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‘We’ll break the back of drug trafficking networks’ – Pres. Ali commends Joint Services for massive Matthews Ridge cocaine bust  Sep 05, 2024 News President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday at the launch of the National Defence Institute. Kaieteur News – Commending the joint services operations led by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) in the recent drug bust in Region One, President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday made it clear that Guyana will continue to work with its partners to destabilise and break the back of all criminal networks operating in the country. The Head of State made these statements at the launch of the country’s first National Defence Institute, which was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. During his address he said, “The bust is not the end of the matter, we have every intention in working with our partners to destabilise and break the back of all criminal networks especially in drug trafficking operating within our territorial space and airspace. We have already asked and we are ready to work with our partners once we are given the assets, and once we can secure the assets to deal with all the over flights that are passing over our airspace, we are ready to work with you in dismantling the global empire that drug trade has created but we need that support.” The President noted that the partnership is not only for Guyana but for every nation, stakeholders due to the fact that how the trade is changing because of prices and demand. “And Europe is being severely impacted so all of us have a joint responsibility and as small as we are with the limited resources, we have you can be assured that we are taking our responsibility seriously and any information, any information sent that is available to us we will go after it to the best of our ability, every single operation has to be dismantled,” Ali said. Further, he said that the recent drug bust, demonstrates Guyana’s resolve to combat narcotics trafficking and protecting the nation from being used as a transshipment point for the movement of illicit substances. Speaking to those directly involved in this illegal activity, President Ali warned, “To those who may have an ambition to use Guyana as a transnational point for the movement of illegal substances let me be clear we will come after you with the full force of the law, we will not allow our country to be used for criminal activity and we will proceed those who seek to do so.” “We are committed to dismantling any cells which may exist locally, he added. Kaieteur News had reported that a Joint-Services team led by the CANU on Saturday unearthed approximately 4.4 tons (4,400 kilos) of suspected cocaine, which has a current street value of US$188 million at a nearby illegal airstrip at Matthews Ridge.  Neatly stashed, the cocaine was found buried in four hand-dug pits which averaged five to six feet deep, covered with tarpaulins, woods then some bushes. Speaking of the successful seizure, Director of CANU, James Singh told media operatives at the site that this could not have been done without the collaboration of the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Special Forces Unit, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the government through the Ministry of Home Affairs. The recent drug bust made by a joint services operation led by CANU. He said the operation is one of many that they would have conducted over the last five months with the Guyana Defence Force playing their part in helping to identify illegal airstrips within the country and monitoring them. “In this case, we were lucky in the sense that we were able to strike at the right time, whereby we were able to seize the drugs before they were transshipped to another further location,” Singh said noting this is an ongoing investigation. Singh explained that the airstrip which was found, was not one that has been gazetted by the government and so it was built with plans to accommodate small aircraft bringing several kilos of cocaine outside of Guyana here. Noting that several camps were found in close proximity of the airstrip, the CANU Head mentioned, “The fact that this amount of drugs were found in several locations means it was waiting for the transshipment, so it’s not like it came here to go, they are waiting for the opportune moment that is why I said we were very successful in not just in seizing but detecting a new concealment method and idea as to how big the network is.” It was highlighted that the seizure of the drugs was the second phase of the operations, with the first phase being the discovery of a quantity of fuel just a few days ago at the location. In his brief comments, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn yesterday said this operation is perhaps the largest ever seizure on land to occur in Guyana. “It exemplifies and identifies that we have been working at this problem continuously, that we are aware of certain flights to certain places illegally. The government and of course, the energy and interest of President Irfaan Ali, we are putting in much resources and many persons into getting onto this situation, we will continue this fight, we are happy of course that we have the United States Drug and Enforcement Agency with us sharing information and intelligence and backing us up on issues which have occurred from time to time but that this fight will be a long one,” the minister related. Questioned whether this operation might be executed by foreigners, the Minister told the media that an operation of this kind could not have been done without local help, “but of course, we think this is a major operation being done by persons in neighbouring countries and investigations are underway.” Following the recovery of the 4,400 blocks of cocaine from the pits on Sunday, samples were taken by CANU ranks for testing and then later destroyed at the site. Related Similar Articles

