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WEEK ENDING July 5, 2015 | guyanatimeSinternational.com
Rape up by Govt channels US$100,000 into Iwokrama 60% in... G from page 3
located, while three cases went to trial. In one of the three cases, there was a unanimous not guilty verdict and in the remaining two cases, there were hung juries. “Therefore in 2012 and 2013 there was not a single conviction for sexual offences in a total of 22 cases,” Nandlall lamented.
Serious crime up
Meanwhile, Blanhum stated that the Guyana Police Force has also recorded a 16 percent increase in murders with a whopping 53 percent increase in plain robberies while there has been a decrease of robbery under arms by 8 percent. In addition, a 6 percent reduction was recorded in robbery whereby other instrument other than firearms was used. Robbery with violence was reduced by 6 percent and robbery with aggravation saw a reduction by 23 percent. On the other hand burglary also recorded a 1 percent reduction while there was an 8 percent increase in break and enter and larceny. Kidnapping saw a 100 percent reduction for the period January 1 to June 11, 2015 when compared to the same period last year. Overall, the Guyana police force recorded an 11 percent increase in serious crimes. Those crimes that were monitored are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape, and kidnapping.
overnment has plugged some US$100,000 into the ailing Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development and has also established a committee to oversee the operations of the organisation. Minister of State Joseph Harmon on Wednesday said the organisation has been failing miserably, particularly in the areas of reaching its operational expenses and being able pay its staff and other expenses. The representation was made by Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman, whose Ministry is responsible for the protection of the national patrimony for the money to be granted to the Centre for its work up to the period September 2015. Cabinet also approved the appointment of a committee comprising Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman, Major General Retired Joseph Singh, Clayton Hall, Dane Gobin from the Iwokrama Centre, Dr Raphael Thomas from the Iwokrama Centre, David Singh from Conservation International, Damien Fernandes of the Protected Areas Commission, along with representatives of the University of Guyana, the Tourism Ministry, the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry and the Public infrastructure Ministry. The purpose of the committee is to review the operations of the Centre and to recommend a way forward for the Centre. He said the committee has been given clear instructions to commence work immediately so that decisions could be made in that regard. Only a few months ago – in February of this year – the Centre’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dane Gobin had reported that the organisation has been operating at a shortfall of US$1.3 million for the longest while. At that time, he told Guyana Times International in an exclusive interview that the Centre was in need of an average US$2.5 million to effectively execute its mandate which is to promote the conservation and the sustainable use of tropical rainforests in a manner that will lead to lasting ecological,
A view of the Iwokrama rainforest in Guyana
economic and social benefits for the people of Guyana. With the drying up of financial support from international donors, Iwokrama last year managed to rake in a total income of US$1.2 million, with the Government of Guyana contributing US$600,000. In 2013 and 2014, the Government provided a total of US$1.5 million to relieve the Centre of its financial burden. It has since indicated that this year, it will once again bail out the Centre using some US$100,000 from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). Gobin pointed out that in 2013, the Iwokrama International Centre commissioned two financial reports which suggested that between US$750,000 and US$1.2 million was needed annually to meet its core functions. The Centre’s total income of US$1.2 million in 2013 was down by 38 per cent over 2012 levels of US$1.9 million mainly, as a result of a 40 per cent drop in grants income. As a result, total expenditure fell in 2013 recording levels of US$1.1 million against US$2.1 million in 2012 – a decrease of approximately 44 per cent. This decrease was also as a result of the Centre’s austerity programme which included a reduction in staffing levels and operational expenditure together with a consolidation of activities. Financial records for the year ending 2014 are pending.
“Mother Patsy” on attempted murder charge …after another exorcism exercise
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atricia ‘Mother Patsy’ Alves who was convicted and jailed for killing a woman during an exorcism exercise back in 2004 was in court again on Tuesday this time charged with attempted murder for allegedly trying to “beat demons” out of a New Amsterdam woman. Alves had served a 10-year prison sentence for the killing Parbattie Camille Seenauth called ‘Paro’, between February 14 and 15, 2002 in a failed exorcism attempt in Alberttown. Since being released from jail she had been living in New Amsterdam and has continued her “spiritual healing” practice. The 55-year-old Alves was remanded to prison on Tuesday by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs Marcus when she appeared in a New Amsterdam court on an attempted murder charge. The accused was not required to plea to the charge. It is alleged that on Wednesday, June 17, at Lot 157 Smythfield, New Amsterdam Berbice, Alves unlawfully and maliciously wounded 75-year-old Jean Joyce Dean with intent to murder her. Police Prosecutor, Corporal Desiree Pilgrim, told the court that the two women live at the same address but in different apartments. Alves, the prosecutor said occupies the upper flat of the house while Dean stays on the lower flat. The court was told that the two women were friends and during the month of May 2014,
Patricia ‘Mother Patsy’ Alves
Dean became ill and told Alves who is a self-proclaimed spiritualist. She told Dean that she needed spiritual healing and promised to help. However, when Dean went for the treatment she was told that she is unclean and had chased away all of the accused demons, and needed to bring money for them to return. Dean had been paying every cent she earned to the accused who treated her with beatings using various implements, including a hammer, cutlass and even knives. The victim was then rescued by a son and treated at the Fort Wellington Hospital. A report was made to the police and the accused arrested. She was refused bail and will have to return to court on July 20 for a police report.
In addition to the Government of Guyana, Commonwealth Secretariat, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, the European Union, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, NORAD, the Caribbean Development Bank and Chicago Zoo were among the main contributors for the previous financial years. Harmon however said on Wednesday that the Commonwealth Secretariat had indicated its inability to continue funding. Iwokrama was the first institute to receive Forest Stewardship Council Certification, an international certification in Europe which shows best practices in forest management. The Iwokrama International Centre was established by Guyana and the Commonwealth through the donation of approximately 360,000 hectares (one million acres) of intact tropical rainforest by the Government and people of Guyana to the international community. The responsibility for management, conservation and sustainable development of this forest area (the Iwokrama Forest) has been entrusted to the Iwokrama International Centre, through the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development Act of 1996, and an Agreement between the Government of Guyana and the Commonwealth signed on November 9, 1995.