Who is…

…the Father of the Nation

Now that the charge for submitting a false invoice to the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) has been dismissed against Atlantic Fuels, the company has now been cleared of charges brought against it by State agencies.

According to the company’s lawyer, Siand Dhurjon, the charge was dismissed last Friday by Magistrate Dylon Bess at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

In August 2021, AFI’s Director, Dr Richard Van West-Charles, a former Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) was released on $100,000 bail after denying the charge.

The charge had read that on November 13, 2020, he

Also, last Wednesday, Magistrate Bess threw out the charge of falsifying an invoice against AFI’s Director, Eugene Gilbert, after ruling that the falsity was not proven beyond reasonable doubt.

That charge was filed in January 2021 by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

It read that on November 12, 2020, at GRA’s Camp Street, Georgetown Headquarters, Atlantic Fuels Inc caused to be made and subscribed a false declaration on invoice number 100 valued at $40 million for customs declaration reference number GY 410C, contrary to the Customs Act.

Gilbert, 68, had pleaded not guilty and was granted $300,000 bail.

It is contrary to Section 217 (1) (a) of the Customs Act which reads “Any person who, in any matter relating to the customs, or under the control or management of the comptroller- (a) makes and subscribed, or causes to be made and subscribed, any false declaration; …”, on summary conviction, that person is liable to a fine of $25,000, together with imprisonment for three years.

According to Dhurjon, the charge was dismissed after the presiding Magistrate upheld the no-case submission he made on AFI’s behalf.

Dhurjon said that the Magistrate ruled in favour of his submission that the falsity of the invoice was not proven and that the charge lacked the specificity of the falsity being alleged by the GRA.

“The Magistrate was at a loss, for the court could not know if the falsity alleged had to do with the value declared, the amount of fuel declared, or the supplier,” Dhurjon pointed out. He said that the Magistrate reminded GRA counsel Jason Moore “that a court must never have to speculate and that an accused must always know the case he has to meet”.

Considering the court’s finding, the AFI lawyer noted that Magistrate Bess held that GRA failed to make out the charge against the company even at the preliminary prima facie stage.

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As if we didn’t have enough things to divide us, Hamilton Green, henchman of the dictator Forbes Burnham, has his bukta in a knot ‘cause the PPP, in commemorating the 105th anniversary of Dr Cheddi Jagan’s birth, called him “father of the nation”!! Well, to be fair to Green – which he wasn’t to so many when he wielded power, including Rodney – he did offer some reasons for claiming that it’s Burnham who’s deserving of that title.

So, let us count his ways. He says Jagan didn’t go up to the 1965 Constitutional Conference summoned by Britain to decide on some particulars of independence. Now ain’t this shameless that a man who claims to know our history omits to mention that the said independence was supposed to be awarded under the party that won the 1961 elections! That party is the PPP under Jagan!! It was Burnham who betrayed our nation when he connived with the colonial power Britain – and the new hegemonic power USA – to delay independence so’s to oust Jagan!! How can he be “father of the nation when he kept the baby of independence locked in Britain’s womb as hundreds of Guyanese were killed, billions were lost when hundreds of buildings were torched and thousands displaced??

The divisions created then by Burnham in cahoots with the colonials left us a legacy of racial animosity and divisions that plague us to this day. What father of a nation would do this to his offspring?? Then Green goes on to state – as another disqualification – that Jagan as Premier after the 1953 elections didn’t send “pledges of loyalty and congratulations” to Elizabeth, who was being coronated as Queen of Britain!! Really?? The Queen – whose ancestors owned the largest slave shipping company from Africa –should be offered pledges of loyalty. Shame!!

But most outrageous was gratuitously mentioning the US executions of the Rosenbergs in 1953 for spying – used as a reason for ousting the PPP Government – because Janet Jagan’s maiden name was also “Rosenberg” – but no relation to the NY Rosenbergs! That’s grounds for disqualifying Cheddi from being “father of the nation”!?! Should Green have been penalized, because a “Green” was the first to be dubbed a “Public Enemy” in the US - for being a serial killer and a murderer??

Another reason was that Burnham joined the NonAligned Movement!! Yet this hypocrite was installed into office by the CIA that was involved in the assassination of Mossadegh (Iran), Nkrumah (Ghana), Lumumba (Congo) etc and given a monthly stipend!! The US Ambassadors are on record as snickering at Burnham’s pretensions at radicalism, while being regularly importuned for more money!

Some (deadbeat) father!! Gwan da side!!

…to fix climate change??

These people just won’t give up!! Every day we’re assaulted by an unending barrage of demands by the modern-day Guyanese Quislings that we quit producing oil. Or place so many hurdles in the production chain that all the developers would walk away!! Now you may think that “Quislings” – who collaborated with Hitler and his ethnic cleansing regime – is a bit harsh. But what else can we call these people who would doom us to unmitigated poverty for another century – if we were to survive!!

And that’s the point, innit?? Whether we stop oil production or not, the other countries are continuing their merry (carbon-spewing) ways and refusing to honour their commitments to assisting poor countries to mitigate the fallout from carbon-reduction measures. Which we perform by keeping our forests standing!! So as oceans rise and we have to move inland can we count on help from the rich countries??

Heck no!! In the end we’ll have to use our own funds to survive!!

…man??!

In today’s Guyana that gotta be President Irfaan Ali!! He leaves codgers like your Eyewitness breathless and wondering what kinds of supplements he uses to be able to keep up his gruelling schedule. It’ll be a slam dunk in 2025!!