Weekend Mirror 27-28 October 2018

27-28 October, 2018 / Vol. 10 No. 44 / Price: $100

Internet: http: //www.mirrornewsgy.com / e-mail: weekendmirror@gmail.com

Legal advice being sought after challenge to AFC’s fraudulent list dismissed…

Electoral fraud perpetrated on Guyanese cannot be allowed to stand - PPP General Secretary PAGE 12

SEE INSIDE

Valuation of GuySuCo assets being put up for sale remains secret PAGE 11 document – Jagdeo

Rice farmers on the Essequibo Coast counting millions in losses PAGE 22

Mass showing of support for PPP/C at public meetings

West Bank Demerara farmers call for gov’t support PAGE 22

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

Granger’s address to Parliament evidences how ‘divorced’ he is from reality of Guyanese people – Jagdeo – also fails to provide policy guidance for future

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uyanese are no closer to being knowledgeable about the APNU+AFC Coalition Government’s policy on tackling crime, generating jobs, the management of the oil and gas sector or about measures to address the increasing cost of living, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. “This (addressing key issues) is the purpose of a policy speech,” he said, in his initial response to President David Granger’s ‘policy’ address to the National Assembly on Thursday (October 18, 2018), during an impromptu news conference, which held minutes after Granger completed his speech.

The impromptu news conference was called after the House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, ignored a motion on notice submitted by the Parliamentary Opposition to allow the PPP/C the right to reply to Granger.

The motion read: “Whereas it has been a parliamentary norm based on the British Parliament's precedence that the Address of the Head of State to the National Assembly is the subject of a motion for debate tabled by the Leader of the House; and whereas the President has addressed the National Assembly on several occasions in the 11th Parliament, thus far, but there has been only one motion tabled which was never debated; be it resolved that the National Assembly by way of this motion considers and debates the Addresses of the President made to this National Assembly on November 2, 2017 and October 18, 2018.”

Regardless, at the news conference, Jagdeo rapped Granger for the shortcomings evidenced in his speech to the House. He said, “This was not a policy speech.

This was the President speaking about his work programme for the past year and what they have done and grading and appraising himself and his Government. “…he gave himself the highest mark for how well they have done, without addressing the consequences of his policies or giving us clear policy guidance for the future. In fact, he immersed himself in minutia that should be the subject of a budget speech and not a presidential address to the National Assembly. “…this all shows how far divorced he is from the reality of life in Guyana. He talks about the good life, sloganeering about the good life again, and the fact is that the people of this country are faced with a deteriorating quality of life. But because he assesses himself and he is so introverted, so circular, so incestuous, that they don’t see what the impact of their policies are.”

SPECIFIC FAILURES Honing in on specifics, the Opposition Leader pointed to issues ranging from the current high levels of employment to the hardships facing residents in Hinterland communities.

Jagdeo dismissed Granger’s claim that 2,051 news business were created in 215 Amerindian Communities as “fiction” that continues to be peddled. “Go to the village across the hinterland and you will see it is not true,” he said.

He also noted Granger’s comments about funding Village Improvement Plans for hinterland communities and measures to support those communities. “The Village Improvement Plans were there long before 2016 in each village and we left money to fund those plans.

The presidential grant he

talks about now was started under the PPP.” On unemployment, the Opposition Leader underscored the fact that while Granger talked about a 40 per cent unemployment rate in 2015 and cited a Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) report, the President has remained silent on the current levels of unemployment. “He did not say what youth unemployment is today because we know that many people have lost their jobs. In fact, 30,000 people have lost their jobs under his tenure in office and many of them are young people and many can’t find a job now so him enumerating how many people they’ve trained through small programmes doesn’t answer the fundamental question,” he said.

Jagdeo also rapped the Granger-led government $30B for the sugar sector, particularly given the President’s disclosed that a plan for the sugar sector is now being development by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and National Industrial & Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

“We thought they had a plan…they borrowed $30B to finance a plan…all they are doing now is sitting on the $30B…they will pay $2.2B in a year and a half in interest and they haven’t decided on how to use the money,” the Opposition Leader said.

Granger also came in for criticisms for downplaying the impact of his government’s decision to fire 7,000 sugar workers by claiming positive efforts in the sugar sector. “He does not deal with the consequences,” Jagdeo said.

Turning to the rice sector, he pointed out that Granger talked up the introduction of new rice varieties and support for drainage

and irrigation; however, the Opposition Leader charged that the reality is that there is little support to the rice sector – a sector that the Granger-led government dubbed as private interests.

Jagdeo also cited the fact that the Drainage and Irrigation budget was slashed by the Coalition Government.

On the issue of vulnerable groups, more particularly elderly people in Guyana, he noted that Granger touted “minimal increases” to old age pension, while not addressing the hardships imposed on this group, as a result of his government’s policies. Jagdeo said, “They have now removed the water subsidy and the electricity subsidy…they have put the VAT (Value Added Tax) on drugs that old people use more. The transport cost has gone up because they had a fare increase recently. That adds hardship to old people.

He didn’t say a single word on how he will improve the lot of old people.”

The Opposition Leader also rubbished Granger’s claim of success in the housing sector. According to him, while Granger touts the completion of 250 “housing units” under his government, this is incomparable to the strides made by the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) governments – which not only addressed the provision of land for

housing to thousands of Guyanese, but worked with the private sector to lower mortgage rates, among other support measures. “So far, three and a half years in Government, they have decided to build 250 housing units. That’s their achievement. In the years PPP had been in office, over 100,000 house lots have been issued, many tens of thousands of houses built,” he said.

The failures of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government in the education and oil and gas sectors were also addressed by the Opposition Leader.

According to him, teachers will only see a two percentage point increase, from the 2016 level, in their pay packages.

Noting that the Green State Development Strategy has now become just another slogan, he added that major concerns about moves in the oil and gas sector remain unaddressed. In particular he referred to Granger’s silence on: the fight from civil society for transparency in what is being done in the sector; a timeframe within which the deficiencies in the Petroleum Commission Bill will be addressed; and insulating the promised Sovereign Wealth Fund from political interference.

Additionally, the fact that several of the APNU and AFC Lists of Nomi-

nators (Backers’ Lists) for the 2018 Local Government Elections were only complied because of fraudulent acts was highlighted by Jagdeo. He stated that Granger touts the return of local democracy with the holding of the 2016 Local Government Election, but fails to address the issues that undermine the very thing he talks about.

The handling of rime and security matters was another major issue, which Jagdeo contends exposed the incompetence of the current administration. “He talks about the prisons and that they inherit past failures.

Twenty-three years in management of the country, we did not have yearly crises at the prison. The first one led to a massive escape and a fire, the second one led to a fire that burn down the whole prison [Camp Street Prison] and many people were killed. Then we had a breakout at Lusignan and now we have another breakout,” he said, adding that morale is currently at low levels among ranks of the security forces.

The Opposition Leader said Granger has, again, with another address to the National Assembly, has indulged in more “gaffe,” as opposed to tackling the issues affecting Guyanese people. “His speech does not match the reality of our people,” Jagdeo said.

he Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has said that persons without a national identification (ID) cards and those would were unable to get replacement cards in time for the local government can still cast their ballots on the November 12, 2018 in the Local Government Elections (LGE).

GECOM says that there are measures in place for persons who do not have an identification card to be able to vote.

The person has to turn up at the polling station where he or she is registered to vote and state his or her name. The presiding officer has a folio of the list of voters eligible to vote at

the polling station and as such will be able to match the photograph on the folio with the facial image of the elector.

At the moment, GECOM’s district offices have closed off the replacement of ID cards temporarily to facilitate preparatory work for the LGEs but those works are completed.

GECOM says persons without ID cards would still be able to vote on November 12 T

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

No local observers GECOM Chairman onboard for 2018 LGE challenge taken to CCJ

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here are no local observer groups onboard to participate in the 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE). This has been confirmed by sources at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Additionally, with the 2018 LGE weeks away, GECOM remains silent on if any regional and international observers have been approved.

Up to last week, no regional or international observer group was approved

by GECOM to participate in the 2018 LGE. GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Warde, had admitted to this. She said, “The Commission has not approved the regional and international observers…I can’t say whether the Commission has completely ruled out the possibility of international and regional observers…I think in the past international groups would have expressed an interest, which was subject to the approval of the Com-

mission. I can’t say whether the process was done by just a way of a letter or whether there was an advertisement… if the Commission makes the determination on the possible inclusion of international observers, then I’m sure they will also provide guidance in terms of the methodology, whether they will advertise or they will write the international and regional groups to indicate their interest.”

The last time Local Government Elections were held in 2016, the US embassy and the British and Canadian High Commissions had fielded observer teams.

LGE will be held in all municipalities and NDCs in Guyana using a mixed electoral system of Proportional Representation (PR) and First Past the Post (FPTP).

The PR electoral system is one in which parties’ gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them in a municipality or NDC. For someone to be elected under the Propor-

tional Representation system, they must be on a party list or voluntary group list.

Individuals cannot contest as the PR system.

Meanwhile, the FPTP system is one in which an individual gains control by the number of cast for him or her. These candidates can come from a party, voluntary group or as an independent.

Fifty per cent of Councillors for each municipality and NDC are elected through the Proportional Representation component, while the other half comes from FPTP component of the electoral system. Under the FPTP system, an individual candidate can contest for only one seat in a single constituency in which he or she is registered and resides.

Candidates can only be nominated for one group for the PR and FPTP list.

The People’s Progressive Party is fielding over 3,000 candidates and 20,000 backers in all 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs).

“I sat with the President. I said to him, ‘this is not necessary, because you’re not using the money now’. He did absolutely nothing about it. Now there is a raging controversy between the Agriculture Ministry and the SPU and he does not intervene.”

According to Jagdeo, the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration never arranged a bond of this magnitude, much less paid such a large arranger fee.

In addition, the former President expressed concern over possible links between the point person for the bond and a member of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Board.

“That, if it is true, is really a serious issue. That would explain the rush to raise all of the money –because the arranger then gets a percentage – even though you do not need the money now and even though the taxpayers have to pay a 4.75 per cent interest,” Jagdeo said.

Earlier this year, NICIL acquired the $30 billion syndicated bond at a rate of 4.75 per cent interest to spend on capitalising GuySuCo’s remaining estates. It subsequently emerged that part of the bond was used by GuySuCo to repay interest on another debt.

As the bond has strict re-

quirements for how it would be used, Republic Bank Managing Director Richard Sammy wrote to the bond trustees – Handin-Hand Corporation, to complain. The Bank also called for a full explanation as to the apparent breach of the terms of the Trust Deed.

Hand-in-Hand had written to Republic Bank requesting that the purpose of the Trust Deed be changed regarding how the proceeds of the bond shall be applied. While Republic Bank has stated its no objection to the proposed changes to the Trust Deed, it said it remained disappointed that proceeds from the bond were utilised for a purpose other than what was approved.

The SPU has not taken lightly criticisms which seek to suggest that the bond would be wasted and that it was acquired at an unreasonable rate.

In fact, the SPU had said it should be noted that, as standard for any debt financing, security is required to secure payments to bondholders.

The term of the bond is five years, since it is expected that the proceeds of the land sale for GuySuCo would be used for repayment. But Agriculture Minister Noel Holder himself has been publicly critical of the transaction.

Unsustainable levels of borrowing can have detrimental effects for Guyana – Opposition Leader

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xpressing concern over the Government’s borrowing habits and the recent revelations that over $100 million was paid to arrange a government-backed bond, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is warning of the future consequences of these decisions.

Jagdeo noted that unsustainable levels of borrowing can have detrimental effects for Guyana as a whole. He referenced other economic variables, like the Bank of Guyana’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities showing billions of dollars in overdraft. He said, “We’ve pointed out that unsustainable levels of borrowing will harm our country in the future… (billions of dollars) overdraft at the central bank, US$150 million of development borrowing…the Minister of Finance (Winston Jordan) was in the Middle East talking about closer relationships with the Islamic Bank and he has already signalled that he intends to borrow some US$900 million there.”

Jagdeo also zeroed in on the $30 billion bond that was negotiated by the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). According to Jagdeo, he warned President David Granger about the pitfalls of this transaction.

– Mustapha says Appeal Court ‘incorrectly construed, misconstrued, incorrectly applied and misapplied Article 161 of the Constitution’

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he decision of Guyana’s Appeal Court to uphold the ruling of the High Court, relative to President David Granger’s unilateral appointment of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is being appealed at the Caribbean Court of Justice.

Court documents filed

by Attorney Anil Nandlall, who represents Executive Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Zulfikar Mustapha, see the CCJ being petitioned to grant an order that security for costs be fixed in a “reasonable sum” in addition to further orders and/or directions that the court may find “just and appropriate”.

In Mustapha’s sworn affidavit, seen by this newspaper, he stated that he intends to appeal the said decision of the Court of Appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice, having observed that the Appellate Court “incorrectly construed, misconstrued, incorrectly applied and misapplied Article 161 of the Constitution of Guyana and failed to redress the breach of the said Constitution by the State”.

He said the issues which have arisen in the case are of great general, public and constitutional importance,

as “free and fair elections are the foundation of democracy, good governance, and the rule of law”.

“Guyana has an undisputed and universally recognised history of fraudulent elections presided over and administered by successive Elections Commissions chaired by two former Chief Justices of Guyana who were unilaterally appointed by the then Head of Government/State,” he noted.

In June 2018, Chief Justice (CJ) Roxanne George-Wiltshire, ruled that President Granger was in order when he unilaterally appointed 84-year-old Justice (rtd) James Patterson as the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission. That ruling led to an appeal being filed with the Appeal Court.

Patterson was unilaterally appointed as Chairman on GECOM on October 19, 2017.

His appointment came after a meeting on the selection of a GECOM Chairperson, between Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, and President Granger, which only lasted five minutes.

At that meeting the third list of nominees submitted

by Jagdeo was rejected by Granger.

However, at a previous

meeting on June 12, 2017 – the meeting before Granger made a unilateral appointment – there was an agreement on what would be the way forward, if the third list was rejected. The June 12, 2017 joint statement said: “It was also agreed that a high-level team would be assembled representing the President and the Leader of the Opposition which will begin to work immediately on exploring modalities to bring a resolution to this matter in the event that the list is rejected.”

Given that there was a joint agreement, the Parliamentary Opposition has argued that Granger acted in bad faith when he unilaterally appointed a GECOM Chairman.

Article 161(2) provides for the appointment of a Chairman based on a consensual process in which a list of six persons, “not unacceptable to the President,” is submitted by the Opposition Leader. A proviso included in the law allows for the appointment to be made unilaterally, where the Opposition Leader fails to submit a list “as provided for” – but Jagdeo submitted three lists, which were all rejected by President Granger.

he Auditor General’s 2017 report shows while the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has collected more taxes than was anticipated, revenue inclusive of rent and royalties has declined due to lower gold declarations.

In the end of year budget and reconciliation report, it noted that the projected revenue for 2017 was $186 billion. Instead, Government actually collected $195 billion in current revenue. This includes duties, levy, personal income and withholding taxes.

