Guyana Observer News

 By Freddie Kissoon

There have been misplaced interpretations as to why the Ministry of Works bypassed my home when clearing the southern trench on the Railway Embankment. People came up to me and accused Minister Robeson Benn and President Bharrat Jagdeo of being petty. That was the consensus. The publisher of this newspaper, Mr. Glenn Lall has a different assessment. He said that the idea was to get the message across to all Guyanese that “we can do what we want.” No doubt there is a little bit of all of this that went into the decision. But there is another analysis and it centres on the concept of fear. The PPP Government is afraid of a resurgence of “mo fyaah/slo fyaah.”

The memory of that era is alive inside of Freedom House. It came close to toppling the regime. To stop demonstrations and protest, the PPP, since the PSU strike in July 1999, has decided on a vicious campaign of intimidation and it has worked. It has been successful for three reasons. First, the population feels that the upper echelons of the police and army have been politically seduced by the ruling cabal with offers of extreme generosity and therefore will be unprofessional in their conduct. The most recent example of this unprofessional behaviour has to do with the blatant seizure of the truck that transported protesting school children from Patentia to Georgetown.

Police yesterday issued a wanted bulletin for former beauty queen Carolan Lynch. On Wednesday, Magistrate Priya Beharry had issued an arrest warrant for Lynch after she continuously missed court appearances. Lynch, according to the police bulletin, is wanted in connection with the murder of her husband former Swiss House Cambio boss, Farouk Razac. The police release last evening gave Lynch’s last address as Lot 106 Ireng Place, Bel Air, Georgetown. She is listed as fair in complexion and of mixed race. Anyone with information are asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 226-7065, 225-7625, 226-1326, 227-1149, 225-6941 or 911 or the nearest police station. Lynch was charged back in May 2007, with the murder of Razac. Razac was found dead on the floor of their Eping Avenue, Bel Air home. Evidence that he had bled through his nose and mouth was evident and his hands were at his neck. An autopsy performed later confirmed that Razac had been strangled. Lynch was discharged in 2008, after then magistrate Gordon Gilhuys found that a prima facia case was not established. Some had said that Razac was killed because of a US$1M life insurance policy, however his wife has denied that he ever had the policy.

To remain on job pending probe – Dr. Rambarran

Director of Medical Services at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Dr. Madan Rambarran, says that the US-trained physician who is a convicted sex offender will remain on the job at the GPHC pending the outcome of an investigation by the Medical Council. Meanwhile, Dr. Rambarran is of the belief that the physician, Dr. Vishwamintra Persaud, “does not pose a risk to the population.” In an interview last night with Kaieteur News, Rambarran stated that the Medical Council and officials at the GPHC knew “up front” that Dr. Persaud had been convicted in a New York court for a sexual offence against a minor. “Dr. Persaud applied for a licence and the Medical Council exercised its judgment and issued him a licence, and the hospital exercised its judgment and gave him a job,” Rambarran said. “Up front when he sought employment we knew (of the sexual conviction).” “The licensing body (Medical Council) was aware that he had legal problems in New York, which resulted in his licence being revoked.

-gov’t unable to answer

Government was yesterday unable to provide details on a fund which was to be set up since 2006 for royalties accruing to indigenous peoples from mining activities on their lands. The absence of the fund came to light after it was discovered that the revised Amerindian Act had not bee brought into force four years after it had been passed. The government hurriedly tried to remedy this by tabling a commencement bill. The matter came up in the National Assembly yesterday when Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai  led debate on the second reading of the Amerindian Act 2006 (Commencement) Bill 2010.

An attempt to escape from the Georgetown Prison yesterday left Marvin Williams, 24, nursing two gunshot wounds, one each to the left buttock and leg, while a stray bullet struck passerby Wayne Thomas, 25, of 113 John and Bent Streets, Werk-en-Rust, in the lower right leg. Both men were admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital. According to sources, Williams was returning from the Vreed-en-Hoop court, at around 15:00hrs, after being sentenced to three years for narcotics, and it was apparent that frustration got the better of him since he had already been on remand for a lengthy period. It was disclosed that Williams made a dash from the prison van after the gateway was opened to allow the transfer of inmates into the prison. He ran north, and while turning into Bent Street, he was shot twice by police. An eyewitness disclosed that at the time Williams was not wearing any handcuffs. Another eyewitness recounted that after being shot the prisoner continued to run but did not make it far before the police caught up with him. A businessman who employs Wayne Thomas said that he had sent his workman to ‘Kampala’, an establishment near the prison, and while turning into Camp Street he was shot in his right leg.

(Editor's Note: The Mark Benschop Foundation has offered to clean up the area infront of Mr. Freddie Kissoon's house, and head of the Foundation.)

By Lincoln Lewis

Picture of demarcation in the canal in front of the house of Freddie Kissoon captures the essence of what this nation has encountered for 18 years long years. A picture tells a thousand words and  the picture of the canal in front of the house of Fredrick Kissoon being clearly demarked and left unattended to, even as the canal on either sides were cleared, tells a story of  evil, petty politics and violation of citizens rights. The pictorial message is clear for the world to see, that Freddie Kissoon whose daily KN column exposes government’s weakness and failures, is a victim of a hostile government, prepared to embrace petty politics and by any means necessary, make life as uncomfortable for him and anyone, who dares to oppose them. We remember the assault with biological hazards that was flung in his face by an unknown individual not so long ago. Now this most ridiculous act of discrimination, utilizing his tax payers’ dollars, is a clear sign that this government would not hesitate, to stoop into the cesspits, to achieve their goal of creating misery and torment for those whom they target.

A new entity, Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. has been incorporated under the Companies Act with the aim of promoting transparency and eradicating corruption. A release today said that the founding directors – Bernard Crawford, David James, Fr. Compton Meerabux, Keith Park, Gino Persaud, Nadia Sagar and Enrico Woolford – have begun the process for formal recognition of the local entity as a National Chapter of Transparency International (TI), based in Germany. The release said that the Secretary of the Guyana entity is broadcaster Enrico Woolford and the legal consultant is Christopher Ram. Membership is open to resident and non-resident Guyanese individuals and organisations that subscribe to its By-Laws and Code of Conduct which require of its members high standards of transparency, accountability and ethical conduct. TIGI has commissioned a website on which it will make available all its incorporation documents, Code of Conduct and links to international and regional publications on corruption’s impacts, the release said.