Ecstasy use discovered in five schools
Investigations have led to the discovery of the recreational drug ecstasy in five schools, according to Deputy Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), Lesley Ramlall, who said yesterday that catching the suppliers is an uphill task which requires inter-agency collaboration. Ramlall was at the time expanding on the comments he had given moments earlier during the opening ceremony of the unit’s annual staff training. “Yes… we have found ecstasy. Children came and admitted the use of it [and] the selling of it. We have gone to the other step of arresting persons who were selling this to the school children. Of course, the challenge [has] always been, ‘How do you get to the man at the top, the established dealer?’ Those are things we are working on to see how much we can get out of that,” he told reporters. According to Ramlall, CANU launched investigations in five schools located in regions Three and Four after receiving reports of suspected use among students. While pointing out that those reports turned out be true, he said the videos of girls who had apparently consumed the recreational drug were “disturbing.”
Wednesday, September 19th Two miners die after pit cave-in at Mowasi Backdam
Two men were killed after a mining pit caved in at Mowasi Backdam, Konawaruk, Potaro, where the Ministry of Natural Resources says they were engaged in illegal mining on a concession. Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman has since ordered an immediate investigation into the fatal cave in. Up to press time last evening, the deceased were identified as Deon Sproston, called ‘Jersey Joe,’ 36, a miner of Mabaruma, North West District, and of Lot 133 Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, and Shawn (only name provided), a resident of Aishalton Village, Rupununi. Police yesterday explained that they have not been able to obtain the correct name or age of the Aishalton resident at the time of the report. The accident occurred shortly after 8 pm on Monday. The land was once owned by the late Andre Britton, who died several years ago. A mining pit of 24 feet in height was found on the land, police said. Subsequent to the collapse, a report was made to the police, who visited the scene yesterday morning in the company of Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) officers.
Vendor, hairdresser remanded on trafficking charges after airport cocaine bust
Two women were yesterday remanded to prison after being charged over a plot to traffic almost four pounds of cocaine to Jamaica. Vendor Shellon Yolanda Barrow, 35, of 135 Victoria Street, Albouystown, and hairdresser Kristy Latoya Griffith, of Lot 38 Norton Street, Georgetown, were read separate charges when they were both brought before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Georgetown. Barrow was charged with trafficking 1.638 kilogrammes (equivalent to 3.6 pounds) of cocaine on September 15th at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri while Griffith, 37, was alleged to have aided Barrow to traffic 1.638 kilograms of cocaine between September 14th and September 15th at Sunset Hotel, Kitty. Each woman denied her respective charge. Shellon Yolanda Barrow Kristy Latoya Griffith
Teens charged with murder of Annandale pensioner
Two Buxton, East Coast Demerara teenagers were today charged hours apart with the murder of Krishnachand Dabee, the pensioner whose lifeless body was found in his Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD) yard last month end and remanded to prison. The teens cannot be named for legal reasons. One of the teens who turned sixteen today appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court. The 16year-old was charged this morning while his accomplice who is said to be fifteen made his court appearance in the afternoon. They are accused of murdering Dabee on August 28 at his Annandale home. The matter was adjourned until October 8.
Thursday, September 20th Guyana, T&T ink energy MoU
Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago yesterday inked a long-awaited Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Energy Sector Cooperation with the leaders of both countries assuring that there is no need to fear any “takeover” of the energy sector by either side.“There is nothing in the MoU which seeks to harm the interest of one state or the other. There is no sellout. There were some unjustified fears that Guyana is giving away the family jewels but that is not true. It is simply a means of collaborating,” President David Granger told reporters at the signing ceremony at State House. T&T Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said that specific teams from both countries will work on specific projects and problems to either initiate, ameliorate or generate the kinds of outcome to contribute to the growth of the economies and the sustenance of the peoples of both countries.