The highest earnings came from the internal revenue category. Personal

income tax collection grew by $2.5 billion.

It was reported in May of this year that the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) projected total declarations to be 800,000 ounces, including Canadian-owned Guyana Goldfields projected to declare 200,000 ounces and Troy Resources, its main competitor, 100,000 ounces.

Additionally, the GGB had projected that purchases would be 96,000 ounces for the first quarter of 2018, while also anticipating foreign sales to amount to 88,208 ounces with US$111.5 million in revenue in the same period.

When it was laid in the National Assembly in August, the Finance Ministry’s Midyear report had recorded contractions in several of the traditional sectors, including mining. Finance Minister Winston Jordan, in addressing the National Assembly about the country’s economic performance, had admitted as much.

He had noted that the gold sector suffered a decline of 9.1 per cent. This is equivalent to a decrease of 288,114 ounces in gold declaration. The report also revealed that this represented a 19.4 per cent shortfall, below the original projection set by Government.

Gov’t collects $9B more in taxes from gold miners - 2017 Auditor General's report T

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

Guest

EDITORIAL

Bottom line in the run up to the elections will be the vexed question of trust

By Clement Rohee (Guest Editorial)

A

s the date for Local Government Elections (LGE)draws closer, all eyes are on the electoral fortunes of the two major contestants, the PPP/C and the PNC. Forget about the barnacles attached to APNU, they have all been consummated and now form part of the decaying entrails of the PNC. The LGE election results, will, one way or another, act as a barometer for discerning the electoral bill of health of the two parties as they head into general and regional elections scheduled for 2020.

As the nation swings into elections mode, the political temperature like yeast in dough, will rise gradually until it reaches a crescendo with the dissolution of the 11th Parliament.

Campaigning will, as per historical experience, will be characterized by ethnic divisiveness and political polarization.

We are already witnessing drips of this in the print and social media as we go into LGE 2018.

Care should be taken to ensure that the large number of disenchanted and disillusioned African Guyanese who voted for the APNU in 2015 are not pushed back into the camp from where they wish to be freed because of an opposition narrative that hurts more than helps.

That apart, it would be naive not to expect that dirt, impacting individuals on both sides following the 2015 elections will be unearthed and the mud-slinging so characteristic of elections campaigning in this country will come into play once again.

Policy issues will become indistinguishable from personality issues and the electorate will be dazzled more with rhetoric, rather than with facts.

At the bottom line in the run up to the elections, will be the vexed question of trust, that is, can the PNC under Granger be trusted to hold elections that are free and fair and free from fear?

Thus far, the general answer appears to be NO! As was to be expected, in the context of elections in Guyana, the issue of trust has arisen once again and is fixated in the psyche of most Guyanese at home and abroad.

Those who voted for change in 2015 and was afflicted with high expectations, now have deep regrets and want ‘to change back’ to the glory days under the PPP/C when almost every Guyanese had a dollar in their pocket or purse.

There is a widespread believe that those traditional PPP/C voters who went astray into the AFC camp in 2011 and 2015, as well as those who voted for the APNU+AFC believing they would enjoy a better life, will not repeat the same mistake they made in 2011 and 2015 respectively.

In this regard,much work has to be done.

The price paid by those who looked forward to a better life in the wake of the 2011 and 2015 elections have come to recognize that it will be too lasting a price to pay to make the same mistake again.

To them, the cost of making another down payment in 2020 for the delivery of the illusive ‘good life’ is too risky and fraught with too many uncertainties.

Most Guyanese are of the view that, assuming free and fair elections are held, this time around the PPP/C would win hands down.

The electoral exuberance peppered with the smell of victory on the part of the PPP/C’s supporters is tempered by the ominous cloud that hangs over the electoral process.

In other words, fully confident of an electoral victory in 2020, assuming that elections will be held according to

Ramjattan’s outburst reflective of his poor Ministerial performance Dear Editor,

T

he Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) was taken aback and very disappointed when it listened to Vice President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan outburst during a recent media conference. We cannot help but wonder whether his colleagues do not offer him any cautionary advice about his conduct when in the view of the public.

The Minister, at the press briefing, confessed to the media and by extension the Guyanese people, that he lacks any ideas to address the prison situation. His utterances do not give us hope that the Vice President is able to effectively discharge his Governmental responsibilities. The Minister went on to share that he has headaches in coming up with suggestions to address with the clearly serious prison situation.

This is not something the Guyanese people want to hear at this time.

While FITUG knows that the Minister is known for such characteristic

outbursts, for instance, we recall him telling jobless sugar workers earlier this year that God wanted the estates to be closed. However, this latest outburst, a confession of sorts, will cause many Guyanese to suffer sleepless nights.

Just days prior to the Minister’s admission the Guyana Police Force statistics indicated a less than pleasing picture.

From those statistics, we learnt that robbery is still prevalent. We cannot help but wonder, at this time, in what other areas is the Minister out of ideas.

When one looks at the situation during the Minister’s stint we recognise that under his watch the nation witnessed several prison riots, the burning down of the Camp Street penitentiary, the escape of prisoners on more than one occasion, increased robberies and banditry, among other things. In those circumstances, it’s not difficult to reach the conclusion that the Vice President is found wanting.

We recognise too that Minister of State, Joseph Harmon indicated at his most recent post-Cabinet press briefing the Government has seemingly given

Constitution provisions, PPP/C supporters as well as many other Guyanese are skeptical about free and fair elections being held with Granger in power.

The saying in some quarters is that the APNU do not see themselves in power for 5 years, therefore it follows that they must have something sinister up their sleeves in respect of the 2020 elections.

Some have expressed fear that the APNU+ AFC will find ways to postpone elections beyond 2020 under the pretext of a flawed list and the need to for a new house to house voter registration.

Others have speculated that rigging will be done in a highly sophisticated way making it difficult to prove fraud.

Yet others have suggested that the elections will be characterized by so much GECOM-engineered confusion that the basis will be created for electoral reform and a new Chairman which in effect will require an extension of the life of the coalition administration.

Based on these swirling speculations, the worst fears of elections rigging expressed by Guyanese are quite justifiable and beyond reasonable doubt.

The Guyanese people’s preoccupation is neither misconceived nor without merit. It is grounded in historical reality and experience.

This time around, the political opposition should include all the social and political forces who stand opposed to rigged elections. They must unite to ensure that history does not repeat itself either as a tragedy or as a farce.

Moreover, at no time must the political opposition hand the PNC an excuse to create mayhem and a reign of terror as they did in the 1962 to ‘64 period by using the racial card and the communist bogey.

Having rigged local government elections in 1970 using the Marshall-John recommendations, the PNC went further to postpone ensuing local government elections in 1972,1974,1976 and 1978 on the grounds that they needed time to put in place new arrangements for local government elections.

In 1968, the PNC produced a voters list crammed with bo-

Minister Ramjattan some assistance.

From the State Minister, we learnt, at this time, the Public Security Minister is consulting with knowledgeable persons to assist him with some ideas. It puzzles us why is it in the first place, didn’t the Minister seek to consult with capable persons rather than having to get an order, so to speak, from the Cabinet to do so. Minister Ramjattan, as a seasoned politician, we expected would have known better, but maybe, it is we who have the bar set too high for him.

It seems to us that the time maybe now right for the Minister to give serious contemplation as to whether he is adequately fulfilling his responsibilities in a most serious area of governance.

He may want to entertain his idea getting on a boat and anchoring it somewhere in the ocean as he suggested be done with the incarcerated.

Come Minister, our nation wants relief from the prevalent crime situation.

Regards, Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana

gus names, names of dead people, and non-existent persons.

For the first time, overseas voting, postal voting were introduced and abused giving the PNC a two thirds majority in parliament paving the way to promulgate a new constitution.

In 1973, the PNC used the PPP’s call on its supporters to protect the ballot boxes as an excuse for the army seize the ballot boxes and to create conditions resulting in the shooting to death of two PPP activists and the arrest and detention of over 50 leaders and activists of the Party.

In the run up to the 1978 referendum, the PNC accused the opposition of subversion and treason and unleashed a wave of terror on the political opposition. Raids on homes, detention and beatings of political opponents, breaking up of opposition public meetings and seizure of loud speaking equipment became the order of the day.

In 1985, the PNC justified rigging to the outside world by proclaiming that the alternative to the PNC is the anti-democratic PPP. And in 1990, the PNC concocted a fraudulent voters list and justified postponement of elections for two years on the ground that a new voters list was required.

With general and regional election less than two years down the road, the objective conditions are ripe for change and to bring an end to APNU+AFC ‘s misrule, incompetence, mismanagement and ineptitude.

Corruption and political patronage has become so ingrained it is throttling development of the country.

Now reviled by a growing number of Guyanese, the APNU+AFC are likely to be voted out of office come 2020.

To those who fear rigged elections and harbor the notion that, were the PNC to be returned to office, ‘they would be in there for a very long time’ now is the time to stand up and be counted and to join in the fight for free and fair elections.

To do otherwise is to surrender to a future that will find many crawling,not walking, with clothes in tatters and with no shoes on their feet, and with eyes sunken looking askance at crumbs falling from the table or begging for alms.

Woe be unto us should this come to pass.

Therefore, no more than one term must be our clarion call!

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

How does Nagamootoo’s multi-million dollar trip to India benefit Guyanese?

Dear Editor,

F

loccinaucinihilipilification - long word, indeed, but it is a real word. Just check the dictionary. Admittedly, this word is rarely used and it is almost unpronounceable. Yet it is the most appropriate word in describing something absolutely without any value. Moses Nagamootoo's tenure as Prime Minister of Guyana in the last three and a half years is the very epitome of floccinaucinihilipilification, as is the globetrotting by him, the President and the Cabinet. Guyana gets nothing from spending more than a billion dollars annually from a globetrotting charade from APNU+AFC officials.

Take the PM's attendance at a Tamil convention in India this week. As a proud Guyanese Madrassi, I wish the participants the best and hope that the convention is successful.

Like the vast majority of my Madrassi sisters and brothers in Guyana, we hardly believe that the attendance of Prime Minister Nagamootoo at this convention represents any of us. It would have been nice for the Guyanese Government to support the attendance of one

or more of our active Madrassi leaders. Prime Minister Nagamootoo is not a leader of the Madrassi community in Guyana. He never once considered inviting one of the Madrassi leaders, those men and women across Guyana who, today, against mighty odds, are valiantly keeping our culture alive.

Moses Nagamootoo's visit to India this week to attend the Tamil convention, is just another stop on his vulgar globetrotting. This man who proudly reminds us as often as possible that he is a Christian, conveniently proclaims his Madrassi heritage, when it suits him. Once the conference became known to him, he suddenly reminds everyone that he is a very proud Madrassi. This is very different than the time four years ago when he belligerently denounced his Indian heritage, with David Granger watching him intently in New York. Who is paying for this trip to India?

Even if someone else is paying for this trip, is this trip costing the taxpayers any money?

Inquiring minds want to know.

What value does this trip have for Guyana? What value does this trip have for the Madrassi/Tamil Guyanese? How many times

since he has been Prime Minister did he visit the Madrassi temples and celebrated his culture with fellow Madrassi in Guyana, other than when he was invited for some personal recognition?

In jetting away to India, he leaves behind more than 7,000 sugar workers who have lost their jobs, directly impoverishing the lives of more than 30,000 people, and indirectly, risking the livelihood of tens of thousands more people who depend on sugar workers as customers for their businesses. Many of these sugar workers and their families are practicing Madrassi. I know. I have met them. I have sat in their homes, as they worry about their future and the future of their children. Many of them are my relatives. They feel betrayed, because the man who once claimed to be their champion and the man who during the 2015 elections loudly proclaimed his Madrassi heritage was a leading proponent to close sugar estates and ripped their jobs away from them.

Since the closure started two years ago and since the first workers lost their jobs, Nagamootoo has not visited the sugar workers once, even those he claimed he has a cultural and religious link with. He has passed them on the road, not even acknowledging them, while he drives past in his fancy vehicles, his multitude of security officers and his convoy.

He has not once tried to meet with these workers. These are the same workers he once claimed he represented and deemed himself the "champion" of sugar workers. As he busy himself in India, has he once represented those workers who have lost their jobs and who have not yet received their severance?

Which trip would have been of worth - the trip to India or a trip to the sugar estates?

But he is not in the estates, not with the sugar workers, not today, not yesterday, not any day in the last couple of years. Still he is proudly in India at the Tamil Convention.

Unequivocal indications that our democracy is under threat by the PNC Dear Editor,

O

nly last month, the Leader of the Opposition made a reasonable assumption that Guyanese fears of a rigged election are valid and based on some stark realities which have taken place and are currently taking place.

These existing realities that have been affecting our electoral process in recent times have left no doubt in my mind that the People’s National Congress (PNC) has set the stage to attempt to rig the Local Government Elections (LGE) and by extension, the General Election in 2020 and future ones as well. We have seen that since 2015, in an effort to regain party paramountcy, the PNC has been systematically silencing the voices of its coalition partner the Alliance For Change (AFC), not unlike what it has done with the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) since it joined the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) slate. Over the years, we have heard and seen increasingly less about the WPA and the same has happened to the AFC in just three years. The AFC is not relevant anymore. The PNC has a game plan which is working well and by the 2020 General Election, the AFC would have been relegated to probably a worse status than the WPA. But a point to ponder is the PNC is aware that it could never win a majority on its own without the AFC, since it had lost in 2011 despite the WPA forming an alliance with that party under the umbrella of the APNU, so is the

PNC trying to get rid of the AFC or is it trying to make it more pliant to its political manoeuvrings? There will be no Cummingsburg Accord in 2020 and after this LGE, the AFC will be totally consumed, and the PNC will reign supreme once again!

The game plan of the PNC may appear to be simple, but it has more far-reaching consequences. Not only will it expose the AFC’s already diminishing strength, but the result will also afford an estimate of the numbers needed to rig. These numbers will be quite revealing.

The PNC is aware that the AFC contesting solo will be beaten badly and the few remaining supporters and members who have not already crossed over to the PPP will jump on the PNC’s gravy train. Many have started to do that. This is the number which will be of great interest to the PNC to reactivate its rigging machinery. Therefore, based on this estimate, the PNC will know exactly what rigging measure is needed and the areas which should be targeted and will structure its rigging machinery accordingly. We have seen in the past that the PNC has used various measures such as padding of the voter’s lists, multiple voting, tampering with the ballot boxes, fake statements of polls, controlling the election machinery by inserting its members and supporters, Police failure to prevent or correct violations of law, PNC supporters who were not accredited were allowed in and out of polling places, fingers of many PNC supporters were not

dipped in “electoral” ink to show that they voted, fingers of some PNC supporters were washed after being dipped in ink, and partiality by polling officials to PNC supporters. All of these are still relevant, and some have been practised in a small way in the last General Election in 2011. It is expected that these will see some sharp honing processes at this LGE. We have also seen that Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) is not averse to taking sides with APNU and the AFC when it comes to the flawed electoral process leading to the upcoming LGE. We have also seen that the courts have also bluntly refused to give a fair and proper interpretation of our Constitution with regard to Article 161(2) on the unilateral appointment of the GECOM Chairman, despite harsh criticisms from the Transparency International, the Private Sector Commission, the Association of Concerned Guyanese in the USA, the Indian Action Committee and a host of other local and international organisations. The recent High Court decision to uphold the unilateral appointment of GECOM’s Chairman by the President is an unequivocal indication that our democracy is under threat by the PNC and the PNC’s flag is now flying high over our courts.

