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Wednesday Oct. 13, 2021

ONLINE DAILY NEWSPAPER

ARMED MEN ROB CEVON’S MANDELA AVENUE HEAD OFFICE

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HITMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO Pg3 BUSINESSMAN MURDERING

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GUNMEN INVADE PASTOR’S HOME, ROB THE HOUSEHOLD

Wednesday Oct. 13, 2021

ARMED MEN ROB CEVON’S MANDELA AVENUE HEAD OFFICE

The Police are said to be on the hunt for seven men who were armed and who invaded the Cevon’s Waste Management Head Office on Mandela Avenue carting of several phones and a vault containing an undisclosed amount of cash. According to reports, the incident occurred just after 2 AM today, when two Security Guards, one being a 56-year-old man and the other, 64-yearold, was on duty. It was revealed by one of the Guards who were in a hut in front of the building that he was approached from behind by two of the suspects

who were armed with They then held him other guard was also handguns and who at gunpoint and took being held at gunpoint. Two other suspects shouted, “Don’t move or him to the back of the we gon kill you”. building where the who jumped the fence

broke the glass door to the building took the guards into the building where they were tied up

with duct tape. Three other suspects joined the four and relieved the victims of one Samsung Galaxy cellular phone valued at $15,000, one ZTE cellular phone valued at $17,000, and some cash from a vault that was inside the building. The suspects then exited the building and made good their escape leaving the victims tied. They later managed to untie themselves and raise an alarm. Checks were later made in the area for the suspects but they were not seen.

HITMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MURDERING BUSINESSMAN

Eight years after a businesswoman was found dead in a garbage bag in her Diamond, East Bank Demerara home

with stab wounds and other injuries, one accused described as the hitman has pleaded guilty to the murder.

Colin Grant, who was named as the hitman, today while being on trial before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow, admitted that

between August 30 and August 31, 2013, he killed Ramnaress called “Sabo.” The guilty plea came one week after Grant denied the allegation. But this week he changed his plea and sought the lesser count of manslaughter. With the change of plea, Grant is expected to the sentenced on November 2 pending a probation report. The woman Ramnaress aka Sabo was

Gunmen invade pastor’s home, rob the household

A 71-year-old pastor and her family are now left traumatized and at the same time counting their losses after bandits invaded their Meadow Brook Garden home and carted off some of their valuables in the wee hours of the morning. The incident reportedly occurred just around 3:40 hours today in Lama Drive, Meadow Brook

Garden, where a 71-yearold pastor and her family reside. When investigators visited the victims’ home, it was revealed that they were robbed at gunpoint of one cellular phone valued at $ 31,000, one laptop computer valued at $78,000, and two iPads valued at $28,000. One cell phone valued at $65,000, One laptop

valued at $75,000, two televisions valued at $250,000, and $60,000 in cash after they had retired went to bed but forgot to secure a wooden door to the upper flat of the house. One of the family members, a 36-year-old female Supervisor, said that she was awakened by someone walking in the hall. As she got up to investigate, she was

confronted by the two suspects, one of whom pointed a gun at her and told her not to make any noise. The bandits then demanded she hand over money and gold, but the woman told them that she did not have. They proceeded to pick up what was in her bedroom. The bandits then turned their attention to the Pastor’s room, woke her up, and demanded money and gold. She said that she became afraid and handed over the money. The suspects then picked up the victim’s other articles which were in the hall and made good their escape through the open door. The police maintain that efforts are being made to apprehend the suspects

found on the morning of August 31, with stab wounds about her body and injuries to the head. The body was stuffed in a garbage bag in her Diamond home. Flammable liquid was also thrown throughout the house and at the back of the yard. A fire was then lit and the fire department was called in only to find Sabo murdered in the building. CCTV footage was

also removed from the house but Grant was named the main suspect in the matter. Subsequently, the woman’s husband of 21 years, Colin Bailey, was also fingered for the murder. He was said to be the one who had paid to have his wife killed. Bailey, who was also charged, still remains on trial for the murder. He has denied playing any part in the murder.

Banko wine and Turbo energy drink suspected in woman’s death The last drink might have caused the death of a Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo woman who reportedly mixed Banko Wine and Turbo then later started to feel unwell. The police identified the dead woman as a 50-yearold cleaner, Allison Noble. The incident occurred just around 11:30 hours yesterday. The police explained that just around 20:30hrs ranks attached to Tucshen Police Outpost acted on information and proceeded to Tuschen Housing Scheme. On arrival, contact was made with Ms. Noble, who was lying in an unconscious state at the Tuschen car park.

