Seriousconcernshavebeenraisedregardingthestructural integrity of the semi- constructed Ministry of Housing HeadquartersalongtheHeroesHighway,EastBankDemerara.
In a photo taken on June 1, 2026 by former Alliance For Change(AFC)MemberofParliament,DavidPattersonvisible cracks marred the building's exterior walls. However, another photo taken on Thursday, June 4 at 14:00h showed that the crackspaintedoverwithanothercoatofpaint.
"Put lipstick on a pig, it is still a pig!" Patterson said on Facebook.
Engineeringandpoliticalobserverswarnthatthebuilding isshowingsignsofstructuralfailurewhileunder"deadload", meaning it is cracking under nothing more than its own structuralweight,beforefactoringinhumanoccupants,office furniture,orequipment.
Speaking with Kaieteur News on the condition of anonymity, an experienced civil engineer familiar with the geographic terrain of the East Bank corridor revealed that the structural fractures point to a fundamental foundation failure. Accordingtothesource,theissueslikelystemfromtheabsence ofarigorousgeotechnicalsurveypriortostructuralplanning.
"The cracking indicates that either no proper geotechnical survey was done, or the survey failed to correctly identify the mandatorydepthofthepilesneededtoanchorthebuilding,"the engineerexplained.
The specialist noted that the area alongside Heroes Highway consists heavily of historic swamp lands, which remainhighlyunstable.
"There is an immense amount of subsurface movement in theearthinthatspecificzonesimplybecauseitwas,andstillis, aswampland.Anenvironmentlikethatdemandssignificantly deeper piles and a far more robust, specialized foundation design.Iftheydidn'tdesignorbuildafoundationtailoredtosuit thatswampterrain,thisbuildingisgoingtosinkalotmore,"the engineertoldKaieteurNews.
The issue gained public traction after Patterson, raised the alarmonsocialmedia.Pattersonexpressedalarmafterpassing the facility and noting structural deficiencies so early in the building'slifecycle.
"Passed the new Housing HQ on Heroes Highway today and was honestly surprised by the visible cracks already formingontheexteriorwalls,especiallyatsuchanearlystage ofconstruction,"Pattersonstated.
The former parliamentarian emphasised that the current cracking occurs under minimal stress. He warned that at this point,thebuildingisonlyexperiencingdeadload,andoncelive loadsareintroduced,suchaspeople,furniture,andequipment, furthersettlementislikely.
"A well-constructed structure shouldn't be showing this level of cracking so soon," Patterson added, before leveling sharpcriticismatthegovernment'sprocurementchoices.
"Anyway,whatdoweexpectifyouawardtheprojecttoa security company [Sheriff Construction Company] as the sayinggoes,'moneyhavetomek'.”
Guyana to keep getting 12.5% profits
Guyana is on track to continue receiving a measly 12 5% profits from the Stabroek Block, while ExxonMobil and partners bag a whopping 87.5% of revenue generated from the nation'soil.
In March this year, the operator revealed that the country had about US$5B more in the cost bank remainingtoberepaid.Once the country repays those expenses it will be able to receive 50% of all the revenue generated, after operational expenses are deducted.
ExxonMobil is however gearing up for two more projects that could add US$20B more to the cost bank, further delaying the country from receiving a greatershareofitsresources.
The company has submitted plans to the Government of Guyana (GoG) for its eighth and ninth projects offshore. To date ExxonMobil has awarded a number of contracts for the eighth proposed developmentLongtail- which is yet to
receive approval from the GoG. This means that costs for the project are already being incurred or added to thecostbank.
Additionally, the contractor commenced consultationswiththepublic on Wednesday for its ninth project- the Haimara Development.
Meetings for the proposed development commenced on Wednesday and will continue across the country through June 18, 2026.
In the absence of a ringfencing provision, the operator is allowed to use revenue from the projects that are currently producing oil to pay for developments thatarestilltostartup.
This severely hampers revenue flow to the country as the operator takes money that should flow into the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) to pay for these developments and still recoversitas“investments”.
Following the revelation by Exxon on the remaining expenses in the cost bank, the Minister of Natural
...as ExxonMobil advances 8th and 9th projects without ring-fencing provisions
ExxonMobil has made over 40 oil discoveries to date in the Stabroek Block
Resources, Vickram Bharrat in an interview told this newspaper that government was expected to make an announcement on how the processwouldoperateinthe future.
He explained, “No new project is added because thereisnoapprovalandyou would have heard from several persons that we are coming to a desaturation point…so we'll be able to m
conference or the president might say something publicly on that issue on the desaturationofthecostbank and how it will operate movingforward.”
Regarding increased revenueflowforGuyana,he noted that although no other project cost has been added to the cost bank, other expenses relating to exploration is still being incurred.
“On your question about
50/50,rememberthereisstill some amount of expenses being incurred in terms of exploration activities in the Stabroek Block. Now they stillhaveayearmoreonthat explorationlicence,sothose are costs that will still be accumulatedtoo.That'swhy we say we didn't pay off the cost bank, but it's being desaturated so we will now have to look at the numbers andlookattheworkongoing in the block to see at what
point in time we will get to that 50/50 profit sharing of oil,”theministeradded.
Guyanese demand ringfencing
Guyanese from various walks of life have been calling on the GoG to implement a ring-fencing provision to increase revenue flow to the country Last month the former Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton made a bold call for the government to ring-fenceallfutureprojects fortheoperator
His announcement came weeks after the Publisher of this newspaper, Glenn Lall reiterated calls for the GoG to implement this provision, highlighting that Exxon was no longer investing into the Stabroek Block, but using Guyana'sprofitstodoso. Independent institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the U n i t e d N a t i o n s Development Programme (UNDP), Chatham House and the World Bank all previously urged Guyana to ring-fence its projects given thebenefitsforthecountry
Govt. still negotiating demands with powership company
After four days of silence, the government of Guyana (GoG) on Thursday revealed that it has not yet acceptedthedemandsbythe Turkish powership to fork out millions more daily to provide the country with electricity
In a brief statement issued yesterday, the Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar said, “I would like to assure the public that the Government of Guyana is working in the best interests of the people of Guyana to get the best possible commercial rate for the renewalofthecontract.”
“Wecontinuetobeinthe negotiation process, while the powership maintains an uninterrupted supply of electricity to the national grid,” Indar added The minister assured that the publicwillbeupdated“atthe appropriate time” on the completion of the contractual negotiations between the Guyana Power and Light Inc. and UCC JV withKarpowership.
Further, the minister did not respond to questions fromthisnewspaperastothe rate the country is currently paying the private company while the deliberations take placebehindcloseddoors.
He however explained that power outages across thenationwerenotlinkedto a lack of power generation. Instead, the minister noted that these events are likely duetomaintenanceactivities to the national power grid and interruptions caused by privatecontractors.
On Sunday, Kaieteur News reported that the GoG is being held at ransom by the Turkish powership companywhichisreportedly demanding higher rates in ordertokeepthelightsonin Guyana,whileStateofficials scramble behind closed doors,beggingforextratime tonegotiate.
According to a damning joint letter dated 25th May, 2026, leaked to this publication, the company's contractwiththeGoGended on 21st May, 2026 Recognising the crisis, they
are in, the GoG desperately wrote to the company on May 22, begging for an additional 30-day extension tohashoutanewcontract.
Thepowershipoperators however flatly rejected the government's plea, informing that it could not facilitate such a lengthy extension,grantinginsteada limited one-week window whichclosedonMonday,1st June,2026.
Information obtained by thisnewspaperfromcredible sources indicates that the company demanded an additional$3.4Mmoredaily from government to continue providing 36-
megawatts (MW) of power from the vessel stationed in theBerbiceRiver Karpowership originally
agreed to supply 36-MW at US$0.076 per Kilowatt (KW). It is now demanding US$0.095/KW- the same rate Guyana is currently payingforthesecondpower ship, stationed in the DemeraraRiver Thatvessel provides 60-MW of electricity to the national grid This means that the company is demanding an additional US$15,760 or G$3.4M per day under the new rates. Meanwhile, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP) Ganesh MahipaulonThursdaywrote Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir
forpermissiontoaskanoral question without notice pursuant to Standing Order 18 at the 4th Sitting of the National Assembly of the 13th Parliament of the Cooperative Republic of Guyanascheduledfortoday Mahipaul said the questions speak to the continued supply of electricity to the national grid through the powership arrangements currently being utilized by Guyana PowerandLightInc.(GPL).
He told Speaker Nadir that the matter is one of urgentpublicimportance.
Offshore oil projects pushed by ExxonMobil in Guyana keeps increasing. But total oil spill coverage remains paltry, is concerning. New wings are added to a building but the owners fool themselves that existing coverage is sufficient. Itwasnotenoughinthefirstplace.
US$2B for 1M people equates to US$2000 per person (2,000,000,000/1,000.000 = $2000). It looks plenty To a country with many impoverished citizens, US$2B held in reserveseemslikegenerosityitselffromExxonMobil.Itisa pittance, should there be the unfortunate occurrence of a catastrophic blowout at one of those offshore oil projects that Guyana’s oil partner races forward to get approved to keep its profit machine running unchecked. When projects are clustered in a tight arc, risks multiply One leak that cannot be controlled could quickly lead to multiple failures that lead to a crisis. In such circumstances, which this country and its now oil-dependent people hopefully never experience, US$2B cap (and that US$600M insult for insurance) amounts to nothing. In aggregate, they almost have no bearing, because both the reserve lodged and that insurance policy are swallowed up before they could providerealrelief.
A small, negligible spill could be covered by those two sums of money But not one of any magnitude. BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 shouldstandasastarkwarningforeveryGuyanese. Itisthe benchmark of how things can go wrong. One failure led to another, with lives lost, the environment severely damaged, and five of America’s states greatly harmed. Like all oil companies, including ExxonMobil, when the oil was being produced and profits soaring, BP gave assurances of robust risk controls in place.Those controls were robust, until they collapsed under pressure, were useless before the cyclonic forceoftheDeepwaterHorizonexplosion.
Guyanese must press their leaders. How much value would US$2B be in a big oil spill? How much would it stretch, how long would it last, when claims and costs mount, and with impact on ordinary citizens? Almost certainly, that reserve could be subject to a flurry of claims that shifts priorities from the losses of people to the sacred claims of property Guyanese should not forget what happenedwentCLICOwentdown,whojumpedtothefront oftheclaimsline,whogotshovedoutoftheirrightfulplace, andwhoendedupinthecompanyofthosewhowerebilked.
A real severe oil spill could inflict unprecedented damage on Guyana’s environment and Guyana’s economy with every citizen of this country taking a heavy blow A major portion of any oil spill coverage would go to cleanup costs. In the event that neighbours are impacted, they are going to move with speed and determination to put in their claims before the courts. The company had lodged US$2B withGuyanaduringthecourtproceedingsthatfocusedonan ‘unlimited parent company guarantee.’ ExxonMobil assures that it is still lodged with the government. Since the CourtofAppealoverturnedthelowercourtruling,arelevant concern has to be if the company will continue to lodge that US$2B in Guyana’s hands. Given that ExxonMobil has waged a four-year battle with the Guyana Government over a mere US$214M in IHS Markit audit findings, the US$2B lodgedmaynotremainthatwayforlong.SinceExxonMobil hasnotmanagedthisso-calledpartnershipwell,hasbeenall aboutitsowninterests,therequiredleveloftrustismissing. Wethinkthatthatthisisafairposition,onethatthecompany brought on itself, in spite of its reassuring rhetoric. First on its risk management practices, and also how much of a fair partneritistoGuyanese.
The final settlement figure worked out between the U.S. government and BP was US$20.8B. The company also incurred more than US$65B in cleanup and other costs. If the government is serious about this patrimony, the welfare of its citizens, and Guyana’s potentials, US$2B should not even be a starting point in any conversation that has to do with oil spill protection. ExxonMobil has sold the government that it would not walkaway should there be a costlyspill.ExxonMobilmustthinkGuyanesearefools.
10
months after election Parliamentary Standing Committee on Appointment has not been reconstituted.Why?
DEAR EDITOR,
I write to express my serious concern and outright condemnation of the troubling lethargy displayed by the administration of Guyana National Assembly to appoint the nine-member Parliamentary Standing CommitteeonAppointment.
The September 1, 2025 election is long gone yet Parliament, of which the current government enjoys a majority, has failed to appoint the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Appointment- a body c o m p r i s i n g f i v e representatives from the government and four from
the opposition, -We Invest in Nationhood - WIN- Political Party.
ThecurrentLeaderofthe Opposition, MP Azruddin Mohamed, his cadre of MP’s, and all Guyanese, are experiencing the thunderous silence from the Guyana
National Assembly’s Administration on this constitutional deadlock/ roadblock/gridlock.
Editor, this committee is not a formality; it is constitutionally and operationally vital It is responsible for vetting and enabling a host of other appointments that allow Guyana’s business to
proceed for the optimal welfare of all Guyanese. Its absence creates a dangerous vacuum: key oversight mechanisms are paralyzed, and there is no functional body to hold the government accountable for its inaction or to scrutinize critical appointments.
Let us be clear: the government, paid by taxpayers, currently holds the majority of votes in Parliament. Yet rather than lead, it appears content to hold Guyana hostage through deliberate inaction. This is not governance; it is dereliction.
The people of Guyana
demandbetter. Come Friday, June 5, 2026, the Guyana National Assemblywillbeinsession. Will the appointments of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Appointment be tabled and effectuated?
If not, we call on the National Assembly to immediately leverage this constitutional mandate and reconstitute this committee without further delay The businessofthenationandthe welfare of its citizens cannot be held ransom to political lethargy
Yours sincerely, Jonathan Subrian Esq.
