Year: 2017

…Ministry predicts higher declaration by year-end The Natural Resources Ministry is moving ahead to achieve its projected target of 700,000 ounces of gold declared for the year 2017, reporting a 475,202 gold declaration thus far. This is according to the Ministry which is now predicting an increased production for the last quarter of 2017. The 2017 Budget has set the target of 694,000 ounces of gold, but the Ministry is aiming for 700,000 ounces. World market prices are being credited with the recent declaration of enhanced production by Guyana Goldfields…

A businessman, his 16-year-old son and a 19-year-old employee have been jointly charged with the murder of the Bloomfield Village resident. Bharrat Ramsaywack, 42, a cattle farmer and businessman of Number 55 Village, along with his teenage son and Mohanlall Sewsankar, 19, a labourer were jointly charged with the capital offence. It is alleged that between October 2 and 6, 2017, at Number 55 Village Corentyne, Berbice, they murdered 21-year-old Mahendra Ghanie of Bloomfield Village, Corentyne. The trio was unrepresented and said nothing to the court during the proceedings. Magistrate…

Recent decisions by Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan to usurp the powers — as set out under law – of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) have caught the eye of the Opposition. The body has since been called on by the political Opposition to “stand its ground” and administer the legislative requirements, as outlined under the laws of Guyana and to protect its supervision of national procurement. The Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP) has since written to NPTAB Chairman Berkley Wickham, and has called on him to take…

Ever since the closure of the Wales Sugar Estate in December of 2016, some 1700 workers have been directly affected, and thousands of persons in the Wales and surrounding communities have been indirectly affected. Almost 10 months after the shutdown of the Estate, many workers claim that they are having difficulty gaining consistent employment even as they continue to cope without receiving their termination benefits. These issues were reiterated on Tuesday when sugar workers and housewives gathered at the headquarters of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) in…

Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine has berated his fellow law enforcement ranks over a photograph of convicted Bartica massacre killer, Mark Royden Williams, called “Smallie” that surfaced online which was taken while he was strip-searched after being nabbed in Berbice. The leak raised many questions for citizens who have been actively debating the issue on social media. While such searches are in keeping with standard operating procedures, Ramnarine said on Wednesday that the act was completely unethical. “This nude photograph is the most unfortunate, unethical, insensitive action but unfortunately it…

Law enforcement officials have confirmed that notorious criminal Royden Williams, called “Smallie”, who was recaptured on Monday, was planning to skip the country. Williams, also known as Mark Royden Durant, was travelling in a public minibus when Police stopped the vehicle and conducted a search at Weldaad, West Coast Berbice. Members of the media were told on Wednesday during a press conference at the Public Security Ministry that the Police had gathered intelligence that assisted with the recapture of Williams. Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine revealed that Williams was becoming…

…says Deputy Solicitor General on being sacked over AG Williams ‘vendetta’ The Public Service Commission (PSC), with a mere six hours remaining before its term expired, terminated the services of Deputy Solicitor Prithima Kissoon, after arrogating on itself the powers of the President to invoke a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) later used as the basis for her dismissal. This course of action was taken despite the PSC never pronouncing on the complaints filed against Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams. The revelations have been made public by Kissoon,…

…as Freedom Radio hauls Broadcast Authority to court Freedom Radio Inc has filed a constitutional challenge in the High Court, over the Administration’s imposition of an ‘onerous’ increase in the annual broadcasting fee and the expropriation of its airwaves during ‘prime time,’ for Government broadcasts.Freedom Radio Inc has filed a constitutional challenge in the High Court, over the Administration’s imposition of an ‘onerous’ increase in the annual broadcasting fee and the expropriation of its airwaves during ‘prime time,’ for Government broadcasts. Nandlall and Associates on Tuesday filed the legal challenge…