Kaieteur News

City councillor killed by 16-year-old boy

Georgetown City Councillor, 47-year-old businessman Kyle Anthony Solomon was stabbed to death early Wednesday, reportedly by a 16-year-old boy in D’Urban Backlands, Georgetown.

Reports are that Solomon was killed around 04:00 hrs. during a botched home invasion. The city councillor reportedly came out of his home and saw the 16-year-old suspect trying to gain entry into his shop. He raised an alarm and the boy started to run.

Solomon reportedly chased behind the suspect, police said and caught up with him. They had an argument and during the exchange of words, the suspect pulled out a knife from his waist and began stabbing the businessman.

He then ran leaving the businessman bleeding on the ground. When help arrived, Solomon was pronounced dead. Solomon was a city councilor for constituency Number 9. Investigations are ongoing.

Following his death tributes poured on Facebook Councillor Lelon S

d, “Guyana, mourns the loss of one of its d e d i c

H

Solomon’s life, was tragically and brutally taken in an act of senseless violence that has left a void that will resonate throughout his community

Solomon was described to be a man of i n t e g r i t y, c o m p a s s i o n , a n d w h o h a s u n w a v e r

m m i t m e n t

n

h i s neighbourhood. “Councillor Solomon spent his life uplifting those around him, especially in the often-overlooked areas of D’Urban Backlands. Though his roots were planted in a section of Georgetown that has faced many challenges, Solomon was a beacon of hope—a symbol of perseverance in the face

Dead: Kyle Anthony Solomon

Mahipaul accuses Govt. of misleading House on stalled appointment of new Local Govt. Commission

Opposition Member of

P a r l i a m e n t ( M P ) G a n e s h

Mahipaul has accused two Ministers of Government of

m i s l e a d i n g t h e N a t i o n a l

A s s e m b l y o n t h e

a p p o i n t m e n t o f t h e n e w

L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t Commission (LGC).

T h e L G C i s l e g a l l y mandated with management oversight of local authorities

i n c l u d i n g R e g i o n a l

D e m o c r a t i c C o u n c i l s ,

of adversity His enduring legacy will be his dedication to improving the lives of the most vulnerable in his community,” Saul said.

He related that the councilor was dedicated to justice, equality, and serving his community through empathy and leadership. Tragically, he was killed during a robbery attempt. His kindness and impact on others will not be forgotten said Saul.

Additionally, also on Facebook Denzel C. St Hill expressed that he met Solomon two years ago when he was first appointed as a casual Employment Manager for Banks DIH. “I remembered him saying to me, “Denzel, we may sit across from each other on two different political fences but we have a duty to the community and young people.” I replied and said “Kyle, we may be on two different sides but our primary goal is to ensure that we serve all Guyanese,” he said in the Facebook post.

Amer indian Her itage Month to involve Brazilian, Sur inamese & Belizean groups

Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai on Monday said that part of this year ’s Amerindian Month of activities there will be the involvement of culture groups from countries like Brazil, Suriname and Belize.

The minister made the announcement while her ministry’s budgetary allocation was being scrutinised at the National Assembly during the Consideration of Estimates and Expenditure. The Committee of Supply on Monday night approved a sum of $7.2 billion for the Amerindian Ministry to rollout its programmes this year

On Monday night, Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Annette Ferguson asked what the $205 million allocated under the ministry’s current expenditure caters for “May I turn your attention to line item 6291National and other events; I note you have a request for $205 million as against what was given in 2024, $151,277,000 as revised. Can the honourable member explain the reason for the increase, and which communities are likely to benefit from this year ’s allocation,” the MP asked.

Responding to the question, Minister Sukhai stated, “Mr Chair the $205 million is the expenditure for the heritage celebrations. Our government from since 1992 has r e c

Minister of Amerindian

(RDC) s, Town Councils, a n d N e i g h b o r h o o d

Democratic Councils (NDC)

s. The LGC deals with all m a t t e r s r e l a t i n g t o t h e staffing of local government organs. It is responsible for e m p l o y m e n t , t r a n s f e r , discipline and dismissal of s t a f f a n d a p p r o v a l o f r e m u n e r a t i o n ,

s u p e r a n n u a t i o n , t r a i n i n g , leave and promotion of staff.

I n a s t a t e m e n t i s s u e d ,

M a h i p a u l n o t e d t h a t t h e matter was raised during the c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t h e estimates for the Ministry of L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t a n d

R e g i o n a l D e v e l o p m e n t Mahipaul said that he asked the subject Minister Sonia P a r a g a s i m p l e q u e s t i o n : “ W h e n w i l l t h e L o c a l Government Commission be sworn in?”

was sent to the Leader of the Opposition, but to date, there h a s b e e n n o r e s p o n s e

H o w e v e r , M a h i p a u l

vehemently dismissed this claim, stating that the Leader of the Opposition had indeed responded. Furthermore, he noted that Ms. Singh from the Office of the President s u b s e q u e n t l y c a l l e d t o acknowledge receipt of the letter and also requested the CVs of the nominees.

A s a r e s u l t , M a h i p a u l during Wednesday’s sitting of the Committee of Supply, submitted to the National Assembly the two pieces of c o r r e s p o n d e n c e t o substantiate his position that a r e s p o n s e h a d b e e n

Development. In defense, Minister of G o v e r n a n c e a n d Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Te i x e i r a c l a i m e d t h a t t h e Leader of the Opposition had n o t r e s p o n d e d t o h e r

Opposition had designated

Roysdale Forde. Despite this, he said the

Affairs and Governance

part in the fabric and tapestry of our country and so we continue to invest and to increase the investment.”

The minister continued, “The increase will take into consideration the attendance of culture groups from Brazil, Suriname and Belize. We will only cater for their incountry expenses so we are going to expand our culture to international.”

According to the minister, this is nothing new since the government in their previous term involved other countries, but it was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is public knowledge that Amerindian Heritage Month is held every year in the month of S e p t e m b e r. A l l t h r o u g h t h i

, ndigenous people are celebrated and they come together to showcase their rich tradition, culture and lifestyle with the wider population. - $205M approved for activities

and custom

a very important

According to him, the m i n i s t e r r e s p o n d e d b y stating that the process had been initiated and that a letter

p r o v i d e d H e f u r t h e r requested an apology from t h e M i n i s t e r o f L o c a l Government and Regional

noted that the Leader of the Opposition did respond to the request, and as such

Continued on page 6

Affairs, Pauline Sukhai

Opposition MP, Ganesh Mahipaul

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Sonia Parag

Kaieteur News

Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456

Editor: NIGEL WILLIAMS

Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Meet the press

Once again that old saying ‘be careful what is asked for ’ gains renewed life, and is proven so correct. The PPPC Government was so afraid to face the nation that its top people did everything to avoid reporting to them.

Not satisfied with that, the government then went another step by introducing the equivalent of an information blackout, which effectively left Guyanese in the dark By not sharing any details about many burning developments occurring at this crucial time in Guyana’s existence, including oil, Guyanese were left guessing Insistent calls for press conferences were largely ignored and dismissed in the most contemptuous manner

To quiet the crowd, the smart money people in the PPPC Government did come up with a slick one, which led to even more ridicule for its narrowness and studied foolishness

Tailored exercises with selected people on specially setup social media platforms reduced Guyana’s business to the laughable and the scornful The clamour for weekly press conferences then went into higher gear Since the people wanted weekly press conferences, with professional media in attendance, this was what the government came up with to quell the unending disturbances Enter Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyana’s Vice President of Oil, and the unofficial Chief Minister of countless other government portfolios Before Guyanese can count to ten, the weekly press conference is transformed into the Bharrat Jagdeo Talk Show What Guyanese got was less about governance and more about politics It goes without saying that the door was flung wide open for the press conferences to grow into a fullflowered propaganda show, and a Bharrat Jagdeo lovefest. For starters, he walked with his own cheering squad. Those sneaky media types that knew which questions and what issues raised his hackles, so they wisely retreated from asking about those. Then he had his human stage props in the manner of a standup comedian mumbling what to answer, what to duck and dodge, and what to pretend not to understand Because it is Bharrat Jagdeo at the controls, press conferences have gravitated to become some cross between a market brawl and modern rum shop philosophy This is the great one, Guyana’s Vice President, in his unrestrained element, and what an element it has been since he overcame some of his fears and some of his anxieties about what he must say, and how he would look The consensus is that entertainment aside, he has done either too cleverly or very poorly in how his responses have registered, and how his body language gives him away Some schools of thought are of the belief that when cornered organisms are in full flight mode, a peculiar odor is given off

Because press conferences have become the sought after ticket, Jagdeo has everything going for him He not only gets to choose his team of actors, but he also has options for the venue to shoot the motion pictures that are his press conferences To no one’s surprise, the Vice President settled for working from home, meaning, Freedom House By some fluke of his imagination, Vice President Jagdeo has convinced himself that he is more than capable of seamlessly separating government business from party business. Though he has done a remarkable job at fooling himself on that score, a significant segment of the rest of Guyana finds only the deplorable in this latest gimmickry from Jagdeo.

Further, since these affairs are his press conferences, and mostly in his house, he gets the first and last word on who can ask questions, what questions can be asked, and how long he will take with any answer that he gives If there is one thing that could be said with complete confidence about Jagdeo, is that he is one smart cookie One example only confirms his clumsy resourcefulness: tough questions on oil brings out the best and worst in the man A ten-word question on oil can inspire a minimum ten-minute monologue. Depending on the question (and questioner) Jagdeo can mutate from charming to brimming with menace instantly While Jagdeo overflows with such acrobatics, ExxonMobil’s people laugh heartily, and look for new ways to plunder Guyana’s wealth. Press conferences Jagdeo style are low leadership comedy (and propagandizing), while corporate piracies of Guyana continue unabated.

Peeping Tom’s analysis on Third Party support for 2025 Elections

DEAR

EDITOR

A s s o m e o n e w h o conducts opinion surveys r o u t i n e l y a n d w h o i s constantly on the ground as a perennial observer of local politics, I am in agreement w i t h P e e p i n

survive this year ’s elections” (Jan 30) all things being the same around the time of the

November

The lone exception is the party just launched by Ms. Broomes and any parties to be launched by Glenn Lall

nd Az

n Mohamed The APNU+AFC made it difficult for third parties to win seats because of their behaviour in office and their response to the defeats in the

confidence motion and the 2020 elections.

And the Asha Kissoon behaviour (TNM) refusing

y leadership. There is erosion in trust for third parties. Based on consistent poll findings, none of the mini p a r t i e s c u r r e n t l y i n t h e reckoning will win a seat as was also the case in 2020 and 2015. Under ‘a joinder list’, they will scrape one or at best two seats; the latter could

have been the outcome, had all the small parties pooled their votes together under ‘the joinder ’. Ego prevented a coming together of all the mini parties.

Based on findings of an ongoing tracking survey, o n l y G l e n n L a l l a n d Azruddin Mohamed have strong likeability, popularity, and following among voters (among the lower classes, unemployed, and poor of all e t h n i c i t i e s ) f o r t h e emergence of any credible “third party” with significant support to challenge or upset the status quo. Failing their entrance into the political fray, the PPP will run away with the elections, making g a i n s f r o m t h e P N C

( A P N

ntes

g separately can defeat PPP; even together it will be an uphill task for a coalition given the power of the purse of the incumbent and its spending spree on i n f r a s t r u c t u r e p r o j e c t s , g r a n t s , e t c T h e 2 0 2 5 election budget also puts the PPP in an advantageous position.

Peeping Tom is right that t h e e l e c t o r a t e i s d e e p l y polarized. But the PPP has made slight gains among A f r i c a n s a n d M i x e d Africans and Mixed are still

strongly tied to the APNU and AFC and Indians to the PPP The bulk of the Amerindians are with the PPP No amount of bribery has weaned over significant cross racial support But Peeping Tom fails to capture the increasing size of nonvoters – those who said they will not vote because they a r e d i s p l e a s e d w i t h t h e choices before them.

