Kaieteur News

St.

Man found SleepInn Hotel to death during

dead in room at

…ordersfreshhearinginPandaybotherscase CCJ rebukes Guyana courts Man stabbed Leopold Street fight ...wasseenwithtopGovt.officialsbeforeexit Convicted Brazilian

Global democracy slides

Teacher accused of sexually assaulting nine school girls

Th e M i n i s t r y o f

Education has moved swiftly to remove a teacher from the classroom following serious allegations of a sexualnaturemadebystudentsofa citysecondaryschool.

In a statement issued Wednesday,theministryconfirmed that it was first informed of the allegations on Friday, March 13, and immediately placed the accused teacher on administrative

leavethesameday.

The action, officials said, was taken in keeping with established procedures, as authorities began engaging parents and activating childprotectionmechanisms.

According to the ministry the Welfare Department of the Department of Education met with one parent on Friday, 13 March 2026, a second parent on Monday, 16 March 2026, and a third parent on Tuesday, 17 March 2026. Each

—pulledfromclassroomas EducationMinistrylaunchesprobe

parentwasissuedareferralletterto the Child Protection Agency, consistent with standard operating procedures.

Each affected student is to undergo a forensic interview to be conducted by Blossom Inc, the releaseadded.

Todate,onesuchinterviewhas been completed. “The Ministry of

unequivocally that, contrary to

circulating on social media, there

investigative process,” the release stated.

Meanwhile, speaking to Kaieteur News a source disclosed that the victims reportedly discussedtheirinteractionswiththe teacher which led to the matter being reported and the Education Ministrywascalledin.

The source stated that nine schoolgirlsarereportedlyinvolved.

This publication learned that the accused teacher is a Physical Education (PE) teacher and has been employed with the secondary school for some three years Guyana recorded in excess of 300 sexual assault cases monthly last year, according to the Manager of Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Policy Unit of the Ministry of Human Services and Soc

Husbands.

Convicted Brazilian mining kingpin sparks alarm in Rupununi

- was seen with top Govt. officials before exit

Concernshavebeenraisedover the presence of a convicted Brazilian miner in the Marudi miningdistrict.

During a recent meeting convened by the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) and key stakeholders,theissueofBrazilian miners in the Rupununi, particularly Rodrigo Martins de Mello, also known as Rodrigo Cataratas, was spotlighted and assurancewasgiventhattheminer isnolongeroperatinginthearea.

The concerns were heightened by social media images showing Cataratas,inthecompanyofsenior governmentofficialshere.

In a statement on Tuesday, the SRDC said the matter was addressed directly with miners, who acknowledged that Cataratas was indeed present in the Marudi area However, the miners have sinceassuredtheCouncilthatheis nolongerthere.

According to a February 12, 2026 report by Mongabay, a Brazilian federal court sentenced Mello/ Cataratas to more than 22 years in prison after finding him guilty of leading an illegal mining operation in the Yanomami IndigenousTerritoryintheAmazon Rainforest.

He was convicted on charges including leading a criminal organisation, money laundering, and illegal mining on protected Indigenous land The court also ordered him to pay more than 31.7 million reais (US$6.1 million) in damages for environmental destruction and harm caused to Indigenouscommunities.

A section of the gathering at the recent meeting hosted by the SRDC

Oppositionparties,WeInvestin Nationhood (WIN) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), had also raised concerns abouttheminer’sreportedpresence in the Marudi district. Concerns were raised regarding Cataratas being allowed to operate in Guyana’s mining industry despite hisconvictioninBrazil.

Court documents cited by Mongabay indicate that Mello managed a fleet of at least 23 aircraft used to transport miners, fuel, and supplies into Indigenous lands,aswellastomoveextracted minerals.

Meanwhile, the SRDC said the recent meeting included representatives from the Rupununi Miners Association (RMA), the Guyana Geology and Mines

Commission(GGMC),theGuyana Forestry Commission (GFC), and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Discussions focused on mining activities in Marudi and their impact on surrounding communities.

Toshaos at the meeting expressed serious concern about criminal mining activities on Indigenous lands in other jurisdictions, particularly Brazil, and stressed that such conduct wouldnotbetoleratedintheSouth Rupununi.

Further, it was also noted that Brazilians currently involved in operations in the area are mainly technical personnel supporting specialised functions, such as operating heavy-duty machinery Emphasis was placed on the need

forskillstransferandbuildinglocal capacity

Additionally, the Toshaos raised concerns about the 10 percent community benefit outlined in existing agreements SRDCsaidthatwhilenodefinitive response was provided, the issue will remain a priority for further discussionatthenextengagement.

Themeetingalsoexaminedthe

national gold declaration system. Representatives from the Guyana Gold Board indicated that while approximately 80 percent of gold productioniscaptured,uncertainty remains about the remaining 20 percent.

The matter is expected to be furtherreviewedaspartofeffortsto strengthen transparency and accountabilityinthesector

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EDITORIAL

Corruption kills the promise

Guyanese can smell corruption. It has its own odor It cannotbemistaken,cannotbedisguisedforlong,nomatter howcarefullyitiswrappedinspeeches,statistics,orstaged displaysofprogress.

It shows itself in unexplained wealth, the kind that appearsovernight,withouteffort,withouthistory Itlingers in secrecy, in closed-door dealings, in decisions made far frompublicscrutiny Anditrevealsitselfmostclearlyinthe response to those who dare to question it: intimidation, ridicule,andsometimesoutrightattemptstosilence.

These are not isolated signs. They are patterns.And in Guyanatoday,theyareonfulldisplay

Butcorruptioninthiscountryhasevolved.Itisnolonger justaboutwhathappenswithinourborders.Thereisanother layer—deeper,morecomplex,andmoretroubling.Itisboth localandforeign.Itoperatesquietlybuteffectively,shaping outcomeslongbeforethepublicbecomesaware.Thisisthe corruptionthatdoesnotalwayslookliketheft,butfunctions justasdestructively.Itisthekindthatinfluenceswholeads and who does not. Leaders who genuinely stand for the peoplearesidelined,whilethosewillingtoplaytheexternal gameareelevated,supported,andpreserved.

This is not coincidence. It is design. Time and again, promises are made to the Guyanese people— promises of better lives, improved services, real opportunities. Yet too often, those promises are walked back. Words are eaten. Commitmentsdissolve.Andthepeopleareleftholdingonto hope that grows thinner with each passing year Guyana is not a poor country That is the undeniable truth. With vast naturalresourcesandunprecedentedoilwealth,thisnation stands on the threshold of prosperity Yet for many Guyanese,liferemainsadailystruggle.

Why, in a country with so much, do so many still go without? Why do a few rise rapidly while the majority continuestofacehardship?Whydoesthepromiseofwealth translateintodisappointmentforordinarycitizens?Thereis adisconnection—awideninggapbetweenwhatisandwhat shouldbe.Anditraisesanuncomfortablequestion:whois trulyfightingforthepeople?

Because where there is genuine leadership, there is visible change. Where there is commitment, there is progressthatreachesbeyondaselectfew Butwherethereis corruption — in all its forms — the benefits are captured, redirected, and withheld. What is happening in Guyana is not just about money being misused. It is about something more insidious. It is about perception being managed. It is about people being encouraged to believe that things are better than they truly are, even as their own lives tell a differentstory Thisisadifferentkindofcorruption,onethat deceives. It is the corruption that convinces citizens to acceptless,toexpectless,andtoquestionless.Itconditions peopletonormalizehardshipinthemidstofabundance.And in doing so, it achieves what outright theft cannot: it turns citizensintopassiveobserversoftheirownmarginalization. In effect, it makes paupers out of people in a land of plenty The world is watching Guyana. International attention is fixed on this country, its resources, and its potential. But while the spotlight shines brightly, many Guyanese remain in the shadows — struggling, uncertain, andincreasinglydisillusioned.

Yet,theycontinuetohope.

They hope despite being pushed aside. They believe despitebeingwalkedover Theyenduredespitefacingrising costs, limited opportunities, and an uncertain future. But hopealoneisnotenough.Whenhopeismanipulated,when it is used as a tool to pacify rather than empower — it becomespartoftheproblem.Itbecomesanotherinstrument of control, another layer of corruption that operates not on thesurface,butinthemindsofthepeople. ThisiswhereGuyanastandstoday Andthisnewspaper

I wish to state unequivocally that at no time was I assisted by Kissoon with any explosive chemicala

DEAREDITOR,

I refer to Mr Freddie Kissoon’scolumnpublished on March 16, 2026 in the Guyana Chronicle and captioned, “Kissoon and Westmaaspolitics:part2”.

In that column, Mr Kissoon stated, “I have indelible moments in my relationshipwiththesefolks,

especially with Tacuma Ogunseye, whom I helped withanexplosivechemical.”

Itakethisclaimmadeby Kissoon very seriously, as it suggests an allegation of significant gravity I wish to stateunequivocallythatatno time was I assisted by Mr Kissoon with any explosive chemicalnorwasIinvolved

with any such activity with him.

Given the seriousness of the claim and the potential implications, I am formally requesting that the Guyana Police Force open an investigationintothismatter sothatthefactsmaybefully established. For the sake of accuracy, right of response

and fairness to the public record,Ialsorequestthatthis letter be published in the GuyanaChronicle. Furthermore, if the Guyana Chronicle fails to publish this response, I will consider appropriate legal action.

Yourssincerely TacumaOgunseye

Morris v. EPAand Canadian Mining Standards in Guyana

DEAREDITOR, The High Court of Guyana’s ruling in Morris a n d M a r c u s v Environmental Protection Agency (2025) deserves more sustained public attention than it has received. Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall’s finding, that Scope 3 emissions must be identified and e v a l u a t e d i n a l l Environmental Impact

Assessments under Guyana’s Environmental ProtectionActhassetalegal standard that will define the conditions under which inte

national mining companies operate in this country for the foreseeable future.

ThismatterstoGuyanese citizensforaspecificreason. The ruling confirmed that private citizens have legal standing to challenge the

adequacy of a permit if the underlying EIAis found to bedeficient

That is not a procedural detail. It is a shift in the governance architecture of Guyana’s resource sector. The courts have done what the regulatory framework has been slow to do: they have given citizens a tool to hold international operatorstoaccount.

For the five Canadian mining companies currently developing gold and critical mineral concessions in Region 7, collectively representing billions of dollarsincommittedcapital, the Morris ruling is both a legal obligation and a strategicsignal.

Those that treat it as an obstacle will face the litigation exposure Justice Morris-Ramlall’s ruling was designed to create. Those

that treat it as a governance standard will find that full Scope 3 compliance strengthens rather than delays their operating positioninGuyana.

Canada has historically distinguished its mining sector on the basis of ESG performance, indigenous community engagement, andenvironmentalrigour

The Morris ruling does notraisethebarbeyondwhat responsible Canadian operators are already capableofmeeting.

It raises the bar beyond what less rigorous competitors,includingstatebacked operations, can easily match. That is a competitive advantage for Canadian capital, provided Canadian companies move to meet thestandardnow

The Morris precedent should be read alongside the Kissoon ruling on insurance as evidence of a m a t u r i n g l e g a l environment that rewards disciplined operators and exposes those who rely on regulatoryconvenience

Guyana’s resource governance trajectory is movingintherightdirection. The question is whether the international operators currently in the country are movingwithit.

Regards

Guyana’s governance i n s t i t u t i o n s a r e developing rapidly, and t h e j u d i c i a r y i s demonstrating both the independence and the competence to enforce standards that the executive branch has been slowtocodify.

Dr WalterH.Persaud, PhD

Apolitical leader is being persecuted and every Guyanese should be angry

DEAREDITOR

The Leader of the Opposition is an elected MemberofParliament.Over 109,000 people voted for him. Yet for months, he has beendraggedthroughalegal process designed not to deliver justice, but to humiliateandbreakhim. Thisiswrong.Andevery Guyanese citizen should be

furiousaboutit.

He has not been convicted or found guilty of any crime, yet he is being treated as if he were a d a n g e r o u s criminal—required to report repeatedly to the Ruimveldt police station, surrender his passport, and comply with bail conditions so severe they would devastate most

says: it cannot continue. No Guyanese should allow themselves to be misled. No citizen should accept being treated as less than they deserve. In a country with such immense wealth, dignity, fairness, and opportunity should notbeprivileges—theyshouldbeguarantees.Corruption, in all its forms, kills the promise of Guyana. It robs the nation not only of resources, but of trust, belief, and unity The question now is whether Guyanese will continue to endureit—orconfrontit.Becausethefutureofthiscountry dependsonthatanswer

people both financially, psychologically, and emotionally.