Further inquiries revealed that the now deceased was consuming a mixture of Banko wine and Turbo energy drink which resulted in her feeling unwell and causing her to collapse at the said car park. She was then rushed to Leonora Cottage Hospital where on arrival she was

treated by a doctor on duty and admitted a patient. She later died at the said institution. The body was checked but no marks of violence were seen on the most exposed parts of her body which have since been escorted to Ezekiel Funeral Home to await Post mortem

Tuesday Oct. 12, 2021

Police seek Ratty for Kaneville murder

One month after a miner returned home to register his newborn baby and was murdered during an attempted robbery in Kaneville, the Police are now on the hunt for Seon Caesar, called Ratty. According to a wanted bulletin, the police have named Ratty as the prime suspect in the murder of Nelson Thomas Ratty is said to be 25-years-old, and his last known address is said to be Kaneville, East Bank Demerara. Anyone with information that may lead to Caesar’s arrest is asked to contact the police

on telephone numbers 620-1943, 225-2700, 227-0968, 226-6978, 225-8196, 216-0252, 2160254, 911, or the nearest police station, as the information is expected to be treated with stick confidentiality. Reports are that Thomas of Fourth Field, Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, was stabbed to death during a suspected robbery, just hours after registering his newborn. At the time, Thomas and his wife had travelled to Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) to register their newborn after working for quite some time in an interior region. During the time of his death on September 9, last, around 19:00 hours, while at home, Thomas reportedly told his mother

that he was going to visit his uncle at Second Street, Kaneville.Sometime after he left his house, the family member of Thomas was told by a resident of Kaneville that he looked out and saw the miner lying motionless under a shed attached to the eastern side of his house. The resident subsequently called the police and reported the matter at the Grove Police Station. It appears that Thomas at the time was returning home when the suspect(s) attempted to rob him and stabbed him in the process. Thomas was escorted to the Diamond Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

However, with such a high volume of documents and other material to be used in the court matter, the Chief Magistrate noted that there might be a challenge with space in the court to keep the documents before handing them over. The boxes might have to remain outside and might take some time to be processed. That suggestion,

however, did not sit well with Prosecutor Ramdhani who said that safety remains a concern knowing how sensitive the documents are, even though they might not be the original copies. In the end, it was noted by the Chief Magistrate that the documents will be dealt with by the Clerk of Court to find the best method in which the process can be smoother. December 17 has been given as the next date for the continuation of the matter to decide on a trial date. It is alleged that Mingo, Lawrence, and Joseph are before the court on two counts of fraud, the first of which alleged that on March 5, 2020, with intent to defraud, Lawrence and Mingo uttered a report purporting to be a true declaration of all votes cast in District Four (Demerara-Mahaica) for March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections, knowing the same to be forged. On the other hand, it is alleged that on March

13, 2020, Mingo and Joseph uttered a forged document purporting to be a true report of all votes cast in March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections, knowing that said report was forged. It is also alleged that on the said date, Joseph conspired with Mingo and others to declare a fraudulent count of votes for District Four. The trio is each on $100,000 bail for allegedly conspiring with one another to defraud electors during the course of March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections. It is further alleged that the trio, between March 2 and August 2, 2020, at Georgetown, conspired with each other, together with Volda Lawrence, Carol Smith-Joseph, Sherfern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Bobb-Cummings, Michelle Miller, and others to defraud the electors of Guyana by declaring a false account of votes for the elections.

Prosecutor in elections fraud case raises concerns about security of material

As matters relating to the March 2020 allegations of fraud continues in the Magistrates’ court, with former Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; PNC/R Chairperson, Volda Lawrence; Coalition political activist, Carol JosephSmith, and four others, including the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM), the lead

State Prosecutor, Darshan Ramdhani, has expressed some safety concern over the storage copies of Statements of Poll (SOPs’) and Statements of Recount (SORs’). He fears if not kept well these documents may be tampered with. As the defendants, Lawyers, and State Prosecutors return for another round of sorting out the handing over

of evidence and other documents, the state today returned with what it described as a truckload of evidence for each of the nine defendants in the courtroom of Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan According to the state prosecution, the Defendants will each have collected four large boxes, nine disks of interviews, Index sheets, and Statements.

MAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY RAPING THREE BOYS A 39-year-old Berbice man is at the center of an investigation involving the rape of three teenage boys in Berbice. Reports are that the incident would have occurred in the Region Six Area during the year 2020 and between 1st January 2021 and 8th October 2021 According to the victims, two brothers aged 15 and 17 and a 16-yearold explained that the 39-year-old suspect is known to them personally. They would often get permission from their parents to go to his house

to do chores. On several occasions, separately, the victims were threatened at knifepoint by the suspect who then committed the acts on them against their will and consent. The boys did not tell anyone since they were threatened but it became overbearing and the first victim told a family member what transpired. As a result, a report was made to the police and investigations led to the arrest of the suspect on Sunday. He is presently in custody.

Robeson Benn takes fire-fighting skills to Tiger Bay Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn and Chief Fire Officer (ag) Gregory Wickham, Fire Prevention Officer, Sheldon Sauns, and other fire officials did a walkthrough in Tiger Bay, Georgetown, on Sunday. There they distributed smoke detectors to residents and demonstrated the use of fire extinguishers. Some of the residents participated in use the of the multipurpose Dry Chemical fire extinguisher

to put out simulated fires. The Guyana Fire Service wants citizens to be more aware of fire prevention and safety. It is taking the opportunity to educate persons on the use and importance of smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. Minister Benn said he intends to use members of the Community Policing Groups as first responders, by providing them with the necessary training and access to fire extinguishers.

conceptualized during a conversation with one of her team members, Anuradha Persaud. This espouses the idea of imparting creative writing skills along with functional literacy to develop storyboards written by girls who had difficult lives and surmounted those challenges. These inspirational stories will be published and the proceeds used for these young women’s wellbeing. A series of inspirational books are intended to be published over time. Each girl in the programme will be tutored for six weeks and provided with a creative survival kit that includes a tablet, hygiene

products, toiletries, stationary supplies, and a backpack to motivate them and support them. Teachers and journalists will be partnering with the Ministry of Human Services in the pilot programme, intended to be rolled out countrywide next year. In her recently launched Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) programme, a practical, skills training programme for women and girls, Dr. Persaud has included courses on Information Technology, garment construction, graphic designing, video editing, photography, and interior decorating.

International Day of the Girl Child…

MINISTER of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, in an effort to empower girls and amplify their voices, launched “The StoryBoard Initiative” and a special edition of “Youth Unfiltered” as the Ministry joins the rest of the world in observing

International Day of the Girl Child. The ‘day’ is observed on Monday, October 11 annually is used to recognise the importance, influence, and budding talents of girls. It is also to promote the opening up of more opportunities for them. The occasion is

also designed to raise awareness of genderbased issues such as the digital divide, poor learning opportunities, violence, and exploitation of girls. “Girls in our country must be actively involved in the conversations about their welfare and future and be given the

enabling environments in all spheres to develop their potentials. It must be our mission to equip a formidable generation of girls with every tool to make the architects of the world for tomorrow’s women,” Minister Vindhya Persaud declared. “The StoryBoard Initiative “was

Faulty electric point causes fire scare at NIS head office

Days after the Brickdam Police Station went up in flames, National Insurance Scheme (NIS) went on high fire alert and called in the Guyana Fire Service after an overloaded loaded switch started to smoke on Monday.

operations started to change the damaged points. Later when everything was under control, some staff operating in the affected area were told to take the rest of the day off, as power was expected to

The NIS was said to be the third fire emergency call for the day. There was another at the Guyana Post Office. Speaking to the media after the incident, the Divisional Commander of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), Hemchandra Persaud, said that with such high fire risk the GFS remains on high alert also. “We have seen an increase in calls especially from (Monday). We had three calls. We would have responded to the GPO, NIS, and a bridge in Campbellville where there was a rubbish fire lit by someone.

that GFS due to the high risk has also shifted its approach due to high-level risk. “We are going to raise the level of preparedness; we are at the drawing board right now with senior officers knowing that we had a serious fire at the Brickdam Police Station. Of course, in life, we have to go through the vicissitude of life and there are always changes that we have to adapt to. “So, we are working as it is right now to look at our resource and to see what necessary we need, especially in this point in time, when we

According to the Guyana Fire Service, just before midday, in the Office of the General Manager, Holly Greaves, an electrical point started to smoke. The fire service responded with three fire trucks, an ambulance, and the ranks from Guyana Police Force. On arrival on the scene, firefighters explained that a point in the room was indeed smoking. With the aid of the policemen and women, the building was cleared of staff and others. With smoke still emanating from the point, prompted the shutting off the power to the building, they quickly tackled the affected area and the situation was quickly brought under control. The police also indicated that later the NIS Electrical Engineer quickly took over and

out for some time. The police advised the NIS to check the entire power supply chain to ensure that the problem does not occur again. The police also with safety in mind, to avoid a recurrence of the Brickdam Police Station fire a fire tender was left on standby.