Rampant corruption, mismanagement of oil sector denying Guyanese a better life – PNCR  Sep 05, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Amid growing concerns over the management of Guyana’s oil sector, the main Opposition, People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) said if more robust efforts are taken to stamp out corruption and incompetence, every citizen would be able to enjoy a better standard of living from the country’s natural resources. Economist and Advisor to the PNCR, Elson Low. Speaking to Kaieteur News recently, Economist and oil and gas advisor to the party Elson Low acknowledged that Guyana was heading down a slippery slope with the general management of the oil sector, making specific reference to the many allegations that have surfaced recently including the award of a contract to monetise the country’s gas resources to a one-year-old company Fulcrum with no proven track record in the business. Stakeholders have also raised concerns about the lack of a Petroleum Commission, which has virtually left the sector in the hands of Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo who has been bogged down by allegations of corruption. Low said the government is not doing enough to build a post-oil economy as there is no focus on productivity and technological adaptation. However, Jagdeo told the media last Thursday that the investment the government is currently making in infrastructure will prepare the country to sustain its economy after oil has been exhausted. The Minister of Natural Resources recently disclosed that the projects currently producing may very well be exhausted before 20 years given the ramped-up production by operator of the Stabroek Block ExxonMobil. Following the disclosure, it was a concern voiced by citizens; what will happen to Guyana after oil is finished. This publication asked the VP if when oil is exhausted, will Guyana continue to borrow loans to finance the country’s development like they are doing today? Saying that the question should be posed to the Opposition, Jagdeo questioned, “So you are saying, don’t build the power plant now, don’t build the other infrastructure now?… Cause a lot of this infrastructure that we’re putting in is not just a social nature (but of an) economic nature.” He explained that the power plant will facilitate lower rates for electricity and will therefore create the atmosphere to move further into the manufacturing sector. Building more farm to market roads and processing facilities like tissue culture labs will allow for further progression of the agriculture sector. “So you have to plan for the day when oil is no longer available or does not generate the same sort of income that it will generate say about three years from now because we are not at peak revenue from oil as yet,” he added. Low however told this publication that, “The government is definitely not doing enough to build an economy that provides the kinds of high paying jobs Guyanese would desire after the oil economy has waned. There has not been a focus on improving productivity, the adaption of technology and increasing human capital. Without this approach, there will not be high-paying jobs regularly generated.” Low also believe that there should be greater focus on strengthening the education sector to ensure students receive the highest quality education rather than failing key subject areas in droves. He said this should be combined with skills training and support for small businesses to drive job growth. On the issue of the possibility of the oil be exhausted in 20 years, Low said, “It is totally inappropriate for the government to talk about exhausting oil reserves in 20 years when it is clearly actively hiding them from the Guyanese people. Repeated disclosures from Stabroek block partners demonstrate that Guyana’s reserves are far larger than the PPP’s declared reserve, so there should be every expectation that Guyana will be able to produce oil for an even longer period than currently projected. The government is hiding these reserves to justify its narrative that higher salaries are impossible and to give it an excuse to overwhelmingly focus on infrastructure. This only serves to facilitate corruption via procurement fraud in large infrastructure projects.” The economist explained that Equatorial Guinea which is perhaps the world’s most corrupted country has a budget focused on infrastructure and a whopping 75% is being spent of capital projects. Looking at the situation in Guyana with the huge focus on infrastructure he believes the government is headed in the same direction. Though it may be the concern of many that Guyana may end up like our CARICOM sister Trinidad Low stated that, “there is no comparison between Guyana and Trinidad. Trinidad only produced 3 billion barrels of oil in a century long legacy of oil production and Guyana will be producing far more than that in a shorter space of time. The idea that Guyana could end up like Trinidad is a myth that must be discarded. Rather, our country is wealthy enough that if we avoid corruption and incompetence, we can give every Guyanese the standard of living they deserve.” Related Similar Articles

Palestinian girl ‘killed inside home’ as Israeli operation continues Sep 05, 2024 News Lujain Musleh was buried in Kafr Dan on Wednesday, a day after she was shot dead during an Israeli raid (BBC NEWS) – A funeral has been held for a 16-year-old Palestinian girl reportedly killed by Israeli forces in the north of the occupied West Bank on the seventh day of a wide-scale Israeli operation. Lujain Musleh’s father said she was shot in the head as she looked out of a window of her home in Kafr Dan, just outside Jenin, after soldiers surrounded a neighbouring house on Tuesday. The Israeli military said armed fighters fired at the soldiers and that they “fired back at a suspect who observed” them. The Palestinian health ministry says 30 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched what it called an operation to dismantle “terrorist cells”. Most of the dead have been claimed by armed groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as members, but several children are also among them, according to the ministry. The Israeli military has said that one Israeli soldier has been killed. There has been a spike in violence in the West Bank since Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on 7 October and the ensuing war in Gaza. Defence for Children Palestine (DCIP), a rights group, said Israeli soldiers entered Kafr Dan around 11:30 (09:30 BST) on Tuesday, prompting clashes with armed Palestinians. “Israeli soldiers surrounded and besieged the home of a wanted Palestinian man, firing live ammunition and shells at the house,” it said.  “Around 14:10, 16-year-old Loujain was inside her family’s home … when an Israeli sniper shot her in the head through a window.” During a funeral procession for Loujain on Wednesday, her father, Osama, told reporters: “She didn’t go to the roof, she didn’t hurl a stone, and she wasn’t carrying a weapon.”  “The only thing she did is look from the window and the soldier saw her and shot her.