8 NEWS
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Bar owner slapped with $16,000 fine for violating COVID-19 guidelines
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Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) businessman who operates a drinking bar was slapped with a $16,000 fine by Magistrate Wanda Fortune for violating one of the COVID-19 guidelines. The businessman appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court, where the charge was read to him. The charge stated that on November 28, 2020, at Republic Avenue, Mackenzie, he operated a bar and breached the restriction of social distancing. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined, with an alternative of four weeks’ imprisonment. This is the second violation with respect to the breach of curfew measures for the businessman in recent months. He was also warned by the Presiding Magistrate in relation to the offence during his court appearance. Only recently, Government decided to extend the National COVID-19 measures for the month of December and ease the curfew hours which are now 22:30h (10:30 pm) to 04:00h (04:00 am). However, In October, the
Government embarked on a massive education campaign dubbed “Operation COVICURB” to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This initiative involved members of the Joint Services. The education campaign featured conversations on mainstream media and the distribution of flyers. A hotline was also established to receive reports of persons flouting the emergency measures. In addition, the Government completed a rapid assessment of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and found that it was fragmented and incapable of administering the public health, economic and social measures needed to keep the population safe. The order noted that the current measures are extended to allow for further assessments and consul-
tations to develop updated protocols to aid in the combatting of the COVID-19 spread. Gyms were to be opened for only 50 per cent of the building’s capacity and by appointments. Physical exercises shall be allowed only in parks, roadways, beaches, rivers and seawalls while maintaining social distancing. The restriction to home continues, where persons shall remain in the confines of their house or yard space. No one is permitted to host or attend a cinema except for drive-in movies; private party, banquet hall, bar, public swimming pool or water park, wake or vigil, spa, club, meeting fraternity or any other social activity. No person shall visit any place of quarantine or isolation facility, prison, patient in a hospital, nursing home,
or other care facilities. If it is not a COVID-19 patient, the hospital can grant permission on a case-by-case basis. On the other hand, for religious services, the attendance is restricted to 25 per cent of the building’s capacity and where there are multiple services, there should be no less than 45 minutes between each to allow for sanitising. All measures and guidelines must be followed. All persons employed within the public service, a semi-autonomous agency, statutory body or Stateowned enterprise shall work on rotation. From 04:00h to 21:30h, stakeholders will be able to access services at banks, markets, supermarkets, grocery shops, gas stations, postal or shipping services, beauty salons, barbershops, hardware stores, clothing stores; or other maintenance services. Meanwhile, only recently, the Guyana Police Force in November had arrested a total of 116 persons after they were found in breach of the national COVID-19 measures. These individuals were mainly from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).
Man pleads guilty to killing Charlestown resident back in 2016
Murder accused: Joshua Meredith
Murder accused: Colvin Johnson
Killed: Gregory Garraway
Paul Rodney
27-year-old man was on Friday remanded to prison where he now awaits sentencing after his guilty plea to a manslaughter charge. Joshua Meredith of Warlock, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was arraigned before Justice Priya SewnarineBeharry for the October 2, 2016 murder of 25-year-old Charlestown, Georgetown resident, Gregory Garraway. Meredith opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. He will return to court on December 16, 2020, for a probation report and sentencing. According to Prosecutor Nafeeza Baig, on the day in question, Garraway was at “Wings and Things
Bar” at Mandela, Avenue, Georgetown. At the time, the now dead man, who had gone into the bar to purchase food, was wearing two gold chains around his neck. After placing his order, he left the bar and as he was crossing the street to pick up the food, Meredith snatched his chains, pulled a gun from his pocket, and discharged a round in his direction. Garraway was killed. A post-mortem examination performed on his remains revealed that he sustained gunshot wounds to his abdomen and died as a result of septic shock. Meredith was subsequently pointed out at an identification parade by
the now dead man’s brother, who was present at the time of the shooting. After the guilty plea, Meredith’s lawyer, Adrian Thompson, asked the court to be lenient with his client. Thompson told the court that the murder convict was unable to have a good childhood due to several circumstances. He said that his client grew up in a depressed community where he was influenced by persons of unsavoury character. In addition to Garraway’s murder, the convicted murderer and another man, Colvin Johnson, are awaiting trial for the November 21, 2016 murder of 29-yearold Paul Rodney of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown. It was reported that
Rodney and a group of men were involved in an argument at Avocado Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown. The argument, however, escalated into a fight during which Rodney attempted to escape. He was pursued and shot several times about his body. His killer(s) escaped on a CG motorcycle. Police Headquarters in a statement on the killing, had stated that ranks were on a mobile patrol when they heard several explosions and went to investigate. They came upon a group of men running during which several more gunshots were fired. Rodney was subsequently found lying motionlessly, covered in blood.
