A 12-member High Court jury on Tuesday returned a unanimous guilty verdict against Leon Albert for the rape of a six-year-old boy. After almost two hours of deliberation, the verdict was returned and the indictment read that on June 9, 2012, in the county of Essequibo, Albert engaged in sexual activity with the child. The now convicted rapist was on trial at the Sexual Offences Court of the Demerara High Court before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall. Defence Attorney Maxwell McKay made an application for a probation report to be prepared before…
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Guyana Wildlife Commission warns of hefty fines, jail time for illegal hunting
The Guyana Wildlife Conservation Management Commission (GWCMC) is urging members of the public and more specifically miners and those that encroach on the habitat of wildlife species to have respect for their territory. The Wildlife Commission has noted the importance of these wildlife species to the country’s ecosystem and highlighted the important role they play in Guyana being an eco-tourism destination. The Commission made calls for those persons coming into contact with these species to ensure it is done in keeping with regulations governing our wild animals. The Commission in…
Read MoreBerbice family grieving after drowning death of toddler
The motionless body of a 23-month-old boy was on Monday pulled from a trench close to his Berbice home moments after he disappeared. Dead is Bryston Akrie of No. 52 Village Cortentyne, Berbice, whom might have slipped into the pond as he was making his way to join his other three siblings a short distance away. He was found floating face down by his mother, Patricia Devi, at about 15:00h. When Guyana Times International contacted the mother on Tuesday, she was at the time speaking with Police detectives who are…
Read More‘Reject politicians who call for war, disturbances’
– GCCI boss urges citizens Recognising that the Government and Opposition have not yet been able to see eye to eye on a nominee to serve as Chairman for the Guyana Elections Commissions (GECOM)—although the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is set to hand down consequential orders on Friday— the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), through its President, Nicholas Boyer, has called on citizens to not allow politicians to control their actions. Boyer made this appeal at the launch of the Business Guyana Magazine 2019, hosted at Pegasus…
Read MoreCARICOM supports judicial process in Guyana/Venezuela border controversy
Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) last Thursday expressed support for the judicial process being followed in the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, the Department of Public Information (DPI) has reported. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings updated the Heads of Government on the ongoing controversy, at the 40th regular meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. The confab was held between July 3-9. The judicial process is intended to bring a peaceful and definitive end…
Read MoreThe anatomy of power in Guyana (Part 2)
By Ravi Dev Last week, we discussed the difference between “authority” – which an elected Government gets – and “power”, which depends on the latter’s control of the coercive arms of the state: the army, Police, bureaucracy etc., and certain groups within a society which can exercise “disruptive power”. We posited that in and out of office, the PNC controlled these institutions and it is why there were no effective protests following the firing of 7000 sugar workers, and with the refusal to accept the consequences of the NCM. The…
Read MoreThe Court cannot undo what the Constitution has done
Dear Editor, An online news agency has reported that the Guyana Government will ask the Caribbean Court of Justice (the Court) to rule that the Court cannot or should not direct that general elections are to be held within three months because that “will clearly be obstructing Parliament from exercising its constitutional power to extend the time if it becomes necessary to do so. The Court would be acting prematurely, and setting itself up for a clash with the Parliament”. With respect, one has to disagree with this sentiment. First…
Read MoreAurora Gold Mines’ workers continue fight for better working conditions
Workers of the Aurora Gold Mines (AGM) would have commenced discussions with officials of the Labour Department to negotiate their requests for improved working conditions and unionisation but presently, it is too early to predict if their calls will materialise. One worker told Guyana Times International that their problems were heard earlier this week and some were deemed non-negotiable on the Department’s end, promising that it will be fixed. While their representative, the National Mine Workers Union was uninvited to attend these briefings, it is unclear as to whether other…
Read MoreJudiciary condemns PM’s statement that “judge’s action smacks of vendetta”
The Supreme Court of Judicature has condemned statements published in the State-owned Guyana Chronicle attributed to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo who was quoted as saying that “…the judge’s action smacks of vendetta.” The Prime Minister, according to the article, was referring to Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry’s order that Finance Minister Winston Jordan pay Dipcon by July 8, 2019 or be jailed for 21 days. See full statement below: The Judiciary has noted with grave concern an article in the today’s Guyana Chronicle Newspaper captioned “’We have a right to protect taxpayers’…
Read MoreEmotional farewell as ECD businessman, daughter laid to rest
Hundreds of family members and friends on Wednesday crowded the home of Aaron Latchman as they paid their respects to the businessman and his daughter, Arianna Latchman, who were both killed on June 4 at their Better Hope, East Coast Demerara home. Latchman, a money changer, had dropped off his younger daughter to her lessons and upon his return home, he was confronted by the two gunmen. He was held at gunpoint and escorted to the upper flat of his home with his 18-year-old daughter. Reports are that the teen…
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