Future rigging of elections is not a creation of an overactive imagination.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Far from representing his Guyanese Madrassi brothers and sisters, asking the convention to highlight the injustice done to many of our Madrassi sisters and brothers, among thousands of others, he is there merely "pompositing".

He is in India at a time his party, the AFC, which is having a hard time preparing for local government elections, really need him.

They promised that they would contest at least 50 Local Authority Areas (LAAs). They managed to put together a list of candidates for only 38 of those LAAs, less than 50%.

Even in the 38 LAAs, they are not competing in all the districts. Even with those partial representation in 38 LAAs, they only managed by presenting backers list that is shrouded in controversy. Some of these backers lists are being disputed as many persons have claimed that their names on the backers list represent fraud. A Judge has now instructed police to investigate the fraud. As the campaign heats up and as election is less than a month away, the AFC surely needs all hands on deck. But one of their leaders, the one who is Prime Minister, is "pompositing" many thousands of miles away. Those poor AFC members campaigning in the LAAs are asking what would be more worthy - joining them in the villages in the AFC LGE campaign or attending a convention in India?

The globetrotting by the PM and his Cabinet colleagues thus far has been valueless. For him to think that he represents the Madrassi Community at this Convention in India is only the lies of an unprincipled troglodyte.

Spending time is the sugar estates is worth much more than his trip to India. Globetrotting is the floccinaucinihilipilification that the APNU+AFC parades as CHANGE. Regards, Leslie Ramsammy

Another ‘good life’ lecture while plight of Guyanese continues to be ignored Dear Editor,

P

resident Granger on Thursday last was in parliament giving another one of those “good life” lectures in which by now we are all disgusted yet have grown accustomed to. It was another long and dreary-some “talk” on what we might achieve if only we believe the “Anansi story” he is giving us. But for a few delusional diehards, the fact is, more and more of the people are seeing him through and through and are only waiting for the time when they can again exercise their right to throw an illegal government out of office.

So, why is there great discontent among the masses? And the answer to that question comes back, when more than 11,000 of us were crudely forced out of work with no severance to go with it, there is good reason to be annoyed. When these persons, many of whom are parents of school-aged children were put out of their jobs with no other means of sustenance there is great cause for concern. We are also alerted to the fact that our situation was further aggravated when the $10,000 per child gifted to us by the previous administration was rudely taken away from us. The “because we care” programme which would have cushioned our fall during these troublous times were all

taken away is enough to make a suffering nation even further stressed. These and many more are the travails of our souls being a Guyanese today.

Even the referral to his government’s marginal success in the Amerindian communities cannot explain away the fact that he further pauperized them when he fired over 2,000 of our Amerindian Brothers and Sisters. The dismal and distressing performance of this Granger Regime is present everywhere. As the Anglican hymn states “change and decay in all around I see.” succinctly analyses this PNC Led Coalition.

So, we are not in the least impressed with these lofty speeches and handing out a few bicycles to a few communities is too little too late to quell the tsunami of discontent engulfing the nation right now. Granger definitely has to come clean and tell us that his government has mismanaged our country these three plus years.

He needs to level with the people and say it is time for him to bow out gracefully.

I know he would never accept that fact, but the people will do him that favour come 2020. We, with eager anticipation await the upcoming Local Government Elections then on to the general elections that comes shortly after.

Sincerely, Neil Adams

6

Court ruling takes us back 25 years Dear Editor,

L

ast Thursday, The Court of Appeal of Guyana upheld Chief Justice (Ag) Roxanne George’s decision that President David Granger acted in compliance with article 161(2) of the Constitution when he appointed Justice James Patterson as the Chairman of GECOM. In R v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (1968) 2 QB 150 at page 154, Lord Denning, in addressing the right to comment on matters of public interest, including rulings of the Courts, adumbrated thus: “It is the right of every man, in Parliament or out of it, in the Press or over the broadcast, to make fair comment, even outspoken, on matters of public interest. Those who comment can deal faithfully with all that is done in a court of justice. They can say that we are mistaken, and our decisions erroneous, whether they are subject to Appeal or not.”

It is in the exercise of this right that, I respectfully, offer a few comments on the ruling of the Court of Appeal in the aforementioned case, which certainly, qualifies as a matter of public interest.

I am not surprised by the ruling. I am disappointed by it. The Judges, who constituted the Coram of the Court, are Judges before whom I have practiced during the entirety of their individual judicial careers. It is for this reason that at the commencement of the

hearing of the Appeal, I made it pellucid that I harbour no doubt that their Honours know how Article 161(2) manifested itself in the 1980 Constitution; the legal rationale and political exigencies which precipitated its change in 1991, inclusive of the Carter/Price formula; its evolution to its current form; the seamless ease with which it was interpreted and applied in the past; and the number of Chairmen it produced for GECOM, without any controversy, whatsoever.

Each of the three Judges delivered a summary of their ruling on Thursday, with a promise that the entirety of each will be made available shortly. Based upon what was delivered from the Bench, I am fortified in my speculation in relation to the matters outlined above, vis-à-vis article 161 (2) of the Constitution. In fact, in the course of rendering the summary of their rulings, their Honours upheld almost every submission which I made and rejected almost every contention of the Attorney General and his team of Queen’s Counsel. Each of them recognised that the framers of article 162(2) of the Constitution intended a paradigm shift from the President appointing a Chairman of GECOM, unilaterally, from only the judicial category of persons, to a mechanism involving an engagement between the Leader of the Opposition and the President, whereby the President is empowered to select one from

WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018 a list of six persons from the said judicial category, as well as, from an additional category of “or any other fit and proper person” with the objective of producing a consensual candidate to serve as Chairman of a political bi-partisan Elections Commission, who is authorized with a casting vote, to break political deadlock and strike that delicate equilibrium, so requisite, for such a Commission to function smoothly.

Although, they recognised this intent and expressed the unanimous view that the article must be construed to achieve this intent, and that the President must act reasonably (objectively), yet they came to the bewildering conclusion that the President acted in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Constitution when he unilaterally appointed Justice Patterson, after rejecting 18 outstanding professional Guyanese, including, a retired Justice of Appeal, a retired High Court Judge and several prominent lawyers, qualified to be Judges.

It was both embarrassing and torturous to listen to the interpretative gymnastics and juridical ingenuities embarked upon in attempting to clothe this incongruous decision with jurisprudential rationality. One learned Judge opined that the Constitution mandated the Leader of the Opposition to engage the President with the six names before the list is submitted to the President, lamenting that same was not done. As a result, concluding that “the manner in which the lists were submitted was not reasonable. The President could not have been expected to make a choice without some engagement of the names and the CVs and the various characteristics he had put in place; there had to be that engagement.” This constitutes nothing short of a judicial amendment of article 162 (2) of the Constitution! Nothing in article 161(2) requires such process. You will note the care taken to absolve the President from any blame in the process. You will also note that the Constitution has put in place the qualifications of the persons who are to be

appointed, leaving no room for the President to inject any subjective “characteristics.”

Another said that to mandate the President to choose from a list would lead to an “unreasonable fettering of his discretion.”!

This is the very Judge who, minutes before, enunciated that the framers of article 161 (2) intended to replace ‘unilateralism’ with ‘consensualism’ in the appointment of the Chairman of GECOM, but who now fails to recognize that the quintessence of that ‘consensualism’ is the confinement of the President’s power of appointment to the six names submitted to him by the Leader of the Opposition!

Yet a third, in an attempt to justify this President’s rejection of three lists of 18 names against other Presidents, who chose a name from one list of six submitted to them by the Leader of the Opposition, posited thus: “This has to do with the exercise of discretion of the particular President in each of those cases. They each saw it fit to choose from the list as provided for, in keeping with the approach of the amendment of article 162(2) of the Constitution.” This President however, did not “see it fit” to choose 1 from 18, yet his resort to the proviso was faultless!

In short, the ruling of the Court of Appeal, bereft of its exoteric content, is that a President can simply reject a list of six names submitted to him by the Leader of the Opposition, irrespective of how qualified and suitable they may, objectively be, and resort to appointing one of his own choosing, from the judicial category, by utilizing the proviso.

This ruling, therefore, takes us over a quarter of a century back in time to what existed in the 1980 Constitution, whereby the President was empowered to unilaterally appoint a person of his own choosing from the judicial category!

I sincerely hope that the Caribbean Court of Justice will restore those lost years.

Sincerely, Anil Nandlall, PPP/C MP

Public Security Ministry in need of stronger leadership Dear Editor,

T

he video of Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan taken at his party’s press conference has gone viral on facebook.

Any why not? It is rare indeed to hear a minister of government admit to his own incompetence. “In my circumstances, I don’t know what better I can do” a drunk-looking and clearly frustrated Khemraj Ramjattan admitted to the press.

The security portfolio was given to Ramjattan as part of the AFC Commingsburg Agreement negotiated with the APNU just prior to the 2015 National and Regional Elections. Ramjattan specifically demanded this ministry because he felt he was unjustly and unceremoniously kicked out of the party he served for many years, and wanted an opportunity to get even with Bharrat Jagdeo and others in the PPP. Ramjattan was ably supported for the security portfolio by the self-appointed successor to Dr. Cheddi Jagan, Moses Nagamootoo, another former PPP member with an axe to grind.

Nagamootoo had earlier resigned from the PPP because he was not elected presidential candidate of the party to contest the 2011 elections.

From the moment the APNU+AFC got into government, jailing Jagdeo and former

PPP/C ministers had been the primary focus of the vindictive Minister of Public Security.

With the help of British financial advisor, Dr Sam Sittlington, Ramjattan refocused the objectives of the Special Organized Crimes Unit -SOCU, an institution that was set up by the former PPP/C government to prosecute those involved in money laundering and terrorist activities, and made it into a political arm of government to exclusively target and witchhunt former PPP/C ministers and officials. In addition, a senior PPP executive member who knows Ramjattan inside out, believes that he wanted to protect his former clientele, many of whom Ramjattan defended in court for alleged involvement in drug trafficking and fuel smuggling.

But it is his obsession with Jagdeo and the PPP that made Khemraj Ramjattan a liability and embarrassment to the men and women in uniform and to the office he holds. The Minister of Public Security has neglected a critical area of his sworn ministerial responsibility – to protect our citizens from the scourge of an escalating crime wave that is taking more lives, causing more serious injuries, raping more vulnerable women, and depriving more Guyanese of their hard-earned money and property.

The $$$ billions that are being wasted on SOCU by this government: Paying an incompetent Attorney General and his special

foreign prosecutors who have failed miserably to win a single conviction in court against PPP officials, would have been best utilized by the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Prison Service to improve their capabilities. But SOCU is not the only victim of the incompetent Minister of Public Security, Ramjattan is making the Police and Prison Services look like failures too.

On March 3rd 2016, seventeen (17) inmates were burnt to death in the Camp Street Prison, and eleven (11) others were injured in what was then described as the worst prison riot in memory.

Then on Sunday, July 9, 2017, a mere sixteen (16) months later, another disaster struck. This time, the Camp Street Prison was burnt to the ground. And during the mayhem, one prison officer was killed and 20 inmates injured.

Eight notorious, hard-core criminals escaped. Two of whom are still on the run.

Then, just when it seemed that things could not get any worse, on July 24, 2017, a mere 2 weeks after the inferno that destroyed the Camp Street Jail, 13 more prisoners crawled to freedom through a tunnel they had dug under a fence at the Lusignan Holding Bay. Then last Monday, October 15, the nation was again horrified with the news that 3 prisoners, one a murder accused, scaled the fence

at the Lusignan Prison and escaped while the guards slept. Later that day, riot broke out over the “inhumane” conditions the prisoners are forced to endure at that prison.

According to a Kaieteur News Editorial (October 17), “What is also appalling is the fact that a Commission of Inquiry was established by the executive following the 2017 events, but half of the recommendations contained in the final report remain unimplemented, according to well-placed sources. Also the smuggling of contraband, narcotics and other illegal items into the prisons has not declined, but has taken on a shameful if not shocking story line of its own with prison officers themselves being discovered with the booty or facilitating the trafficking of these items.”

I have a lot of respect for Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels whom I believe is doing the best with what he has to work with.

Unfortunately, he has to bear some responsibility for the continuous overcrowding of our prisons, and the poor conditions under which prisoners are kept. But the buck stops with the Minister of Public Security. I recalled during an inspection of the newly built holdings cells at the Brickdam Police Station by members of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee for the Security Sector, I pointed out to Minister Ramjattan that the concrete cells were much too hot for prisoners as the ventilation did not (Turn to page 7)

STRAIGHT TALK 7

WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

(This is a message from Dr. Cheddi Jagan, during his presidency in 1994. Its re-printing is among several activities being undertaken during 2018 to mark the 100th birth anniversary – March 22, 2018 – of the founder of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Cheddi Jagan.)

Pursuing renewable energy was and remains an important issue that must be focused on

By Dr. Cheddi Jagan

E

nergy is one of the most vital physical needs of humanity. In our world, people’s access to sources of energy is a crucial factor in the development of nations.

The industrial revolution was a very important juncture in world history, because of the decisive manner in which it allowed some countries to advance and caused others to fall into varying states of dependency. In this division, those who controlled the traditional sources of energy became dominant.

Guyana, like so many other developing countries has been a victim of this dependence which was intensified by centuries of colonial bondage. We have not been able to strike oil, although being in the geographical neighbourhood of three significant oil producers. Yet at the same time, our consumption habits are generally oil (petroleum) based.

Electricity in every home and factory is an assumed service crucial to essential processes as well as for devices for comfort and luxury. And most of the electricity we generate is oil based. Our transportation services - motor cycles, cars, buses, trucks, boats or aeroplanes are also oil based.

So too are our instruments of production whether in manufacturing, construction or agriculture.

The result is that Guyana consumes annually petroleum products imported at a cost of over US$60 million. When we take our fuel bill and add it to our debt payments we arrive at the impossible situation where imports eat up most of our export earnings.

While serious attempts are being made to reduce drastically our debt and to

increase our exports, drastic reduction in our oil import bill must be vigorously pursued if we are to improve significantly our country.

For Government, this is a top priority. A team of top officials in the energy sector worked for several months on a complete review of the energy sector and made recommendations for a new thrust in the satisfaction of Guyana’s energy needs. I am happy to say that Cabinet has recently approved of a national energy plan which places emphasis on a rapid shift towards the utilisation of renewable sources of energy.