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said soldiers surrounded two civilian structures in Kafr Dan where they believed armed fighters were sheltering, and that they “called for civilians to evacuate from both structures prior to the exchange of fire that took place”. “During the encircling of the structures, the terrorists opened fire at IDF soldiers in the area, and in response the soldiers fired back at a suspect who observed the forces in the area, in order to remove a threat,” it added. “The IDF is aware of the report regarding a 16-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed during the exchange of fire. The details of the incident are under review.” Pictures from the funeral showed mourners carrying a body wrapped in a Hamas flag. The bodies of those killed by Israel are often wrapped in the flags of movements supported by friends or family members – even when the deceased are not supporters themselves. DCIP also cited documentation it had collected which said a 14-year-old boy, Mohammed Kanaan, was shot dead by an Israeli sniper on Tuesday morning at an entrance to the Tulkarm refugee camp, in Tulkarm city. The IDF said it was looking into that report. When asked by the BBC on Tuesday to comment on the reports of civilian deaths, the IDF said its forces operated in strict accordance with international law. “The IDF has never, and will never, deliberately target civilians,” it added. “Given the ongoing exchanges of fire, remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risks. The IDF will continue to counter threats while persisting to mitigate harm to civilians.” The IDF said its soldiers had killed two armed fighters during an exchange of fire in Tulkarm on Tuesday, and also located what an explosive device in a baby stroller. On Monday evening, it announced that 14 “terrorists” had been killed in Jenin since the start of the operation and that 25 suspects had been detained. “Every terrorist must be eliminated, and if they surrender, they must be arrested. There is no other option, use all the forces, everyone who is needed, with full strength,” Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told IDF officers on Wednesday. Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa said on Tuesday that the losses caused by the raids, especially of infrastructure, might be the most extensive in two decades. The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees expressed particular concern about Jenin, saying it had been “ravaged by violence and destruction”. Jenin’s streets have been so damaged that cars cannot pass some roads. Israeli bulldozers have destroyed many shops in the city centre, although those on the periphery were still open. The local municipality said the IDF had bulldozed more than 70% of streets, cut off water to 80% of the city, and damaged 20km (12 miles) of water, sewage, communications and electricity networks. The IDF said: “The terrorists in [the West Bank] exploit the civilian population and use them as human shields for murderous purposes, establishing terrorist infrastructures and planting explosives underneath traffic routes to harm the IDF troops in their attempts to thwart threats to the lives of Israeli citizens.” It also said it would work quickly to enable local authorities to repair damaged infrastructure and ensure the functionality of essential services. Israeli forces have also surrounded Jenin’s government hospital throughout the operation. Hospital director Dr. Wisam Baker told the BBC on Monday that no-one could come in and out. including doctors like him travelling home, except in ambulances. Troops searched the vehicles and checked the IDs of those inside, he added. Ambulance drivers are “afraid” to bring wounded to the hospital or are delayed from entering because of searches, he said, adding the delay could put lives at risk. The hospital has been running on a generator, and 10 tanks of water are brought in each day, Dr. Baker said. Ambulances have also been delivering food. Asked about the presence of troops outside the hospital, the IDF alleged that armed groups were exploiting medical and other facilities that were protected under international law. “The hospitals continue to operate as usual. In appropriate cases, inspections are conducted on those arriving at the hospital, provided that this does not prevent their treatment or endanger their health,” it said. The Palestinian Red Crescent said its teams were “tirelessly providing humanitarian and emergency services to the besieged citizens in the Jenin camp, despite continuous obstructions by Israeli occupation forces, who are hindering [their] work.” On Monday, it said many Jenin residents were in urgent need of medicine, baby formula or food supplies, and that two paramedics and a volunteer doctor had been injured while on duty. Related Similar Articles

La Grange girl in court for $16.7M fraud at Beepats Store Sep 05, 2024 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News Kaieteur News – A 20-year-old Accounts Clerk on Wednesday appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court after she was charged with 24 counts of larceny in connection with the alleged theft from Beepat’s, a retail store at 100-101 Regent Street, Lacytown, Georgetown. Former Accounts Clerk at Beepat’s store Jimmacie Jacobs Jimmacie Jacobs who resides at Lot 17 Unity Street La Grange West Bank Demerara (WBD) is accused of stealing a total of $16,765,027 from Beepat’s between September 2023 and August 2024.  She appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty who read the charges to her in which she pleaded not guilty to all. According to police statements presented in court, Jacobs was hired by Beepat’s as an accounts clerk on February 8, 2023. Her duties included managing online payments to suppliers and service providers. On August 23, 2024, it was discovered that Jacobs allegedly had used her personal login credentials to access the store’s accounting system and transferred funds from Beepat’s bank accounts to her own personal account on 24 separate occasions between September 21, 2023, and August 8, 2024. Following the discovery, a report was filed, leading to an investigation. Jacobs was arrested, informed of the allegations, and admitted to transferring and withdrawing the stolen funds. She was subsequently charged with the offenses. During the court proceedings, Jacobs’ attorney, Latchmie Rahamat, requested bail, emphasising her client’s young age and lack of prior convictions. The prosecutor did not oppose the bail request. Consequently, bail was granted at $800,000 per charge. Jacobs is scheduled to return to court on September 25, 2024. Related Similar Articles