Friday February 22, 2019
PAGE 31
Kaieteur News
Alleged fraudster remanded, Killer father in Canada dies in hospital as funeral held for girl, 11 already in jail for similar offence A Toronto-area man charged with first-degree murder after his 11-year-old daughter’s body was found in a Brampton home, died Wednesday, said Peel Regional Police. Roopesh Rajkumar, 41, a Guyanese-born man, had been in Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto with what police said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound since the night Riya Rajkumar was found dead last week. He died the same day hundreds of mourners remembered Riya at an emotional funeral service in Etobicoke in suburban Toronto, according to a CBC.ca report. Rajkumar was arrested about midnight the night of February 14, around the same time officers discovered Riya’s body in his basement apartment following an Amber Alert issued about an hour earlier. Police said homicide investigators are continuing to investigate the death of Riya. Police were initially alerted by Riya’s mother that Rajkumar had failed to return the young girl from her birthday celebrations that evening. Provincial police found Rajkumar driving north on Highway 11 near Orillia, about 130 kilometres north of Brampton, in a silver Honda Civic. Initially, police revealed he was taken to hospital rather than jail, but declined to disclose what led to that decision. On February 16, Peel po-
Dead: Roopesh ‘Ravi’ Rajkumar lice Const. Danny Marttini, said that after provincial police transferred him to Peel’s custody, officers noticed he was “not acting right” and decided to call paramedics, who transported him to a local hospital. Doctors discovered he was suffering from a gunshot wound and then taken to a trauma centre for further treatment. Details of his wound weren’t immediately released. On Tuesday night,
friends, family, and members of the community gathered at a candlelight vigil in Brampton to remember Riya, who was a Grade 5 student at Meadowvale Village Public School. Chris McCord, acting Peel police chief, read a statement written by Riya’s mother at the event that said: “She touched a lot of lives with her laughter and contagious smile. It breaks my heart to know I will no longer be seeing that smile.”
Mining Lotteries to commence March 22, 2019 As part of its efforts to ensure the fair distribution of mining lands to waiting applicants, the Minister of Natural Resources has tasked the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and Closed Area Committee (CAC) to move forward with the distribution of mining lands by means of a series of mining lotteries set to commence on Friday, March 22, 2019. The criteria, methodology, and timelines for the mining lottery were finalized by Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman; GGMC Commissioner, Newell Dennison and CAC Chairman, Abiola Henry, along with their support staff. This was done at a meeting held at the Ministry yesterday. “It was the general agreement of the parties that there will be a few lotteries held in the different mining
districts which will give preference to residents of those districts. The GGMC is currently in the process of finalizing the list of eligible persons.” With this list provided, the ministry said, persons within the districts would be able to pull from blocks in that district. “Those unallocated areas remaining within the districts after this initial exercise, will be made available to others. The lotteries will also facilitate persons who would have applied several years ago. Also decided was that the mining lottery will be a threemonth process which will include the publishing of the names of persons eligible to participate. There will also be public notices stating that the Minister of Natural Resources and the representatives of the GGMC and CAC will be in the mining
areas conducting the closed lottery process.” The first lottery will be held in the Georgetown area on March 22, 2019 and will be followed by others being held in areas such as Matthews Ridge, Port Kaituma, Bartica and Mahdia, among others, within the months of April and May, 2019. “The Minister is pleased to have facilitated the advancement of the mining lotteries which has been on his agenda for quite some time. It is further pleasing to the Minister that the lotteries will be mining district specific, therefore allowing small miners within the districts who have applied to now have a chance to have access to available mining properties. Miners who will now benefit from this exercise are encouraged and further expected to utilize the lands given in ways that are safe and environmentally sustainable and that ensure that the laws of Guyana are abided by.”
A con man who is believed to be responsible for defrauding a hotel proprietor and three other individuals, was yesterday charged and remanded to jail. The man who had falsely identified himself as Kelvin, was later positively identified by police as Faizul Mohamed. Mohamed appeared in the Suddie Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Esther Sam yesterday, charged for allegedly obtaining credit by false pretence. The charge that was read stated that the offence was committed on Mohamed Karim, some time between November 26 and November 29, 2018. The accused is believed to have credited the items from a barber shop in Hibernia on the Essequibo Coast, which is owned by Karim. The charge also listed the credited items, which were an American Eagle slippers, worth $4,000, an Old Navy short pants, valuing $6,000, an Express shirt valuing $4,000 and a waterproof cell phone valuing $35,000. The accused reportedly credited the items under the false pretense that he was a gold miner who had gold to sell. The accused also on the
“Faizul Mohamed day in question, claimed that he will pay for the credited items as soon as they are sold. While in the witness box yesterday, Mohamed Karim said that the accused disappeared from the Essequibo Coast and severed all contact with him shortly after crediting the items. On January 17, 2019, however, Mohamed was called to the Aurora Police station, Essequibo Coast, where he once again met the alleged con man, who this time denied knowing him. The accused
maintained his plea of innocence in court yesterday saying, “For the final time I say I do not know Mohamed Karim, neither does he know me.” While cross questioning Karim, yesterday, the accused who claims he does not know Karim then asked, “You told me at the barbershop that someone give you a water proof phone to sell. Where is the receipt?” Karim in response said that he is unable to present a receipt. Faizul Mohamed was later remanded to prison, where he awaits a ruling on the matter that is scheduled for March 14, 2019. This publication was informed that Mohamed is already serving a six-month sentence for another offence of the same nature. Kaieteur News was informed that during the period November 26 to November 29, 2018, Mohamed defrauded a number of persons on the Essequibo Coast, apart from the barber. Reports indicate that the proprietor of a hotel, a taxi driver and a woman whose identity remains anonymous, were also defrauded by the said individual.