People and Places that made the news in 2008

January

200 Army guns missing

In the month of January over 200 Army guns went missing.
President Bharrat Jagdeo soon after announced a full investigation into revelations that more than 200 missing weapons were issued during the 1970s to the Ministry of National Development.
It was revealed that the investigation may be conducted by an independent body.

The president disclosed then that the act of declaration by the public officers is mandatory by law, but the members of Parliament have not been doing so for years and can face jail time.
He urged too that defaulters be forthright with the commission and declare their assets and incomes.

Banks DIH loses $$M in Govt. deal
It was also in the month of January that Banks DIH Ltd highlighted that it had incurred losses amounting to $258M in 2007 as a result of the company accepting the terms of agreement in a government deal.
The Banks group, through its banking subsidiary (Citizens Bank), entered into an agreement with the government in February 2007 to settle the redemption of their bonds that matured in May 2006. The bonds were initially issued to the creditors of the Guyana Mining Enterprise.
Citizens Bank, one of Banks DIH’s subsidiaries, subsequently purchased the bonds from the creditors and also sub-participated portions of the bonds acquired to third parties.

Lusignan massacre leaves 11 dead

On January 26, a gang of marauding gunmen created havoc in the East Coast Demerara village of Lusignan, killing 11 persons, including five children.
It was one of the deadliest attacks in the country’s history.
The gunmen struck around 02:00 hrs, simultaneously kicking down the doors of five houses, slaughtering innocent people, including children, as they lay sleeping in their beds.
Three persons were injured while at least three others escaped certain death by hiding as the gunmen continued their rampage.
In 15 minutes of terror, the gunmen who reportedly numbered about 20, all armed with rifles and shotguns, slaughtered their victims, including an entire family comprising a mother and her two sleeping children.

February

Guyana to claim land outside territorial waters

In February, Guyana prepared a claim for some 350 miles outside its territorial waters for possible commercial use.
According to the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rudy Insanally, the claim to the United Nations will have to be submitted by May next year and there is a rush to complete paperwork by the Frontier Department of his ministry.
However, Guyana may have to consult with her neighbours to increase its chances of the claim being approved.
Insanally said that with the 350 miles of extended continental shelf, Guyana would not be able to explore and exploit any commercial resources that fall in that area.

Slaughter at Bartica

The mining community of Bartica was transformed into a virtual slaughter house on the night of February 17 after heavily armed gunmen launched a brazen one-hour attack, killing 12 persons including three policemen.
Eyewitnesses said two of the policemen were killed while huddling in cupboards when the gunmen stormed the station. The third was gunned down outside.
Five civilians were placed to lay facedown on the Transport & Harbour Stelling, located at First Avenue, Bartica, before being shot in their heads by the gunmen.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the gunmen, numbering more than a dozen, brandishing assault rifles, driving through the streets in a police vehicle and shooting wildly at civilians.

Government presents $119B Budget

Government in February this year announced a $119 billion budget for this year with no new taxes and almost 50 new items not attracting the Value Added Tax (VAT)
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh in his second budget presentation which has its theme ‘Staying the Course: Advancing the Transformation Agenda’, rolled out a list of impressive projects and announced that in the areas of sugar, by the second quarter, mechanized cane harvesters should start operations with more lands being placed under cultivation.
Works were also ongoing with private farmers to mechanize their harvesting to increase yields.

Mash 2008 – A colourful spectacle

Though not massively supported by spectators as in previous years, the Mash 2008 Costume & Float Parade certainly was one of the more creative and colourful spectacles, where the will of Guyanese to carry on in jubilation despite two recent massacres was evident.
The heavens were gracious, offering only sunshine, and most of those who turned out to keep tradition alive had a good time.
According to some “Life goes on despite the sad happenings” (Bartica and Lusignan massacres). “Mash is a national event that is a permanent part of tradition, showing that national unity, though fragile in some sections of society, still exists” and “We will not succumb to fear” were the statements of others.

Man dismembered in bike/truck collision

A horrific collision in February between a truck and motorcycle on the Danzic, Mahaicony Public Road left one man dead and another critical.
Lloyd Syfox, 27, a father of two, of Foulis, East Coast Demerara, who was the rider of the motorcycle, was decapitated and his body parts strewn along the roadway.
Pillion rider, Deron Holder, of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, had one of his legs severed in the crash.
The two were heading to the Berbice Mashramani celebrations when they slammed into the side of a truck that was proceeding in the opposite direction.

March

Nation’s largest budget approved

In March, the 2008 National Budget was approved by the National Assembly.
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh presented a $119M budget to the house on February 14 under the theme ‘Staying the Course: Advancing the Transformation Agenda’, and its passage followed a series of debates.
The National Assembly also amended the Income Tax Act to present the increase in the personal income tax allowance from $336,000 to $420,000 per annum with effect from January 01.
This in effect substantiated President Bharrat Jagdeo’s announcement that the personal income tax threshold had been increased from $28,000 to $35,000 monthly.

Disaster averted at GPL plant

Fire fighters averted a major disaster in early March at the Guyana Power and Light’s Garden of Eden station after waste fuel, carelessly dumped in a nearby canal, ignited and triggered a massive fire behind the East Bank Demerara facility. The fire which began shortly before 18:00hrs occurred in proximity to several fuel drums, but Minister of Transport, Public Works and Communication, Robeson Benn, said that only a few power poles were damaged. Engineers shut the plant down for a brief period, plunging many East Bank communities into darkness. Approximately an hour and a quarter later, the spectacular blaze was under control.

