Gov’t, GTU differ over period for salary talks: After a four-week-long teachers’ strike that ended through court mediation, the government and the GTU met lats Thursday for talks and differences have emerged over the period that salary increases should pertain to. Following two sessions yesterday at the Ministry of Education (MoE), the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) said that there had been agreement for salary increases to be discussed for the period 2019 to 2023 but Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain last night disputed this and said that the government’s original position remains that any multi-year agreement must start from 2024 and not retroactively. Hussain said that the union has proposed discussion of salaries for 2019 to 2023 and this will be discussed. Talks will resume on Tuesday at 9.30 at the ministry’s boardroom. According to a MoE release, during the meeting, 27 issues were identified by the two teams to be tabled for discussion. Both MoE and GTU agreed on the order in which the matters will be addressed. The first issue tabled for discussion was the establishment of Terms of Reference (TOR) for the meetings. The MoE said that after deliberations, it was agreed that that there will not be a signed TOR, however, both parties agreed that at the end of each meeting, two representatives of each negotiating team and two witnesses will sign the minutes. According to the MoE, some of the items identified for discussion by the GTU are: salary matters included in the multi-year proposal 2019-2023, the 2 per cent difference in salary for 2017 and 2018, the clothing allowance increase, and Whitley Council leave every 3 years. Some issues identified by the MoE for discussion are: teacher absenteeism and punctuality, poor performing schools, continuous professional education, and completion of syllabi. According to the release, the MoE reiterated its commitment to continuing dialogue with the GTU that has been ongoing and which has produced several noteworthy results that will benefit teachers, children, and the system as a whole. Chief Education Officer, Hussain, had adjourned the meeting yesterday during the first round to consult with his principals since the Ministry was hesitant to agree on the TORs. The two parties returned at 14.00 hours and the teams decided that rather than having TORs, signed minutes will now be facilitated at the end of each meeting.
Teachers’ strike
Teachers strike off: Court-ordered mediation last week succeeded in bringing a four-week-old teachers’ strike to an end and their union, the GTU will now be able to place salaries and collective bargaining on the table when talks begin with the Ministry of Education sometime this week. After two days of gruelling talks, the mediation ordered on Thursday by Justice Sandil Kissoon produced results yesterday afternoon – breaking a deadlock that was entering its 5th week with the Ministry of Labour and the Chief Labour Officer refusing to bring the government and the union to the table and to find a way to end the strike. The agreement reached between the two sides said that the teachers will resume work on or before Wednesday, March 6th, 2024. Discussions shall then proceed within 48 hours of resumption of work and shall be in relation to those matters which either party considers relevant for discussion between the union and government which includes financial matters. The reference to financial matters is pivotal to the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) as the government has imposed salary increases over the last four years without any negotiations with it. These discussions will take place in the boardroom of the Ministry of Education. The agreement said that “Both parties reserve all their rights pursuant to any agreement or the laws of Guyana”.
Oil & Gas
Ram says NRF does not reflect full amount of royalties due: Chartered accountant and commentator Christopher Ram has added his voice to recent concerns that the National Resource Fund (NRF) does not reflect the full total of petroleum royalties due to Guyana. In a column that appears in today’s Stabroek News, Ram said that based on his calculations, some US$73.8m of royalties are unaccounted for. He noted that a letter by Professor Kenrick Hunte that appeared in Kaieteur News had raised the issue. A letter by Candice Dorwish in the February 25, 2024 edition of Stabroek News had also raised this concern. Ram quoted the rejection by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo of Hunte’s argument. “Royalty is calculated on production minus, so total crude production minus the crude used in the operations for transport and on the FPSOs (Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels). In Guyana’s case, the FPSOs are operated by gas, so there is no deduction whatsoever, so royalty is calculated on the basis of total production and total sales. There is no deduction whatsoever. Every month, they have to confirm what the average price would be, the weighted average, and the [government] gives approval for that”. Ram in response said it does not appear that the Vice President has bothered to read the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), let alone its reference to the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act and its definition of “petroleum”. “In fact, the very first item in the definition of `petroleum’ is this: `any naturally occurring hydrocarbons, whether in a gaseous liquid or solid-state’. Does the country’s petroleum czar not know that billions are charged to operations annually for supplies to the oil companies by at least one oil distributor? His answer was not only completely wrong, but shockingly misinformed, misleading and a total misrepresentation of reality. If this is Jagdeo’s knowledge of the petroleum sector, then President Ali has to step in, lest things get worse than they are”, Ram argued. In his calculation of the royalties, Ram pointed out what the PSA prescribes about “royalties”. ‘The Contractor shall pay, at the Government’s election either in cash based on the value of the relevant Petroleum as calculated pursuant to Article 13 or in kind, a royalty of two percent (2%) of all Petroleum produced and sold, less the quantities of Petroleum used for fuel or transportation in Petroleum Operations, from all production licenses subject to this Agreement.”