Ask yourself: why must hereporttoapolicestationat all? The police in Guyana have a well-known and deeply troubling reputation.

If reporting is truly necessary,whynottoacourt registrar, or a trusted community figure, or someone seated there as a public official, or an Administrative public servant at the D P.P.

Chambers someone knownforintegrity?Instead, he is sent to Ruimveldt policestation,asifthegoalis to humiliate rather than to monitor

Bailisnotagiftfromthe government It is a

right guaranteed by the Constitution.And the law is clear: authorities must always choose the least burdensome conditions possible.You cannot pile on harsh conditions unless you canprove,withoutquestion, that lighter ones would not work.CourtsinCanadahave firmly established this in cases like R v Antic, and Guyanese courts have long upheldthesameprinciple. Whenbailconditionsare set so high that an innocent maneffectivelycannotlivea normal life, that is not justice—it is detention with extra steps. It is punishment before any verdict. Courts havecondemnedexactlythis kindof“bailbystealth”

(Continuedonpage06)

Long Immigration wait at Moleson Creek

DEAREDITOR

Traveling from South Drain, Suriname, to Guyana viatheCanawaimaFerryon the 15 February 2026 was a nightmare. With fewer than 100 people crossing, and despite being about number eight in the queue, it took over 1 5 hours to clear Guyana immigration at MolesonCreek.

Twoladieswereonduty handlingthelines;however, only one was actually dealingwiththepassengers, while the other dealt with minibus drivers who were allegedly passing money to get their many passengers sorted. Two other male officers stood by—one in a tight, muscular uniform and a mask—but they didn’t try to help. Perhaps their job titles require them only to standandwatch.

Onlyaftertheminibuses and their passengers were processed did the officers finallyturntheirattentionto the lines. In a strange and unorthodoxmove,passports

werecollectedandtakentoa separate room to be stamped. They were later brought back out and distributed by calling out passengers’ names A traveler’s passport should neverleavetheirsight;those responsible for stamping should handle the lines

directly to ensure transparency and security What is the purpose of a queue if documents are processed behind closed doors? Immigration officers must perform their duties in frontofthetravelerstheyare processing The process needs to move away from paper and pen to a fully digital system, which I believe Guyana has already embraced. Sowhythelong waitsand“deals”?Whenwe arrived at immigration, it took nearly 30 minutes for theofficerstoeventaketheir positions to begin processingtravelers. Immigration at Moleson Creek must be improved; travelers demand easier,

faster,andfriendlierservice. Additionally, the lack of an i n t e g r a t e d p u b l i c transportation network makes it expensive to explore Guyana. With the project to gentrify Georgetown, I am hopeful that sidewalk and rubbish issueswillsoonbeathingof the past. The Georgetown CityCouncilmustdobetter I c o m m e n d t h e government for improving Guyana’s connectivity with thewiderworldandreducing airfaresthroughanopen-skies policy which creates competition There has also been great improvement at CJIA regarding quicker immigration processing, and this efficiency must be replicated at Moleson Creek Having traveled to over 85 countries and written extensively about tourism, I found the wait to clear immigration and customs at MolesonCreekunnecessarily long

Regards

RayChickrie

Jagan and his views on Cuba

DEAREDITOR

Much has been said and written by persons who seemingly have some claim to predictive knowledge about how former President Dr CheddiJaganwouldhave responded to current developments in the world today, were he still alive These are merely speculative andinnowayreflectiveofthe changing dynamics of the globalenvironment

There are for example speculations on how he may haverespondedtothecurrent situations in Cuba and Venezuela, both of which are currently experiencingsevere economic and social challenges following the extradition of President Maduro and his wife to the United States Cuba, which relied heavily on Venezuelan oil, has now become a major casualty, with the country’s energygridalmostgrindingto ahalt ItistruethatDr Jagan wassympathetictothecauseof the Cuban revolution But he was also someone who understood ‘realpolitik’ especially in the context of a changing global dispensation after the disintegration of the SovietUnionandthecollapse oftheworldsocialistsystemin thelate1980’s Afterthereturn of democracy to Guyana in October 1992, Dr. Jagan recognised the role of the market ‘as the engine of

growth’ and embraced a nationaldemocraticstateasthe wayforwardforGuyana

His New Global Human Order which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007 was premised on the creation of a fairandequitabledistribution of global resources, peoplecentered development and greater interdependence between the developed North and the underdeveloped South But even more significant from a developmental perspective was his strong advocacy for

democracy and an end to authoritarian forms of governance

Heattributedthefallofthe Soviet Union to ‘command and control’ methods of rule andtheabsenceof‘grassroots’ involvementinthegovernance processes Ithoughtofsharing some thoughts on this subject especially at this time when Guyanese from all walks of life celebrate his life and work and his monumental contributionstothecauseof abetterworld.

Regards HydarAlly

TheCultureofForgetting: WhenPredatorsReturntoPower

D

EAREDITOR, The death of young Aleena Preetam has once again ignited a wave of outrage across Guyana — a visceral, if fleeting, moral convulsion from a society too accustomed to its own failures. Overnight, public figures, institutions, and social media voices have rushed to condemn what they now rediscover as a national disease: the sexual exploitation of minors by men of influence. Yet, this sudden spiral of indignation reeksofduplicity

For years, the country has lived with a quiet complicity one fed by political calculation, public apathy, and judicial inertia. When past cases demanded moral courage, the nation watched them die slow deaths, smothered by the silenceofthoseinpowerand the weariness of those who resisted. Today’s outrage is, therefore, less a rebirth of conscience than a performanceofrelevance,as civil society stirs only when the tragedy is too fresh to ignore.

Consider, for instance, the disgraceful episode involvingNigelDharamlall, the former government minister who faced allegations of sexual misconduct with a 16-yearold girl in 2023. Despite the public outcry, justice was quietly deferred and ultimately denied The victim’s retraction reportedly secured through inducements — ended the investigation, and the Director of Public Prosecutions dropped the charges Dharamlall’s

“voluntary resignation” was brief; his return to the corridors of power now servesasacalculatedinsult, a symbolic gesture from the Presidenthimself—amiddle finger,crudelyraisedagainst public decency and moral accountability Equally disturbingisthetrajectoryof Vikash Ramkisson, another government figure accused of grooming an underage girl who later took her own lifeasthescandalbroke.His ascension to ministerial office,unimpededbyshame or scrutiny, signals a normalization of such predationwithingovernance itself. The message is clear: within this political fraternity,thestainofsexual abuse can be washed clean byproximitytopower These are not isolated moral failures; they are systemic atrocities Their recurrence exposes a governance culture built on impunity, secrecy, and the strategic burial of shame.

Each unanswered abuse corrodes public trust, teaching both victims and bystanders that justice is conditional and compassion selective.

If Aleena’s death has reignited national outrage, then let it also reawaken national memory Let Guyanarefusetoforgetwhat it was made to overlook — the deferred justice, the silenced victims, the predators reinstalled as leaders Civil society’s moralcompasscannotswing only toward the latest tragedy; it must hold steady against the enduring rot that has allowed such tragedies tomultiply.

To “keep the flame” aliveisnotsimplytomourn Aleena Preetam — it is to demandreckoningforevery silenced voice before hers. Anything less is complicity m a s q u e r a d i n g a s conscience.

Regards

HemduttKumar

Energy security and a refinery

DEAREDITOR

In a letter published in Stabroek News on November 17th 2022 and captioned “Contradiction between the President and theVPmay scuttle a critical opportunity” , I wrote that according to the VP the Minister of Natural resourcesreceivedaboutten proposals for the constructionofarefinery

AccordingtotheVPthey havea“fewseriousandalot

of carpet bagging companies” I asked in the letter if the VP, the oil czar, has written to any of the serious companies advising them to go through the

protocolsviaGo-Investetc.

It seems he has not done so.

Later the VP, ignoring the “serious proposals” put out a call for companies to submitproposalsforathirty thousand barrels per day (BPD) refinery and that he wouldsellonly30,000BPD totherefineryandnotadrop more He promised this would be in a short pace of time. This apparently fell throughalso.

Then we heard an MOU was signed between our government for a 50,000 BPD or more refinery with Dominican Republic way past the statement not more

than 30,000 BPD. Later there was an appeal for any company in any country I guess by then investors would have realised that the VP does not know what he wants.Othersbelievethathe is fooling the Guyanese peoplewhentherealityisthe PPP was instructed by EXXON not to build a refinery Iamofthisopinion because when a company whoseCEOandPresidentis highly qualified as a Civil and Structural engineer and with tremendous experience in oil put out a press release s

successful in obtaining

Aubrey must go for the PNCR to grow

DEAREDITOR

There must be a serious, organized effort to stand up forthemajorityofGuyanese who feel neglected, marginalised, and, in many cases,victimized.Thestatus quoissimplyunacceptable.

The People’s National Congress Reform has now suffered two consecutive electoral defeats. The most recent loss, under the leadership of Aubrey Norton, was decisive. Yet, I am reliably informed that despite these outcomes, he believes he should lead the party into a third election. Let’s be honest, those who support that position are largely enablers. Control of the party’s internal machinery should not be mistaken for broad-based nationalsupportorelectoral viability I hope the parliamentary leadership of the opposition coalition takes a different view

construction of the refinery Bharat Jagdeo blocked the project The CEO is a Guyanese American who wanted to do something for the Berbicians as he is from Berbice and of cource the entirecountryandCaribbean wouldhavebenefitted.

The company is definitely a serious one as this company invested a lot over the years and already obtained a provisional environment permit, allocation of 200 acres of landinthePalmyraareaand was working to obtain the final Permit and had done what was necessary The company was not issued the final Permit by the EPA because the “independent body” requested a no objectionfromOPbytheVP although it obtained a no objection from Go-Invest. Note how Permits for EXXON is fast tracked at hypersonicspeed.

did nothing so we lost a US$5B project that would have transformed Guyana. Down stream product of the refinery are fertilisers, bitumenGeaseetctonamea few.Onebilliontoresuscitate Skeldon Factory to produce ethanol to supply the refinery andfourbillionUSDtobuild therefinery ThePresidentdid notevenmeetthepresidentof thiscompanybutrollsoutthe red carpet for the Qataris and would wear the Arabic traditionalclothingandfawn ontheArabs.

Inasubsequentletterdated April 22nd 2025 and captioned “An oil refinery would ensure energy security for US and the Caribbean” I wrote “when one looks at the potentialforwarintheMiddle East one would realise the needtoensureenergysecurity forusandtheCaribbean”.

promise to reduce energy costbyhalfbythePresident isinlimbo.

Todatetheystillrefuseto meet with the above mentioned investor and EPA still refuses to issue the Environmental permit. As I predictedwarhasbrokenout in the Middle East- Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz throughwhich21%oftheoil and gas passes and it is also bombingoilandgasfacilities intheGulfRegion.

So,theridiculousposition of the VP and President has prevented us from enjoying energysecurity Hadtheynot blockedtheabovementioned project by now we would have had a functioning refinery, low cost energy , cheap fertiliser and bitumen andalotofforeignexchange savingsandearnings

TerrenceCampbellhasbeen putting in the work on the ground and appears committed to meaningful engagement This is a moment that calls for courage,notquietloyalty Politics is not about comfort or personal allegiance.Itisaboutresults and responsibility It is imperative that Mr Campbell engage Mr Norton directly and make it clearthatsteppingasideisin the best interest of both the party and the country Leadership must be about knowing when to lead and whentoexit.

serious consideration Its leadership and support base have shown resilience. But questions remain: if its central figure faces legal challenges, will the movement endure? Will its backers remain committed? Who steps forward in a leadershipvacuum?

The alternative is allowing continued dominance by the People’s Progressive Party, whose governance many view as increasingly centralized, unaccountable, and disconnected from the concerns of ordinary citizens. At the same time, the question of emerging forces like We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) cannot be ignored What once seemed like a one-election phenomenon now demands

These are not small questionstheygototheheart of whether a unified oppositionispossible. And unity is exactly what is required. The work of bringing the opposition together must begin now. Fresh voices and emerging

leaders people like Amanza Walton-Desir and MichaelFrancisBaileymust be included in shaping that future. The next phase of leadership must be broader, more inclusive, and more in touch with the people it seeks to represent. Guyana deserves a credible, united opposition. And the time to build,itisnow

Regards

RawleBlackman

Apoliticalleaderisbeingpersecuted...

Frompage04 inpersuasiveauthoritieslike RvBrost.