Scotiabank rocked by $19M fraud

It was in the month of February too that three employees of Scotiabank were placed on bail as an investigation was launched into a massive $19M fraud. The money was allegedly illegally withdrawn from the account of a Bartica resident who discovered a significant drop in his balance earnings in March of last year.
Two supervisors and a teller were arrested and held and were later placed on $50, 000 bail each. The employees were also suspended by the bank in the light of investigations.

April

Jiffy Lubes proprietor missing…feared kidnapped

Proprietor of Jiffy Lubes, Farouk Kalamadeen vanished after leaving his Barrington Apartment, Houston, East Bank Demerara residence early one April morning for his customary exercise walk.
There was no demand for a ransom, but the family did not rule out the possibility of Kalamadeen being kidnapped.
The family was tight lipped about the incident, since they did not want to hinder investigations.

CNS 6 ordered closed…licence suspended for 4 months

After a lengthy meeting at the Office of the President, owner of CNS Channel Six, Chandra Narine Sharma was informed in April that his broadcast licence was suspended for four months. This decision stemmed from on air infringements, which arose after a caller to Sharma’s ‘Voice of the People’ programme made comments threatening the life of President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Hotel manager murdered

The police were also in April hunting leads into the circumstances surrounding the death of hotel manager, Rawle Andre Grimes, whose body was found in Le Repentir Cemetery. Reports are that the 29-year-old East Ruimveldt resident was discovered with marks of violence to the head. At the time of the discovery, Grimes, a manager at the Woodbine Hotel, was lying beside his car, PJJ 44, with his jersey stuffed in his mouth. Blood was also oozing from his nose.

Businessman shoots self

A city businessman, who was being investigated by the police for allegedly having sex with a close relative, killed himself in a Stevedore Housing Scheme guest house in the month of April.
Edmond Jonas, 39, the Managing Director of Universal Technology Store on Church Street, shot himself in the head with his licensed .32 pistol.
He was discovered dead in a room of the guest house by staff members who opened the room after they got no response from him. Jonas had rented the room along with a female companion but the female left the hotel early the morning.

Abused woman found with throat silt

In the month of April too, police commenced hunting an Enmore, East Coast Demerara man who allegedly silt the throat of his 23-year-old reputed wife. The body of Bibi Shameeza Khan was discovered by her sister, at a one-bedroom house at Grass Field, Enmore.
A knife, suspected to be the murder weapon, was lying in a pool of blood which covered almost the entire floor of the cottage which Khan shared intermittently with her reputed husband. Although relatives were in a state of shock, the woman’s death came as no surprise, since there were indications that Khan’s reputed husband had planned to kill her, and despite repeated reports to the police, nothing was done.

MAY

Protesters burn Jagdeo’s effigy outside of Parliament

The People’s National Congress Reform took to the streets once more, on May 8, to protest several issues including what the party said was the inadequate five per cent increase in wages for public servants and the extremely high food prices, among others.From the beginning of the protest, which began at the junction of Joseph Pollydore Street and Mandela Avenue in Georgetown, demonstrators were riled and illustrated by the banging of empty pots.
The mood of the protesters was elevated even more with the arrival of an effigy of Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo, complete with a coffin that proclaimed “Death by high cost of living…death by VAT.” The effigy was subsequently burnt outside of Parliament Building.

Carifesta X kicks off in earnest

Thousands of Guyanese joined various foreign delegates at the junction of Main Street and Avenue of the Republic, outside the Bank of Guyana, to witness the historic launching of Carifesta X in May.
A celebratory spirit permeated the atmosphere throughout the cultural presentations despite outbursts from factions in the crowd in what appeared to be attempts to either mar or completely stop the launching.
Such attempts on each occasion were stymied by members of the Guyana Police Force, who were out in their numbers.

Kalamadeen’s headless body found in city

After searching for 28 days, kidnapped businessman Farouk Kalamadeen’s headless body was found on a parapet on Cowan Street, Kingston in the month of May. The body was positively identified by his son.
Kalamadeen, the manager of Jiffy Lubes, who lived at Barrington Apartments, Houston, East Bank Demerara, was abducted on April 2 while on a customary morning walk. Eyewitnesses had said that he was accosted at gunpoint on Mandela Avenue by three armed men who forced him into a dark blue Toyota AT 192, which bore cardboard number plates. No ransom demand was made.
The 54-year-old father of two was a well known race car driver and a former executive of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club.

East La Penitence Police Station riddled with bullets.

Gunmen attacked the East La Penitence Police Station in what was described as a drive by shooting in May.
A white car was identified as the one which transported the gunmen. It was reported that some two dozen 7.62 rounds were recovered at the scene and several bullet holes were observed on the walls of the police station. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee had noted that it was obvious that police stations are the target of armed criminal elements. He urged that more offensive and aggressive postures be adopted because it was not the time to be complacent and defensive.

Sanata Textiles owners got more than tender offered – Jagdeo

President Bharrat Jagdeo admitted that the company which had acquired the Sanata Textiles Complex may have gotten more than it tendered for.
Jagdeo had told Kaieteur News that he had no part in the final decision which had to do with making the complex available to Queens Atlantic Investments Inc.
He had noted that when the decision came up at the Cabinet level, he left the meeting given his relationship with the owner of the company. The complex had been put to tender since 2006 with a closing date of January 19, 2007.

