained a fuel boat pending the payment of some $36M in taxes, Commissioner General Godfrey Statia yesterday said while informing that the 200, 000 gallons of petroleum that was aboard was undeclared and checks are now being made to ascertain if it was being smuggled into the country. “We have boarded the vessel until such time as the taxes have been paid. What happened is that we recognized that the fuel was not declared and if it was not declared well then that is our remit so we boarded”, he informed when asked about the matter during a press conference held at his Camp Street office. It is unclear when the vessel, MT Jubilee was detained, where it was coming from and how many persons were aboard. Statia informed that when the GRA seized such a vessel last year the captain was fined $20M. Stabroek News was informed that MT Jubilee and the fuel it was transporting are linked to a prominent attorney at law and a well-known sports official. Dianna Hernandez

her neck that was attached to the ceiling of the house. Glasgow was found on the bed in a pool of blood hugging the woman’s body with a wound to his neck. He was subsequently rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was stabilized and is currently under police guard.

US-based couple gifts $80m for behavioural studies centre at UG

The University of Guyana has signed an agreement with the US-based Jay and Sylvia Sobhraj Foundation to refurbish and convert the building that formerly housed the Spicy Dish restaurant into a state-of-the-art behavioural studies and research centre at a cost of US$400,000 or some $80 million. Speaking yesterday at the signing ceremony held at the university’s Turkeyen campus, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Paloma Mohamed said the funding “is the first major gift by a single individual or a foundation given to the university.” In brief remarks Vice Chancellor Professor Ivelaw Griffith expressed his appreciation to the foundation for helping the university improve its facilities to ensure adequate teaching, and adequate social amenities for students and staff. The multipurpose facility will be called the Jay and Sylvia Sobhraj Centre for Behavioural Studies and Research after the husband and wife who founded the foundation. The centre will accommodate the university’s psychology programme. Ramjattan, who piloted the bill through its final readings, declared above the shouting during his final comments to close the debate. The bill, which was introduced to the House on March 15th this year, seeks to “amend and consolidate the law in relation to criminal justice for juveniles; to make provision for proceedings with respect to juvenile offenders; to provide for the establishment of facilities for the custody, education and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders; and to repeal the Juvenile Offenders Act and the Training Schools Act.”

Fake doctor gets 25 years for raping teen he lured home

Trevone Anthony Giles Trevone Anthony Giles was yesterday morning sentenced to 25 years behind bars for the rape of a 15-year-old girl, whom he lured to his house, after pretending that he was a doctor. Giles, who celebrates his 31st birthday today, was convicted two weeks ago but his sentencing was deferred to facilitate a probation report requested by his attorney. In imposing the sentence, Justice Jo-Ann Barlow noted the lengths to which the convict had gone to deceive the young girl, to whom he had also administered medication which caused her abdominal discomfort.

Fellow resident charged with murder of missing Prospect woman