“That fire was extinguished by the Campbellville units at GPO because it’s a high-rise building, it’s a Government building with lots of occupants. We would have sent a full response so that nothing got out of control,” Mr. Persaud explained. Mr. Persaud added

have a very hot weather and of course what is unfolding currently we have to first start thinking ahead and anticipate any eventuality.” This comes as the President, Mohammed Irfaan Ali blasted the GFS on its preparedness for the Brickdam Police Station fire.

Guyana to release CSEC, CAPE and NGSA results by Oct. 15.

The Ministry of Education announced on Saturday, that the Caribbean Examination Council has chosen Guyana as the host country to ‘release’ this year’s CAPE and CSEC results on October 14, 2021. In addition, NGSA is expected to be released on October 15; with raw exam scores coming from Barbados. The Caribbean Examination Council’s (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certification (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) were written during June -July this year. The examinations were written at a later date this year due to the effects, consequences, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Caribbean and the world. The Ministry of Education announced on Saturday, that the Caribbean Examination Council has chosen Guyana as the host country to ‘release’ this year’s CAPE and CSEC results on October 14, 2021. These results will be available to candidates on the CXC’s online portal from October 15, 2021. The National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) was equally affected by the pandemic and was written on August 4-5 of this year. Since 2016, CXC was contracted by the Government of Guyana to develop, administer and mark this examination/assessment annually. This year to further

advance the transparency and integrity of the examination/assessment, CXC’s responsibilities were extended and increased to include verification of raw scores. Additionally, to conduct and manage all reviews or appeals after the results are published and further to present the data and analysis of each year’s assessment. The Ministry of Education has been informed by CXC that the raw scores will be ready and sent from Barbados to Guyana by Tuesday, September 28, 2021, after which the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) will standardize the scores and offer placements according to the scores, and print results’ slips. In addition, from this year: 1. NGSA candidates will NOT be penalized with their raw scores because they were older than 12 years 6 months at the end of March of the year, the examination was written. 2. The standardized scores per subject will be rounded up to the nearest whole number and the TOTAL score will be given as a decimal number thereby offering candidates more fairness. The Education Ministry also encourages this year’s NGSA, CSEC and CAPE candidates to return all textbooks and resource materials to their respective schools. Failure to do so may result in being unable to access results

Temporary home for Brickdam police up and running close to the lockups. When they arrived the fire seemed coming from the sections close to lockup. The fire, however,

Following the fire which destroyed 80 percent of the Brickdam Police Station Commander of the Division, Simon McBean, has noted that despite the setback the force is ready to serve the community. This response comes as ranks of the division, particularly from the Brickdam Police Station, are affected in terms of accommodation after Saturday’s fire took out most of the complex, destroying files, offices, properties of civilians, and the force. The Brickdam police are relocated to St. Stanislaus

College where they will accommodate the public and by extension ensuring that the laws are upheld. Commander Mc Bean has insisted that the police are now up and ready to serve the community from all various departments. “The inquiries department is up and running, traffic service is up and running, the Criminal Investigation Department is up and running. Those are our primary areas of operation. The patrols are out in full force,” Mr. Mc Bean said. He added, “All of our services are up and

quickly spread with the aid of wind to other sections of the building. At the scene, members of the force were seen saving what they could

running. We are trying. There are some minor works going on to get the ranks comfortable The Commander’s office will be fully operational.” Commander Mc Bean says while the space may not be adequate it remains workable. The ranks are now getting comfortable in their new spaces. Just Saturday the Brickdam Police Station went up in flames leaving nothing but two buildings in the compound. According to the Guyana Fire Service, the fire started just before midday around a section

Another fire threatens a government building

The building that houses the Police and Public Service Commissions has become the fourth government building in four days under fire watch after an overloaded wire called for the presence of the Guyana Fire Service(GFS). Following the fire, which ravaged the Brickdam Police Station, a fire scare at the Guyana Post Office (GPO) and at the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) in the past few days, the fire service was once more on high alert, today, as the smell of smoke emanated from the PSC building. According to reports, it was just around midday, when the staff of the Local Government and Regional Development building, who share a compound with the PSC said that info@guyanapostonline.com