There are many Africans a n d M i x e d w h o a r e disenchanted with Aubrey Norton’s leadership and will stay home or vote AFC with some of its base going PPP

Indians will not vote for PNC (APNU) and certainly not one led by Norton; his 2 0 2 5 b u d g e t r e m a r k s supporting the Burnham ban on foods will have worsened Indians’ feelings toward the PNC.

There are many Indians, p r i m a r i l y H i n d u s a n d C h r i s

c l a i

n g r e l i g i o u s d i s c r i m i n a t i o n S o m e Indians may vote for AFC depending on its Presidential a n d P r i m e M i n i s t e r i a l candidates. Indians may vote for a coalition led by a highly respected individual like a Carl Greenidge, or Nigel H u g h e s o r a p r o m i n e n t Indian politician or someone

f r o m c i v i c s o c i e t y ; t h e preceding names pop up again and again among the Indian business community Greenidge has not expressed any interest in returning to electoral politics. And Glenn a n d A z r u d d i n h a v e n o t a n n o u n c e d a n y p a r t y formation or plan to contest elections.

As Peeping Tom rightly analyzed, the PPP smartly frames the election as a contest between the bad PNC ( A P N U ) a n d t h e P P P, reminding the electorate of all the terrible things the PNC did during its 33 years in office. PPP speakers in the budget presentations baited the PNC MPs on the food ban year after year with the opposition ignoring it.

This year, the PNC le

o

h

it, defending the ban on imports that included flour, split peas, potatoes, channa, ghee, a m o n g o

o o d s t h a t constituted the staple diet of Indians. Norton’s remarks have sealed his political fate in the 2025 elections.

In order to strengthen

, third party under personable, c r e d i b l e , c o m p a s s i o n a t e leadership is sorely needed.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Minister ’s poor understanding of global economics evident in the budget

DEAR EDITOR,

It was said during the debate that now, while oil prices are high, is the best time for Guyana to take on d e b t a n d i n v e s t Unfortunately, the Minister that made this statement

m

further developed. When oil prices are high input costs are also high. Making it expensive to do development projects that are affected by high oil p r i c e s

asphalt and other direct and indirect inputs increase the cost of many of the projects

being undertaken by the government at this time Interest rates are also higher at this time, so as to cool down the global economy

a n d e n c o u r a g e s a v i n g s , while preventing inflation from rising sharply

S o m e t h i n g w h i c h t h e current administration has not undertaken. As oil prices decline the input costs for many infrastructural projects decrease and, in most cases, interest rates decline so as to

encourage investment and foster economic growth. An investment environment that is also favourable to low inflation. Guyana’s current investment strategy is at odds with well understood g l o b a l e c o n o m i c development strategy The House of Parliament should consider this very important r e a l i t y a n d a d j u s t t h e n a t i o n ’ s d e v e l o p m e n t strategy so as to be in sync with the global economic climate, while enabling the reduction in the exposure to high inflation and high input

costs. Such a reduction will a l s o i m p r o v e n a t i o n a l s a v i n g s d u e t o t h e availability of high interest rates. The avoidance of loans t o f u n d d e v e l o p m e n t projects will also prevent the nation from being exposed to the current high borrowing r a t e

h

a

e i n d i r e c t l y linked to oil prices. We must do better in our management of the nation’s purse. We must do better for the people of Guyana.

Best regards, Mr. Changlee

Treachery on the part of the Guyana Government to sign Defence Treaty with the Dominican Republic

DEAR EDITOR, It is sheer treachery on the part of Dr Ali and the PPP Government to sign a Defence Treaty with the D o m i n i c a n R e p u b l

Guyana’s enemy

I t w a s r e p o r t e d i n Stabroek News of February 1 last that Defence ties were formalised between Guyana a n d

threats. Will this agreement

Venezuelan military threat to us? Dr Ali must answer this question for the Guyanese Nation to know We should

Country by Dr Ali and the PPP Government. What will happen is that the Dominican R e p u b l i c

s i m p l y become a military spy for Venezuela and Dr Ali knows this.

Treaty with one or more of the ABC (America, Britain, Canada) Countries before our independence in 1966; and not now with one of our enemies. This is a despicable act of Anti-nationalism and

Sincerely, Karyl D. Arthur (Mr.)

NCD urges publication of cancer package of service in the public sector

DEAR EDITOR

F e b r u a r y 4 , m a r k e d twenty-five years of signing the Charter of Paris Against Cancer at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millenium.

T h e 2 0 2 5 t h e m e f o r World Cancer Day is United

b y U n i q u e , G u y a n a ’ s Presidential Commission on the Prevention and Control of NCDs acknowledges the unique experiences of each

and every single person living with cancer and that of their families.

We support and urge a

c o m p r e h e n s i v e p e o p l e -

c e n t e r e d c a n c e r c a r e d e l i v e r e d

c

m m u n i t y G u y a n a h a s made notable progress in the fight against cancer.

T h e P r e s i d e n t i a l C o m m i s s i o n f o r t h e Prevention and Control of N C D s c o m m e n d t h e Government of Guyana and the Ministry of Health for measurable progress in the p r e v e n t i o n , d i a g n o s i s , t r e a t m e n t a n d c a r e f o r cancer

The significant increase in services for cancer at the GPHC is testimony to the dramatic increase in cancer care in Guyana. The GPHC now records an average of more than 50 new patients each month. At the end of 2024, the GPHC had 500

p a t i e n t s o n a c t i v e chemotherapy In addition to medicines, treatment and care include psycho-social support The number of cancer medicines in use at GPHC has increased.

The recent expansion of

chemotherapy through the G P H C t o t h e N e w Amsterdam Hospital is a welcome development.

T h e C o m m i s s i o n i s aware that approximately 100 patients are receiving chemotherapy through the New Amsterdam Hospital clinic, after initiation at the GPHC. This provides relief f o r p a t i e n t s a n d t h e i r families.

The Commission urges GPHC and the MOH to e n s u r e t h a t a s i m i l a r extension occurs in 2025 to Linden Hospital (Region 10) and Suddie Hospital (Region 2). In collaboration with the I A E A , f o u r n e w mammography equipment have been added to the public sector

T h i s i s a s i g n i f i c a n t improvement and provide an opportunity for more women to be screened for breast cancer.

The increase in capacity and capability of the new pathology lab at the GPHC adds to the early diagnostic a n d w i d e r s c r e e n i n g capability for cancer in the public sector

The NCD Commission u r g e s t h e M i n i s t r y t o establish target populations

for gastric, cervical, breast, lung and prostate cancers and to ensure that Guyana is achieving a target of 90-%

s

population by World Cancer

D a y 2 0 2 6 T h i s

ambitious goal, but we must make every effort to achieve

model to fully implement

(UHC), one of the goals of the SDGs (SDG 3). As part of UHC, we must ensure c

diagnosis are included in the package of services at all levels of care. In this regard, we commend the GoG and the MOH for its continued

Papillomavirus vaccination program and its cervical

c

i n g programme.

The Commission would like a similar approach of integrating within the UHC,

The Commission urges t h e M O H t o u

formalize a childhood cancer program. With the strong evolution of an Oncology Programme at GPHC, the impending opening of the Pediatric Women Hospital at Ogle in early 2026 and the establishment of a Cancer Treatment Cancer by 2028, as announced by President Irfaan Ali, the MOH must move rapidly to formalize a

c h i l d h o o d c a n c e r p r o g r a m m e . T h e

Commission is pleased to note the improvement of the National Cancer Registry

and look forward for a

w o r l d - c l a s s C a n c e r

Registry W h i l e a c k n o w l e d g i n g the notable improvement in

c a

care in the public sector, we c

implemented. We urge the MOH to publish the package o

available in Guyana today

cancers is low, even for cervical cancer where testing

established For example, cervical cancer screening is less than 50% the target population. Late diagnosis, when treatment is generally less effective and costlier, is common. W

improvement

Urgent steps

with the growing cancer burden in Guyana. The Commission urges the MOH to prioritize in 2025 its cancer medicine list and its procurement.

Sincerely

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

C

Communicable Disease

Man on bail after allegedly threatening ex-girlfriend

A4

truck driver was o n We d n e s d a y placed on $10,000 bail when h e a p p e a r e d

G

Court accused of threatening his ex-girlfriend at her job.

Orensia Wh

ld of Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara was charged after using threatening language

t

January 28, 2025 at her job in K i n g s t o n G e

g e t o w n Whinfield pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to

Magistrate Faith McGusty

He told the court that he was contacted by his insurance c o m p a n y t o u p l i f t a document that was in the p o s s e s s i o n o f F

d when he arrived at her workplace he told her “why you telling people my business on the road, stop it’. He stated that Frank “well and carry on, while calling for a sergeant.”

He told the court he said nothing to her after Frank however told the

court that she ended the relationship with Whinfield back in January 2, 2025. F r a n k s a i d s h e n e e d e d protection from Whinfield, because he made her feel unsafe after the threats were m a d e t o h

workplace.

M a g i s

r a t e M c G u s t y placed Whinfield on $10,000 bail and he was strictly instructed to have no contact w i t h F r a n k F a i l u r e t o comply will be a breach of the bond to keep the peace and the bail will be revoked.

GPL is requesting too much

DEAR EDITOR,

The Prime Minister has requested funds for GPL at an oil price of $104 per barrel when the current price is less than $77 a barrel. The last time the price was at $104 per barrel was in 2022. What is going on?

From page 3 “Sonia Parag, MP, misled the National Assembly.”

I n a s u b s e q u e n t

c o m m e n t o n t h e i s s u e , Mahipaul stated that he believes there is a deliberate attempt not to appoint and s w e a r i n t h e L G C

Wasteful spending must be avoided during these uncertain times. A trade war is looming and economic instability is very possible. We must be conservative in our spending.

With concern, Mr Jamil Changlee

government arrogates the authority of disciplining, hiring and all other matters relating to staffing at Local Democratic Organs.

“It is their way to have political domin

oversight of the opposition which by law is entitled to t h r e e m

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e Opposition MP, the nona p p o i n t m e n t o f t h e commission will negatively i m p a c t N D C s b e c a u s e w

m b e r s o n t h e commission.” “We in

room for corruption,” the MP stated.

Mahipaul

Brutus sacked by Police Ser vice Commission

(ACP) Calvin Brutus has reportedly been dismissed from his position in the Guyana Police Force (GPF)

b

Commission (PSC).

Demerara Waves quoted the letter, issued by the PSC

Commission has determined that you should be and are hereby dismissed from the G u y a n

Embattled Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Calvin Brutus

effective, February 5, 2025.” Additionally, the PSC

C

Clifton Hicken be instructed to “take all such actions as

are necessary to facilitate your handover and return of all documents, equipment, and other assets belonging to the Guyana Police Force that a r e c u r r e n t l y i n y o u r possession,” the letter to Brutus stated.

K a i e t e u r N e w s u n d e r s t a n d s t h a t B r u t u s , who is facing 261 financial c r i m e c h a r g e s a t t h e

G e o rg e t o w n M a g i s t r a t e s ’ Court, was found guilty by a s p e c i a l t r i b u n a l o f t h e disciplinary charges brought against him. Based on this r u l i n g , t h e t r i b u n a l recommended his dismissal Continued on page 11

Pr ison officer on $400k bail for ganja trafficking

A 3 0 - y e a r- o l d p r i s o n officer was granted $400,00 bail on Wednesday on a c h a rg e o f p o s s e

o f narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

Magistrate, Faith McGusty.

L

, Georgetown, is accused of having in his possession 498.95 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking, on February 1, 2025.

G

d reasonable bail, citing that his client had no previous antecedents and had already spent 48 hours in police custody He also informed the court that the narcotics w e r e d i s c o v e r e d w h i l e Stevens was in custody T h e p r o s e c u t i o n , however, objected to bail, citing the seriousness and prevalence of the offence.

The prosecutor further noted that the cannabis was found in Stevens’ bedroom. She also mentioned that when questioned about the drugs, Stevens had claimed, “Is me thing I buy from Suriname.”

