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Labourer on $250k bail for allegedly raping a child Aug 10, 2024 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News Kaieteur News – A 24-year-old labourer of Affiance, Essequibo Coast, Region Two was on Thursday, granted $250,000 bail after he was charged with raping a minor. Saied Mohamed The accused, Saied Mohamed, appeared at the Suddie Magistrates’ Court before Her Worship, Tamieka Clarke to answer to the charge of Rape of a minor. The incident reportedly occurred on September 19, 2022 at Suddie, Essequibo Coast. Mohamed was granted bail with the condition that he is not to interfere with the victim. The case was adjourned to August 23, 2024 for the disclosure of statements. Related Similar Articles

Model for Silica City completed – President Ali Aug 10, 2024 News Kaieteur News – The planning model for Silica City, the government of Guyana’s first ‘smart’ urban city is completed President Irfaan Ali  disclosed on Thursday at the opening of this year’s International Building Exposition 2024 being held at the National Providence Stadium, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The Head of State was at the time speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2024 event themed ‘Building on the foundation of Sustainability and Unity.’ The smart urban city is located along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and was initiated by the President in 2009. “I remember it was in 2009 that we started to dream of Silica City, we started to put plans together, we started to think about how we are going to make it happen,” Ali said enthusiastically. President Ali recalled that even while he was in the opposition, the dream for Silica City never died, instead his party, along with planners worked hard to put together the smart city. He said, “We [Government] continue to add to the dream because we know that [by] the will of the people will allow us, one day to complete that dream.” The Head of State described the city to be, “a most desirable city that one may want to live in.” He said that over the years, the Government sharpened the edges in planning the framework for Silica City. President Ali noted the support received from partners in the process making specific mention of the School of Architecture and the University of Maimi. “…The University of Miami became our partners as we work on completing the comprehensive outlay of … [what] Silicia City will be,” he said. Furthermore, President Ali said that Silica City will be, “a city that is sustainable, resilient, the city that is naturally beautiful, the city that is modern and innovative, the city that is advance, in advance of its time, a city that will be built a hundred years ahead of what time will be, a city that will bring tremendous interest and position Guyana as one of the most sustainable story in urban development.” He continued, “It is built on nature, it is built on our culture, it is built on our tradition and it is built on innovation and sustainable development.” President Irfaan Ali at the opening of the International Building Exposition 2024 Related Similar Articles

Guyana Independence parade billed for Sunday in Brooklyn Aug 10, 2024 News Kaieteur News – The Guyana Independence Celebration Committee New York will host its annual celebration of Guyana’s 58th Anniversary of Independence on Sunday in Brooklyn, New York. This celebration comprises the Independence Parade, Flag Raising and Award Ceremonies and the grand Guyana Independence Unity Concert, organisers said in a press release. The Parade Starts at Church & Brooklyn Avenues in Brooklyn at 12 p.m (noon) and will proceed east on Church Ave to Utica Ave, and south on Utica Ave to Glenwood Road. The parade ends at Utica Ave and Glenwood Road, where the Independence concert will commence at 2:00 P.M., at 1450 Utica Ave, Brooklyn NY 11203 (between Glenwood Road & Farragut Road. According to organisers the flag raising and award ceremonies will precede the concert. The concert will feature prominent Guyanese DJs and artistes as well as a Caribbean international superstar artiste, to be announced later. “The Guyana Independence Committee New York will, at the award ceremony, present the customary Kaieteur Award of Distinction, and United States Congressional Proclamations, to outstanding Guyanese at home and in the diaspora for their outstanding service to the Guyanese American Community, and their contribution to the development of our nation and culture,” the release read.  “This celebration is the largest Guyanese celebration outside of Guyana, and the second largest West Indian celebration in New York City, after the Labor Day parade. Each year, our celebration attracts thousands of attendees, and over one million online viewers via our website and social media.   We look forward to all Guyanese and friends of Guyana celebrating our nation’s independence journey with the diaspora! Should you require additional information visit celebrateguyananyc.com.” Related Similar Articles

