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Another day, another Sanction Man contradiction!! From the news hitting your Eyewitness’ feed at dawn, the Leader Of the Opposition (LOO) has apparently discovered a new constitutional principle – the law must be applied equally to everyone – except when it’s applied to him!! Seeing as to how he’s only recently entered the political arena, is it a case of just plain ignorance about the law – or is it a continuation of the hypocrisy that typifies his smuggling world??
Here it was; he’s been complaining (bitterly, vociferously, and continuously) that the Government plays “favourites” in applying the law to all manner of things, from excavations to extraditions. Now, in all honesty – a word that has to be stretched when used in the same sentence as the LOO – all things being equal, that’s a perfectly respectable complaint, if one actually believes that laws should be enforced impartially and that nobody should receive special treatment!!
But time and again, we’ve seen that when it comes to Sanction Man, like with the not-so-small matter of not paying full taxes on his Lambo, etc, he demands an exception be made for him!! And that brings us to the present matter of his “go-fast” vessel!! When the Coast Guard did their job and hailed him and his MP posse on the Demerara River for the registration, Captain’s licence, and certificate of fitness of the vessel – documents that the law requires to be produced – the response was to ignore the law and “go faster” to his private wharf upriver!! The patrol claimed something was thrown into the river!!
By the time the law caught up with them, some passengers had already disembarked – including the Captain – who Sanction Man claims had the “papers”!! The Coast Guard then had no option but to take the vessel with its passengers to their nearby base for a thorough search for any illegal substances!! And that produced the delightful paradox of Sanction Man insisting this perfectly legal operation was “harassment”!!
With all that’s coming from the LOO, it seems Guyana needs a new category in its legal system – the Sanction Man clause, where every law comes with two interpretations, one for the Authorities and another for the LOO!! And the real test of whether the law’s being applied fairly is whether it inconveniences the LOO!! Now, your Eyewitness believes that nobody should be above the law – not Pressie, not a Minister, and certainly not the LOO in a go-fast boat without papers!!
So if documents are required, produce them, and if the authorities erred, challenge it through the proper channels!! But calling enforcement “harassment” simply because the enforcement officer happens to be looking in your direction does rather weaken the argument about favourites, innit??
Different strokes for different boats?

…charm
Dolly Parton’s passing reminds your Eyewitness that the American rags-to-riches story can occasionally be more than a cliché!! Born into extraordinary poverty in rural Tennessee, she rose to become one of the world’s most beloved entertainers – not through connections or inherited wealth, but through extraordinary talent, grit, and sheer hard work!!
Her gifts seemed almost unfairly plentiful; that distinctive and unforgettable singing voice and a remarkable gift for song writing – over 3000 of them!! AND an acting talent that made her as comfortable on the screen as on the stage!! And then there was ole Dolly herself – with the bosom, the glamour, the beauty, the wit, and the exuberant personality – all worn with a disarming lack of pretension!!
But perhaps her greatest achievement was what she did with her success. She didn’t just accumulate wealth, she gave away hundreds of millions of books into the hands of children!!
From rags to rhinestones, Dolly Parton remained, at heart, the little girl from the Tennessee mountains who never forgot where she came from.
RIP.

…Burial ground?
Your Eyewitness was shocked to see what the Bourda Cemetery looks like when cleared of all the bushes!! Wow!! His question is – with M&CC’s billion-dollar spending and the city unemployed – why can’t this be permanent??

