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See below the full release from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security: 

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, through its Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), has conducted in depth investigations following the sad demise of 14-year old Aleena Preetam who died between February 22 to February 23, 2026, weeks after giving birth to a baby girl.

Investigations suggest the possibility that the father of the baby might be a teenaged boy under 18 years old. DNA tests have been scheduled to assist with the determination of paternity. The baby has been placed into the foster care system. CPA is following up with the Guyana Police Force and Office of Director of Public Prosecution on next steps.

When the CPA was made aware of the under-age pregnancy in September 2025, a Forensic Interview was conducted with Aleena at Blossom Inc. during which she made certain statements. She received medical care at the regional hospital. A referral was submitted to Blossom Inc. requesting victim support, court preparation support, and trauma focused counseling.

Aleena was the subject of a previous intervention by the Childcare and Protection Agency in 2024 following reports that she was allegedly being physically, verbally, and sexually abused by her father. She was removed from her parents’ home in Region 2 and placed in the temporary care of her older sister in Region 3 and caregiver agreement was concluded. The matter was reported to the Guyana Police Force and following investigations, the father was charged. On 11th November, 2024, the matter was heard at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court and the father was remanded to prison.

On 6th December 2024, upon the application of Aleena’s mother, the Essequibo High Court granted bail to the father in the sum of $350,000. The High Court Order stipulated that the accused and anyone on his behalf, including the applicant mother, should not make any contact whatsoever with Aleena or go within 100 feet of her. It was further ordered that Aleena should remain in the care and control of her elder sister in Region 3 or with any other person that the Childcare and Protection Agency so directs. The matter is still pending.

Blossom Inc. reported to CPA that on the 11 December 2024, they contacted Aleena and her sister who indicated that they were well adjusted and did not wish to receive any counseling.

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security continues to work with the Childcare and Protection Agency to bolster operations and increase its staff complement particularly in the regions where case load is high. Recruiting staff in some regions is often challenging. Training is ongoing. There are plans to strengthen coordination on the operational support provided by key partners, including Blossom Inc and ChildLink.

The statutory framework is being enhanced with amendments already drafted to the Sexual Offences Act. These amendments will be tabled shortly in the National Assembly.

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Opener Ushardeva Balgobin scored the lone half-century on the opening day of the Guyana Harpy Eagles three-day practice match in preparation for the upcoming West Indies Four-Day Championship.

Playing at the Everest Ground, Tevin Imlach XI made 180 with Balgobin making 59. Matthew Nandu XI closed on 6-0 with openers Nandu and Navindra Persaud safely negotiating three overs.

Click here to view photos 

The left-handed Balgobin tempered his natural attacking instincts, facing 140 balls and striking six fours and two sixes. He added 24 for the first wicket with Raymond Perez, who made 20 off 41 (4x4s).

Balgobin and Imlach then proceeded to add 91 for the second wicket, but once they were separated, the innings went into decline with the last eight wickets falling for 39 runs.

Imlach made 36 off 72 (2x4s), Mavindra Dindyal 24 off 61 (2x4s) and Tomanni Caesar 21 off 44 (3x4s).

Bowling for Matthew Nandu XI, national youth player Romario Ramdeholl picked up 3-39, Zeynul Ramsammy 2-0, Chanderpaul Ramraj 2-26 and Aryan Persaud 2-57.

The match continues on Friday and ends on Saturday, with play starting at 09:30h on both days, weather permitting.

A second practice game will be held at Everest on March 17-19, with the third set for GCC from March 22-24.

The Guyana Harpy Eagles are the reigning West Indies Four-Day champions, having won the last three championships on the trot and eight of the last 10 titles.

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Children with kidney disease in Guyana will have access to life-changing dialysis treatments that let them go to school, play, and live a normal childhood.

This will be possible through a new initiative led by Dr. Areefa Alladin at the Georgetown Public Hospital. It will offer, for the first time, peritoneal dialysis, a treatment that allows children to undergo dialysis at home through the public healthcare system.

“Children need to need to go to school. They need to have a play, they need to sleep, they need to grow and eat. We think peritoneal dialysis will be the best option for children,” Dr. Alladin said.

Dr. Alladin’s passion for caring for children living with kidney disease has led her to dedicating years of research and study abroad focused on kidney disease for both adults and children.

Having returned to Guyana after seven years, Dr. Alladin joined her Alma Mater, the University of Calgary to secure the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) Sister Renal Centres Grant, launched at the hospital on Thursday, in keeping with World Kidney Day, to improve kidney care here. The grant can overtime hit a maximum of US$60,000.