The prosecutor explained t h a t t h e s e a r c h w a s conducted as part of an investigation into computerrelated fraud, with officers

(CID) carrying out the search at Stevens’ residence. During the proceedings, M a g

M c G u s

y enquired if Stevens was in custody for another offence and whether he lived alone. The prosecutor responded that Stevens was in custody for a separate offence and that he resided with his g i r l f r i e n d , m o

n

l a w, and child. She added that the women had given statements denying any involvement with the drugs. Stevens was granted bail in the sum of $400,000 with conditions to report to the CID the last Friday of every month. He is scheduled to return to court on February 26, 2025.

Suspect held in tint shop robber y

A 3 4 - y e a r- o l d f a r m e r was arrested on Wednesday in connection with an armed r o b b e r y a t t h e b u s i n e s s establishment of a man on the Corentyne last week.

The suspect has been identified as Eon Clarke, who resides at Lot 82 Sheet A n c h o r V i l l a g e , N e w Amsterdam, Berbice. Police revealed that the suspect was arrested around 05:00h, at his home. During the arrest, ranks found 11 pounds of m a r i j u a n a o n h i m T h e suspect also admitted to i n v e s t i g a t o r s t h a t h e c o m m i t t e d t h e a r m e d robbery on Ravindra Somai called “Buxton.”

On January 31, 2025, Clarke, while being in the company of another man on a m o t o r c y c l e w e n t t o t h e b u s i n e s s m a n ’s t i n t s h o p

l o c a t e d i n C o r e n t y n e , Bebrice. On arrival the duo, one of whom was armed with a gun pointed it at the victim and his staff, demanding that

he hands over all of his belongings “One of the bandits dealt Somai a lash to his head with the gun and told him to hand over all the jewellery and money he had, w h i c h h e d i d , ” p o l i c e reported. The businessman w a s t h e n r e l i e v e d o f $400,000 cash, two gold chains valued $800,000, one gold band valued $115,000 and one S22 plus Samsung p h o n e v a l u e d $ 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 Thereafter the gunmen made good their escape on the motorcycle.

Eon Clarke

Andrew Stevens

Land, taxes and penalties

The American humorist Will Rogers once remarked that the best investment on earth is earth itself, because they’re not making any more of it. But in Guyana, where l a n d i s b o t h a t o o l o f economic leverage and a political bargaining chip, the question is not just who owns it but at what cost and under what conditions.

The government, in its

fervent belief in private investment as the holy grail of economic salvation, has long engaged in the practice of selling state land at rates that range from absurdly

ne

ous to scandalously opaque. The rationale is that private investment creates jobs, generates wealth, and stimulates economic growth. If one were to fully embrace this logic, then the question

o f l a n d p r i c i n g w o u l d become moot. Indeed, why not take the argument to its logical extreme? If private investment is the golden goose, then the price of state land should not only be negligible but nonexistent. Land should be given away f r e e , n o s t r i n g s attached—except one. After twenty years, it should revert to the state.

The investor receives the l a n d a s a m e a n s o f capitalising their venture, sparing them the burden of upfront costs. They take the risk, they provide the jobs, they generate wealth, and t h e y c o n t r i b u t e t o t

decades, the land, having

repurposed, reassigned, or resold under similar terms. T h i

anathema to the entrenched l a n

m o d e l r e v o l v e s a r o u n d acquiring state land at rockbottom prices, waiting for a d e v e l o p m e n t b o o m , a n d f l i p p i n g i t f o r w i n d f a l l profits. It is a model that produces neither investment nor employment, only an e v e r- i n f l a t i n g r e a l e s t a t e bubble that locks ordinary c i t i z e n s o u t o f l a n d ownership while enriching a s e l e c t f e w I f t h e

government’s claim that land allocation is primarily a b o u t f a c i l i t a t i n g investment—is to be taken

s e r i o u s l y, t h e n i t m u s t abandon the outdated notion of land as a commodity to be sold and instead embrace the more pragmatic approach of land as an incentive for genuine economic activity

U n d e r t h i s m o d e l , however, there must be a trade-off. The investor gets the land for free, but in exchange, they must forfeit the buffet of tax concessions t h a t h a v e b e c o m e t h e

s t a n d a r d o f f e r i n g f o r

i n v e s t o r s . N o d u t y - f r e e concessions, no corporate tax holidays, no sweetheart deals. Instead, the investor operates on a level playing field with the rest of the economy, contributing their fair share in taxes like any o r d i n a r y c i t i z e n T h e

government, in turn, collects its revenue through taxation, rather than the one-time sale of land.

Y e t , g o v e r n m e n t c o n t i n u e s t o s u b s i d i z e p r i v a t e c a p i t a l t h r o u g h generous land deals, endless t a x w r i t e - o f f s , a n d controversial land allocation deals. It is a contradiction that demands resolution: if investment is indeed the key to prosperity, then why the need for perpetual state assistance?

Years ago, there was controversy over the fact that t h e s a l e , b y t h e P P P C government, of prime lands on the East Coast to a b u s i n e s s m a n w a s d o n e without a valuation. The businessman admitted that he paid around US$2M for the lands. But he pointed out that for this sum, Guyana w a s g e t t i n g a U S $ 4 0 M investment and with that investment comes a range of benefits.

This brings us to another f o r m o f e c o n o m i c oppression masquerading as f i n a n c i a l d i s c i p l i n e t h e issue of penalties on unpaid taxes, including municipal t a x e s ( r a t e s a n d t a x e s ) i n c o m e t a x , VAT a n d corporation taxes. In any

f u n c t i o n i n g t a x s y s t e m , penalties exist to ensure compliance. They serve as a deterrent against tax evasion

and a safeguard against revenue shortfalls. But in Guyana, penalties are not

j u s t p u n i t i v e ; t h e y a r e outright predatory

A business, due to cash

DEM BOYS SEH

Social media mek people dunce!

Dem boys seh people nah read books no more. Dem does read, but is only Facebook posts, TikTok captions, and WhatsApp status. And it got to be short-short! If it pass two sentence, dem eyes start fuh glaze over like stale pine tart.

Once upon a time, people use to read l o n g , d e e p b o o k s t h i n g s w i d r e a l knowledge. Now? Dem does read headlines and feel like dem get a PhD! One man read one tweet about the oil contract and now he’s an energy expert. Another woman see a meme about taxes and suddenly she’s a financial guru. Dem boys seh attention span done dead. If a video longer than 30 seconds, people done swipe past. If a news article got more than three paragraphs, nobody ain’t reading it. Is like social media rewired people brain fuh function like mosquito—buzz-buzz, then gone! And talk bout fake news! Social media mek people believe anything If somebody post that aliens living in Bartica, next thing yuh know, a whole set of people start packing bags

flow problems, may delay payment of its taxes. Almost immediately, penalties are applied—not just flat fees

but compounded interest

that grows exponentially over time. In many cases, the penalties and accumulated interest eclipse the original t a x o w e d , t u r n i n g a manageable debt into an i n s u r m o u n t a b l e f i n a n c i a l burden. The taxpayer, now u n a b l e t o p a y t h e f u l l amount, is forced to seek a waiver, which creates its own problems. The issue, t h e n , i s n o t h o w m a n y waivers are granted or the sums waived but why the penalties are so prohibitively high in the first place. In theory, tax penalties should encourage timely payment. In practice, they serve as a de facto death sentence for

b u s i n e s s e s a l r e a d y struggling to stay afloat. The g o v e r n m e n t a n d l o c a l

a u t h o r i t i e s h a v e

conveniently ignored the fact that the structure of p e n a l t i e s o f t e n p u s h e s

t a x p a y e r s f u r t h e r i n t o

d e l i n q u e n c y r a t h e r t h a n

b r i n g i n g t h e m i n t o

c o m p l i a n c e . A r a t i o n a l

s y s t e m w o u l d c a l i b r a t e penalties in a way that ensures deterrence without destruction. Late payments

s h o u l d i n c u r r e a s o n a b l e

f i n e s , n o t c o m p o u n d i n g interest that rivals the worst excesses of loan sharking. Moreover, tax authorities should be in the business of c o l l e c t i n g r e v e n u e , n o t bankrupting businesses.

The same logic applies to municipal rates and taxes, where the situation is equally dire. Across the country, municipalities lament their i n a b i l i t y t o c o l l e c t outstanding taxes, but rather than reform the system to encourage payment, they double down on punitive measures that ensure nonpayment remains the more rational choice When a property owner is faced with the prospect of a tax bill that has ballooned due to interest and penalties, the incentive is not to pay but to avoid payment altogether

If the goal is to create a s y s t e m t h a t e n c o u r a g e s investment, tax compliance, and economic growth, then it m u s t b e g i n w i t h a n a c k n o w l e d g m e n

h a t punitive measures alone do not produce prosperity The government cannot claim to be a champion of investment w h i l e s i m u l t a n e o u s l y erecting barriers that make i n v e s t m e n t f i n a n c

y unviable. It cannot preach t

becomes the only feasible

issues—land allocation, tax penalties, and investment incentives—are all part of the same broader question: is t

progress, or is it merely engaged in a perpetual cycle of political patronage? If it is the former, then the solution i

investors with a twenty-year reversion clause, an end to

rationalization of penalties

without financial ruin. If it is the latter, then expect the status quo to persist—land sold at opaque prices to the w

designed to trap rather than encourage compliance, and economic policies that serve the interests of the few while impoverishing the many (The views expressed in this article are those of the

opinions of this newspaper.)

fuh move out If somebody seh rice done run out in the country, panic does start people does rush supermarket fuh buy out de whole shelf before dem even check if is true Then is de addiction problem People wake up, phone in hand Before dem even bathe, dem scrolling Before dem brush dem teeth, dem scrolling Some people don’t even know what outside look like no more—dem life live through a screen.

Worst yet, people can’t talk face to face no more. Once upon a time, people use to gather and reason Now, if yuh ask somebody something, dem typing while dem next to yuh. Yuh send a long message? Dem reply with “K.”

Dem boys seh social media is a blessing and a curse. It connect people, but it disconnect dem from real life. It got people laughing all day but crying at night. And the biggest joke? Half of the people who always online still feel lonely

Tek yuh face out de screen, leh yuh brain breathe lil bit! Talk half. Leff half

H@RD TRUTHS

Helping a brother traveling against traffic

In this lovely country, the dirty jobs that others shun fall to me. Familiarity comes

about what it is, to be consigned to a lower caste right here.

M y h a r d j o b i s t o enlighten a wayward, rowdy brother, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, that he is going against traffic on a one-way road. The farther he races ahead, the

d e e p e r t h e t r o u b l e s h e creates for himself. I am sorry Mr Jagdeo: fewer and fewer Guyanese are fooled by those furious antics called Thursday afternoon press conferences; even his own

a r e d i s g u s t e d , r e c o i l i n disbelief. Ordinary people know when they are being played, taken for fools.

T h o s e a r e n o t p r e s s

c o n f e r e n c e s , b u t p r e s s circuses. They are not press conferences, but of the PPP G e n e r a l S e c r e t a r y ’ s

coarseness and looseness. With oil. And reality And with walking a straight line. If some think that I just made my friend Bharrat into a leader loving twists and turns, here’s an eyeopener: would somebody like me do t h a t , a c t u a l l y t h i n k o f deforming a man, especially a national leader? Rethink such interpretations. What I grapple with is helping a man who no one helps, who may be beyond help, so far gone is he. But my devotion to Guyanese, my duty, involves lost causes, comatose cases, and last lap challenges.

H e n c e , I i g n o r e t h e standards of Jagdeo’s press c o n f e r e n c e : t h e exaggerations, fulminations, deceptions, contradictions, evasions. I know I discard a lot, but countless Guyanese ( a n d f o r e i g n e r s ) g e t t h e picture, harbor the same

c

sentence, the Jagdeo press c

more riots he initiates and leads, the more his own p

m They need oil clarity, not oil secrecy They need a leader w i l l i

question (no matter how

crassness. Guyanese need to hear about oil money for themselves, to alleviate their i

n The richest in the world is s

degradation, because those p e r c e n t a g e s m o c k t h e destitute circumstances that fuel their desperation.