Youth executed, three others injured

Arjune Narine, 21, was gunned down next to his car at the junction of Durey Lane and Middleton Street in the month of May.
Three persons in another car also sustained gunshot wounds. The injured were identified as a librarian attached to NCN radio, Jean Singh, her son Mark Semple and an individual identified as Larry Singh. Kaieteur News was told that they were on their way home, when they were injured by the bullets, which they said came ‘out of nowhere’. It was also noted that the gunmen were apparently following the dead man’s vehicle along Durey Lane when they opened fire. One eyewitness recounted that Narine had turned to the police for help, but the gunmen did not back off. Instead, the eyewitness said that one of the gunmen opened fire with what appeared to be a machine gun, killing the youth in the process.

Businessman’s body found in his car trunk

The body of 52-year-old Ganga Persaud was found in the trunk of his car in Eighth Street Diamond Housing Scheme also in the month of May.
It appeared that he was strangled with lengths of bicycle tubing and duct tape.
Ranks from the Golden Grove Police Station made the discovery after residents informed them that a strange car had been parked in the area for several hours. Investigators said that Persaud’s killers had wrapped bicycle tubing and duct tape over his mouth and nostrils. Police had said that the motive for the murder was unclear but relatives were of the view that Persaud was the victim of a robbery.

June

CANU head, eight others lose jobs

Nine staff members, including acting head of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU), Orville Nedd were sent home after they failed a polygraph test. This was confirmed by Head of State, President Bharrat Jagdeo, who two weeks before had disclosed that Guyana had acquired its own polygraph equipment. A foreign professional was hired and CANU officers were asked to take the test. Informed officials had said that the staffers who failed the tests would not have much recourse since CANU officers were all retained on contracts which could be terminated at anytime by either the unit or the employee. The terminations of the CANU employees was a first given that it was the first time that the polygraph would have been used in Guyana and someone who had failed it faced unemployment. There were criticisms that the use of the polygraph cannot be the sole basis in determining whether or not to fire an employee.

Joint Services corner elusive gang at Kwakwani

The Joint Services cornered a large gang of gunmen in the vicinity of Kwakwani, Upper Berbice River and reports from the mining community noted that the Joint Services caught up with the gang in a wooden area near Kawkwani and came under fire.
The ranks immediately returned fire, killing one of the gang members, and seized a number of automatic weapons, shotguns and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Kaieteur News was told that using an aircraft, the Joint Services got an excellent fix on the gang and by night fall, the ranks were in hot pursuit.

‘Fine Man’ planned further massacres to avenge sister’s death…diary reveals

A heavily armed Joint Services contingent was hot on the trail of Rondell ‘Fine Man’ Rawlins and several other gunmen who escaped following a shootout with the Joint Services, which left one gunman dead.
Police had stated that Rawlins was among the fleeing six-member gang that was found in a well stocked camp in an area some 300 miles up the Berbice River. It was noted that the weapons recovered from the gunmen’s hideout linked the gang to the slaughter of 12 people in Bartica. The Joint Services ranks also unearthed a diary which provided incontrovertible evidence of Rondell Rawlins’s planning and execution of the killings at Lusignan and Bartica.
The police said that the wanted man also planned to take vengeance for the death of his sister Marcyn King, of D’ Andrade Street, Newtown, who was shot dead as she was returning home from her job at Rentokil on March 10.

Nude body of girl, 15, found

In June, fifteen-year-old Shelisha Khan left her Lancaster, Mahaica home to purchase food, and the next time she was seen by her relatives was at the Lyken Funeral Home. Khan was the victim of a brutal gang rape, after which she was bludgeoned and shot and her body was dumped on the Hope Estate Access Road, East Coast Demerara, some three miles from her home.
Her nude body was discovered in a clump of bushes by residents who were on their way to work. A few pieces of clothing which were identified as that which Khan was wearing when she left home, were found a few feet away from the body. She sustained a gaping wound to her forehead, while the back of her head had a huge hole, which police suspected to be an exit wound.

‘Uncle Willie’ and ‘Chung Boy’ killed

Two members of the infamous ‘Fine Man’ gang were shot dead by the Joint Services at Goat Farm, a community on the left bank of the Berbice River.
The men were identified as Cecil Simeon Ramcharran, 54, also known as ‘Uncle Willie’, and 16-year-old Robin Chung called ‘Chung Boy.’
The two gang members managed to elude the Joint Services from the time they fled a camp at Christmas Falls until they crossed the Berbice River and hijacked a minibus near Goat Farm, a community located about seven miles from Ituni.
The Joint Services ranks also recovered two AK-47s and a large quantity of ammunition.

Eight slaughtered in mining camp

The burnt bodies of eight diamond miners were found in a camp some 10 miles below Christmas Falls, the scene of a shootout between police and members of the so-called ‘Fine Man’ gang.
The gruesome discovery was reportedly made by the owner of the camp, George Leonard Arokium, 61, who said he went to the area to check on his crew, after not hearing from them for several days and after receiving some disturbing phone calls.
Arokium said that he did not stop at any police station despite several calls, as he was unsure of whom to trust. Arokium’s son, Dax, was among the dead, along with his brother, Cecil Arokium, Bonny Harry, Clifton Wong, Nigel Torres, Compton Speirs, Horace Drakes and Lancelot Lee.

