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8NEWS MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Bar owner slapped with $16,000 fine for violating COVID-19 guidelines
ALinden, Region 10 or other care facilities. If it (Upper Demerara- is not a COVID-19 patient, Berbice) business- the hospital can grant perman who operates a drink- mission on a case-by-case ing bar was slapped with a basis. $16,000 fine by Magistrate On the other hand, for Wanda Fortune for violating religious services, the attenone of the COVID-19 guide- dance is restricted to 25 per lines. cent of the building’s capaci-
The businessman ap- ty and where there are mulpeared at the Linden tiple services, there should Magistrate’s Court, where be no less than 45 minutes the charge was read to between each to allow for sahim. The charge stat- Government embarked on a tations to develop updated nitising. All measures and ed that on November 28, massive education campaign protocols to aid in the com- guidelines must be followed. 2020, at Republic Avenue, dubbed “Operation COVI- batting of the COVID-19 All persons employed Mackenzie, he operated a CURB” to mitigate the spread. within the public service, bar and breached the re- spread of COVID-19. This Gyms were to be opened a semi-autonomous agenstriction of social distanc- initiative involved members for only 50 per cent of the cy, statutory body or Stateing. of the Joint Services. building’s capacity and by owned enterprise shall work
He pleaded guilty to the The education campaign appointments. Physical ex- on rotation. charge and was fined, with featured conversations on ercises shall be allowed only From 04:00h to 21:30h, an alternative of four weeks’ mainstream media and the in parks, roadways, beach- stakeholders will be able imprisonment. distribution of flyers. A ho- es, rivers and seawalls while to access services at banks,
This is the second vio- tline was also established to maintaining social distanc- markets, supermarkets, lation with respect to the receive reports of persons ing. grocery shops, gas stations, breach of curfew measures flouting the emergency mea- The restriction to home postal or shipping services, for the businessman in re- sures. continues, where persons beauty salons, barbershops, cent months. He was also In addition, the shall remain in the confines hardware stores, clothwarned by the Presiding Government completed a of their house or yard space. ing stores; or other mainteMagistrate in relation to the rapid assessment of the re- No one is permitted to host nance services. offence during his court ap- sponse to the COVID-19 or attend a cinema except Meanwhile, only recentpearance. pandemic and found that it for drive-in movies; private ly, the Guyana Police Force
Only recently, was fragmented and inca- party, banquet hall, bar, in November had arrested Government decided to ex- pable of administering the public swimming pool or wa- a total of 116 persons after tend the National COVID-19 public health, economic and ter park, wake or vigil, spa, they were found in breach measures for the month of social measures needed to club, meeting fraternity or of the national COVID-19 December and ease the cur- keep the population safe. any other social activity. measures. These individufew hours which are now The order noted that the No person shall visit any als were mainly from Region 22:30h (10:30 pm) to 04:00h current measures are ex- place of quarantine or isola- Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and (04:00 am). tended to allow for further tion facility, prison, patient Region Six (East Berbice-
However, In October, the assessments and consul- in a hospital, nursing home, Corentyne).
Man pleads guilty to killing Charlestown resident back in 2016
Murder accused: Joshua Meredith
A27-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
Murder accused: Colvin Johnson
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
Killed: Gregory Garraway
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
Paul Rodney
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.
Calling for an end...
...to “good boy” politics
Back 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.
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!