Essequibo Cricket Board is not on good footing
DEAR EDITOR,
As a former Vice President of the Essequibo Cricket Board, I feel compelled to highlight some factors that have basically crippled the functioning of theorganizationandmuchto the frustration of the b e n e f i c i a
e s T h e resurgence of the board started in 2022 after a p
election.
There was renewed hope and confidence in the new administration However, after one year into its first term there were differences which led to the resignation oftheSecondVicePresident, Secretary, Administrator, Public Relations Officer and Treasurer The Senior Chairman of Selectors ( e x e c u t i v e ) a l s o subsequently resigned. The incumbent president was reelected and the board
amended its constitution to extend its life from two to fouryears.
Unfortunately, the trend of exit continued with the departure of the Marketing Manager, Public Relations Officer, Senior and Junior Chairman of Selectors and the Chairman of the competitions’ committee This is not a coincidence but a statement which is continuing to affect the functions and stability of the board In fact, statutory meetings are seldom kept, including its Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) where the constituent members are given the opportunity to be heard. In such circumstances, sponsorshiphasbeenelusive whereforthepastthreeyears there has been none to facilitateseniorcompetitions among the seven area committees.
To this end, the ECB has
refused to accept Central Essequibo as a legitimate member despite having met all the criteria and inclusion in the past as a functioning committee! This committee was omitted from the Cricket Administration Bill (CAB) that came into law Whether it was deliberate or was an oversight by the ECB stakeholders is still to be answered to this date
Notwithstanding, efforts were made to incorporate region one as a member Fundamentalissuescontinue to surface including the f u n c t i o n a l i t y a n d accountability of the academies across all c o m m i t t e e s , operationalization and maintenance of the cricket hostel, nepotism in the
e Administrator who also is being paid separately to supervise the academies and other cricket related programmes, interference in t e a m s e l e c t i o n , undisciplined players who were not sanctioned (videos were circulated of underage boys drinking in the hostel w h i l e i n c a m p ) , inappropriate behaviour of some coaches and the complete disconnect between the committees and theboard.Whiletheseissues exist,thereseemtobeablind response to them by the relevant authority, including the Guyana Cricket Board. T h e r e m u s t b e transformation within the ECB.
Regards,
Elroy Stephney
Can’t contact the office of the Minister of Education Where and when are cyclists acceptable in Georgetown?
DEAR EDITOR,
It is almost impossible, in my opinion, to contact the OfficeoftheMinisterofEducationofGuyana,
As a former Senior Mathematics Specialist attached to NCERD (1996 - 2011), I do believe I can contribute to the recent activities related to interventions to improve students’ performances at the CXC examinations especially with respect to the Interactive Radio Instruction Programme as it relatestoskillsdevelopmentintheteachingofmathematicsat alllevels.
IfIaminvitedtobeengaged,Iwillbehappytodoso.
I suggest a twenty minutes face to face engagement with theMinisterinJanuary2027asIhavemoretocontribute.
Yours respectfully,
Krishna Nand Prasad
DEAR EDITOR,
I attempted to take a leisurely ride with my bicycle at the refurbished Joe Viera Park on the Independence Day holiday and was rudely stopped at the gate “Park yuh cycle outside.” So recreational cycling is not allowed in a modern state of the art park. Similarly, I tried to take a cycle ride at 4 pm a day in this week at the National Park, and was yelled at by the guard and stared down by a park official with glaring hostility So recreationalcyclingisalsorestrictedattheNationalPark. So,ofcourse,Iwasforcedoutofthesafetyofrecreational spacesontotheseawalltobechasedbystraydogsandontothe roadways to risk my life at the hands of the very careful minibus drivers that we are blessed with in GT. The backwardness of Guyanese society is distressingly appalling. Iamnotevenfrustratedorfedup.Justresignedtothestupidity thatpassesforsenseinthiscountryintheyear2026.
Regards, Name withheld. Cheers
Is the Caribbean Paying for a Climate Crisis it Didn’t Create?
DEAR EDITOR,
The radio cuts to a special bulletin The meteorological service is giving an update and before the weather man even finishes the sentence, your mother is already counting tins in the pantry Canned tuna. Milk. Crackers. Your sibling is filling every pot and bucket in the house with water Grandma is checking the kerosene lamp and the charge on the solar lights, and Daddy is on the verandah looking at the sky the way grandpa taught him. Without anyone saying it out loud, the whole house understands a storm is coming.
There was a time when a strong hurricane was a story told for years. Hurricane Gilbert, 1988, was that kind of storm. It was terrifying as it tore through the Caribbean withaforcethatleftdamage, e x t e n s i v e l o s s a n d significant mental scars; but, it was also, somehow, singular
Since 2016 devastating hurricanes have become standardintheregion:
Matthew in 2016, which wasaCategory5atpeakand hitHaitiasaCategory4with 150mphwinds,thestrongest stormthecountryhadseenin over half a century, killing more than 500 people, flattening 90% of crops, and leaving over 120,000 familieswithouthomes.
Mariain2017aCategory 5 that wiped out 226% Dominica’s GDP, setting development back by decadesinthespanofhours.
Dorian in 2019, another Category5whichominously lay in wait over The Bahamas until Marsh Harbour was gone and families were still searching
foreachotherweekslater
Beryl in July 2024, a Hurricane that made history by being the earliest Category 5 ever recorded in the Atlantic at peak which arrived before the hurricane season had even properly introduced itself, stripped Carriacou down to its bones as a Category 4, levelled fieldsinJamaica,andleftthe Caribbean wondering what weweresupposedtodonext.
Then Melissa in 2025, yet another Category 5 Hurricane, just fifteen months after Beryl, became the strongest Atlantic storm ever recorded, with 185 mph winds, 95 lives claimed, and a name now retired because some things cannot simply berecycled.
So, what changed?
Because it wasn’t us. In fact, the Caribbean contributes less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
While the world has collectively benefitted from theenergysystemsbuiltover the past two centuries, it is the continued, unabated over-reliance on fossil fuels, and reluctance to switch to renewable energy, that is driving the climate crisis in which we now live. Though the Caribbean did not make that choice, we are the ones filling the buckets, rebuilding the roofs and burying the dead in the wake oftheseclimatedisasters.
Here is what is actually happening, hurricanes feed on warm ocean water Decades of carbon pollution have trapped heat in the atmosphere, and our oceans have been absorbing it. The Caribbean Sea is now warmerthanitshouldbe,and every storm that passes over it finds more fuel than the one before. According to
Climate Central’s Rapid Attribution, Hurricane Melissa’s winds were strengthened by climate change, and the ocean temperatures that powered her were made hundreds of times more likely because of humanactivity
To expound, when Hurricane Maria hit Dominica in 2017, Prime Minister Skerrit posted from inside the storm, his roof gone,waterrising,writingin
realtimeastheNatureIsland of the Caribbean came apart. When Dorian sat over The Bahamasfortwodays,entire communities on Abaco and Grand Bahama were simply erased Similarly, when B e r y l t o r e t h r o u g h Carriacou, 90% of structures were damaged or destroyed including homes, schools and fishing boats that feed families When Melissa made landfall, Haiti’s outer rainbands triggered deadly
landslides, Cuba evacuated 735,000 people overnight, and Jamaica’s western end wasflattenedandcropswere underwater for the second time in under two years. Additionally, across the region the hospitals, food systems, and the roads we have built and rebuilt for decades absorbed yet anotherblow Caribbean people, and other communities on the front lines of climate
chane,have shown more resilience and grace under devastation than most of the world will ever be asked to show But resilience is not justice. You cannot rebuild a flattened hospital with resilience alone, nor can you tell a region to keep bouncing back while the conditions destroying it go unaddressed. At some point, praising our strength becomesawayofavoiding
Continued on page 6
Expanding teachers’ training
DEAR EDITOR,
W
Nations is concerned, by 2030,countries must ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and qua
y p
imary and secondary education (which of course) will lead to relevant and effective learning outcomes. In fact, this quest is not embraced by all nations, but where Guyana is concerned, we are truly ‘driving’ hard at achievingthisgoal.
I am most pleased then that “The Ministry of Education has received 13 bids for the construction of a Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) Centre at Charity, Region Two ” According to Minister of Education, Sonia Parag, “…
the initiative will ensure that professional development be accessible to teachers residing in hard-to-reach areas, ending an era where they were forced to leave their homes and families to gain certification ” This translates to huge benefits for the students, and this ties right into the UN’s Goal 4, that “… education financing must become a national investment priority, (to facilitate) measures such as making education free and compulsory, increasing the number of teachers, improving basic school infrastructureandembracing digitaltransformation.”
Where this project is concerned, $45 million was allocated in the 2026 National Budget to kickstart
the project, which is geared to serve educators in the Pomeroon River and other nearby remote communities. When all done, this will mean that professional development will be accessible to teachers residing in hard-to-reach areas, and thus ending an era where they were forced to leave their homes and f a m i l i e s t o g a i n certification.”
This kind of input from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government m e a n s t h a t t h e Administration is treating education with the requisite gravity it truly deserves. The fact is that teacher training is essential because it equips educators with critical skills like classroom management,
student psychology, and effective lesson structuring. Without formal training, teachers struggle to provide proper guidance, adapt to diverse learning needs, and integrate technology effectively
So, to deliver on Goal 4, education financing must b e c o m e a n a t i o n a l investment priority And this project is symptomatic of what I am saying The Minister iterated that the project is about “quality education and quality delivery in the classroom,” noting that investing in professional growth ultimately translates into better outcomes for the nation’s children. As per the actualedifice,once
Continued on page 6
Berbice contractor accused of killing brother-in-law denied bail
Magistrate Michelle Matthias on Thursday struck down a bail application by counsel for the 22-year-old man who reportedly killed his brother-in-law in Berbicenearlythreeweeksago.
Frank McCallister, a contractor of Heatburn Village, East Bank Berbice, was charged with manslaughter on 15th May,2026, when he appeared at the Albion Magistrates’ Court. The matter was since transferred to the New Amsterdam Magistrates’Court.
McCallister is accused of stabbing 42year-oldOswainLawson,ataxidriver,ofLot 46 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, on12thMay,2026.
Lawson, a father of two, was reportedly partying with associates at a popular hangout spot located at Edinburgh Village, East Bank Berbice on the evening of May 11, 2026.The following day, police in Region Six in a statement said he died after his vehicle crashed into a roadside stall in Edinburugh Villageandtoppledintoanearbycanal.
However, his body bore several gapping wounds which carried impressions of a sharp object, and rendered the police report as conflicting. Police subsequently confirmed that Lawson was murdered and, McCallister was arrested. An autopsy performed on Lawson’s body showed that he died from multiplestabwoundsandlungfailure.
Meanwhile, when the matter was called on Thursday, the prosecution informed Magistrate Matthias that its file is complete, and sought a two-week period within which to ready statements. The prosecution also objected to bail, pointing to the prevalence and seriousness of the offence and the weapon used. However, Chandra Sohan, McCallister's attorney, sought bail for his client arguing that he was charged with a bailable offence Sohan urged that the
Frank McCallister, accused of murdering his brother-in-law
magistrate takes into account McCallister's clean record. "As far as the offence is concernedasitrelatestothisaccused,thereis nothing which says that he has a history, or had bad behaviour or anything of the sort. He willattendcourt.Heisbarely22yearsofage. Prison is not a place for these persons to be in,"theattorneyemphasized.
Sohan assured that McCallister's mother, who was at court, stands ready to ensure that hecomplieswithallcourtmandates.
The attorney told the court that Lawson attackedhisgirlfriend,whoistheMcAlister’s sister, with a knife in the accused presence. The knife fell and Lawson then reached for a cutlass to attack McCallister's sister McCallister retrieved the knife which was used against Lawson who, according to the attorney,alsotriedtoattackMcCallister
InSohan'sextensiveappeal,hestatedthat the prosecution presented no cogent reason whyhisclientshouldnotbegivenbail.
After noting the defence's positions, Magistrate Matthias stated that the offense is indictable, for which, if found guilty of, carriesastiffpenalty
After summing up her points, she refused bail and set June 15, 2026 as McCallister's nextcourtappearance.
Expanding teachers’ training
From page 5 completed, the new, modern facility will feature a dedicated classroom block, staff offices, a kitchen area and washroom facilities, all housed within an elevated, ridge-and-beam structure.” And the big picture is that “This new facility will aid the government’s mission to move the national percentage of trained teachers from over 90 percenttoaperfect100percent.”
Guyana is getting there. It is one of the
highest ranked developing countries in the Education Index of the United Nations HumanDevelopmentReport.
With a score of 0 943 on the Education Index, its overall rank is 37, and it ranks third in the Caribbean after Cuba and Barbados, and second in South America afterArgentina
Wearegettingthereandinbigstridestoo.
Yours truly, Hargesh B. Singh
Is the Caribbean Paying for a Climate...
From page 5 theconversationaboutwhoisresponsiblefor theburdenwekeepbearing.
That conversation is called climate justice, calling for the wealthiest nations to honourtheclimatefinancecommitmentsasa debt owed, not charity given. Thankfully, the ground beneath this conversation is shifting, in May 2026 the United Nations General Assembly voted to endorse the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on climate change,whichwasco-sponsoredbyCaribbean States including Barbados and Jamaica This opinion clarifies that States have binding obligations under international law to protect the climate system, and that breaching those obligations carries legal consequences such asliabilityandreparations.
Honouring these commitments looks like loss and damage funding that reaches small island states as grants, not loans. It looks like the Caribbean having a real seat at every
Govt. tightlipped amid deepening crisis in Reg. 10 administration
The government remains tight-lipped amidadeepeninggovernanceissueinRegion 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). Dr Ryan Richards, WIN MP, stated that the newly sworn-in Regional Democratic Council (RDC) remains paralysed without a leadership structure, even as the regional administration moves ahead with 2027 budgetpreparations.
