2 news
thursday, february 26, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com
EU plugs €25,000 into Media Monitoring Unit T
he European Union (EU) has committed €25,000 (G$5.89 million) to support the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in reviving the Media Monitoring Unit (MMU), which was relaunched last week at the Georgetown Club. Director of the Americas Department in the European External Action Service, Roland Schaefer, who is in Guyana for a two-day working visit, and the Chairman of GECOM, Dr Steve Surujbally, endorsed the initiative Wednesday morning at GECOM headquarters. The funding towards the re-establishment of the MMU comes from the governance component of the Technical Assistance Facility of the 10th European Development Fund. Funding has also been given by the EU from this instrument to provide two international experts to support GECOM in its capacity-building activities. Total EU funding in support of GECOM-related activi-
ed media operatives for participating in the training sessions, which subsequently led to the signing. The GECOM Chairman said media operatives should be reminded that they were above the “political frame”, noting too that they should hold fast to the truth. Alluding to the MMU, he said it has maintained a smooth track record due to its ability to promote peace during elections. “Media monitoring made elections a success in the past and this did not change
in 2011. With you (media operatives) doing your jobs, you in turn make ours easier,” he said. However, Dr Surujbally warned that if any media practitioner or entity defied the conditions within the Code of Conduct, GECOM would not hesitate to act accordingly. “If anyone gets out of line, we will not take it sitting down,” he emphasised. In addition to the signing of the Code of Conduct, members of the MMU were revealed to the press.
However, these individuals are still to undergo training in this capacity, but GECOM said the various media houses will be informed in no more than a week of the commencement of monitoring. All of the persons appointed to serve as part of the MMU, Dr Surujbally disclosed, are holders of degrees from the University of Guyana, mainly in the field of communications. Some are also experienced in the field of journalism.
‘Watermelon Man’ murder trial GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally
ties ahead of the forthcoming elections amounts to 300,000 euros. The initiatives were undertaken as a result of requests by GECOM and the Government of Guyana. Last week, media managers signed onto GECOM’s Media Code of conduct following the completion of a two-day workshop. At the event, the MMU was also
launched. Owners and editors of all media houses pledged to practise journalistic integrity and professionalism while covering the upcoming elections. The 2015 Code of Conduct is a re-drafting of the renewed and unselfish endorsement of media operatives in the upcoming elections. Dr Surujbally commend-
Judge to rule today on no-case submission
T
he prosecution has closed its case in the famous “Watermelon Man” murder trial at the Berbice Assizes on Wednesday after calling 11 witnesses including Government Pathologist, Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan and five Police
Officers. The defence then made a no-case submission. Both sides made legal submissions in the absence of the jury. Justice Brassington Reynolds is expected to rule on the no-case submission today. The State’s case is being presented by State Prosecutor Judith Mursalin while Attorney Peter Hugh is appearing for the defence. On trial are Ojay Van Gourie, also called “OJ” and “Bilall” and Troy Holigan, also called “Shatta” for the March 27, 2010 murder of Hansraj Samaroo, a New Amsterdam Market vender also called “Watermelon Man” and “Bubby” of Hampshire Village Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). In her opening address, Prosecutor Mursalin said that the deceased and his wife were at their Hampshire home. He was watching television and Kumarie, his wife, was cooking in the kitchen downstairs. “She was confronted by a man with a gun. She called out to her husband and the man with the gun used the inner stairway and went up to the upper flat of the building where her husband was. She then heard what appeared to be a gun shot. Kumarie then went upstairs and observed the said man with the gun and her husband was standing bleeding from the groin.” According to the State, Kumarie also saw two other men there who were also armed with what appeared to be guns. Mursalin said that Kumarie was relieved of jewellery which she had in a wardrobe and then the men made good their escape. She said that Hansraj was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he died the following day. “A postmortem examination was performed on the body of Hansraj Samaroo on March 30, 2010 by Government Pathologist, Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan, who gave the cause of death as shock and hemorrhage and a lacerated femoral artery,” the court was told. Among the witnesses to testify was the dead man’s son; Ramnarine Samaro who lived next door. He told the court that on the day in question he heard what appeared to be a gunshot and opened his window and observed a stranger in his father’s house. He said the front door was open and
the houses are about 15-feet apart. “I saw “Bilall” and my father wrestling.” Under cross examination by Attorney Peter Hugh, the witness said his father and “Bilall” were about one foot away from the door. “I could not say if “Bilall” had anything in his hand because I could only see one hand.” He said the accused had a hat on his dead and a rag around his neck. The witness told the court that he is aware of what a shot gun looks like and did not see a shot gun in the hand of any of the six men he saw jumping over his father’s gate and running away. The prosecution’s key witness is the dead man’s wife Kumarie Samaroo. Samaroo said after hearing what appeared to be a gunshot she went up stairs and then rushed to her husband but was confronted by two persons. “One is a tall, dark in colour and the other one is light skin… not too short.” She said the tall one had a long gun and the shorter one had a short gun. She referred to the gun as a short silver gun. She said she knew the number one accused. “I saw him in the market. I did not know his name at the time when they left my home that night. They take my money and jewellery. The one had the gun in front of me and he pull off my jewellery.” The widow told the court that the men stayed in her house for about 30 minutes. Under cross examination, she said all of the persons in the house were wearing hats. The witness was asked why she did not mention the colour of the eyes of the persons that were in her house when she gave a statement to the Police, and she replied by saying; “Now the question is asked. The Police did not ask me for shape or colour of eyes.” The trial continues on Wednesday when another Police witness is expected to take the stand. Government Pathologist, Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan and Ballistics Expert, Police Sergeant Eon Jackson testified. Jackson told the court that it was a 12 gage shot gun which was used. However under cross examination by Attorney Peter Hugh, he said that 12 gage shot guns were the most popular guns licensed to persons in Guyana.