Indeed, steps have already been taken in this direction. Discussions are going on with potential investors for the development of a major hydropower station and for the utilisation of bagasse at sugar estates to produce electricity. When completed, these projects will make a meaningful contribution to the reduction of our dependence on imported fuel.

Meanwhile, efforts are also being made to develop mini and micro hydropower stations and small units on locations at rice mills and sawmills to utilise their industrial waste to generate electricity.

Government is also prepared to support efforts by the business community to develop all feasible ventures for the utilisation of renewable sources of energy.

Solar power and wide power can be put to a wide range of uses. The initial capital cost is often a discouragement although the long term benefits are compensatory.

The Institute of Applied Science and Technology and the Energy Authority have been given the task of identifying simple and low cost devices and to popularise

them among all Guyanese.

The lending institutions are expected to play their part also in helping interested customers to acquire such devices.

Renewable sources of energy are not only a source of balance of payments improvement, but also are more environmentally friendly than the use of fossil fuels.

There is therefore an added incentive for us to pursue very seriously these alternative forms.

A few days ago, when I opened the 5th Caricom Regional Science, Technology and Mathematics Fair, I saw several very innovative displays by the students, some of whom are still in primary school. These included very simple arrangements for the use of alternative sources of energy. I hope that the IAST and entrepreneurs can use this inspiration from our younger generations to duplicate their efforts on a commercial scale.

Another lesson from the students of the Caribbean was the need to save on energy. Energy conservation is the other major plank of our national energy policy.

Too much energy is being wasted on a daily basis. In homes and offices, unneces-

sary lights, air conditioners, fans, etc. not only increase

the individual expenditure but also pushes up the national fuel bill. The same goes for transportation. Because of the huge increase in the number of buses and taxis on our roads, there is a large under-utilisation of individual vehicles.

We must not do things because we can personally afford to do so even if there is massive waste. We must think of the plight of the less fortunate and the country at large. Energy saved means dollars saved; dollars saved means greater and faster development.

Government is doing all it can to make the lives of Guyanese more comfortable.

And this includes the improvement of our electricity service. You will recall the miserable situation my government inherited. Special efforts have been made to upgrade this service. Repairs have been done and new units have been put in place. Isolated areas have or are about to receive electricity.

We want to satisfy all of the nation’s needs. We do not have the means of doing so immediately. But we can reduce the wait by saving on material financial resources.

I urge you on World energy Day, 1994 to safeguard and encourage the gains we are making.

Public Security Ministry... allow for breeze to pass through, to which he replied, “Yo tink dis is de Marriott?”

June 14, 2009 the then Chairman of the AFC, the Hon. Khemraj Ramjattan, now Minister of Public Security, wrote in the Kaieteur News, “The convention of individual ministerial responsibility fixes blame on a Minister for all failure of policy and administration whether the Minister himself is at fault or not; and, harsh as it may sound, even if the failure resulted from departmental maladministration. A Minister must take praise for successes of his department, and blame for its failures.

Moreover, a Minister is required to provide full and accurate information to Parliament; must behave himself with candor; and, must not mislead Parliament knowingly. This is in addition to not using public resources for his personal purposes. Ministers are expected to be their own conscience… I recollected that a man found himself in the Queen’s bedroom some decades ago. The UK Minister in charge, duly, and with a certain ring of honour and dignity, resigned, because somebody has

(From page 6)

to be responsible.”

I concur with the statement written above.

There is no need for Minister Ramjattan to continue losing sleep over security matters he has proven incapable of, he just needs to take ministerial responsibility for the dangerous escalation in crime; the inhuman conditions that seems to be getting worst in our prisons; the lives of the 17 inmates that were burnt to death in 2016; the prison officer that was killed in 2017; and the more than 20 inmates who suffered injuries during the many riots and prison fires under his watch.

Khemraj Ramjattan needs to take his own advice on individual ministerial responsibility and give way to someone else who can do better to run that ministry. How incompetent must Ramjattan be before he is relieved of his security portfolio?

Regards, HARRY GILL, PPP/C Member of Parliament, Member of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee of the Security Sector

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t forcing fictions on the Guyanese people

A

fter three years since taking office, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, published a list of 231 so called ‘achievements’ in May 2018.

However, a close look at the list, revealed Government’s desperation in trying to find ‘successes’. For example, the Government claimed “lower electricity rates” as an achievement, but listed this one point at least two times in the list of 231. A second example shows that the

1. FICTION: Four Budgets in three years FACT: All four budgets introduced policies that negatively impacted working class Guyanese and the productive sectors. Over 200 new taxes and fees were introduced. Others were increased astronomically.

4. FICTION: Youth skills training provided through BIT, HEYS FACT: The BIT is a PPP/C initiative. HEYS was introduced by the APNU+AFC Government, then the decision was made to scrap it.

Notably, HEYS had replaced the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP), which was an initiative under the former PPP/C government. When the Coalition Government took power, the 1972 Amerindian community service officers who were part of the YEAP programme were fired.

7. FICTION: Created over 5000 jobs FACT: Since May 2015, over 25,000 Guyanese have lost their jobs. Government’s claim of creating over 5,000 jobs has been challenged. To date, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has not responded and has not said where these 5,000 jobs were created.

10. FICTION: State Assets Recovery Unit set up FACT: SARA did not legally exist until May 2018.

The State Assets Recovery Act was only assented to by President David Granger on May 4, 2018 – over one year after it was passed in the National Assembly by a government majority, despite objections voiced by the Parliamentary Opposition.

As such, queries have been raised about SARA’s operations prior to Granger’s move to assent to the SARA Act – specifically as it relates to how monies were allocated to the State Assets Recovery Agency for the year 2018 Budget to acquire an office at Lot 56 Main and New Market Streets, SARA letterhead, staff, etc., prior to that date (May 4, 2018), when the agency did not legally exist?”

APNU+AFC Coalition claimed the work of private companies as their own success, when it listed “4G internet” in its list of 231. The work to bring better internet services to the Guyanese people was done by the private telecommunications companies.

This week, the Mirror, by simply looking at 30 of the Government’s claims, will expose the FICTIONS peddled by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government and will detail the actual facts.

2. FICTION: $50,000 Christmas Bonus in 2015 and $25,000 Christmas Bonus in 2016 FACT: No attention has been given to increasing the salaries of public servants – teachers, policemen, nurses, etc. since the APNU+AFC Government took office. The two bonuses were one-off payments for only two years.

5. FICTION: Sugar industry right-sized fo5r self sufficiency through diversification FACT: There have been no efforts in the direction of diversification. While government said it has “right-sized” the sugar industry, all it did was close down major sugar estates – leaving thousands of sugar workers on the breadline – in the worst mass firing in Guyana’s history.

3. FICTION: Training opportunities for GuySuCo workers FACT: No substantive support has been given to the 7000+ sugar workers who were fired by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. Government’s unwillingness to support the sacked sugar workers has been evidence in the fact that the government broke the law and did not pay the workers their full severance. It was seen again when Government refused to say if was informing the sacked sugar workers that millions were available under the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) programme, which is supposed to provide financial support for entrepreneurial ventures and create income-generating opportunities, etc.

6. FICTION: Reduce the sugar industry dependence on the national coffers

FACT: There has been no move in this direction, not even the start of a feasibility study to assess such a plan.

FACT: The sugar industry’s dependence on the national coffers has not been reduced. In fact the national treasury is exposed with the borrowing of $30B, via bonds issued at 4.75 per cent, since the borrowing has been backed by a government-guarantee.

11. FICTION: Special organized Crime Unit operational

9. FICTION: Lower Electricity rates

FACT: Three years of being operations under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, not a single case against money launderers has been advanced. SOCU has only been involved in cases filed against former government officials, one of which has already been thrown out of the courts. Also, in the case SOCU brought against GBTI, the expert witness fielded by the Unit was also rejected by courts, which ruled that the ‘expert’ was in fact ‘no expert’.

SOCU has been involved in a number of controversial operations. These include the high-profile car chase of the wife of a People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP), which resulted in the death of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant Robert Pyle and his wife Stacy, along with another civilian in a smash-up on Carifesta Avenue in December 2015 – an incident that remains the subject of many unanswered questions.

The Unit’s establishment was part of Guyana's international obligations to strengthen its Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework and was intended to support the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). The mandate of the SOCU, as acknowledged in the protocols, is to address investigations, detection and preparation of criminal investigative reports and case files for prosecutions of financial crimes, including money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Little to nothing has been done by SOCU, under the current APNU+AFC Government, which fits the reason for SOCU’s establishment.

FACT: Electricity rates were subject to Value Added Tax (VAT) in 2017, meaning that electricity costs were increased, not lowered.

8. FICTION: Plans to bridge Essequibo River

12. FICTION: Outstanding court settlement paid FACT: Court settlements have been subject to intense questioning, as it relates to the how these settlements were reached. The last big court settlement related to the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) matter. The sum owed by DDL, according to the GRA assessment, was $5.392B from 2001 to 2006. The settlement saw DDL paying only $1.5B and also writes off all possible liabilities in respect of Excise Tax up to March 9, 2016. Since then, Banks DIH has filed a case against the Coalition government, saying that DDL was given special treatment. In the meantime, several questions asked about the DDL settlement remain unanswered. The questions asked include: Was an assessment of DDL’s liabilities in respect of Excise Tax for the period 2006 to 2016 done and what was the sum of that liability?; Who negotiated the settlement?; Is it legal? Was the settlement approved by Cabinet or the Board of the GRA?; On what principles was the sum of $1.5B arrive at? And How many other deals have been concluded or are being negotiated?

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t forcing fictions on the Guyanese people 13. FICTION: New Guyana Election Chairman appointed FACT: The 84-year-old GECOM Chairman was unilaterally and un-constitutionally appointed, in breach of 25 years of practice and common understanding of the constitutional procedures that have to be followed for such an appointment to be made.

14. FICTION: The establishment of three new towns FACT: The towns were established without consultation and in some cases encroached on titled Amerindian Lands in breach of laws --and showing that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has no qualms about breaking the laws of Guyana.

15. FICTION: Improved education attainment FACT: The 2017 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana – released by the United States of America’s (USA) State Department – underscores a major failure of the APNU+AFC Coalition government. Page 11 of the 207 report states that: “The standard of living in indigenous communities was lower than that of most citizens, and they had limited access to education and health care.”

In contrast, the 2015 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana, on page 14, said: “All indigenous communities had primary schools, and as of 2012, there were 13 secondary schools in remote regions. All indigenous communities had school dormitories that housed students at government’s expense. Government programmes trained health workers, who staffed health facilities in most communities.”

16. FICTION: Free transportation for school children FACT: A total of $1.7B was taken away from public schools when the $10,000 cash grant was scrapped. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government says it has provided buses, but these do not serve all public school children. The cash grant was given to every public school child.

17. FICTION: Provision of medical equipment FACT: Shortages continue to be reported. And with the dust barely settled over the $632M drugs and medical supplies procurement scandal, sole-sourcing of $366.9M of drugs and medical supplies in 2017 has once again brought into question decisions by the Ministry of Public Health – and the likely of increasing corruption at that Ministry. As was the case with the spending of $605M, the Ministry – headed by Volda Lawrence – claims that the spending of the $366.9M was to cover emergency expenditures. Documents revealed that a company, HDM Labs Inc. – owned by a supporter of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government – was handpicked over three others that went through tendering process.

18. FICTION: De-politicized the National Toshaos Council FACT: The NTC is not a political body. It is the elected body that represents Amerindians in Guyana. As such, claims of de-politicizing the NTC have been viewed as APNU+AFC rhetoric.

19. FICTION: Extended the Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) programme FACT: Not a single Amerindian village has received a land title under the APNU+AFC Coalition Government. Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sydney Allicock, admitted that he failed to do any work with the ALT programme, which gave the indigenous people legal rights to their communities. “I have not been able to title any village,” Allicock had said in May 2018.

Notably, after taking office, the Coalition Government, sent home the entire unit dealing with the Amerindian Land Titling programme. The Project Management Unit was ben established in June 2014 to support the implementation of the project.

A total of US$10.7M was earned by the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government and left for the purpose of completing the ALT programme.

20. FICTION: Piracy smashed FACT: Less than two months ago, a piracy attack led to several deaths of local fishermen.

The bodies of some of the fishermen have still not been found.

21. FICTION: Major criminal gangs smashed, members prosecuted FACT: There has been no such report. Also, no cases in Guyana’s court have substantiated this claim.

22. FICTION: Crime rate down FACT: As of June 2018, a whopping 304 cases of robbery under arms, where firearms were used, were recorded at the end of June 2018, marking an increase compared to last year. Another 116 cases of robbery under arms, where other instruments were used, were also recorded for that month. There were also 28 other cases of robberies, as well as 73 cases of robbery with violence. Robbery with aggravation cases numbered 30. Larceny from persons numbered 62, while burglary cases totaled 112 and break an entry with larceny totaled 498. In total these cases numbered 1,223. There were 44 murders. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government continues to come in for criticisms over its inaction to address the current crime rate.

23. FICTION: Establishment of the Department of Environment FACT: There is no Department of Environment as of July 2018.

24. FICTION: Freedom of the Press restored FACT: The Guyana Press Association has blasted Coalition gov’t over ‘unmistakable’ signals of Executive control since it took office.

The Association cited other acts that include: The continued role of the Director of Public Information as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited, publishers of the Guyana Chronicle; Direction from a senior government Minister on coverage of his office to the Editor- in-Chief; Direction being given to the Chronicle for stories sent for his approval once it has to do with his office or the PNC, the main party in the governing Coalition; and weekly meetings of the Prime Minister with senior executives of the state media.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

APNU+AFC gov’t forcing fictions on the Guyanese people 25. FICTION: Constitutional Reform process initiated

27. FICTION: Code of conduct for public official completed

FACT: There has been no progress on the issue of Constitutional Reform.

FACT: There is no Code of Conduct in place.

A draft was proposed and was met with widespread criticisms. Even the Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. said government’s proposed code of conduct is still deficient in many respects. The body expressed the view that the “lack of specificity appears as low commitment to integrity in public office” and it can ultimately impede the effectiveness of the Code and erode public confidence.

26. FICTION: Improved transparency FACT: The APNU+AFC Coalition Government has been criticised as failing to honour of the promise of transparency. Among the untruths told by the government to the Guyanese people is the fact that Guyana did not receive the US$18M signing bonus from ExxonMobil. This lie was told for over a year to the Guyanese people, despite the fact that questions about the signing bonus were asked. Finally, documents leaked to the media, exposed the Government lie

28. FICTION: Family Court opened FACT: The Family Division of the High Court began hearing cases since May 6, 2016. The Family Court was a PPP/C initiative. Before the APNU+AFC Coalition Government took office, the Family Court building was completed and handed over to Government.