The impasse escalated when Dr Richards, by way of a statement, accused the regional administration of administrative overreach and bypassing elected representatives.
Efforts by this newspaper to contact the newly appointed Regional Executive Officer (REO),Dr GregoryHarris,foracommenton theallegationswerefutile.
According to Dr. Richards, the 18 councillors of the 10th RDC were officially swornintoofficefollowingthe2025regional elections on 1st September,2025. However, the completion of internal elections for the posts of Regional Chairman and Regional ViceChairmanhasbeenstalled.Dr Richards allegedthattheformerREODwightJohnhad continuallyrefusedtoreconvenethestatutory meeting required by law to finalize the leadershipvotes.
Despite the leadership vacuum, the regional administration has reportedly commencedstakeholderconsultationsforthe 2027 regional budget Dr Richards condemned this move, noting that public funds and regional priorities are being decidedwithoutthestatutoryoversightofthe newlyelectedcouncil.
“TheRegionalDemocraticCouncilisnot merely an advisory body,” Dr Richards stated. “The continued exclusion of the elected councillors from the budgetary process undermines the very purpose for which they were elected and weakens the principlesofrepresentativedemocracy.”
Adding to the confusion, the statement revealed that the Chairman of the previous (9th) RDC is reportedly continuing to function and is actively inviting stakeholders
to submit fiscal proposals, despite the 10th Council already taking their Oaths of Office beforetheREO.
“The transition from one Council to another is a cornerstone of democratic governance,”Dr Richardsargued,callingthe parallel authority an affront to the Local Democratic Organs framework that creates publicconfusionregardingaccountability
The political gridlock has directly translated, according to Richards, into an operational freeze for critical regional committees. Because a sitting Chairman and Vice Chairman have not been formalized, statutory bodies cannot be legally constituted.
Of immediate concern to residents is the paralysis of the Regional Disaster Preparedness Committee. The shutdown comesataprecarioustime,aspartsofRegion 10 are currently battling an ongoing flood situation. Without a functioning committee, the region’s capacity to deploy coordinated leadership,oversight,anddisasterresponseis severelydiminished.
Furthermore, Dr Richards warned that the integrity of public spending is at risk. Without a fully formed 10th Council, elected representatives cannot appoint members to the Regional Tender Board, effectively removing the legal check-and-balance system on regional procurement and tender processes Emphasising that the issue transcends party politics, the Member of Parliament stressed that the impasse is fundamentally about the constitutional rights oftheelectorate.
“The people voted. Councillors were elected. Councillors were sworn in. The democratic process must now be allowed to runitslawfulcourse,”Dr Richardssaid.
He called on the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the relevant administrative authorities to urgently intervene, order the reconvening of the stalled RDC meeting, and enforce compliance with the Local Democratic OrgansAct.
Govt. still negotiating demands...
From page 3
global table where climate decisions are made It also looks like countries meaningfully and strategically committing to, and delivering on, their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the national climate action plans under the Paris Agreement. Moreover, as citizens, we must be resolute in advocacy and using our voices to demand justice for the region. On top of educating ourselves on the impact of hurricanes and climate change, we must ask our political leaders how they are holding the international community accountable and supporttheorganisationsfightingforclimate justiceeveryday
So, yes, the Caribbean is paying for a climate crisis we did not create, but our experienceisnotacautionarytalefortherest of the world. It is evidence, and the most powerfulthingwecandoisrefusetobequiet.
Sincerely, KaylaWright
indicate that the principal Powership Time Charter Plus Agreement expired on 21st May, 2026 and that the Government subsequently sought an extension while negotiations were being undertaken for a new arrangement. Reports further suggest thatonlyalimitedextensionwasgrantedand that uncertainty remains regarding the continued operation of the powerships upon which GPL presently depends to meet national electricity demand,” he said in his letter
Asaresult,MahipaulsaidGPLcontinues to experience significant generation deficiencies and remains substantially reliant on the powerships to avoid widespreadloadsheddingandblackouts.
He said too that the powership arrangementswereintendedtobetemporary measures pending completion and commissioning of the Gas-to-Energy Project.
“The Gas-to-Energy Project has not yet become operational and is not presently supplyingelectricitytothenationalgrid;and the expiration of the powership contract on
21stMay,2026 and the uncertainty surroundingitscontinuationraiseimmediate concerns regarding national energy security, economic activity, and the welfare of citizens,”hesaid.
Mahipaul questioned:
“Can the Honourable Minister inform thisHouse:
(a) whether the Government has commenced negotiations for the renewal or extensionofthepowershipcontracts;
(b) whether the operators of the powerships have demanded additional payments beyond the existing contractual termsand,ifso,theamountbeingsoughtand thebasisforsuchdemands;
(c)whethertheGovernmenthasassessed the consequences for the national grid should either or both powerships cease operations before the Gas-to-Energy Project becomesoperational;and
(d) what measures are being taken to ensure that Guyanese consumers and businesses are not subjected to renewed blackouts and load shedding arising from any interruption in the powership arrangements?”
Guyana following Ghana in hiding power ship contract
Guyana appears to be headingdownthesamepath as Ghana in terms of the hiding of its agreement with
similarities in the amount of parliamentaryscrutinyofthe contract.
In an interview with a f o
m e r G h a n i a n government, Kaieteur News was informed that the companyhasbeenoperating in Ghana since 2015. “It is widelybelievedthatthenoncompliance issue, like avoiding parliamentary scrutiny and approval together with some of the clauses agreed on by the
negotiating parties that did not favour Ghana, are pointers to corruption and corrupt practices,” the formerofficialsaid.
Ghana was also threatened by blackouts by the powership company, whichthesourcenotedwere eventually a reality Ghana faced several major power outages and negotiations in 2025 with the company resulted in the withdrawal thatcourseofaction.
The former government official explained that there was a clause in the contract thatfacilitated,“Take-or-pay contract: Ghana has to pay forpowerthatKarpowership generates, even if it's excess
and not needed. This was estimated to cost Ghana $12.5B for excess power by 2023.”
Ghaniangovt.saysit actedlawfully
Inanarticlepublishedby
2015,
government rubbished claims by the parliamentary minority that it violated the constitution by allowing the Ghana National Petroleum
Electricity Company of Ghana to enter into an agreement with Karpower
deploymentofapowership.
“The minority argued that the agreement which
...mirrors limited parliamentary scrutiny of agreement
willresultinthedeployment of 450 megawatts power ship should have first received parliamentary approval before government issued a letter of comfort to sealit,”thearticlesaid.
Guyana'ssituation
In Guyana's case, the contracts for both powerships were signed in April and November 2024, and two years later with a renewal on the way, the public is yet to see the full agreement that the country signedonto.Bitsandpieces of information have been r
et estimates and leaked documents.
Additionally, the project was awarded via sole
sourcing and did not go through the National Assembly. However, officials of the government have defended that saying that the procedure used aligns with Section 28, Chapter 73:05 of the Procurement Act 2003, which allows for sole sourcing under specific conditions such as urgent or catastrophic emergencies, highly specialised services orexclusiveavailability
Back in 2024, Kaieteur News reported that Vice PresidentBharratJagdeohas accusedOppositionMember of Parliament (MP) David Patterson of misleading the nationonthecostthatwillbe accrued for the rental of the
Turkishpowership.
Pattersonsaidthatitwill cost Guyana more than US$200M to utilise the power ship for the two-year period.
Notwithstanding Patterson's calculations, Jagdeo did not provide a detailed account of what the country is really paying for t
Guyanese in the dark over thetruecost.
Thoughthetruecostwas eventuallyrevealed,andwas close to what the politician estimated, the government has still kept the agreement underwraps,socitizenshave no idea of the other clauses included, hence they are left (Continuedonpage17)
Mahipaul slams govt.'s
move to restore unlimited benefits for fmr.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP) Ganesh Mahipaul has raised concerns about the move by theIrfaanAli-administration to repeal the Former Presidents (Benefits and OtherFacilities)Actof2015, to bring back uncapped and unlimited benefits to the country'sformerpresidents.
In a statement this week, Mahipaul labelled the move by as “unconscionable” and an “insult to hardworking, taxpaying Guyanese, a blatant eye-pass to the public, and an open invitation for the abuse of stateresources.”
Parliamentarians will gather today at the Arthur ChungConferenceCentrein Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, where the Former President's (Benefits andOtherFacilities)Billwill be read for the first time whentheNationalAssembly convenes.
According to the Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall SC, the 2026 Bill seeks to provide unlimited benefits to the country's former presidents by repealing the 2015 changes that were made to the 2009 former Presidents' Benefits(andotherfacilities)
Act 2009 by the A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance for Change
(APNU+AFC) Coalition government.
Backin2015,theAPNU government amendments repealed the former openended 2009 Act and placed specificcapsonstate-funded benefits for former Heads of State. Nandlall this week statedthattheBillthatwillbe tabled contains minor changes aimed at bringing normalcy to the benefits all former presidents should receive and also ensure that future presidents receive the same package when they retire.
For his part, Mahipaul noted that the 2015 Act did not deny former presidents reasonable benefits and protections “Rather, it introduced transparency, accountability, and sensible limits on benefits funded by taxpayers. Repealing those safeguardsandreturningtoa system of uncapped and unrestricted benefits would
take Guyana backwards at a time when citizens are demandi
management of public resources,”hestated.
TheoppositionMPnoted that while APNU is not opposedtoformerpresidents receivingbenefitsthatreflect the dignityof the office they once held, those benefits must be transparent, justifiable, and subject to reasonablelimits.
“If the existing caps established in the 2015 Act require revision to reflect current realities and costs, then let that discussion take place What we cannot support is a return to unlimitedbenefitsfundedby thetaxpayersofGuyana,”he added.
Mahipaul noted that the proposed Bill should not be rushed through the National Assembly but instead be (Continuedonpage9)
Enough is enough
Violence in our schools has reached a point where society can no longer afford to look the other way Every few weeks, another video surfaces showing students kicking, punching, slapping, dragging, or attacking one another while theirschoolmateswatch.
The scenes are shocking, embarrassing, and deeply troubling. More importantly, they are a warning that a serious problem is getting worse.
Let us be clear. Violence in schools is not a new phenomenon. School fights have existed for generations. Children have always argued, disagreed, and sometimesfought.
What is new, however, is the degree of violence now being displayed and the increasing involvement of female students in these incidents. This is perhaps one of the most disturbing aspectsoftheproblem.
There was a time when a school fight consisted of a fewpunchesbeforeteachers, prefects, or fellow students intervened. Today, many of the incidents resemble street brawls. Students are being beaten while lying on the ground. Hair is being pulled out.Kicksarebeingaimedat heads and faces. Some of the violence appears deliberate and sustained rather than spontaneous. It is difficult to
watch and even harder to justify
Equally alarming is the conduct of the spectators. Instead of stepping in to stop the violence or calling for help, many students simply stand around recording the incidents on their phones. In some cases, they are actually encouraging the fighters and cheering them on This represents a dramatic shift in socialattitudes.
There was a time when schoolchildren instinctively rallied against wrongdoing.
Older Guyanese can recall occasions when thieves or “choke-and-robbers” committed crimes near schools at dismissal time. If the criminals attempted to escape, schoolchildren would give chase, and no matter where or how fast the robbers ran, the children werebehindthemandwould eventually point them out and assist law enforcement by identifying where they hadrunorhidden.
Of course, today’s world is different. With criminals often armed with guns and knives, it would be reckless to encourage children to pursue offenders. But at the very least, one would expect students to discourage violence among their peers ratherthancelebrateit. What we are witnessing is not merely a disciplinary problem. It appears to be a breakdown of societal
Dem Boys Seh...
norms. Respect and restraint seem to be weakening. The values that once encouraged young people to prevent harm are increasingly being replaced by a culture in which violence is viewed as entertainment This trend cannot be allowed to continue.
If left unchecked, school violence will become even more deeply entrenched. In fact, it is already beginning to assume the characteristics of an endemic problem. The danger is that today’s fights may lead to more school gangs. Once organised groups emerge within schools, the situation becomesfarmoredifficultto control.Thenextstagecould i n v o l v e s y s t e m a t i c intimidation of students and eventually violence directed against teachers and school administratorsthemselves.
That is why the current approachmustberevisited.
For too long, there has been a reluctance to impose the most serious sanctions available. The Ministry of Education has often preferred counselling, mediation, warnings, and other corrective measures. While such interventions have their place, they cannot be the only response to seriousactsofviolence.
There comes a point where actions must have consequences.
The policy of avoiding
Traffic police playing hide-and-seek
Dem boys seh de Commissioner of Policegotaseriousproblemponhehand.De Commissionerisagoodandeffectiveleader But sometimes a good captain got fuh come up pon deck and ask some sailors exactly whashipdemsailing.
Some time back de public get told plain and simple that police can’t just stop vehicles because dem wake up one morning anddecidethatdemain’tseeenoughdriver’s licences fuh de day Dem got fuh have a reason.Demgotfuhhavecause.
Yet every day motorists finding one or two ranks standing up in some lonely corner like dem waiting pon a minibus that done passsincelastweek.Devehiclegetstopped. Driverpullover Windowwinddown.
“Morningofficer.”
“Documents.”
“WhatoffenceIcommit?”
“Documents.”
By de time de exchange done, de driver does feel like he applying fuh a mortgage and not driving to work. Dem boys seh randomstoppingbecominganationalsport.
And then there is de radar gun business. Now, dem boys ain’t no scientist. But even
expulsion or police involvement in many of these cases deserves urgent review Students who commit serious acts of violence should know that they risk severe penalties. Depending on the gravity of the offence, permanent expulsion must be an option. Likewise, where criminal conduct has clearly occurred, law enforcement shouldbecalledin.
