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Two more soldiers nabbed trafficking ganja  Jul 29, 2024 News Some of the marijuana that was seized. Kaieteur News – Two Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks in uniform were intercepted and nabbed with 316 lbs. of narcotics during another successful intelligence-led Police operation by Special Branch and other ranks. At about 21:20 hrs. last night (Saturday), acting on information received, the Ranks from Special Branch and other ranks went to Mandela Avenue, in the vicinity of Space Gym (behind the botanical garden), where they intercepted a Route 42 motor bus (#BTT 27), which was proceeding south along Mandela Avenue. The bus is owned and was driven at the time by Edward Mc Calmont, a 40-year-old Corporal of the Guyana Defence Force, attached to Camp Ayanganna and a resident of Kaneville, EBD. Another GDF rank, John Johnson, a 24-year-old Lance Corporal attached to Base Camp Stephenson and a resident of Timehri, EBD, was sitting in the front passenger seat. They were both fully dressed in their uniform. Police informed them as to why they were stopped based on intel (information received) that they were trafficking in narcotics. Police then carried out a search of the vehicle, in the presence of the two GDF ranks, and found forty-nine (49) large bulky parcels wrapped with transparent plastic on the bus seats. Police opened the parcels in their presence and found that they contained a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis. They were told of the offence committed, arrested and cautioned. The  GDF ranks were escorted to the East La Penitence Police station, along with the bus and the suspected cannabis which, when weighed, amounted to 316 pounds. The soldiers remain in custody as investigations continue. This latest drug bust by the Police came in the wake of another similar bust last week, where two GDF ranks – Staff Sergeant Adisa Higgins and Sergeant Clovis Sam — were nabbed with 154 lbs. of Narcotics (Cannabis). The sergeants were jointly charged with possession of 154 lbs. of marijuana in a service vehicle. They had appeared at the Diamond Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Sunil Scarce who read the charge to him. Both men pleaded not guilty to the charge. Two soldiers were nabbed with ganja. Attorney-at-law Bernard Da Silva represented Higgins while Attorney-at-law Patrice Henry represented Sam. Both attorneys made an application for bail, however, the Prosecutor objected to bail due to the seriousness and prevalence of the offence. Magistrate Scarce refused bail and the ranks are scheduled to return to court on August 12, 2024 for disclosures. Sam and Higgins were on the July 18, busted with 154 lbs. of marijuana in a service vehicle along the Coverden Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) during a joint intelligence-led police operation conducted by ranks from Special Branch and Regional Division 4’B’. Related Similar Articles

De plate and de spoon Jul 29, 2024 Dem Boys Seh, Features / Columnists Dem Boys Seh… Kaieteur News – Dem boys seh in America, de Vee Pee does normally stay in de background. He or she does stay in the shadows of de Prezzy, not making much noise. Playing a supportive cast. But not in Guyana. No, no, no! In Guyana, we got a Vee Pee who does steal de spotlight. He shining bright, brighter than de President himself. Every Thursday yuh turn on de TV and de radio, there he is. Talking ’bout oil. Talking ’bout gas. Talking ’bout gold. Talking about de Opposition. Talking about any and everything. Like he’s de official mouthpiece of de government. Sometimes, he even talking ’bout things he ain’t got no business talking ’bout. Yuh does wonder if he sleep with a microphone under he pillow. People start to ask: who is de plate and who is de spoon? Who really running de show? De Prezzy or de Vee Pee? Dem boys seh, it look like de Vee Pee running a one-man band. He beating de drum, blowing de trumpet, and even singing de national anthem. De Prezzy? He just there, looking on, smiling, and nodding and shaking hands. Maybe he too polite. Maybe he too nice. Or maybe he just tired of trying to get a word in. Every time he open he mouth, de Vee Pee done talk. Done explain. Who knows, probably even done decide. Dem boys seh, it’s like watching a magic show. De Vee Pee does make de President disappear. Poof! Gone! All yuh see is de Vee Pee waving he wand, making promises, and giving assurances. He everywhere. In de markets, in de schools, even in yuh dreams. But dem boys seh, one day de Prezzy go wake up. He go exercise he authority. And when that day come, de Vee Pee go have to take a seat. Until then, we just got to enjoy de show. Dem boys seh, in Guyana, we always got something to laugh about. And right now, de biggest joke is trying to figure out who really running de kitchen. Is it de plate or de spoon? Talk half. Leff half. Related Similar Articles

