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Kaieteur News
Thursday September 06, 2012
Santo Domingan with false Carpenter killed as US passport remanded pick-up slams into cycle
A native from the Dominican Republic, who was found in possession of a false US passport by local immigrant authorities, when he attempted to use it to travel to Suriname, was yesterday remanded to prison by Magistrate Judy Latchman for uttering a forged document. The charge states that on Friday August 31 at Moleson Creek, Springlands, Kelpin Vilmidir Espinal presented a United States of America passport in the name of Jerome Amberley, to an immigration officer in an attempt to enter Suriname. The passport also bore a stamp which implied that it (the stamp) was issued by an immigration officer at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. However the bogus passport was detected and the officers later discovered that the immigration stamp affixed to it had been forged. Espinal was not permitted to plead to the charge when appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. His attorney Paul FungA-Fat, made a request for bail and stated that his client knows very little English, but has indicated that he is innocent of the charge. The
Kelpin Espinal being escorted to court lawyer further said that Espinal had been previously stamped in by immigration authorities when he traveled from Suriname to Guyana. However prosecutor Gordon Mansfield asked that the bail be refused as the
defendant is likely flee the country since he does not have a local address and further has no ties to Guyana. The magistrate then ruled that the accused will remain in custody and return to court today.
A father of two met his demise at Mon Repos, East Coast of Demerara (ECD), after a pickup slammed into his cycle while he was returning home with his fouryear-old son last evening. The victim, said to be a carpenter, was identified as 29-year-old Rajendra Sugrim, called Navin, of 61 North Mon Repos, ECD. His son Lakeram Sugrim known as Krishna was also injured, and was taken to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by public spirited citizens, where he was admitted. The man’s body was in a pool of blood in the corner of the road. It was taken to the Lyken Funeral Parlour a little over an hour after the accident. According to reports, the accident occurred about 18:30hrs and the driver of the white pick-up (PMM 607), was heading towards the city. The driver reportedly even attempted to escape the scene after hitting Sugrim who was heading in the opposite direction- several feet from the junction near the market, and dragged him with the cycle.
Former President accountable to Guyanese for ... From page 2 publication was a breach of security. The government statement even contemplated “legal proceedings” over the publication. Yesterday, the AFC hit back, citing the case of former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair who was made the subject of and compelled to testify at the inquiry into his involvement in taking Britain into the Iraq war after he left office. “There must be no immunity of persons after they demit office,” said AFC. The party has seven seats in the National Assembly. Lawyers and police officials yesterday noted that there is no law that they are aware of that prevents members of the public from taking photos of the homes anyone, be it public officials or otherwise. “The era of ‘Google Earth’ has long removed the concept of privileged locations immune from public scrutiny. Even the royal family (England) has suffered more invasive intrusions into their personal life.” In addition to this, there are thousands of photos on the net of the homes of public officials, including present and former Presidents. Jagdeo’s sale of a house in Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara, while he was
in office, for a whopping US$600,000 ($120M) had raised eyebrows. There were criticisms when an entire area off north Sparendaam was cleared and plots of lands were sold to several government officials in somewhat secret circumstances. An antenna belonging to the NCN had to be moved at enormous expense across the river to La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, to facilitate a posh new housing area catering to
abuse of power which was not unknown to the Jagdeo regime.” AFC said that Jagdeo is accountable for his actions. “The fact that President Jagdeo has demitted office does not prevent him from being accountable for his acts and omissions while he acted as President. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was made the subject of and compelled to testify at the inquiry into his involvement in taking Britain
“It is a fact that no other former president other than Jagdeo demitted office with an increase in his asset base of in excess of 1000%. None. Presidents Desmond Hoyte, Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan left office with the same assets with which they assumed the office.” a chosen few. Together with a controversial pension package for former Presidents that was passed under the tenure of Jagdeo, the opposition had been highly critical. AFC said yesterday that there should be clear explanations about matters that concern the taxpayers of Guyana. “The Alliance For Change maintains that there must be no ambiguities in the law and the benefits that are given to Jagdeo or any former president must be clearly identified both in description and in quantity so as to avoid the
into the Iraq war after he left office. There must be no immunity of persons after they demit office.” According to the party, for government to “defend Jagdeo and attempt to spin the newspaper’s coverage into some kind of security breach is totally ludicrous”. AFC also said yesterday that it has taken note, with amusement, of the attempts by “the usual suspects” to shift focus off the evidence of corruption highlighted by its Chairman, attorney-at-law, Nigel Hughes, during the “NCN so-called debate”.