I had warned globally famous economist Bharrat

J a g d e o t h a t h e m u s t e c o n o m i z e o n t h e t i m e wasted attacking the PNC

and vilifying conscientious

c i t i z e n s D i m i n i s h i n g returns, I think the textbooks

s a y s o G u y a n e s e - P P P Guyanese, PNC Guyanese, overseas Guyanese-see it as buying time through wasting time, so that there is less time to speak simply and truly about oil. And oil returns to the people. And oil rewards lifting the struggling and worrying in this society that is rich and that is hungry and sickly at the same time. I

e n c o u r a g e m y s t u d e n t Jagdeo to spend quality time

p r e s e n t i n g q u a l i t y information about oil and the t r u e s t a t e o f t h i n g s i n Guyana.

M o r e G u y a n e s e a r e hurting. More Guyanese see who are benefiting. Put the t w o t o g e t h e r a n d t h e r e should be agreement that m o r e c i t i z e n s a r e d i s c o n t e n t e d a n d disgruntled. Not at the PNC, but at the PPP of Ali and Jagdeo. Humble thyself, Lord Jagdeo, and appreciate that the more ranting there is, t h e m o r e d i s b e l i e v i n g Guyanese are. It should be a c u t e l y c o n c e r n i n g f o r Jagdeo, because his own people swell the ranks of disbelieving. Why is he delivering one red herring a f t e r a n o t h e r ( f e a s i b i l i t y

studies) to distract locals? Why is he shutting down questions (Wales), if he has nothing to hide? Why is he so hostile to the independent media (SN, KN) and is so much at home with stupidity and frivolity and deficiency (cast of willing, panting sycophants)?

W h e n t h e s e J a g d e o

customs and practices were n e

They see him now for what he is, and they don’t like the caricature and frightening apparition that he has made of himself. Moreover, they now care, because there is the keenest recognition of being shafted, and it is not by the PNC. May I ask Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo to step to the podium and collect his Academy Award.

More than any other time in its history, Guyana needs a real leader Guyanese have no use for a pretender, an actor I have tried to pass the same message onto President Irfaan “Dr Artifice” Ali and failed. His biggest artifice is t h a t d o d g y g a m e c a l l e d sanctity A company is sacred, a contract inviolable, but not the once majestic sovereignty of his country Is this a land with leaders, or one of losers? There is

Jagdeo with his Thursday afternoon hustles. He is buying and selling. Buying E x x o n ’s f r i e n d s h i p a n d s e l l i n g o u t h i s p e o p l e ’s p a t r i m o n y H i s p r e s s conferences make that clear Jagdeo is for Exxon more

combined. When he should be all for Guyanese, he turns into guerilla brawler against them.

The more that Jagdeo attacks today, the more he holds himself up to ridicule. A sorry figure, he is. I feel for this countryman. The problem is that he has lost all

conferences confirm this. I c

p t t o counsel him. The press conferences are now selfdefeating. Guyanese block (cork) their ears. Some have already begun holding their n o s e s L i s t e n i n g a n d adjusting are up to him. I have done my duty

(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t n e c e s s a r i l y r e f l e c t t h e opinions of this newspaper.)

Clerk in cour t for forging cheques wor

A 2 5 - y e

d B . Beharry & Company Ltd appeared at the Georgetown M a g i s t r a t e s ’ C o u r t o n Wednesday on charges of forgery committed against his employer

Dhamendra Gandat, of Lot 679, 17th Street, Foulis, East Co

s

Demerara, is a c c u s e d o f f o rg i n g t w o cheques from the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry

( G B T I ) , w h i c h f a l s e l y showed that the amounts were withdrawn by Beharry Restaurant Holding Inc. He

a l l e g e d l y f o r g e d a $23,500,000 and $48,500 cheque on July 25,2024 at V l i s s e n g e n R o a d , Georgetown branch.

Gandat appeared before

A c t i n g C h i e f M a g i s t r a t e Faith McGusty, who read the c h a rg e s t o h i m G a n d a t pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Attorney Dominic Bess, r e p r e s e n t i n g G a n d a t , requested reasonable bail for h i s c l i e n t , a r g u i n g t h a t

Gandat had no previous c o n v i c t i o n s o r p e n d i n g matters and was not a flight risk. Bess argued that Gandat h a d d i s c o v e r e d t h e fraudulent transactions and reported them, stressing that h i s c l i e n t w a s b e i n g wrongfully implicated in the m a t t e r s i n c e o t h e r

th over $23M

individuals involved had not been brought before the court. Bess also argued that there was no direct evidence l i n k i n g G a n d a t t o t h e forgery, explaining that he did not receive the cheques, and that his senior colleague had signed them. “He is simply familiar with the signature,” Bess stated. He also mentioned that Gandat had fully cooperated with investigators since the probe

began in August 2024 and w

investigation.

M

G

y enquired whether there was any evidence showing that Gandat had attempted to

reiterated that his client did not receive any funds and t

evidence linking Gandat to the crime.

, however, objected to bail, citing the seriousness and prevalence of the offences. The prosecutor informed the court that Gandat had never

h e company was unaware of who received the funds. The prosecutor also admitted that t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n w a s ongoing and that statements from the company were yet to be gathered. As a result, the prosecution requested a further adjournment, noting that obtaining the necessary statements would take time. Gandat was granted bail in the amount of $200,000 in

i

scheduled to return to court on March 12, 2025.

Man goes to cour t on assault charge ends up being remanded for disturbance

A 58-year-old man found himself in an unfortunate situation after disrupting court proceedings at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, which led to him being remanded to prison.

Gordon Lucas, of Lot 73 Lamaha Street, Newtown, Georgetown, was awaiting the call of his assault case before Acting Chief M a g i s t r a t e F a i t h M c G u s t y w h e n h e interrupted the proceedings. Lucas stated that he needed to go to the Georgetown Public Hospital for an 11:00 hrs. appointment. Out of consideration for his request, Magistrate McGusty paused the previous cases before his and began to read his charge.

The charge read that on September 27, 2024, at the GPHC, Lucas assaulted Clarissa James. Lucas pleaded not guilty to the charge, explaining that he had only retaliated after the woman assaulted him. “She knock me and I knock she back,” Lucas said. He then added, “Me aint get mother I is a big man.”

In response to his comments, Magistrate McGusty asked if he still wished to go to the hospital. Lucas responded, “Yes please.” Despite the earlier disruption, Lucas was granted $10,000 bail and was scheduled to return for further proceedings on February 12, 2025. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Lucas grew frustrated while waiting to sign for his bail. He began complaining in court, disturbing the sitting. As a result,

Man told cour t he was using cocaine for back pain

- jailed for 2 year s on narcotics possession charge

A 50-year-old man, was on Wednesday sentenced to two years in prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

Ray Peters was charged with possession of five grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking which took place on February 3, 2025 on Brickdam in Georgetown. Peters pleaded guilty after the charge was read to him by Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty. She confirmed with Peters, whether he was admitting that he was in possession of illegal substances which he agreed to. She then proceeded to ask Peters if he was aware that cocaine is illegal and he responded in the affirmative.

The prosecution stated that police were conducting a patrol in the Stabroek Market area when they saw the defendant looking suspicious and approached him to conduct a search. Peters took out a white container and threw it on the ground, the rank then picked up the said container which contained substance wrapped in paper He was then escorted to the Alberttown Police Station. The substance was investigated, and was confirmed to be cocaine weighing five grams which has a street value of $7,500. Peters told the court: “it wasn’t mine, I picked it up from the side of a truck”. He then later admitted that it belonged to him and he was using it for “back pain”. Magistrate McGusty sentenced Peters to two years in prison due to his age and a fine of $7,500.

Br utus sacked by Police Ser vice...

From page 8 f r o m t h e f o r c e E f f o r t s t o r e a c h representatives from both the PSC and Brutus for comment were unsuccessful. However, B r u t u s ’ l a w y e r, E u s i A n d e r s o n , w a s contacted for clarification regarding the termination but he stated that, he nor Brutus received a letter from the PSC. “I can confirm that we haven’t received anything of that nature…” he said.

Gordon Lucas

On January 22, 2025, the PSC appointed a special tribunal to investigate a series of serious disciplinary charges against Brutus. Despite being summoned, Brutus had failed to attend any of the hearings, instead opting to approach the High Court to seek the dismantling of the tribunal. He argued that the tribunal was biased against him and that he would not receive a fair hearing.

The tribunal that was tasked with investigating Brutus’ conduct, was chaired by

Shoshanna V Lall. Other members included: A t t o r n e y K e o m a G r i ff i t h a n d f o r m e r Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud. The t

managed by Hugh Park, an Attorney-at-Law who has been appointed as the Secretary, while Bernard da Silva also an Attorney-atLaw, served as Counsel to the Tribunal.

Brutus faced two major charges from the Tribunal, under Section 4 (z) of the Police (Discipline) Act, Chapter 17:01. The first charge alleged that Brutus directed a payment of $13,670,204 from the GPF’s Welfare Fund, in violation of the Force’s Standing Order 36. The second charge accused Brutus of falsifying records at the Quartermaster Stores. It is alleged that Brutus created false documentation to show that goods valued at $101,431,050 had been delivered by Corwin Nicholson, trading as 3D Construction, leading to fraudulent payments being made.

Magistrate McGusty paused the case she was attending to and told Lucas: “since you want to disrupt this court schedule, I am going to disrupt your schedule. Bail is refused, you are remanded into prison,” she stated firmly Upon hearing this, Lucas pleaded for mercy, repeatedly apologising to the magistrate. However, Magistrate McGusty reminded him that she had already been considerate by placing his matters before others. As a result, Lucas, who was initially expected to leave early for his hospital appointment, now faces a week in prison until his return date.

Ray Peters

Dhamendra Gandat

Anti-violence campaign targeted 25 schools

T h e M i n i s t r y o f H u m a n

S e r v i c e s a n d S o c i a l S e c u r i t y ( H S S S ) h a s r e a f f i r m e d i t s commitment to combating violence w i t h i n t h e e d u c a t i o n s y s t e m , through a comprehensive two-day Family Violence Act training, conducted in 25 secondary schools across Guyana.

The initiative, executed from January 30-31, targeted Regions Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Nine, and 10, reaching 1,704 students (720 males and 984 females).

Spearheaded by the Ministry’s Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit (SODVPU), in collaboration with the Family

Enhancement Services Section (FESS) and the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), the campaign educated the students on t h e n e w F a m i l y V i o l e n c e legislation that was passed last year

The Act affords protection in cases involving domestic violence, by the granting of a protection order to provide the police with powers of arrest, where a domestic violence offence occurs and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

Additionally, the effects of critical issues, such as youth violence, bullying, and harmful social norms prevalent in school environments, were also discussed with the students.

P a r t i c i p a t i n g s e c o n d a r y institutions included Vergenoegen,

School children participate in the sensitization campaign

Zeeburg, L’Aventure, Westminster, Diamond, Tutorial Academy, North Georgetown, Cummings Lodge, Plaisance, Buxton, M

h

cony, Fort Wellington, Rosignol, Lower Corentyne, Canje Secondary, Black Bush, Bartica, Three Miles, St Ignatius, Aishalton, Christianburg, Wisburg, New Silver City, and Linden Foundation. Students from the Mahaicony Technical Institute also participated.

The campaign went beyond simply identifying problems. It focused on empowering students with practical strategies for conflict resolution, raising awareness of the d e v

comprehensive information about available support services.

Students were educated on how to access resources such as the 914 Hotline, CPA Hotline, the Imatter

Programme, and direct reporting

emphasising the critical need for

pervasive issue of bullying and violence within schools.

“This campaign is intended to ensure that our students are aware of our services within the ministry and how they can utilise the reporting services to get to any one of the agencies, notably 914,” Minister Persaud stated.

She said the campaign’s scope extends beyond the immediate issues of bullying and violence,

skills.