29. FICTION: Successful gun amnesty programme FACT: During the amnesty for unlicensed firearms in 2015, scores of Amerindians handed in weapons used to protect their cattle and crops and support their livelihoods, with the promise of receiving licences. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government delayed the return to April 2018 and has now delayed it again, until the end of July 2018.

This failure to deliver in a timely manner on a promise made has prevented the amnesty programme from being deemed a success.

30. FICTION: A new drugs procurement system introduced FACT: Health Minister, Volda, Lawrence had stated revised drug procurement system which will bring resolution to the ongoing drug shortage throughout the country is expected to be implemented by the month of June 2016. It is now July 2018.

After taking office, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government scrapped the old method used to procure and deliver drugs and medical supplies across Guyana, despite the fact that it worked.

APNU+AFC Coalition gov’t has no major achievement to talk about – Jagdeo

T

he use of taxpayers’ monies on a full-page advertisement in the local dailies to talk about monies left by the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government for a PPP/C project – the Ogle-Diamond Bypass road project – is evidence of the desperation of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

This is according to Opposition Leader and PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, who addressed the issue during his Thursday (October 25, 2018) news conference. He charged that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has very little in terms of major achievements to talk about. “So what we see instead is wasteful spending on ads that seek to create the impression that something is happening,” he said.

Jagdeo added, “…it shows a kind of desperation in government quarters… they do not have much to talk about…there is very little of major significance that they have achieved.”

Earlier this year, the Opposition Leader noted that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government’s claimed over 230 achievements during its three years since taking office and he rubbished the claim, pointing that many of the claims of accomplishment that were made related to routine functions of governments, including the move to rename a building in honour of Stephen Campbell and the effort to have coaching courses in archery, among others.

“These are the big achievements? This is the massive hard work?” he questioned.

Several others, according

to him, represent blatant lies, such as the resuscitation of the manganese plant in Region 1, which has not happened; the claim that the Amerindian Land Titling Programme has been extended, despite the fact that not a single title has been issued in three years; and the claim that major criminal gangs gas been smashed, despite the fact that there has been no such occurrence. “Which gang was smashed? Who was prosecuted?” Jagdeo questioned.

Other claims of accomplishment, he charged, are complete distortions of facts, as seen in: the claim that minimum wage was increased, without consideration that there was also an increase in taxes and fees, which reduced disposable income for thousands of Guyanese; the

claim that a new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was appointed, while ignoring that this was done in breach of the Constitution and 25 years of common understanding between the two main political parties; the naming of three new towns, which meant nothing to the residents of those areas, other than the fact that they are now subject to new taxes; The Opposition Leader stressed that government ought to be focusing on job creation, addressing the crime situation, improving the state of the economy, addressing needs of youths in Guyana and dealing with corruption.

He said, “There are tonnes of corrupt practices and incidents that we have pointed out, and they have re-

fused to address. We no longer use our procurement laws because what has happened is direct sourcing.” According to him, the Coalition Government continues to ignore the public procurement process, resulting in the loss of millions in taxpayers’ dollars and spending that is done without any attention to the concept of value for money.

Relative to the needs of youths in Guyana he said “nothing” substantial has been done.

On the state of the economy, he said, “On the economy and their plans, they are failing there too. They are running down our reserves and the economy is declining. In terms of competence, just look at Basil Williams and… (Nicolette) Henry and that will tell you what we are talking about.”

The former Head of State said that some 25,000 jobs were lost since the coalition took office. In addition to that, a slew of new taxes were imposed on Guyanese and the business community.

“They are collecting $56B more in taxes this year,” he said.

Jagdeo said, “So, competence F; economy F; corruption…they should get a grade A for corruption. That’s the only one they get a great chance; Taxes F; jobs F; and crime F too.”

The APNU+AFC Coalition Government titled the list of their ‘achievements’ as ‘Guyana on Track’. The Opposition Leader charged that the only thing Guyana is on track towards is a worsening state of affairs due to the failures of the current admiration.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

From the desk of Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo...

Guyana Under Review

Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Wednesday (October 25, 2018), ranging from the President David Granger’s continued failure to deliver on promises made to Guyanese and the desperation of the Coalition Government ahead of the 2018 Local Government Elections to the agreement signed between the Education Ministry and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU).

Is Granger backtracking on promise to remove jail sentences for possession of small amounts of marijuana?

I

n September 2018, President David Granger committed his government to addressing the removal of jail sentences for person found with small amounts of marijuana. “We have a long legislative agenda and we have taken a decision in principle that custodial sentences for the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use would be legally abolished but after the National Assembly comes off its recess, you could look forward to that legislation being passed. It is already a decision which was agreed within the cabinet and we have no difficulty implementing it,” Granger had said.

However, in his October 18, 2018 address to Parlia-

ment, while he outlined his government’s legislative agenda, the issue of marijuana was not raised.

The President’s silence of the matter was noted by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. During his Thursday (October 25, 2018) news conference, he questioned Granger’s silence on the matter, as well as the possibility that the Granger-led government was backing down from dealing with the matter.

In May 2018, Jagdeo had said, “We can’t continue to send somebody, a young person or even an older person to jail for less than a quarter ounce of marijuana.

A quarter ounce of marijuana for three years when we have people who are traf-

fickers and we have people that have produced or [are] growing large quantities of marijuana and because they have money they get off from the system.”

He added that promises made to the Guyanese people ought to be kept, in response to comments from Government quarters that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is only now addressing the issue of decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana. Jagdeo had pointed out that the issue of reviewing possession of quantities of marijuana that attract mandatory minimum jail sentence was included in the PPP/C 2015 manifesto. “This did not happen yesterday…we believe that when we put promises in

Coalition government’s ‘cut and paste’ GSDS will never get off the ground

D

escribing the contents in the still incomplete Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) as a “cut and paste” from best practices in other countries, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, charged it has no practical relation to the realities of Guyana.

His comments were made on Thursday (October 25, 2018), during his weekly news conference, where he added that the GSDS will “never get off the ground” and, as such, is a failure. “It is a declaratory statement,” he said.

On previous occasions, Jagdeo noted that the Green

State Development Strategy cannot be the public policy document with formal status, since that has not even been completed. “The Green State Strategy is hollow,” Jagdeo said.

According to him, having criticised the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), APNU+AFC Coalition Government is finding it hard now to accept the globally lauded initiative.

“They cannot embrace it now,” he said.

The LCDS was a framework intended to map the path of a new growth trajec-

tory in a non-polluting way.

“Our view of conservation was that you should continue to use these resources in a manner that brings benefits to people but in a low environmentally impact way,” Jagdeo said.

He stressed that the PPP/C’s view was a balanced view, considering both development and conservation.

Jagdeo expressed the view that at the rate the APNU+AFC Government is going, Guyana’s reputation on the international scene with regard to its climate change efforts would soon be destroyed.

our manifesto they must be kept…check to see how many promises they have kept,” he said.

Currently possession of small amounts of marijuana attracts a minimum, mandatory, jail sentence of three years.

The Opposition Leader also made it clear that the PPP/C is not in favour of legalizing marijuana – that there is no support to legalise production and sale of marijuana. “We are opposed to this,” he said.

Jagdeo reiterated that decriminalization will only address removing the minimum, mandatory, jail sentence of three years for possession of small amounts of marijuana. “When they are caught, instead of three years

in jail, there should be alternative sentencing,” he said.

The APNU+AFC Coalition Government has not been unified in a single clear message on this issue.

Former AFC Chairman Nigel Hughes, with the help of Attorney Mark Waldron, compiled a draft Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill 2015, which seeks to soften the penalties for marijuana possession.

In December 2015, AFC Parliamentarian, Michael Carrington, tabled a motion, which calls for the Bill to be read the first time. To date this has not been done and the motion remains on the National Assembly’s agenda. The actual draft bill has not been made public.

Notably, soon after Carrington’s motion was tabled.

President Granger stated that the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana is not a priority of his Administration. “This is not something that is a preoccupation of the Administration at the present time,” he said in a broadcast of ‘The Public Interest’.

The President’s comments ran contrary to a position of the Alliance For Change (AFC) faction of the coalition Government, which has been strongly advocating for the decriminalization of marijuana.

Granger in September 2018 then committed to legislative changes, relative to decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Valuation of GuySuCo assets being put up for sale remains secret document – Jagdeo D espite being handed a two-year ban last week for allegedly overstating the earnings and assets of Indian software company Satyam Computer Services, the international audit firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) was engaged by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government and commenced the process of valuing the assets of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) in January 2018.

To date, the valuation report remains secret. And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, during his Thursday (October 25, 2018) news conference, repeated his call for the document to be made public.

In 2017, under the National Industrial &

Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the APNU+AFC Coalition Government set up a Special Purposes Unit (SPU) to oversee the divestment of assets owned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

The divestment (selloff) of GuySuCo assets was intended to be guided by the Pricewaterhouse Coopers valuation report.

“Where is the valuation?

Why don’t they release it?

They promised that there would be no privatisation of any estate until valuation done,” Jagdeo said.

The Opposition Leader also questioned the involvement of Pricewaterhouse Coopers in doing more than just a valuation.

He said, “We have also

heard that Pricewaterhouse Coopers has been meeting with investors… they seems to be leading the process now… we don’t know what is being told to the investors. Jagdeo also questioned if the SPU has ‘gone rogue’ yet again – as it did when it named a new Board of Directors for GuySuCo, without the approval of Cabinet.

He said, “We don’t know what assurances are being given by Pricewaterhouse Coopers and the SPU and if those assurances are agreed to by the Cabinet…. is the SPU running off on a tangent again?”

It is unclear if and when a completed Pricewaterhouse Coopers valuation report was submitted and considered by Cabinet.

12

WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

From the desk of Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo...

Guyana Under Review

Several issues were addressed a weekly news conference held by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Wednesday (October 25, 2018), ranging from the President David Granger’s continued failure to deliver on promises made to Guyanese and the desperation of the Coalition Government ahead of the 2018 Local Government Elections to the agreement signed between the Education Ministry and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU).

APNU+AFC gov’t not obliged to do ‘much’ for teachers under new agreement T

he four-page agreement inked between the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education does not pressure the APNU+AFC Coalition Government to do much to Guyana’s public school teachers, according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

On Thursday (October 25, 2018), during his weekly new conference, he stated that there is not much that is new in the new agreement, when compared to the last five-year agreement that was signed under the former People’s Progressive Party/

Civic (PPP/C) government.

He declined to comment further on the matter, noting that it is the GTU membership that must hold its leadership accountable.

According to the agreement, for the year 2016, teachers who earn below $100,000 per month will benefit from a 12 per cent increase while teachers who earn $100,000 and over monthly will gain an eight per cent increase. For the year 2017, teachers who earn below $100,000 per month will get an eight per cent increase and those who earn above this amount

will receive a six per cent increase. Meanwhile, for 2018, there will be an across the board eight per cent increase for all teachers.

With regard to non-salary issues, teachers will continue to receive the approved rates for improved qualifications, the agreement said. These include $4,000 for certificate in education, $6,000 for diploma in education, $10,000 for a Master’s degree; $30,000 for a doctoral degree and $10,000 for special needs teachers.

In addition to an $8000 per annum uniform allowance, “Increases for cloth-

ing, station/hard lying, risk and travelling allowances will be considered in line with the review of these allowances for the wider public service,” the agreement says.

In keeping with the agreement, teachers will be granted the opportunity of having 100 duty-free concessions per annum for vehicles up to 1800cc.

All-terrain vehicles (ATV’s) and outboard engines up to 75HP will be granted to eligible teachers in the riverine and hinterland areas.

The agreement explains the criterions required for all

heads, principles and deputy heads, deputy principles, head mistresses and masters or administrators of the various grades of school.

According to the new contract, teachers and their families who serve in the interior will be given a “return fare to the coastland” once per term and teachers who are from one area in the hinterland but serve in another area will benefit from this initiative.

Meanwhile, President of GTU, Mark Lyte, has since said that the Union has learnt its lesson and is looking forward to brok-

ering a better agreement come 2019. “We recognise that, as a Union, there are several things that we would have requested that were not granted, but nonetheless we believe that it’s a work in progress to go forward. We look forward to a new agreement in the new phase in 2019 that we can have more benefits given to our teachers, but looking at the present agreement we believe that our teachers are going to benefit from outstanding clothing allowances, they’re gunna benefit from increases that dates back to 2016,” Lyte said.

Legal advice being sought after challenge to Continuing obscene APNU campaign ‘will AFC’s fraudulent list dismissed… not help them much’ Electoral fraud perpetrated on Guyanese cannot be allowed to stand M illions of taxpayers’ dollars was used this week for a presidential trip to Mahdia on Thursday (October 25, 2018), where President David Granger declared Mahdia a township. And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, noted that the obscene campaign of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) continues.

“We don’t expect this will change…but even this will not help them in the elections (the 2018 Local Government Elections),” he said on Thursday (October 25, 2018) during his weekly news conference.

Earlier this month, Jagdeo noted that that being the incumbent administration has an advantage for the ruling political party – in that while performing State duties in some areas, some officials can use the same time to do political work.

However, he decried the “obscenity” of APNU in allowing political work to take center stage – ahead of the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) - and spending over $1B more to fund such work.

He said, “I am taking about the obscenity of what they did.” He noted that some $732M more is being spent in 2018, compared to 2014, on local travel and subsistence; while $469M more is being spent for similar purposes.

At the center of the obscenity, according to him, is President David Granger.

Jagdeo added that the spending and campaigning by the APNU cannot be seen as anything but electioneering, given that many of the areas being visited by Granger and his ministers have not seen any government official for the past three years and residents in the said areas are still waiting for pressing concerns to be addressed.

The Opposition Leader also decried the fact that over 70 school children were transported to a political rally to be able to benefit from a donation of bicycles.

He questioned why Granger could not have visited the various schools to make the donation.

He added that he doubts such obscene actions will see an end in the near future.

T

he High Court this week dismissed the challenge that was advanced to have the Alliance For Change (AFC) Nominators’ list (Backers’ Lists) void.

And Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday (October 25, 2018) declared that this is not the end of the matter. He disclosed that legal advice is being sought and, if necessary, the matter will be taken all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

He said, “I am seeking legal advice now both on the Police report itself and on how we pursue this further because we are fighting for the rights of all Guyanese here; this is a test case to us.

Whether it is concluded before the elections or not, it is not important for us, but we have to get a ruling on this matter all the way maybe to

the CCJ.” COURT CASE The case was filed against Orlando Christopher Persaud, who is the Returning Officer (RO) at the Whim/Bloomfield Local Authority Area and the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM, Keith Lowenfield, by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) and attorney-at-law, Adrian Anamayah.

Anamayah was representing a PPP candidate, Shafraz Beekham, and 49 other persons are seeking the removal of their names from the AFC list.

In a sworn affidavit Beekham said he were deliberately deceived into signing a document by an Alliance For Change representative,

who fraudulently claimed that she was employed by GECOM. Beekham disclosed that he was told that he needed to sign a document to confirm that his name was on the voter’s list.