Three months later…No update on Exxon’s second audit report Jul 29, 2024 News Kaieteur News – The Government of Guyana is yet to provide the nation with an update on the audits in terms of the specific penalties the oil companies will face for misusing Guyana’s oil profits, three months after they were made public. The Kaieteur News reported on April14th of this year that after a campaign by the newspaper that lasted over a few months the government finally released the audit reports to the public. Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo at his Thursday April 11th press conference told the media that the reports are available online via the Ministry of Natural Resources website. Since their release the reports which cover the years 1999-2017 and 2018-2020 respectively, several cases of inflated costs and gross misuse of the oil funds were unearthed by the auditors and highlighted by the media. On Thursday at his weekly press conference the VP was asked by the media if there were any updates in relation to the audits that he could provide to the public. He questioned “Audit findings? No. I am not reporting on audit findings here. I will not report on audit findings.” The Kaieteur News has been leading calls for the audit reports to be released, along with members of civil society, as well as the political Opposition. Stakeholders are of the belief that the government was hiding the corrupt actions of the oil companies that were exposed in the audit reports done by a British firm, IHS Markit followed by the second audit conducted by VHE Consulting for a review of US$1.6B and US$7.3B, respectively. Notably, the first audit report recommended that the Government of Guyana (GoG) disallow US$214M in costs being claimed by Exxon for the misuse of Guyana’s oil profits and failure to justify expenses. Meanwhile, the report by VHE Consulting- Ramdihal & Haynes Inc; Eclisar Financial; and Vitality Accounting & Consultancy Inc- also highlighted a number of areas where the oil company misused the country’s oil revenues. Government has since indicated that it will be heading to arbitration over the questionable US$214M sum, since the operator is refusing to accept the audit findings. In the meantime, the process is still ongoing between the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Exxon on the findings of the second audit. It is important to note that some of the major expenses racked up ExxonMobil between the period 2018 and 2020 are not included in the second audit report, completed by the local consortium, VHE Consulting. The key data missing from the audit report is however detailed in the first report done by an international firm, IHS Markit. That firm was hired by the Coalition government to audit the company’s 1999-2017 expenses which totaled US$1.6B. While Financial Analyst and Certified Accountant, Floyd Haynes confirmed during a radio interview with the Kaieteur News that, “We have detailed schedules of all of those things. What I can tell you is that those were some areas that we looked at keenly – drilling, mud, all those types (expenses), helicopters and we benchmarked them against industry standards.” These are not present in the report that is available online, and a member of the team had confirmed with this publication that the number of pages online and what was handed over do not add up. This has led to question as to whether the full report was released. Jagdeo was asked about this and he maintained that the full report for the second audit conducted by local consortium VHE Consulting was published online, despite auditors said that around 40 pages of the original document are missing. He explained that, “The auditors said to me…I asked the Ministry of Natural Resources, did you put up the whole report that you received from the auditors? They said to me, yes we uploaded the full report.”Jagdeo went on to say that he was informed that the management report was a separate document and the auditors advised that it be kept out of Exxon’s eyes. “They said the management report is separate, we got a letter from the auditors, we were told by the auditors and then we got a letter to confirm it. Ensure that ExxonMobil does not see it. That’s it. So they told me and I believed them more than the Kaieteur News so if you can’t identify the person who told you that I’m not responding to it. Let’s move on.” However sources close to the process explained that approximately 40 pages of the audit report have not been included in the document that was made public by the government. The source told Kaieteur News, “The audit team submitted a detailed report of approximately 170 pages, including a manager’s report to the Ministry.” The document available online however consists of 135 pages. Related Similar Articles