“What Hughes did was to highlight the fact that former President Bharrat Jagdeo left office a considerably more wealthy person than when he first took office… a feat not achieved by any of his predecessors. It is a fact that no other former president other than Jagdeo demitted office with an increase in his asset base of in excess of 1000%. None. Presidents Desmond Hoyte, Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan left office with the same assets with which they assumed the office.” The party also slammed statements by Minister of Labour, Dr. Nanda Gopaul, which “suggested that somehow once one is afforded the privilege of being elected to the High Office of President of this Republic, the person must “fix” himself up”. “This is repugnant and must be rejected by all right thinking citizens,” the AFC said. “The privilege of being president is about service to the country and not about enriching oneself. It is a matter of considerable significance that despite being afforded several opportunities to indicate where citizens of Guyana can purchase an acre of ocean front property for $5M, the goodly doctor and the Attorney General were unable to provide the citizenry with any answer.”
- Son, 4, hospitalised
Dead: Rajendra Sugrim The man failed to escape after his vehicle did not restart. Persons then gathered around the vehicle, and police were summoned to the scene. He was taken into custody and detained at the
Beterverwagting Police Station. “This man had to die on the spot with the force the vehicle knock he with, his son was crying and people take him to the hospital,” one resident said. Residents in the area gathered at the scene and expressed their shock at what had transpired. They noted what was even more worrisome was that the driver did not even care to render assistance but wanted to escape the scene. “Every Wednesday he (Sugrim) does take out he family to buy chicken at Chester Fries, and he don’t normally use his bicycle, now look what happened,” one relative lamented. Neighbours gathered at the home of the deceased to offer condolences. The man’s relatives were inconsolable.
Ex-salesman faces embezzlement charge A former salesman of Continental Agenies, accused of fraudulently converting in excess of $800,000 worth of goods which was entrusted to him to market for the said company, was yesterday placed on $1 million bail after he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Donovan Vickerie, 22, a resident of East La Penitence, was not required to plead to the charge which read that between June 27 and August 2, he fraudulently embezzled a large quantity of goods valued over $800,000 property of Continental Agencies.
Reports are that between the two dates, Vickerie was scheduled to sell the commodities and return the proceeds to the entity but did not. He was later contacted by representatives of the company and he admitted to utilising the sum of money. Vickerie was subsequently arrested and charged. His attorney asked the court to grant bail at a realistic sum. The prosecution did not oppose the lawyer’s application and the accused was granted bail. He is scheduled to make his next court appearance on October 24.
Student fined $25,000 for store theft A 17-year-old student of St. George’s Secondary School was yesterday ordered to pay a fine $25,000 or alternatively spent 12 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to stealing $4000 worth of items from Baxani’s Trading. The charge is that the teen, a resident of Sophia, allegedly stole a music set, 5 earpieces and a belt from Baxani Trading Enterprises while he was employed as a labourer at the store during the summer vacation period. He admitted to the crime immediately after it was read to him by Magistrate Judy Latchman. The facts of the case is that on August 28, a supervisor of the store observed the defendant with a belt that is sold by the store
affixed to his pants waist, after the defendant could not give a logical explanation as to how he got the belt, the police were called in. A search was later conducted at the defendant’s home and other stolen items were recovered. He later confessed to the crime. Attorney at Law, Terreen Haynes-Anthony who entered an appearance on behalf of the lad, told the court that her client has no antecedents, comes from a humble home, and promised to never commit a felony again. The lawyer asked her client be granted leniency as he had not wasted the court’s time. Before the magistrate made her ruling she recommended that the teenager acquire professional counselling.