He said too that it was only after Nomination Day on September 21, 2018, that he learnt that the signature which was taken from him was unauthorisedly used as a nominator backing the AFC candidate in constituency Number 3.

According to him, at no time whatsoever was he or the other residents informed, or did they know that they were in fact signing a list of backers in support of the AFC candidate(s). Beekham added that on becoming aware of the fraud perpetuated against him and other electors, he immediately demanded that their names be

withdrawn or deleted from the AFC lists.

Lowenfield and the Returning Officer, Orlando Christopher Persaud, were listed as the respondents in the court case advanced on Beekham’s behalf. The court document cites Persaud’s alleged refusal to withdraw Beekham’s name, as well as that of the other 49 electors, from the fraudulent list.

The court documents state that unless the names are withdrawn, the election in the LAA would be tainted with “illegality and fraud.”

POLICE REPORT The judge in the matter, Justice Navendra Singh, prior to dismissing the case, ordered the Guyana Police Force (GPF), specifically, ranks in Berbice to investigate allegations of the Alli(Turn to page 23)

13

WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

MEET THE PPP/C CANDIDATES LGE 2018...

CANALS POLDER

ESHWAR PERSAUD MISR (CONSTITUENCY #1)

YOGIERAJ ANAUGE (CONSTITUENCY #6)

SURINDRA PERSAUD MOHABIR (CONSTITUENCY #2)

RODIA RASHEED (CONSTITUENCY #7)

IOCA CHETNARAINE (CONSTITUENCY #3)

INASI ERNEST DOOKHAN (CONSTITUENCY #4)

SEELALL SHIVCHARAN (CONSTITUENCY #8)

SEECHARRAN PERSAUD (CONSTITUENCY #9)

PLEGT ANKER / KOORBERAADT

AFRAZALLY NABBI (CONSTITUENCY #1)

MAURICE ARISTARCHUS CAMPELL (CONSTITUENCY #2)

TESHENDRA NAUTH TRIBHUWAN (CONSTITUENCY #3)

OVID PHILLIPS (CONSTITUENCY #4)

MAHANDRA HARPAUL PARBHU (CONSTITUENCY #5)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

LGE 2018...

MEET THE PPP/C CANDIDATES GREENWICH PARK / VERGENOEGEN

RAJPREA INDAR (CONSTITUENCY #1)

DEVEENA ALLY (CONSTITUENCY #2)

LILWATTIE DHANESSAR (CONSTITUENCY #3)

RAI HARNARINE (CONSTITUENCY #4)

HABEEB SHEIK MOHAMED (CONSTITUENCY #5)

LA GRANGE / NISMES

INDRANIE BHAGWANDIN (CONSTITUENCY #6)

ADHU NAUTH BHOLA (CONSTITUENCY #7)

BIBI SHABILA LLOYD (CONSTITUENCY #8)

KRISHNA CODRINGTON (CONSTITUENCY #1)

CARLOS ANTHONY DEFREITAS (CONSTITUENCY #3)

RAHMAN SAEED ALLADIN (CONSTITUENCY #4)

RAFI KHAN (CONSTITUENCY #5)

ERICA ANTONELLA FORTE (CONSTITUENCY #6)

ANJANIE NARINE (CONSTITUENCY #2)

15

WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

MEET THE PPP/C CANDIDATES LGE 2018...

LA JALOUSIE / NOUVELLE FLANDERS

ISHWARDAT TATLALL (CONSTITUENCY #1)

GUYADEEN (CONSTITUENCY #2)

HARDUWAR HARDAT (CONSTITUENCY #3)

BIBI SALIMA SUKHU (CONSTITUENCY #4)

RAJISH KADARNAUTH (CONSTITUENCY #6)

SARAN RAMESHWAR (CONSTITUENCY #7)

THAKURDEEN YAIDAT (CONSTITUENCY #8)

DEONARINE JAIPERSAUD (CONSTITUENCY #9)

RAMSARRAN (CONSTITUENCY #5)

BUXTON / FOULIS

JACKDEEP SINGH (CONSTITUENCY #3)

SHAMEER AHMAD (CONSTITUENCY #4)

NEIRPAUL PURAI (CONSTITUENCY #5)

SAMUEL DHIRJARAM BRIDGEWATER (CONSTITUENCY #6)

BHOOWAL CHAITU (CONSTITUENCY #7)

CHANDRAWATTIE SINGH (CONSTITUENCY #9)

16

WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

LGE 2018...

MEET THE PPP/C CANDIDATES TOEVLUGT / PATENTIA

MOHAN JUGMOHAN CONSTITUENCY #1

SHANTIE BISSESSAR CONSTITUENCY #2

BHARRAT SEWNARINE CONSTITUENCY #3

NAVINDRA GAINDALALL CONSTITUENCY #4

KRIS PERTAB BOODHOO CONSTITUENCY #5

CALEDONIA / GOOD SUCCESS

CYRIL JOSEPH CONSTITUENCY #6

NANKUMAR JAINARIN CONSTITUENCY #3

SAHEID KHAN CONSTITUENCY #7

LEROY KELLMAN CONSTITUENCY #4

MARK ANTHONY KHAN CONSTITUENCY #8

SOMAR MANGRA CONSTITUENCY #5

POORANDAI NAUTH CONSTITUENCY #1

NAITRAM NIHAL CONSTITUENCY #6

BISSESSAR POORAN CONSTITUENCY #2

CLARENCE K. KANHAI CONSTITUENCY #7

17

WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

Positions from Freedom House this week (A look at the latest statements made by the People’s Progressive Party)

Clear violation persons’ fundamental right to support a political party of their choice E

lectoral democracy and the citizens’ right to vote in Guyana suffered yet another blow today. A Police Report submitted to Justice Navindra Singh in the High Court in Berbice totally misrepresented what the residents of the Whim/ Bloomfield Local Authority Area claimed they told to the Police during interviews that were supposed to be used to compile that report.

It would be recalled that

the Judge ordered a Police Report into allegations made by over 50 (fifty) persons that their names were procured by misrepresentation and trickery on lists supporting AFC candidates.

The persons who were present in Court explained to the media after the Court hearing that the Report did not accurately reflect what they said to Police Officers who interviewed them. This was confirmed by officials of

the PPP/C who were present when these interviews were conducted by the Police.

Significantly the Police in the Report claimed that they were unable to locate Abraham Nagamootoo, Mavis Nagamootoo and other members of the Nagamootoo family and other AFC Candidates who were implicated in the statements given by the residents.

There is no doubt that the Police investigation and

the ensuing Report were perverted by and contaminated with political interference.

Despite the fact that the Report was clearly tailored to meet a particular conclusion, it still contains various damning statements: for example, all of the persons interviewed and whose names are on the AFC list of backers made it absolutely clear that they did not know that they were signing any

document supportive of the AFC; that they are not supporting the AFC and that they all requested that their names be removed from those particular lists.

This finding is repeated 12 (twelve) times in the Report and on each occasion, these persons asserted their support for the PPP/C. Worse yet there is one person who said that he did not sign at all.

In the end, no matter

how much you turn it or twist it, the bottom line is these AFC candidates have 50 (fifty) persons who are on public record saying to the world that they are not supporting the candidates they are supposed to be backing.

Yet the Court refused to interfere with this violation of these persons fundamental right to support a political party of their choice by removing their names from those lists.

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings

GECOM Musings (A weekly feature that provides first hand updates from the weekly statutory meetings of the Guyana Elections Commission)

Irregular Tuesday at GECOM

BY BIBI SHADDICK (PPP-NOMINATED GECOM COMMISSIONER)

T

here was no statutory meeting on Tuesday (October 23, 2018).

The CEO is again unavailable, reminiscent of his unavailability on Nomination Day. Whispers by persons not wishing to be quoted reveal that he has gone to Court, but which Court? Calls to his mobile phone go unanswered.

So I call Mr. Anil Nandlall, PPP/C MP and Attorney-at-law, who appears in both matters filed in Georgetown and Berbice, only to find out that the Berbice matter is being heard at 2 pm, so I conclude that that is where the CEO has gone apparently since morning. No one can say that he was at work earlier.

There is a hive of activity in the compound. The printed ballots have arrived and boxes are being opened as they have been since 2.pm yesterday all through the night up to almost 4 am. The newly sworn in DCEO is ostensibly supervising, although she seems somewhat out of her league, and ballots are being extracted as per Constituencies, in all 80 LAAs. Scrutineers from the PPP/C have been present throughout the exercise yesterday and today they have been joined today by scrutineers from other stakeholders.

The Auditor Ms Malika Gibson, from all

reports seems to have her act together, and is doing a good job.

Otherwise, an onlooker can be forgiven for describing the whole exercise as chaotic. The activity is in preparation for the enveloping of ballots for members of the Disciplined Services, Army, Police and Prison, who are listed to vote on D-day which is November 2, 2018, and amazingly, as of 1.30 pm today, the lists are yet to be shared with the stakeholders contesting the LGE !!. And there are people who still wonder why there is no trust in GECOM’s ability to get it right!

The exercise is being conducted using a list of Ballot stations and the numbers

of persons from each constituency of each LAA, so the ballots are being extracted from the sealed boxes as per the numbers on that list.

Commissioner Benn, having witnessed the chaos last night, and not getting any kind of positive reaction from the DCEO left to acquire some box cutters to help speed up the opening of the sealed boxes. I hope he is able to recover the money he spent. GECOM has nippers, acquired in a less than transparent process, but no box cutters! The Commissioner had lent them a knife last night.

We assemble for the statutory meeting of the Commission at 1 pm, the Chairman, who I am informed, signed his contract just last week, comes in at 1.22 pm to say that his clock had stopped, hence his late arrival to the meeting room from his office less than 50 metres away, and apologises profusely, before he realizes that there is no CEO, no scribe to take minutes and in fact no support staff from the secretariat. He looks lost until I say that the CEO is ostensibly in Berbice along with the Legal Officer, and this is heresay from me, since I only knew that the Berbice matter was being heard at 2 pm. No official communication has been made to us as Commissioners and apparently neither to the Chairman if I am to go by his bewilderment! We tell the Chairman that Ms Malika Gibson who

normally fills in when the Legal Officer is absent, did come up, but we all thought that her presence was crucial for the exercise being conducted outside, so all the Commissioners told her to go back so that that exercise would not be adversely affected by her absence.

So the Commission meeting becomes a half hour gaff, for which no notes are taken, and during this period Commissioner Corbin with input from Commissioner Gunraj sought to give an oral report of their attendance n Calgary for the printing of the ballot papers and other sensitive election forms e.g statements of poll. The report seemed to reveal some kind of non-uniformity with three of those forms, so I asked for a written report which will hopefully tell all and which can be discussed at the next statutory meeting of the Commission.

Meanwhile, it is agreed that the Operations sub-committee will meet every day at 3 pm and as often as necessary in an emergency. The whole Commission is also to be kept informed via email.

The ‘gaff’ as I call it ended at 2.00 pm. So that is all I have for this week folks, until next Tuesday, which of course will be the day after D-day. It is my plan to visit as many Ballot stations as I can, to observe the process. My fellow Commissioners, I am sure, have similar plans.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings 2018 LGE campaign…

Mass showing of support for PPP/C at public meetings Bush Lot Village

Canal Number 2

WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

19

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings Foulis

Herstelling

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings

Industry

La Grange

WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

21

2018 Local Government Elections Happenings Mahaicony Creek

Patentia

22

WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

The Bottom Line – A look at issues affecting cost of living in Guyana

Rice farmers on the Essequibo Coast counting millions in losses

W

hile over 1,000 acres of rice on the Essequibo Coast had to be destroyed because of a paddy bug infestation, another 200 farmers also suffered devastating loss-

es to their rice crop due to a paddy bug infestation, as well as "blast" disease.

Farmers affected met with the General Secretary of the Guyana Rice Producers Association

(RPA), Dharamkumar Seeraj, on Wednesday (October 24, 2018) at Better Success and at Anna Regina on Thursday (October 25, 2018) to report their losses and seek as-

sistance.

Many said that they will be unable to plant for the spring crop 2019 if not given substantial assistance Meanwhile, Seeraj,

also a People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Parliamentarian, promised to highlight the plight of the farmers and to do whatever it takes to seek help from the APNU+AFC

Coalition Government, via the Ministry of Agriculture and the Guyana Rice Development Board.

Rice farmers are already dealing with lower prices for their paddy.

Some of the farmers at a meeting with RPA officials

West Bank Demerara farmers call for gov’t support

A

lmost two years after the closure of the Wales Sugar Estate, cane farmers in the nearby village of Bellvue, West Bank Demerara are pleading for Government to assist them as they venture into diversified crops, in-

cluding the cultivation of cash crops.

Before December 2016, when Wales officially ended operations, water in the access canals leading to the Kamuni Creek flowed freely to the Wales area through the community

of Renistyne. However, this all changed when the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) stopped maintaining the many punt trenches in the area.

Additionally, some sugar workers living in the area were also affected

as they supplemented their income via fishing in the trenches.

The National Drainage & Irrigation Authority (NDIA) was contacted since June 2018 to assist in clearing the bushy trenches, but the farmers

are awaiting the entity’s swift action.

Wales was the first of several estates closed under the Coalition Administration.Though the closures were rationalised as cost-cutting initiatives, many observers — includ-

ing the Parliamentary Opposition — had called for social impact studies to be conducted beforehand.

Aside from the plight of the farmers, many sugar workers in the Wales area are facing difficulties in acquiring employment.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

Electoral fraud perpetrated on... ance For Change fraudulently and by forgery obtaining the names of the 50 persons to be backers for their Candidates of the Whim/Bloomfield Local Authority Area.

Jagdeo, in commenting on the police report, noted that it makes for interesting reading, since the police report concluded that no charges should be laid against anyone – while the very report includes information from the persons who were tricked into signing AFC lists.

“Now the report is heavily doctored…a Ryan Mohadeo says that Abraham Nagamooto (family member of Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo) went to his home with papers in his hands and told him that he wanted to become the Chairman for Bloomfield/Whim Villages and that he needed a person to support him.

Mahadeo asked him if it had anything to do with the upcoming elections and he said no…this is in the Police report. Nagamootoo then asked him to bring himself and his family to sign it which he did and Mohadeo took the paper to his family members and they signed also…so the police conclusion is that at no time was he or his family forced to sign the document” Jagdeo, said, reading from the police report.

Still reading from the report, he added, “…Hemraj Mohadeo, Anita Mohadeo and Parvattie Thomas stated that they knew Abraham Nagamootoo for two years and sometime during the month of September 2018, they were at home when Nagamootoo went and met with them and told them that he was doing registration for the upcoming elections and that he required their ID cards and they have to sign which they all did…here in the report Nagamootoo told them that he was doing registration on behalf of GECOM, is this not trickery?”

The police report also stated that the perpetrators, including Moses Nagamootoo’s sister-in-law and other relatives, were not at

home and could not be interviewed by police ranks.

“The report is replete with examples of deceit, trickery and fraudulent behaviour of AFC members…the content of the report does not support the conclusion,” he said.