England sweep series 3-0 after Wood finishes off West Indies resistance Jul 29, 2024 Sports Mikyle Louis throws his head back after edging to slip (Getty Images) (ESPN Cricinfo) – Mark Wood’s breathtaking post-lunch spell netted him a five-wicket haul and put England on the brink of another comprehensive victory over West Indies, which they sealed inside three days at Edgbaston. Whereas his relentless rockets at Trent Bridge had jaws on the floor but yielded just two wickets for the match, his mastery of a reverse-swinging ball in the hour after lunch accounted for all five remaining West Indies wickets for 19 runs in the space of 39 balls. Wood ended with 5 for 40 from 14 overs, his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests, to add to his 2 for 52 from West Indies’ first innings. The burst obliterated the efforts of Mikyle Louis and Kavem Hodge, who both scored half-centuries, as West Indies were left with a paltry 81-run lead. The run-chase was perfectly poised for England to Bazball their way to victory, especially with Ben Stokes opening in place Zak Crawley, who had left the ground for scans after injuring his finger while fielding. Stokes struck a staggering 57 off 28 balls as he and Ben Duckett, with 25 off 16, mowed down the target in 7.2 overs without loss for a 3-0 series sweep. England reached fifty off just 26 balls, equalling their team record posted at Trent Bridge. On this occasion, Stokes scored 41 of those runs. Duckett, seemingly tired of playing the supporting role after he was key to the fastest-fifty record in Nottingham, struck four boundaries in one Jason Holder over. Stokes, meanwhile, notched the fastest Test fifty for an England batter and joint third-fastest overall, off just 24 balls, and hit the winning runs, swinging a waist-high full-toss from Kraigg Brathwaite for six through backward square-leg, emphasising the one-sided nature of the series despite some encouraging passages of fight from West Indies. It was Stokes who had initially got the ball reversing in the morning session and he deployed Wood and Gus Atkinson – who had already claimed two wickets for the day – to good effect in the afternoon. Mark Wood is mobbed by his team-mates after claiming a five-wicket haul (Getty Images) With West Indies five wickets down and just 57 runs ahead, Joshua Da Silva hadn’t moved off his lunch-time score of 2 when he was rapped on the pad by a reverse-swinging yorker delivered at 90mph, umpire Adrian Holstock unmoved by Wood’s emphatic appeal and the batter surviving England’s review on umpire’s call. But Da Silva added just three more runs when Wood had him irrefutably out with a full ball moving in past the bat to strike low on the back leg in line with middle stump. A short while later, Wood’s reversing yorker ripped out Alzarri Joseph’s middle stump and West Indies were 162 for 7 with England scenting victory. It was sound justification for Stokes keeping Wood on for a rare sixth over on the trot and the move paid huge dividends with three wickets falling in the over. Wood struck first ball to remove West Indies’ remaining recognised batter, Hodge getting a thick edge on a late-reversing rocket to be caught behind by Jamie Smith. Then Wood sent Jayden Seales’ off stump tumbling for a three-ball duck to continue the procession, which he ended with another late reverse-swinging delivery which Shamar Joseph edged to Harry Brook at second slip. Louis and Hodge had steadied West Indies from 53 for 3 with a 72-run stand off 78 balls for the fourth wicket. They came together after Shoaib Bashir had accounted for Alick Athanaze, who managed to add ten runs for the day, including a four off Wood through third slip, where Brook got his hands to it but couldn’t hold what would have been a spectacular catch. Five balls after the reprieve, Bashir clipped Athanaze’s front pad with a ball that slid under his attempted sweep. Hodge gave West Indies cause for optimism based on his century at Trent Bride and he delivered with his second Test fifty. He struck back-to-back fours off Wood, one swung through midwicket and the other with a beautiful drive. Louis brought up his half-century with a slog-swept six off Bashir and he helped himself to another maximum off Bashir’s next over, clearing the boundary at long-off. While Stokes was getting the ball to reverse swing, he got Louis fending at one that pitched on a length outside off stump and edging to Crawley at second slip. Crawley was in the same position when he dropped Holder, on 12 at the time, off Stokes, injuring his finger in the process, but Atkinson removed Holder at the end of the next over with an inswinger that struck the front knee roll, the batter’s review failing when ball-tracking ruled it was umpire’s call on hitting leg stump. England 376 (Smith 95, Root 87, Woakes 62, Stokes 54, A Joseph 4-122, Seales 3-79) and 87 for 0 (Stokes 57*, Duckett 25*) beat West Indies 282 (Brathwaite 61, Holder 59, Atkinson 4-67, Woakes 3-69) and 175 (Louis 57, Hodge 55, Wood 5-40) by ten wickets Related Similar Articles

Bajans hand Guyana first loss by 9 wickets Jul 29, 2024 Sports Mavendra Dindyal 2024 CWI Men’s Rising Stars U19 50-Over Championship… Kaieteur Sports – Barbados broke the undefeated streak of Guyana yesterday, handing the table leaders a 9 wicket loss after a brilliant all-round performance at Arnos Vale Playing Field. In a low-scoring affair, batting first, Guyana were shot down for a tournament low 58 all out in 33.4 overs, thanks to sublime bowling from the Bajan trio of Kyron King (3-7), Zishan Motara (3-16) and Nathan Sealey (3-6)). Opener, Rampertab Ramnauth, top scored with 15 with Mavendra Dindyal 11 being the only other double figure score for Guyana. Barbados made light work of the chase, romping to 61-1 in just 7.5 overs. After losing opener Kyle Jordan (8) to lone Guyanese wicket-taker Johnathan Van Lange (1-26), Zion Brathwaite (28*) and Joshua Morris (23*) beat off the remaining runs with relative ease. Guyana will look to rebound on Tuesday versus Windward Islands. Related Similar Articles