Exxon files for arbitration to protect first-refusal in Hess sale to Chevron: Exxon Mobil Corp. last week filed for arbitration to retain its preemption rights over Hess Corp.’s stake in a giant offshore oil development in Guyana, threatening Chevron Corp.’s US$53 billion deal to buy into the field, Bloomberg reported. Exxon filed for arbitration yesterday morning in the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, senior vice president Neil Chapman said at a conference hosted by Morgan Stanley. Chevron’s deal to buy Hess amounts to circumventing Exxon’s pre-emption rights, Chapman said. Reuters had last week reported that ExxonMobil had said it may exercise pre-emptive rights that could block Chevron from acquiring a 30% stake in a giant Guyana oil block, the centerpiece of its rival’s US$53 billion deal to buy Hess. The largest U.S. oil producer’s aim could be to get Chevron to raise its commitments to the capital-intensive Stabroek block, which contains at least 11 billion barrels of oil, or to make some other concession elsewhere, analysts and investors said, according to Reuters. The two largest U.S. oil producers are both rivals and partners in projects around the world. Exxon is “very possibly looking to extract a pound of flesh from Chevron to support the deal proceeding,” MKP Advisors said in a note. “It is very possible they want greater commitments from Chevron than Hess has previously signed up to”, Reuters reported. Exxon operates all production in Guyana with a 45% stake in the consortium and Hess and China’s CNOOC as its minority partners. Exxon and CNOOC believe the right of first refusal applies, the U.S oil producer said in a statement, as they owed it to their investors and partners “to realize the significant value we’ve created and are entitled to in the Guyana asset.” Yesterday, the UK’s Financial Times (FT) said that Exxon also signalled it could make a counter offer for the assets. Access to some of Guyana’s 11bn barrels of offshore oil was a key rationale for Chevron’s acquisition of Hess announced last year, it said. Exxon argues that its right to pre-empt the sale of the stake in Stabroek is inscribed into a joint operating agreement with Hess and CNOOC.
Accountability
Top Cop, GWI CEO named by Integrity Commission as defaulters: The Integrity Commission has served notice to 31 public officers that they face a fine and imprisonment if they don’t submit their 2022 Declaration Form on or before April 2nd , 2024 and among those listed as defaulters are the acting Top Cop Clifton Hicken; the GWI CEO Shaik Baksh; the CEO of the NDIA, Frederick Flatts and the Vice Chancellor of UG, Dr Paloma Mohamed. In the Official Gazette of March 2nd, 2024, the Integrity Commission said that Pursuant to Section 19 of the Integrity Commission Act, as at 16th February, 2024 the 31 Specified Persons in Public Life failed to submit their declaration to the Integrity Commission for the 2022 declarations period (1st July, 2021 to 30th June 2022). It said that the specified persons in public life are requested to submit their 2022 Declaration Form on or before 2nd April, 2024. “Continued failure to file will now constitute an offence as per Section 22 of the Commission’s Act, No. 20 of 1997. The offence stipulates in Section 22 a fine of twenty-five thousand Guyana Dollars (GYD $25,000) together with six (6) months nor more than one-year imprisonment term’, the notice said. Among others in default are Ivor Thom – Administrator, Burrowes School of Arts, Castellani House; Raymon Cummings – Registrar General, General Registrar’s Office; Brigadier Godfrey Bess, former Chief of Staff (ag) of the Guyana Defence Force; Gregory Wickham – Chief Fire Officer (ag), the Guyana Fire Service; Dr Dwight Walrond – Chief Executive Officer (ag), the Guyana Livestock and Development Authority; Nigel Hoppie, former Commissioner of Police. Others on the list are Thurston Semple, Chief Executive Officer, the Lethem Power Company; Horace Williams, CEO of the Hinterland Electrification Co. Inc; Holly Greaves, General Manager of the National Insurance Scheme and Lloyd Moore, former Chief Executive Officer of the Gaming Authority of Guyana.