This two-year pilot programme, which focuses on both children and adult kidney care, aims is to train healthcare professionals in pediatric dialysis techniques, and establish automated peritoneal dialysis systems for home use. It will also help provide hemodialysis capacity for children who require it and ensure access to essential medications, and therapeutic monitoring for effective treatment.

Nurses and specialists will be trained to deliver these treatments safely, following newly established protocols and guidelines particularly for child care as it differs from adults. Dr. Alladin emphasised that this initiative is part of a larger plan to create a comprehensive pediatric kidney care center.

But she also recognises that care for children with kidney disease differs by case and therefore, the objective is to develop the various options. Additionally, the programme caters for kidney transplant options.

“We will train people to do kidney biopsies, testing for those conditions that we need to diagnose, having access to electron microscopy, and immunofluorescence, so that we can diagnose children with kidney disease, diagnose adults with kidney disease, and support our transplant program,” she said.

Importantly, Dr. Alladin said ensuring medication is available at all times and can be properly administered is paramount. 

Dr. Julian Midgley from the University of Calgary, an international partner in the project, praised the program.

“We are supporting Dr. Alladin as she establishes this life-changing programme, and our teams will collaborate virtually and in-person to ensure its success,” he said.

The programme will position the Georgetown Public Hospital as a regional leader in pediatric dialysis, offering care that was previously unavailable in Guyana and paving the way for support across the Caribbean.

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Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman repeatedly halted lines of questioning Thursday in the extradition proceedings involving U.S.-indicted businessmen Nazar Mohamed and his son Azruddin Mohamed, telling the court that the defence appeared to be engaging in a “fishing expedition” and “building castles in the sky.”

The exchanges occurred during continued cross-examination of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sharon Roopchand-Edwards at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

During questioning, Siand Dhurjon pressed the witness about contracts between the Government of Guyana and two U.S.-based lobbying firms — Continental Strategy LLC and DR Consulting.

Roopchand-Edwards confirmed that the Ministry entered into contracts with both firms and that, in her role as Permanent Secretary, she facilitated payments to them.

When Dhurjon attempted to link those contracts to the extradition request for the Mohameds, prosecutor Herbert McKenzie objected, arguing that the defence had not shown the relevance of the line of questioning. Dhurjon maintained that he was seeking to establish that the Government may have hired lobbyists to influence thinking and support the extradition request made by the United States.

But Magistrate Latchman stopped the questioning.

“You’re not a good fishing person,” she told Dhurjon, indicating she would not allow what she described as a fishing expedition unless the defence could demonstrate clear relevance to the extradition inquiry.

At one point, Magistrate Latchman questioned the relevance of the line of questioning, asking whether it was “fish, flesh or red herring” before ultimately disallowing it.

The magistrate also said the defence appeared to be “building castles in the sky”, warning that the court would not permit speculative questioning.

Roopchand-Edwards, meanwhile, told the court she was not aware that lobbyists had been hired specifically to guarantee the extradition of the Mohameds.

The courtroom exchanges came as Dhurjon continued to challenge aspects of the witness’s evidence, including her handling of the envelope containing the extradition request documents from the United States.

Roopchand-Edwards said the envelope containing the documents had been opened in her presence by a marshal before being handed to her.

Dhurjon suggested inconsistencies in whether the envelope had been sealed or unsealed when it was received, prompting the magistrate to review the record of questions and answers.

After the exchange, Roopchand-Edwards clarified that the envelope had been unsealed when it was handed to her, explaining that the marshal opened it in her presence before passing the documents to her.

Earlier in the proceedings, Magistrate Latchman also refused a request by the defence for additional disclosure of documents in the case.

Dhurjon had asked the court to revisit its earlier decision, arguing that material from the U.S. State Department suggested the existence of a contract between the Government of Guyana and a lobbying firm.

However, prosecutors Glenn Hanoman and McKenzie objected, saying the defence had already received the necessary disclosure and was attempting to search for irrelevant material.

Latchman declined the application and directed that the cross-examination continue.

More questions not allowed

 

When cross-examination resumed Thursday afternoon, several additional questions from defence attorney Roysdale Forde, SC, were disallowed by Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman as he sought to probe the preparation of a statement signed by Permanent Secretary Sharon Roopchand-Edwards on November 27.

Roopchand-Edwards told the court that the statement was prepared in consultation with a lawyer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs using a template for extradition matters and that a draft was reviewed before the final version was completed and signed.