“The campaign, on a deeper level, speaks to the impact of violence. It speaks to both the perpetrator and the victim. We need to ensure that young people do not see the resolution of conflict in a violent way,” the minister

s t a t e d T h i s w o r k i s f u

developed through the Spotlight Initiative which saw persons from within the ministry being trained to aid in the cessation of violence. It targeted the age group of 13 to 25 and included stakeholders who are also working to end violence within the country

M e a n w h i l e , D r C o n a

Husbands, Head of the SODVPU, e m p h a s i s e d t

strategic approach, stating, “This i n i

signifies a sustained, long-term commitment to fostering safe and s u p p o r t i v e l e a r n i n g environments.”

Dr Husbands further announced the campaign’s expansion into tertiary institutions and technical i n

ministry’s dedication to reaching all levels of education.

Over the past few years, the m

departments has been going into schools to educate students on the devastating effects of bullying and violence. SODVPU aims to engage over 5,000 students in the coming m

sensitisation programme.

strategy of implementing impactful

segments of Guyanese society By empowering youth with knowledge

resources, the ministry is

foundation for safer schools and

reduction in domestic violence and

aggression. The Ministry of Human S

recognises that investing in the empowerment of young people is essential to creating a more secure and harmonious future for Guyana. (DPI)

Documents sur face showing acquisition of New York proper ties by Sher w yn Greaves

In wake of the scandal over the sale of prime lands in Guyana, documents have surfaced purporting to show

properties in New York. At least one of the properties

w

mortgage being issued.

And according to the d

newspaper, the transactions were by way of a Limited Liability Company (LLC). In one of the transactions, a

property was listed at the sale price USD925, 000.00 by Liberty Avenue Associates LLC, a company of which Philip R Baldeo is the sole owner Baldeo a medical doctor based in New York has been embroiled in a scandal over questionable s

Heroes Highway

Guyanese New Yorker, Ed

Ahmad. Ahmad has been convicted in the US and

s

laundering and real estate crimes. Documents seen by

Baldeo had sold his property on March 25, 2024 to SML Management LLC, which was owned and represented By Mishana Greaves. That LLC later transferred the property into a Living Trust with Sherwyn Leon Naftali G

Greaves as trustees. It is

important to note that there was no mortgage issued for the purchase of the property and it was sold below market value.

Greaves’ name is listed a s t h e p u r c h a s

i n a transaction for a property

located at 115-30 142nd Street Jamaica NY 11436, USA. That property was sold at USD750,000.00 on the 15th September, 2023 by Reliable Custom Builders Inc represented by Rashaad Ahmad It is h

Rashaad has with Ed Ahmad. E d A h m

prime land in Guyana under questionable circumstances.

Among the deals signed is a questionable agreement for the purchase of land near E x x o n M o b i l ’ s n e w headquarters at Ogle, East Coast Demerara, to build an “ u

property to develop a value-

a d d e d w o o d p r o c e s s i n g o p e r a t i o n , b u t i n s t e a d converted the area into house lots.

The conditions of sale

w e r e t h a t t h e c o m p a n y would have set up a factory to create jobs for persons in t h e n e i g h b o u r h o o d T h i s condition dictated the low price he paid for the land which is $80M. There has been no factory to date. Instead, there is a multim i l l i o n - d o l l a r h o u s i n g development project The project, Leonora Mall and Hollywood Garden, is being m a n a g e d b y L e o n o r a Projects which is owned by Shareef and Ed Ahmad. The latter is said to be a close a s s o c i a t e o f f o r m e r President, Bharrat Jagdeo.

The conversion of the almost 17-acre plot to the

L e o n o r a M a l l a n d Hollywood Garden has been raising eyebrows as again, it is the controversial National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL) that is involved. In the midst o f t h e q u e s t i o n a b l e t r a n s a c t i o n s , A t t o r n e y General Anil Nandlall SC sought to defend the deals as above board.

During his programme, ‘Issues in the News’, on Tuesday, he stated that the People’s Progressive Party Civic Administration had inherited the land deals from the previous A Partnership F o r N a t

(APNU+ AFC) government. He claimed “In 2020 when we got into Government, I received piles and piles of files of transactions that were

government; contracts were

swathes of lands.”

including the sale of 30 acres at $30 million per acre at Ogle, ECD, with the title vested, though no money was paid. He noted that lands were sold at Le Resouvenir,

Dr Phillip Baldeo

Ed Ahmad

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Six road deaths in four days

The month of February thus far has proved to be a tragic period for Guyana, as six lives have been lost in a series of road accidents that spanned across the nation.

From East Bank Demerara (EBD) to Berbice, griefstricken families and friends mourned the sudden deaths of their loved ones, with the tragic series of accidents beginning early on Sunday and continuing yesterday.

The latest accident on Wednesday resulting in the death of 65-year-old Vakeanand Sukdeo. He was killed when a truck slammed into him on the Covent Garden Public Road, EBD. Police reported that the incident occurred around 06:25h. The accident involved a motor lorry with registration number #GAF 9065, owned and driven by 21-year-old Joshua Lim, a resident of Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

Investigations revealed that Sukdeo was riding his bicycle proceeding south along the western driving lane of Covent Garden Public Road, while the lorry was proceeding north along the eastern driving lane of the western carriageway of the said road. “As the lorry driver approached an open space between the concrete median that separates the two carriageways, he made a right turn (east) onto the eastern carriageway of the road and collided with the pedal cyclist,” police reported.

Following the collision, the pedal cyclist fell onto the road surface where he received injuries about his body. An ambulance was summoned to the scene, along with Medical Technicians who examined Sukdeo, and pronounced him dead. His body was taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, awaiting a PostMortem Examination. “The driver of the lorry was arrested and placed in custody, where he is assisting with the

Providence (Public Road), Bent Street, Queenstown, Soesdyke. Contact : Ray's Realty : 627-9685.

LAND FOR SALE

Friendship East Bank, Yarawkabra & Long Creek, Soesdyke & East la-Penitence Front Road. Contact : Ray's Realty : 627-9685.

investigation,” police asserted.

The spate of deadly accidents started on Sunday morning when Suresh Singh, a 25-year-old man from Hillfoot, Soesdyke was killed. He was driving his black Toyota Fielder Wagon when tragedy struck. According to eyewitnesses, Singh lost control of his vehicle and collided head-on with a truck traveling in the opposite direction at Timerhi, EBD. The impact of the crash left Singh motionless on the roadway, a sight caught on a video that soon spread across social media. News of his death reached his close friend, Joel Sutherland, who saw a Facebook post early that morning. Heartbroken, Joel shared the post, captioning it, “Rest Easy Champ.”

At around 11:00h, Joel Sutherland sent a voice message to Singh’s sister expressing his condolences. “My condolences to you my sister I just see this thing on Facebook and right now me head hurting. It so sad. I know the feelings, hold it up,” he said, unaware that the tragedy would soon strike him as well.Later that same day, around 23:00h, Sutherland, along with his friend Ronaldo Gordon, was in a Fielder Wagon when disaster struck once more. The car, driven by Gordon, crashed into a bridge along the Land of Canaan Public Road. EBD. Both Sutherland and Ronaldo were ejected from the car upon impact. Despite being rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Center, both men were pronounced dead on arrival.

Just a few hours earlier, around 21:00h, 18-year-old motorcyclist Finidy Miggins from Den Amstel, West Coast

Demerara, had also lost his life. Finidy, who was speeding along the WCD road, collided head-on with another car while attempting to overtake another vehicle. The crash flung both Miggins and his 19-year-old brother, Terron Miggins, into the air before they landed on the pavement. Tragically, Miggins succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at the Leonora Cottage Hospital, while his brother was hospitalised with severe leg injuries. The carnage on Guyana’s roadways did not stop there.

On Monday morning, another motorcyclist, Edwin Hartman, lost his life on Eversham Public Road in Corentyne, Berbice. Thirty-five-year-old Hartman was riding his motorcycle when a car, which was driven by a 67-year-old man from Eversham, signaled to make a right turn. As Hartman attempted to pass, his motorcycle collided with the car’s rear and front doors, throwing him onto the road. Hartman sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after the collision.

VACANCY

Killed in an early morning car crash, Suresh Singh.

Both dead, Sutherland (left) and Gordon (Right) hours after their friend, in a second EBD car crash

Dead motorcyclist, Finidy Miggins.

$191M to reconstruct Ituni and Kwakwani police stations

Th e M i n i s t r y o f Home Affairs is

p r e p a r i n g t o spend approximately $191 million to rebuild new police

s t a t i o n s f o r I t u n i a n d Kwakwani in Region Ten.

T h e p r o j e c t s w e r e opened at the recent tender reading. It was disclosed that the projects are estimated to c

Kaieteur News understands that these projects will form part of the $4.7 billion that the government set aside to bridge the gap of the Guyana P o l i c e F o r c e ’ s ( G P F ) infrastructural needs. It was r e p o r t e d t h a t t h e reconstruction of the police stations and other facilities

Below are the companies and their bids: Ministry of Home Affairs

Construction of Station of Officer ’s Residence and Reservoir at Lethem Fire Station.

are aimed at transforming the decades-old buildings and their environment into ones that are more modern,

accommodating and ‘userfriendly’ to visitors and ranks that are stationed in the facilities.

( T R I N I D A D GUARDIAN) When the C a r n i v a l f e v e r h i t s , d o r e m e m b e r t h

l e w d behaviour can get you in trouble. And don’t try being too creative either by making your vehicle look like a tank, warship or rocket launcher, or you just might find yourself answering to a magistrate for your wild indiscretions. The reason? Well, the 2025 Carnival

Regulations are out as is done every year around this time, with specifics on what you can and cannot do. And yes, regardless of how sweet the music might be or how much the alcohol f l o w s , y o u m u s t k e e p immorality in check due to a specific clause that states; “A person shall not indulge in behaviour or gestures which are immoral, lewd or offensive.”

You’re also prohibited

from singing or reciting any lewd or offensive song, so watch those potty mouths. While the Regulations are void of a definition of what constitutes lewd behaviour or lyrics, a proper gauge can be found at the Cornell Law School’s Legal Information

I n s t i t u t e ’s o n l i n e p a g e , defining ‘lewd’ as “conduct that is indecent, obscene, or lascivious.”

As for the tanks and warships that you may think

a r e f a n c i f u l , t h e c l a u s e simply states that you shall not drive or display any vehicle disguised as a tank, armoured military vehicle, rocket launcher, artillery or warship.

I f y o u ’ r e a l r e a d y building one, you’d better shout ‘Halt’ to that project. Other prohibitions include carrying any explosive or smoke-producing substance o r a n y t h i n g

i k e l y t o produce smoke and driving

or travelling in any motor vehicle when masked or facially disguised.

Reconstruction of Kwakwani Police Station.

Reconstruction of Ituni Police Station.

Palestinians mock Trump’s takeover plan

-

72-year -old says leaving Gaza would be ‘like dea th itself ’

( A L J A Z E E R A ) –Leaning on a wooden cane, 72-year-old Fathi Abu alSaeed navigates the rubble-

s t r e w n s t r e e t s o f K h a n

Y o u n i s ’ a l - K a t i b a neighbourhood — a daily ritual since he returned from displacement in the coastal

r e g i o n o f a l - M a w a s i following the January 19 Gaza ceasefire Carefully stepping over debris left by

1 5 m o n t h s o f r e l e n t l e s s

I s r a e l i b o m b a r d m e n t , h e raises his cane, pointing at a demolished house.

“You see that pile of useless rubble?” he says.

“That’s more precious than

t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a n d

e v e r y t h i n g i n i t ” H i s audience a group of children, including some of h i s 5 0 c h i l d r e n a n d

g r a n d c h i l d r e n l i s t e n s i n t e n t l y, u n d e t e r r e d b y forecasts of heavy rain and strong winds. Others join

t h e m c h i l d r e n f r o m displaced families who have also returned, not to intact homes, but to the ruins of w h a t o n c e w a s W i t h nowhere else to go, they rebuild their lives among the wreckage.

Every morning, Abu alSaeed exchanges words of resilience with neighbours. But on this day, US President D o n a l d T r u m p ’s r e c e n t remarks about Gaza — his

fantasy of clearing out its Palestinian population to build a “Riviera in the Middle East” — offer fresh material for his sarcasm and defiance.

