Crime
Dharamlall denies new allegation of rape: Former Minister of Local Government Nigel Dharamlall has denied allegations of sexual assault and rape made during a press conference on May 10th by former employee of his ministry, Sarah Hakh. In a statement issued to the press following the public allegations, Dharamlall said that he has always maintained a cordial relationship with Hakh, but that her demeanour changed after he rebuffed her advances and rejected her attempts to engage in an intimate relationship. The former Minister further accused Hakh of launching a campaign to tarnish his reputation through social media, leaks to the traditional media, and a “whisper campaign”, and questioned what had reignited her attempts to harm his reputation, particularly at this time. Dharamlall noted that he has instructed his attorneys to review Hakh’s statements with a view to taking legal action against her and others involved in spreading falsehoods. “I have known Ms. Hakh personally for several years and have always maintained a most civil and cordial relationship with her, including socializing on many occasions. Her demeanour towards me changed fundamentally after I rebuffed her advances and spurned her attempts to engage in an intimate relationship. Thereafter, Ms. Hakh embarked on a campaign to malign and tarnish my reputation. This was manifested through several fake profiles on social media, surreptitious leaks of information to the traditional media and a whisper campaign to anyone willing to listen,” his statement read. Hakh had invited members of the media to listen as she read from a statement in which she alleged that she was raped twice by the minister, in two separate incidents. According to Hakh, the first incident occurred in September 2020, when she was invited to meet with Dharamlall at his residence to discuss a job opportunity. Breaking down in tears during her recounting, the woman said that during the meeting, the Minister pulled her into a room, became aggressive, and sexually assaulted her.
Military
US fighter jets in flyover of Georgetown: on May 9th at 2:00 pm, with collaboration and approval from the Government of Guyana, two U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornets, from the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, conducted a Guyana Defence Force-coordinated and approved flyover of Georgetown and its surrounding areas. There were reverberating booms all over the city yesterday as the aircraft flew low in a display that left some baffled and unnerved as fighter planes low in the sky are not a common occurrence here. A release from the US Embassy said that this exercise built upon the routine security cooperation and bilateral defence partnership with Guyana. “As part of its worldwide defense mission, U.S. Navy vessels routinely transit international waters all over the world conducting similar exercises and exchanges with partners and allies”, the release said. The flyover came amid ongoing signs of aggression by Venezuela over its claim to Guyana’s county of Essequibo. In its statement, the Government of Guyana said it had approved the flyover of the F/A-18F Super Hornets.
Oil & Gas
No award made yet on offshore oil blocks – Jagdeo: No contract has been entered into as yet from the 2022 oil blocks auction but the consortium of Qatar Energy, TotalEnergies, and Malaysian state-owned oil firm, PETRONAS has gone the furthest in current negotiations with the government, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed last week. “It is only one that has reached this stage, at this point and time,” Jagdeo told Stabroek News as he explained that the consortium’s due diligence screening process was completed and the stage was now set to enter into discussions for a petroleum agreement. Jagdeo pointed out that this information is already public. “We had awarded the blocks already and you know to whom.” He reminded of previous statements where he said that the due diligence process would have to be completed for all the awardees and then the “next stage was to enter the negotiations and then complete.” The Qatar Energy consortium has signalled to the government that “they are ready to move forward to the conclusion.” Reuters yesterday reported Minister in the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, as saying that cabinet had approved a bid for an offshore oil block by a consortium including QatarEnergy, TotalEnergies, and Malaysian state-owned oil firm PETRONAS. This is clearly not so as the negotiations have not been concluded. Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, echoed the Vice President as he too reminded that “all are at the negotiation stage” still. Last October, government announced the recipients of oil block awards for the country’s deep and shallow-water blocks, which were auctioned during the 2022 Licensing Round. The successful companies were Sispro Inc. (Guyana), awarded S3 Block; Total Energies EP Guyana BV, Qatar Energy International E&P LLC, Petronas E&P Overseas Ventures SDN BHD (Malaysia), awarded S4 Block; International Group Investment Inc., awarded S5 Block; Liberty Petroleum Corporation of the US and Ghana-based Cybele Energy Limited awarded S7 Block; Exxon/Hess/CNOOC awarded S8 Block; International Group Investment Inc, awarded S10 Block; Delcorp Inc Guyana, comprising Watad Energy and Communications Limited & Arabian Drillers of Saudi Arabia awarded D1; and Sispro Inc (Guyana) awarded D2.