Prima facie case made out against accused in Number 70 carpenter murder case
Magistrate Charlyn Artiga yesterday found that a prima facie case had been made out against the five men charged with the 2016 murder of Number 70 Village, Corentyne carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt. The five are Orlando Dickie, Radesh Motie, Diodath Datt, Harri Paul Parsram, and Niran Yacoob. The alleged mastermind, Marcus Bisram remains in police custody in the US. The Caribbean Court of Justice recently dismissed an application made on his behalf for an urgent hearing of a challenge to a local judge’s refusal to discontinue the charge against him. Police here have alleged that Bisram procured and commanded Dickie, Motie, Datt, Parsram, and Yacoob to murder Narinedatt between October 31st and November 1st, 2016, at Number 70 Village, Berbice.
Patterson submits documents to SOCU over bridge study probe
Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has submitted documents including a written statement to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) as part of the entity’s investigation into Cabinet’s award of a contract to Dutch firm LievenseCSO for a feasibility study for a new bridge over the Demerara River. It is unclear when this information was submitted. A source close to the case yesterday informed that in keeping with a request made by Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, Legal Advisor to the police, retired Justice, Claudette Singh has given certain directions which are currently being pursued. The submission of the documents is in keeping with those directions, this newspaper was told. Though Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said on Monday that he was informed that the minister and other cabinet members would be invited to SOCU’s Headquarters for questioning, there is no definitive word as to when this is likely to happen. Efforts to contact Patterson yesterday were futile. Stabroek News has since been informed that he is abroad and would be returning in a few weeks.
Guyana seeking to finalise economic cooperation pact with Barbados
Guyana is moving to finalise a framework agreement for economic cooperation with Barbados as part of government’s attempts to pursue economic cooperation in the region to nurture prosperity and global competitiveness, President David Granger said yesterday. “We see Guyana’s future in the Caribbean and we see the Caribbean’s future in Guyana,” Granger told the audience at the opening of the Guyana Trade and Investment Exposition (GuyTIE) at the Guyana Marriott Hotel. Granger, who said the agreement may be signed soon, made the announcement only one day after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley on cooperation in the energy sector and other areas. PSKL Engineering, Project Management and Construction Inc. offers various services, which includes, Architectural and Structural Designing, Structural Steel Fabricating and Erecting, Roofing Works, General Welding, Demolition Works as well as Civil Works. Granger stressed that while the Caribbean, taken as a whole, has the land, labour and capital to overcome its most severe challenges to achieving food security, there is a need for intensified collaboration between local, regional and international firms to grasp opportunities, which can provide a platform for global market penetration.
Repairs begin on Kuru Kuru access road after protests
After days of intense protests by residents, repair works have commenced on the access road to Kuru Kuru, on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. Dozens of residents continued their protest yesterday for emergency works to the access road and to their surprise help came yesterday. Speaking to Stabroek News last evening, resident Samuel Wilson said, “They commenced some works on the road today. They started to grade and they brought in some materials and are presently doing work on the road.” “They are working on areas that are bad because they said they would not have budgeted for repairs on the entire road, so they will deal with the bad parts of the road so that vehicles can actually travel on the road,” Wilson noted. This, he said, has given some reassurance to residents, and especially the parents, who led the protest due to fears that their children were being imperilled while using the road to travel to school.
Officer cleared of neglect over murder of Canefield woman
An investigation launched after a Berbice woman was murdered in August minutes after the police left her Kilcoy, Chesney house, has cleared those officers involved. Rohanie Lakhan, also known as “Sabrina”, 29, was in the process of ending their marriage after years of abuse, when her husband, Ramesh Ramdeen, 44, originally from Canefield Village murdered her in August. Following the murder, Lakhan’s family had called for the dismissal of Police Sergeant 15818 Vanessa Williams, who they say acted carelessly when she accompanied Lakhan to her Lot 101 Kilcoy, Chesney Housing Scheme house in order for her to collect her belongings. The family had contended that if the police woman had not left the house, Ramdeen, also known as “AD”, would not have had the opportunity to murder the woman. After committing the act, he killed himself. Crime Chief, Deputy Commissioner Lyndon Alves told Stabroek News recently that an investigation cleared those officers involved. Alves, who at the time of the murder was the commander of ‘B’ Division and had ordered that an investigation be launched said, “I think that thing has completed and based on the investigation the police were cleared based on their actions.”