“Trump talks as if he’s a king handing out land,” Abu al-Saeed scoffs. “Maybe he should relocate his Israeli friends somewhere outside of Palestine and leave Gaza alone.” Trump’s comments, which sparked widespread condemnation, outlined a plan to resettle Palestinians in Gaza elsewhere while the US would “take over” and “own” the territory Standing beside Israeli Prime Minister B e n j a m i n N e t a n y a h u who faces an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for war crimes in Gaza Trump claimed Palestinians deserved better than their supposed “bad luck”.

‘ A p r i z e - w i n n i n g delusion’ Throughout 15 months of Israeli bombing, more than 60 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed, including hospitals, universities, and schools. Washington, under t h e p r e v i o u s U S administration, was Israel’s b i g g e s t b a c k e r, s e n d i n g $ 1 7 9 b n i n m i l i t a r y a i d during the first year of the war — the highest annual total ever

Fathi

“This is the talk of a m a d m a n , ” A b u a l - S a e e d says. “And as we Arabs say: ‘If the speaker is a madman, let the listener be sane.’ This man knows nothing about h o m e l a n d , s t r u g g l e , d e f i a n c e , p r i d e o r Palestine.”

D i s m i s s i n g T r u m p ’ s comments as absurd, Abu alS a e e d s h a k e s h i s h e a d “That’s the best fantasy ever d r e a m t u p b y a w o r l d leader,” he says, shifting b e t w e e n d i s b e l i e f a n d laughter “Any sane person w h o k n o w s P a l e s t i n i a n s understands that leaving our homeland is like death itself. Did Trump really think we’d pack up and go after all

this?”

For Abu al-Saeed, the idea of mass displacement is personal. His father was forced out of Jaffa — now part of Israel — by Zionist militias in 1948 when Israel w a s f o r m e d , a n d h i s m o t h e r ’ s f a m i l y w a s expelled from the nearby village of Sarafand. He grew up on stories of that first catastrophe — the Nakba — a n d n o w l i v e s t h r o u g h another “We already know w h a t i t m e a n s t o l o s e e v e r y t h i n g , ” h e s a y s , gesturing at the ruins. “But we also know what it means to hold on.”

The war displaced 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million

people. Many have returned, not to standing homes, but to w r e c k a g e c l e a n i n g debris, salvaging what they can, or setting up tents atop t h e r u i n s “ E v e n u n d e r genocide, we didn’t leave,” Abu al-Saeed says, his voice steady “It’s not about having nowhere else to go — it’s our homeland. Our land. Every brick here is worth more to us than everything the US can offer ” For a week, Trump has pressured Egypt and Jordan to absorb Gaza’s p o p u l a t i o n , p i t c h i n g h i s redevelopment plan as a jobcreation project. But even his allies in Cairo, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and beyond have rejected the idea outright.

“Trump must think we’re living in a hotel he can shut d o w n , ” A b u a l - S a e e d laughs. “But Gaza isn’t a real estate project — it’s our land ” He taps his cane against the rubble. “This earth is mixed with our sweat and blood. No one here will leave — no matter the threats or promises.”

‘ I s h e c r a z y o r j u s t stupid?’

Sitting on a pile of debris, s u r r o u n d e d b y e a g e r children, Abu al-Saeed turns to his 10-year-old grandson, M o h a m m a d , g r i n n i n g “Trump says we should leave Gaza and move to Egypt or Jordan. What do

you think?” The boy bursts into laughter “Is he crazy or just stupid? Why would we l e a v e ? G a z a i s p a r t o f Palestine!”

The other children chime in, their voices rising: “Who leaves their home? We will stay, rebuild, and fight for it.” Abu al-Saeed chuckles. “ T h e r e ’ s y o u r a n s w e r , Trump. Even our children k n o w b e t t e r t h a n y o u ”

Throughout the war, Israel’s bombings, starvation tactics, and attacks on hospitals have killed more than 17,400

n g thousands more. “What kind of logic is this?” Abu alSaeed asks. “They starve us, b o m b u s , a n d t h e n a c t surprised when we refuse to leave?”

Citing the unbreakable bond Palestinians feel with their land, he adds, “You k n o w w h a t w i l l n e v e r happen again? Us leaving.” Trump, he believes, does not understand Palestinians or their struggle. “Israel was built on the lie of ‘a land without a people,’” he says. “But we are here, and we are staying.” His eyes narrow “ F o r T r u m p , l i k e f o r Netanyahu, the only solution i s f o r P a l e s t i n i a n s t o disappear.” Straightening his back despite his age, Abu alSaeed says, “But we will not.”

Ar gentina says it will pull out of Wor ld Health Or ganiza tion, mir roring Trump’s move last month

(CNN) — Argentina has announced it will pull out of

t h e W o r l d H e a l t h

O r g a n i z a t i o n ( W H O ) , mirroring a similar move by US President Donald Trump last month.

“ P r e s i d e n t ( J

Milei in

tructed (foreign minister) Gerardo Werthein

t o w i t h d r a w A rg e n t i n a ’s participation in the World

H e a l t h O r g a n i z a t i o n , ” presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni said at a

n e w s c o n f e r e n c e o n Wednesday

“We Argentinians will not allow an international organization to intervene in our sovereignty, much less in our health,” he added

T r u m p , w h o m M i l e i

c o n s i d e r s a n i d e o l o g i c a l ally, announced on his first d a y b a c k i n t h e W h i t e

House in January he is w i t h d r a w i n g t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s f r o m t h e W H O , d r a w i n g c r i t i c i s m

public health experts. Adorni said Argentina’s

during the pandemic that l e d u

t h e

lockdown in human history and a lack of independence in the face of the political influence of some states ”

A s t a t e m e n t l a t e r released from Argentina’s presidential office accused WHO of causing economic damage during the Covid-19 pandemic by “[promoting] endless quarantines.” “It is urgent to rethink f r o m t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o m m u n i t y w h y

supranational organizations exist, funded by all that do not meet the objectives for which they were created, e n g a g e i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l politics, and seek to impose themselves above member

countries, ” the statemen

read.

Nations’ health agency in his executive order on January 20, citing the organization’s “ m i s h a n d l i n g o f t h e COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, a n d o t h e r g l o b a l h e a l t h crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, a n d i t s i n a b i l i t y t o demonstrate independence

f r o m t h e i n a p p r o p r i a t e political influence of WHO member states,” as reasons for the US withdrawal.

WHO’s Director General T e d r o s A d h a n o m Ghebreyesus said at the time h e “ r e g r e t s ” T r u m p ’ s d e c i s i o n t o w i t h d r a w , emphasizing the US also gains from the agency to which it contributes.

Though WHO works in Argentina, Adorni said his country does not receive financing from WHO for h e a l t h m a n a g e m e n t

“Therefore, this measure… does not represent a loss of funds for the country nor does it affect the quality of services,” he said.

H e c l a i m e d t h e withdrawal would provide “ g r e a t e r f l e x i b i l i

resources.”

“It reaffirms our path

h sovereignty also in health matters,” he added.

WHO was founded in 1948 in an attempt to protect

constitution, signed by all UN members at the time,

development” in the

countries was a “common danger.”

Today, the agency works in more than 150 locations

efforts to expand universal health coverage and directs the international response to health emergencies, from yellow fever to cholera and Ebola.

Abu al-Saeed vows to stay in Gaza, even asUnited States President Donald Trump says Palestinians in the enclave will leave [Mohamed Solaimane/Al Jazeera]

Argentina’s President Javier Milei

UG’s dean appointed to ser ve on advisor y board of Commonwealth Jour nal of Int’l Affairs

T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Guyana said its academic and professional excellence continue to be recognised on the global stage, with some of the institution’s academic staff being appointed to serve in key institutional roles One

s u c h d i s t i n g u i s h e d appointment is that of Dr Dianna DaSilva-Glasgow, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS), who has been named Associate Editor of The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs for a

renewable two-year term which commenced on 1st January 2025.

T h e R o u n d T a b l e Journal, that is published six times a year, is a leading

p l a t f o r m f o r i n f o r m e d analysis and discussions on international relations and Commonwealth affairs, UG said in a press release. It attracts contributions from

p r o m i n e n t s c h o l a r s , p o l i c y m a k e r s , a n d

p r o f e s s i o n a l s a c r o s s t h e world, covering governance,

e c o n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t , diplomacy, and trade.

According to UG in her new role as Associate Editor, Dr Da Silva-Glasgow will

p l a y a c r u c i a l r o l e i n

s u p p o r t i n g t h e J o u r n a l ’s

E d i t o r b y i d e n t i f y i n g potential academic and policy

p r a c t i t i o n e r c o n t r i b u t o r s ,

r e v i e w i n g s u b m i s s i o n s ,

e n s u r i n g a d h e r e n c e t o publishing ethics, liaising

Dr. Dianna DaSilva-Glasgow, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences

w i t h g u e s t e d i t o r s , a n d publicising calls for papers. Her responsibilities will also include helping to maintain the journal’s high standards and expanding its reach by encouraging the submission of high-quality articles.

Other members of the Board include: Professor R e m i A i y e d e ( N i g e r i a ) ; J a m e s A k a m p u m u z a (Uganda); Sola Akinrinade ( N i g e r i a ) ; S y e d B a d r u l

A h s a n ( B a n g l a d e s h ) ; G o d f r e y B a l d a c c h i n o (Malta); Cynthia BarrowGiles (Barbados); Anthony B r y a n ( T r i n i d a d a n d Tobago/USA); James Chin ( M a l a y s i a / A u s t r a l i a ) ; Indrajit Coomaraswamy (Sri

L a n k a ) ; H u g h C r a f t (Australia); Sunanda DattaRay (India); Michael Frendo ( M a l t a ) ; D a y a n a t h

Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka); Wm Roger Louis (USA); Munir

M a j i d ( M a l a y s i a ) ; D o n Markwell (Australia); Derek McDougall (Australia); Dr H e n r i e t t a M c N e i l l (Australia); Henning Melber ( N

(

(

(Ghana/USA); Sir Ronald

Barbuda/USA); Tim Shaw

(

Robert Summerby-Murray

(

; Joanne Wallis (Australia); Wang Gungwu (Singapore)

(Singapore) and Yeoh Seng Guan (Malaysia/Australia).

Dr DaSilva-Glasgow is an economist, consultant, and trade policy specialist with extensive research on Caribbean economic and social development, as well as international trade policy, UG said in its release. A p r o u d a l u m n a o f t h e University of Guyana, she e a r n e d h e r B a c h e l o r o f Social Science degree in Economics before pursuing a Master of Science degree in International Trade Policy and a Doctor of Philosophy d e g r e e i n E c o n o m i c Development Policy at the U

numerous book chapters and

Guyana’s oil helped push Hess reser ves to 1.44 billion at end of 2024

Hess Corporation has reported 247 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in net proved reserve additions and revisions in 2024, primarily from Guyana and the Bakken. However, at the end of 2024, Hess total proved reserves stood at 1.44 billion boe, up from 1.37 billion boe in 2023. The company stated in its 2024 fourth-quarter release that the final reserves estimate is subject to review Hess also disclosed that it replaced 138% of its reserves. The company’s finding and development cost was US$19.67 per boe. Hess operates in Guyana, North Dakota’s Bakken formation, the Gulf of Mexico, Malaysia, and the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area (JDA).

Guyana

This publication reported that Hess Chief Executive Officer (CEO), John Hess, had disclosed that his company’s estimate of discovered resources in Guyana’s Stabroek Block exceeds the less-than-11-billionbarrels-of-oil-equivalent figure shared by the operator of the block, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited The Stabroek Block, renowned for its vast oil potential, has been the subject of global attention since oil

Hess Corporation Chief Executive Officer (CEO), John Hess

production commenced five years ago.

