Guyana News

Even as it declared that all transactions for the recently announced US$75 million AC Marriott Hotel are above board, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) yesterday disclosed that the major US brand Hilton Hotel is also coming to Guyana at the same Ogle location.

The 11 political parties, which have been approved to contest the March 2, 2020 elections, yesterday signed a Code of Conduct under the auspices of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC).

Another call has been made for the legal framework to be put place to ensure persons with disabilities (PWDs) can independently exercise their right to vote if that is their choice.

Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, yesterday declared open the Department of Citizen-ship’s new $57.5M Immigration office in Canje, New Amsterdam, East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six).

Presidential hopefuls from five of the smaller new parties contesting the general and regional elections all have on the agenda the renegotiation of the oil contracts and the need for supporting other industries through revenues received from the oil & gas sector.

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate Irfaan Ali has been granted another adjournment to facilitate the decision of the Court of Appeal on the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the 19 fraud charges brought against him over the sale of state lands in the ‘Pradoville 2’ Housing Scheme.

Just days after the victim of a fatal stab wound, Latoya Haywood, was laid to rest, two persons were arrested by police after they broke into her tomb minutes after 1 am yesterday at the Le Repentir Cemetery where she was buried on Sunday.

Leslie Castello is expected to face yet another retrial after a 12-member panel was yesterday once again unable to arrive at a verdict on charges that he raped a young girl.

A vehicular accident on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway which occurred on Wednesday night has claimed the life of a female who is yet to be identified.

The two brothers suspected of committing the robbery at the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) kiosk at Giftland Mall remain in police custody, Commander of Region 4(A) Edgar Thomas yesterday told Stabroek News that they are still in the early stages of investigation and the brothers are being questioned.

A 20-year-old man who was accused of having over 400 grammes of cannabis for trafficking was granted bail yesterday after he was charged with the offence in Lethem.

The APNU+AFC campaign committee today announced that its manifesto for the March 2 general and regional elections will be launched today at campaign headquarters – 216/217 Lamaha Street, Georgetown.

President David Granger this morning received a courtesy call from Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of  Trinidad’s ANSA McAl Group of Companies, Anthony Sabga III who signalled the company’s interest in expanding its business here.

Republic Bank is advising its customers that Visa OneCard transactions which were conducted online and via other banks’ point-of-sales terminals and ATMs during the period November 4, 2019 to December 31, 2019 are now being processed to accounts.

The Ministry of the Presidency yesterday released its long-awaited local content policy which mandates the submission of an annual plan by oil and gas operators which among other things would describe programmes of support and development for Guyanese suppliers.

Anti-corruption watchdog group Global Witness has recommended that more effort be put into the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) investigation of the awarding of the licences for the offshore Kaieteur and Canje oil blocks, saying that key participants, including former Minister of Natural Resources Robert Persaud, have not been questioned about the process.

Acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire has declared that Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd (Hess) and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Ltd (Nexen), do not need separate environmental licenses to conduct oil production here since they are covered under the licence issued to ExxonMobil’s local subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (Esso).

Targeting oil and gas business travellers, another Marriott-branded hotel, the AC Marriott, is expected to be established here in another two and a half years near the Ogle Inter-national Airport, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) yesterday announced.

A child care officer is now traumatized after she was wounded by a knife-wielding bandit who attempted to rob her of her handbag on Tuesday morning in Albouystown, Georgetown.

A pilot is currently hospitalised after a S2R-T34 Turbine Thrush aircraft flipped over while attempting to land at the Mahaica Abary Rice Development Scheme (MARDS) yesterday afternoon.