He added, “…so now trickery, forgery, misleading people and deception is not really deception unless you hold the person’s hand and force him to sign the paper…

Nagamootoo through trickery said that the document had nothing to do with elections and got Ryan Mohadeo to sign the document…that’s a new parameter for forgery, if you do not hold the persons hand and force him to sign the document then you cannot be committed or charged for forgery any longer.”

The Opposition Leader made it clear that there is much at stake and added that the issue was less about laying charges against anyone and more about establishing that there was fraud committed. He said, “The issue was that people were tricked…the least that should have happened is that GECOM should have been ordered to remove their names from the AFC lists.”

Jagdeo argued that the court case filed on this issue was intended to ensure that a fundamental right of Guyanese, the right of choice, is not taken away.

When the fraud was discovered persons armed with sworn affidavits tried to have their names removed from the lists by submitting the affidavits to Returning Officers (ROs). Not all accommodated by Returning Officers (ROs) on the ground.

At the Number 52/74 Neighbourhood Democratic Council, 31 af fidavits were refused.

In Black Bush Polder, another 13 were returned.

Among the affidavits that affected persons were able to submit were: • Region 6, Crab wood

Creek - 36 • Region 6, Corriverton - 39 • Region 6, 51/Good Hope - 43 • Region 6, Whim/ Bloomfield- 51

(From page 12)

• Region 3, Tuschen/ Uitvlugt – 39 • Region 3, Best/ Klein Pouderoyen – 6 • Region 3, La Grange/ Nimes – 13 • Region 3, Canals Pol-

der – 10 • Region 3, La Jalousie/ Nouvelle Flander- 13 • Region 3, Toevlugt/ Patentia - 4 Guyana will be going

down a slippery slope if electoral transgressions are allowed to pass without challenge, according to him. “This is another matter for all Guyanese,” Jagdeo said.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

Corruption, breach of financial laws, spending irregularities and more….

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 55 scandals since taking office

T

he Parliamentary Opposition has been monitoring the APNU+AFC Coalition government’s use of public funds and the levels of transparency and accountability.

From June 10, 2015 to date, over 55 scandals have been uncovered – an average of one scandal for each month – some of which are listed below:

1. The cost of the inauguration ceremonies at the Parliament Buildings and, more particularly, the one at the National Stadium has never been revealed.

2. The removal of 8 containers containing steel by BK International from the Ministry of Public Health’s compound worth millions of dollars - in the first week after government changed - in violation of a court order.

The government did nothing to retrieve the containers and has been silent.

3. The dismissal of 1,972 Amerindian community service officers at “one stroke of the pen” with no cause by the third (3rd) Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous Affairs. Despite a promise by VP Allicock in the National Assembly, during the 2015 Budget debate that the government would create a new programme to hire Amerindian youths, they instead replaced this programme with the Hinterland Entrepreneurial Youth Skills Programme (HEYs). HEYS is a sixmonth training programme with no entrepreneurial or employment component, which is under severe duress as there are complaints that the facilitators and students have not received their stipends despite the budgetary provision of $1Billion.

4. The appointment of 33 foreign honourary advisors to assist the government and the appointment of a top heavy bureaucracy of Presidential and Ministerial advisors, which have only been partially disclosed in the National Assembly in response to questions to Ministers in 2016. The total numbers are approximated to be nearing 100 advisors (local and foreign) at a huge cost to the taxpayers.

5. India/GoG funded Speciality Hospital – the government gave a contract to Fedders Lloyd (VP Ramjattan was its lawyer) without going to tender at a price yet unknown and in violation of

the procurement laws. Despite public outcry, the government refused to terminate the contract for the Speciality Hospital.

The company was delisted by the IDB and the Indian government and Eximbank withdrew the money for the loan. There has been no disclosure as to how much Fedders Lloyd was paid and what work had been done when the company was delisted and the project halted.

6. The first act of the government was to give themselves e nor m ous salary increases between 50 -100 % of what the former government ministers received. This was quietly done in September 2015 and the parliamentary opposition had to wage a struggle in Parliament to bring a motion to reverse this. When the motion was finally heard in December, it was defeated by the government’s one-seat majority. It should be remembered that the media, having leaked the fact that the government was embarking on increasing the salaries of the President, VPs and Ministers, Minister Trotman, on behalf of the government, denied that the government was contemplating any salary increases for the Ministers. This was also denied during the debate on the 2015 Budget in August 2015. Having gone into recess mid-September, the government stealthily published Order No. 6 of 2015 in the Official Gazette, dated September 25th, 2015, increasing their salaries and making it retroactive to July 1, 2015. Contrast this act with the government’s refusal to increase the salaries of the public servants in accordance with their campaign promises.

7. Durban Park Development Project for the Jubilee celebrations - The government has refused to provide information on the “private company,” which was in charge of the preparations of the Durban Park prior to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s “take over” of the project on the orders of the President.

It is estimated that the costs, when finally exposed, will be close to $1Billion - for a one-day event.

8. The President pardoned over 100 convicted felons in 2015 and stated that this would be

done annually. He promised that these would be felons with non-violent crimes and juvenile offenders. In fact, this was not true. A number of these persons had been sentenced for violent crimes and a number of them are back in prison.

9. The Rudisa case at the CCJ and the pay out to Rudisa - The APNU and AFC, while in Opposition, twice caused the defeat in the 10th Parliament of attempts by the PPPC government to amend the Customs Act in order to pre-empt the case going to the CCJ and save the country millions of US dollars. The APNU+AFC Coalition government settled to repay the entire amount of the Rudisa USD$16M claim without any negotiations for a debt repayment schedule and despite the fact that the company owed and appears to still owe millions of dollars in taxes to Guyana. The first payment was made late last year and the second budgeted for in the 2016 Budget.

10. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent by the Government and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council on the “Clean Up Campaign” in the city with no public tendering and handpicked companies. In some cases, new companies were created with no experience to facilitate this corruption. There has been no accountability of the amount of monies spent and the Mayor and Town Clerk have rebuffed efforts to allow the Auditor General’s office to do a forensic audit.

11. The write off of debts owed to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the nation by DDL worth billions of dollars (April 2016). If DDL had not issued a press release announcing the write off, this would not have been known.

12. Other write-off of debts by the GRA for other companies who financed the APNU+AFC Coalition electoral campaign, worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Minister Trotman said these companies have to be compensated for their financial investment.

13. Following the March 18, 2016 Local Government Elections, Minister Bulkan in violation of

the statutes governing the local government system, appointed the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and the 5 Chairpersons and vice chairperson of the 5 NDCs in the 6 tied LAAs. All of these persons were APNU, although there was a plurality of votes in 3 of the 6 tied LAAs for the PPP and 3 for the APNU+AFC. 14. W r i t e - o f f s b y t h e APNU+AFC dominated Georgetown Municipal Council to many companies for millions of dollars owed in rates and taxes for undisclosed amounts. This is a City Council that is now cashstrapped and cannot pay contractors for garbage collection nor timely payment of salaries of its employees. The cost to the Treasury of these write offs by the GRA, the Georgetown City Council and other Local Authority Areas alone earmarked in this list of scandals is estimated to be between 23% to 36 % of the total 2016 Budget.

15. Parking meters contract with no public tendering, no involvement of the Georgetown City Council, no consultation with the citizens – the scandal deepens, even as the APNU+AFC Georgetown Mayor is being advised to do some damage control by attempting to amend the 49-year contract and make it less embarrassing for the government.

16. The three-year Pharmacy Bond contract between the Ministry of Public Health and the Linden Holding Company was not tendered for by Minister Dr Norton’s own admission on the floor of the National Assembly.

The PPP/C will be submitting its motion of privilege, calling for the Speaker to send the Minister of Public Health to the Privilege Committee for wilfully misleading the National Assembly and the nation.

17. The GoG/BK International settlement of $1.17 B for Haags Bosche - The Ministry of Communities’ settlement of $1.17B to BK International for the Haags Bosche project came to light as a result of a Supplementary Financial Paper on August 8th where the country learnt that this settlement was made and would be paid in three tranches, even though the court did not award costs to BK Int’l.

The government paid BK Int’l

25

WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

Corruption, breach of financial laws, spending irregularities and more….

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 55 scandals since taking office the first third of the payment in January 2016, which begs the question - where did this money come from? It was not provided for in the 2015 budget, nor was there any SFP in the interim nor in the 2016 Budget or since to cover this first payment of G$500M. The August Supplementary Financial Paper covers the payment of the second tranche of $501M to BK int’l from the Consolidated Fund.

The third payment the Minister stated would be reflected in the 2017 budget. This is a scandal like the RUDISA and the DDL write offs. Interesting and of note is that BK International is being paid the entire $10M USD for the contract though BK Int’l only worked for 3 of the 5 years of the contract at substandard work. The PPP/C government had terminated the contract due to substandard work and delays. Ministers Bulkan and Patterson late 2015 both publicly stated that BK Int’l had done substandard work on the project!

18. Two fuel scandals relating to the issuance of fuel licenses for the importation of fuel to companies that are made up of persons related to top officials or who are top officials themselves in the government, who have no fuel bonds, no storage facilities and no offices. The withdrawal of the fuel importation license to the Chinese company, which has invested millions of US dollars for storage facilities, appears to have been calculated to make room for these alternative importers.

In August the second set of fuel licenses came to light regarding licenses issued to Dr. Van West Charles, CEO and other officials in GWI under a private company. It should be noted that an applicant for a fuel license has to acquire an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and 4 additional licences - provision of a bond under detailed specifications, transportation, storage, importation, and restrictions on where fuel storage can be located. It normally takes a long time for an applicant to obtain all these licenses---impossible to do so in 9 months. The licenses were issued in the month that Van West Charles became CEO GWI and, therefore, he had ample time to remove himself from the company. At a parliamen-

tary opposition weekly press briefing several months ago, this gentlemen’s role in soliciting donations for pipes for the wells in Region 9 was exposed.

It was reported that the Brazilian contractors hired by GWI to dig 8 wells in the Rupununi region were unable to pay their workers as they allege that GWI is not paying them (the contractors).

19. Consistent and frequent violation of the Procurement Act by line ministries - e.g, the Minister of Agriculture admitted that the MOA nor the NDIA had gone out to tender for works totalling $234M due to emergency works for El Nino and flooding in regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10. In fact, these monies should have been provided for in the Supplementary Financial Paper # 2 of 2016 for the Consolidated Fund.

20. Requests for information during questions to Ministers and questions during the debate on the two Supplementary Financial Papers on August 8th revealed that the government ministers’ will not release contracts unless they have the permission of the other person/ company/ party to the contract.

This is unheard of and a violation of the role of the legislature under the constitution to hold the government accountable.

21. Undermining the judicial process- the establishment of a Presidential Tribunal to inquire, investigate and recommend whether Carvil Duncan, Chairman of the Public Service Commission, should be removed from office for inability to discharge his duties. Since the charges against Mr Duncan are still pending before a Magistrate of the Georgetown Magistrate’s court, the establishment of this tribunal is premature, pre-emptive and repugnant to the very “due process” to which the President says that his Administration is committed.

22. Auditor General’s special audit of GECOM expenditure in 2015 prior to the general and regional elections—this is on-going, with the use of sole sourcing by the GECOM estimated to amount to $700M in the months prior to the May 2015 elections.

However, unlike other investigations where the heads were sent

on administrative leave such as the Head of NICIL, Head of the NDIA, PS of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, head of the Public Hospital Georgetown, to name a few, this CEO has not been sent off on administrative leave.

23. $240M spent on refurbishing the Kitty Market. Photographic evidence exposes the corruption by City Hall. There are no scope of works, estimates, etc that is available and the project was not put to tender as the city has hired the workers and is implementing the works itself. This project is still not completed.

24. The awarding of the contract for boxed juices for the school feeding programme to a Surinamese beverage company owned by RUDISA that was not the lowest or even the second lowest bid. The impact on the local farmers and manufacturers will be felt. DDL has come out publicly to criticise this, so too, has another company Guyana Beverages.

25. Award of the contract for quarry stone to a Surinamese company for the CJIA will have tremendous impact on the local quarries. Toolsie Persaud, one of the stone producers, has protested. There is more to come to light on this issue and this we have earmarked an emerging scandal where government needs to provide answers.

26. The discriminatory dismissals of hundreds of employers in the public service and in the state entities on the basis of their ethnic and assumed political affiliation which started in June 2015 is continuing unabated.

27. Some $1.64B was spent regionally on health, plus an additional added $2.5B that was spent on pharmaceuticals and medical supplies at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) without tender – a massive total $4.17B that was spent by the Coalition Government in breach of the procurement rules.

28. Not satisfied with the huge increases in salary and benefits, some Ministers are greedy and the reports of paying off Ministers for licenses, contracts etc., is astounding. The government

has got into the habit of putting out tenders in the press and then cancelling them repeatedly until their chosen contractor wins the tender.

29. Chicken importation licenses to non-existent/ non-registered companies as well as another company in the name of the CEO, GWI, Van West Charles.

30. The Removal of 6,000 solar panels purchased for the Hinterland Household Electrification Programme and re-allocating them for use at the Ministry of the Presidency and State House.

31. The Wind Farm project being done by Lloyd Singh, an AFC financier. Minister Trotman has said that it is “payback time for one of their election financiers”.

32. Antinfek in drinking water purchased by GWI without tender and without warnings of the health hazard by a CEO who was employed for years by the PAHO. Only after questioning by the Opposition in the National Assembly has the government provided minimum disclosure.

33. Contract for GPL Prepaid meters, awarded after 3 re-tenders to a contractor whose bid was the highest of all bids; in fact, $ 1 B more than engineers’ estimate.

34. Contract for the Water treatment plants- tenders cancelled twice before finally being awarded to their preferred contractor, who was higher than the other tenders.

35. Tendering for the GOG/ IDB Sheriff St road project was repeatedly done and no awards made until we lost that part of the IDB loan of $20M USD while at the same time paying penalty fees.

36. Procurement of drugs and medical supplies, in breach of procurement laws.

37. Consistent and on-going violations of the Procurement Act, financial rules and the Fiscal Management and Enactment Act are pervasive. The most recent examples were exposed during the August 3, 2017 debate with regard to funds for the State Assets Recovery Agency and

26

WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

Corruption, breach of financial laws, spending irregularities and more….

APNU+AFC gov’t has racked up over 55 scandals since taking office constitutional bodies including the Public Procurement Commission and the Public Service Appellate Tribunal.

38. The on-going saga of the Durban Jubilee Park. It is estimated that expenditure has reached $1.5 B. Auditor General Deodat Sharma aims to wrap up his special audit into the controversial Durban Park Project before the end of the year even if he does not receive certain financial records which appear to be missing. Mired in controversy, millions more are being spent in preparation for the flag raising ceremony to mark Independence.

39. Contract for CCTV cameras for the Ministry of the Presidency- not delivered and paid for since 2015. The company has been declared bankrupt. So where is the taxpayers’ money?

