Daily Archive: Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Former Director of Prisons, Welton Trotz, who was charged with sexually assaulting a prison guard, had the charge against him dismissed today for a lack of evidence.

President David Granger today said that Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo will be given the clarifications he has sought over the nominees to Chairmanship of the Guyana Elections Commission.

Eighteen-year-olds will be allowed to apply for house lots and once approved lots would be allocated when they turn 21, according to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) end-of-year report.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Belgian Tom Saintfiet has resigned as head coach of Trinidad and Tobago after just two months and four games in charge.

MOSCOW, (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was “total nonsense” that Russian officials had assembled a file of compromising information on U.S.

A policeman was today charged with breaking into a house on Sunday and released on bail.

Following President David Granger’s rejection of his list of nominees to head the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom), Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday requested clarity on his interpretation of the criteria for the office holder and proposed an urgent meeting to resolve any differences they may have on the issue.

Today, the Government of Guyana is to sign a memorandum of understanding with University College of the Caribbean (UCC)/Law College of Americas (LCA) for the “establishment of a public private partnership law school” here.

After serving a little over three months as the Chief of Staff (COF) of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier George Lewis yesterday handed over the command to newly-promoted Brigadier Patrick West.

A 37-year-old labourer of Wine Bush, Leonora, West Coast Demerara was stabbed to death around 4 pm on Monday and his 16-year-old attacker is on the run.

Dwane Williams, called ‘Small Fren,’ yesterday further implicated murder accused Dennis Williams and Mark Royden Williams, as being part of the infamous Rondell “Fine Man” Rawlins gang, which he said was responsible for the February, 2008 Bartica massacre.

Inaugural Stag Beer Elite League champion Slingerz FC threatens legal action against the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) if it is not allowed to compete in the 2017 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship.

A pregnant 25-year-old Hopetown woman along with her child died on Monday night after the hire car she was travelling in hit a concrete fence at Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Demerara.

Junior Hercules, President of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) says he will not seek re-election when the entity stages its Electoral Congress later this year.

Two young men are in custody and their accomplice is on the run after they were caught in the act of robbing a greengrocer on North Road.

Following an interview process held during the month of October 2016, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has officially appointed former Georgetown Football Association (GFA) secretary Althea Scipio as its new General Secretary.

Region 9 has recorded 58 cases of gastroenteritis and the Ministry of Public Health has in response dispatched a five-person team to Aishalton, Shea Village and Awaruwaunau.

Merano Wilson, a vendor who was allegedly found with 10 pounds of cannabis, was remanded to prison yesterday after being charged with trafficking in a city court.

ST JOHN’s, Antigua, CMC – The West Indies Cricket Board on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of former West Indies captain, Jimmy Adams, as its new Director of Cricket.

The long-awaited project to develop Phase Two of the MMA Scheme – the Mahaicony/Abary conservancy dam – to ease flooding in that area and open up new lands  is set to commence by mid-year.

MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC – Kieron Pollard failed to make an impact and Adelaide Strikers suffered their fourth loss of the Big Bash League season, when Melbourne Stars edged to a two-wicket victory yesterday.

Three persons have been arrested by the police in connection with the Tower Suites’ Club Privilege shooting which occurred early Sunday morning, Commander of ‘A’ Division, Clifton Hicken said yesterday.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Outgoing West Indies Cricket Board chief executive, Michael Murihead, says definite efforts will be made to maximize the commercial potential of the newly acquired Coolidge Cricket Ground.

A police file on the detective who was caught in a Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara house on Sunday has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice, according to Commander of ‘A’ Division Clifton Hicken.

Dear Editor, To improve our ailing education system, Minister of Education Rupert Roopnaraine has on several occasions rightly emphasized the importance of integrating ICT in schools.

(Reuters) – Soccer’s governing body, FIFA, voted yesterday to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from its current 32, brushing aside concerns that the expansion would lower the overall standard of the tournament and make it too big and unwieldy.

Bids were opened yesterday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for the Construction of a Vehicular Overpass at the Intersection of Diamond and East Bank Demerara for the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

COUVA, Trinidad, CMC – Tom Saintfiet appealed for more time to shape the Trinidad & Tobago Soca Warriors into a formidable force following elimination from the CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifiers.

Dear Editor, The news that President David Granger has asked the Opposition Leader Bharrat Jadgeo to submit another list of nominees for the post of Gecom Chairman is most welcome.

Dear Editor, What is good or bad for democracy is properly left to the people and their parliamentary representatives.

Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder announced yesterday that Buxton will be getting three additional pumps to help the community fight flooding.

ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay, CMC – Trinidad & Tobago Women’s national team goalkeeper Kimika Forbes listed playing in South America and taking part in the Copa Libertadores Feminina again, as two of the major goals for her in the coming year.