The Government of Guyana said last year that their figure stood at 11.6 billion while ExxonMobil’s President, Alistair Routledge, stated that the company’s estimate remains below 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent, despite eight new discoveries in the block since the previous update in 2022. At the Goldman Sachs ‘Research: Energy, Clean Tech & Utilities’ Conference Hess boss said, “Yeah, the operator, and we’ve had talks with Exxon about this as operator They’re very conservative, they haven’t updated the 11 billion barrels equivalent, greater than 11 billion barrels equivalent of discovered resource. Our number is higher.”

journal articles addressing c r i t i c a l e c o n o m i c i s s u e s a f f e c t i n g t h e C a r i b b e a n region. As a Senior Lecturer i n t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f Economics and the Dean of t h e F S S , D r D a S i l v a -

G l a s g o w h a s b e e n i n s t r u m e n t a l i n s h a p i n g

a c a d e m i c d i s c o u r s e , f o s t e r i n g r e s e a r c h excellence, and mentoring students. Her appointment as Associate Editor of The

Round Table reflects not o n l y h e r o w n s c h o l a r l y expertise but also the broader

impact of UG’s faculty in global academia and policy discussions.

“ T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Guyana takes immense pride in the achievements of its a c a d

m i c s t a f f , w h o c o n t i n u e t o s e c u r e international recognition for t h e i r c o n t r i b u t i

development, and education.

influence on inter

scholarship and underscores the institution’s commitment

discourse on key global and regional issues. Dr DaSilvaGlasgow’s new role provides an opportunity to elevate Caribbean scholarship and

ensuring that the region’s

development, and economic policy are well represented.

forward to the continued impact of her work in The Round Table and beyond,” the release ended.

Construction 40-Over Cricket Competition continues

C

The East Bank Demerara

/D&R

Construction and Machinery R

C

Competition, which began on January 18, continued last

Cricket Club, Herstelling ‘B,’ and Ruimveldt.

Following two intense rounds of play, East Bank’s

secured a commanding 263run victory over Providence Cricket Club, thanks to

smashed an incredible 161 runs, including 19 fours and seven sixes. J

- Jaikarran, Bookie, Daniram amongst the runs

Daniram, whose explosive century propelled Ruimveldt to an imposing total of 402-7 in their allotted 40 overs. Daniram’s classy 118-run innings featured 21 fours and s e v e n s i x e s , p u t t i n g Ruimveldt firmly in control. In response, Providence struggled and was bowled out for 139 in 33.2 overs. Jermain Gronsnor provided t h e o n l y s i g n i f

c

n t resistance, battling to a gritty

Ruimveldt’s bowlers proved too strong, with Rickey Sergeant claiming 4/16 and Rajkumar Singh taking 3/24.

A t F a r m G r o u n d , Herstelling ‘B’ continued t h e i r s t r o n g c a m p a i g n , defeating Timehri Cricket Club by 77 runs. Batting first, Herstelling ‘B’ posted a competitive total of 265 in 36.1 overs, led by Juddel McCallister ’s 73 (7x4, 3x6) and Nicholas Lawson’s 53 (3x4, 2x6).

Thursday February 06, 2025

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Overall, the forecast for today is fairly good. The aspects seem to favor figuring out the

n opportunity for you to take a leisurely

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20)

Have you felt somewhat lost for the past few days? The fog may lift today and enable you to situate yourself at last. You're probably eager to settle a question that has nagged at you and interfered with your judgment.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

You may have been feeling

s o m e w h a t d i s i l l u s i o n e d . Perhaps you lost sight of your goals or misplaced your faith in yourself. You'll feel some relief beginning today

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

You might be tempted to settle certain matters by radical means. The visionary part of you means you're painfully aware of the world's wrongs. You see no reason not to take action to correct them.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Today will be fairly calm in terms of outside events, but your inner world is likely to be in a rush of activity Today you wish you could find the solution to your heartaches as w e l l a s y o u r c a r e e r predicaments.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

You have a lot of thinking to do about your professional goals, Virgo. You'll go over the elements to see if there isn't some way to approach things differently

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

You just can't do everything at once, Libra. How do you expect to reduce your stress and recuperate while at the same time continue to be a superstar performer in every area of your life.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov 21)

This is a good moment to adapt your logic and

reality, Scorpio. If you don't, you're going to run into some

Everyone knows that you find new ideas plentiful.

SAGIT (Nov 22–Dec. 21)

It's going to be a little difficult

y , Sagittarius. You, who can be easily influenced by others,

people say

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

Have you been reviewing your f a m i l y h i s t o r y l a t e l y ,

Capricorn? Of special interest is your cultural background. What educational, social, and religious environment were you born into? What are its values? In the end.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) It's time to elevate your sense of self, Aquarius. You're just as good as anyone else, so why don't you believe it? The problem is that you're very sensitive about having an ego. E v e n t h o u g h y o u k n o w everyone does.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

Today your intellectual and

planets. It's an excellent time to organize your thoughts about presenting a project.

Chasing 266, Timehri’s b a t t e r s s t r u g g l e d a g a i n s t d i s c i p l i n e d b o w l i n g , managing only 188 runs in 26 overs. Pernell London and Stephon Wilson played key roles, each picking up three wickets each to seal the victory for Herstelling ‘B.’

On Saturday, February 1, Demolition Cricket Club c o m f o r t a b l y d e f e a t e d Uprising Cricket Club by seven wickets in a rainaffected

e a s e D a m i o n Va n t u l l

a n c h o r e d D e m o l i t i o n ’ s response with an unbeaten 55, featuring four fours and four sixes. He was wellsupported by Leon Swamy, who blasted a quick-fire 44, including six massive sixes. Demolition wrapped up the chase in just 11.2 overs, winning with 16.4 overs to spare.

Here’s a recap of the opening round: In previous m a t c h e s , H e r s t e l l i n g ‘ B ’ claimed a 75-run victory over the EBDCA Under-23 Cricket team on January 18

a t F a r m G r o u n d T h e following Saturday, January 25, Patrewta Cricket Club fell to Providence CC by five wickets at Canal #1 Ground, while Uprising CC narrowly lost to Sandpipers Sports Club in a closely contested

m a t c h , w i t h S a n d p i p e r s emerging victorious by four wickets.

Another key clash saw Herstelling ‘A’ register their first win against Demolition CC on Sunday, January 26, a t F a r m G r o u n d

Demolition, batting first, posted 160 in 18.5 overs, with Sanjay Algoo’s patient 37 being the only notable contribution. Marlon Boele starred with the ball for Herstelling, picking up 5/49 to restrict Demolition to a modest total.

In reply, Herstelling ‘A’ chased down the target with

Last week’s Centurion, Brandon Jaikarran

performances from Sagar Hatiramani and Mahendra

D h a n p a u l . H a t i r a m a n i played a fine knock of 60, including three fours and five sixes, while Dhanpaul

entertained with a brisk 54, hitting five fours and two sixes, guiding their team to v

action as matches continue this weekend.

Manchester City condemn racist attack on striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw

M a n c h e s

e r C i t y h a v e strongly condemned a racist and misogynistic attack on J

following their match on Sunday

shock and disappointment over the abuse directed at

against discrimination in any form.

In a statement, City made it clear that such behaviour has “absolutely no place inside or outside the game.”

“Manchester City were a p p a l l

a r n t h a t Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw was s

m i s o g y

i c a b u s e following Sunday’s fixture. Discrimination of any kind, either in stadiums or online, will not be tolerated,” the club declared.

D e s p i t e t h e h a t e f u l messages, Shaw has chosen not to share the details publicly, as she refuses to g i v e a t t e n t i o n t o t h o s e responsible.

Instead, the content has been handed over to the authorities, who are set to launch an investigation.

City confirmed that they are standing firmly behind their prolific forward, who has been an integral part of their squad since joining in 2021.

“An investigation will

follow, and the Club offers our full support to Bunny f o l l o w i n g t h e d i s g u s t i n g treatment she’s received,” the statement continued.

Shaw, who has been

ke

s in women’s football H e r h u m i l i t y , resilience, and leadership on an

onse h i g h l i g h t s t h e o n g o i n g fight aga

However, Shaw’s refusal to let the hate define her j o u r n

character—both as a player and as a person.

GFF announces final squad for Concacaf U-17 Men’s World Cup qualifiers

The Guyana Football F e d e r a t i o n ( G F F ) h a s officially named the final 2 1 - m e m b e r s q u a d representing the nation in the 2025 Concacaf Under1 7 M e n ’s Q u a l i f i e r s i n

Costa Rica The Junior Jaguars were set to depart last evening as they gear up for an intense campaign against the region’s best.

Guyana has been drawn into Group B alongside Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the British Virgin Islands. The team will play its opening match a g a i n s t T r i n i d a d a n d

To b a g o o n F e b r u a r y 7 , followed by a match against Saint Maarten on February 11. On February 13, the Junior Jags will face the host nation, Costa Rica, f o l l o w e d b y a f i n a l showdown with the British V i r g i n I s l a n d s o n February 16.

The squad will be led by Te a m M a n a g e r A n d r e w

N e s t o r , w i t h M a r c o Bonofiglio serving as Head Coach. Final Squad Goalkeepers

• Flavio Larose (Pele F.C.)

• Tejpal Nijjar (Rayo Vallecano, Spain)

• N y a l l K e n d a l l (Maidstone United) Defenders

• Kamron Pellew (Ann’s Grove United F.C.)

• Tamer Unver (BW Gottschee)

• M a x R o b i n s o n (Shattuck St. Mary)

• Joshua Morris (Rush Canada)

• M i c h a e l J o s e p h (Rising Stars F.C.)

• Kilan Newland

• Onessi Dunn (Fruta Conquerors F.C.) Midfielders

• Quaency Fraser (GDF F.C.)

• Jaden Harris (GDF F.C.)

• J e r i m i a h We l c o m e

(Milerock F C )

• Luke Langevine (G.D.F F.C.)

• Micaiah De Freitas (Fruta Conquerors F.C.)

• Shaquan David (Ann’s Grove United F.C.)

• Mikkel Mills (Fruta Conquerors F.C.)

• Aiden Herd (Borough F.C.) Forwards

• R e i d R a m l o c h a n (Cardinal Ambrozic)

• Dakarai Drakes (Met Oval Academy)

• Isaiah Ifill (GDF F.C.)

The Junior Jaguars have been undergoing rigorous training in preparation for this challenge, with the final squad selected from an initial 48 players in camp. Under the guidance of the coaching staff, the team is focused on delivering s t r o n g p e r f

m

n c e s t o qualify for the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup to b e h e l d i n Q a t a r i n November

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw

Cricket West Indies announces exciting 2025 schedule for Senior Men’s and

ST. JOHN’S, AntiguaCricket West Indies (CWI)

h a s u n v e i l e d a n a c t i o n -

packed schedule for the senior Men’s and Women’s

t e a m s f r o m M a y t o December 2025, featuring a mix of home and away fixtures.

F a n s c a n n o w s t a r t planning for an exciting year of cricket, with the men beginning their campaign with limited-overs tours in the United Kingdom.

The Men’s team will continue its preparations for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, starting with a threem a t c h O n e - D a y International (ODI) series against Ireland from May 21-25 in Malahide, Dublin. Four days later, they will face England in a bid for b a c k -

O D I

h r e e O D I s

scheduled from May 29 to June 3. This will be followed by

concluding the UK tour with three T20Is against Ireland in Belfast from June 12-15.

The Men in Maroon will

cricket, with the start of the I C C W o

Championship cycle under

e n Sammy

They will battle for the prestigious Frank Worrell Trophy against Australia in a

s , beginning in Barbados (June 25-29), before moving to G r e n a d a ( J u l y 3 - 7 ) a n d concluding in Jamaica (July 12-16).

A five-match T20I series against Australia follows,

WEST INDIES MEN'S HOME SERIES AGAINST AUSTRALIA

with the first two games at Sabina Park (July 20, 22) and t h e r e m a i n i

t Warner Park, St. Kitts (July 25, 26, 28).

To close out the home summer, the West Indies will play against Pakistan in three T20Is in Lauderhill, Florida followed by three ODIs at t h e B r i a n

Academy in Trinidad from July 31 to August 12.

The Men’s team will then embark on an overseas tour to India, Bangladesh, and N

December 23 India will feature two test matches, Bangladesh three ODIS and three T20Is while a full tour w

Zealand consisting of five T20Is, three ODIs and three test matches.