When the government uses the justice system to silence, exhaust, and humiliatethemanchosenby over a hundred thousand citizens to represent and challenge them in Parliament, it is not just attacking one person. It is attackingdemocracyitself.

The message being sent is chilling: oppose us, and we will use every legal

mechanism available to make your life unbearable. Guyana’s greatest Chief Justices—Chang,Kennard, Bernard, George understood this danger clearly They consistently ruled against oppressive bail, because they knew that justice used as a political weapon is no longer justice atall.

This man is innocent until proven guilty That is not a courtesy—it is the

foundation of every just legal system. Stripping him of that presumption through cruel, punishing, and politically motivated bail conditionsisaconstitutional outrage.

If we allow this to continue in silence, we are notjustfailingoneman.We are giving up on the kind of countryGuyanaissupposed tobe.

Regards M.ShabeerZafar, barrister

The VP in a video responsetothepressrelease said“thisisallnonsense”the VP said companies are comingeverydayandasking for an MOU and to this I must say that the Company DEPCOhasanMOUsigned by the PPP prime minister and the then head of GoInvest. Based on this MOU the company expended a lot of resources. Our VP just dismissed this company and even though the President was written to and supplied with all documentation, he

Even Bharat mentioned the need to ensure energy security and a need for a refinery,butwhileheandthe President ran around the Globeseekinginvestorsthey rejected our own Guyanese whoobtained5BillionUSD toaccomplishsame.

Bharat said that he is tired of Guyana exporting raw materials and recognised the need for value-added but failed miserably for 12 years as president and 8 years as defacto to bring this about.

We know of his failure re. Skeldon Estate and it seems that the gas to shore and

Ofcourse at the time of writing oil has hit US$100 Perbarrelandispredictedto reach200sowewouldgeta windfall from this, however as usual the top % would benefitwhileitwouldfailto trickle down to the 58% in poverty according to the World Bank. I would also add here that the Coalition Government also gave this companyahardtime.Thisis anotherareainwhichtheVP failed us miserably Your Excellency the President, Irfaan Ali, you need to fire theVP

Sincerely

RajendraBisessar

BScSociology,LLB

Filling the gaps in national development

DEAREDITOR, There are several videos showing the good work that the ministers are doing within the communities via community discussions. In some cases, there is a predeterminedideaofwhich improvements are needed and in others it is an interaction that seeks input fromthecommunitypriorto formulatingasolution.Both approaches can be helpful, but a hybrid approach is usually best as planning should be a continual process.

The government via its planning teams in the various ministries should use an annual process that ensures an opportunity for local communities to provide input on their needs and priorities via the local government structure. This

should then roll up into the annual long term planning process with confirmation

e finalization. This approach allows political manifestos tobecomelivingdocuments which can adjust for major changesinthecriticalneeds ofourcitizens.

Theprocessofcascading the overarching priorities of the nation will also ensure that local priorities are aligned with national prioritieswhileensuringthat national priorities do not neglect any important aspects of development that can negatively affect the generalpopulation.

Prior research on what would be the preferred approach

should be conducted and presented to the communities for final agreement and acceptance. Thisensuresthatthesupport of the community for the solution being provided for their needs is embraced and fully supported. Helping to prevent the future destruction of these improvements. These are some of the fundamental best practices to developing and implementing key strategic initiatives at the local, regional, and national level. CRG recommends that the current administration pursue such a structured approach to the country’s development Thus, ensuringnocommunitygets left behind and their most importantneedsaremetina timelyandeffectivemanner Bestregards, Mr.JamilChanglee

91contractorsinbidtoconstruct$9.9BLeonoraroad

TheMinistryofHousing throughtheCentralHousing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has received 91 bids from contractors vying to construct the new connector road at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, RegionThree.

The project which opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board office is slated to be done in five lots and is estimated to cost $9.9 billion, according to a totalaccountoftheengineer figures.

A c c o r d i n g t o information released from NPTAB,Lot1isestimatedto cost$3,012,520,356;Lot2is $ 1,598,673,116; Lot3 is $ 1,707,740,554; Lot4 is $ 1,791,366,334; and Lot5 is $1,817,417,438.

Some of the 91 bidders

-content/uploads/TenderEvaluation-Details-March12-2026.pdf

This road project, Minister Collin Croal and MinisterwithintheMinistry of Housing, Vanessa Benn, earlierthismonthvisitedthe alignment for the new thoroughfare.

One Highway, creating faster and more efficient travel between the West Coast and West Bank of Demerara, as well as surrounding regions, the ministrydisclosed.

Minister of Housing, Collin Croal and team during a visit to the alignment for the new thoroughfare earlier this month.

include: J.K.PConstruction; Cedar Engineering; Build Smart Construction and Supplies Inc; ARONCO ServicesInc;ChinaRailway First Group Co., Ltd; B.K

International Inc; Excel Guyan

I

a Engenharia E Construcose Sucursal Colombia & Proyectos E Innovacion CincoSAS(ajointventure); Kallco Guyana Inc; Namalco International Inc; and Sawa Investments Inc. The bidders and bid amount can be viewed via the link: https://www.npta.gov.gy/wp

L

The ministry reported at the time the new 7 7kilometre asphaltic roadway is set to be constructed in Leonora, which will then connect to the Versailles to Parika Highway, marking a transformativeinfrastructure projectthatwillsignificantly reshape the development landscapeofRegionThree.

Moreover, the road also represents phase one of an integrated transportation network, which will eventually link to the Leonora to Canal Number

Duringhisvisit,Minister Croalexplainedthatthenew roadway will substantially reduce travel time for commuters while providing improved access to more than 300 new homes being constructed in the Leonora/Groenveldt area

Henotedthattheprojectwill also enhance logistics and support commercial activity within rapidly expanding growth zones along the corridor

The project will form part of the $159.3 billion which was approved for the housing ministry in this year’sbudget.

Cubastoodwithus;itistimewestandwiththem

“When Guyana had a shortage of doctors, Cuba sent them to us. Then they offered our children free medical scholarships so much so that 50% of all of our doctors were trained in Cuba. Then Cuba offered to clean our eyes for cataract andothersicknessforfreein Cuba and Guyana, and now that our eyes are clean and we can see clearly, we don’t wantthemanymore.”

TheaboveisaFacebook post.Itmaybesimple,butit carries a powerful truth. It reminds us of something we

should never forget: Cuba has stood with Guyana in some of our most difficult moments.Atatimewhenour country struggled with a shortage of doctors, Cuba did not hesitate. They sent medical professionals to serve in our hospitals and

Over 4,600 farmers benefit from sustainable development programme - Min Mustapha

Morethan4,600farmers

across Guyana have benefitted from improved technology, equipment and training under the Sustainable Agriculture Development Programme (SADP), significantly boosting productivity and strengthening the country’s agriculturalsector

The programme is funded by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB). It also saw hundreds of extension and technical officers empowered through capacity-building exercises, enhancing service delivery tofarmersatthefieldlevel.

During the project exit workshopattheWorldTrade Centre in Georgetown on Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar

Mustapha said the programme represents a key partnership between the Guyana government and

IDB, working together for the benefit of Guyanese, particularlyfarmers. He noted that it has supported investments in drainage and irrigation, modern technologies, agricultural data systems, a n d i n s t i t u t i o n a l strengthening to build a more resilient and productivesector

These interventions, Minister Mustapha stressed, are critical to improving livelihoods, advancing food security, and positioning Guyana as a leading food producerintheregion.

T h e S A D P a l s o contributed to strengthening food safety systems and improving agricultural data collection through the Agricultural Information System (AIS) It also supports the research, demonstration farms, and laboratory upgrades to enhance decision-making

andinnovationinthesector

I D B C o u n t r y Representative, Lorena Solórzano-Salazar, said the programme played a pivotal role in transforming Guyana’s agriculture sector by supporting strategic investments to build a modern, resilient, and competitiveindustry

She noted that the initiative strengthened agricultural institutions, expanded good farming practices,andenhancedfood safety systems, while aligning fully with the government’s vision for sectoralgrowth.

Solórzano-Salazar underscored the importance of sustaining these gains through continued investment, improved systems, and scaling of successful interventions to ensurelong-termbenefitsfor farmers, consumers, and the widereconomy (DPI)

DEM BOYS SEH

Squatters, sympathy and selective outrage

Dem boys seh in Guyana we got a special kind of fairness. One that only show up when it feel likeit.

Now leh we talk plain. When government decide fuh clear squatters from public land, is like somebody ring a big bell. Allofasudden,everybody become human rights expert “Discrimination!” “Heartless!” Dem asking, “What about the poor single mother?” Dem boys seh is tears, cries and condemnation like rain in May

But hold on nah. Dem same squatters didn’t drop from the sky like ripe mango. Dem boys want know: where dem people used to live before? Wha happen to that place? Why dem can’t go back? Is like demquestionsgotacurfew

Nobody asking dem. Instead, government get lashleft,rightandcentre… fordoingwhathelawsayit mustdo.

Now leh we flip the script.

When a private landownergotocourt,geta legal order, and move squatters off de land Silence! Nobody ain’t blaming the private landowners. Nobody ain’t asking him or her for chance for the squatters. Guess who they asking? You guessed right The government! After the private owner do exactly what the law allow, dem same people who was quiet like church mousenowturnaroundand seh, “Government must stepinandhelp!”

Demboyssehwait…so when government act, it

clinics. They helped to fill gaps that we simply could notfillonourown.

Even more importantly, Cuba invested in our future. They opened their doors to youngGuyaneseandoffered free medical scholarships. ThePPPChypedthefactthat when Jagdeo met with Fidel Castro in Havana, he came back with a solid commitment that Cuba would train on average 300 of our students as doctors. Many of the local doctors today working in Guyana were trained in Cuba. In many ways, Cuba helped to build the backbone of our healthcaresystem.

Then there was the eye careprogramme.Thousands of Guyanese benefited from free treatment for cataracts and other eye conditions. Peoplewhohadlosthopeof seeing clearly again were given a second chance. For many, it was life-changing. They could work again, move about safely, and regain their independence. That kind of help cannot be measured in dollars We even were able to establish our own Ophthalmology Hospital.

Nowweareatamoment where the Medical Brigade programme has been discontinued This is a decision that ought never to have happened. Cuba has stoodbyuswhenweneeded help the most And we should have done what was necessary to ensure that the M e d i c a l B r i g a d e programmedidnotend.

Cuba has been, without question, one of the most generous partners Guyana has ever had. For more than 50 years, they have shared what they had with us, even when they themselves faced

hardships. It is worth asking: how manycountrieswoulddothe same? How many would give so much, asking for so little in return? When we compare this record of generositywiththatofmore powerful nations, the difference is clear Cuba’s support has been consistent. Ithastouchedordinarylives in real ways. It has been morethansomeofthericher countries ever gave to us. And Cuba is not a rich country.

Yesterday, I suggested that there be a peaceful protest against the decision

to discontinue the programme But I also understand the reality many people face There is a g e n u i n e f e a r o f victimisation. People worry about speaking out or being seen in opposition to government decisions. That fear is real, and it cannot be dismissed.

Sotoday,Iamsuggesting

appreciation.

This is not about confrontation.Itisnotabout politics. It is about saying “thank you.” It is about recognisingthegoodthathas been done and showing that we, as a people, have not forgotten.

I understand that in Jamaica, there are already concernsabouttheendingof the Medical Brigade programme. There, a group is organising a walk of appreciation to express gratitudetoCuba.Iftheycan do it, why can’t we? Why shouldGuyana,ofallplaces, remainsilent?

A walk of appreciation

would send a powerful message.Itwouldshowthat beyond governments and policies, the people of Guyanarememberandvalue the contributions Cuba has made.Itwouldbeapeaceful, respectfulwayofexpressing gratitude something that s h o u l d n e v e r b e controversial.

But we should not stop there. Words are important, but actions matter even more. Cuba is currently facing serious economic challenges. There are shortages, difficulties, and real hardships affecting ordinaryCubanpeople.

This is the time for us to give back, even in a small way I would urge that the Private Sector Commission, asitdidwithSt.Vincentand theGrenadines,takethelead in organising a collection of humanitarianaidforCuba.It doesnothavetobegrand.It can start small—food items, medical supplies, basic necessities and solar panels. If many people contribute a little, it can add up to somethingmeaningful. We often speak about solidarity, about friendship, aboutsharedstruggles.Here isanopportunitytoputthose wordsintoaction.

Cuba stood with us. The leastwecandonowisstand inappreciationofthem.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

wicked. When private people act, government mustrescue?

