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A new US$20 million National Control Centre is set to become the “brain” of Guyana’s electricity grid, giving Guyana Power and Light (GPL) real-time visibility and remote control of substations, power plants and transmission infrastructure across the country. While an official commissioning date was not revealed, when ready, the new National Control Centre will serve as a highly secure, modern facility for monitoring and managing Guyana’s electricity grid. The centre will allow operators to monitor the entire grid at both the transmission and distribution levels, providing real-time visibility of power flows from generators through to customers.
According to GPL, the facility will enable the utility to better manage the grid, identify potential issues and respond quickly to disruptions, helping to prevent interruptions to customers. This information was revealed during an inspection conducted by Head of GPL’s Executive Management Committee, Kesh Nandlall, along with Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Strategic Operations, Bharat Harjohn and Director Ryan Ross. Nandlall provided updates on the ongoing works and outlined the importance of the projects to the continued development of the company’s transmission and distribution network. He said that the facility is equipped with modern infrastructure and a building management system designed to control several aspects of the facility. “It’s a smart building. Everything in here is controlled by a building management system. So, you have temperature controls, cooling, heating, you have the security controls, ultra-central system, the water, fuel and so on, all of that. You have PV (photovoltaic) on the roof of this building, right, 160 kilowatts (kW) of PV. So, in our view here, it’s one of our infrastructures that we’re very proud of as a company when we built this out. And we’re just about to operationalise this building.” Meanwhile, Deputy CEO, Strategic Operations, Bharat Harjohn highlighted the capabilities of the facility, noting that it will be the first time GPL has a dedicated control centre capable of monitoring power flows across all of its substations. “…it’s the first time GPL will have a control centre on the power flow of all of our substations. Our existing control centre equipment are limited; we’re just trying to make use of it as much as possible. Most of our communication is via radio. Now, at this control centre, our communication is so set up that we have five optic cables connected to all of our substations, all of our power plants. So, whatever is happening at the power plant and the substation, all the devices that are connected there from the communication side, those signals come straight to the control centre.” The National Control Centre will allow GPL operators to remotely operate substations with the click of a button and monitor power flows from transformers and power plants in real time. The centre is expected to serve as the “brain” of the national grid, providing real-time information on power flows and disturbances and enabling operators to make informed decisions. Some responses will also be automated through the system’s self-healing capabilities, giving GPL greater visibility and control across the grid and improving the reliability of the power supply. The development will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will focus on monitoring the transmission network and substations, while the second phase will extend monitoring capabilities down to feeders, transformers and customer meters. Harjohn said the second phase of the project will focus on extending the monitoring capabilities into the distribution network.

“We [are] now [going] into a second phase, where we look at the distribution cycle. That is from the feeder all the way to the customer meter. So, we can now see straight to the customer meter [however] we do have some amounts of distribution management to our AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) system, which is kind of independent from here now.” The National Control Centre will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with staff monitoring the electricity grid around the clock. The facility is also designed to support continuous operations in the event that access to the building is disrupted, with provisions to accommodate staff for extended periods. This will require communication equipment to be installed throughout the distribution network. The overall objective is to have a fully functional smart grid in Guyana by 2030, with the National Control Centre serving as a key component of that transformation. Harjohn also explained how the system will respond to faults and disturbances on the grid. “If there is a fault on the line or at the power plant or at substation, which normally occurs, and that was we have disturbances and the system, the frequency started to drop and the system collapsed, here we are able to know where the fault originates from. And decision will be taken automatically as a first step to isolate. And also, we can do it manually to be able to isolate the fault. “And with the redundancy that we have in this transmission line, we will be able to at least send power to all the substations. So, as we re-power, at the same time, simultaneously, we’re repairing that fault. And that is why sometimes we can be backed up so fast.”

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Dear Editor,
The recent declaration by Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman that her court “will control its own pace” in the extradition proceedings involving United States-sanctioned and indicted Azruddin Mohamed and Nazar Mohamed should concern every citizen who values the efficient and orderly administration of justice.
No reasonable person expects a judicial officer to sacrifice fairness or accuracy for speed. However, the Chief Magistrate’s remarks cannot be considered in isolation from the history of these proceedings. The substantive hearing began in January 2026 and has been characterised by prolonged cross-examinations, repeated legal challenges and numerous adjournments. The prosecution has publicly complained about the duration of the process, even describing aspects of it as a “masterclass in delay.”
The approach of the superior courts provides a striking contrast. When related challenges reached the Court of Appeal, that court refused to suspend the extradition hearing and allowed the Magistrates’ Court proceedings to continue. The Caribbean Court of Justice subsequently dismissed the Mohameds’ appeal on July 29, 2026, clearing the way for the committal proceedings to proceed. It also dismissed an appeal to stop the case from continuing in the Magistrates court.
Those courts considered the substantial legal arguments placed before them, delivered decisions and permitted the underlying matter to advance. Yet, while the related litigation moved through two superior courts, the substantive proceeding before the Chief Magistrate continued at what many observers may reasonably regard as a snail’s pace.
Against that background, the assertion that the court will determine its own pace may appear dismissive of legitimate concerns about delay.
Judicial independence is indispensable, but it does not mean that a court is insulated from scrutiny or from the authority of superior courts. Neither should independence be invoked as a response to reasonable questions about judicial efficiency and case management.
The implications extend beyond this particular extradition matter. Courts derive their authority not only from the Constitution and the law but also from public confidence in their fairness, consistency and efficiency. Conduct or comments that create an appearance of disregard for legitimate concerns can diminish confidence in the judiciary as a whole and risk bringing the administration of justice into disrepute.
There are also broader economic consequences. Local and international investors consider the predictability, efficiency and credibility of a country’s judicial system when determining where to invest. A perception that high-profile litigants can keep significant proceedings tied up indefinitely could undermine confidence in Guyana’s ability to administer justice promptly and impartially.
Civil society, the wider judiciary, the Guyana Bar Association and other concerned stakeholders should therefore take careful note of the Chief Magistrate’s worrying remarks.
Justice must certainly be careful, but care and urgency are not mutually exclusive. Justice delayed remains justice denied.
Yours faithfully,
Cedric Lord