Politics
ANUG calls on Asha Kissoon to give up Parliament seat in keeping with pact: A New and United Guyana (ANUG) yesterday said that the leader of The New Movement (TNM), Dr Asha Kissoon is refusing to relinquish her seat in Parliament in line with the agreement struck by the three list joinder parties in 2020. ANUG is now supposed to take up the seat in Parliament but it says Kissoon, who is also the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, has not resigned. Contacted yesterday by the Sunday Stabroek, Kissoon offered “no comment” on the ANUG statement. When pressed further, Kissoon maintained her “no comment’ stance. ANUG in a statement said that it and the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and TNM executed a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2020, agreeing to merge the votes earned by them if sufficient to take a seat in Parliament, and to share occupation of that seat in Parliament in proportion to the votes earned by each. The statement said that the result of the election was that LJP and ANUG, each with more than 2200 votes, would occupy the single seat won by the merger for the majority of the time, while TNM, with 244 votes, was entitled to occupy the seat for 91 days. Because the Constitution of Guyana provides for the removal of a Member of Parliament only by his resignation or by his removal by the Representative of his party’s List, it was clearly understood that the Memorandum of Understanding was based on trust and integrity, since it would not be enforced in Court, the statement said, adding that the three parties would have to trust each other. “After the 2020 Election, Mr. Lenox Shuman took occupation of the single merger seat on behalf of LJP, and occupied that seat for two and one-half years, before honouring his commitment and resigning. Because TNM was allocated only a few months by virtue of the Memorandum of Understanding, and was at risk of being kept out of Parliament altogether, in the event that an early election was called in 2025, ANUG offered to permit TNM to take the seat for their allotted period immediately when Mr. Shuman demitted. “Dr. Asha Kissoon duly assumed the seat in Parliament on behalf of TNM. If she intended to honour the commitment made by her in the Memorandum of Understanding, Dr. Kissoon should have resigned that seat in November, 2023”, the statement said. However, ANUG said that Dr Kissoon has now held that seat for more than twice her permitted allocation under the arrangement of trust set out in the Memorandum of Understanding.
Ali says not contesting for position of PPP General Secretary: President Irfaan Ali will not be contesting for the position of General Secretary (GS) at the PPP Congress in May, as he believes his current portfolio of responsibilities are more than enough. “No! No! Nope! No way!” Ali told the Sunday Stabroek when asked if he would be contesting the post. “That position requires a lot of work, time and dedication and I already have so much to do already….” The position is currently held by former President Bharrat Jagdeo. Former President Donald Ramotar agrees that the work in both roles is indeed “taxing” and explained it was why when the late Cheddi Jagan was President, he had appointed an Executive Secretary. “It is very taxing and does require a lot.” Jagan had however kept the position of General Secretary when he served as President from 1992 to 1997. Ramotar pointed out that nothing in the Party’s constitution can “stop or oppose or stipulate” a president from vying, but he would never advise on doing it, emphasising that it would also require great mental fortitude. Ramotar had been appointed by Jagan as party Executive Secretary. He later became General Secretary when Jagan passed away. Jagdeo has said that his position of General Secretary would have to be decided upon by the party’s members as it would “be presumptuous of me to say I will be General Secretary” after the congress. “I will decide to contest at that time but right now I am GS until those elections are held,” he stressed. He said that committing to a role as General Secretary was tantamount to him saying that “I own this party” when everyone knows that party leaders are determined through voting. “I am General Secretary until that point in time,” he said. Party executives this newspaper spoke with opined that Jagdeo is an excellent General Secretary as he is in tune with all of the party’s affairs and makes sound decisions.
