Guyana Observer News

An elderly Amerindian couple appeared totally oblivious as to why they were in court yesterday, at the mercy of the law. ighty-five year-old Vernon John and his 65-year-old wife Stella John appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court where the charge of unlawful possession of ammunition was read to them. It is alleged that on Friday February 12 at a location in Bonasika Creek, Vernon John  who is almost deaf, and his wife, had in their possession five (5) live 16-gauge shotgun rounds. s the charge was being read to the duo, the police who escorted the barefoot couple indicated to Magistrate Nyasha Williams-Hatmin that the couple could not hear properly. This prompted the Magistrate to call the two to the bench. After the Magistrate read the charge, Mr. John told the court “me nah know wha fuh seh”, this was also the response by the man’s wife. Even as the Magistrate continued to ask the couple if they were guilty or not, Mr. John kept saying he did not know what to say and added “me had de thing deh fuh kill monkey and hog because dem does eat out meh thing from me farm.”

Chief Justice Ian Chang yesterday dismissed the elections petition filed by the Alliance For Change, challenging the allocation of a parliamentary seat to the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic. Justice Chang dismissed the petition on the grounds of procedural non-compliance. Handing down the written decision, the chief justice noted that the AFC had failed to file an affidavit of service immediately after bringing the petition to the court. The law states that any election petition must be followed almost immediately by an Affidavit of Service. However, it was noted that the AFC presented the Affidavit of Service some 10 months after filing the petition. Justice made the point that the rules of the Guyana Elections Commission are very clear when it comes to the filing of petitions.

 (Taken from the Kaieteure News)

He describes it as “the garbage city” and one devoid of streetlights and recreational facilities for youths - not forgetting it’s a very broke city - but Mark Benschop still wants to be Mayor of Georgetown. “Everybody deserves a try,” says Alana, who travels all the way from Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara, to attend free computer classes at Benschop’s Foundation in Georgetown.
Benschop placed a table in the middle of the computer room yesterday to announce his plans to change the capital; he wants it to be called “the garden city” once again. Alana, though, wouldn’t be able to vote. She is not one of the capital city’s 106,000 residents. So Benschop needs to travel around the city’s 15 districts to whip up support and to get at least 30 candidates to run for a seat on the City Council and hope that if they get in they will give him the job of Chief Citizen. It’s not that Benschop isn’t well known. But he is burdened with the badge of controversy. His “Straight Up” programme on NTN 18/69 heaped favour of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) but then he became an unapologetic critic of the administration and this led him into political activism.

By Freddie Kissoon

Guyana went to the dogs a long time ago. All Guyanese know this. Then Guyana went to the cows. These animals have killed many drivers and injured a larger number. But they still roam the streets. No other person gets a better view of how these unusual “traffic cops” control the Railway Embankment than this writer. I look down on the highway from my window every morning as I get up. I see vividly in front of me how Guyana has gone to the cows. Guyana has now gone to the goats. On Friday last, a very important regional cricket match was in progress at Albion between Barbados and Guyana and it appeared that Guyana was using thirteen players instead of the mandatory eleven. In the 1960s when you heard West Indian fans complaining that Australia played 13 men, it was a cynical reference to the two umpires being biased.

A HIV counsellor/tester was yesterday afternoon discovered dead, lying in a crouched position on the floor of his office at the Parika Health Centre with suspicious marks around his neck. Dead is Seeraj Persaud, 42, of Lot 8 Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo. A laptop computer, keys, an expensive cellular phone and his wallet were missing. Linda Johnson, the facility’s health visitor, recalled that some time after lunch, she saw someone enter Persaud’s office but did not pay much attention to who it was. She said that two women, who had scheduled counselling sessions with Persaud, were sitting outside the office for some time and one of them eventually decided to knock on the closed door. Johnson explained that because of the confidentiality involved, Persaud’s door would always be closed during sessions. After knocking several times and getting no response, the woman decided to open the door and saw Persaud on the floor.

A statement by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds during the wrapping up of his presentation in the House last evening on the 2010 budget debates sparked a temporary bout of confusion when he attempted to defend the expenditures of President Bharrat Jagdeo’s overseas trips. The moment the Prime Minister made mention of the fact that he wanted to address the issue, it immediately enticed the opposition to trigger a barrage of solicitations calling for him to disclose the expenditures. At this point in time, Speaker of the House, Ralph Ramkarran, cautioned the Prime Minister that should he tread that path, then it would open the ‘flood gates’ and allow the opposition to voice their position on the issue unhindered and it would only be fair.

Police yesterday searched the home of a ‘drug lord’ at Ithaca, West Berbice and intercepted a fibreglass boat and an engine that was reportedly used to transport illegal drugs. Police sources told this newspaper that the search was carried out following a tip off. They also unearthed a manual on how to grow marijuana. The drug lord who reportedly used the boat to transport marijuana from the Berbice River was not at home at the time but his wife has been taken into custody. Meanwhile, a during a “stopping search” at Number Four Settlement, Blairmont, police sources said, a man was found with 13 grammes of cannabis in his back pocket. He is expected to appear at court today.