Cops investigate e-mail threat

The police launched an investigation into allegations that Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud received a threatening text message purportedly from wanted man Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins. The message according to investigators, originated from an IP address used by the Kaieteur News. The text message indicated that it was for the Minister and the President and stated that Rawlins and his gang were planning to cause ‘misery in Regent Street’.

‘Skinny’ escapes from Sparendaam Police Station
Notorious Agricola gang member, Jermaine Charles, called ‘Skinny’, who was charged with multiple murders including those of five Kaieteur News pressmen, escaped from the Sparendaam Police Station on June 25.
According to reports, Charles escaped through a hole in the floor of the lockups some time between midday and 16:00 hours.
Charles had earlier appeared in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court for the preliminary inquiry into the death of Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh, his two siblings, Pulmattie Persaud and Rajpat Sawh, and security guard Curtis Robinson.
According to the source, after making his court appearance, Charles was placed into the lockups of the Sparendaam Police Station, a building that is next door to the court. Charles was handcuffed.
Reports state that at around 16:00 hours the prison van went to the station to uplift prisoners but when the police were looking for Charles, he was nowhere to be found.
The police ranks discovered a hole in the flooring that they say Charles could have passed through.
This newspaper understands that there were more than 30 prisoners in the lockups with Charles but none of them informed the police of what had transpired.

July

$2M bounty for ‘Skinny’

The Guyana Police Force in early July announced that a reward of $2M would be offered for any information leading to the recapturing of Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles.
Charles had managed to escape from the Sparendaam Police Station lock-ups on June 25.

Two city officials sent home

Two high profile officials of the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown received letters sending them on extended leave in wake of a damaging audit report which hinted of fraud and mismanagement.
Mayor Hamilton Green confirmed that the letters were given to both Town Clerk Beulah Williams and City Treasurer Roderick Edinboro.
The interdiction of the two officials became effective on July 2.

Three die returning from outing at creek

A day at the creek ended in tragedy following a two-vehicle collision which snuffed out the lives of five persons including two brothers, all from the East Coast Demerara village of Plaisance.
Dead are Jason and Julian Martin, Colin Ferguson, Ezra Ferguson and Royston Dempster.
The young men had just left a creek on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway. The driver of the car was Jason Martin.
At about 21:00 hours while heading north along the East Bank Demerara Public Road in the vicinity of Land of Canaan, the car that they were travelling in, PLL 328, collided with a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).

11-year-old dies in collision

An unlicensed driver slammed a Canter truck into a parked, sand-laden vehicle near Coverden, East Bank Demerara, killing his 11-year-old niece and injuring her seven-year-old brother.
Inaleema Jhaman of Lot 19 Soesdyke Public Road was sitting in the cab of the Canter truck when her uncle lost control of the vehicle and careened into the sand truck at around 09:00hours.
She was killed instantly.

Hinckson granted $1M bail

Sedition accused Oliver Hinckson was granted $1million bail for a conspiracy to commit a terrorist act charge.
Bail was granted by Principal Magistrate Melissa Robertson.
However, the High Court subsequently ruled that the decision by the Magistrate to grant bail on that charge was in contravention of an earlier High Court ruling.

First local kidney transplant undertaken at GPHC

After nearly six hours of intense and intricate medical procedures, the first kidney transplant in Guyana, hosted by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), was completed on July 12.
The medical operation, which was spearheaded by Indian-born Dr Rahul Jindal, saw 18-year-old Munesh Mangal, of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, who had for many years suffered from renal kidney failure, receiving a kidney from his mother, 41-year-old Leelkumarie Nirananjan Mangal.

Journalist banned from OP, State House

Capitol News reporter, Gordon Moseley, was banned from entering the Office of the President and State House.
Moseley went to the Office of the President following an invitation for coverage of an event but was told that a directive was issued barring him from entering the premises after allegedly making disparaging remarks against President Jagdeo.

Bandits rob, kill businessman

Akbar Ali, 35, was shot and killed by two bandits opposite King Solomon’s Enterprise, on Brickdam.
Reports were that the man, a scrap metal dealer, had just withdrawn some $2.1M from a city bank, before heading with his wife to another city bank after which he then proceeded to Brickdam with the intention of transacting business with an auto dealer.
He was shot when he and his wife exited the vehicle. His killers fled with the money.

Govt seeks approval of $4.8B from National Assembly

High fuel prices on the world market prompted the government to approach the National Assembly to approve some $4.8B in supplementary budgetary allocations.
The details of the request were illustrated in the first two Financial Papers for 2008 seeking money from the National Contingency funds.
The bulk of the money requested – some $3.5B – was for the Office of the Prime Minister.
The money was listed to facilitate costs related to higher fuel prices.

Manhunt engaged for escaped prisoner

A massive manhunt was launched for a murder accused who staged a daring escape while being escorted from the Providence Magistrate’s Court, shortly after he was committed to stand trial in the High Court.
According to reports, the escapee, Trevor Major and other prisoners were being transported from Providence to the city when he made good his escape, reportedly after managing to pick a lock on the enclosed prison van.

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August

Female mental patient killed at GPHC

Pandemonium broke out at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Psychiatric Ward resulting from the death of a female inmate.

Reports stated that 21-year-old Natasha Vieira was strangled by another female patient of the ward while lying in her bed.