they smelled something was burning. In the midst of taking precautionary measures, the fire service was called in. Also turning up was the Guyana Power and Light (GPL). On arrival, fighter fighters and the GPL staff later identified the fault and quickly moved to cut power to the building. After accessing the situation, it was found that an external wire that leads to the PSC building was overheating and required immediate attention. The worker from the GPL then changed the faulty wire, as an overassessment of the entire electrical grid is expected to be done to ensure that issue does not occur again. The copper of the wire was seen burning and it was removed from the

building. This happened after over 80 percent of the Brickdam Police Station was allegedly set by a Lodge resident, Clarence Greene, and small electrical fires at the GPO and NIS. Divisional Commander of the fire service, Hemchandra Persaud, said on the heels of the fire at the NIS building, there is a need for an assessment of the building with the old electrical set, to prevent any fire.

have. The fire continued to travel, burning several shops nearby and an old gas station on Hadfield Street, aback by the police station.

SHUNNING PROFESSIONALISM FOR POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY

Adam’s

note book

Guyana is probably the country with an abundance of talented people. The reality is that the man in the street does not see these talented people. In fact, older people are now wondering whether it would not be long before mediocrity becomes the new norm. The government must have determined that there was more than enough talent to keep the wheels of the country turning because it quickly removed some of the talented people who were in the system. It then set about replacing them with people it feels comfortable with. Of course, some of these new employees are the beneficiaries of elections promises. I listened to the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Vincent Adams, talking about his removal from office. Undoubtedly, he has been the most qualified head of the EPA. He resurrected a dead agency at a time when Guyana is preparing to become an oil-producing nation. He spoke of the EPA is a revolving door info@guyanapostonline.com

for staff members who simply wanted a stepping stone. The result is that precious little got done. In fact, the EPA was largely ignored by all and sundry. It was merely required to rubber-stamp certain government pronouncements. Vincent Adams changed that to the point where the EPA began to make an impact on national life. It challenged Exxon Mobil to do the right thing by paying for its indiscretions in the industry. It flared gas to the extent that the environment was threatened. The Vincent Adams-led EPA made the company pay. It even threatened to take the company to court for some other indiscretion. That has changed. I am left to wonder whether Dr. Adams’s removal was due to pressure on the government. Of course, the government claimed that Dr. Vincent Adams was a political appointee. It did not stop to consider that Dr. Adams had responded to an advertisement for the job, that he was interviewed by a panel,

and that he was the most qualified applicant. There is a new Director of the Environmental Protection Agency but the EPA is once more a toothless poodle. In fact, it has lapsed into obscurity and the government seems content. At least it does not have to pacify Exxon Mobil. It is the same in numerous other areas. In the field of communication, English has all but disappeared. There is no relationship between subject and verb, no question of tense, and of course, pronunciation is no more a sign of knowledge. There are new heads in radio, television, newspaper, and public information, all chosen by the government. The COVID-19 situation is horrible. I am not sure whether it is due to the absence of a national plan or simply a case of Guyanese bad luck. Not so long ago I complained that people were no longer dying by the twos but by the fours. I should have shut my mouth. People are dying in droves. More than 100 people will die this month. The irony is that the government is linking the deaths to the vaccination. You die if you are unvaccinated. But people also die if they are vaccinated. That is when the government talks about underlying conditions. The records will show that about 60 percent of the population is either diabetic, hypertensive, or both. Most of us have underlying conditions. So vaccination or not we are likely to die if infected. At least the Minister of Health said as much when two fully vaccinated people died from COVID-related illness.

Yet, there is the drive for everyone to be vaccinated. I am vaccinated. There is talk about herd immunity. There will be no herd immunity because the variants are different from the original virus. But we can only hope that there will be some protection against COVID. The authorities are saying that wearing a mask, washing hands, and social distancing is not enough. There is another issue that I find worrying. There was the COVID relief distribution. Some people got and many did not. Both President Irfaan Ali and the Opposition Leader called for an audit. The AuditorGeneral has come back to say that COVID has impacted his ability to audit the distribution. So as long as there is COVID-19 there can be no successful audit. Many dishonest people would be able to escape. However, this should not be the end of the audit. My belief is that even if the auditors take two years, they must complete this audit. A lot of money was voted for the relief. It is now the same thing with the flood relief. A lot of money has been set aside. Some people are complaining that they have been badly assessed. If indeed COVID is a limiting factor, how could anyone be successfully assessed? But the Agriculture Minister says that he would correct the situation. Would he go into the fields to visit every affected farmer despite COVID? He may wish to take the Auditor General with him.

Guyana to release CSEC, CAPE and NGSA results by Oct. 15.

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