In the courts
CJ rejected DPP application to have Jordan arrested over BK deal: Acting Chief Justice Roxane George SC has dismissed an application filed by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, who was seeking to have former Minister of Finance Winston Jordan arrested without a right to be heard, and committed to be tried for the offence of misconduct in public office, which a Magistrate had discharged him of, after finding that there was not enough evidence to sustain the charge against him. Though for different reasons, the Chief Justice affirmed the finding of the Magistrate that the prosecution had failed in discharging its burden of proving at the preliminary inquiry that there existed sufficient prima facie evidence warranting Jordan to be committed to the High Court for trial. The case involved the controversial sale of prime waterfront properties located in Kingston, Georgetown, to prominent constructing and quarrying company BK Marine Inc., back in 2020. The prosecution’s case had been that Jordan authorized the sale of the properties for far below market value of the land—selling them at a meagre twenty million dollars—when their real value was some five billion dollars. Particulars of the charge against Jordan stated that he wilfully misconducted himself and acted recklessly and unlawfully by selling the properties at a grossly undervalued price to such a degree as to amount to an abuse of the public’s trust and without reasonable excuse or justification. In throwing out the case, the presiding magistrate upheld a no-case submission made by Jordan’s attorney who argued that he ought not to be called upon to lead a defence as the prosecution had failed to make out a prima facie case. The magistrate would go on to rule in Jordan’s favour, that the prosecution could not establish a key element of the offence—that being—that Jordan was a public officer, which had to be satisfied. While the Chief Justice would also rule that there was not sufficient evidence to commit Jordan for trial, unlike the magistrate, she found that Jordan was a public officer; but would go on to find that the entire charge and evidence produced, lacked merit and therefore could not be sustained. Following a request in consonance with the new statutory provision Section 72 (2) of the Criminal Law (Procedure) (Amendment) Act 2023, and having perused an authenticated copy provided by the Magistrate of the evidence produced by way of the witness statements, the DPP advanced that the no-case submission made on behalf of Jordan ought to have been overruled. Through her attorney Dr. Kim Kyte-Thomas, the DPP in her application argued that Jordan was a public officer at the time he committed the alleged offence, that a prima facie case was established, and he therefore ought to have been committed to stand trial. The DPP filed her application for a warrant for the arrest and committal of Jordan to the High Court for trial, in accordance with Section 72 (2) of the Act.
Hussain sticks to ‘illegal strike’ script in affidavit response to GTU court filing: Maintaining that the Guyana Teachers Union’s (GTU) strike is illegal, Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain staunchly defended the government’s position to cut striking teachers’ pay and to stop the deduction of union dues, in his affidavit in response to the case filed by the union. As the strike enters its fifth week Hussain, whose defence was filed by the office of Attorney-General Anil Nandlall, is asking the court not to grant the reliefs sought by the union. He claimed that talks between the union and the Ministry of Education have been ongoing since 2020. Even as the mediation process ordered by Justice Sandil Kissoon continues today, Hussain is asking the court to deny all the contentions of law sought by the union as they are “hopelessly misconceived and wrong”. He is further seeking to have the court dismiss the matter. Justice Kissoon has barred the government from cutting teachers’ salaries and stopping the deduction of union dues until the substantive matter is determined. According to Hussain’s affidavit, the strike has caused severe disruptions to the teaching-learning process, is unlawful, and engaged in bad faith. It argued that there exists an employer-employee relationship between the state and teachers, and any breach of this relationship would attract the common law principle of ‘no work, no pay’. Hussain further stated that while the constitution provides for the freedom to strike, there are consequences to such actions, including deductions to account for unearned salary due to unauthorised absences. He referenced a letter dated February 6, 2024, in which the government informed the union that it would no longer act as an agent for deducting union dues from teachers’ salaries. These arguments were put forth in court by Nandlall just before the February 22 ruling by Kissoon in favour of the status quo being maintained pending the outcome of the court case. While accusing the GTU of displaying a lack of good faith by moving to strike despite ongoing engagements with the ministry which have resulted in the granting of many of its demands, the affidavit pointed out statutory breaches committed by the union. Among them are failure to file annual returns for nearly two decades and failure to submit financial statements for auditing for over 35 years. In response to the union’s arguments of deprivation of property and hardship, Hussain expressed the belief that these contentions are now moot in light of the recent court order to preserve the status quo. He further denied all allegations of constitutional violations and argued that the union’s claims are misconceived and wrong.