House approves $40B more for Govt. spending Aug 10, 2024 News Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh Kaieteur News – The National Assembly on Friday evening approved an additional $40B spending for the government, following a nine-hour long debate in the House. Consideration of Financial Paper One, for Current Estimates, totaling $8,566,812,000 commenced shortly after 11:00 hrs. with Prime Minister, Mark Phillips and Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha facing questions on respective allocations for power generation and operational costs to support the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). Meanwhile, Financial Paper Two for Capital estimates totaling $32,182,604,021 was debated in the House from 13:15hrs until 20:30hrs when the House approved the sum. After copping the largest portion of this year’s $1.146 trillion Budget, the Ministry of Public Works was granted $7.5B more for road projects, sea defences, stellings and reconditioning of ferry vessels. The sum of $1.6 Billion in supplementary funding was approved for Sea and River Defence works, $297.4 Million for the support of operations of the Transport and Harbours Department, $159.2 Million towards completion of the Bartica Stelling and $680.5 Million to pave the way for crucial upgrades to Ferry Vessels. Further, another sum of $904.8 Million for the construction and rehabilitation of hinterland roads and $600 Million for the completion of infrastructure for the critical supply of water to hinterland communities were also approved by the National Assembly. The National Assembly also deliberated on the supplementary provision of $77.5M for the Ministry of Labour to make outstanding payments to the Board of Industrial Training. Another $16B was approved for the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and another $1.1 Billion to support the electricity companies in Linden, Lethem, Mabaruma and Matthew’s Ridge. The agriculture sector was also given a boost of $10.8B with GuySuCo alone to receive $9.5B. The National Assembly also approved $2.3 Billion to settle outstanding payments owed to a number of suppliers of goods and services to various Government agencies for several years. The Ministry of Finance in a statement said the additional funding will assist in its “Continued robust economic expansion in key sectors to move ahead.” Related Similar Articles

Exxon looking to buy two more FPSOs from owner by year-end Aug 10, 2024 News FPSO Prosperity Kaieteur News – ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is now looking to purchase the other two Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSOs) Prosperity and Liza Destiny that are operating offshore Guyana in the prolific Stabroek Block. EMGL currently has three FPSOs operating offshore. The three vessels were contracted from Dutch ship-builder SBM Offshore and leased from the company. Last year Exxon purchased one of the vessels and is now gearing up to purchase the other two. SBM made the announcement on Thursday. According to SBM, ExxonMobil Guyana has indicated that it is contemplating the exercise of its contractual purchase option to acquire FPSOs Prosperity and Liza Destiny in the second half of 2024, ahead of the end of the maximum lease terms in November 2025 and December 2029 respectively. The Liza Destiny was built to the tune of US$1 billion while FPSO Prosperity costs approximately US1.6 billion. “Should the purchase of FPSOs Prosperity and Liza Destiny occur in 2024, the guidance will be revised accordingly once the final details of the purchase are confirmed,” the company stated. First oil was on December 20, 2019 at the Liza Destiny. The vessel was designed to produce some 120,000 barrels of oil per day with a storage capacity of 1.6 million barrels. After debottlenecking activities, Exxon increased this to 150,000 barrels per day. FPSO Prosperity is designed to produce 220,000 barrels of oil per day, with an associated gas treatment capacity of 400 million cubic feet per day and a water injection capacity of 250,000 barrels per day. It will be spread moored in a water depth of about 1,900 meters and will be able to store around 2 million barrels of crude oil. The vessel, which measures 342M in length, 60m in width, and 25m in height, has a minimum lifespan of 20 years. Roughly 4,000 persons have been working on the FPSO which weighs 110,000 metric tonnes. FPSO Destiny To date, SBM projects in Guyana, includes FPSOs Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, Prosperity, and the upcoming ONE GUYANA. Exxon had recruited the services of Japanese ship builder, MODEC, for its fifth FPSO, Errea Wittu. However, back in April, SBM had announced that it secured a contract with EMGL to build and install Guyana’s sixth FPSO Jaguar, the Whiptail development. Kaieteur News had reported that last year, EMGL purchased Liza Unity last year for the sum of US$1.3 billion. SBM had said the purchase occurred a few months ahead of the end of the maximum lease term, in February 2024. SBM said the purchase allows ExxonMobil Guyana to assume ownership of the unit while SBM Offshore will continue to operate and maintain the FPSO up to 2033. That transaction comprises a total cash consideration of US$1.26 billion. The net cash proceeds will primarily be used for the full repayment of the US$1.14 billion project financing and as such will decrease SBM Offshore’s net debt position. SBM said via a statement that the Liza Unity had been on hire since February 2022 and up to 2023 it was operated through the integrated operations and maintenance model combining SBM Offshore and ExxonMobil’s expertise and experience to deliver outstanding operational performance. Related Similar Articles