Is like blaming the referee,theplayer,andstill asking the groundsman to scorethegoal.

Anddemsinglemother argument—every time like clockwork. Dem boys seh nothing wrong with sympathy, but it can’t be a free pass fuh breaking law Ifthatwasthecase,halfthe countrywouldabuildhouse pon seawall and call it “hardship housing scheme.”

At the end of the day, law is law It can’t be soft like pholourie one day and hard like cassava bread the next.

Dem boys seh Guyana got plenty problems but consistency might be the biggestmissingpiece. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

H@RD TRUTHS

Oil at US$100 a barrel

OilatUS$100abarrelis being received with mixed sentiments by Guyanese Those keeping an eye on bigger deposits in the Natural Resource Fund anticipate how much the increase in millions can meanforthelocaleconomy, forcitizens.

Thereareothers,though, who warn about higher prices for goods, even as they see the positives in US$100 a barrel oil. I see basis for both positions, the increased royalty and profit

flows, as well as the specter of higher prices, but some other factors enter into the equation, and cannot be ignored. They introduce a sobering dimension to the joy over more oil money, through fears over higher prices.

Many countries still struggled when oil prices slumped to between US$65 and US$60 a barrel. If at those lower levels, and national oil import bills eatingawayatscarceforeign exchange,anddebtservicing

difficult, then not much imagination or mathematics is required to appreciate the havoc that US$100 a barrel oilwouldcause. US$100oil wouldn’t be the catastrophe of oil at US$150 a barrel, or the holocaust of US$200 a barrel,butitwouldbeacrisis forcountriesthatlackoiland gasassets. Incircumstances where oil prices stay for an extended time at US$100 a barrel, countries would be compelled to make some harddecisions.

Rethink the level of services they offer citizens, and probably reschedule d e b t r e p a y m e n t arrangements. Alongside those, there is another tough decision. Nonoil producers have no choice but to lower the amount of oil they import. When the oil bill is too high, then demand is lower, and for which the experts have coined a term that induces shudders in oil producingnations. Theterm is demand destruction, whichoccurswhentheprice ofacommodityrisessteeply

and remains high for a long period. Regardinghowlong the war in the Middle East lasts,nooneknows. Butits effects will linger for some time after a ceasefire, after stability returns to the region.

Iran finds itself in an unwinnable war against forcesthatoutgunsit. Since Iran cannot go bomb for bomb,thenithastoplaceits eggs (trust and existence) in the power of attrition and deterrence. The issue is whether it can outlast the omnipotent military and technologically superior forces battling against it. Thelongerthereisthewillto resist in Iranthat is an indicationofwhereoilprices willbe.

The more that Iran succeeds in restricting oil supplies, however partial, and the more damage that it inflictsonoilinfrastructures, that’s the direction in which oil prices will barrel along. Suddenly, oil at US$100 a barrel looks friendly It is notUS$60abarrel,butitnot

twice nor trice that $60 number

The revenue pluses will havetobegulpeddownwith higher prices for almost everything else as the bitter chaser In human terms, those would be enough to help the head spin, and the feet lose their uprightness.

not

Prices for basics are already at crippling levels for Guyanese, and this is in a country that produces 900,000 barrels of oil daily

What will oil staying at US$100abarrelforatimedo to cost-of-living pressures locally is best left to speculators,orunsaid. Itisa byproductofwar

One of the tactics of war thatisasoldastimehasbeen todestroythefoodsupplyof an advancing enemy Burn thefields. Poisonthewells.

The Roman General Scipio sowedthefieldsofCarthage with salt (Cartago delenda est -Carthage must be destroyed) Government forces do that to flush out those fighting against them. Thoseunderattackimpair,if

devastate, as much as they can what could be used by attackers to deny them thatrefuelingtofightanother day This is the kind of war that is being fought by Iran. It forms part of a scorchedthe sea (Strait of Hormuz) program, and scorched the ground of surrounding territories, through its drone launches.

Guyanese may fool themselves into believing that they are unconnected to thewarragingintheMiddle East. TheirOilFundissure to get some more millions. They will get more punishing blasts from soaring prices. From bread tohigherbills. Expertsmay view things differently Guyanese deal with their morebrutalreality (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

Globaldemocracyslidesbackto1978levels

— GUYANA AMONG “GREY ZONE” STATES AS AUTHORITARIAN SURGE DEEPENS

Amajor new global study has sounded the alarm on the state of democracy worldwide, warning that hard-won democratic gains haveeffectivelybeenwipedoutand Guyana is now classified in a fragile “grey zone” between full democracyandautocracy

The V-Dem Institute’s Democracy Report 2026 paints a troubling picture: for the average global citizen, democracy has regressed to levels last seen in 1978, erasing decades of progress made since the so-called “third wave”ofdemocratisation.

In a finding of direct relevance to the Caribbean, the report places Guyana among “grey zone” electoral democracies, meaning its classificationasademocracyisnot fully secure due to underlying weaknesses. While Guyana is still consideredanelectoraldemocracy, the report’s methodology indicates uncertaintyaboutthestrengthofits democratic institutions, suggesting vulnerabilities in areas such as governance, political competition, orcivilliberties.

Observers say for Guyana, the reportservesasacautionarysignal. Being placed in the “grey zone” category suggests that while democratic structures exist, they may not be resilient enough to withstand sustained political pressure or institutional strain With globaltrends movingsharply toward authoritarianism, analysts warn that small democracies must actively strengthen transparency, rule of law, and institutional independence to avoid slipping further

Regionally, Latin America and the Caribbean remain the world’s secondmostdemocraticregion,but troublingcracksareemerging.The report notes that only 5% of the region’s population lives in full liberal democracies, while a significant portion resides in weakerelectoralsystemsorhybrid regimes.GuyanaandHondurasare specifically highlighted as part of this “democratic grey zone,” underscoringtheneedforvigilance insafeguardinginstitutions.

Globally,thenumbersarestark: 92autocraciesvs87democraciesin 2025; 74% of the world’s population, about 6 billion people live under autocratic rule and only 7%liveinfullliberaldemocracies. Thismarksthesecondconsecutive year that autocracies outnumber democracies, signaling what researchers describe as a sustained “thirdwaveofautocratisation.”

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Thereportidentifiesfreedomof expression as the hardest-hit democratic pillar, with conditions deteriorating in 44 countries over the past decade. Freedom of Expression, a core aspect of democracy, shows themostdrastic global decline, and is the most common target among autocratising leaders over the past

25 include: is used noted.

society election c political of t erosion also systematic. u d unprecedented currently just global a a traditionally n highlighting Europe and North America, with multiple countries experiencing democraticerosion.

In one of the report’s most strikingfindings,theUnitedStates haslostitsclassificationasaliberal democracyforthefirsttimeinover 50years.Thereportpointsto:rapid concentration of executive power; weakening of legislative oversight and declining civil liberties and media freedoms. And despite this, elections in the US are said to remainlargelyintact.

According the report, the U.S. democracy is currently in a much faster deterioration process than

any other democracy in modern times. Within only one year, the USA’sscoreontheV-DemLiberal Democracy index has declined by 24 percent, while its world rank droppedfrom20thto51stplaceout of 179 nations. The liberal aspects of democracy show the largest decline in the U S President Donald Trump’s second term can be summarised as a rapid concentration of powers in the presidency,accordingtothereport. “ T h e c u r r e n t U S administration has been undercutting institutionalised

checks and balances, politicising civil service and oversight bodies, and intimidating the judiciary, alongside attacks on the press, academia, civil liberties, and dissenting voices “says Staffan I Lindberg Professor at the V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. Since election specific indicators are only evaluated during national election years, therehasnotbeenachangeinthose indicatorsin2025fortheU.S.“The 2026 American midterm elections willbeacriticaltestforthequality

indicates that the country could also belong to the lower category indicatesthatthecountrycould alsobelongtothehighercategory indicates a country moving from one category to another In an episode of autocratization, as of 2025

In an episode of democratization, as of 2025

Grey zone democracies/ autocracies are marked

ofelections,anddemocracy,inthe UnitedStates.Ifelectionindicators alsodecline,theU.S.willfalleven further,” says Staffan I Lindberg. Onamorepositivenote,thereport shows that 18 nations worldwide (10 percent) are currently democratizing,withlargecountries such as Brazil and Poland continuing their democratization processes. In the majority of these countries, media freedom is improved. Botswana, Guatemala, and Mauritius are the three new democratizing countries identified inthe2025data.

Ministryremovesvendors fromSheriffStreet

…after failure to comply with daytime clearance policy

The Ministry of Public Works on Wednesday stated that several vending operations were removed from along Sheriff Street, Georgetown after owners failed to adhere to its Daytime Clearance Policy.

The ministry on Monday said they are implementing a strict daytimeclearancepolicy,whereall trucks, caravans and stalls operating along the Sheriff Street to Mandela Avenue must be removed between 6:00 am and 6:00pm.

The ministry noted however, thatvendingispermittedoutsideof thehoursoutlined.OnWednesday, in a video, the ministry showed severalstallswhichwereremoved from the corridor after owners failedtoadherethepolicy

Vendors stalls being removed by the Ministry of Public Works.

“While public cooperation remainsthepreferredpathtoorder, and the Ministry appreciates those who have complied, we must emphasize that continuous failure to adhere to official notices will result in the immediate removal of obstructions,” the ministry said on Wednesday

The Public Works Ministry further advised that all costs associated with these removals are the sole responsibility of the defaultingbusinesses.“Toreclaimanyseized property, business owners are required to visit the Ministry’s office to settle the outstanding removal costs before the items canbeuplifted.TheMinistryofPublicWorks re-emphasizes the importance of public

Corentyne man jailed 12 years for rape, assault of woman in her home

AnthonyJeffrey,a 29

Kilcoy Village, Corentyne, w

W

nesday sentenced to 12 years and eight months for raping a woman after breaking into herhome.

Thesentencewashanded down by Justice Deborah Kumar at the Berbice High Court in New Amsterdam, following Jeffrey’s guilty plea to rape, contrary to Section 33 of the Sexual Offences Act, Chapter 8:03, LawsofGuyana,andassault causing actual bodily harm, contrarytoSection49ofthe Criminal Law (Offences) Act,Chapter8:01.

According to Prosecutor Marisa Edwards, the attack occurredaround12:30hrson March 4, 2024, at the woman’s home in the Chesney Housing Scheme, Corentyne.

The court heard that the victim was asleep when she was awakened by a noise at her window, only to see Jeffrey standing inside her bedroomwithawhiteT-shirt tiedaroundhishead.

Startled, the woman screamed and attempted to escape, but Jeffrey grabbed her by the hair, dragged her back into the room, and began assaulting her He dealtseveralblowsabouther face and body while threateningtokillherwitha cutlass.

Anthony Jeffrey, convicted for rape and assault, being escorted out of the Berbice High Court on Wednesday

identified. Jeffrey attempted to flee and was pursued by the neighbour, but managed toescapeafterascuffle.

The victim was later taken to the Port Mourant Hospital and subsequently transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital for further medical attention Shelaterreportedthematter at the Rose Hall Police Station and was medically examinedonthesameday

unlawful entry into the woman’s home and bedroom, her vulnerability while asleep, the use of violence and threats, the physical and psychological harm caused, and the prevalence and seriousness oftheoffence.

cooperation to ensure order is maintained,” theagencystated.

In a notice issued Monday, the ministry said it recognises the vibrant economic activity on Sheriff Street and its importance tothesurroundingcommunity

However, it noted that the restriction is necessary to keep the roadway safe and accessibleduringpeakhours.“Toensurethat SheriffStreetremainssafeandaccessiblefor everyone during peak hours, the ministry is implementing a strict daytime clearance policy,”thenoticestated.

Duringtheordeal,which lasted approximately 30 minutes, the woman was held by the neck as Jeffrey attemptedtosexuallyviolate her The prosecutor detailed that Jeffrey initially inserted his finger into the woman’s vagina and made repeated attempts to achieve penetration.After failing, he performed oral sex on her and again attempted penetration.

T h e a t t a c k w a s interrupted when a neighbour, alerted by the commotion, went to the window and shouted at the accused,whowaspositively

Jeffrey, who had previously been employed by the woman as a labourer, was arrested and remanded onMarch8,2024.

In her victim impact statement, the woman told thecourtsheremainsdeeply traumatised,haslostherselfconfidence, and now struggles with intimacy. Medical reports presented indicated that she suffers from severe anxiety, depression, and symptoms consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder, requiring ongoing medication.