Some may argue that involving the police is too harsh. But one suspects that the first widely publicised case of a violent student spending time in a police lockup would send a p o w e r f u l m e s s a g e throughout the school system. Young people must understand that assault is assault, whether it occurs on
Mahipaul
a street corner or inside a schoolcompound.
This is not about criminalising children. It is aboutprotectingchildren.
Many of the incidents that receive public attention involve students attending public schools. However, it would be a mistake to conclude that violence exists only there. Private schools are not immune from the broader social influences affecting young people. Violence may be less visible in some institutions, but no school should assume it is beyond the reach of this growingproblem.
dem boys know that if yuh hiding around a bend like a hunter waiting fuh bush hog, and pointing a speed gun at an angle, something gotfuhbewrongsomewhere.
Some officers hiding around corners so well is like if dem playing hide-and-seek. One driver seh he feel de speed gun catch he before he even reach de corner Another seh deofficerdetecthespeedfromyesterday
Dem boys also remember hearing that anti-crime motorcycle ranks ain’t supposed tobestoppingpeoplefuhtrafficoffences.De idea was simple. Let traffic police do traffic work and anti-crime police do anti-crime work But these days some motorists confused. When de motorcycle pull up behind dem, dem don’t know if dem being investigated fuh speeding, robbery, money laundering or cybercrime Everything becomeone-stopshopping.
Dem boys seh de Commissioner need fuh grab de steering wheel before de situation run off de road. Rules can’t be for public consumption only If de police issue policies, then de police got fuh follow dem too. Talk half. Leff half.
Society sends children to school to prepare for the future, not to train for combat. The message must therefore be unmistakable: violence in schools will no longer be tolerated, excused, or minimised. It will be met with swift, firm, and meaningful consequences. Anythinglessisaninvitation fortheproblemtogrow.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
The time for halfmeasures has passed Schools must remain places of learning, safety, and personal development If violence is allowed to flourish, those objectives become impossible to achieve.
slams govt's move...
From page 8 referred to a Special Select Committee for meaningful consultation to take place among all parliamentary parties and relevant stakeholders. He said this would allow for careful examination of the legislation, consideration of appropriate revisions to existing benefit levels, and the crafting of a modern framework that balances respect for former presidents with accountability to taxpayers.
Registering APNU's disapproval of the repealofthe2015Act,Mahipaulnoted,“The goal should not be political advantage. The goal should be the creation of a fair, transparent, and sustainable piece of legislation that can earn the unanimous support of the National Assembly and the confidenceoftheGuyanesepeople.”
Moreover, the opposition MP outlined that the former presidents of Guyana currently receive a monthly pension of approximately $2.2M. In addition to this pension, the 2015 Act provides a number of benefits and amenities at the expense of the
State. Thesebenefitsinclude:utilityallowances of up to $25,000 per month each for water, electricity, and telephone services; services of one attendant and one gardener; clerical and technical staff, where requested and medical treatment and reimbursement of medical expenses for the former President, spouse, and children under the age of 18, subjecttotheprovisionsoftheAct.
Otherbenefitsinclude:full-timepersonal security, including up to two security personnel and the services of the Presidential Guard Service at the former president's residence; up to two State-owned and maintained motor vehicles; toll-free transportation and an annual vacation allowance equivalent to the cost of two firstclassreturnairfares.
“These benefits are provided in addition to the monthly pension received by former Presidents The PPP/C is moving to the National Assembly to make the benefits unlimited. Is this fair to the taxpayers of this country?”Mahipaulfurtherquestioned.
The doors of Guyana's Parliament are about to be flung wide open.To a point, really. Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Azruddin Mohamed could contribute to the ambience by staying away The Speaker, the PPP Govt, maybe even the PNC would be happy All rise. Bow respectfully Speaker Nadir's court is in session. No raised voices allowed.
No pushy motions, questions, dare show their divisivefaces. Denied. Will this still be the way on the White people influenced reopening of Guyana's parliament? Sorry, Cde Teixeira,thediplomatsmade thathappen.U.S.GovernorGeneral of the Philippines, afterward President Howard
Taft had it right: 'got to lookout for the little brown brothers.
Diplomats with names like A, B, C, EU worked to get parliament reopened. Thanks for efforts. It would be unconscionable-indeed, unprecedented [even in G
audacious, so meddlesome, astotelltheSpeakerhowhe mustconductthebusinessof parliament.TheSpeakerhas help. The Deputy Speaker jetted to Canada for insights on how a true parliamentary democracy works From Friday, June 5 will impress (or repress) on what he absorbed,whatwillguidehe and his senior to be about democracy's norms Opposing voices heard. The
willofthepeopleexpressed. Or, time will reinforce whether the all-expenses paid trip was just another junkettoremindlaterwhohe owes, and how he must return the favour for his sensitiveplacement.
Speaker Nadir has the opportunity for a new beginning He can be a parliamentary leader whose quality, decisions, are laced with such wisdom that he wouldstandincontrasttothe meaning of his surname, as translated in dictionaries Good behaviour by all is mandatory The issues are bigger than all of them put together And broader than those who reflect the effects ofgoodoilliving.There'sthe Wales Gas-to-Energy Apologies, Mr Speaker, but
Icannotabandondutytothe Guyanesepeople. Itmustbe tabled, ventilated fully, so thatallGuyanesehavesome appreciationofwhattheyare getting for GY$500 billion. Half a trillion Guyana dollars (US$2 billion plus the spare change flung at Lindsayca-CH4 and the fellows working hard for theirmillions).Mr Speaker: giveGuyanesesomethingto holdonto.
They have little to stand on across this country Floodwaters floored them: footing treacherous; homes reduced to swamps; minds reeling from yet another battering Guyan
se shouldn't be going through anyofthat,Mr Speaker(and Mr Minister of DrainsIrrigation). The pipeline to Wales and the plants from Lindsayca-CH4 grabbed US$2 billion plus The people must know Drains and such collected a cool $240 billion plus and the most that citizens got was entertainment with a shovel asthemaininstrument.
Parliament is the laboratory, where these issues must be examined; enjoy the wide
ude for o dissection and the freest discussion. Parliament has been closed for so long, members had an unearned and extended holiday It's time for MPs to earn their money, pay back their debts toGuyanese.Theyshouldbe on the floor making their points, their presence felt. I urge the Speaker to ban absences and late arrivals. Sendamessage.
soldiers shot at repeatedly
Set standards. Manzoor is in charge, and a harsh lesson for any boor Guyanesehavetostartsome place So, why not parliament, with Speaker Nadir cracking the whip?
First order of business shouldbetogivethatformer presidents' benefits bill a swiftkickinthebehind. Get thatdeadcatoutofthere.
Alongsideelectricityand floods, I attach other motions. Guyana's border
G u y a n e s e h u r t i n g grievouslyfromakillercostof-living environment I holler from now about what those floods will do to food prices. Oh Gawd! Give a little loving to Guyanese. Tek bak de ile. Give them a differentkindofloving.Me, I'm expecting a different SpeakerNadir.NotaPPPor AliNadir ButaNadirwho's aboutgenuineparliamentary democracy,andmarchingto One People, One Nation, Once Destiny I'm so desperate, I'll take One Guyana. Fornow,only The diplomatsdidtheirpart. The rest is in the hands of this greatGuyanese.
The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper
ERC issues 151 warnings
....as racial slurs top social media violations
TheEthnicRelationsCommission(ERC) has issued 151 cautionary statements to socialmediauserssofarthisyear,withracial and ethnic slurs continuing to dominate the list of online violations identified by its MediaMonitoringUnit(MMU).
According to the Commission's latest report, the MMU has remained actively engagedinmonitoringtraditionalandsocial media platforms to identify and address statementscapableofincitingracialhostility, intoleranceandsocialdivision.
According to the ERC, up to May 22, 2026 it recorded 151 infractions warranting cautionary interventions. Stand-alone racial and ethnic slurs accounted for the highest number of violations, with 41 recorded incidents Intolerant, prejudicial and insensitivestatementscollectivelyaccounted for35additionalinfractions.
For the period April 24 to May 22, the MMU documented eight racial slurs, eight raciallyinsensitiveorprejudicialstatements, five xenophobic statements, one racially stereotypicalstatement,tworaciallydivisive statements and three racially derogatory comments.
AssuchtheERChasreneweditscallfor citizens to exercise responsibility, respect andrestraintwhenengagingonsocialmedia and other public platforms, noting the role public discourse plays in fostering national unityandsocialcohesion.
Meanwhile, the Commission's Investigative Unit reported a consolidated
caseload of 83 matters spanning the period 2022 to 2026. The docket comprises three matters from 2022–2023, fourteen matters carried over from 2024, forty-nine matters from 2025 and seventeen matters recorded thus far in 2026, including three new complaints received during the current reportingperiod.
The majority of matters remain within active governance and processing stages, ERC said. Twenty-three matters, representing27.7percentofthecaseload,are pending Sub-Committee Review, while seventeen matters, or 20.5 per cent, are currently under investigation. Additional matters remain pending legal advice, conciliationorotheradministrativeactions.
The Commission has also made significantprogressinresolvingcomplaints. Ofthe83mattersonrecord,33havereached closure-orientedoutcomes.Theseinclude24 matters closed by the ERC, six completed matters and three withdrawn complaints, representing nearly 40 per cent of the total caseload Beyond its monitoring and (Continuedonpage15)
Henry boys’ murder trial
VinodGopaul,oneofthe
two men accused of butchering Isaiah and Joel Henry back in September 2020, on Thursday sought to declare his innocence when he took the stand before Justice Simone MorrisRamlall at the Berbice High Court.
Justice Morris -Ramlall established that there was sufficient evidence for Gopaultoleadthedefence.
Similar to Sanchara, Gopaul declared he has nevervisitedtheCottonTree backdam in West Coast Berbice, nor has any knowledge of any marijuana farm.
The 35-year-old murder accused noted that he grew up in Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice, but has never even ventured across theBerbiceBridge.
Vinod Gopaul at the Berbice High Court
Akash Singh, whose damning testimony struck hard against the two, singled out Gopaul as the aggressor who set the murder of the cousinsinmotion.Singhhad said that he, along with Gopaul and Sanchara, visitedthelocationinAugust 2020, to tend to their marijuana farm After planting, they left and returned three weeks later,
ACuban's man plan to swindle his father out of US$1,500 backfiredafterpolicefoundoutthathehadstagedakidnapping to get the money The Cuban national has been identified by police as 29-year-old Ivan Martinez. In a press-release, police statedthatduringitsinvestigationsinconsistencieswerefound intheman'sstories.
Police reportedly received a report that Martinez was a victimofakidnappingonWednesday
“Initial enquiries revealed that a 25-year-old Cuban national (Martinez friend) reported that the victim was allegedly being held against his will and that a demand for moneywasreportedlymadeforhisrelease,”policesaid.
KaieteurnewsunderstandsthataphotoofMartinezheldat gunpoint in the back of what looked like a car was sent to his father in the United States of America (USA) demanding a ransom of US$1,500. During its investigation, police trailed Marinez'slastmovementsandwereabletoobtainfootagefrom securitycamerasatahotelonNorthRoad.
They traced his movements to Grove on the East Bank of Demeraraandfoundhiminacarwithsomeotherpersons.
Police searched the vehicle and found an air pistol matchingthedescriptionofthegunseeninthephotographsent tohisfather Threepersonswerearrested.AmongthemaPolice ConstableofGrove,EastBankDemerara(EBD),a23-year-old Cuban national also of Grove and a 41-year-old taxi driver of MiddleRoad,LaPenitence,Georgetown.
Three other persons were also detained for questioning, a 28-year-oldmechanicofGrove,EBD,a47-year-olddriverand a34-year-oldCubannational.
Two cars were impounded and several cellular phones confiscated. Police then interviewed Martinez about the sequenceofeventsandwhen,inconsistencieswerefoundinhis story,policearrestedhim.
onlytofindthatthefarmwas chemically destroyed. Singh related to the court that Gopaul was more incensed than anyone else, and vowed inragethat"somebodygotto payforit."
Gopaul disclosed that somepoliceranksvisitedhis home and told him he was wanted at the station, after Singh made allegations pertaining to firearms. On September 6, 2020, he said he was in police custody and
during this period, he was only questioned about possessionoffirearms.
According to Gopaul, he only became aware of the accusation of murdering the two boys in January 2021, when police visited him again.
"Seven o'clock a Sunday morning, I see a set of police come. SWAT team, a set of police,soldiers,asetofthem come and circle around me house.Iwasdownstairswith
me mother," he told the court. He recalled that the police told him he is needed in Georgetown and when he inquired the reason, he was toldthatitwouldbedivulged when he arrived at the location. This, he stated, would be the very first time heleftRegionSix.
"All my life, I born and growinBlackBushPolder I never crossed that bridge. When the police come the Sundaymorningandtakeme
from my mother home and escort me to the Eve Leary headquarters, that's the first time,"Gopaulsaid. Countering Singh's claims, Gopaul, much like his co-accused Sanchara, saidthatSinghwasapawnin the hands of the police, and that he had no knowledge of anything Singh accused him and Sanchara of. Singh had told the court that the men forcedhimtochoptheteens,
(Continued on page 17 )
Cuban national Ivan Martinez
Construction begins on US$5M tug, barge for Canadian gold firm
Guyana Port Inc. (GPI) has officially commenced construction on the US$5 million tug and barge for G Mining Ventures Corp., the Canadianfirmthatownsthe 4.64 million ounces Oko WestGoldProject,locatedin Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).
On Tuesday, GPI and GMIN celebrated the significant milestone by hosting of a keel laying and coin welding ceremony at GPI'sshipyardatHope,East Bank Demerara Public Road.