This newspaper understands that after Vieira became unconscious, her attacker dragged her to the bathroom and turned on the shower, apparently with the intention of reviving her.

One of the patients went to inform the nurses of what was going on in the ward but by that time Vieira was already dead.

Horrific accidents leave two dead

Two young men were burnt to death in a horrific car crash at Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

Dead are owner of Luxury Cuts Barber Shop, Sachin Singh, 22, and Wajeed Shaw, also 22.

The mishap occurred shortly after the two youths left a lavish wedding reception on the East Bank of Demerara.

AG report reveals Contingencies Fund abused

The Auditor General Report revealed that the audited public accounts of Guyana and accounts of Ministries, departments and regions for the year ending December 31, 2006 verified a complaint by the parliamentary opposition parties regarding the Contingencies Fund.

According to the report, presented to the National Assembly by the Auditor General, the Contingencies Fund continued to be abused, with amounts drawn from the Fund being utilized to satisfy expenditure that did not meet the eligibility criteria as defined in the Act.

GPHC buildings gutted

An early morning fire believed to be the work of an arsonist destroyed several buildings in the southern section of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) compound.

The buildings housing the Male and Female Observation Wards, the Medical Out-Patient Department (MOPD) and the Patient Care Assistant Teaching Facility were destroyed by the fire, which was reportedly set by a male psychiatric patient. The suspected arsonist was taken into police custody and subsequently charged.

Massacre suspect arrested

Diligent enquiries by the Criminal Investigations Department coupled with sound intelligence gathering led to the arrest of another male suspect in the February 17 massacre at Bartica.  Police did not say how the suspect was arrested but stated in a press release that they also recovered two metal vaults and a brief case containing documents.
Kaieteur News understands that the items were identified as belonging to the CBR Mining Company which was robbed during the massacre. It is believed that the gang responsible for the Bartica massacre in which 12 persons were killed, including three policemen, was led by Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins.

Decline in HIV/AIDS reported

The trend in the reported cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), according to local statistics, has shown that there was a decline in the infection rate as at the end of last year, as it relates to both the male and female genders.

This was chronicled in a report issued by the Ministry of Health, Department of Disease Control, which indicated that, while the reported cases were significant in 2006, there was a notable decline last year.

‘Fine Man’, Skinny killed in Joint Services confrontation

The reign of wanted man Rondell ‘Fine Man’ Rawlins came to an abrupt end when he and his accomplice Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles went down in a hail of bullets during a confrontation with members of the Joint Services.
The gunfight started at Timehri and concluded at Kuru Kururu on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.
Another man, identified as Sean Grant, called ‘Troyee’, was also shot dead in the initial exchange at Timehri, while Guyana Defence Force Corporal Andrew Cush was wounded and was treated at the army medical base at Camp Ayanganna.

The death of Rawlins and Charles created a huge dent in the criminal gang that had been wreaking havoc throughout the length and breadth of Guyana.

Policeman kills self, lover

A 31-year-old policeman shot his 33-year-old lover dead before taking his own life.
Selena Ramona Khan, a mother of three, was shot in the chest outside her Lot 18 Public Road, La Penitence home, and succumbed shortly after.

Her lover of two years, police constable 16773 Trevor Oswald Cumberbatch, then turned the weapon on himself.

Khan was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, while Cumberbatch succumbed at the same institution.

September

Three students perish in Waramadong fire

Three students from the Waramadong Secondary School perished in a fire which engulfed their dormitory.
Those dead are Seleza Sam, 11, Stephanie David, 13, and Shandeleza George, 14.
According to reports, the fire started in the female dormitory of the institution at Waramadong, Upper Mazaruni River.

Reports stated that the students had reportedly lit a candle and had apparently fallen asleep, leaving it unattended.

The three dead girls were all from Quebanang Village, Upper Mazaruni, which is some five hours away from their school.

Chief Magistrate resigns

Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen resigned from the bench, ending her four-year battle to be reinstated to active duty.

She said that she would be seeking all benefits due to her while also seeking substantial damages from the Judicial Services Commission.

Girl’s murder rocks West Coast Berbice

Grief struck the quiet community of Bath Settlement on the West Coast of Berbice when the body of 13-year-old Kavita Panday was found at the side of a canal, a short distance from her parents’ garden.

Reports indicate that the teen was brutally raped and murdered before her body was dumped at the side of the canal.

Simels accused of plotting to eliminate witness

Attorney-at-law Robert Simels, who has been accused of attempting to eliminate the main witness against his client, embattled Guyanese businessman, Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan, and his associate Arienne Irving, were indicted by a grand jury at a Federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, to stand trial before a judge and jury. Khan was also indicted.

Two prison officers charged for inmate’s death

Senior prison officers, Kurt Corbin and Gladwin Samuels, were charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of inmate Edwin Niles.

It is alleged that the two on July 11, 2008, killed Edwin Niles, who was an inmate at the Georgetown Prisons.

The duo holds the rank of Assistant Superintendent.

October

Gymkhana wows hundreds

In October, hundreds of persons flocked the Police Sports Complex Ground, Eve Leary, to witness the return of Gymkhana after an absence of over 10 years.

The gathering included Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, former Commissioner of Police Balram Ragubir and several other retired members of the force. Addressing the gathering at the opening of the event, Acting Police Commissioner, Henry Greene, said that the event was organised following appeals from members of the public.