In outlining aggravating factors, Justice Kumar highlighted the accused’s

The judge noted that the attack represented a grave violation of the victim’s privacy and personal security,compoundedbythe accused’s persistence during theordeal.

However, mitigating factors included Jeffrey’s guilty plea, his expressed remorse, and the fact that he hadnopriorconvictions.

Astartingsentenceof20 years was applied for the rape charge but was reduced after considering his early plea and time already spent onremand.

Jeffrey was ultimately sentenced to 12 years and eight months for rape, and three years and four months for assault. The sentences willrunconcurrently,asthey stemfromthesameincident.

He was represented by attorneyKevinMorgan

GPHC sues city council over ‘hazardous’ vending around hospital

The Georgetown Public H

(GPHC)

ought litigation against the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown over its failure toclearthestreets,pavement and pathways leading to the hospital of hazardous vending and unnecessary encumbrances.

I n a F i x e d D a t e Application (FDA) filed by attorney, Sase Gunraj, the GPHC said it is seeking an administrative order of mandamus pursuant to section 8 (1) (c) of the

Judicial Review Act, compelling the city council toact.

The GPHC said it wants the city council to urgently remove or cause to be removed the food, beverage

and other vendors and hucksters who have set up mobile trucks, carts, stalls, and other encumbrances including but limited to vehicles, push-carts, drays, barrels, boxes, dust-bins, pallets, structures and all things left, placed or stored on the street, parapet and pavement outside the perimeter of the hospital facility

The hospital emphasised that the mobile food trucks, foodcartsandstallsseverely encumber its surroundings.

The GPHC is situated in North Cummingsburg, a wardwithinthelimitsofthe city and is bound by Middle Street, East Street, Lamaha StreetandThomasStreet.

According to the court document seen by this

newspaper, these areas have been encumbered b

numerous stationary and itinerant vendors who purvey a variety of items from a range of makeshift stalls, immovable vehicles, caravans,andpushcarts.

The FDA noted that the

“impeded ingress to and egress from the applicant’s facilities,” including access for emergency vehicles, while vendors also leave behind garbage and debris alongthepavements.

The application noted that in accordance with the Municipal and District CouncilsAct,Cap28:01,the city of Georgetown has under its purview and d

y constabulary, whose duty it

CCJrebukesGuyanacourts

…orders fresh hearing in Panday bothers case

The Caribbean Court of Justice(CCJ)hasdelivereda sharpcorrectivetoGuyana’s judiciary, ruling that local courts erred in throwing out apartnershipdisputewithout first allowing the claimant a fair opportunity to fix deficienciesinhiscase.

In its reasons issued Tuesday, the CCJ made it clear: justice must not be sacrificed at the altar of technicalities. “The Court held that cases should, wherever possible, be

determined on their substantive merits rather than being dismissed for curable procedural deficiencies,” CCJ said in a pressrelease.

The ruling stems from thematterofHarryPandayv Malcolm Panday and Deosaran David, a family dispute over a substantial j u d g m e n t s u m o f US$733,451 plus interest, which Harry Panday claims belongs to a partnership between himself and his brother

On 17 December 2025, theCourthadgrantedspecial leave to appeal, that is, permission to appeal, allowed the appeal, and remitted the matter to the High Court of Guyana to be heard before a different Judge, CCJ said in a press release. In its reasons, the Court outlined the procedural framework on how courts should approach striking out applications and/or deficient statements of claims/pleadings, that is,

The mayor and council members during a visit to GPHC vendors in January.

e municipality’s law, by-laws and/or regulations are implemented.

As such, the hospital is seekingtheorderforthecity counciltolegallyperformits statutory duty as prescribed

under the municipal and district councils act and its by-laws.Thehospitalnoted

Continued on page 16

Two firms bid over $30M to prepare for 8th and 9th EITI reports

Twocompanieshavesubmittedproposals toserveasanIndependentAdministrator(IA) for the preparation of Guyana’s eighth and ninth Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative(EITI)reports,coveringfiscalyears 2024and2025.

years.

those that may lack a reasonablecauseofactionor sufficientparticulars/facts.

The Applicant’s StatementofClaimwasfirst struckoutbytheHighCourt. Both the full Court and the CourtofAppealthenupheld the striking out on the basis that it disclosed no reasonable grounds for bringing the claim due to insufficientparticulars. In its reasons, the Court articulated the appropriate approach for striking out a claim using a framework anchored in the Civil Procedure Rules. The Court held that cases should, wherever possible, be determined on their substantive merits rather than being dismissed for curable procedural deficiencies Under this approach, where a court identifies a potentially deficientstatementofclaim, it must first determine whether the pleading discloses a reasonable groundorcauseofactionfor bringing a claim , and whether any deficiency in particulars is curable, the

The Caribbean Court of Justice delivered the ruling on Tuesday

CCJsaid.

If the claim discloses a cause of action but lacks sufficient particulars, the court must then conduct a balancing exercise considering: the effective use of resources, proportionality, fairness to allparties,andtheoverriding objective of dealing with casesjustly

Following the Panday Approach, the Court found thatthelowercourts’failure to consider whether the Applicantshouldbegivenan opportunity to amend his Statement of Claim, before strikingitout,amountedtoa misapplication of judicial discretion and an error of law

The panel comprised the HonourableJusticesBarrow, Jamadar, Ononaiwu, EboeOsuji, and Bulkan. Justice Jamadar delivered the judgment of the Court. Mr Ronald Burch-Smith represented the Appellant, while Mr. Rajendra R Jaigobin represented for the First Respondent and Mr NirvanSinghfortheSecond Respondent.

BDO Professional Services Inc. and SphereX Professional Services Inc submittedtheirproposalsof$35,500,000and $33,343,100 respectively to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). The bids were opened on Tuesday TheMinistryofNaturalResources (MNR)hadinvitedproposalsonbehalfofthe Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative(GYEITI).

The contracted firm will be required to support the GYEITI Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) in producing timely, comprehensive and reliable reports for the two fiscal years. Both reports must be completed and ready for publication on or beforeOctober30,2026.

Among the key responsibilities outlined arethepreparationofascopingstudyandgap analysistoguidedecisionsonthescopeofthe reports, including a comprehensive assessmentofthefisheriessector

The IAwill also be required to make an evidence-basedrecommendationtotheMSG on whether fisheries should be incorporated into the reporting framework for the fiscal

The task is to also consolidate reports organised by sector, with dedicated sections foroil,gas,miningandforestry,andfisheries shoulditbeincluded.Additionaldeliverables include open data files, standardised summarydatatemplatesforsubmissiontothe EITI international secretariat, a summary of the reconciliation report, and an assessment of the comprehensiveness and reliability of disclosures.Technicalandanalyticalsupport to the MSG in developing recommendations to strengthen natural resource governance is alsorequired.

EITI is a global standard for improving transparency and accountability in the oil, gas,andminingsectors.EITIimplementation rests on two core pillars, transparency through disclosure and reconciliation of company payments and government revenues, and accountability through oversight by a MSG comprising representatives of government, industry, and civilsociety.

Guyana joined the EITI in 2017 to advance and promote transparency and accountabilityinmanagingoil,gas,mineral, and other natural resources. GYEITI has published several reports since 2017 GYEITIrecentlyreleasedit’sthe2023report on transparency in Guyana’s extractive industries.

Man stabbed to death during Leopold Street confrontation

A 56-year-old man of no fixed place of abode was on Tuesday night fatally stabbed during an altercation at Leopold and Cross Streets,Werk-en-Rust,Georgetown.

The deceased has been identified as MichaelDazzell.

According to the Guyana Police Force, theincidentoccurredaround19:30hrs.

ItwasreportedthatDazzellwasstanding in an alleyway on the eastern side of Cross Street, when the suspect who was riding a bicycle on the roadway got involved in a confrontationwithDazzell.

Duringtheconflict,thesuspectallegedly armed himself with a pair of scissors and stabbedDazzellseveraltimesabouthisbody

The injured man reportedly ran through thealleywaybeforecollapsing. Emergency Medical Technicians were summoned, and a doctor from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation laterpronouncedhimdeadatthescene. Investigatorsrecoveredapairofscissors believedtobetheweapon,alongwithapair ofpantsbearingsuspectedbloodstains,from a residence linked to the suspect. A black pedal cycle was also found at the location. However, the suspect is yet to be apprehended.

Dazzell’s body is currently at the MemorialGardensFuneralHomeawaitinga post-mortemexamination.

VACANCY WANTED

Wanted drivers and porters to work in warehouse,experience is an asset.Attractive salary: Tel:673-7373.

Wanted skilled carpenters,mason & labourers to work in Linden.Long term work.Skilled workers $15,000 per day. Labourers $ 10,000 per day . Call: 6157526/602-9469.

Sales Rep needed, ages 1830 years. Knowledge of vehicle model will be an asset. Contact: 619-1237.

Famous Flavours:Wanted 1 cleaner,1 kitchen assistant 709-8131/676-5534.

Domestic (Live in option available), female cook and male & female workers for the interior :660-9093 / 674-9999 / 661-5992.

General Domestic (4 day work) & experiened handyman, apply at Keyfood Trading Mc Doom next to the post office.

Driver with Larry license is needed in Diamond/Grove EBD.For more information contact:677-6620

LAND FOR SALE

Mining lands in Cuyuni Mining District 1200 acres,Spring Gardens (Dora) 21 acres,Silver Hill 20 acres.Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685.

Craig 9 acres,Long Creek,Tucan Drive & Bagotville road to river.Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685. One live in maid.Salary neg.Send photos on Whatsapp.Whatsapp 6254080/626-7040.

Security guards to work in Georgetown,must have a sound primary education.Call: 223-5273/4.

SERVICES

Visa Application:U.S.A, Canada & UK:Graphics design, advertisements, wedding arch rentals.Tel:6267040.

For all spiritual help 3 persons free work done.Every month free reading with card call:724-2177.

Need a bus,call us,Matthew's Bus Service & Tours at 639-2663/689-6661 for your airport trips,Suriname etc.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, low mileage, PTT Series (first owner). Call: 649-0956.

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Man found dead in room at SleepInn Hotel

The motionless body of a man identified as 64-year-old Desai Pankai Roy Dasrath, was found in a room on the third floor of Sleep Inn Hotel at Church and Albert Streets.

According to sources close to the investigation, the discovery was made around 10:30 hrs. on Wednesday morning. Dasrath, a manager at S. Two Mining, Anna Regina was found lying motionless on the bed in room 315 at the Sleep Inn hotel.

The police were contacted and ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) arrived on the scene at 11:00hrs. It was revealed that the deceased arrived in Georgetown on March 14, via a flight through the Eugene F Correia Airport.

“He was picked up from the airport by Nishal Appana, a 30-year-old Guyanese male of Indian descent and a driver of Lot 42 Croal Street, Enterprise, ECD, and taken to the Four Points Hotel where he stayed,” the source revealed.

This publication was informed that around 22:00hrs, Dasrath was transported to the Sleep Inn hotel where a room was booked for two

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The SleepInn Hotel located at Church and Albert Streets.

nights. Appana told investigators that the deceased contacted him on Tuesday March 17, around 10:30hrs asking for directions to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Outpatient department.

On Wednesday, Appana arrived at the hotel to deliver GYD $100,000 to Dasrath. The money was sent by his work place as he was scheduled to return to Venezuela on March 19, 2026. Several calls to Dasrath from Appana went unanswered, and he decided to go to his room and knock on his door, but got no re-

sponse. The receptionist was contacted and a bellboy was sent up to the room with a spare key. Upon reaching the room, Appana went into the room and discovered Dasrath lying motionless on a bed located on the eastern side of the room. He was clothed in blue socks, long black pants and a long-sleeved blue shirt, his head facing east and his feet west. Emergency Medical Technicians were summoned to the scene, and the deceased was pronounced dead by Dr. Jagroo. At the crime scene which

was processed by ranks from the Crime Lab, GYD$27,000, USD$5, and medications were discovered in the deceased’s room amongst his personal belongings.

The source confirmed that there were no marks of violence seen on the body and the man’s remains were escorted to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home awaiting a Post-Mortem Examination (PME) Video footage from CCTV cameras were observed and are presently being viewed. Statements were taken and investigations are in progress.

Guyana sold carbon credits to 19 airlines under LCDS framework

DPI – Guyana sold forest carbon credits to 19 international airlines over the past 18 months, Senior Director for climate and REDD+ at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Pradeepa Bholanath said.

According to the Department of Information (DPI), the sale of the carbon credits marks a major milestone in the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

Speaking during the fourth episode of Tea on the Terrace, Bholanath explained that Guyana recently received its largest tranche of forest carbon credits to date, amounting to nine million credits under the ART-TREES programme.