40. Purchase of the Prime Minister’s SUV- bullet proof, latest model, extraordinary extravagance for a poor developing country. Noticeable is the acquisition of a fleet of new vehicles for every Minister yet many have not been budgeted for in the annual budgets.

41. Secret COI targeting constitutional rights commissions, in particular the Public Service Commission and the Ethnic Relations Commission. This is a form of intimidation. No report available.

42. President’s instruction to the Police Service Commission to halt police promotions in contravention of the constitution.

43. The COI into the Police with regard to the way it investigated the intention or plot to assassinate the President. The real plot behind this move appears to be the decapitation of the Guyana Police Force leadership. The President’s instruction to the Police Service Commission to halt these promotions appears to give credence to this theory.

44. The Georgetown Prison Camp Street Jailbreak and fire on July 9, 2017 and the Lusignan escapees coming after the March 2016 riots and fire that lead to 17 inmates being burnt to death. The COI of the March 2016 prison disturbances and

fire has been kept secret but more evidence coming to light indicate that the government did not act on those recommendations, including the establishment of a multi-agency multi-sectoral body being appointed by the President to implement the recommendations. Budgetary allocations for the Prisons, especially capital works to increase the inmate accommodation at the Mazaruni Prison in the 2016 budget was unspent and rolled over to 2017 and as of July 2017 these works are still not complete. The new request for $753M appropriated in Parliament on August 3 2017 cannot account for $ 153 M requested.

45. The Amendments to the Broadcasting Act passed in the National Assembly by the one seat majority government are an infringement on the freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Despite public appeals to the President by reputable international organizations such as Reporters Without Borders and the International Press Institute as well as denunciations by the Guyana Press Association, private sector, broadcasters, civil society, and the Parliamentary Opposition, the President as of August 17, 2017 denied requests to defer his assent and hold consultations.

46. The Commission of Inquiry into Lands – communal, joint and individual lands and any other lands – with specific focus on Amerindian land titling and land of Freed Africans. There was no prior consultation with the National Toshaos Council (NTC) or any Amerindian communities on the establishment of this COI. The NTC, five Amerindian non-governmental organizations and the Parliamentary opposition protested the appointment of this COI as it threatened Amerindian land rights which are enshrined in the constitution and in the Amerindian Act. The Parliamentary Opposition brought a motion in parliament calling on the President to revoke the COI or at least the component which is treating with Amerindian land titling which was defeated by the government’s one seat majority.

The government 4 months after it established the COI held its first consultation with the NTC.

This COI is a recipe to drive rifts and strife between different ethnic groups in the country.

47. Repossession of lease and transported lands and property - the revocation of 30 MMA farmers leases by the President, the Central Housing and Planning Authority ( CHPA) repossession of transported houses and land and its CEO’s recent renewed threats to take away land from private developers are all unconstitutional. The judiciary in early August 2017 ruled that the President’s revocation of the leases of the farmers in the MMA was unconstitutional. In another instance the court issued a conservatory order to prevent the government from seizing and taking possession of the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre until case is properly heard.

48. Rental of residences for Ministers- $500,000 each to 2 junior Ministers and one Minister $ 1.5 M. This has been exposed in detail in the media and by members of civil society and the Parliamentary Opposition.

49. The appointment of the Chairman of the GECOM in violation of the constitution and the ruling of the Chief Justice.

50. The US$18M signing bonus from ExxonMobil placed outside of the Consolidated Fund.

51. Painting state properties in APNU colours.

52. Reduction of constitutional bodies budgets 2016, 2017, 2018 in violation of the 2015 amendment to FMA Act. These scandals, not limited to this list, have been uncovered and expose a level of corruption and discrimination that has not been seen since the Burnham era.

53. GPL and their contract with state created and owned Power Producers Distribution Inc. (PPDI) has inspired questions and raised concerns since GPL’s payments to PPDI are higher than those made to Wartsilla – yet there are unresolved electricity problems, including as it relates to the reliable supply of power.

54. Sole-sourcing of $366.9M in emergency drugs in June 2017

has once again brought into question decisions by the Ministry of Public Health, as documents reveal that a company, HDM Labs was handpicked over three others that went through tendering and were declared to have failed the evaluation process. The company is owned by a supporter of the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

55. Government has borrowed $30B G from a joint banking and commercial consortium led by Republic Bank, for GUYSUCO’s remaining estates at 4.75 % interest rates. The members of the consortium are unknown and the terms and conditions of the loan are also unknown.

56. The contract for a foreign company to rebuild Camp St prison was announced by Minister Khemraj Ramjattan during the 2018 Budget debate and media stated that no one tendered, this also remains secret and no funds are allocated in 2018.

57. The PPC completed its investigation and handed its report over on August 7, 2018, to Teixeira, who has written to the PPC on the matter in 2017.

The report noted that several companies bid for the project – to do the feasibility study and design for the new Demerara River bridge – and 12 companies were shortlisted. The report added that only two of the 12 companies made proposals.

As such the bidding process was annulled. It added that on November 12, 2016, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) approved the move for the project to be re-tendered. The project was not re-tendered. Instead a Dutch Company, LivenseCSO, was engaged by Patterson’s Ministry. The report, on page 7, noted that the bid from LivenseCSO was “unsolicited” and added that Patterson then took the company’s proposal to Cabinet for approval. Cabinet granted its approval for the company to be engaged.

What is clear, to date, is that the APNU+AFC Coalition government has no regard for the promised transparency and accountability, and is prepared to undermine and even violate the procurement and financial laws of this country, as well as other constitutional provisions and statutory provisions.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 27-28 OCTOBER, 2018

Timehri labourer killed Vendor robbed by armed

P

olice are investigating the murder of Vernon Cummings, 51, a labourer of Ice House Road, Timehri, E.B.D, which occurred about 17:00 hours, on Wednesday (October 24, 2018) at the Timehri Docks.

The man was allegedly by a male friend

who during an argument struck the deceased with a piece of metal pipe on the back of his head.

The suspect, 41, a labourer of Ice House Road, Timehri, is in custody assisting with the investigation.

5 bodies found in last five days in Region 6

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he circumstances surrounding the discovery of three bodies in East Canje, Berbice, is being looked into.

One of the five is believed to have committed suicide while the bodies of three were discovered in their homes and one in a canal.

Those dead have been identified as Roxanne Newyear, 45, a school teacher of New Forest East Canje; Ivlaw Henry Snr, 53; and Shelldon Fortune 41, both of Adelphi; Mangalram Chetram, 47, of Reliance, East Canje; and Ramdai Samnarine, 73, called “Aunty Pato”, of Lot 695 Number One Road, Corentyne.

On Wednesday (October 24, 2018), the body of Chetram was found lying motionless under his Canje, Berbice home with what appears to be a wound to his forehead.

Residents said the man’s son had to help him into the yard after he fell on the road. He was later found dead at 17:30

hours.

On the same day (October 24, 2018), the body of Samnarine was discovered floating in the Albion Estate drainage canal at about 16:00 hours. The discovery was made by a passerby. According to information, the woman left home at about 16:00h on Tuesday (October 23, 2018) to visit a doctor. It is unclear whether she made it to the doctor’s office. The mother of three went missing on Tuesday. She lived with her 77-year-old husband. The couple had been married for more than 50 years.

In the other case, Henry’s body was discovered at his Lot 3 Adelphi home shortly before 08:00 hours on Tuesday (October 23, 2018) by his son.

Meanwhile, on Monday (October 22, 2018), villagers found the body Shelldon Fortune at his Lot 14 Adelphi home. He too lived alone.

Reports also revealed that the welder claimed to have had a

headache and his eyes were hurting on Sunday evening.

He did not respond to friends when they called him on Monday morning. At about 09:00 hours, neighbours climbed on top of his fence and peeped into his home and saw him lying on a mattress on the floor and thought he was asleep. Five hours later he was seen in the same position. The neighbours then went into the house and found the television and a light in the building on.

Meanwhile, on Friday (October 19, 2018), the body of Roxanne Newyear, a teacher of Zorg Primary who was recently transferred to Rose Hall Primary, was found hanging from her verandah. The woman had reportedly told her husband that she was going to on the verandah get some fresh air.

After some time passed the husband went to check on her and found her hanging.

Police are said to be investigating all five deaths.

but then told him afterwards to proceed on the East Coast instead. He noted that he proceeded along the East Coast Railway Embankment and while heading in the vicinity of Ogle Airport road, the suspect in the backseat behind him choked him while the other in the front dealt him several punches about the body, while demanding valuables. Greaves said

that the other suspect in the back seat took out a knife and dealt him several cuts about the body.

The bandits then relieved the taxi driver of his cellphone, valued at $60,000 and $15,000 in cash before throwing him out of his vehicle, PWW 6930, which they then used to make good their escape.

Investigations are ongoing.

Taxi driver carjacked

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taxi driver was on Monday (October 22, 2018) robbed of his vehicle and valuables by three passengers who hired him on Vlissengen Road in Kitty, Georgetown.

The taxi driver, Dustin Greaves, 40, from La Parfaite-Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD) disclose that the men hired him, around 1:30 hours, for a drop somewhere in Kitty,

bandits

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ohn McKenzie, 49, a vendor at Bourda Market, Georgetown was on Sunday (October 21, 2018)relieved of two gold chains and a sum of cash by two men armed with handguns.

Police preliminary investigations revealed that

victim operates his stall on a 24-hours basis at the market.

However, at about 01:10 hours, the victim was sitting at his stand when he was attacked by the two armed men. One of the men reportedly pointed a handgun at McKenzie and relieved him

of the items while his accomplice, who was also armed with a handgun stood guard.

After committing the act, the men then joined a small silver-grey motorcar, which was parked several feet away.

Investigations are ongoing.

39-year-old contractor of Independence Boulevard was, on Sunday (October 21, 2018) at around 23:30 hours, robbed by two bandits, one reportedly armed with a handgun and the other with a knife.

The victim identified as Eon Solomon, was robbed of a gold chain, and two Samsung cellphones, all valued at approximately $856,000.

The victim parked his motorcar in his yard and was about to close his gate, when

the two perpetrators came from an unknown direction and held him at gunpoint and robbed him. They then escaped on foot in an unknown direction.

Police are currently investigating the crime.

Contractor held at gunpoint by bandits A

Man stabbed, robbed by knife wielding thieves in Sophia

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‘B’ Field Sophia man was on Sunday (October 21, 2018) stabbed and robbed in ‘C’ Field around 19:37 hours by two men, one reportedly armed with a knife.

The man, identified as Devon Joe, was robbed of his cellphone valued at $50,000 by the duo.

Based on information received, the victim went outside to the northern side of the street to speak on his phone when the two

suspects approached him. One of the thieves reportedly pulled out a knife and demanded his cellular phone but Joe refused. The suspect then stabbed Joe twice and as a result he fell to the ground. They then relieved him of the phone and escaped on foot heading east. Joe was rushed to a Georgetown Public Hospital.

No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.

SOCU fails to question Patterson about ‘illegal’ contract

– questions about double standard raised

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espite assurance that action will be taken, the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has not called in Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, for questioning over the illegal award of a multi-million dollar contract.

A report from the Public Procurement Commission was sent to SOCU by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) – with a call for an investigation.

SOCU Head, Sydney James, when pressed, indicated that the complaint filed by the PPP/C, in relation to the illegally approved contract for the feasibility study on a new Demerara River, is being investigated.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, in commenting on the issue, said, “I asked whether SOCU was proceeding with the case against Patterson and the answer was yes…I was told that he (Patterson) will be called here (to SOCU’s office). And that other members of the Cabinet will be invited to SOCU, so we are very pleased about that; that the same standard (used by SOCU to question former PPP/C government officials) will be used. So hopefully from next week, you will start seeing members of the Government coming here to answer for the contract that was awarded illegally, with the complicity of Cabinet.”

FINDINGS OF PPC REPORT After a call from the PPP/C, the PPC completed its investigation into the award of the contract for a feasibility study on a new Demerara River and handed its report over on August 7, 2018.

The report noted that several companies bid for the project – to do the feasibility study and design for the new Demerara River bridge – and 12 companies were shortlisted. The report added that only two of the 12 companies made proposals. As such the bidding process was annulled. It added that on November 12, 2016, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) approved the move for the project to be re-tendered.

The project was not re-tendered. Instead, a Dutch Company, LivenseCSO, was engaged by Patterson’s Ministry.

The report, on page 7, noted that the bid from LivenseCSO was “unsolicited” and added that Patterson then took the company’s proposal to Cabinet for approval. Cabinet granted its approval for the company to be engaged.

The report, on page 7, stated that monies to be spent on the project were taken from the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (Asphalt Plant Accounts).

The report said, “The PPC noted that the Minster of Public Infrastructure, by memorandum dated November 18 2016, made a request to the Cabinet for Government seeking consideration and approval to use funds from the Demerara Harbor Bridge Corporation to fund the feasibility study and to commence a contractual engagement with LievenseCSO as of the 1 Jan 2017. The PPC noted that this request to Cabinet was not forwarded through the NPTA but submitted directly by the Minister of Public Infrastructure. The PPC also noted that Cabinet considered the memorandum submitted by the Minister of Public Infrastructure and in November 2016 approved a total sum of $161, 514, 420 to be used from the Demerara Harbor Bridge Corporation to cover cost for the feasibility study for a new bridge across the Demerara river.”

Notably, the General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, according to the PPC report, disclosed that the Board of the Corporation was not involved in the decision to spend its monies.

The report said, “He (Mr. Adams) stated that he had not signed the contract on behalf of the DHBC, but only because he was requested to do so by the Minister of Public Infrastructure.

The Parliamentary Opposition’s position is that the findings of the report evidence a flagrant breach of Guyana’s financial rules.

To date there is no update from SOCU on the matter.

Basil Williams misses court hearing again in case against former PPP/C officials

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he High Court challenge to the misconduct in public office charges against two officials of the former Government was delayed and rescheduled to early next month after Attorney General Basil Williams was a no-show for submissions.

The Court was told that the Williams had to attend to other matters at the time the matter was slated to be heard on Tuesday (October 23, 2018) and could not appear in Court although the hearing was fixed almost one month ago.

Former Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh and for-

mer National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Chairman Winston Brassington are challenging their misconduct in public office charges that were brought against by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

Their challenge came up before acting Chief Justice Roxane George, SC, in chambers at the High Court.

It was expected that open court proceedings would have continued, but this was not the case. Justice George adjourned the matter to November 1, 2018 when the AG’s side should be responding to submissions

by the applicants. This was according to lawyer for the applicants, Anil Nandlall, who told reporters that prior to Tuesday’s hearing, the AG’s Chambers were always represented by a team of the Solicitor General and other lawyers.

“Hopefully, he shows up or someone authorised by him shows up who is prepared to do the arguments because the case is fixed,” Nandlall noted on Tuesday.

The defendants, who were released on $6 million bail each, denied the charges levelled against them by SOCU earlier this year.

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