He said that Gymkhana gives the Police the opportunity to display their skills to the public.

Owner of Toucan Suites awarded $125 M

Also in October there was the court case where Justice Jainaryan Singh Jr., presiding in the High Court, awarded judgement in the sum of $125 M with six per cent interest to Norman Trotz, the owner of the Toucan Suites Guesthouse, which was destroyed by the Joint Services during a gun battle with Linden London, called ‘Blackie’, in February 2000.

The judgement was handed down following lengthy submissions by Attorney General Doodnauth Singh representing the state and attorney at law Andrew Pollard, counsel for N&R Company Limited, owned by Norman Trotz.

The judgement, according to the businessman, came as a relief after years of litigation following the destruction of his property at 223 Anaida Avenue, Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

Credit crisis sparks panic

In October, fears that the credit crisis will not be contained sparked panic selling across the global stock markets and sent crude oil prices plunging as investors rushed for the safety of government bonds and gold.

European shares posted their worse day on record and the Dow slipped below 10,000 points for the first time since October 2004 as markets reeled on news of the growing toll from the credit crisis and widespread fears of a looming global recession.

The rescue of two big European banks and a decision by several European governments to guarantee bank deposits in emergency moves to prop up investor confidence triggered the wave of selling spreading from Europe to Asia before engulfing the United States and Latin America.

Skeldon factory undergoes successful test

The Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project (SSMP), more commonly referred to as the new Skeldon Sugar Factory, is nearer to its handing over.

The state-of-the-art facility which is fully computer monitored and operated, successfully underwent its second test in October.

The first test that took place was a 12-hour continuous run and after experiencing no hiccups, the contractors, CNTIC, under the watchful eye of the Vice President of the Company, Zhang Guodong, went ahead with a 24-hour continuous run.

The testing process will continue progressively until both CNTIC and the Guyana Sugar Corporation are satisfied with the results. This will determine when the facility will be handed over.

Harbour Bridge state almost criminal – President

It was in October too that President Bharrat Jagdeo expressed shock at the state of the Demerara Harbour Bridge when he stopped to make an impromptu inspection of the structure on his way from the airport.

He was at the time briefing the National Communications Network (NCN) when he conveyed his anger that the bridge was allowed to deteriorate to such a deplorable level.

According to him, he checked on the bridge after receiving information about the state of the structure linking the western and eastern banks of the Demerara River.

“They told me that they were buying local decking and it only lasted six months so we spent a large sum of money on this local decking and it’s all in a sad shape,” he related.

President Jagdeo, however, said that he was told that the bridge has other structural issues with some of the anchor chains rotting.

Environmental Officer gunned down

October saw the death of Environmental Officer, Alecia Foster. The 26-year-old woman was gunned down outside her Lot 78 David Street, Kitty home by a man who escaped in her car.

Foster who was employed with the Environmental Protection Agency was shot in the face by one of the gunmen who eyewitnesses described as being “tall, slim and wearing glasses,” just as she was about to drive into her yard.

She died some 10 minutes after arriving at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

After shooting Foster, the gunman calmly entered his victim’s gold-coloured Toyota Corolla, PHH 2253 and escaped east along David Street.

His accomplice reportedly escaped in another car that the killers had apparently used to trail their victim.

NCN reporter dies in accident

Also in October NCN reporter Akila Jacobs lost her life while returning from a Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) assignment in Ituni.

The tragic trip saw a minibus transporting journalists and GT&T personnel from Ituni slamming into a moving truck at Amelia’s Ward, Linden, killing Jacobs, 23, and minibus driver Terrence Tappin.

Tappin, 60, of Lot 71 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme died on the spot after he was pinned in the wreck of his bus.

Jacobs, the mother of a two-year-old daughter, succumbed after sustaining severe head injuries even as she was being rushed to the city by ambulance.

Seven feared dead in boat mishap

It was in October that seven people using the unofficial crossing between Guyana and Suriname were feared dead after the vessel in which they were returning in from Nickerie to Corriverton capsized.

Initially four bodies were recovered. They were identified as Ena Hope, 32, of the Reno Hotel, Corriverton, and her sister Shiela Gonsalves, 64, whose bodies were both found just off the Number Sixty-Three Beach; Indranie Motiram called ‘Bird Lady’, whose body was recovered in the vicinity of Scottsburg and Drupatie Bahagiloo called Nalini Ganpat, 45, of Hampshire, Corentyne.

The bodies of Henry Gonsalves and Roy Ramdass were also eventually found.

November

Carjackers kill taxi driver

The horrors continued in the month of November when two carjackers slit a taxi-driver’s throat after they lured him to Bent Street, Wortmanville.

Vibert Assanah, a 56-year-old former policeman of Melanie, East Coast Demerara, was apparently slain during a desperate struggle with his attackers.

He collapsed outside his car and died shortly after.

The killers fled the scene on foot but one of the men who were reportedly wounded in a struggle with Assanah was arrested in Hadfield Street.

CSEC top student cops Regional Award

The month took a turn for the better when Guyana’s top Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) student, Yana Marisa Edwards was declared the Most Outstanding Overall Candidate of the Region who participated in the 2008 CSEC examination.

The Queen’s College student, who attained grade one passes in 14 subject areas, was presented with an award at the CXC Annual Regional Top Awards ceremony at the Hilton Hotel in Barbados.