“Over the last 18 months, we have seen sales to over 19 airlines at prices that have gone beyond the levels that we have sold our carbon credits for under our existing

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agreements,” she noted.

Each of these credits has received the CORSIA label, making them eligible for use by airlines to offset their emissions.

According to Bholanath, the international aviation sector has shown increasing interest in Guyana’s forest carbon credits.

She added that demand for Guyana’s credits is expected to grow further as airlines move to meet emission reduction targets under global climate agreements.

Pradeepa Bholanath, Senior Director for Climate and REDD+, Ministry of Natural Resources

Guyana remains in a unique global position as a net carbon sink, meaning the

GPHC sues city council over

From page 15 that the duty of the council is a non-discretionary one and should therefore be enforced.

The FDA outlined ‘The order sought would ensure that public order is upheld in the City of Georgetown, particularly around one of the country’s largest health facilities, and would be beneficial not only to the city, its staff and patients seeking medical services, but also to all residents of Georgetown.” In his affidavit to support the case, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GHPC, Robbie Rambarran said the hospital sought to get

the city council to address the situation but the council either failed or refused to carry out its function to have the area cleared of encumbrances.

He related that he wrote to the council on three occasions asking for their urgent intervention. He said all the attempts have proven futile.

As a result, Rambarran said GPHC has turned to the court for relief.

Earlier this year, Mayor Alfred Mentore along with fellow councilors and administrators visited those vending around the GPHC, in an

country absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits.

This allows Guyana to provide climate services to the world while also generating revenue through the sale of carbon credits.

These revenues are being reinvested into national development initiatives under the LCDS framework.

This includes solar power generation, hinterland electrification, drainage and irrigation projects, and programmes benefitting Amerindian communities.

‘hazardous’...

attempt to mitigate the continuous complaints and intent to ensure that those vendors are still given an opportunity to earn a living.

During the visit, Mayor Mentore said anyone found vending by the entrance of the hospital will face the blunt of the law.

The visit followed a lawyer’s letter which was served to the town clerk (ag), Ms. Candace Nelson, highlighing that vendors operating along New Market Street and in the vicinity of the hospital must move or court actions would be taken.

Over6000farmersreceivetraining,improved technologyunderIDB-fundedSADP

The Ministry of Agriculture, in

collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), on Wednesday hosted the Project Completion Exit Workshop for the Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme (SADP) at the World Trade CentreinGeorgetown. Throughtheprogramme, over6,000farmersbenefited from improved technology, equipment, and training, while more than 200 extension officers received capacity-building support to enhance the delivery of agricultural services The objectives of the workshop were to assess the project’s results in alignment with its development objectives, identify key successes, innovations,challenges,and sustainabilityconsiderations

that emerged during implementation, and distil lessonslearnedtoinformthe design and execution of futureprojects.

While addressing participants, Minister of Agr

Z

Mustapha said that the programme represents a key partnership between the Government of Guyana and the Inter-A

working together for the benefitofthepeople.

He also noted that the SADP clearly achieved its objectives of assisting

productivity and improve their livelihoods, while strengthening Guyana’s agricultural institutions and modernisingthesystemsthat guidethesector

“Over the years, the Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme has also supported the broaderpolicycommitments outlined in our PPP/C Government’s manifestos and reflected in our national budgets. It represents a key partnership between the Government of Guyana and the Inter-American

Development Bank, working together for the benefit of the people. Since assuming office, our governmenthasconsistently placed agriculture at the

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha delivering his address at the event.

forefront of the nation’s growth. We have invested substantial resources in strengthening extension services, providing farmers with essential tools and inputs, and upgrading drainage and irrigation systems, ” Minister Mustaphaexplained.

Minister Mustapha also said that the programme helped

Guyana’s agricultural institutions and modernise the systems that guide the country’sagriculturalsector

“The SADP clearly achieves its objectives of assisting farmers to enhance their productivity and improve their livelihoods. It has also strengthened our agricultural institutions and

modernised the systems that guide the sector in Guyana.

The programme not only addresses output growth but also promotes the sustainableuseofournatural resources. Guyana is setting

a n e x a m p l e b y demonstrating that we can fulfil our global obligations

to the Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs)

while simult

advancing agriculture, empoweringourpeople,and protectingtheenvironment,” theministernoted.

Furthermore, Minister Mustaphasaidthatoneofthe

improvement of agricultural data systems, including the Agriculture Information System, as well as the completion of agricultural surveys to support better data management and e v i d e n c e - b a s e d policymakinginthesector

I D B C o u n t r y

Representative Ms Lorena Solórzano-Salazar said the project was fully aligned withthegovernment’svision fortheagriculturesectorand

was one of the most successful the Bank has fundedinthecountry

“These are not isolated interventions.Together,they reflect a broader vision of a sectorthatisbetterinformed, b

q u i p p e d , institutionally stronger, and moreresponsivetotheneeds of farmers, consumers, and markets. It is also one hundred per cent aligned with the vision of the Government of Guyana and the25by2030Strategy One

programme has been the

agricultural data and information system. Data is criticalfordecision-making. The data generated under this project has been digitisedandisbeingutilised within the AIS,” she explained.

Under the programme, more than 200 extension officers and 6,000 farmers receivedtraining,alongwith agricultural technological packages that have been adopted on farms across the country (DPI)

CCJPresidentpushesglobalclimatecompensationfund - says Caribbean cannot wait

The President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Winston Anderson, has issuedabluntcallforurgent global action on climate justice, proposing a new International Climate Injuries Compensation (ICIC) Fund to ensure vulnerable countries like thoseintheCaribbeanareno longerlefttobearthecostof climatedestructionalone.

SpeakingonMarch16in Brasília, Brazil, at a highlevel regional forum on climate and human rights, Justice Anderson made it clear: existing global mechanismsarenotworking fast enough and the Caribbean is paying the price The proposal was deliveredataseminarhosted bytheInter-AmericanCourt of Human Rights and

Brazil’s Supreme Court, where regional leaders gathered to examine the implications of a landmark 2025 advisory opinion linking climate change directly to human rights obligations.

While accepting that the Advisory Op

n establish

d concrete obligations for governments to regulate companies and businesses thatcontributeto the climate crisis (a regime which implies guaranteeing therighttoahealthyclimate as part of the right to a healthy environment), President Anderson was of the view that establishment ofthisnormativeframework w

H

emphasised that more was required at a practical level

small vulnerable countries in the

Caribbean and in other regions of the world receive urgent assistance to recover from destruction caused by extraordinary weather events, such as that caused by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, the CCJ reportedAndersonassaying inapressrelease.

President Anderson acknowledged the existence of the Fund for Responding toLossandDamage(FRLD)

established by the ConferenceofParties(COP) to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was again discussed at COP30 held in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025. However, h e e x p r e s s e d disappointmentwiththelack of urgency in securing capitalisation of the FRLD and, that while Jamaica was activelyengagingtheFRLD,

the maximum it could receive seemed to be about USD20M whereas the country had suffered some USD6-7Bindamages.

Theproposedalternative of the ICIC Fund model outlines that multinational corporationsandbusinesses, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions above a certain threshold would be required to make mandatory contributions to the Fund by the State in which they operate The Fund would have legal personality and could be suedinthecountrywherethe extraordinary weather event caused significant harm or damage.PresidentAnderson suggested that the Fund be established by a global convention,modelledonthe International Maritime Organisation’s International

Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Funds, which providecompensationforoil pollutiondamageatsea,and is backed by shipowners of oil vessels. Like the IOPC Funds,theICICFundwould be entirely consistent with the ‘Polluter Pays’principle and with the customary law responsibility of States to ensure that economic activities in their countries do not cause environmental harm or damage in other countries.

President Anderson first advocated the establishment of the ICIC Fund during his K e y n o t e a d d r e s s : ‘Transnational Actions in Reshaping Accountability for Climate Justice: A Caribbean Perspective’ at the CANARI Partners Forum held in January 2026 inBarbados.

Oil prices surge as Iran’s energy facilities hit

-fearsgrowof prolongedwar

(CNN) Oil and natural gas prices spiked Wednesday following reportsofthefirstattackson Iranian production facilities in the war, including the world’s biggest natural gas field. The incidents mark a major escalation in the conflict, which has so far largely spared Iran’s energy infrastructure.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, jumped 5% to near $109 a barrel. WTI, the U.S. benchmark, rose 2 5% to $98 a barrel

Benchmark European natural gas prices, for deliveries in April, surged morethan7%atonepoint.

Iran’s semi-official Fars and Tasnim news agencies reported Wednesday that some key facilities belonging to the country’s oil and natural gas industry, includingrefineries,werehit by U.S.-Israeli strikes, with emergencyservicesworking tocontainfires.

Tasnim named South Pars, the world’s biggest natural gas field, and Asaluyeh,whichhasoiland petrochemical facilities

South Pars is shared with Qatar, which has already

shut down the world’s biggestliquefiednaturalgas plant.

Earlier in the war, Israel attacked a fuel depot in Tehran and on Friday the United States targeted military infrastructure on Iran’s Kharg island, but Wednesday’s strikes mark the first attacks on productionfacilities.

The latest attacks will add to fears of a longerlastingwar “Energymarkets are having to continuously price in a more prolonged disruption to oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz, with little sign of de-escalation or a resumption in oil and LNG flows through the key chokep

commodities strategy at ING, wrote in a note this week.

Brent crude settled at $103.42Tuesday,itshighest level since the start of the war, as Iran intensified its attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf. Crude prices are up around 40% since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February28.Iraqtosendoil

viaTurkey

Oil price moves indicated that traders drew scantcomfortfromnewsthat Iraq had clinched a deal to resume a small amount of crudeoilexportsviaTurkey, bypassing the blockaded StraitofHormuz.

Crude exports from Iraq’s Kirkuk oil fields are set to resume Wednesday from Turkey’s Ceyhan port aftertheKurdistanRegional Government,whichcontrols partofnorthernIraq,agreed to allow oil to flow via the Kurdistan Region-Ceyhan pipeline Iraq’s federal government and the KRG “also agreed to take the necessary security measures to protect the oil fields and ensure the continuity of oil exports,” the KRG said in a statementTuesday

The pipeline exports from Kirkuk will flow at a rateof250,000barrelsaday, a mere “drop in the ocean,” according to Neil Wilson, strategistattradingplatform Saxo. But the resumption of those flows is still “another positive headline relative to the simmering war,” he said inanote.

For context, Iraq was

producing about 4.5 million barrelsofoiladaybeforethe warstarted,accordingtothe U S Energy Information Administration. The nearshutdown of the Strait of Hormuz means that around 20 million barrels of crude andoilproducts,aboutafifth of world oil supply, are choked off from the global marketeveryday

Separately, an Iranian security source told CNN thatTehran is in discussions with eight countries outside theMiddleEasttograntsafe passagethroughtheStraitof Hormuz to tankers carrying oil traded in Chinese yuan. Oil is largely traded in dollars but one exception is Russian oil, which is traded inrublesoryuan.

South Pars gas field facilities in the southern Iranian port town of Assaluyeh on the shore of the Gulf, pictured on November 19, 2015. Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images

U.S.gaspricesjump

Gasoline prices in the United States hit their highest level in almost two and a half years, delivering another setback to Americans struggling to get by

The price of a gallon of regular gas rose another 5 cents, on average, to $3.84, the highest price since September 25, 2023, according to the American AutomobileAssociation.

Gasisnowaveraging$4 ormoreinsevenstates,andit has topped $5 a gallon in California, Hawaii and Washington,AAAsaid.

The nationwide average pricehasrisenby86centsin just18days–a29%jump–in one of the fastest spikes

forgaspricesonrecord.The rapidincreaseisonpar,ona percentage basis, with the gas price shock during HurricaneKatrina,whenthe storm barreled into the Gulf Coastinthesummerof2005, knocking out much of America’s oil refining operations.

For oil traders, the focus remains on the duration of thewar AlsoonWednesday, Iran launched fresh strikes on Israel, vowing revenge for the killing of two top Iranian leaders this week, including security chief Ali Larijani. Two people were killed by missile shrapnel in TelAviv,accordingtopolice, andmultiplelocationsinthe city were struck by falling debris.

PS faces questions about contents of U.S./Guyana diplomatic exchange in Mohameds’ extradition proceeding

Defence attorney, Roysdale Forde on Wednesday questioned Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of ForeignAffairs,

Sharon RoopchandEdwards on the content of

diplomatic exchange

between the Guyana Government and the U.S. authorities in relation to the request for extradition for businessman and leader of the opposition, Azruddin Mohamed and his father, NazarMohamed.