The ceremony officially marked the beginning of construction of a state-ofthe-arttugandbargethatwill support transportation and logistics operations for the OkoWest Gold Project.The
tug and barge are being constructed as part of a landmark agreement signed between the companies in March2025.
In his remarks Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPI, Pritipaul Singh Jr, described the keel-laying as a significant milestone not only for the project but also for the continued growth of Guyana's shipbuilding industry
Henotedthatthevessels represent the successful combinationofinternational design expertise, local investment, and Guyanese
, demonstrating the country's g
construct world-class maritimeassets.
ceremony represents far more than the start of vessel c o n
n I t demonstrates what can be achieved through strong partnerships, strategic investment, and confidence in local capability Together withGMiningVentures,we are building more than vessels—we are helping to build Guyana's maritime future and creating a foundation for a sustainable
Canada-backed guarantee gives CDB US$400M boost for Caribbean development
Lefttoright - Stefano Capodagli, Chief Risk Officer CDB; Katie Birks, CDB Alternate Director Canada, Diana Wilson-Patrick, General Counsel CDB; Philippe Hall CDB Director Canada; Daniel M. Best, CDB President
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has secured Board approval to advance a landmark First-Loss Portfolio CreditGuaranteebackedbytheGovernment of Canada a transformative initiative expected to significantly expand developmentfinancingacrosstheCaribbean.
The US$200M guarantee, announced by the Prime Minister of Canada at the G7 Leaders'SummitinKananaskisinJune2025, marks a major milestone in innovative development finance. Approved by CDB's Board of Directors during the Bank's 56th Annual Meeting, the transaction is expected to strengthen the Bank's capital position, reduceportfoliorisk,andincreaseitslending capacity
In a press release CDB said it is also representsamajorstepforwardininnovative development.
Theguaranteeisexpectedtogenerateup to US$400M in additional financing capacity, supporting investments in climate resilience, sustainable infrastructure, and economicdevelopment.
Speaking on the margins of the Bank's 56th Annual Board Meeting in Nassau BahamasCDBPresidentMr DanielM.Best
describedtheinitiativeasatransformational milestone.“Thisisanimportantsteptowards theagreementthatwillenhanceourabilityto deliver on our mandate at a critical time for the Caribbean. It allows us to increase investment in resilience, opportunity, and economic development while safeguarding theBank'sfinancialstrength.”Theguarantee builds on CDB's ongoing balance sheet optimisation efforts and aligns with global efforts led by the G20 to strengthen multilateral development banks and scale developmentimpact.
According to Director, International Financial Institutions Division for Global Affairs Canada, Mr Philippe Hall “The Government of Canada's support underscores its commitment to support reforms and innovations among Multilateral Development Banks for advancing sustainable development and strengthening resilience in Caribbean Small Island DevelopingStates.”
With the expected increase in its financing capacity, CDB will prioritise projectsthatadvanceclimateaction,regional integration, and economic development, consistentwithCDB'sStrategicPlan.
GMIN and GPI officials and others at the keel laying and coin welding ceremony at GPI's shipyard at Hope, East Bank Demerara Public Road on Tuesday
shipbuilding industry that canservethecountryandthe widerregionforgenerations tocome,”saidSingh.
Moreover, CEO of GMIN, Louis-Pierre Gignac in his remarks emphasised the importance of the partnership and the progress being made at the OkoWest Gold Project. “A ceremony suchasthisismorethansteel andinfrastructure.Itisabout partnership, progress, and thecollectiveeffortrequired to transform a world-class mineral resource into a world-class mining operation,”Gignacsaid. He added, “Today, Oko (Continuedonpage16)
GMIN's Oko West wharf which is complete and ready for barge docking to unload heavy construction materials and equipment.
Two of three men wanted for AK-47 rifles surrendered
Two of the three men, wantedbytheGuyanaPolice Force (GPF) for possession of firearms without licence,
surrendered to police on Thursday
The GPF in a statement said that 21-year-old
GregoryAnthonyPersaud,a wash bay attendant, called 'Greg', of Farm, New HousingScheme,EastBank
Demerara and Antonio Alonzo Lawrie called 'Lanzo', a wash bay owner also of the same area,
presented themselves to the Criminal Investigations
Georgetown, accompanied bytheirlawyer
The duo is in custody assisting police with their investigation.Lastweek,the police published a wanted bulletin for the three men in connection with a major firearms bust in Berbice, RegionSix. nd On 22 May, 2026, Stephen Rajah, who is b
accomplice, was arrested and charged. Rajah, a taxi driver, of Goed Fortuin Vi
, We
Demerara,waslastThursday remanded to prison after beingchargedforpossession of firearm and ammunition
without license He had appeared virtually at the N
Magistrates' Court before
unrepresented and pleaded notguilty.
The charge read that on (Continuedonpage18)
GregoryAnthony Persaud
Antonio Alonzo Lawrie WANTED: Ryan Singh
Govt. agrees to build Kamarang Hospital on 10 acres of land
ByKhadidjaBa
The construction of the controversial Kamarang Hospital, Region Seven will proceed on the 10 acres of land allocated by the village council instead of 15 acres the government requested.
The Village Council objected to the construction beingdoneontheadditional acreage because it is occupiedbyfarmers.
Thedecisionwas made following a recent government outreach to the community, Toshao Alma Marshall of K a m a r a n gWarawatta, told Kaieteur News (KN).
Marshall said that during the Cabinet outreach,
which included President Irfaan Ali, she produced d o c u m e n t e d evidence that the village council, in 2023, requested that the hospital be built on 10 acres of land but never received a response from the government.
She further statedthatduringthe o u t r e a c h s h e “clarified”andasked the president and other officials “to erase that false report… since I had t h e w r i t t e n permission in my hand.”
had accused the KamarangWarawatta Village Council alongside the Amerindian People's Association of blockingthedevelopmentof a specialty hospital in the community
…after three-year stall
government'sassertions.
Documentary proof showing that in 2023 the village agreed to 10 acres to be used for the hospital.
patient to the city of Georgetown, creating at leastfourhundredadditional jobs for young Amerindian youths, and improving patientsoutcomes.
That stalled project w
d community participation, m
TheToshaowashowever unable to provide any other detail relative to the hospital'sconstruction.
"The Village Council is yet to be told who takes the contract and at what cost,” she told this publication on Thursday
The Ministry of Health
“One of the most recent effortsbythegovernmentto further modernise the health caresysteminthehinterland was actually prevented by Mr [Lemmuel]Thomasand his agency; the Amerindian Peoples Association [APA], who discouraged the community leadership of Kamarang,UpperMazaruni, from approving to construct a modern hospital in the community, which would have taken access to specialised surgical and specialists care, reducing referral of Indigenous
communities, which would have generated muchneeded revenue and would h
mp
ved the livelihoodoftheAmerindian peop
e upper Mazaruni region 7,” the Ministry of Health said in April.
Both Toshao Marshall and the APA disputed the
ERC issues 151 warnings
Frompage10 investigative functions, the ERC said it maintained an active programme of public education and national outreach throughout May,withmanyactivitieslinkedtoGuyana's 60thIndependenceAnniversarycelebrations and the Commission's broader mandate of promotingharmonyamongallGuyanese. One of the month's signature events was the ERC's National Poetry, Song and Social MediaCompetitionsAwardsCeremony,held on May 23 at the Seawall Bandstand under thetheme,"Celebrating60YearsofHeritage, Reflection and Respect." The initiative formed part of Guyana's Diamond Jubilee observancesandprovidedyoungpeoplewith an opportunity to creatively express themes of patriotism, unity, diversity and national identity.TheCommissionalsoparticipatedin the Guyana Festival Expo 2026 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, where staff engaged hundreds of visitors,
distributed informational materials and promoted awareness of the ERC's constitutional mandate Festival patrons were exposed to ERC-produced short films highlighting unity, tolerance and mutual respect, while Jingle Competition winner Roger Hinds delivered a live performance duringthe"NightofLegends"concert. Additionally, on May 12, the ERC facilitated a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training session for the management team of Excel Guyana Inc., focusing on inclusive workplace practices, unconscious bias, respectful engagement and the Commission's role in advancing harmony andmutualrespectacrossGuyana. The Commission said its continued efforts in monitoring, investigation and publiceducationremaincentraltobuildinga more inclusive society and strengthening socialcohesionasGuyanamarks60yearsof independence.
The statement by the Ministry followed Thomas' presentation at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), where he highlighted a deepening health crisis among Guy
populations.
Addressingtheforumon Tuesday, 21st April, 2026, during a discussion on Indigenous health in the context of conflict, theAPA warned that “institutional
continue to define national health policies. While
investments in hospital
professional staffing, the APA argued that these measures fail to address the systemicinequitiesthathave persisted for generations
The President's testimony painted a harrowing picture of the physical barriers to care, noting that elders must stilltrekthroughmountains, valleys, and rivers to reach basicmedicalfacilities. Theinterventiondetailed how men are left vulnerable to
g emergencies without access (Continuedonpage18)
Toshao Alma Marshall at the Cabinet outreach (PC: Office of the President)
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NOTICE
APPLICATIONFOR MONEYLENDERS CERTIFICATEPURSUANT TOSECTION4OFTHE MONEYLENDERSACT.I, VEDESHHITLALL,oflot 10,PublicRoad,Vigilance, EastCoastDemerara, hereby give Notice that I have applied to the Magistrate of the Georgetown. MagisterialDistrictfora Certificate under the Money LendersAct, authorizing the grant to me of a Money Lenders License to carry on the business of a Money Lender under the title ofVINODANDSONS JEWELLERYONELOVE PAWNSHOPofLot10 PublicRoad,Vigilance, EastCoastDemerara. NOTICEofanyobjections to the application should be sent forth with to the CLERKOFCOURTOF THEGEORGETOWN MAGISTERIALDISTRICT and a copy of any such Notice should be sent to the subscriber Applicant, VedeshHitlall.Datedat Georgetown,Demerara. This 5th day of June, 2026
Govt. must do better to enforce safety measures for mining camp workers - Solomon
APartnershipforNational Unity(APNU)MemberofParliament (MP) and former Mayor of Linden, Sharma Solomon has bemoaned the lackofenforcementmeasures for workers’ safety in Guyana’sminingcamps.
InapostviahisFacebook page on Wednesday, Solomon called for better enforcementofsafetymeasures while revealing that between January and April 2026, Guyana recorded 13 workplacefatalitiesand64non-fatal workplace incidents. He noted that by May, at least four mining related deaths have already been recorded.
Solomon noted that for years, Guyana’s mining sector has been operating with a dangerous acceptance of risk.TheformerMayorhighlighted the most recent death of 25-year-old miner Ryan Roberts, who died after a pit collapsed at Chi Chi Backdam. He noted that the incident has once again exposed the dangers faced by workers in Guyana’s interior region.
“Pit collapses, unsafe working conditions, questionable labour practices and recurring accidents continue
to expose workers to injury and death. Yet the agencies responsible for oversight continue to react after tragedy instead of preventing it. TheMinistryofLabourisresponsible for protecting workers. The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission is responsible for ensuring miningoperationsmeetsafety standards. Too often, both appear absent until something goes wrong,” he said. The APNU MP also lamented the lack of adequate investigation and safety re-
forms as a result of those investigations. In this regard, he alluded to incidents involving Guyana Goldfields whichgeneratedpublicattention.
“Worker complaints and commitmentsweremadethat investigationswouldbecompleted.Weweretoldthatfindings had been prepared and were awaiting attention.
Monthslater,workersarestill waiting.Atthetime,theMinister of Labour claimed that his ministry was facilitating ‘training for his ministry.’ Months on, the workers at Goldfields still waiting,” he stressed.
Solomon noted that similarincidentsarehappeningin the quarrying sector
“These involve foreign workers; labour conditions and workplace rights were also placed under investigation. The public is still waiting to hear what was found, who was held accountable and what corrective action was taken,” he said.
The former Mayor noted that every mining death should trigger not only an investigation but a national examination of whether those charged with oversight are
doing their jobs.
“Investigationsareimportant.Butinvestigationswithout conclusions, findings without publication, and promises without action eventually erode public confidence.Workersdonotmeasure justice by the number of investigations announced. They measure it by whether anything changes when the investigation is over,” he said.
Having played a central role in the government’s response to the Mahdia dormitory tragedy, a matter that continues to attract public scrutiny, Solomon believes the Ministermustknowthat his actions today are being measured against his record.
“The public is watching closelytoseewhetherjustice will be delivered or whether morefamilieswillbeleftwaiting for proper representation and justice.”
Solomonemphasisedthat the mining sector generates enormouswealthforGuyana noting that “The least this nationcandoisensuringthat themenandwomenwhocreate that wealth are protected before tragedy strikes, not rememberedafteritoccurs.”
Construction begins on US$5M tug, barge for...
From page 13 West is advancing on schedule and on budget. Construction activities continue to accelerate,majorinfrastructure is taking shape, procurement is well advanced, and our workforce continues to grow with Guyanese representing themajorityofemployeeson the project. Each milestone brings us closer to our goal offirstgoldproductioninthe secondhalfof2027.”
GMIN’sCEOfurthernoted that the collaboration between the two companies demonstrates the critical role local businesses continue to play in supporting the country’sdevelopment.“Our collaboration with Guyana PortInc.hasbeeninstrumental in supporting the safe and efficientmovementofcritical equipment and materials requiredfortheconstructionof
Oko West.
Asprojectactivitycontinues to increase, this partnershipdemonstratestheimportant role those Guyanese businesses are playing in helping to build one of the country’s most significant newminingdevelopments… As we lay this keel today, we arelayinganotherfoundation for that future, one built on safety, excellence, innovation, and collaboration,” Gignac stated.