Forde attempted to question the differences between an earlier draft and the final statement, but prosecutor McKenzie objected, arguing that there was no draft statement before the court as an exhibit. Magistrate Latchman upheld the objection, ruling that cross-examination on the contents of a draft statement would not be permitted.

Further cross-examination was deferred as the hearing adjourned until Friday morning.

The committal proceedings form part of the extradition inquiry into Nazar Mohamed and Azruddin Mohamed, who are wanted in the United States on multiple alleged financial offences, including wire fraud and money laundering.

The post ‘Fish, flesh or red herring?’ – Magistrate blocks questions on lobbying contracts in Mohamed extradition hearing appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Vurlon Mills Football Academy Inc. (VMFA) announced on Thursday the launch of the Exchange Cup 2026, a marquee youth tournament designed to bridge the competitive gap between local youth football and the wider Caribbean.

The tournament is scheduled to run from March 29 to April 1 at the Camp Ayanganna Ground in Georgetown. It will feature a condensed, high-intensity format of 62 matches played over four days.

The Exchange Cup marks a significant step in regional sports diplomacy, featuring elite youth academies and clubs from: Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Lucia

By bringing together diverse playing styles and cultures, the VMFA aims to provide a litmus test for local talent. “At VMFA, we believe that young players must be given opportunities to test themselves against different styles of play, cultures, and levels of competition,” the academy stated.

The initiative is positioned as a cornerstone of Guyana’s long-term footballing vision.

Organisers emphasise that the tournament is not a standalone event but part of a broader development strategy intended to create professional pathways for South American and Caribbean youth.

“Exposure to regional competition allows our young athletes to grow, learn, and understand what it takes to compete beyond our local environment,” the VMFA announcement noted.

Beyond the pitch, the exchange is expected to strengthen ties between Caribbean football associations, potentially leading to more frequent cross-border collaborations and scouting opportunities. (MODIFIED PRESS RELEASE) 

 

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Scotiabank has completed the rollout of its new enhanced ATMs, also known as Intelligent Deposit Machines (IDMs) at its branch locations. These advanced self‑service terminals are designed to make everyday banking faster, safer, and more convenient for clients.

The introduction of IDMs represents a major step in the Bank’s ongoing commitment to modernizing its service channels and expanding 24/7 access to essential banking solutions. “These enhanced ATMs allow us to deliver a smoother, more efficient client experience,” said Nafeeza Gaffoor – Country Manager, Scotiabank Guyana Inc. “By investing in intelligent deposit technology, we are giving clients the ability to complete transactions quickly, securely, and at their convenience,” she continued.

Smarter, Faster, More Convenient Banking

The new Intelligent Deposit Machines provide a suite of upgraded features, including:

Envelope‑Free Cash and Cheque Deposits

• Customers can now deposit cash and cheques directly into the machine—no envelopes required. IDMs automatically count cash, scan cheques, verify deposit amounts, and provide printed images on receipts.

Real‑Time Deposit Processing

• Cash deposits are available instantly or within minutes, while cheque images are transmitted digitally for faster clearing.

Expanded Self‑Service Transactions

• IDMs offer a wider range of functions, including transfers, loan and credit card payments, bill payments, and balance inquiries – creating a “mini‑branch” available 24 hours a day.

Enhanced Accessibility

• Machines feature large touchscreens, tactile keypads, audio navigation, multilingual prompts, and accessible height design to support customers of all abilities.

Supporting Digital Transformation across Guyana

The installation of Enhanced ATMs strengthens the Bank’s wider digital transformation strategy, providing clients with flexible, technology‑driven options beyond the traditional branch network. Businesses, in particular, will benefit from the ability to make secure, after‑hours deposits through IDMs.

“As client needs evolve, we are committed to meeting them with solutions that blend innovation, convenience, and security. These machines help reduce branch wait times, improve deposit accuracy, and give our clients more control over how and when they bank” added Gaffoor.

The first phase of Intelligent Deposit Machines has been deployed strategically at branches and with additional installations planned for the near future. Clients can visit gy.scotiabank.com or follow @ScotiabankGuyana on Facebook for further updates on the new ATMs.

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PRESS RELEASE || Keron Sandiford, after two weekends of intense competition, won the National Open Chess Championship Qualifiers, while young Kataleya Sam took home the first-place prize in the Women’s Qualifiers.

The 2026 National Open Chess Championship Qualifiers and the Diamond Fire-sponsored Women’s Chess Championship Qualifiers concluded on Sunday, March 8, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall to determine the top nine positions in each category who will move forward to the championships.