Guyana finishes second at OECS Boxing Championships in St. Lucia Jul 29, 2024 Sports Abiola Jackman Kaieteur Sports – Guyana’s nine-member team of boxers that attended the recently concluded St. Lucia Boxing Association (SLBA) Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Boxing Championships at the Vigie Sports Complex in Castries did well to finish second in the Invitational Category. A tally of 14 points, decorated with four gold medals and two silver medals was enough for Guyana to claimed second place ahead of Barbados (13 points), who finished with 2 gold medals and equal amount of silver medals and a bronze medal. Topping the category in the two-day tournament was Trinidad and Tobago with a massive 33 points. They acquired 10 gold medals and two silver medals in an impressive performance. Additionally, Guyana’s Ryan Rogers was adjudged the Best Junior Boxer while his female teammate, Abiola Jackman was named Best Female Boxer. The other specials awards were: Best Schoolboy – Shawn Ramnath (Trinidad & Tobago), Best Youth Boxer – John Didier (St. Lucia), Best Male Boxer, Micheal Fidole (Martinique) and Best dressed Team – St. Lucia. In the main championships, St. Lucia won with a whopping 50 points (10 Gold Medals, 10 Silver Medals), Grenada was second with 18 points (9 Silver Medals) and Martinique finished third with 14 points (2 Gold Medals, 2 Silver Medals, 1 Bronze Medal). The 2024 OECS Invitational Boxing Championships, staged on July 26 and 27, was held in accordance with International standards, under the IBA approved regulations. Related Similar Articles

Commissioner of Police gives support to Kares One Guyana T10 Jul 29, 2024 Sports Commissioner of Police (ag) Clifton Hicken (left) and Romario Samaroo of FL Sport Kaieteur Sports – Commissioner of Police (ag) Clifton Hicken has committed to participating yet again in the second season of the Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast and ensuring the venues are safe spaces for families. The second installment of the pulsating tournament bowls off on August 3 at the Police Sports Club, Lusignan Community Centre Ground, and Queen’s College Ground, where the best 32 Tapeball teams in Guyana will be on show in a straight knock-out contest. In 2023, the Commission held the gloves behind the stumps during the Cricket for Charity Match, which President Dr. Irfaan Ali led at the National Stadium. That match returns on August 25, along with the finals of the main draw at the Stadium. In a Sunday press release, the organisers expressed immense gratitude for the support of the Commissioner and, by extension, the Guyana Police Force. “Based on feedback, we had no security issues on the field or play. We certainly aim to replicate such again, and the support of the Guyana Police Force and private security firms is critical in that endeavor. There is no entrance fee attached to these venues, so we always encourage people to come out with their families and enjoy the festivities of this community sport,” FL Sport expressed. Other match days will be the Round of 16 on August 4 at the Police Sports Club and Lusignan, while the quarter-finals return to the Enmore Community Centre Ground on August 11. Matches on August 3: MS-13 All-Stars v Team Corruption – QC Pitch 1 at 09:30h; Upsetters v GPL Inc – QC Pitch three at 09:30h; Montra Jaguars v Falcons XI – PSC at 09:30h; Street Ballerz v Village Rams – Lusignan at 09:30h; EC Express v Mahdia – Lusignan at 11:30h; Soesdyke XI v Airport XI – QC pitch one at 11:30h; Renegades Cricket Club v Tarmac Titans – PSC at 11:30h; Eccles All-Stars v Eastsyde – QC pitch three at 11:30h; Titans All-Stars v Stripling Warriors – PSC at 13:30h; PREMIER Insurance v Min. Housing – QC pitch one at 13:30h; Moruca Super Giants v Lil Rams – QC pitch three at 13:30h; The Guards v Mahaica Super Strikers – 13:30h at Lusignan; Green Scorpions v Avinash All-Stars – QC pitch one at 15:30h; Brooklyn Youth Strikers v Cotton Tree Die Hard – PSC at 15:30h; Diamond Gunners v TG Titans – Lusignan at 15:30h; The United Crew v Bartica Bulls – QC pitch three at 15:30h. The competition promises to be fierce, and a larger prize pool will entice the 32 participating teams. The champions will receive G$1.5 million, while the runners-up will receive G$500,000. Players will vie for the titles of Most Runs, Most Wickets, and Player of the Final. Each winner will receive a Smart TV and a $75,000 cash prize, all compliments of Regal Stationery. Assuria Insurance is not holding back either, offering a motorbike and $85,000 to the Most Valuable Player. The Kares One Guyana T10 Blast enjoys the support of Kares Engineering, Banks DIH Limited, Star Rentals, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Montra Restaurant and Lounge, SuperBet, Demerara Mutual, ETS, Metro Office and Computer Supplies, Jacobs’ Jewellery, First Change Builders Inc, KFC Guyana, Building Expo 2024, Giftland OfficeMax, Sankar’s Auto Works, ENet, Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc., Trophy Stall, ANSA McAL Distribution, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security,  RS53 RestoBar and Lounge, General Marine, Samaroo Investments, and Coel’s Boutique. Related Similar Articles