Further,theaudiencealso receivedatechnicaloverview of the vessel construction projectfromChiefOperations OfficerofGPI,RajindraSingh, who explained that the 24metre shallow-draft tug and the 60-metre flat-deck barge will be purpose-built to supportminingandindustriallogistics operations in Guyana’s riverine environ-
ment. He added that the tug andbargewillbespecifically designed for remote operations.
Singh also disclosed that the vessel package will provide a reliable transportation solution for equipment, construction materials, containers, and bulk cargo destined for the Oko West Project and other interior developments. He noted that the project reflects Guyana Port Inc.’s growing shipbuilding expertise and commitment to supportingthecountry’sexpandingminingandinfrastructure sectors.
“These vessels are more than marine assets; they are a logistics solution designed tosupportGuyana’sgrowing miningsector Theirconstruction demonstrates the technical expertise, innovation and shipbuildingcapabilitybeing developed right here in Guyana,whileprovidingreliabletransportationtosomeof the country’s most remote operations,” Singh said.
Kaieteur News has reported that the Oko West Gold Project was added to GMIN’sportfoliobackin2024 following a business combination with fellow Canadian firm,ReunionGoldCorp.valuedatUS$638million(C$875 million).
Theprojectisestimatedto hold 4.64 million ounces of provenandprobablereserves at an average grade of 1.89
gramsofgoldpertonne. Oko West is expected to produce about350,000ouncesofgold annually over a 12.3-year minelife.
In a similar move like its business combination with Reunion,inApril2026,itwas announced that GMIN entered into a definitive agreement with another Canadian company, G2 Goldfields for approximatelyUS$2.2billion (C$3 billion) to consolidate the two adjacent gold projectsinGuyana:G2’sOkoGhanie Project and GMIN’s fully permitted and fully financed Oko West Project. Acquiring G2 will bring the Combined Measured & IndicatedMineralResources of 7.0 million ounces and Inferred Mineral Resources of 2.3millionounces.
Thedealwillalsoexpand GMIN’s footprint in Guyana by 293 square kilometers (km²), creating a combined contiguous land package of over362km².G2’sPreliminary EconomicAssessment(PEA) released last year, outlines a combinedopenpitandunderground operation with a 14year mine life and estimate totalproductionof3.2million ounces gold.Annual production is projected to average 298,000 ounces during years three through 10.
The deal between GMIN andG2isexpectedtoclosein June 2026, subject to shareholder and court approvals.
APNU MP, Sharma Solomon
Vanillaexpands entertainmentfootprint
...launches ‘First Fridays with Axis 22’
MRoberts is
b r o a d e n i n g h e r entrepreneurial portfolio withthelaunchofanewlive entertainment venture
aimed at redefining Georgetown’ssocialscene.
K n o w n t o m a n y Guyanese as a dynamic performer, recording artiste and fitness advocate, Roberts is now helping to spearhead “First Fridays with Axis 22,” a premium live music and networking experience set to debut on June 5 at Black Magenta on CampStreet.
The initiative marks the latest addition to Roberts’ growing brand and reflects her commitment to creating sophisticated entertainment experiences for mature audiences seeking an alternativetotraditionalnightlife.
For years, she has built a reputation in the entertainment industry as a recording artiste and performer while simultaneously inspiring many through her commitment to health and fitness. Now, she is seeking to channel that experience into creating upscale entertainment opportunities aimed at mature audiences seeking more than the traditional nightlifeexperience.
The event is being staged in partnership with Black Magenta, a collaboration Vanilla, said was inspired by the success of the live entertainment experiences already being cultivated at the venue by herself and her band.
Recognising a growing appetite for quality live music and sophisticated social gatherings,shesawanopportunitytobuildon that momentum while introducing a new concept tailored to professionals, entrepreneurs, creatives and lovers of live entertainment.
The event, which is being organised through Axis 22 the band and managed by Kross Kolor Records, is expected to offer patrons a blend of live music, networking opportunities, premium hospitality and an elegantsocialatmosphere
According to Vanilla the concept was developed to provide a space where professionals, entrepreneurs, creatives and music lovers can gather in a sophisticated environment that encourages meaningful interaction while enjoying quality live entertainment.
“We are not simply trying to host another event,” she explained. “We want to create an experience that is stylish, memorable and consistent that people can look forward to everymonth.”
The June 5th edition will function as an introductory evening and preview of the larger First Fridays concept scheduled to officiallyrolloutinJuly
Patrons attending the inaugural gathering can expect live performances from Axis 22, curated entertainment, visual presentations and an atmosphere designed to appeal to a professional and mature crowd
The event will be hosted at Black Magenta, Camp Street in the compound whichhousesGeorgetownClub.
Guests are encouraged to dress in smart casual attire and arrive early as Roberts and her team seek to introduce what they hope will become a new staple on Georgetown’s entertainmentcalendar
Annual $30,000 electricity subsidy for pensioners to kick in this month - GPL
The Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) has announced that the yearly $30,000 electricity subsidy for pensioners will be reflected on their bill for themonthofJune.
InastatementonThursday,thecompany said that, “Eligible postpaid customers will see the subsidy reflected as a credit on their June 2026 electricity bill. For eligible prepaid customers, the subsidy will be available in their Prepaid wallet and can be accessed by visiting any GPL Commercial Office.”
The company said that the annual
Bandits escape with $12M during home invasion at Canal #1
Two bandits invaded the Canal No. 1, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home of a farmeronWednesdayandescapedwithsome $12millionincash.
Police said the armed robbery took place around20:15hrs.
The farmer told police that he was sitting under a shed on the lower flat of his home with relatives when two men, armed with handguns,enteredhisyard.
The bandits took them to the kitchen area
and ordered them to lay on the floor while demandingvaluables.
They then started beating the farmer who subsequently led them to a white backet inside the home where the cash was being kept.
The suspects removed the cash and grabbedfourcell-phonesbeforeescapingina waitingsilver-tintedToyotaAxiomotorcar
Police are presently analysing security footagetoaidtheirinvestigations.
Guyana following Ghana in...
From page 8 in the dark on what the countrysignedonto. Pay more or face darkness
The Turkish power companywhichwashiredby G u y a n a t o p r o v i d e additional electricity to the national grid, pending the startup of the delayed Gasto-Energy (GTE) project, is demanding an additional $3 4M daily from the government to continue its service.
The contract for the first powershipcametoanendon May 21, 2026 Having recognised the crisis, the government desperately wrote to the company on May 22, begging for a 30day extension to hash out a newcontract.
The powership operators have flatly rejected the g o v e r n m e n t ' s p l e a ,
informing that it could not facilitate such a lengthy extension, granting instead a limited one-week window which closed on Monday, June1,2026.
Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson who held responsibility for power generation between 2015 and 2020, on Monday revealed that the company originally agreed to supply Guyana with 36-megawatts (MW) of electricity at US$0 076 per Kilowatt (KW). It is now demanding US$0.095/KW - the same rate Guyana is currently paying for the second power ship, stationed in the Demerara River That vessel provides 60-MW of electricity to the national grid.
As such, Patterson told this newspaper, “This means that they are demanding a US$0.019/KW –inmoneytermstheywillbe getting an additional US$15,760 (G$3.4M) per day from this increased rentalfees.”
Under the now expired energycontract,Guyanawas r e n t i n g p o w e r a t US$0.076/KW, forking out US$23,008,665 6 on an annualbasis.
The new demands by Karpowershipwilladdabout US$5 8M in rental fees, driving up Guyana's annual bill for that vessel to US$28,780,832.
“The power ship owners are holding the GoG to ransom because they are aware of this government's incompetence,” the former ministerargued.
Henry Boys’murder trial
From page 11 and that his role was to carve an x on the bodies.
Gopaul also revealed that the police brutalised him while in custody, causing his leg to be broken, after he refused to accept whatever Akash Singh stated in his admissionstopolice.
The prosecution, led by Marisa Edwards, suggested that the police never threatened or harmed Gopaul. She told him that he himself saidthathewascomfortablewhileincustody, which he flatly denied. Edwards also put to Gopaulthatheoperatedtheweedfarmaspart of his livelihood, and its destruction infuriated him, leading him and his accomplices to kill the two cousins who happened to be in the area between September 5 and 6, 2020. Gopaul, she
suggested, fired a chop with a cutlass to the neckofthetalleroftheboys,andencouraged SancharaandSinghtofollow
“I never see this boy in my life,” Gopaul exclaimed. He said that he and the other two never chopped anyone, effectually vindicating Singh too, who admitted to the killings.
On the other hand, Sanchara, who spoke on Wednesday, completed his statements on Thursday morning, but had some fragments inhissummary
In denying that he was at Cotton Tree, Sanchara stated there was no koker at the specific location, then adjusted to say that he neverwenttoCottonTree.
Withthataspectofthetrialcompleted,the matter resumes on Tuesday for the summation.
subsidy forms part of the government’s continued commitment to improve the welfare and quality of life of its elderly citizens.
The initiative is aimed at providing meaningful relief by offsetting electricity costs, therefore supporting greater affordabilityofanessentialservice.
“GPL is pleased to support this ongoing Government initiative, which continues to delivertangiblebenefitstoseniorcitizensby easing the burden of electricity costs and contributing to their overall well-being and qualityoflife,”itadded.
Vanilla and her team will launch their venture today
HezbollahrejectsU.S.planasIsraelcontinuesattacks
BBC - The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has emphatically rejected the terms of a US-backed ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
Inastrongly-wordedstatement, the Iran-backed group’s leader NaimQassemsaidnegotiationshad been “futile” and “humiliating” for L e b a n o n , a n d r e j e c t e d categorically by “broad segments oftheLebanesepeople”.
It comes after Israel and Lebanon announced a renewal of their fragile ceasefire with the creation of “pilot” security zones insideLebanoninwhichHezbollah operativeswouldbebanned.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday by the U S State Department, the three countries said the deal was “contingent on a complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah.
But responding on Thursday, theleaderofHezbollah-whichwas not part of the talks - said the “supposed ceasefire”, interpreted as Hezbollah halting fire and withdrawing fighters from the southern front with Israel, amounted to surrender and would fulfilIsrael’sobjectives.
The mood was similar on the streets of Beirut’s southern suburbs - a stronghold of Hezbollah, also known as Dahieh - with a storekeeper expressing doubts about the agreement. Sami, who has run his business there for 25 years, told the BBC: “You cannot have a ceasefire from one side, it’s going to be an all side or no ceasefire.”
There had been strikes in Lebanon on Thursday, he said. If this was supposed to be a truce, whatdidthatmakeit?
“This is surrender This is not a peace agreement This is a
Smoke billows from the Nabatieh area in southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike on Thursday.
surrenderagreement,”headded.
Across the road, Hadi, whose family store has been around for 35 years,saidhesawnohope-andthat thiswasnotanewfeeling.
“My generation, my dad’s generation, my grandpa’s generation,theydidn’tseeanything of hope from these people - not necessarily the Israeli people. You can say the Israeli government,” he said.
The agreement between Israel andLebanon,reachedafterafourth round of US-mediated talks in Washington, is contingent on the “evacuation of all [Hezbollah] operatives” from an area between the Israeli border and the Litani river, about 30km (19 miles) to the north, which is currently occupied byIsraeligroundforces.
According to the deal, the U.S. would help guide the creation of “pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusionofallnon-stateactors”.
Govt. agrees to build...
From page 15 to anti-venom, while women are frequently forced to cross international borders to find safe birthing conditions. Furthermore, the APA raised an urgent alarm regarding the mental health of Indigenous youth, reporting that a rise in suicide cases is being neglected by the current healthcare framework Like the APA President, Toshao Marshall in an interview with Kaieteur News, presentedadifferentnarrativefrom that of the Ministry of Health, one ofcommunityconsensus,proactive land allocation, and a lack of official communication from the state.
According to Marshall, the village held a general meeting during a visit from a high-level government team to discuss the project. It was the village council that decided on how much land to allocatefortheproject.
“I indeed found a letter in the office that stated that amount of land was released,” Marshall stated, noting that she has the documents ready to defend the council’s position. “I don’t know
where this information is coming from, politically,” Toshao Marshall told Kaieteur News. The Toshao expressed frustration over being “attacked”.
TheAPAissuedascathingpress release on May 1, rejecting the Ministry’s assertions. The NGO clarified that it plays no role in the internal governance or land-use decisionsofvillagecouncils.
“The Ministry’s claims are intended to mislead the public and make the APA a scapegoat for its own deficiencies,” the statement read.
TheAPAfurther challenged the ministry to produce any record showing the organization discouraged the hospital’s construction.
Toshao Marshall had previously noted that despite the village’s cooperation, there had been no official word on why the project had not progressed on the allocated site “There was no acknowledgement letter to say the 10 acres of land you released is unfit, nothing whatsoever,” Marshall said. “I have my defence theretomake,”sheremarked.
It did not include any maps to indicate where the pilot zones would be located, or any explanation of how they might work in practice. The agreement followed a partial ceasefire announced on Monday, which Lebanon said would see Israel refrainfrombombingtheLebanese capital, Beirut, in exchange for HezbollahnotattackingIsrael.
T h e t w o c o u n t r i e s ’ representatives will meet again on 22Junetoholdfurthertalks“witha view toward reaching a comprehensiveagreement”.
By sitting down to rare talks with Israel, Lebanon’s government may have hoped Hezbollah would simply be swept along, and find it hard to be the ones saying no to peace.
TheU.S.-whichwasbrokering the talks - will have hoped for a boost to its efforts to strike a peace deal with Iran, which insists any agreement must include peace in Lebanontoo.
But while a majority of Lebanon’s population do not support Hezbollah, there is not great enthusiasm for Israel’s invasioneither.Andinrejectingthe deal outright, the militant group clearly sees political advantage in portraying itself as the only force capable of resisting Israel and fightingon.