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Calling for an end...
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...to “good boy” politics ack in 2002 or so, after the Buxton gunmen launched waves of murderous attacks against surrounding villages – Andaiye wrote a famous letter – “Not in my name” – dissociating herself from their nihilism. Kwayana, who wrote that the gunmen were being ideologically indoctrinated by what he sarcastically dubbed “political sophisticates” from outside the village, was forced to flee Buxton. He left for the USA, from where he’s never returned. The gunmen, of course, had broken out of Camp Street Prison, where they’d been jailed for murder and other sundry felonies, but were now hailed by certain elements of society as “freedom fighters”! That the PNC had lost the free and fair elections of 1997, which they violently protested, and which led to early elections of 2001 – which they promptly lost again – was touted as the “loss of freedom”, which justified the violent attacks. PNC leader Desmond Hoyte called his strategy of escalating violent protests “slow fyaah, mo fyaah” and insisted there were no “criminals” in Buxton. One man’s “criminals” being the other man’s “freedom fighters” and all that! Anyhow, we know those bandits were wiped out by 2008 and pretty soon, the PNC changed its image and tactics to push for a “kinder and gentler” coalition politics. It worked – and they slid into office along with the AFC, but soon revealed that their stripes were indelible! Under Granger, they tried Burnham’s rigging route to remain in office – but after five months of international and domestic pressure, demitted office. Since that time, there’s been a constant drumbeat of exhortations on the PNC and its constituency to adopt a more confrontational posture towards the PPP Government. After the gruesome W. Berbice murders, Granger and Harmon were commended for their inflammatory statements, which resulted in violent protests in which scores of Guyanese – arbitrarily dubbed “PPP supporters” – were beaten and vehicles damaged. PNC Chair Volda Lawrence, who took a conciliatory position on the violence, was condemned by the rabble rousers – who ironically were mostly abroad. Dubbing the PPP Government “an illegal cabal” – even though they have an elections petition in the Courts –- these provocateurs have kept up their incendiary calls. In the wake of President Ali’s magnanimous and statesmanlike call for a meeting with all the former Presidents – including Granger – one of the most strident of them, David Hinds, declared: “In politics there comes a time when “good boy” politics must be abandoned. Mr Granger and the Opposition have adopted the “good boy” politics since August 2 and have nothing to show for it.” Having already commended Hoyte’s “mo fyaah, slow fyaah”, one wonders if the politically-sophisticated “bad boy” politics include some “Freedom Fighters”. ...to the hysteria To address the misinformed hysteria on the Haitian migrant smuggling operation, the following is repeated from the reputable “InSight Crime”. “A sophisticated human smuggling ring that illegally moved migrants from Haiti across a number of Latin American countries into Chile shows that the Caribbean nation’s crisis remains a gold mine for criminal gangs. “In August, Bolivian authorities caught and deported at least 142 Haitian migrants, while at least 22 more were arrested in Chile. In September, both countries initiated an investigation and have since moved against the alleged people smugglers. The full international dimension of the problem soon became apparent. The Haitians were apparently first crossing into the Dominican Republic, where they were taken on flights to Guyana and then moved through Brazil and Bolivia into Chile, according to the BBC. “The scheme was lucrative. Chilean media reported that the migrants had to pay $3000 a head just to leave Haiti, with more costs piling up along the way as they moved through different countries.” It’s not just Guyana. ...to blackouts In this bleak COVID-19 pandemic, to most Guyanese, Christmas looms like a beacon of light. So your Eyewitness was quite pleased that GPL brought in back-up generators to guarantee the light at least! Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com