Women’s

Teams

CWI has unveiled an action-packed schedule for the senior Men’s and Women’s teams from May to December 2025.

begins their 2025 campaign with the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Pakistan from April 4-19, where six teams will compete for two spots in the marquee event in India, scheduled for August-

WEST INDIES MEN'S HOME SERIES VS PAKISTAN

WOMEN'S WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS APRIL 4-18 (PARTICIPATING TEAMS)

WEST INDIES WOMEN’S TOUR OF ENGLAND

September

Following the qualifiers,

England for a full white-ball series, featuring three T20Is and three ODIs from May 21 to June 8.

Later in the year, they will host South Africa for a historic white-ball series at the 3Ws Oval in Barbados, marking the first time the venue will stage such an international series.

WEST INDIES WOMEN’S HOME SERIES VS SOUTH AFRICA

Lewis Hamilton completes third F1 test stint as Ferrari times vs McLaren revealed

Hamilton has completed his

Wednesday – with just over a month until his F1 debut for the Scuderia.

The 40-year-old Briton, who drove the 2023 SF-23 car in Fiorano a fortnight ago and Barcelona last week, took part in a Pirelli tyre test on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Circuit de BarcelonaC a t a l u n y a D

i v i n g a modified version of last year ’s SF-24 car to fit the n a r r o w e r 2 0 2 6 t y r e s , Hamilton posted a fastest lap time of 1:15:93 over 87 laps on Tuesday This time was just over a tenth-of-a-second q u i c k e r t h a n C h a r l e s Leclerc’s fastest time over 86

laps – 1:16:06. However, both times were short of Lando Norris’ fastest lap in t h e M C L 6 0 ( M c L a r e n ’s modified 2023 car), which was 1:15:21 – though Norris d i d r a c k u p 1 5 9 l a p s throughout the day Hamilton and Leclerc shared duties once again on Wednesday, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the cockpit for the full day Pirelli are yet t o r e l e a s e y e s t e r d a y ’ s timings. It is another box ticked for Hamilton, though, as he acclimatises to a new team following 12 years and s i x w o r l d t i t l e s w i t h Mercedes.

The seven-time F1 world champion did crash the SF2 3 i n F e r r a r i ’s b e h i n dc l o s e d - d o o r s t e s t i n

Barcelona last week, though was said to be “absolutely fine” following a shunt in sector three of the 4.6km circuit. It follows a trend of Hamilton crashing in preseason tests ahead of his first season with a new team, as he did for McLaren in 2007 and Mercedes in 2013.

T h i s w e e k , t y r e m a n u f a c t u r

programme was focused on the development of their slick tyres, ahead of new

force next year

Lewis Hamilton has taken part in his third testing stint for Ferrari this week. (Getty Images)

The precise details of the drivers’ compound use and run plans were not disclosed. Hamilton could take part in more private TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) sessions – likely to be at Ferrari’s track in Fiorano – before the official pre-season test in Bahrain on 26-28 February Ferrari officially launch their 2025 car – the SF-25 –on Wednesday 19 February, but will reveal their livery at the 10-team season launch event at The O2 Arena in London on 18 February

Hamilton’s first race for Ferrari will be the seasonopening Australian Grand

he has tasted success at two times –on 16 March. The race was confirmed this week to have a 3pm local start time (4am GMT)

2025 CWI Regional 4-Day Championships Round 2…GHE vs. CCC Day 1

Jeremiah, Korbin, Parris hit fifties to keep CCC balanced heading into 2nd day

- Alimohamed (3-37, Permaul 2-67) CCC 1st innings 279-6

Astring of half-

centuries from

C o m b i n e d

C a m p u s e s a n d C o l l e g e s ( C C C ) s k i p p e r J o h a n n Jeremiah, Kyle Corbin and Shaqkere Parris gave their team a solid first innings platform on day one versus defending champs Guyana Harpy Eagles.

Action continued at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence with the Champs s e e k i n g t h e i r s e c o n d successive victory against the currently last placed College team.

Batting first under some

o v e r c a s t c o n d i t i o n s , t h e

v i s i t o r s p o s t e d a n e y ecatching 279-6 by the time 90 overs expired on Day one.

Leading by example for the second straight game, Captain Jeremiah scored a gritty 84 with 11 fours and a six from 170 deliveries.

M i d d l e - o r d e r b a t s m a n Parris anchored the order with a robust 56 off 87, smashing four sixes with three fours.

But it will be overnight Corbin who resumes today on 62, which will be the key to CCC getting to that 300

mark or more. Harpy Eagles bowlers struggled on the opening day despite making a few inroads thanks to fastb o w l e r R o n a l d o Alimohamed who was by far the pick of the lot, with 3-37 from 19 overs. Senior leftarm spinner Veerasammy Permaul grabbed 2-67 as he c o n t i n u e d t o b e a b i t expensive, while West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph had a rough day returning figures of 1-61 from 16 overs after making a comeback to the national side.

Action hit its mark early

t h a n k s t o i n r o a d s b y

s p e e d s t e r s J o s e p h a n d Alimohamed which saw the dismissals of opener Damel

Evelyn (5) and Sadique Henry (10), CCC managed to keep their cool.

Jeremiah settled in nicely as he negated further efforts by the Eagles bowling unit to eventually reach his second fifty of the season, with 9 fours and a six.

Parris played his part during the lead up to lunch, as he eased into the 30’s with a few fours and sixes, which essentially took CCC to 1192 with much to do during the

afternoon sessions of play

After doing the hard work getting to his fifty, P a r r i s w a s t h e f i r s t t o , a t t e m p t i n g a l o o k a t a possible maximum, only to fall short into the waiting h a n d s o f t h e l o n g - o f f boundary fielder in Joseph. Alimohamed landed a crushing blow thereafter, bagging the big wicket of the C C C s k i p p

w h o w a s denied a possible century; after a careless drive resulted in a catch to a lurking Kevin Sinclair at first slip.

C o r b i n a n d R i c h a r d s took CCC

former reaching his fifty after grinding through more than a 100 deliveries from the Eagles mixed bowling attack.

Richards unfortunately edged Permaul to a returning Tevin Imlach behind the stumps, followed by Abhiji Mansingh (14) who neatly

Sabina Par k Lighting Upgr ade Key to Securing Austr alia Tour, Says JCA Pr esident

S p o r t s M a x - T h e

President of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), Dr Donovan Bennett, has revealed that plans are in

m o t i o n t o u p g r a d e t h e lighting at Sabina Park ahead

o f A u s t r a l i a ’s v i s i t t o Jamaica for one Test match and two T20 Internationals in July

The project is critical, as inadequate lighting could put the Jamaica leg of the Australian tour in jeopardy

D r B e n n e t t , i n a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h Sportsmax.TV, shared that he had received promising

communication from the Minister of Sport, Olivia

G r a n g e , r e g a r d i n g t h e necessary upgrades.

“If you had called me on Saturday, I would have said yes, the Jamaica leg might be in jeopardy, but I had some

communication from

he Minister today (Monday),” Bennett stated. “ S h e a s k e d m e f o r

P r o F o r m

w o u l d c o s t t o h a v e t h e l i g h t s h e r e , w h a t i t w o u l d

c o s t w h e n t h e y a r r i v e , a n d t h e n t h e c o s t o f installation and focusing She wanted all of that.

N o t o n l y d i d s h e w a n t i t , b u t s h e c a l l e d m e a b o u t

m i d d a y a n d s a i d s h e w a n t e d i t b y t h i s a f t e r n o o n ( M o n d a y ) S o a l l o f t h a t w o u l d s u g g e s t t o m e t h a t s o m e t h i n g v e r y p o s i t i v e i s h a p p e n i n g , o r a t l e a s t , p o t e n t i a l l y, s o m e a c t i on is taking place.”

D r B e n n e t t h i g h l i g h t e d t h e c u r r e n t l i g h t i n g i s s u e , e x p l a i n i n g t h a t t h e e x i s t i n g l i g h t s , i n s t a l l e d n e a r l y a d e c a d e a g o , a r e n o l o n g e r s u f f i c i e n t f o r h o s t i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l c r i c k e t m a t c h e s , p a r t i c u l a r l y f o r l i v e b r o a d c a s t s “ Yo u k n o w, t h e l i g h t s w e r e i n s t a l l e d a b o u t e i g h t , n i n e y e a r s a g o w h e n I f i r s t c a m e o

a n d 1 8 0 0 l u x o n t h e p e r i p h e r y S o t h e p r e s e n t

l u m e n s a t S a b i n a i s a b o u t

1 7 0 0 ” · (1500–2500 lux is

required for international tournaments that are being broadcast live.

A l u x i s a u n i t o f m e a s u r e m e n t f o r illuminance, or the amount

of light that falls on a surface. One lux is equal to one lumen per square metre.)

To m e e t i n t e r n a t i o n a l

c r i c k e t s t a n d a r d s , t h e J C A i s n o w f o c u s e d o n

s e c u r i n g m o d e r n L E D

l i g h t i n g , w h i c h o f f e r s g r e a t e r e ff i c i e n c y a n d c o s t

s a v i n g s H o w e v e r, s o u r c i n g t h e

r i g h t l i g h t s p r e s e n t e d s o m e l o g i s t i c a l

c h a l l e n g e s “ We a r e s u p p o s e d t o

g e t t h e l i g h t s f r o m o u r l o c a l s u p p l i e r w h o w i l l s o u r c e t h e m f r o m a m a n u f a c t u r e r i n E n g l a n d

T h e r e w e r e s o m e

t e c h n i c a l c h a l l e n g e s

b e c a u s e w h i l e w e c o u l d

h a v e g o t t e n c h e a p e r l i g h t s

f r o m C h i n a , t h e y w e r e t o o h e a v y f o r t h e e x i s t i n g

s t a n d s a t S a b i n a P a r k T h e w i n d f o r c e s o n t h e

p y l o n s w o u l d h a v e b e e n a

m a j o r i s s u e ”

T h e e s t i m a t e d c o s t f o r t h e l i g h t i n g u p g r a d e i s J M D $ 7 5 m i l l i o n , a n d t h e

p r o j e c t i s n o w r a c i n g

a g a i n s t t i m e t o e n s u r e t h e l i g h t s a r e i n s t a l l e d a h e a d

o f A u s t r a l i a ’s a r r i v a l i n m i d - J u l y “ T h e y s h o u l d h a v e

b e e n i n s t a l l e d f r o m t h e

m i d d l e o f J a n u a r y

T h a t w a s m y t i m e t a b l e ,

b u t d u e t o d e l a y s i n

s e c u r i n g f u n d i n g , t h e t i m e l i n e w a s p u s h e d b a c k

M y p r o j e c t i o n i s t h a t , h o p e f u l l y, w e c a n o r d e r t h e l i g h t s b y F e b r u a r y

w e

o r p r o d u c t i

n a n d d e l i v e r y, s o t h a t w o u l d c a r r y u s t o t h e e n d o f M a r c h Then installation takes another two weeks. By the middle of April, we should be ready to go. So we’re working hard on it.”

D r. B e n n e t t r e m a i n s o p t i m i s t i c t h a t w i t h t h e government’s support, the lighting upgrades will be completed in time, ensuring that Sabina Park is fully equipped to host the highly anticipated Australian tour

JCA President Dr. Donovan Bennett (inset), has revealed that plans are in motion to upgrade the lighting at Sabina Park ahead of Australia’s visit.

2025 CWI Re gional 4-Day Championships Round 2…GHE vs. CCC Day 1

Jeremiah, Korbin, Parris hit fifties to keep CCC balanced heading into 2nd day

- Alimohamed (3-37, Permaul 2-67) CCC 1st innings 279-6

Fast-bowler Ronaldo

celebrating one of his three wickets on day one.

Guyana Harpy Eagles celebrate a CCC wicket falling on a tough opening day at Providence.

The Guyana Football Federation 21-member squad for the 2025 Concacaf Under-17 Men’s Qualifiers in Costa Rica and coaching staff take a group photo.

Alimohamed