Daily Archive: Saturday, December 15, 2007

This article was received from Project Syndicate, an international not-for-profit association of newspapers dedicated to hosting a global debate on the key issues shaping our world.

Magistrate Oneidge Walrond-Allicock on Tuesday granted bail to a health worker accused of attempting to obtain more than $100,000 from the Bank of Guyana (BoG) using a forged cheque.

A man who is currently serving a fifteen-year sentence at the Camp Street prison appeared on Wednesday in court charged with having over 350 grammes of cannabis in his possession at the facility.

A man accused of using a cutlass in robbing another of his cell phone and cash, appeared yesterday in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court and was remanded to prison by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.

Two men, including a school teacher, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with separate counts of indecent assault and were remanded to prison by Principal Magis-trate Melissa Robertson-Ogle.

The US citizen who was caught at the airport with parcels of cocaine strapped to her lower body, yesterday changed her plea to guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton together with a fine of $225,000.

Taken at face value, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Incorporated’s Energy Conservation Cam-paign launched last week is an admirable step in the right direction.

Any triumph, even against an amalgamation of familiar opponents, past and present, recalled retirees and promising youngsters, would be a welcome tonic for the West Indies in their present state.

The dynamic Kashif and Shangai organization continues to receive support for their upcoming annual football tournament with Bakewell Bakery and Francine’s Fish Shop both making sterling contributions to the organization yesterday.

Two of the country’s most lethal, offensive threats will go head-to-head tonight at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall when the Courts Pacesetters and the Disciples of Plaisance meet in one of the most anticipated division three finals that Georgetown has seen in a while.

Barbadian Dudley Harris was returned to the helm of the World Council of Domino Federations (WCDF) for another three years when that body held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elections at City Hall here in Georgetown last weekend.

Guyana’s Nicholas Narine turned in a creditable performance last week-end in Barbados where he competed in the Rotherly Junior Squash Open tournament.

Dear Editor, Mr Sean Brignandan’s letter, “People who earn $28,000 a month may pay about 10% in taxes,” (SN December 10, 2007) gives Job’s comfort only to those whose gross monthly income is below the taxable threshold.

Dear Editor, Back in the 1980s an Annexe of the Caricom Secretariat, with the agreement of the government, occupied the low single flat concrete building situated in North Road, immediately west of the structure at King Street and North Road, and south westerly of the St George’s Cathedral.

Dear Editor In considering the level of compensation that the Guyana Government should seek for their grant of 50 million acres of rainforest to Britain et al, I hope that the Government is aware that some years ago British farmers were paid an annual set aside fee equivalent to US$200 per acre to keep their lands out of production and thus avoid adding to the huge and expensive EU grain mountains.

Dear Editor, It was horrifying and heart-wrenching to read about the ordeal of the young lady who was raped and brutalised while at work.

Dear Editor, When asked a question at a press conference last Monday dealing with the issue of the purported first lady, I made the point that in a democratic, civilized society, adherence to certain moral principles and time honoured conventions are what separate us from the ugly and the barbarians.

Dear Editor, Major construction projects which affect the public around the world have their own dedicated official websites to keep the public informed.

Dear Editor, The government has had ample opportunity to improve the energy situation but at every cross-road it takes the wrong turn.

Dear Editor, Sometime last year when the roads and water situation became unbearable, residents of Retrieve, Linden blocked the roads in protest.

Dear Editor, I refer to the letter by “Members of SASOD” (SN 12/12/07) captioned “Homo-phobia in the Caribbean has to change”, and would appreciate the opportunity to rebut.

For 40 years the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception’s annual Festival of Carols has been going strong.

If ever there was a local advertisement that one just had to stand up and take notice of, it is most certainly the King’s Jewellery World advertisement produced for the Christmas holidays.

Hi Everyone, We use them all year round, in a variety of dishes both sweet and savoury and in certain beverages, they are a must.

NULL

History is to be created tomorrow when Beach-a-rama will be held in Guyana for the first time at the Splashmin’s Fun Park, with A-list regional entertainers, fun and frolic in the beach atmosphere.

Local singer turned fashion designer Carlos `Lucky B’ Williams was forced to postpone his Ms Bikini Television Series, which was scheduled for December 1, after HJ Entertainment – Channel 72 suddenly went off air giving no indication when its operations would resume.

The Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Conference of Guyana promises an evening of poetry, singing and drama tonight at the National Cultural Centre when its stages its Fifth Advent Praise concert.

The United States on Wednesday issued a provisional arrest warrant for West Coast Demerara businessman, Barry Datram and will soon take steps to extradite him to New York to face charges of conspiracy to export over five kilos of cocaine into that country.

Over the next few weeks, Guyana can expect heavy rainfall in almost every area, the Timehri Meteorological Office has said.

AFC Leader Raphael Trotman has submitted to Parliament Office a motion calling on Member of Parliament and Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Kellawan Lall for an explanation surrounding his conduct in a rum shop brawl and shooting incident on November 18, 2007.

Guyana and Venezuela have agreed to establish a joint working group early in January 2008 to recommend measures and mechanisms to prevent incidents such as the November 15, 2007 incursion into Guyana’s territory by a Venezuelan military contingent.

Two gunmen posing as customers walked into Sandy’s Funeral Home on Chapel Street, Lodge yesterday and robbed an employee of $300,000 cash before escaping on waiting motorcycles.

There is a relatively large number of women at the various levels of government, but their influence on decision-making is still limited, according to the findings of working groups of the Women’s Progressive Organ-isation (WPO) at their recently concluded congress.

NULL

The US Ambassador to Guyana has lauded the local battle against HIV and a call was sounded for leaders from all sectors to join the fight against the virus as the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) launched the ‘Take the Lead’ World AIDS Campaign locally.

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) yesterday expressed its concern over advertisements in the print media in which both the Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Ltd (GT&T) and Digicel were said to have placed matters before the commission in the public domain.

The Ministry of Public Works and Communication will be carrying out remedial works to strengthen embankments at the Ruimveldt and Princes Street outfall channels to shore up that section of the city’s drainage system.

Amid the disappearance of another AK-47 rifle from the Guyana Defence Force armoury, Commander-in-Chief President Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday said he would be monitoring the performance of the army and expects results.

Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud says Guyana’s rainforest offer to combat climate change is a call for a viable market-based mechanism to reward and compensate countries that have taken deliberate policy measures to ensure the sustainable use of their forest resources.

A Kitty resident was yesterday the victim of a drive-by shooting and is currently a patient of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) bill was unanimously approved by the National Assembly yesterday paving the way for municipal and local government elections to be held by December 1, 2008.

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) says it has restored power to several sections of the country affected by Thursday night’s rain and lightning storm.

The walls of a home on Eleventh Street, Diamond Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara collapsed yesterday sending its occupants running for safety.