brings P

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Cheap power brings opportunities, investments – Vickram Bharrat

…as energy conference places spotlight on energy, partnerships

Stepping into the role of an oil-producing nation will have its towering benefits but there is also the need for development across the other sectors and addressing challenges in the current operation.

The launch of the Guyana Energy Conference and Exhibition 2021 on Monday at Pegasus Hotel brought focus on these gaps and provided a wider conversation on the need for public-private partnerships, local content, reliable energy and other factors that will essentially put Guyana on the cusp of greater success.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of GO-Invest, Dr Peter Ramsaroop said Government is continuously preparing to ensure that Guyanese benefit from the windfall of oil resources. While he found that collaboration can influence profitability, Ramsaroop noted that the conditions should be welcoming for investors to expand into other industries.

“When you consider our President’s vision for Guyana, this transformative and economic agenda that he has proposed, Government’s involvement with the Private Sector is a partnership. Partnership is what will make the next step in Guyana profitable…We want to ensure that our current foreign direct investors in Guyana are treated well and we look forward for them to get out and expand more into energy, agriculture and that’s why some of Government’s initiatives in expanding the infrastructure is a convergence,” the GO-Invest CEO highlighted.

Coupled with this, the conference is seeking to attract a wider discourse on how sustainable and reliable energy can become reality. President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nicholas Boyer said this is especially important for persons in the agro-processing department.

“The word energy is not just a buzz word being this. It’s meant to be a wider conversation. It’s not just about how can we provide logistic services to the upstream companies. It is about how do we get reliable and stable supply of energy to the agro-processor start-ups. What happens when you have coconuts in a freezing room and you run out of power? It’s also meant to be a discussion on some of the gaps like renewables.”

While acknowledging the challenges in establishing infrastructure throughout Guyana’s vast lands, he spoke on the need to “harness upstream oil and gas”, since it will create a “new wave of industrialisation” in the country and push development in other sectors.

“Too long have Guyanese businesses been limited by the cost of energy and that really results from both developmental and administrative challenges. In Guyana, we’re taking a population of less than a million that is spread over acreages that could encompass most of the Caribbean islands and we have to provide infrastructure. That’s no easy task,” Boyer added.

Housemate confesses, murder...

FROM PAGE 8

However, after the now dead man’s birthday bash, other friends recalled leaving the party late that evening and not seeing King since. As such, a search party was launched to look for him but after several hours of search in the community and surrounding areas, they came up empty-handed.

On the morning the body was discovered, neighbours had reported a stench emanating from the septic tank area. Upon checking, the gruesome discovery was made. Also, at that time, persons realised that Ibrahim had also disappeared.

The Police were called in and based on investigations and information received, an arrest warrant was issued for Ibrahim for questioning in relation to the murder of King.

Hours after the wanted bulletin was issued, the murder suspect was intercepted in a minibus at Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Ibrahim, also called “Scottie”, who resided at Lot 38 Belle West, Canal No 2 Polder, WBD, had given his address as Herstelling, EBD, upon his arrest.

He was subsequently handed over to agents of the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) and during interrogation, he made the confes-

The motorcycle that was pawned for $40,000 by the suspect

sion. (G10)

Development

Natural Resources Minister

From left: ExxonMobil President Allistair Routledge, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, GO-Invest CEO Peter Ramsaroop and GCCI President Nicholas Boyer during the launch of GECX

Vickram Bharrat in his feature address identified that the country has always suffered from the cost of power generation – a great hindrance to development. He said Budget 2021 lays the foundation to alleviate such matters.

He told the gathering, “Our Government would have recognised that and we need to address it and address it as early as possible. With cheap power comes so many opportunities and investments that will come to our shores in Guyana and which we are preparing for presently…The next five years is an exciting period in the history of our country where every single Guyanese will benefit from our developmental project.”

He said the PPP/C Administration has no apologies for incentivising the Private Sector because it is a partner that will allow for expansion of the traditional sectors.

“The Government cannot develop the country alone. The Government cannot employ every single Guyanese. We need the Private Sector. We need the foreign investors to come to our shores and we will continue to partner with the foreign investors and local Private Sector to ensure that we move all of our sectors forward…We are not only focusing on our new and dynamic sector, which is oil and gas. We’re also focusing a lot on our traditional productive sectors.” Meanwhile, ExxonMobil (Guyana) President Alistair Routledge lauded the unprecedented progress which Guyana has made in local content development within a short period of time. He pointed towards increasing competitiveness as the cornerstone in creating a sustainable economy. “This will [provide] a wonderful opportunity to bring people together to collaborate from Government, from industries, Private Sector organisations and very importantly, education and training. That is something that will ultimately make Guyana competitive. The world is a competitive place so building the competitiveness of Guyana overall and local businesses individually is really about what will make the local economy sustainable,” Routledge said. (G12)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Father remanded for harbouring son, other prison escapees

L-R: Imran Ramsaywack, Kenrick Lyte, Samuel Gouveia, and Rayon Jones

Remanded: Ralph Jones

A60-year-old father of six and boat captain of Lot 114 Fourth Avenue, Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), was on Monday remanded to prison on four charges relating to the harbouring of four convicts, including his son, who escaped from the high-security Mazaruni Prison.

Ralph Jones, who was represented by Attorneyat-Law Adrian Thompson, was not required to plead to the indictable charges, which were read to him by Magistrate Crystal Lambert at the Vreed-enHoop Magistrate’s Courts.