Border controversy
PPP Congress condemns actions of Maduro regime: The 32nd Congress of the ruling People’s Progressive Party has strongly condemned the actions of the Nicolas Maduro “regime” in Venezuela for attempting to violate Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a statement last Monday emanating from the three-day congress which ended last Sunday, the PPP said it supports the Government of Guyana in defending “our national territory by all and any means necessary”. “Additionally, this Congress expresses its total and unqualified support for the wise, calm and mature leadership of the Government of Guyana in maintaining a climate of peace in our country and the region as a whole”, the statement said. It also expressed gratitude to international partners. “Further, this Congress extends its deep gratitude to the international community and friendly countries, including, the United States, Britain, Canada, France, European Union, CARICOM and OAS Member States in lending support and solidarity to Guyana on this matter of existential importance”, the statement added. The preamble to the statement noted that the boundaries between Guyana and Venezuela were fully and finally settled by the Arbitral Award of 1899 and conclusively demarcated under that Award in 1905. The Arbitral Award was recognized by all parties as a “full, perfect and final” settlement of the boundaries of Guyana and Venezuela. Further, Article IV (2) of the Geneva Agreement of 1966 empowered the United Nation’s Secretary General to select the Inter-national Court of Justice (ICJ) as a lawful means for the settlement of the controversy. “Guyana remains faithful to the 1899 Arbitral Award and the Geneva Agreement and opted to utilize the mechanism provided for in the Geneva Agreement to have the matter referred to the ICJ for peaceful resolution, in accordance with Inter-national Law. “Venezuela, in clear violation of the letter and spirit of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the Geneva Agreement, has taken steps to annex the Essequibo region of Guyana comprising two-thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory, despite the fact that the matter is currently before the ICJ”, the statement added.
Politics
PPP erases Marxism-Leninism and Socialism from its Constitution: Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo last Sunday confirmed that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had voted to erase Marxism-Leninism and Socialism from its Constitution during the recent 32nd Congress. Speaking at the post-congress press briefing, Jagdeo emphasized that while those ideologies were removed, the party remained committed to its founding principles, political philosophy, core values, history, struggles, and achievements. “The party’s strategic objective is to create a fair and equitable society. This objective will find expression in the establishment of a national democratic state, which is already in our Constitution, that will embrace political and ideological pluralism,” Jagdeo said. “So, what this means is that you can be anybody; you can be a person who believes in socialism… you can believe in capitalism, but you [can] have a place in the party. “… You can be a worker, a farmer, a fisherman, a bauxite worker, you can be an intellectual, you will find a place and a home in the PPP. We believe in political democracy, political and ideological pluralism … and our track record bears us out on this, and internally.” According to Jagdeo, while the party’s history and working-class ideology are important, it was necessary to update the constitution to reflect the current global climate. “The People’s Progressive Party … will ensure that the primary objective of its policies and programmes is to improve the lives of working people, the poor, and the dispossessed. They shall be achieved through a pro-poor approach to economic growth and development,” he added. He explained that the removal of socialism and Marxism-Leninism allows the party to focus on more relevant principles and values, such as cultural diversity, racial equality, and religious harmony. He also highlighted the importance of retaining democratic centralism as a method of organization, noting that it promotes robust debate while ensuring compliance with majority decisions. “So, we’ve defined what we mean by democratic centralism. It’s not something to hold people in bondage… we have defined it as majority rule. Of course, there are several other recommendations. Where, in our Constitution, it said that we had to teach every one of our members the principles of Marxism-Leninism, we’ve replaced that with our party’s founding principles, political philosophy, core values, history, struggles, and achievement. We want our members to know about that. So, we replace teaching our members Marxism-Leninism, which is an alien concept,” he stated.
President Ali tops PPP Central Committee with highest number of votes: President Irfaan Ali secured the highest number of votes of the 35 delegates elected to the Central Committee during the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) 32nd Congress. While his score of 2,308 votes may suggest he is in prime position for the post of General Secretary of the party, Ali has already indicated that he has no interest in that position and more than likely Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo, who came in second with 51 votes less, will be returned to that role. During a post-congress press conference last Sunday, it was revealed that behind Ali and Jagdeo ,Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha was third with 2,174 votes, while Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat and Parliamentary Chief Whip Gail Teixeira earned the fourth and fifth places, respectively. Also, in the top ten were embattled former minister Nigel Dharamlall, Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Kwame Mc Coy, Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, and Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai, in that order. At the previous congress, which was held in 2016, Jagdeo had secured the top spot with 100 votes ahead of the second-placed Dr. Frank Anthony, while Teixeira had been third. This year saw some newcomers emerging and others who were on the old list being eliminated. This year Anthony came in 15th with 1308 votes. At the press conference, Jagdeo stated that the three-day congress had been a resounding success. He said that with more than twice the number of delegates at the last occasion, the congress had many volunteers who worked tirelessly.