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King Charles and Queen Camilla will be visiting Georgetown this October to participate in celebrations to mark 60 years of bilateral relations between the United Kingdom (UK) and Guyana. President Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday confirmed that His Majesty King Charles III has accepted the Guyana Government’s invitation and the request of the UK Government to visit Guyana in the latter part of October to mark 60 years of bilateral relations between the UK and Guyana. During the visit, King Charles will be accompanied by Queen Camilla. The visit will coincide with Their Majesties’ Autumn Tour announced by Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
According to the Palace, the tour will run from Tuesday, October 27 to Wednesday, November 4, 2026, and include a Royal Visit to The Bahamas, of which His Majesty is also Head of State, and then the State Visit to Georgetown. The British Royals will conclude the tour with a Royal Visit to Antigua and Barbuda to coincide with Their Majesties’ attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026. “Their Majesties’ Autumn Tour will celebrate communities, cultures, and nature within the Commonwealth family,” Buckingham Palace said.
This will be the first visit to Georgetown by any member of the British Royal Family in nearly 10 years after Prince Harry’s December 2016 Caribbean tour that included Guyana. King Charles first visited Guyana in 2000 as then Prince of Wales, during which he became the patron of the Iwokrama International Centre, supporting its mission of sustainable forest management and research. In fact, His Majesty has been an active participant and supporter of Guyana’s work in climate, environment, forestry and more recently, biodiversity. Only in January of this year, President Ali had met with King Charles at Buckingham Palace, where they engaged in discussions on ongoing collaborations in the areas of environmental protection, biodiversity, and climate action. “King Charles has recommitted his support to Guyana, lauded the work that we’re doing, and we came up, of course, with the priorities in these areas, that we will pursue and I exchanged ideas of how best we can bring financing, we can look at a biodiversity model that is market-based…and importantly, one in which we can build an ecosystem around,” the Guyanese Leader had stated following the engagement earlier this year. Through The King’s Foundation, the British Monarch is also supporting the advancement of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 including a major urban planning and sustainability initiative for Georgetown. Developed in collaboration with national and local stakeholders, the Framework Plan sets out a long-term vision to transform the capital city into a resilient, connected and inclusive capital city that balances heritage protection with modern, low-carbon growth. Under this plan, some of the city’s most pressing challenges including drainage and flood resilience, transport and mobility, urban expansion and the protection of historic buildings will be addressed. Working alongside the Office of the President and other key national stakeholders, The King’s Foundation said back in May that it has helped shape a strategy that reimagines Georgetown as a garden city, supporting walkable neighbourhoods and revitalising its historic waterfront via seven major projects.
These include plans for a new sustainable Demonstration Town Canal City, to structure future urban growth, a heritage-led revitalisation of the Transport and Harbours Building, improvements to Georgetown’s historic Stabroek Market and the surrounding district and a strategy to regenerate the Water Street riverfront corridor. Other initiatives focus on creating healthier and more accessible streets for walking and cycling in Georgetown, as well as developing innovative architecture that integrates nature-based climate solutions, such as the proposed Biodiversity Demonstration Building. A key element of the programme is Harmony Village and the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge, planned in the rural community of Moraikobai. Inspired by His Majesty The King’s long-standing commitment to sustainable communities, the project will support Indigenous-led development through education, enterprise and training in areas such as sustainable farming, traditional medicine, craft production and ecological stewardship. The Harmony Village, amongst other projects in Guyana supported by The King’s Foundation, were recently showcased in the landmark documentary feature film Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision from Prime Video. Together, the projects demonstrate how sustainable design, heritage conservation and community-led development can work together to support Guyana’s low-carbon future, according to The King’s Foundation.

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…ask CoA to halt Magistrate’s proceedings over constitutional appeal

…court to issue directions today

United States (US) sanctioned and indicted Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, are once again seeking to suspend the extradition proceedings against them as they challenge aspects of a February High Court ruling concerning the constitutionality of the Fugitive Offenders (Amendment) Act. The father and son returned to the Court of Appeal (CoA) of Guyana on Wednesday, asking the appellate court to stay the proceedings before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts until their substantive appeal is heard and determined. Their application arises from a ruling by Acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh, who found in February that Section 8(3)(B) of the Fugitive Offenders (Amendment) Act is inconsistent with the Constitution of Guyana, while upholding the constitutionality of the other provisions challenged by the Mohameds.
Previous attempts by the Mohameds to halt the extradition proceedings before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman, the High Court and the CoA were unsuccessful, with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) later granting an interim stay that was discharged after it dismissed their appeal in July.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, who represents the father and son, asked the CoA to intervene before the Magistrates’ Courts proceedings progress further. Forde told the three-member panel, comprising Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Roxane George, SC, Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud and Justice of Appeal Nareshwar Harnanan, that his clients were not asking the court to determine the substantive appeal at this stage. Instead, he argued that interim protection was necessary to ensure that the appeal could be meaningfully heard and that his clients’ liberty would not be affected before the constitutional questions are resolved. Forde expressed concern that the Magistrates’ Court could rely on what he described as “erroneous determinations” contained in the High Court ruling when continuing the extradition proceedings. He also referred to amendments made to the Fugitive Offenders Act, arguing that those changes could influence the proceedings before the substantive appeal is determined. The constitutional challenge centres on parts of Section 8(3)(A) and 8(3)(B) of the legislation.

Continue without interruption
The State opposed the application. Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC, urged the Court of Appeal to allow the extradition proceedings to continue without interruption. In making his case, Nandlall pointed to a recent decision of the CCJ involving the Mohameds.
The CCJ had dismissed an earlier appeal brought by the father and son concerning the validity of an Authority to Proceed (ATP) issued by the Home Affairs Minister under the Fugitive Offenders Act. In that earlier matter, the Mohameds challenged the ATP issued by Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond, arguing that the decision to initiate their extradition proceedings had been tainted by political bias.
The AG’s reliance on that decision formed part of the State’s argument against stopping the Magistrates’ Court proceedings while the latest appeal is pending.
The Court of Appeal did not determine the substantive constitutional appeal on Wednesday. Instead, after hearing arguments from both sides, Justice George indicated that the court intends to issue orders and directions today concerning the appeal. The development comes ahead of the scheduled resumption of the extradition proceedings before Chief Magistrate Latchman next Thursday, September 3. The Mohameds are seeking an urgent hearing of their appeal in addition to the requested stay, meaning the CoA’s forthcoming directions could determine whether the extradition proceedings proceed as scheduled or are paused pending the outcome of the constitutional challenge.
Azruddin Mohamed and his father, businessman Nazar Mohamed, are facing extradition proceedings in Guyana after the US formally requested their surrender in October 2025. A US federal grand jury in Florida indicted the two men on allegations including wire and mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and customs violations linked to an alleged US$50 million gold export and tax-evasion scheme. US prosecutors allege that the men evaded taxes and royalties on more than 10,000 kilograms (kg) of gold through falsified customs declarations and reused export seals. They have denied the allegations. The US is seeking their extradition so they can face prosecution on those federal charges.