Sandiford delivered a dominant performance, finishing with an impressive seven points in the eight-round classic tournament. He demonstrated profound strategic depth and technical skills, securing definitive victories against seasoned senior players, including FM Anthony Drayon, CM Ronuel Greenidge, and junior player CM Sachin Pitamber.

His only setback in an otherwise flawless run occurred in the seventh round; a hard-fought loss to Kyle Couchman was the sole factor that thwarted his bid for a perfect score.

Securing second place was Drayton, who finished with a hard-fought 6.5 points. FM Drayton showcased his vast experience to navigate a competitive field of both senior and junior players.

His only setbacks were his loss to Keron Sandiford in the third round and a strategic draw in the seventh round against Greenidge. Couchman, the reigning National Junior Chess Champion, secured third place with six points from the eight rounds of play.

As one of Guyana’s most seasoned junior competitors, Couchman recorded crucial victories against counterparts Kim Shing Chong, Alexander Zhang, and Keron Sandiford. He also managed draws against CM Pitamber and CM Greenidge, with his sole defeat coming at the hands of FM Drayton in the fifth round.

Fourth place went to Greenidge, who secured five points after the tie-breaker calculations. Greenidge recorded four commanding wins, though he conceded matches to Kishan Puran and Keron Sandiford in the first and fourth rounds, respectively.

He also fought to strategic draws in the sixth and seventh rounds against FM Drayton and Couchman. Also finishing on five points was Jaden Taylor, whose strong tie-break score earned him the fifth-place position.

Taylor enjoyed an excellent showing, with his only losses coming against the tournament’s top three finishers.

Sixth place went to CM Pitamber, who also concluded with five points. Pitamber played nearly flawless chess throughout the event; however, despite securing crucial draws, he slipped to sixth after a fifth-round loss to Keron Sandiford and being forced to miss the sixth round due to illness.

Rounding off the top nine, Rolex Alexander secured seventh position with five points, followed by Alexander Zhang and Leslie Campbell, who both finished with 4.5 points to claim eighth and ninth spots respectively.

In the Women’s Category, 12-year-old Kataleya Sam produced a flawless and commendable performance, finishing with an unbeaten seven points across eight rounds of play, making her the youngest female to win the National Women’s Qualifiers.

The reigning Under-14 and Under-16 Girls’ Champion played immaculately throughout both weekends, securing notable victories against WCM Jessica Callender and Ciel Clement in rounds five and six.

She also navigated hard-fought draws against WCM Sasha Shariff and Treskolé Archibald in rounds three and four, while efficiently dispatching her opponents in the remaining rounds with seeming ease.

Securing second place was former National Women’s Champion WCM Shariff, who also remained unbeaten throughout the tournament to finish with a solid six points.

WCM Shariff’s years of competitive experience were on full display as she moved through the field with poised confidence, securing comfortable victories while navigating several hard-fought draws.

A particularly notable win came in the second round, where she defeated teammate and former National Women’s Champion WCM Callender.

Callender claimed third place due to the tie breakers with six points. She utilized a careful and strategic approach throughout the tournament, resulting in several hard-fought victories over her opponents.

Her only setbacks in the eight-round tournament were two losses against WCM Shariff and Sam in the second and fifth rounds, respectively.

Securing fourth place with 5.5 points after a gruelling tournament was Ciel Clement. As one of Guyana’s seasoned female competitors, Clement demonstrated her vast experience through a series of pivotal victories and strategic draws during the tournament’s most critical rounds.

Her tactical gameplay was on full display as she navigated the eight-round tournament. Securing fifth place is Sana Sreebalakumar, one of Guyana’s most promising up and-coming young players.

Throughout the tournament, Sreebalakumar displayed remarkable discipline and courage over the board, qualities that ultimately earned her a top position finish. She recorded a series of commanding victories and secured pivotal draws exactly when they were needed the most.

Rounding off the top nine positions were Archibald, Anaya Lall, Italy Ton-Chung, and Parnita Kishun, who all concluded the tournament with a competitive score of 4.5 points each. These players demonstrated resilience and skill throughout the eight rounds to secure their places among the elite qualifiers.

The top nine players from each category have earned a well-deserved place from a field of over 50 participants to qualify for the upcoming 2026 National Chess Championships.

The candidates in each division are vying to seize the national title from the reigning Open Chess Champion CM Taffin Khan and Women’s Chess Champion WCM Aditi Joshi.