Hezbollah, a Shia Muslim militia, political party and social movement, is Lebanon’s most powerful group and, with support from Iran, has built an armed force
moreformidablethantheLebanese army and has fought a series of conflicts with Israel It is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel and many other countries, including the UK andU.S.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the ceasefire “could be implemented within 24 hours of its final approval” by all concerned parties.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military would “for the time being, continue its fire and operations on the ground” in order to “dismantle terroristinfrastructureinthearea”.
Lebanese media reported multiple Israeli strikes across southernLebanononThursday
The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said five people were killed in air strikes on the Bekaa Valley town of Sohmor on Thursday, and that another person was killed when a motorcycle was targeted by an Israeli aircraft in the town of Maaroub, near the city of Tyre.
Later the Lebanese health ministry said at least eight people werekilledand15othersinjuredon Thursday in a series of strikes targeting the towns of Sohmor, Masaken and Arab Al-Jalil in southernLebanon.
T h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s peacekeeping force in Lebanon (Unifil) meanwhile said one of its peacekeepers had died of wounds he sustained when mortar shells struck his position near Marjayoun
lateonWednesday
The Israeli military accused Hezbollahoffiringthemortarsthat landed inside the UN position overnight, killing the personnel member The group has not yet commentedontheincident.
Serbia’s defence ministry identified the peacekeeper as Senior Sergeant Milovan Jovanovic, one of around 170 Serbians in the 7,500-strong UN force.
Separately, the Israeli military announced onThursday that one of its soldiers, Capt. Eitan Shmuel Lemberg, had been killed in southernLebanon.
It also said it had identified impacts of several “suspicious aerialtargets”inanareaofsouthern Lebanon where Israeli troops were operating on Thursday afternoon. Noinjurieswerereported,itadded.
Hezbollah said earlier that it had targeted Israeli troops and military vehicles in the Lebanese town of Qantara and the area of Beaufort Castle with attack drones androcketsonThursday
Lebanon was drawn into the warbetweentheUS,IsraelandIran on 2 March, when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for an Israeli strike that killedIran’ssupremeleader Israel responded with an air campaign across Lebanon and a groundinvasioninthesouth.
A US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon on 16 Aprilfailedtostopthefighting,and lastweekPrimeMinisterBenjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to intensify its strikes on Hezbollah and advance deeper into Lebanon in response to drone and rocket attacks on communities in northernIsrael.
Atleast3,526peoplehavebeen killed in Lebanon since the start of the war, according to the country’s health ministry Its figures do not distinguish between combatants andcivilians.
The UN says more than one million people have also registered themselves as displaced in Lebanon, where Israeli evacuation orderscovermorethananeighthof thecountry.
Israel says 26 of its soldiers and four Israeli civilians have been killed on both sides of the border duringthewar.
Two of three men wanted for
From page 14
nd22 May, 2026, at No. 11 Village, East Coast Berbice, he had in his possession ten firearms (AK47 rifles)withoutbeingtheholderofa firearmlicence.
The ten AK-47 rifles were discovered on May 22 during a police operation along the No. 11 Village Public Road, East Coast Berbice.
Rajah was denied bail after the prosecutionsummedupthathewas a proven flight-risk The prosecution told the court that the accused escaped the police when he was first intercepted. The
prosecution also convinced the magistrate to consider the large quantity of the firearms, and also the nature of the firearms.The case was made too that Rajah was conspiring with other individuals to smuggle the firearms into Guyana, which could lead to the commissioningoffurtheroffenses.
During a stop-and-search exercise at the Berbice River Bridge Access Road, Rajah, who was driving a Toyota Fielder Wagon motor car, bearing registration number HC 9018, was stopped. Rajah allegedly drove away from the ranks and escaped eastward.
AK-47...
Acting on information, ranks later searched along the No. 11 Village Public Road, and shortly after, the AK-47 rifles were found wrappedinplasticandcloth.
The weapons were taken to the Central Police Station, where they werelodged..
Rajah was eventually caught at Nabaclis,EastCoastDemerara. He is scheduled to return to th courton15 June,2026.
Meanwhile, the other wanted man, Ryan Singh, called 'Satan', of Parika, East Bank Essequibo, remainsatlarge.
25 criminal cases completed during April session of the Demerara Assizes
Of138mattersthatwere scheduledtobeheardbefore sixHighCourtjudgesduring the April 2026 Demerara Criminal Assizes, only 25 were disposed of, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) reported onThursday
Of the 25 matters that concluded, 20 were presentedintheHighCourt. Ofthese,15wereformurder, two for attempt to commit murder with an alternative countoffeloniouswounding and three for sexual offences.Theremainingfive matters were nolle prosequi by the DPP. The matters were heard before Chief Justice Navindra Singh and Justices Sandil Kissoon, Nicola Pierre, Joy PersaudSingh, Hessaun Yassin and JacquelineJosiah-Graham. There were 11 guilty pleas,threeconvictions,four not guilty verdicts by jury andonehungjury Therewas atotalof20personsaccused inrelationtothesematters.
State Counsel Padma Dubraj,NelissaPeterkinand Aleria Heywood presented five murder cases before Justice Joy Persaud-Singh. In four of the cases, the accusedallpleadedguiltyto the lesser crime of manslaughter
One of them, who was a
juvenilewhenthecrimewas committed,wassentencedto time served on remand; the three others are awaiting their sentences. The other one accused was acquitted byjuryverdict.
State Counsel Joy Williams, Mtumika Lumumba and Amya Manu prosecuted four matters; three of sexual offences before Justice Jacqueline Josiah-GrahamintheSexual OffencesCourtandtheother for murder before Justice HessaunYassin.
In one of the Sexual Offences matters, the accusedwhowasindictedon fourcountsofsexualactivity withachildfamilymember, was found guilty on two counts by the jury and sentenced to 17 years on eachcount.Hissentencesare running concurrently and he is to undergo anger m a n a g e m e n t a n d rehabilitation for sex offenders.Inanotherone,the accusedwhowasindictedon twocountsforsexualassault andrape,wasacquittedbya juryonbothcounts.
One case remains in progress. In the one murder matter, the accused pleaded guilty as charged and was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonmentafterthecourt made deductions for the
guiltyplea.
State Counsel Teneisha Saygon, Fenton Budhram
and Geneva Wills prosecuted four matters beforeJusticeNicolePierre. Of these, three were for murder and one for attempt to commit murder with an alternative count of feloniouswounding.
In two of the murder trials, the accused pleaded guiltytothelesserchargeof manslaughter and are awaiting their sentencing. The other accused was acquittedbyajuryverdict. Theaccusedwascharged for attempt to commit murder with an alternative countoffeloniouswounding and was found unanimously guilty by jury on the alternative count; he is awaiting sentence on June 22,2026.
State Counsel, Cicelia Corbin, Latifah Elliot and Rodley Mathoo prosecuted six matters before Justice Sandil Kissoon, one for attempt to commit and five formurder
In three of the murder matters, the accused all pleaded guilty to the lesser crime of manslaughter One was sentenced to 18 years and another to 30 years imprisonment with possibilityofparoleafter25
years. The one other will be sentencedonJune15,2026. Of the two others, one accused was found unanimously guilty by his jury and will await his sentence on June 8, 2026. While the jury in the other, returned hung in proportion of nine guilty to three not guilty; the accused was remanded back to prison to await a new trial The accused for attempt to commit murder was acquitted by a majority jury verdictof11notguilty
S t a t e C o u n s e l
Christopher Belfield and Geneva Wills prosecuted one murder matter before ChiefJustice(ag)Singh.The accused in this matter
pleaded guilty to manslaughter;heisawaiting sentence.The five matters nolle prosequi by the DPP were for sexual offences. In one of these cases, the complainant died.Whilethe complainants in the others submittedwrittenstatements inwhichtheyindicatedthey didnotwishtoproceedwith their matters. Meanwhile, the State appeared in six appeals in the Court of Appeal (COA) for murder, manslaughter, sexual offences, causing death by dangerous driving and conspiracy to commit a felony.The State was represented by Assistant DPP Lisa Cave, Assistant DPP Tifini Lyken, State
Counsel ll Praneta Seeraj, State Counsel ll Madana Rampersaud and State CounselllRbinaChristmas.
There were four applicationsforbailpending appeal against conviction; the COA granted one application in $2M and ordered that the appellant lodge his passport with the GuyanaPoliceForceandfor him to report to the police stationeverythreemonths. Another appellant withdrew his application while the COA denied the other two applications. Thereweretwoapplications for extension of time to appeal against conviction andsentenceandthesewere granted.
The Government of Guyana is in talks with the United States (U S ) Government to expand U.S. privatesectorengagementin
Guyana and increase
commercial ties and investment Earlier this week, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International CooperationHughToddand Foreign Secretary Robert Persaudheldaseriesofhighlevel engagements in Washington, D.C., aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Guyana andtheU.S.acrosskeyareas including energy, defence, diplomacy, and economic cooperation The Guyanese delegation met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Acting Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs Joseph Humire, and Deputy Secretary of State ChristopherLandau.
The U.S. Department of State in a release noted that Deputy Secretary Landau's meeting with Minister Todd
reaffirmed the strong and expanding partnership betweenthetwocountries.
“The Deputy Secretary underscored the importance of expanding U.S. private sector engagement in Guyana and increasing commercial ties and investment Both leaders discussed shared economic priorities, including expanding opportunities for U.S.companiestocontribute to Guyana's development through sustainable investment and commercial partnerships The Deputy
Secretary reaffirmed the United States' commitment toGuyana'ssovereigntyand territorial integrity,” it was stated. Meanwhile, a release from government noted that thediscussionswiththeU.S officials focused on energy security, border security cooperation, irregular migration, illicit trafficking, andregionalstability Itwas also noted that throughout the engagements, the U.S reaffirmed its strong and unwavering support for Guyana's sovereignty and territorialintegrity
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has officially conducted the draw for the 2026 Elite League Qualification Playoff, setting the stage for seven clubs from across the country to compete for promotion to Guyana’s p r e m i e r f o o t b a l l competition.
The Elite League Qualification Playoff will feature seven champion clubs representing seven Member Associations in a k
n
Friday June 05, 2026
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Today could bring a lot of physical activity, possibly including workouts, as your energy, enthusiasm, and stamina are all high. Life may be mentally demanding, too, butyoucanhandleit.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Childrencrossyourpathtoday for a reason. You might get caught up in their games and momentarily experience being a child again yourself. This could increase your appealforlovepartners.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Communication flows freely today. Land might be discussed.Atsomepointyou'll be reminded of someone from the past and experience a momentarywaveoflongingto seethispersonagain.
CANCER(June21–July22)
Expect to hear some great news from relatives or neighbors, perhaps involving money You could hear this from more than one source, Cancer,soit'slikelytrue.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
The forthcoming completion of a frustrating project could be moved closer by one intense burst of energy from you, Leo. Self-confidence and determination come together to make sure you tie up all the looseendsandfinishitallup.
VIRGO(Aug 23–Sept 22)
Today you might plan a trip, Virgo,perhapsalong-distance vacation You may be planning far in advance, but you love to dream about the possibilitiesnow You'reinthe positionwhereyoufeelsecure enoughfinancially
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Libra, some interesting insights could steer you in the right direction regarding a goal you've been working toward for a long time. You generally prefer logic to ESP, but today your intuition is so strong that it'sdifficulttoresist.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Expect to spend a lot of time communicating with others, perhapstextingmultiplefriends at one time either individually or in a group chat.At least one could end up being helpful to yourprofessionallife.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
Your health is likely to be glowing and your physical energy high, Sagittarius.You'll probably want to spend some ofyourtimetodayworkingout or otherwise getting some exercise.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Intense communication throughout the day could bring you closer to a friend or lover, Capricorn Conversations about a number of different subjects could increase your understandingofoneanother
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
Your self-confidence is likely to skyrocket today, Aquarius. Good news about money could reach you while you're at home, causing family memberstowanttocelebrate.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
It’stimetogetintouchwiththe people in your neighborhood. By reaching out to the people you live near in a jovial and congenial way you build community spirit You can expect a lot of stimulating conversation.
include:
• Potaro Strikers FC
( B a r t i c a F
Association)
• Paradise Invaders FC
( B
Association)
• Mahaica Determinators FC (East Demerara Football Association)
• Qu
FC
(Essequibo Coast/Pomeroon FootballAssociation)
• C a m p t o w n F C
(Georgetown Football Association)
T
e competition is scheduled to commenceonSaturday,June 13th, 2026, and will determine which club earns direct qualification to the 2026/2027 Elite League season.
Participating clubs
• Beavers FC (West D
Association)
• Timehri United (East BankFootballAssociation)
The playoff will be administered by the Guyana Football Federation and
format. The champion club will secure automatic qua
cation to the 2026/2027 Elite League, while the runner-up will face Fruta Conquerors from the 2025/2026 Elite League Season 7 in a promotion playofftodeterminethefinal placeinthecompetition.
Under the tournament r e g u l a t i o n s , e a c h participating team is permitted to register a squad of up to 25 players and five officials for the duration of the competition. Team registration will close today, Friday,June5th,2026.
PehowaWarriors stopWestCoast...
From page 27 Manish Gundhi also in the wicket-column with 2-14 from four overs. Pehowa Warriors emerged winner at thetoss.
When Pehowa Warriors batted, they raced to 71-1 in t h e 9 t h o v e r w i t h Gangandeep Singh and Sunny Singh (unrelated) the two openers Gangandeep struck 42 and Sunny with a blistering36.
Both fell in quick succession, but Lucky Bai Pw and Lovjeet Singh Bumrah formalized things with 11 not out and 8 not out respectively
O f f - s p i n n e r Av i Dhanpaul grabbed two wickets for 36 runs off 3 overs delivering for West CoastWarriors.