Roxanne Myers awarded $2M for wrongful arrest Aug 10, 2024 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News …AG files notice of appeal   Kaieteur News – Former Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Roxanne Myers was on Friday awarded $2 Million in compensatory damages for wrongful arrest and detention. Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, SC The ruling was handed down by High Court Judge Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall. According to reports, back on October 6, 2020, Myers turned herself in at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters in the company of her lawyer Nigel Hughes, after the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had issued a wanted bulletin for her questioning in relation to the investigation into the alleged fraud of the March 2 General and Regional Elections. Former Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Roxanne Myers Hughes had told this newspaper that when his client arrived at the CID she was arrested and exercised her right to remain silent when the allegation of obstructing justice was put to her. She was reportedly taken into a room where a video recording interview was conducted. Thereafter, the lawyer said that his client was then placed in a vehicle and taken to the Beterverwagting Police Station, East Coast Demerara, where she was put in a cell and detained until October 9, 2020. Following the ordeal, Myers through her lawyers had initiated a civil case seeking damages for her arrest. The judge found that the arrest and detention was unlawful and a contravention of Myers’s fundamental right under Article 139 of the Constitution of Guyana. While the judge awarded compensatory damages, she did not award exemplary damages. Moreover, on Friday afternoon the Attorney General Chambers issued a document disclosing that the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, SC has filed a notice of appeal of Justice Morris-Ramlall’s ruling. According to the document, the grounds for appeal inter alia, is that the judge erred in law finding that there was no reasonable basis to arrest and detain Myers, that the judge erred when she held that the evidence before her did not support any reasonable basis for the arrest and detention of the former GECOM official. The AG is arguing that the judge erred by concluding that Myers’ refusal to cooperate with the police could not be seen as perverting the course of justice. “…judge erred when she held that (Myers’) refusal to answer questions about the Guyana Elections Commission’s Statement of Polls from March 2020 elections could not be seen as perverting the course of justice,” it was further stated. As it relates to the orders being sought, the AG is seeking to set aside part of the decision by Justice Morris-Ramlall; that Myers pays cost and any other order that the court may deem fit. Related Similar Articles

T&T firm that ‘screwed up’ Conversation Tree project blacklisted from Govt. projects – VP Jagdeo  Aug 10, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said that the Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) firm that had its contract terminated for failing to complete the Conversation Tree road project, will not be getting any further government contracts. The VP made the revelation during his weekly press conference where he stated that the government has already recovered all its resources from that contractor. It was reported in the media that the Guyana Government was forced to terminate the contract it signed with a Trinidad and Tobago firm for the western section of the Conversation Tree Road project following months of delays and other setbacks. The government through the Ministry of Public Works has now engaged the other contractor who was working on another section of the road to complete the remaining works. At his latest press conference, the VP told the media, “The Trinidadian contractor will not get any more work because they have already not completed this work, we have made it clear we terminated a contract. This contractor was working at the airport (CJIA) too, we had difficulties there. We made it clear that’s how we treat them.” Kaieteur News had reported that the $1.8 billion road project which entails the construction of a four-lane carriageway from the East Coast Highway to Delhi Street, a double-lane carriageway on the reserve west of Delhi Street for northbound traffic, concrete revetments between the East Coast Demerara Highway and Railway Embankment with concrete drains on both sides of the proposed roadway between the railway embankment and Delhi Street, and two large concrete bridges to create a link to Dennis Street, is divided into two lots. The project which was awarded by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office last year saw that Lot 8A of the project was awarded to S. Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc. to the tune of $1,066, 358,738, while Lot 8B was awarded to Trinidad’s Kallco Guyana Inc. to the tune of $830,293,458. It was reported that in June this year, the contract with Kallco was discontinued. Responding to questions posed by Opposition MP David Patterson on the project, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill revealed last month that the contractor was then paid $465,223,474 which translates as 56% of the contract sum for advance work. Edghill further revealed that no liquidated damages or other penalties were applied, since the government reached an “amicable settlement” with the contractor. The minister claimed too that his ministry took possession of $153, 600, 000, worth of equipment from the company to cover the recovery of the outstanding monies owed on the advance payments. Further, in response to Patterson, Minister Edghill revealed that a new contract was awarded to S. Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc via sole sourcing to the tune of $844,027,988. Meanwhile, as it relates to an airport project, back in August 2021, Minister Edghill had witnessed the signing of a contract with Kallco Guyana Incorporated valued over $513.7 million for the construction of an office building there at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. Related Similar Articles