Jagdeo defends PPP’s private sector focus: Addressing the 32nd Congress of the PPP on May 4th, General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo declared that the party will focus on private sector growth and political pluralism without prejudice to the working people’s outlook that has guided it since its founding in 1950. He accused critics of the party of wanting to draw it into a sterile ideological debate about the `isms’. “Today many people want to drag us into a sterile political debate, ideological debate, and they’re stuck in a different era. They want us to debate the isms, capitalism, socialism, Marxism and really I say sterile because this party has had one ideology from its beginning a working class ideology that is reflected in our constitution. If you read the preamble to the constitution of the People’s Progressive Party it says political pluralism, ideological pluralism, political democracy, cultural diversity and racial equality. Now this was the constitution of this party from its inception, listen carefully: ideological pluralism, political pluralism, cultural diversity and racial equality. Why do we have to all the time be defensive about what we want? That’s our life in this party that’s in the constitution so when we say our policies are pro poor when we say that the pervasive, the key focus of this government will be a pro poor one that is reflective of our ideology, a working people’s ideology”, he said. He then made a case for a pro-business approach which analysts say the party has largely aligned with since the passing of the Jagans, the founders of the party, who were firmly Marxist in their outlook. “… but does that mean that we can’t be pro development or pro private sector at the same time? … It’s a false way of placing the question because …our constitution mandates us to focus on development and therefore as of a necessity we have to focus on private sector growth and the political pluralism that we talk here so … I am going to put that debate to rest here today because you will see every week articles coming out about what is the PPP doing and they want us to go back to the terminology of 60 years ago. We don’t have to do that to define who we are we are a working class party. We believe in the development of all Guyanese. We believe in racial equality we believe in cultural diversity we want prosperity for all of our people”, he asserted.
Development
Eviction notices served to 15 in path of new harbour bridge: With only six of the 21 residents in the pathway of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge accepting government’s compulsory acquisition package for the lands already now owned by the state, notices of eviction and demolition of property were yesterday served to the remaining homeowners. “We have signed the relevant orders; the one-month period has passed; all the lands are now vested with the state and we are simply moving ahead with the project. No resident will be suffering a loss. It is either you accept the offer with government or the government is compelled to follow the package that the court will determine,” Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill told the Stabroek News in an interview, following the distribution of the eviction notices to the residents last week. Residents yesterday bemoaned the situation with some saying they felt they were being bullied for their property. “This is bullyism with terrorism going on with y’all. Every time y’all come is bullyism. Now if allyuh these have a project, nobody stopping development, but the things y’all going on with is not professional and y’all inconsistent with y’all doings…” an elderly resident told Edghill yesterday as he handed her the notice, while declaring that she “would not be signing!” The “Notice of Eviction from and Demolition of Property,” which was seen by this newspaper reads, “…In the meanwhile, and being pressed for time, the Government proceeded with the compulsory acquisition of your property in accordance with Sections 6 and 7 of the Act. You were informed that in light of the failure to arrive at an agreement on the compensation to be paid, the Government will engage the High Court in accordance with the Act for a resolution of that matter. Therefore, Title to the property now vests in the Government. You are aware that the Government owes certain obligations under the contract for the construction of the said bridge which requires the Government to deliver to the contractor vacant possession of the said property. As a result of the Government’s inability to discharge these obligations, the contractor is unable to access the area for works.” “In the circumstances, and with sincere regret, the Government wishes to notify you that you are to vacate the said property within 30 days from the date hereof. If you fail to do so, the Government will be forced, as a matter of last resort, to evict you from the said property and demolish the same. Please be assured that the Government will prefer not to resort to this recourse. The Government therefore solicits your urgent cooperation,” it added.
Crime
Boy, 16, stabbed to death in Kitty: Benjamin Seaford, a 16-year-old of Lot 12 Public Road, Kitty, was fatally stabbed last Monday morning. The police yesterday said in a statement that his assailant escaped. The incident occurred at around 12.45 am. Inquiries, the police say, revealed that the victim and suspect were known to each other. On the date and time mentioned, the victim was at the corner of Lamaha and Gordon streets, where he and the suspect had an argument during which a scuffle ensued. The police say that the suspect then pulled a knife from his waist and dealt the victim stabs about his body. Seaford then ran in a western direction on Gordon Street and collapsed about 100 feet from the intersection. The police and Emergency Medical Technicians were summoned and responded. The victim was examined and pronounced dead by a doctor of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
The scene was processed by ranks of the Crime Scene Unit, Criminal Investigation Department Head-quarters, the statement said. The father of the deceased told Stabroek News that he was informed that on Sunday night his son received a call from a friend who insisted that the teen leave his home and “come represent them”. This, he said, was in relation to a fight that was supposedly about to occur.