Twenty players, including the respective champions, will be engaged in nine rounds of mental combat over the board in a single round-robin contest.

The championship battles commence on Saturday, March 14, at the David Rose Special School.

The GCF extends its heartfelt gratitude to Diamond Fire and General Insurance for their steadfast and invaluable support of women’s chess.

For several years, the company has served as the proud sponsor of both the National Women’s Chess Qualifiers and Championships, fostering the growth of the game in Guyana.

Special thanks are also due to the National Sports Commission for facilitating the use of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The top six boards for each category were live-streamed on lichess.org by John Lee, FIDE Arbiter and Technical Director for the GCF. Results and pairings were published on chess-results.com.

Visit guyanachess.gy to learn more about the GCF and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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The sisters of Caslene Toney have stepped in to raise her six children, aged three to 18, and help them navigate life without their mother.

Toney was brutally murdered by her husband last Sunday. She reportedly endured years of abuse at the hands of her reputed husband, Morris Hugh, the father of the six children.

“Her family is just trying to come together and help the children… try to support, guide them, talk to them and so on.

“It’s hard for us to maintain these children, but we have to,” Pearlencia Toney, Caslene’s sister recently said.

Pearlencia said the children are struggling to process their loss.

“They say they miss their mommy. The little girl, she’s not sleeping… and the bigger boy now, he’s not eating, he don’t want to eat nothing,” Pearlencia said.

Hugh is hospitalised under Police guard after allegedly carrying out the attack and attempting to take his own life.

The sisters are grieving the loss and are hoping that there will be justice for Caslene.

On the morning of the incident, Pearlencia said she was about to go collect a grater to prepare a family meal. The plan was to have the family come together to help another sister clean up her new home.

But before this could have happened, the news spread that Carlene was dead.

“I ran and started crying. I saw her right by the step. She lay down already dead, not to say she was breathing or nothing,” Pearlencia recalled.

Despite the grief, her sisters are determined to protect and nurture the children.

“I’m sorry for my niece… it’s so hard for me to mind them alone… It’s rough for us, but we’ll try to hold them together,” Pearlencia said.

Caslene is remembered as a kind and hardworking individual.

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Fast-bowling allrounder Javon Searles, Titans team owner Chitranjan Rathod, and team official Trevon Griffith have been provisionally suspended from all cricket after being charged with breaches of anti-corruption codes relating to the 2023-24 Bim10 tournament in Barbados.

The charges were brought by the ICC and Cricket West Indies (CWI) under their respective anti-corruption codes. All three individuals face charges linked to the Bim10 tournament, which is under the jurisdiction of the CWI anti-corruption code.

Griffith has also been charged with an additional offence relating to international matches under the ICC anti-corruption code.

Rathod faces three charges under the CWI code and Searles four, while Griffith faces four charges under the CWI code and one under the ICC code.

The trio have been charged with:

• Breach of Article 2.1.1 of the CWI code: fixing, contriving to fix or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or other aspect of matches in the Bim10 tournament in 2023-24 (or attempting to do so)
• Breach of Article 2.1.4 of the CWI code: soliciting, instructing, encouraging or facilitating Players and/or Player Support Personnel to commit offences under the CWI code
• Breach of Article 2.4.4 of the CWI code: failing or refusing to cooperate with a reasonable investigation carried out by the designated anti-corruption official (or his/her designee) in relation to possible offences under the CWI code.

Searles and Griffith have additionally been charged with Breach of Article 2.4.2 of the CWI code, which relates to “failing to disclose to Cricket West Indies details of any approaches or invitations to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of the CWI code”.

Griffith faces a further charge under Article 2.4.7 of the ICC’s code for allegedly “obstructing the ACU’s investigation into possible corrupt conduct by concealing and/or tampering with information that may have been relevant to the investigation, or which may have constituted evidence or led to the discovery of evidence of corrupt conduct”.

All three have 14 days from March 11, 2026, to respond to the charges.

The ICC said in a statement that these charges form part of a broader investigation that earlier saw USA batter Aaron Jones being charged with five breaches of the ICC and CWI anti-corruption codes.

The ICC added that it would make no further comment while disciplinary proceedings were ongoing.

Searles has represented West Indies Under-19s and played for Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL from 2014-19. He also featured in the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018.

Grriffith, who also represented the West Indies Under-19s, has played for Guyana Jaguars and Jamaica Scorpions at the First-Class level and for the Guyana Amazon Warriors and Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL. (ESPNcricinfo) 

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