The charges stated that on February 16, at his Fourth Avenue, Bartica home, he received, harboured, comforted, and maintained his son, Rayon Jones, along with Imran Ramsaywack, Kenrick Lyte, Samuel Gouveia, knowing that they were convicted prisoners, who had escaped from the Mazaruni Prison.

Reports from the Guyana Prison Service are that at about 07:15h on February 16, during the unlocking of the Solitary Division which was supervised by four prison officers, it was observed that the padlock to the entrance gate was tampered with and checks revealed that two bars within the cell had been cut. It was then that prison officials realised that the four prisoners had escaped.

During a bail application, Thompson told the court that his client harboured the escapees because he was fearful for his life. According to the lawyer, at around 03:00h on February 16, his client’s son and the other escapees showed up at his home demanding clothing, food, and money.

He said that while Ralph Jones was aware that his son was incarcerated, he did not know that the other men were also serving time for varying offences. The lawyer added, “This is not a voluntary act. He [Ralph Jones] was scared when they showed up at his house. His son turned up with criminals for help. There is nothing he could have done. His actions were under duress.”

The Police Prosecutor, however, made serious objections to bail. In doing so, he cited the serious nature and penalty attached to the offence. The prosecutor also noted that there is a possibility the accused might not return for trial if he is granted his pre-trial liberty. Having considered the submissions, Magistrate Lambert refused to grant bail and ordered that Ralph Jones be remanded to prison. The case will continue on March 5.

The Guyana Police Force in a statement last Thursday said that the senior Jones admitted to harbouring the prison escapees. The elderly Jones reportedly told investigators that after escaping from the Mazaruni Prison, his son contacted him by telephone and informed him of his actions.

Police said that Ralph Jones further admitted that sometime after 01:00h the following day, all four of the escapees showed up at his house, where he provided them with a change of clothing. He collected the clothes that they were wearing and dumped them in an alleyway aback his house.

Police said that ranks went to the location where they found a white salt bag that contained several items suspected to be belongings of the escapees. They included clothing, footwear, deodorant, toques, pillow, and pillowcases, along with a bottle of Red Star rub, a toothbrush, and a food bowl.

Ramsaywack and Lyte were on death row, while Gouveia and Jones were convicted for manslaughter.

Up to press time, the escapees were still at large. The Guyana Police Force, in its efforts to recapture the inmates, is appealing to members of the public, relatives, and friends to give any relevant information as to the whereabouts of these escapees so that they can be captured and returned to the prison.

The Joint Services is encouraging all law-abiding citizens to report to the nearest Police station or call 455-2238, 455-2222, 4552241, 226-4585, 225-2700, 225-3650, or 911, should they see the escapees.

All information will be treated with strict confidence. Also, an appeal is being made to the escapees to surrender to the Police or relevant authority to avoid any serious confrontation that is likely to result in the use of force. (G1)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Fisherman dies after throat slashed by cousin at birthday celebration

A25-year-old fisherman is now dead after his throat was slit

by his cousin during a birthday celebration on Sunday at D’Edward Village, West

Bank Berbice (WBB).

Dead is Reaz Mohamed called “Boye”, a father of two of Lot 1 Section A D’Edward Village, WBB.

Police said that the incident occurred at about 18:30h.

Investigations have so far revealed that the family was celebrating a birthday on Saturday and continued the party on Sunday.

Mohamed reportedly became disorderly when the music was shut off and started breaking drinking glasses.

His father, Farook Mohamed, attempted to calm him but it is alleged that the dead man instead directed his anger at his father. His uncle then intervened and they attempted to restrain the younger Mohamed.

At that point, he continued his unruly behaviour, resulting in his cousin whipping out a knife and slitting his throat.

The dead man’s sister explained that the suspect was not pleased by the fact that the celebrations were coming to an end.

According to her, the celebrations were held at her house, which doesn’t have electricity connected.

As such, she ran a drop cord from a neighbour’s house in order to get electricity. The woman explained that after all visitors had left, her cousin remained and was dancing.

When she passed the instruction for the drop cord to be unplugged, the younger Mohamed objected and she allowed him to have the music for a bit longer.

The woman related that after some time elapsed, she finally ordered that the drop cord be unplugged and again this did not go down well with her now dead brother. It was then that he began to behave disorderly, which led to the confrontation.

The Police were summoned and they took the man to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police have since said that the suspect is on the run and as they continue their search for him. (G4)

Dead: Reaz Mohamed called “Boye”

Sparendaam man charged for simple larceny

A45-year-old labourer of Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara (ECD), appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday on a charge of simple larceny.

The charge read by Magistrate Sherdell Isaacs detailed that on February 10 at Camp Street, Abrahams stole a quantity of clothing valued $20,000; property of Jai Long.

The Police prosecutor explained that when Abrahams was arrested, he claimed to have no fixed place of abode. Nevertheless, the defendant told Magistrate Isaacs that he resides on his own in Sparendaam.

The Police prosecutor further added that CCTV footage recovered shows Abrahams stealing the items from the Chinese-owned store and placing them into a bag filled with purchases from a previous store.

Abrahams pleaded not guilty and was released on $10,000 bail. As a condition for bail, he was ordered to report to the Brickdam Police Station on the last Friday of every month until his trial concludes.

The matter has been adjourned to March 8.