Meanwhile, the action is set to continue on Sunday West Coast Warriors will tackle Whim Boyz while Pehowa Warriors will confrontEmpireStrikers.
2026 GGA National Junior Open Golf Championships…
Some of the prizes that will be on offer at the event.
Ministry of Education endorses fourth annual tournament
- Hussain says govt. support a big part of growth across schools
The Guyana Golf Association (GGA) yesterday announced that the 4th Annual National Open Junior Golf Championship will be backed by the Ministry of Education, whichcontinuestothrowtheirweightbehind the growth of the sport across schools countrywide.
Thisyear’stournamentwillteeoffonJuly 3 at the Westside Golf Course, where the championship will be conducted in collaborationwiththeMinistryofEducation, withtheOfficeoftheChiefEducationOfficer officially issuing approval and notificationto alleducationregionsacrossGuyana.
This highly anticipated junior golf event is expected to attract hundreds of young golfers from schools and communities nationwide and will feature both male and female participants competing in three age divisions.
Categorieswillfeatureplayerscontesting intheUnder13;Under15;andUnder18legs, with individual prizes up for grabs alongside the coveted National School Golf ChampionshipTrophy
GGA president, Aleem Hussain, yesterday said this annual event is built towards growing the Sport across schools while providing the country’s only interschool Golf competition which further encouragesyouthparticipationinsport.
Defending School Champions Bush Lot Secondary School will face a strong field of challengers, including Leguan Secondary School, the former two-time National Champions, along with several emerging schools that have demonstrated significant growthinthesportoverthepastyear
Trophies will be awarded to the top five finishers in every division, and thanks to the generoussupportofsponsorsandpartners,all participants will receive transportation
assistance, meals, beverages, and access to equipment at no cost, ensuring that there are nofinancialbarrierstopreventyoungathletes fromparticipating.
The championship has already attracted support from both longstanding and new sponsors, including: Toolsie Persaud Ltd.; Regal Stationery; Trophy Stall; Magistrate Singh; Monnaf Arjune & Son Construction; Kumar Auto Spares; Dustin Spivey; Madewini Gardens Pools & Eco Resort; Kumar Ramjas (Orlando); and Royal Castle Chicken.Additional sponsors and supporters are expected to join in the coming weeks as preparations continue for the largest junior golfeventeverheldintheregion.
Over the past five years, the Guyana Golf Association, Nexgen Golf Academy, and Westside Golf Course have been the leaders of the development of junior golf in Guyana through structured training programs, school outreach initiatives, youth camps, tournaments, and community engagement activities Their collective efforts have created unprecedented opportunities for thousands of young people to learn and competeinthesport.
According to Hussain, “Golf teaches honesty, integrity, patience, discipline, and respect—qualities that help shape future leaders.
Through this championship, we are providingyoungpeoplewithopportunitiesto compete and develop life skills that will benefitthemforyearstocome.”
Meanwhile, the GGA extends its sincere appreciation to the Ministry of Education, sponsors, teachers, coaches, parents, volunteers, and supporters whose commitment continues to make youth golf development possible throughout Guyana.
Masters Association (CWIMA), in collaboration with its parent body, the International Masters Cricket (IMC), is pleased to announce that the official tournament zones for the IMC Over 40s World Cup 2026 have now been approved by the IMC TournamentCommittee.
The tournament will be hosted in Guyana from October 17 to November 1, 2026, bringing together 16 nationsfromacrosstheglobe to compete for the title of 2026 IMC Over-40s World Champion.
The approval
z o n e s r e p r e s e significant milestone tournament planni a n d a l l o w p a r t i c i p a t i n g countries to finalize their preparations f o r w h a t i s expected to be the largest and most competitive Over 40s World Cup ever staged.
The tournamen format will see teams compete within t respective zones rounds before advancing the playoff stages to determine the 2026 World Champion.
OFFICIALTOURNAMENT ZONES
GROUPA GROUPB
· West Indies New Zealand
·Australia Pakistan
· Wales UnitedArab Emirates (UAE)
· Sri Lanka India
· Canada England
· SouthAfrica Scotland
· Namibia
United States ofAmerica (USA)
· Colombia Rest of the World (ROW)
highlighting Guyana’s commitmenttospreadingthe economicandsocialbenefits of major sporting events acrossthecountry
The decision to include Essequibo forms part of a broader national vision to
Government of Guyana, our sponsors,volunteers,andthe International Masters Cricket Committee as we work together to deliver a trulyworld-classevent.”
ECONOMIC AND TOURISM IMPACT
e s i n Georgetown, Berbice, and Essequibo, creating a truly national event that extends beyond traditional cricket venues.
A GLOBAL CELEBRATION OF MASTERS CRICKET
SHOWCASING ALL OF GUYANA
A unique feature of the 2026 World Cup will be the inclusion of matches in the Essequibo Region which matches will be played on October 24th & 25th at the new Anna Regina Stadium and the Joe Jagmohan Hampton Court ground,
showcase the entire country to international visitors and television audiences Participating teams and supporters will have the opportunity to experience the diverse culture, hospitality, and natural beauty that make Guyana one of the most exciting destinationsintheCaribbean andSouthAmerica.
The tournament will f e a t u
CWIMA Chairman Raj welcomed the uncement, stating:
“The approval of the ones is another importantmilestone as we continue preparations for the Over 40s World Cup 2026. We are delighted t o w e l c o m e players, officials, supporters, and cricket fans from around the world to y a n a T h i s tournament will not only ase high-quality Masters cricket but will also celebrate friendship, camaraderie, and the enduringspiritofthegame.”
CWIMA Secretary Roy Singh added: “This World Cup represents much more than cricket It is an opportunity to bring nations together, strengthen international friendships, andshowcaseGuyanaonthe global stage. We are grateful for the support of the
I&STradingjoinssponsorshiproster...
From page 26
Region Two, bringing elite tapeball action directly to the passionate fans of the Essequibocoast.
The stakes for the 2026 season have reached an all-time high, courtesy of a revamped financial structure that introduces guaranteed cash prizes for every team that reaches the quarterfinal stage of their respectivezone.
Rewards begin at $25,000 for losing zonal quarterfinalists and scale up significantly, culminating in a hefty $500,000 purse pocketed by the zonal winners before they even advance to the NationalFinals.
Teams will compete for a massive $2,000,000 grand prize, while the national runner-upwilltakehome$1,000,000.
Beyond the financial windfall, the four national finalists will also earn the prestigious right to represent Guyana at the upcoming International T10 Tapeball TournamentlaterthisOctober
Individual brilliance will be celebrated justashandsomelyalongsideteamsuccess.
The tournament’s eventual Most Valuable Player (MVP) will walk away with $150,000andabrand-newmotorbike.
Furthermore, specialised awards for the leading run-scorer and the top wicket-taker will see both players receive $100,000 and a new television each, ensuring that personal milestonesaremetwithpremierrewards.
The tournament is expected to attract hundreds of players, officials, supporters, and international vis
substantial benefits for the t
transportation, and service sectors.
In addition to the cricket competition, visitors will enjoy:
Official Opening Ceremony
Legends Nostalgia
Event
competition
· Cultural and Tourism
Excursions
·SponsorandHospitality
Functions
· Community and Youth
EngagementActivities
·ClosingAwardsGala
· Global Live Streaming Coverage
CWIMA Chairman Raj Singh
Big Draughts show down with Duo on Sunday at Transport Sports Club
A b i g D r a u g h t s showdown is set for this Sunday at the Transport Sports Club Pavillion between multiple time ChampionsJiaramfromEast Bank Demerara Region 4 and Linden player Floyd Cumberbatch Region 10 Draughts is stepping up rapidly on the local scenes and to some extent on the Internationalarena.
Jiaram has won both the M a s h r a m a n i a n d Independence Draughts Competitions so far for 2026 and Draughts enthusiast Mr Omotosho Yearwood is optimistic on what will be the outcome if these two champions should play for a championship game. This Sunday 12 games would be played and a winner would bedecided.Shouldtherebea drawn affair then a tie breaker will decide within three games. Should there be a further tie then the sponsor willdecideonthepurse.
Mr OmotoshoYearwood is putting up a small purse of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) for Sunday’s event.
Statistics showed that after the commencement of the game in 2023 and after theCOVID-19breakthatput a halt on all sports; Mr. Jiaram has 4 wins and
Cumberbatch5winsoverthe same period. On the other hand, Mr Jiaram has 5 second places whilst Cumberbatch has 2 seconds forthesameperiods. The games would be played under the auspices of the National Draughts Association. All Club rules under the Transport Sports Club must be adhered to since it is expected that several Draughts supporters would be present. Since TransportSportsClubisnow ahiveforDraughts,thegame is moving apace under the Club’s President Dr. Ivor
English Jiaram is the President of the National Draughts Association and both gentlemen are working assiduously to maximize the sport. This game shall set precedence for more of its kind in the future. Draughts is a pretty cheap game since it does not attract much spectators, however, the magnitudeisworldwide.
The National Draughts Association is urging other donors,whetherincash,gifts or trophies to send their requesttoTel.6146671,645 1002and6634725.
The momentum ahead of the fourth editionoftheOneGuyanaT10TapeballBlast continues to build, with I&S Trading becoming the latest corporate entity to join thetournament’sgrowingsupportingcast.
Impressed by the competition’s rapid evolution, the Georgetown-based food distribution company has thrown its weight behind an initiative that has fast become the premier platform for grassroots cricket talent inthecountry
Operating out of 218 Charlotte and Oronoque Streets in Bourda, I&S Trading noted that the tournament’s track record of community engagement and high-quality organisation made the partnership a natural fit.
Speaking on behalf of the company, spokesperson Taijram Persaud expressed immensesatisfactionwiththealignment.
“We have watched the One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast grow from strength to strength, and it has truly become a marquee event on the local sports calendar,” Persaud said. “At I&S Trading, we believe in supporting initiatives that empower local communities and provide a stage for grassroots talent to shine. This tournament does exactly that, and we are thrilled to be partofaproductthatisclearlyontherise.”
FL Sport’s John Ramsingh warmly welcomed the distributor on board, emphasising that corporate backing is the lifebloodofgrassrootssportsdevelopment.
“Having a reputable brand like I&S Trading come on board is a testament to the credibility the One Guyana T10 Blast has established,”Ramsinghstated.
“We are incredibly grateful for their valuable support, which directly impacts our ability to deliver a top-tier experience for both players and fans. Partners like I&S Trading share our vision of taking tapeball crickettounprecedentedheightsinGuyana.”
With the tournament scheduled to bowl off on August 8 in Berbice, organisers are urging teams to lock in their spots immediately rather than delaying their entry whiletryingtoperfecttheirrosters.
Ramsingh emphasised that the registration operates on a strict first-come,
first-served system, acknowledging that the fierce nature of the competition often causes captains to overthink and deliberate on their lineupsfortoolong.
To guarantee a spot, teams must pay the G$35,000 entry fee now, which allows captains the flexibility to finalise their ultimate 15-man talent pools closer to their respective zonal start dates. Entry caps are strictly enforced to manage the intensive schedule.
The Berbice, East Bank/West Demerara, and Essequibo zones are capped at a maximumof16teamseach,whiletheheavily populated East Coast Demerara/Georgetown zone will accommodate a maximum of 32 teams.
Registrationformsarecurrentlyavailable on the tournament’s official social media channelsorviadirectWhatsAppat+5926352235.
The high-octane action begins with the Berbice Zone on August 8–9. Sixteen teams will battle across four premier venues, including the Port Mourant Community Centre Ground, No. 69 Ground, and the WelfareGroundinCanje.
The action will culminate with the zonal finals on Sunday, August 9, at the Albion SportsComplex.
From there, the tournament caravan moves to the East Bank/West Demerara leg on August 15–16, followed quickly by the EssequibozoneonAugust22–23.
In a strategic move designed to maximise fan engagement and support local cricket festivities, the competition will pause during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) window, allowing fans to fully immerse themselves in the professional franchise seasonwithoutdistraction.
Action resumes post-CPLwith the highly anticipated Georgetown/East Coast Demerara leg, spanning September 26–27 andOctober3–4.
This gruelling regional phase leads directly to the historic national grand finale on October 11, 2026. For the first time, the tournament’s ultimate prize will be contested attheAnnaReginaNationalStadiumin Continued on page 25
The two contestants: Jiaram and Cumberbatch.
Youghestir Bachan
West Indies win the Evara Women’s T20I Tri-Series
CWI – West Indies women claimed the Evara Women’s T20ITri-Seriestournamentyesterday
Thisisafteranotherrainaffectedcontestintheevent. IrelandWomen & Pakistan’s final match ended yesterday with an abandoned result due to bad weather West Indies Women finish with a higher Net Run Rate over Ireland Womentowintheseries.
WestIndiespreviousgamewasalsoabandonedfollowing an abandonment after rain intervened following Pakistan’s firstinnings.
West Indies won the Evara Women’s T20I Tri-Series after another rain affected contest.
PehowaWarriorsstopWestCoastWarriors’
Pehowa Warriors put a stopping to West Coast Warriors’ winning streak after humbling them by 7 wickets last Sunday when action continued in this year’s Commonwealth Cricket League 30-overtournamentinNewYork.
Playing at Burns Avenue
Elementary School ground, Hicksville, Long Island. Right-arm seamer Ishan Hossain produced a destructive spell of bowling claiming 6-17 from six memorable overs to help Pehowa bowl
out West Coast Warriors for 112 in 27overs.
Pehowa Warriors, in response, reached the target with an incredible 95 ballstospare.
Despite the defeat, West Coast Warriors remained at the top of the points chart with 9 points from six games. They had won four consecutive games, but on this occasion, only seasoned campaigner and opener USAbased Guyanese Youghestir Bachan