In the courts
Man gets life imprisonment for home invasion killing: The man responsible for the 2020 killing of court tout Darrell Breedy during a home invasion, has been sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after serving no less than 20 years. Terrence Pitt, 30, was handed the sentence yesterday morning by High Court Judge Jo-Ann Barlow. Pitt called ‘Shots’ and ‘Sonna Boy,’ had originally been indicted for murder, but at his arraignment, pleaded to the lesser offence of manslaughter. He admitted that on October 5th, 2019, at Humming Bird Street, Festival City, he murdered Breedy during the course of a robbery at the man’s home. Justice Barlow had initially commenced the parole eligibility period at 30 years; but after making a one-third deduction for the offender’s early guilty plea, the total was brought to 20 years. Further, from this amount, the Judge ordered that the prison grant him remission for the time he would have spent on remand awaiting trial.
Electoral fraud case adjourned again: The case involving former Chief Election Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield; former Deputy Chief Election Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers; and former Region Four Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo, among others, accused of electoral fraud,was last week adjourned until May 29. This delay comes as the High Court continues to address constitutional issues raised in the lower court. In yesterday’s session at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Leron Daly, defence attorney, Nigel Hughes, informed the court that the Constitutional matter regarding “fair hearing,” is still under consideration by the High Court. Lowenfield and Myers have filed constitutional proceedings, seeking declarations that Section 140(2) of the Representation of the People’s Act is unconstitutional. These proceedings are currently engaging the attention of the Chief Justice. “The Chief Justice has put the constitutional matter down for the 13th May 2024 for further arguments. The court then adjourned the matter to the 29th May 2024 for further report on the High Court proceedings.” In an earlier hearing, Hughes had raised concerns about the fairness of the proceedings, citing Section 140:02 of the Representation of the People’s Act, which prohibits the disclosure of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) meeting minutes as unconstitutional. He seeks access to these minutes to demonstrate that the actions of Lowenfield, Myers, and other election officials were in accordance with GECOM decisions. Hughes argued that without these documents, the defence would be unable to question GECOM Chairman Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, and Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Robeson Benn about decisions made at the Commission level. As a result, the magistrate cannot proceed with the hearing while these proceedings are pending.
Exxon, Ramps deny GRA charge of false declaration: ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) and Ramps Logistics Guyana on May 10th denied in court a charge by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) that they had made false declarations in relation to oil well equipment. Representatives of the two companies appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly. Steve Gentry a manager of ExxonMobil represented by attorneys, Nigel Hughes, Edward Luckhoo SC, Narissa Nengiah and Shawn Shewram, appeared to answer to the charge. It was alleged that on November 16, 2023 at Lot 200-201 Camp Street, Georgetown, ExxonMobil caused to be made and subscribed a false declaration to the GRA, a quantity of oil well equipment and supplies to be valued at US$12,192,103,923.91. He pled not guilty. GRA prosecutor Jason Moore asked for 3-4 weeks for a return date to court as investigations are still ongoing. Representative of Ramps Logistics, Mariska Jordan who was represented by attorney Sofia Jones appeared to answer to the charge of making a false declaration. It was alleged that on November 16 2022 at Lot 200-201 Camp Street, Georgetown she made an untrue declaration to the Guyana Revenue Authority she declared the sum of US$12,192,103,923.91 for a quantity of oil well equipment and supplies. She pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on her own recognizance. Her next scheduled court appearance will be on June 28 2024. The Magistrate informed her that she is allowed to leave the jurisdiction but must appear for her court dates. Moore made an application for both of the matters to be joined together. Magistrate Daly recommended that the application be made on June 28 2024 when the investigations are completed and the matter is ready for trial.
Accident
Minibus driver killed in collision on Orangestein Public Road: Police are investigating a fatal accident that occurred on May 9th at about 05.15 hours on the Orangestein Public Road, East Bank Essequibo, which resulted in the death of 33-year-old Deoraj Baldeo also known as ‘Alex’. The accident involved a lorry, GVV 9777, driven by Ramgobin Prahalad, 60, of Parika Outfall, East Bank Essequibo, and minibus BSS 7322, driven by the now dead man who resided at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo. Inquiries revealed that the lorry operated by Prahalad reversed out of a stone depot situated on the northern side of the road and collided with the front of the minibus, which was proceeding west along the same road, allegedly at a fast rate of speed. As a result of the collision, Baldeo, and the other occupant, Fazal Abrahim, 55, who was in the front passenger seat, were trapped in the vehicle. They were eventually freed by members of the Guyana Fire Service and taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where Baldeo was pronounced dead on arrival. Fazal Abrahim, who sustained head injuries, was later transferred to Georgetown Public Hospital. His condition is regarded as stable.