Crime
Parika Backdam housewife murdered: Nikesha Sutton, a 24-year-old housewife of Parika Backdam, East Bank Essequibo, was murdered last Monday afternoon allegedly by her reputed husband. The suspect is yet to be arrested. Police say they are investigating the murder which occurred at about 5 pm on Monday at Parika. Sutton had been in a seven-year relationship with the 24-year-old man. Investigations revealed that at about 3 pm, the suspect arrived home under the influence of alcohol and a heated argument ensued with his wife resulting in the man leaving the home. At about 5 pm, the suspect returned home with two alcoholic beverages in his hand and another heated argument erupted between the couple which resulted in a scuffle. Sutton’s sister intervened to stop the scuffle and thereafter, the suspect told Nikesha to pack her things and move out of the home. Sutton then placed some clothes in a bucket and was making her way through a track to her sister’s house nearby, when the suspect allegedly picked up one of the beer bottles, broke it and stabbed her once to the neck. He then fled the scene.
NA fight among relatives leaves one dead: A fight between relatives last Sunday evening in New Amsterdam, Berbice has left one man dead and another has been arrested for questioning. Dead is Godfrey Daniels, 42, a labourer of Lot 17 Princess Elizabeth Road. According to information gathered, the incident happened around 10.30 pm on Sunday along Princess Elizabeth Road. Stabroek News was told that Daniels and a man identified to be his son in law were involved in a scuffle during which Daniels was allegedly broadsided. Persons in the area yesterday said, that Daniels first went to the New Amsterdam Police Station and filed a report after which he succumbed to injuries sustained along the road. The man’s son, Godfrey Daniels Jr, yesterday relayed that he was only informed of his father’s death through the funeral parlour which uplifted his father’s body. The young man explained, that “The (funeral parlour) told me that they were not supposed to pick up the body because the police did not know about the body as yet and they had to drop back the body by we. I tell them that I didn’t know that my father get murder and that I coming over there just now and then I get a next phone call from my brother saying that my brother-in-law broadside him (father) in his face.” According to the son, Daniels and the suspect who both reside at the said location had an ongoing issue and would often fight resulting in relatives including him having to intervene. “Is a regular thing with them but my aunty does hide away things and don’t talk and right now they hiding things like they want the man (suspect) to go free but this story can’t go just so. We have to seek justice for he.” Meanwhile, police have since arrested the suspect and a female for questioning.
Gold miner, worker robbed and murdered at Arimu Backdam: A 50-year-old miner and a 30-year-old labourer both of Bartica, were shot and killed by two masked men during a robbery at Arimu Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven last Sunday morning. Police say they are investigating the murders of Zaheer Mohammed Sheriff, a 50-year-old gold miner of Byderabo Road, Bartica and Donovan Washington, a 26-year-old porter of Lot 11 Seventh Avenue, Bartica, which occurred around 10:00 hrs last Sunday. According to a police press release, the suspects were two masked men on a Red ATV, who allegedly carted off 102 ounces of raw gold valued at $37 million and two licenced firearms (a .32 pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun) property of Sheriff. The police said that investigations so far have revealed that Sheriff was the owner of a six-inch land dredge operation at Arimu Backdam and at about 10:00 hrs yesterday, he left his camp with Washington on an ATV enroute to Bartica. He had 102 ounces of raw gold. General Manager for Sheriff’s operation, Joel Stephen, 39, told the police that about five minutes after his boss left camp, he heard several loud explosions which he suspected to be gunshots. Stephen told police he went to make checks in the area, and about 500 metres away from the camp, found both men lying on the trail with gunshot injuries about their bodies. He also observed that both of Sheriff’s firearms and the gold were missing. He later made a report to the Bartica Police Station. The release said Sheriff’s body had circular wounds to his right upper chest, upper right thigh, upper right arm and left upper back, while Wash-ington had circular wounds to his lower abdomen, left chest, left shoulder, left hand, left elbow, four to right thigh, two to left thigh and one to his back. The release said the scene was processed and one .32 magazine with eight live matching rounds, seven 9 mm spent shells and three .32 spent shells were found.