Dear Editor, I read with surprise and uneasiness an email circulated on January 9 to members of the media and the global football fraternity from the General Manager of the Slingerz football Club, Mr Colin Aaron. 

Moved by the plight of teenager Christopher Boucher, who is in need of corrective eye surgery, a retired UK-based Guyanese philanthropist has committed to help.

(Reuters) – The association of National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) yesterday called for a blanket ban on Russia from all international sport until the country can demonstrate it has installed and embraced a credible anti-doping system.

Dear Editor, With reference to the appointment of a new Gecom Chairman, Article 161 (2) of the Constitution states “…or any other fit and proper person…” Can President David Granger and his brilliant AG Basil Williams explain what that means, especially in respect to the appointments of Rudy Collins, Edward Hopkinson, Joseph Singh and Dr Steve Surujbally, all as Chairman of Gecom?

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Monday held a session on its planned introduction of the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA).

LONDON, (Reuters) – David Bedford, the former director of the London Marathon, said yesterday he was “surprised and disappointed” that IAAF President Sebastian Coe had not read an email he sent warning of the Russian doping scandal.

One of the lawyers representing former General Manager of the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) Nizam Hassan, who is accused of approving payments for substandard work on the rehabilitation of the company’s Robb Street headquarters, yesterday argued that the charge laid against the man discloses no criminal offence.

Dear Editor, The Regional Democratic Council (Mahaica/Berbice) 2017 Budget will have a positive long-term impact and stimulate behavioural change in the people of Region 5.

MEXICO CITY,  (Reuters) – Mexico’s new Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said yesterday there is no way his country will pay for the wall that U.S.

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Angelique Kerber’s build-up for next week’s Australian Open suffered a setback when the world number one was beaten 7-6(5) 6-2 by Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina in the second round of the Sydney International yesterday.

NAIROBI, (Reuters) – Athletics Kenya (AK) has drawn up a list of accredited doctors who will be responsible for examining samples from elite athletes and ensure they are not tempted to use banned drugs, AK’s chairman said yesterday.

The trial of Anjanie Boodnarine, the common-law wife of convicted drug trafficker Barry Dataram, for allegedly forging a passport, is set to begin today.

Dear Editor, As a retiree from one of the noblest professions in the field of medicine, I empathize with the nurses still in limbo regarding the outcome of the compromised final exam.

(Trinidad Guardian) After 30 hours of intense conciliation—a marathon session that finally ended Monday afternoon—the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) called off a strike at Petrotrin and signed an interim settlement with the state-owned energy company covering the period 2011-2014.

BELFAST, (Reuters) – After a decade of bitter compromises over paramilitaries and policing, Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government finally fell apart this week over the abuse by farmers of a green-energy grant to burn fuels such as wood pellets instead of coal.

A Sierra Leone national was yesterday fined and ordered deported after he admitted to entering the country illegally.

Dear Editor, I must say that President Granger has startled with those cabinet moves. 

(Jamaica Observer) The governments of Jamaica and China on Monday signed an agreement for the construction of a 220-bed hospital for children in Montego Bay, St James.

CHARLESTON, S.C.,  (Reuters) – White supremacist Dylann Roof deserves to die for the hate-fueled killings of nine black churchgoers at a Bible study meeting in a Charleston, South Carolina, a U.S.

(The Sports Xchange) – The anticipated matchup between Russell Westbrook and Jimmy Butler fizzled, but Westbrook sizzled to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 109-94 win against the Chicago Bulls on Monday at the United Center.

On New Year’s day, the American television investigative journalism programme 60 Minutes dedicated a quarter of its weekly episode to the sale of passports by various cash-strapped  territories within Caricom, highlighting the potential for possible security risks for the region.

BERLIN, (Reuters) – Five-time grand slam champion Maria Sharapova will return to competitive action following a 15-month doping ban at the Stuttgart Grand Prix in April, the Russian said yesterday.

Dear Editor In Guyana the Police Force is more closely scrutinised and subject to more uninformed, biased criticism than any other occupational group.

A South African man was on Monday charged with overstaying his time in Guyana.

Assembly Debates Weekend Chaos Opposition Calls For Govt Resignation By SHARIEF KHAN and BERT WILKINSON THE agony and frustration thous­ands in the city and its environs faced last Sunday were transported into Parliament yester­day with the opposi­tion demanding gov­ernment resign for incompetence.

Perhaps more than it realizes, under the 12th December 2015 United Nations Paris Agreement on Climate Change which, having been ratified by a sufficient number of states, became international law in November 2016, the government of Guyana has taken many positions and made numerous commitments that in my view have severely limited its policy space in the area of climate governance.

(Reuters) – Two U.S.-based energy executives pleaded guilty yesterday to U.S.