This is the third consecutive year that a Queen’s College student has been the recipient of the award. In 2006, Shirvanie Persaud copped the award, a feat that was repeated last year by her colleague Wainella Issacs.

Foreign aircraft vanishes

British helicopters were dispatched in November to the Mazaruni after a foreign aircraft disappeared in that area last Saturday.

Reports reaching Kaieteur News stated that the aircraft was hired to do geographical survey for a private mining company.

David de Caires dies

Press freedom fighter and Editor-in-Chief of Stabroek News, David de Caires departed this life in November at a hospital in Barbados.

Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo expressed heartfelt condolences to the de Caires family.

According to the Head of State, de Caires contributed a great deal to the opening up of the country through an open free media and his contributions will long be remembered.

He noted that Stabroek News came into being at a critical time in the country’s history when “we were still under an undemocratic rule”.

Bandits kill Den Amstel woman

Pandemonium broke out at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation as the relatives of 27-year-old Melissa Payne of 56 Den Amstel confirmed their worst fears on a fateful November day.

News of her sudden death sent shock waves within the community and her family.

Payne was killed after she attempted to put up a fight with gunmen who carried out a brazen attack on her and a male friend at Agricola Public Road.

The gunmen escaped with some $110,000 in cash that was in the woman’s bag and with jewellery.

At the time of the robbery she was in the company of a male friend, David Fraser, who said that they were heading to town to conduct business. He added that they were approaching Agricola when the Canter truck in which they were travelling encountered mechanical problems.

Bandits stage daring heist in Stanleytown

What started out as a daring daylight ambush and robbery at Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara ended in an exchange of gunfire between members of the Joint Services and bandits, resulting in two gunmen, Eric Williams called ‘Eddo’ and Leon Dundas being killed.

They had reportedly escaped with a whopping $17.2 M which was eventually recovered.

The series of events started around 11:25 hours when a GEB security vehicle which was transporting the Wales Guysuco Estate payroll ambushed and robbed by about nine heavily armed men.

Raphael Piggot gunned down

An unidentified gunman opened fire on the occupants of a car, killing the driver, Raphael Piggot, in what police described as an execution.

Piggot of 48 Arapaima Street, Guyhoc Park, and formerly of Ituni was shot in his upper body with a .45 calibre gun.

Subsequently, investigators found eight kilograms of cocaine concealed in the fuel tank of the Piggot’s vehicle. More than US$14,000 and 1,100 Euros were discovered in the car.

Ex-con’s body found in cemetery

It was in November too that residents of Soesdyke got an unpleasant surprise when they discovered the battered body of an ex-convict in a nearby cemetery.

The partly clad body of 36-year-old Rickford Barker of Hyde Park, Timehri was found at around 06:00 hours in the cemetery located near the Soesdyke main road.

Police say that the back of Barker’s head bore a gaping wound while there were several abrasions on his back.

Police were able to detain four suspects from the same area who reportedly killed Barker vigilante-style.

Five persons were subsequently charged.

Enmore man executed in his bed

The normally quite community of Foulis, Enmore, East Coast Demerara, was rocked in November too by the execution style killing of 25-year-old carpenter, Vikesh Budhram.

He received a single gunshot wound to the neck from the barrel of an AK-47 assault rifle while sleeping with his wife Basmattie Rambharose and their one-year-old daughter, Rihanna.

It was reported that the young man’s death bore the hallmark of an execution since the killers did not demand anything from the family but fled immediately after the suspected hit.

That case is yet to be solved by police.

Wanted man James Gibson, others killed by police

An early morning shoot out in the month of November at Cromarty Foreshore, Corentyne saw a Detective Constable and three heavily armed bandits being killed.

Olsen Trevis Glasgow of Fyrish, the 25-year-old Detective Constable who was stationed at the Whim Police Station was shot in the abdomen when a bullet fired from one of the bandits’ AK-47 pierced his bullet proof vest.

One of the dead bandits was positively identified as James Gibson, a former GDF officer who was charged jointly with Oliver Hinckson for possession of illegal firearm and ammunition. Gibson was earlier charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm believed stolen from a policeman.

December

Luck averts mid-air crash at CJIA

“The existing (Air Traffic Control) ATC system in Guyana is NOT SAFE and it is not the fault of the persons tasked with operating the system.”

That comment was contained in a report by Captain Gregory Fox, who was asked to conduct an investigation following the near collision of an incoming Delta Airline flight out of Cheddi Jagan International Airport and an outgoing Caribbean Airlines flight on October 7 last. The report was submitted on November 18, last.

The Delta Airline flight departed Piarco International Airport in Trinidad at about noon and climbed to its cruising altitude of 35,000 feet heading to Georgetown. At 12:04 hours the Delta flight DAL 383 was estimated to reach its point of entry into Guyana at 12:23 hours and it conveyed this information to Trinidad which, via voice link, relayed this information to Georgetown and approved the incoming flight but did not post the flight plan strip on the controller board.

OP financial records missing

During the period July 1998 to June 2002, the records of revenue earned from the export of wildlife could not be located, and as such it is unclear as to how much revenue was earned during that period, or where the money is, or what happened to the money.

This is according to Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, People’s National Congress Reform Member of Parliament Volda Lawrence, who was referring to a statement in the most recent treasury memorandum tabled in the National Assembly by the Finance Minister.