In the courts
Six freed of conspiracy in `Smallie’ escape: The six persons who were charged with conspiracy to facilitate the escape of death row prisoner, Royden Williams, known as ‘Smallie’, were all acquitted of the charges and freed by Magistrate Crystal Lambert on March 8th at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court. The defendants were former head of security at the Mazaruni Prison, Alexander Hopkinson; Rajmohan Autor known as ‘Chico’, 48, a businessman of Parika Outfall; Frangeliz Jugandry Flores Perez, 28, a Venezuelan of Alexander Street, Kitty; Omar Witherspoon, a prison officer of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam; Conroy Hosannah, a prison officer of Fort Ordnance Housing Scheme, East Canje, Berbice; and Oldfield Romulus, 50, a prison officer of Cumberland Village, East Canje, Berbice. It was alleged that on May 19 2023, they conspired to assist Williams in escaping from the Mazaruni Prison with high-powered weapons in a speed boat. The convicted mass murderer escaped while being escorted back from a visit. He was shot dead on June 1st. Attorney at law Bernard Da Silva represented, Alexander Hopkinson, Patrice Henry represented Conroy Hoosanah and Omar Weatherspoon, Renea Marcus represented Oldfield Romulus. The lawyers argued that no evidence was presented to support the charge of conspiracy.
Elections fraud case further delayed over defence application for GECOM minutes: An application by defence counsel for some of the 2020 elections fraud accused, for access to GECOM minutes has triggered another delay in the long-awaited hearing of the case.Magistrate Leron Daly last Wednesday ruled that the argument raised by defence counsel Nigel Hughes that the absence of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) minutes for the period in question would deny a fair trial to his clients: former Chief Election Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield and Deputy CEO, Roxanne Myers had merit. The magistrate therefore ruled that matter would have to be referred to the High Court and she adjourned the case to April 2, 2024. Witnesses for the prosecution were present in court on Monday and yesterday to no avail as they were not invited to testify. On Monday, Hughes raised eyebrows when he asked for access to the GECOM minutes. Prosecutor Darshan Ramdhani KC argued that Hughes should have raised this matter two years ago during the period for disclosures. At Monday’s session it was pointed out that section 140 (2) of the Representation of the People Act says that “No evidence of any deliberations of the Elections Commission or communications between members of the Commission regarding its business shall be admissible in any court”. Hughes said this section clashes with the constitutional right to a fair trial as outlined in articles 144 and 149 (d). The Magistrate then set yesterday for a ruling on the matter. When the court convened, the magistrate said that the court had determined that the defendants’ concern regarding a fair trial, as stipulated by articles 144 and 149 (d) of the Constitution, holds substantial merit and directly impacts the entirety of the trial proceedings. Consequently, the court is obligated to refer the matter to the High Court for a thorough examination of whether section 140 (2) of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) violates constitutional principles and whether GECOM should disclose pertinent deliberations and meeting minutes. Prosecutor Ramdhani informed the magistrate that in light of this decision he wants the court to put in writing that he has been ready to pursue the matter since the date that was set for trial. The magistrate obliged his request.
Former police corporal freed of murdering city businessman ‘Saga’: The murder charge against former Police Corporal, Derwin Eastman, has been discontinued by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed. Eastman was remanded to prison in 2017 for the murder of city businessman, Godfrey Scipio, popularly known as ‘Saga’ who was shot during a robbery on October 12, 2017. Stabroek News was reliably informed that Eastman was released from prison on Monday. Three persons were remanded to prison for the businessman’s murder back in 2017. Eastman, who was once named ‘Best Cop’, along with Constable Jameson Williams, were taken before Magistrate Judy Latchman back on November 22, 2017, and charged with the murder of the businessman at Stanley Place and David Street, Kitty, in the course of a robbery. Eastman and Williams were not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge. In July of 2021, Eastman was committed to stand trial for the murder of Scipio at the High Court, while his co-accused, Williams, was freed of the charge. This decision was made by Magistrate Fabayo Azore, who presided over the preliminary inquiry into the charge against the two men. Meanwhile, 26-year-old pork knocker, Aubrey Bobb, of 79 William Street, Kitty, was also charged with the murder of the businessman. He was charged on October 17, 2017, before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. A second charge was read to him for the unlawful possession of 58 grammes of cannabis for trafficking on October 13, 2017, at his home, discovered when police went to arrest him for the businessman’s murder. He pleaded guilty to that charge and was sentenced to three years in jail and fined $34,800. Bobb initially was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge of murder and was subsequently remanded to prison. It is later at his arraignment for the capital offence at the High Court in Demerara back on September 5, 2022, that he admitted to the charge which stated that he murdered Scipio in the course or furtherance of a robbery.