The Mohameds are facing a federal indictment in Miami, United States, following the unsealing of a 25-page indictment on October2,2025.

The indictment alleges a wide-ranging fraud and money-laundering scheme involving gold exports, customs fraud, bribery, and the evasion of millions of dollarsintaxesandroyalties owedtoGuyana.

Following a formal request from the United States, Minister of Home Affairs, Oneidge Walrond signed the Authority to

Proceed, allowing the extradition matter to proceed in the magistrates’ court. If sufficient evidence is established during committal proceedings, the magistrate could order the Mohameds’ extradition to face charges in the United States.

The matter is currently before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrate Court,buthasalreadyfaced anumberofpostponements. Undercrossexamination by Forde onWednesday, PS Roopchand-Edwards told the court that the Government of Guyana sought“assurance”fromthe United States Government thatMohamedswouldnotbe re-extradited to third countries without the consentoftheminister.

Roopchand-Edwards said that assurance was given based on the established treaties and specificationsoftheFugitive OffendersAct. Forde had previously sought to highlight the deficiencies in the way the

alleged extradition documents from the United States were recorded and handled.

According to Forde, the records for October 30 and November26,2025,showed irregularities, including multiple entries that did not followanyconsistentpattern and, in some instances, appearedtohavebeenmade after the events they purported to record He

argued that these discrepanciesunderminethe reliability of the permanent secretary’stestimony

When the matter resumed before Magistrate Judy Latchman, the absence of key members of the defence team threatened to disrupt the continuation of the cross-examination of PS Roopchand-Edwards.

AttorneySiandDhurjon, who represents Nazar

Mohamed,wasabsentdueto illness, while Senior Counsel Forde, representing Azrud

information was only relayed shortly before the hearing.

He also informed the court that attorney Damien DaSilva is dealing with a family matter and may no longerbeabletocontinuein thecase.

Despitethesechallenges, the court directed that proceedings continue, with Forde handling the crossexamination.

The prosecution, led by Glen Hanoman, raised concernsabouttherecurring interruptions and urged that steps be taken to prevent further disruption to the matter

In response, the defence maintained that the delays were not intentional, pointingtotheobservanceof EidbytheMohamedfamily, alongside the illness and scheduling issues affecting theirlegalteam.

Additional strain was placedonthescheduledueto Forde’s existing matters before the high court and court of appeal, limiting his availability in the coming days.

Taking these factors into account, Magistrate Latchman ordered that the proceedings be adjourned after Wednesday’s sitting and resume on Tuesday, March 23, while cautioning that no further delays would beaccepted.

Arsonsuspectedas unoccupiedbuildings burnacrossBerbice

- citizens urged to be on the lookout

A worrying pattern of fires destroying abandoned buildingsacrossBerbicehas triggered concern among authorities,whonowsuspect that many of these incidents arebeingdeliberatelyset.

TheGuyanaFireService (GFS) has reported a noticeable surge in fires since the start of 2026, particularly within Division ‘B’ (Berbice/Regions Five and Six), with several cases

concentrated in New Amsterdamandsurrounding Canjecommunities.

Divisional Officer Clive McDonald, speaking during a media engagement on Wednesday, revealed that investigations have uncovered a troubling trend, thatmanyofthefiresinvolve unoccupied structures and appear to have been intentionallyset.

“I am making a clarion call to persons within the New Amsterdam, Canje, Palmyra areas,” McDonald said “We’ve noticed an increase in building fires withintheseareas,andthese firesarebeingsetbypersons unknown.Theyaretargeting unoccupiedstructures.”

Residents living near abandoned or derelict buildings are being urged to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to the Guyana Police Force or the fireservice,asinvestigations continue.

Authorities also reminded the public that the willful or malicious burning of property is a criminal offence, warning that joint operations between the fire service and police will be intensified to identify and

Divisional

Officer

Clive McDonald

prosecutethoseresponsible.

In New Amsterdam alone,firefightersresponded to 12 fires involving abandoned buildings up to the end of the first quarter Eleven of those incidents involved privately owned properties, while the remainingcasewaslinkedto a former government building located on Princess Elizabeth Road, which once housed several ministries. That fire, officials said, was causedbyanelectricalissue, whiletheothersarebelieved to have been deliberately started.

DataforRegionSix(East Berbice-Corentyne) shows a sharp increase in fire calls this year. January recorded 28 incidents compared to 26 last year, February jumped dramatically to 73 from 16, and March rose to 32 from 20—representing increases of 27%, 73% and 31% respectively

Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) also recorded fluctuations. January saw a slight decrease from three incidentslastyeartoonethis year, but February and March climbed to 13 and 15 fires respectively, up from five and three during the sameperiodin2025.

Meanwhile, McDonald cautionedresidentsaboutthe ongoing dry season, noting anincreaseingrassfires.He urged persons clearing land or disposing of dry vegetation to do so responsibly

“ B u r n i n s m a l l quantities, supervise it, and ensure that it is properly extinguished before leaving,”headvised.

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Man found dead in room at SleepInn Hotel

The motionless body of a man identified as 64-year-old Desai Pankai Roy Dasrath, was found in a room on the third floor of Sleep Inn Hotel at Church and Albert Streets.

According to sources close to the investigation, the discovery was made around 10:30 hrs. on Wednesday morning. Dasrath, a manager at S. Two Mining, Anna Regina was found lying motionless on the bed in room 315 at the Sleep Inn hotel.

The police were contacted and ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) arrived on the scene at 11:00hrs. It was revealed that the deceased arrived in Georgetown on March 14, via a flight through the Eugene F Correia Airport.

“He was picked up from the airport by Nishal Appana, a 30-year-old Guyanese male of Indian descent and a driver of Lot 42 Croal Street, Enterprise, ECD, and taken to the Four Points Hotel where he stayed,” the source revealed.

This publication was informed that around 22:00hrs, Dasrath was transported to the Sleep Inn hotel where a room was booked for two

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Wales Public Road, W.B.D, Parcel 25 (0.494 acres) 21,388 sq ft. Available Long term 2025 years. Sign on property. Phone/Whatsapp: 615-2270/ 628-8619.

Malgre Tout, W.B.D, (South of Masjid)-Lot "C" (1.347 acres) 58675 sq ft. Available Long term 20-25 years. Sign on property. Phone/ Whatsapp: 615-2270/6288619.

Versailles, W.B.D, (South of Aracari Hotel)-Lot 167 (4.6606 acres) 203,016 sq ft. Available Long term 20-25 years. Sign on property. Phone/ Whatsapp: 615-2270/6288619.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Aracari Hotel Renovated rooms, A/C, TV, Restaurant, Bar, Pool, Gym. Stay 7 nights, 1 FREE! Call: 264-2946.

BUS SERVICE

Easter weekend trip to Suriname,call Matthew Bus Service & Tour for info 6392663/673-2348/6896661.Leaving 2nd April.

ENTERTAINMENT

Family Fun Aracari Resort! Crystal clear pool, safe kids & adult sections, Music & food. W.B.D. Call: 264-29469.

The SleepInn Hotel located at Church and Albert Streets.

nights. Appana told investigators that the deceased contacted him on Tuesday March 17, around 10:30hrs asking for directions to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Outpatient department.

On Wednesday, Appana arrived at the hotel to deliver GYD $100,000 to Dasrath. The money was sent by his work place as he was scheduled to return to Venezuela on March 19, 2026. Several calls to Dasrath from Appana went unanswered, and he decided to go to his room and knock on his door, but got no re-

sponse. The receptionist was contacted and a bellboy was sent up to the room with a spare key. Upon reaching the room, Appana went into the room and discovered Dasrath lying motionless on a bed located on the eastern side of the room. He was clothed in blue socks, long black pants and a long-sleeved blue shirt, his head facing east and his feet west. Emergency Medical Technicians were summoned to the scene, and the deceased was pronounced dead by Dr. Jagroo. At the crime scene which

was processed by ranks from the Crime Lab, GYD$27,000, USD$5, and medications were discovered in the deceased’s room amongst his personal belongings.

The source confirmed that there were no marks of violence seen on the body and the man’s remains were escorted to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home awaiting a Post-Mortem Examination (PME) Video footage from CCTV cameras were observed and are presently being viewed. Statements were taken and investigations are in progress.

Guyana sold carbon credits to 19 airlines under LCDS framework

DPI – Guyana sold forest carbon credits to 19 international airlines over the past 18 months, Senior Director for climate and REDD+ at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Pradeepa Bholanath said.

According to the Department of Information (DPI), the sale of the carbon credits marks a major milestone in the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

Speaking during the fourth episode of Tea on the Terrace, Bholanath explained that Guyana recently received its largest tranche of forest carbon credits to date, amounting to nine million credits under the ART-TREES programme.

“Over the last 18 months, we have seen sales to over 19 airlines at prices that have gone beyond the levels that we have sold our carbon credits for under our existing

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Seaforth street,Subryanville,Barr st. Kitty,La Penitence public rd,Charlestown,Melanie E.C.D.Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685.

agreements,” she noted.

Each of these credits has received the CORSIA label, making them eligible for use by airlines to offset their emissions.

According to Bholanath, the international aviation sector has shown increasing interest in Guyana’s forest carbon credits.

She added that demand for Guyana’s credits is expected to grow further as airlines move to meet emission reduction targets under global climate agreements.

Pradeepa Bholanath, Senior Director for Climate and REDD+, Ministry of Natural Resources

Guyana remains in a unique global position as a net carbon sink, meaning the

GPHC sues city council over

From page 15 that the duty of the council is a non-discretionary one and should therefore be enforced.

The FDA outlined ‘The order sought would ensure that public order is upheld in the City of Georgetown, particularly around one of the country’s largest health facilities, and would be beneficial not only to the city, its staff and patients seeking medical services, but also to all residents of Georgetown.” In his affidavit to support the case, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GHPC, Robbie Rambarran said the hospital sought to get

the city council to address the situation but the council either failed or refused to carry out its function to have the area cleared of encumbrances.

He related that he wrote to the council on three occasions asking for their urgent intervention. He said all the attempts have proven futile.

As a result, Rambarran said GPHC has turned to the court for relief.

Earlier this year, Mayor Alfred Mentore along with fellow councilors and administrators visited those vending around the GPHC, in an

country absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits.

This allows Guyana to provide climate services to the world while also generating revenue through the sale of carbon credits.

These revenues are being reinvested into national development initiatives under the LCDS framework.

This includes solar power generation, hinterland electrification, drainage and irrigation projects, and programmes benefitting Amerindian communities.

‘hazardous’...

attempt to mitigate the continuous complaints and intent to ensure that those vendors are still given an opportunity to earn a living.

During the visit, Mayor Mentore said anyone found vending by the entrance of the hospital will face the blunt of the law.

The visit followed a lawyer’s letter which was served to the town clerk (ag), Ms. Candace Nelson, highlighing that vendors operating along New Market Street and in the vicinity of the hospital must move or court actions would be taken.

Top eight to battle for semifinal spots this weekend

-BerbiceInterVillageEasterCupcontinues

The stage is set for a t h r i l l i n g weekend of knockout football as the BerbiceAnnualInterVillage Easter Cup moves into its decisive quarterfinal round on March 21 and 22 at the Paradise Community Centre Ground,WestCoastBerbice.

Afterafiercelycontested opening phase, eight of the competition’s strongest

village teams remain in the huntforglory:BuxtonStars, Air Hall Football Club, Victoria Kings FC, Cougars FC, Mahaica Determinators FC, Paradise Invaders FC, Timehri United FC and Trafalgar Titans FC. With a semifinal place on the line, the margin for error has all butdisappeared.

Buxton Stars enter the quarterfinals riding a wave

of resilience after edging Pouderoyen 1-0 in a tense encounter Forced onto the back foot for much of the secondhalf,Buxtonshowed grit and composure under pressure to grind out the result.

ParadiseInvadersFC,by contrast, come in with momentum and attacking co

dismantledKildonanFC4-1

performance that underlined theirtitlecredentials.

The weekend action kicks off on Saturday with a double-header that promises fireworks.

BuxtonStarswilllookto carry their defensive discipline into their clash withVictoriaKingsFC,who will be eager to test their resolve. That matchup is

Thursday March 19, 2026

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

You'll find that things are slipping nicely into place for you today, Aries Your persuasivemannerandgentle nudges are just enough to get peoplewhereyouwantthem.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

When faced with ten entrees onthemenu,itmightbehard for you to choose just one. Feelfreetoordertwoormore, Ta u r u s D o n ' t l e t indecisiveness slow you down.Atthesametime.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Your dreams won't come true unless you believe in and act onthem,Gemini.Nooneelse is going to do it for you. Unless you have a fairy godmother, you need to take mattersintoyourownhands.