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The World Bank has signalled its intention to enhance its partnership with Guyana in a number of areas, including health, education, poverty reduction, housing, flood mitigation, and food security.

This is according to the World Bank’s Division Director for the Caribbean, Achim Fock, during an engagement with President Dr Irfaan Ali and his Cabinet Ministers on Wednesday at State House in Georgetown.
According to the Office of the President in a Facebook post following the high-level meeting, “The World Bank team reiterated its commitment to working with President Ali and his Government to advance cooperation and partnerships on projects in health, education, poverty reduction, housing, flood mitigation and food security, among other areas.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, President Ali was joined by Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, and Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation Minister, Zulfikar Ally.
The World Bank official and his team are in Guyana as the World Bank’s Guyana and Suriname Country Representative, Diletta Doretti, wraps up her term here.
Some of the projects on which the bank and Government collaborated include the Guyana One Health, the Caribbean Efficient and Green Buildings, and the Human Capital Development and Integrated Transport Corridor projects.
Fock, an agriculture specialist, was recently appointed as the bank’s Division Director for the Caribbean. His role is to lead the bank’s strategic engagement and the operational portfolio across Caribbean countries, overseeing lending, analytical, and advisory work, and trust funds aimed at advancing sustainable and resilient development across the region.
The German national is qualified in the areas of agriculture and agricultural economics, while he also holds more than 25 years of professional experience with the World Bank. He managed the Development Effectiveness Unit for South Asia and was Senior Economist for several countries in Africa, East Asia, and Eastern Europe.
During his visit to Georgetown, Fock met with Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips at the Office of the PM.
Discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in support of Guyana’s development priorities, with emphasis on the energy sector and renewable energy.
PM Phillips was joined by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Dr Mahender Sharma.
Continued partnership
Fock also met with Minister Singh at the Finance Ministry on Tuesday. He was joined by the outgoing World Bank representative Doretti and her replacement, the incoming World Bank representative for Guyana and Suriname Juan Carlos Alvarez, as well as other officials of the international financial institution.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Minister Singh and the officials discussed continued partnership between the bank and Government, where he also expressed appreciation for the work already done over the last years as Government, and the financial institution liaised on several successful projects which contributed to not only transformation in various economic sectors, but allowed for much of the transformation countrywide.
Just last month, Minister Singh engaged the outgoing World Bank Resident Representative in Guyana and lauded her contributions to the country’s development during her four-year tenure.
During a courtesy call, the Finance Minister credited Doretti with helping to strengthen cooperation between Guyana and the financial institution while supporting the country’s national development agenda.
According to the Ministry, her tenure saw efforts to advance sustainable economic growth, human capital development and climate resilience. It also noted that the integration of the World Bank Group’s Operations and Institutional Offices in Guyana helped improve access to support for both the public and private sectors.
A release from the Finance Ministry in July highlighted several areas where collaboration with the World Bank produced results during Doretti’s tenure.
In education, the partnership supported the expansion and modernisation of secondary school infrastructure, while investments were also made in teacher training and digital learning tools aimed at improving learning outcomes.
Moreover, in climate resilience, the World Bank provided financing and technical assistance for coastal protection works, drainage rehabilitation and flood risk management projects designed to reduce the impact of climate-related hazards on vulnerable communities.
The partnership also focused on strengthening Guyana’s health sector by supporting improvements in public healthcare delivery during and after the COVID-19 pandemic while expanding access to quality healthcare services in rural and hinterland communities.
During the meeting, Doretti had reflected on her time in Guyana and expressed appreciation for the cooperation she received throughout her tenure. She also reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to maintaining its partnership with Guyana.
The World Bank is one of the international financial institutions which played a key role in supporting Guyana during its late 1980s and early 1990s economic crises that lasted throughout the tenure of the People’s National Congress (PNC). It took much work and dedication by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), which was elected to office in 1992, to lead the country out of debt.
During that period, the Bank assisted Government with reforms along with international financial programs that helped restore the country’s fiscal solvency and debt relief eligibility, a long road which has now led to where Guyana currently stands at economic and landscape transformation driven by offshore oil with a thriving and diversified economy.

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