The records in relation to the period July 1998 to June 2002, four years, cannot be located, and all attempts to have same reconstructed have been futile.

Kaieteur News puts smiles on children’s face

Kaieteur News Publisher Glenn Lall put smiles on the faces of more than 2,000 children across the country by granting them the wishes they had stated in letters to Santa Claus.

The initiative was a sort of rescue mission after a gift giveaway for the holidays, initiated by the National Communications Network (NCN) and Sterling Products, went sour.

The promotion, initiated by the two agencies last month and publicised on NCN, invited children to write to Santa Claus requesting a gift for a deserving friend.

Road deaths mar Christmas holidays

A University of Guyana student, a pensioner and a former footballer were killed in separate road accidents which occurred between Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Twenty-six-year-old UG student Kellon Griffith, of Atlantic Ville, East Coast Demerara died when a Christmas Day outing with two friends ended tragically, at around 04:00, when the vehicle in which they were travelling overturned on the Rupert Craig Highway, in the vicinity of the Celina’s Resort.

And at around 01:00 hr on Christmas Day, popular drinks vendor and former footballer Selwyn Bailey, 45, was killed on the spot when a route 41 minibus slammed into Bailey’s drinks stall at Joseph Pollydore and Chapel Streets, Lodge.

And on Christmas Eve, 68-year-old Watson Joseph who was on a peddle cycle at the time perished after he was struck by a motor car on the Number Five Village Main Road at about 18:35 hours.

US$180M Skeldon Modernisation Plant incurs GY$1.2B in losses

All is not well with the Guyana Sugar Corporation, and particularly with the new Skeldon Modernisation Plant being constructed at a cost of US$180 million. In fact, the new factory has cost the country more in terms of lost revenue earnings, most of it after a mere three weeks of operation.

During the past year, the contractors ran numerous tests, and the results were less than heartening.

Three die, 11 seriously injured in two-bus smash-up

A 35-year-old driver and two children were killed last Saturday afternoon after one minibus rammed into another at Hand-en-Veldt, on the Mahaica public road.

Hafeez Bacchus, the minibus driver, of Craig, West Coast Demerara, died from massive head injuries after his vehicle slammed into the back of a parked minibus carrying five children and two adults.

Two of the children — Zackeria Khan, five, and three-year-old Wadulla Khan — were sitting in the back seat and bore the brunt of the impact. They were pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Six dangerous inmates stage daring Camp Street jailbreak

Six dangerous inmates, including two suspects in the recent Bartica and Lusignan massacres, staged a daring jailbreak at the Georgetown Prison just before dawn last Sunday, but quick response by prison authorities and the Joint Services led to their recapture.

Director of Prisons, Dale Erskine, said that five of the escapees were recaptured in the prison compound. The sixth, identified as murder accused Sherwin Moses, also called Sherwin Nero, ‘Pattacake’, and ‘Cattie’, was recaptured on Mandela Avenue.

Moses and four of the other escapees were on remand for murder.

Speeding driver kills eight year old

A driver believed to be under the influence of alcohol claimed the life of eight year old Alicia Forrester of 36 Hyde Park Parika and left her step father Alvin Constantine 36, in a critical condition at the Georgetown hospital.

The accident happened at Vreed-En-Hoop New Road.

Kaieteur News was reliably informed that the motorcar PLL 2554, which was driven by Zulifikar Goolzar Nandar 22, was speeding and collided with the victims. The two victims were taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where Forrester was pronounced dead on arrival and her step father’s condition was listed as critical.

New Skeldon factory guzzles $140M in fuel in three weeks

The Guyana Sugar Corporation has spent a lot of money on fuel just to test-run the New Skeldon Modernisation Plant. The cost of fuel to test-run the new factory was astronomical.

During the three weeks of test runs last month the sugar company spent between $130 million and $140 million on heavy fuel oil, much more than should have been expended and money that Guyana could use in many other areas, including agricultural development.

A source said that there are to be other test runs, and the fact that fuel prices have fallen on the world market has saved Guyana. The price of fuel is about US$40 per barrel but when the tests were conducted the cost was about US$100. This lower cost would mean less expenditure on future tests, but it still spells disaster at the extent of fuel consumption.

“US$3 million in lost revenue is irrelevant” – GuySuCo

The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has said that the US$3 million lost in revenue at the Skeldon Modernisation Factory during a test-milling operation was never budgeted for, nor was the money planned for by the sugar company. As a consequence such loss is irrelevant, the company said.

GuySuCo was at the time responding to an article carried in Sunday’s edition (December 28) of Kaieteur News. The article had outlined a number of problems being experienced at the new factory, including the amount of sugar being produced.

Kaieteur News had reported that the authorities passed some 50,000 tonnes of cane through the new mill, but the amount of sugar produced was a mere 400 tonnes.

Police hunt Albouystown man

Local police have issued a wanted bulletin for 55-year-old Reginald Rodrigues following a bust in Canada that involved some 76 kilos of cocaine.

According to a police release, Rodrigues’s last known address is Lot 141 Victoria Street, Albouystown.

The release also stated that the wanted man was born on December 17, 1953, is five feet, eleven inches tall, has black hair and brown eyes, and is thin in stature.

Anyone with information about Rodrigues’s whereabouts can contact the police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-2700, 226-2917, 226-2870, 225-1111, 225-8196, 911, or at the nearest police station, the release said.

The release said that all information will be treated with strict confidence.