Guyana Observer News

Jahfar Simpson, the 17-year-old brother of captured gunman Colin Jones, has reportedly confessed to having links to the criminal gang that police said is involved in terrorist activities here. The teen, along with his mother, Allison Simpson, and another youth, were taken into custody on Monday evening. The mother has since been released. Kaieteur News understands that Jones’ sibling is spilling the beans on the gang’s activities on the night that the Health Ministry buildings were torched; the arson attempt at the Supreme Court, and the attacks on the Brickdam Police Station and East Ruimveldt Outpost. According to sources, he admitted to his involvement in these activities, as well as the abduction of gold miner Wodette Roberts, who subsequently died before he was freed. A senior official said that the brothers have already been charged and should appear in court tomorrow.

President Bharrat Jagdeo is an abysmal failure. Dean Clement should stop embarrassing himself or herself by making up stories about his leadership to respond to Freddie Kissoon (“An outrageous statement”, KN 26/11/2010). All you have to do to see how this country has gone to the dogs under Jagdeo is to open the newspapers or walk down the streets. There are massive corruption, unprecedented crime, runaway foreign debts, bitter racial divisions, no regard for the law, environmental crises, drugs running, money laundering, jobs for the boys, housing slums, collapsing infrastructures, taxpayers’ money advanced to friends and family, trafficking in persons, scams, millions stolen from Office of the President, to name a few. On everything bad this president has either broken the record or set new ground. Look at the billions of dollars the government cannot account for as exposed in the Auditor General’s Reports and Public Accounts Committee. An estimated 50 percent of the economy is propped up by drugs money, according to international sources and credible economists. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the “building boom” is money laundering. If the Revenue Authority does its job it will know. Almost everything this government touches becomes tainted. Freddie Kissoon is only writing what everyone knows.

 By Stella Ramsaroop

(I have been reading this essay at the domestic violence workshops over the past weekend as I talked on self-esteem. It seemed to be an inspiration to many women, so I am now sharing it with all women. I wrote this in July 2001 when I finally decided to give myself permission to be the real woman I am inside and it is my hope that this essay inspires other women to do the same.)

I have long tried to be the person society expected me to be. The problem with this notion is that I need to be more than what others expect of me. I have so much to offer and yet feel that I must somehow squeeze into a mould that doesn’t hold me. Having succumbed to the social expectations of a stunted generation, I spent many years playing with ideas of true freedom in my head. I have longed to break that mould, yet feared the consequences should I make such a drastic move. I have settled for second or third or fourth best for myself, believing I was allotted no more in life than what I had been handed.

- woman who allegedly cooked for gunmen to face similar charges

By Michael Jordan

Linden resident Deion Thompson has been charged with harbouring some members of the alleged ‘terrorist’ gang, and a woman who was recently convicted for drug trafficking is also to face similar charges. They are to appear in court today.
Thompson is a member of the Amelia’s Ward, Linden family that claimed that they had unknowingly harboured Colin Jones and Adriano Tracey. Thompson had reportedly collected money from the now dead gunman, Kurt Theirens, to buy an outboard engine. The family insists that they did not know who the men were and of their criminal activities. According to some relatives, Jones was known to them as ‘Jamal’, Tracey as ‘Reds’ and Theirens as ‘Bigga’.

“The blame is entirely mine” – Ramsammy

Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy disclosed last night that convicted sex offender Dr Vishwamintra Persaud has been sacked, even as he acknowledged that the doctor’s appointment had offended many. “I apologize to all those persons we have offended by the decision of the GPHC to offer employment to Dr. Persaud. While at the time we only considered the benefits of adding another experienced doctor to our roster at the GPHC, we could have been more careful in considering the circumstances.” Minister Ramsammy also accepted responsibility for failing to advise officials at the GPHC that the employment of anyone should take into consideration the provisions of the Sexual Offence Act.

Tyrone Rowe aka ‘Cobra’ made another court appearance before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry, yesterday, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The offence of robbery under arms was withdrawn against Rowe, but he was jointly recharged for the same offence, with Anand Lallchand, of 29 Howes Street, Charlestown, Georgetown and Dwayne Critchlow, of 54 Vigilance, East Coast Demerara. It is alleged that on March 1, 2010, the defendants being armed with a gun, robbed Troy Collins of a quantity of gold and diamond jewellery valued $1.4M, property of the said individual. Rowe, who was unrepresented, was not required to plead, since the offence is indictable. The other defendants were absent from the court. Hence, Rowe was remanded to prison and the Magistrate ordered him to make his next court appearance on December 20.

Child sex felon Dr Vishwamintra Persaud has been fired from his position at the Georgetown Hospital, Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy said today in a press release. The move comes amid a raging controversy as to how the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation could have hired the doctor after his licence was terminated in the US after his conviction there. According to New York Department of Health documents, on April 18, 2008 Dr Persaud was found guilty, based on a guilty plea, of “attempted course of sexual conduct against a child in the second degree.” On June 11, the same year, he was sentenced to an eight-year order of protection, ten years probation, fined US$25,500 and various fees and surcharges.