CANCER(June21–July22)

If people hassle you or give you a hard time about your appearance today, pay them nomind,Cancer Youhavethe righttoliveyourlifeanyway youwantto.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Reachforthepotofgoldatthe end of the rainbow, Leo. It's closerthanyouthink.Indeed, your dreams are completely within your reach, and there are huge forces at work helping you achieve your goals.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Today is your day to dream and dream big, Virgo. Think aboutwhatitisthatyouwant most out of life. Aim your arrow to the stars and pull back your bow as far as possible. There's no limit to howfaryoucango.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Expand your mind to its furthest reaches today, Libra. T

ere's an incredible opportunity opening up for you in which you can make great strides in a creative realm.Followthemusic.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

Your mind may seem rather cloudy today, Scorpio, but don't let this hinder you. In fact, you'll find that you can use this feeling of fantasy to your advantage. Try to bring moremagicintoyourlife.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Today is an excellent day for you,oneinwhichyou'llfinda great deal of strength in your emotions, Sagittarius Trust that your instincts are serving youwell.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Things might get a bit confusing for you today, Capricorn. Don't feel like you needtomakesenseofitall.In fact, this task may be impossible. Just be yourself. Let your creative nature shine through.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb.

18)Mixyourrealitywithabit of fantasy today, Aquarius. Allowyourfeettocomeoffthe ground for a little while. Give yourselfarest.Takesometime to meditate and clear your mindofyourdailyworries.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Let yourself go into high creative mode and drift into a whole other world, Pisces. Escape your present reality and explore your fantasies through any sort of artistic endeavor Dreamasbigasyour mindallows.

followed by Air Hall FC against Cougars FC, a contest that could hinge on whichsidebetterhandlesthe high-stakes pressure of the knockoutphase.

Sunday’s fixtures are e

Mahaica Determinators FC face Timehri United FC in what is expected to be a fiercely contested battle, with both teams determined tooutworkandoutplayeach other for a semifinal berth.

The final game of the quarterfinalstageseeshome side Paradise Invaders FC taking on Trafalgar Titans FC.

By the end of Sunday’s action,thefieldwillbecutin half;fourteamsadvancingto thesemifinals,whilefoursee their championship hopes cometoanend.

M

possible is Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, No. 30 Guinness Bar, G&F

Enterprise, Stacey & Sons SuperBet, and KNV Design Construction and Supplies. The championship is also coordinated by the Paradise InvadersFootballClub.

Backedbyhomesupport, Paradise will be confident but they face a formidable opponent in the Titans, whose name reflects their tough, unyielding playing style.

2026 Guyana Harpy Eagles Regional 4-Day preparations…. Practice Match 2, Day 2 Sinclair, Adams, Chanderpaul among second day top performers

- Imlach XI trail by 73 runs

Abattle-tested

Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Junior Sinclair’s 5-fer and Anthony Adams’ 4 wickets

headlined a mixed second day of action when the Guyana Harpy Eagles

preparatorymatchcontinued yesterdayatEverest.

Day 2 focused heavily on individualpre-seasonformas well as important performances in the match which could have huge implicationstoday

Nandu XI eventually folded for 146 in their 1st innings despite putting in some work during the final sessionofday1toreach51-1 from27overs

Chanderpaul, who resumed his innings on 30, wentontoscoreanultra-gritty 64 off a whopping 239 balls with just 5 fours; demonstrating focus and application but was unfortunately denied a bigger score despite his efforts. Kemol Savory (18) added 12 runs to his overnight total while Ari Kadir (14) and Veerasammy Permaul (14) were the other notable scorers for Nandu XI

Following the exploits of Permaulondayonewithhis 4 wickets, another veteran left-arm spinner in Anthony Adams starred with 4-32 from15.1overs.

However, it was a swift death for the Imlach XI in their second innings, falling totheguileofspinnerJunior Sinclairwhosnaredmagical figures of 5-11 from just 11 overs which kept the opposition to 92-10 in 24.5 overs.

Resistance came from all-rounder Jonathan Van

Langewhoscored38off43, leadingtheboundaryscoring with 4 fours and a six. Wicket-keeper Tomanni Ceasar (19) and Kevlon Anderson (14) were the other batsmen to reach double figures. MediumpacerKeemoPaulbagged214alongwithfellowseamer Nial Smith (1-20) and spinner Zeynul Ramsammy (1-2), playing their part in the dramatic collapse of Imlachandhismen. Action continues today ©.Ross)

Insync Therapeutics hails success of Inaugural Speed Camp for Footballers “Welcome to the Future”

Insync Therapeutics

in association with the Guyana Football Federation is pleased to announce the conclusion of its first Speed CamptailoredforFootballplayers. Hailed as a resounding success - players were challenged to deliver their best performances across speed, jumping and change ofdirectiondrills.

With near excellent conditions at the National

number of outstanding performances showing peak sprint speeds at

d regularly in the English Premier League, based on data available publicly The athletes were exposed to training methods which would help them replicate

such performances as regularly as the most elite playersintheworld.

Thecampalsofeatured exposure to Nutrition, Recovery and Hydration stations, powered by Deja B

G

Catering and Rainforest Water that brought world class nutritional support in carbohydrate fueling,

repair; and pneumatic compressionrecovery Through initiatives such as the Speed Camp, Insync Therapeutics continues to promote the integration of sports medicine, strength and conditioning, and applied sports science to support the development of competitivesportinGuyana. The camp was eagerly supported by corporate Guyana including C&L Construction Inc, Royal

Participants and officials of the Insync Therapeutics Inaugural Speed Camp for Footballers.

East Bank Inter-Village Football MinisterCroalmakesgood onpromise,ballspresented

Minister of Housing, Colin Croal, came through on a promise he made to the organisers of the East Bank Inter-Village Football Competition when he donated a quantity of balls, during a simple presentation cerem

y recently CroalalongwithMinisterwithintheofficeof the Prime Minister Kwame McKoy were on handtowitnessactionontheopeningdayof competition, at the Eccles EE Community Centreground.

It was during an interaction with Organisers, Sports Extra, that he made a commitmenttopresentthemwithaquantity offootballstoenhancethetournamentandhe madegoodonthatpromise.

TheMinisterinbriefremarksstatedhow pleased he was with the initiative which accordingtohimcouldserveasaplatformto

improve relationships among players and communitiesasawhole,whilealsoassisting inunearthingtalentatthegrassrootslevel.

Twelve of the top teams from villages situated along the East Bank Demerara corridorarevyingforprizemoniesinexcess of $3million with the first prize set at $1million, while 2nd, 3rd and 4th prizes are $500,000, $250,000 and $150,000 respectivelyalongwithindividualaccolades for Best Goalkeeper, Most Valuable Player a n d H i g h e s t G o

.

Meanwhile, the fixtures for this weekend’s action are, Saturday: Herstelling take on Swanfrom18:00hrs,whileUpperSoesdyke collidewithCircuitvilleat20:00hrs.

The following day will see Kaneville versusFriendshipat18:00hrs,whil MochasquareoffagainstAgricola.

Nitro Kart Clash shifted to April 19 with over $5M in prizes still on offer

Th e h i g h l y anticipated Nitro Kart Clash has been postponed toApril 19, 2026, but excitement continues to build as more than $5 million in cash and prizes remain up for grabs across a range of racing categories.

The event, launched by Jumbo Jet Events in partnershipwiththeGuyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) and 555 Speedway, was initially scheduled for March 28 and 29 at the Thomas Lands kartingfacility

Organizer Andre Rochford explained that the eventhadtobepostponedto allow for the late arrival of severalnewkarts.

“We had a shipping delaywithalotofnewkarts thatarecomingfortheevent, and some competitors reached out to us to plot a way forward Giving all that’sbeengoingonwiththe

Global landscape and shippingandthefactthatwe want to have a huge event where everyone can get to participate,weoptedtoshift thedate.”

“The idea is to have a large field so that we can reach as many of the grassroots persons as possible, and that includes second, third, and fourth generation racers as well as thosemakingtheirdebutson thetrack.Wewanteveryone to have a chance at this event,”Rochfordadded.

Originallystructuredasa two-day meet with scrutineeringandqualifying followedbyracedayaction, the rescheduled event is expected to maintain its competitive edge and highenergy atmosphere when it takestothetrackinApril.

Corporate Guyana has also strongly supported the initiative. Sponsors include B a n k s D I H , A J M Enterprise, KP Jagdeo

General Contractors, J’s S u p e r m a r k e t , 5 5 5 Speedway, SCI (Sawh’s Construction Inc ), Precision Service Centre, andRamchand’sAutobody Competitors will still battleacrossadiverselineup of classes, including the Briggs & Stratton Sealedengine category for seniors, juniors (13–15 years), and cadets(6–12),alongwiththe 200cc Honda 4-stroke Promoters Class and the Light Class Additional events will feature 125cc IAME two-stroke (heavy and light), under-12 60cc IAME,afive-laptimeattack open category, 555 Speedway rental kart races, andsupermoto250ccbikes. Withitsreviseddatenow set, the Nitro Kart Clash remains poised to deliver a major boost to the local motorsport scene while offering substantial rewards for competitors across all levels.

Mapa Do Brasil powers to victory at Kennard Memorial Meet feature for J’s racing stable

BYSAMUELWHYTE

As if to say this is my turf, Mapa Do Brasil of the J’sRacingStablesagaintook the feature event when the Kennard Memorial Turf Club held its Phagwah Horseracemeet.

Afterwinningthefeature eventatthelastmeetheldat the venue, the feature event dubbedtheMetrostakesand sponsored by the Metro Stationary and Office supplies saw the company dolingoutover$4M.

Theanimalshowedclass as it beat the field and raced away with the $2M first prize and Metro Cup in the grueling9furlongsevent.

Ridden by champion jockeyRonaldAppadhu,the animal bid its time perfectly and as the animals hit the turn heading into the

homestretch, Jockey Appadhu began to give the animal full reign. Mapa Do Brasil moved forward and afterabrieftusslewithfront runner Grande Rainha, MapaDoBrasilsurgedaway to win easily in the end to bringglorytoownerJermain Shripaulandteam.

Grande Rainha ran an impressive second ahead of Stormy Victory with Companheiro Lea finishing fourth.

The F class event saw Frontline Warrior of the Jagdeo Racing stable with

Jockey Michael Semple on the perch accelerating down the homestretch to take the top money and trophy from Stolen Money, while Full Liberty was curtailed finishingthird.

Theeventforthree-yearold Guyana-bred maiden horses saw Manisha of the Raj stable winning easily as Miracle Boy, Granite Storm and Glory Queen had nothing to shout about Settling for the next three spots.

HereComesHeidiofthe Biso Racing Stable had nothing to hide as it dominated the field to win theeventforHClasshorses. Finishing down the order were Amicable Kate followed by Mulan with Sydneyfourth.

The Colin Elcock Stable wasinwinner’srowintheK class event. Republican withAppadhuinthestirrups was merciless down the homestretch for a comfortable victory Sakar battled for second ahead of Regal Surprise with Heartlandfourth.

The race for J class horses saw Top Gun shooting to front to take the winners reward as the likes of Hayley, Bin Laden and Three D Movie settled for thenextthreepositions. It was a perfect run for Perfect Trip of the

Amarnauth Mahaicony Racing stable as it whipped thefieldtorunawaywiththe L class maiden race. The others playing catch up for thenextthreespotswereTop Rankin, Citation and Catch theCat.

The top jockey was Renaldo Appadhu. He and other outs

n

performers were presented w i t h a c c o l a d e s , compliments of the Trophy StallandtheClub.

A large crowd was on hand at the prestigious KMTCvenue.Theincidentfreedayofracingwasstaged usingtherulesoftheKMTC.

Minister Croal makes good on promise, balls presented

Sports

The event was initially scheduled for March 28 and 29 at the Thomas Lands karting facility.

Nitro

Kart Clash shifted to April 19 with over $5M in prizes still on offer

Mapa Do Brasil of the J’s Racing stable with Jockey RenaldoAppadhoas owner Jermain Shripaul (right) receives the Metro Trophy after winning the feature open event at the KMTC Phagwah horserace meet.

MapaDoBrasilpowerstovictoryatKennard MemorialMeetfeatureforJ’sracingstable