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Wednesday April 19, 2017
Kaieteur News
Agricola men in court Guyanese embassy in Cuba acquires electric car its green energy initiative, for robbing woman of but now it has proved handy indeed. “I’m lucky, and I’m happy cash, jewellery about that,” He said. Two residents of Agricola, East Bank Demerara have been remanded to prison for robbing a woman at gunpoint of cash and jewellery. Antonio Maraj, 20, a fish vendor, of 27 Public Road, Agricola, East Bank Demerara and Dexter Wray, 24, of 95 Romulus Street Agricola, were not required to plead to the charge which stated that on April 4 at Lot 4 Public Road McDoom, East Bank Demerara, while armed with a gun, they robbed Simone Beaton of two tablet computers, two gold rings and $1,135,000 cash. Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan ordered the duo to make another court appearance on May 8. Attorney-at-Law Stanley Moore represented the two accused and asked for them to be granted bail in a reasonable sum. However, Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore opposed bail citing that there is a likelihood they might not return to court. The prosecutor also disclosed that none of the articles mentioned in the charged were recovered. According to the prosecutor, the case file is still incomplete.
Guyana Ambassador Halim Majeed (right), talks to his driver as he shows a recently acquired electric car at the embassy in Havana, Cuba, April 14, 2017. (REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini) By Marc Frank | HAVANA An electric car dealer with a Miami subsidiary is telling Cuba-based diplomats struggling with a gasoline shortage on the Communistrun Caribbean island that they should fret no longer. The United States, which maintains a trade embargo on Cuba, licensed Premier Automotive Export to sell vehicles to non-state entities in Cuba, such as embassies and private companies, as part of detente under former president Barack Obama. “We put together a
special offer and are distributing the flier - a 2016 Nissan (7 2 0 1 . T ) L e a f electric sedan, plus super c h a rg e r, f o r $ 2 5 , 0 0 0 , including shipping direct from Miami to Mariel Port,” said John Felder, owner of Premier’s Cayman Islandsbased parent, Automotive Leasing and Sales Co. The cash-strapped Cuban government cut back deliveries of high-octane gasoline this month, sending diplomats, other foreigners and better-off Cubans scrambling to locate fuel and
waiting in long lines to fill up their cars. It was not clear how long the shortage would last, and the government has not commented on the situation. Most Cubans who own cars, mainly vintage American and Soviet-era models, use lesser-quality fuel that can damage modern engines. To date, Felder has sold just one of his vehicles, to the Guyanese Embassy before the shortages began. Ambassador Halim Majeed said his government purchased the car as part of
Majeed said other diplomats had always shown interest in his electric car, but there was more now. “It is natural that when one faces an issue, you devise ways and means to overcome that challenge,” he said, “and in this situation, the electrical vehicle can help do that.” Cuba depends on crisisracked ally Venezuela for about 70 percent of its fuel needs, including oil for refining and re-exports. But socialist Venezuela’s subsidized shipments have fallen by as much as 40 percent since 2014. Potential new suppliers usually want cash due to Cuba’s poor credit rating. Two of three Cuban refineries have closed or have operated well below capacity for months. Swedish Ambassador Jonas Loven said he would “think seriously” about Premier’s offer the next time the embassy changes its official car. “It would send a good CO2 message as well,” Loven said. “Unfortunately, we just bought a new Mercedes.”