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Dear Editor,
Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman’s declaration that her court “will not be controlled by any mortal being” and “will control its own pace” raises a troubling question: does the Chief Magistrate believe that no person – and, by implication, no superior court – can require her court to proceed efficiently?
Judicial independence protects courts from improper interference. It does not permit a lower court to disregard the rulings, guidance or clear stance of courts above it. The Court of Appeal refused to halt the extradition proceedings against Azruddin Mohamed and Nazar Mohamed, while the Caribbean Court of Justice dismissed their subsequent appeal and allowed the proceedings to continue.
Against those decisions, the Chief Magistrate’s remarks create the unfortunate impression that she intends to proceed entirely according to her own timetable, regardless of the position adopted by the Court of Appeal and the CCJ. If that is not what she intended to convey, her choice of words was nevertheless extraordinary and deserving of scrutiny.
Equally troubling is the latitude being extended to the defence during its cross-examination of Senior Superintendent Prem Narine. According to reports, the defence submitted more than 300 pages on a disputed line of questioning, only to indicate later that it wished to withdraw the question. Prosecutor Glen Hanoman objected, describing the move as an abuse of the court’s process. He has also accused the defence of embarking on a “fishing expedition” and complained that the extended cross-examination is consuming excessive court time.
Why is questioning being permitted to range so widely, including into matters surrounding the arrest warrants issued by the Chief Magistrate herself? The court must certainly allow the defence to test the prosecution’s evidence, but it also has a responsibility to ensure that questioning remains relevant to the limited purpose of extradition committal proceedings.
These proceedings are not a trial of the underlying US charges.
Would an ordinary Guyanese citizen without the Mohameds’ immense financial resources be granted this degree of latitude? Would that person be allowed to consume days of court time with sprawling questions, voluminous submissions and repeated procedural objections? Or would the court firmly restrict the parties to the relevant issues and insist that the matter advance?
The apparent leniency is especially difficult to reconcile with Magistrate Latchman’s reputation for a firm, no-nonsense approach. In June 2025, entertainer Daniel “Baby Skello” Wharton was denied bail and remanded to prison for a lengthy period when he appeared before her on a blasphemous-libel charge connected to his song “Mother Laxmi Freestyle”. That episode demonstrated how decisively the court could act when dealing with a defendant of comparatively modest means.
Why, then, does a markedly different approach appear to be applied in the Mohameds’ case? Why are their attorneys seemingly afforded such extensive latitude while the proceedings continue month after month?
The judiciary, civil society, the legal profession and all citizens concerned about equal treatment before the law should examine these developments carefully.
Yours faithfully,
Attiya Baksh

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…verbally

As his Dear Readers would well know, their Eyewitness enjoys wordplay! So with the resumption of Sanction Man’s extradition case in the Magistrate Court – after an exchange of views between presiding Chief Magistrate Judy and the Special Prosecutor Hanoman – he was pleasantly surprised by the verbal felicity of the former to the needling of the latter!! He claimed too much time was being given to what was clearly a fishing expedition by Sanction Man’s legal hounds, and the case was dragging on and on…!!
The good Magistrate responded tartly that the case was of great significance to the nation, and as such, it can’t be rushed but must be given “careful and quality” consideration and (presumably) rumination!! “I am well aware of the timeline. I need no reminder of the timeline.” she said haughtily as she then delivered the punchline – “Justice delayed is justice denied, but again we must also recognise that rushed justice is crushed justice”!! Now if that ain’t verbal felicity, what is?? “Rushed justice is crushed justice”!!
The Rev Martin Luther King had resuscitated the 19th-century phrase uttered by British PM William Gladstone in Parliament – “justice delayed is justice denied” – in his famous “letter from a Birmingham Jail” while fighting for civil rights, and the phrase has endured. Now with Sanction Man using every trick in the book – and then some!! – to fight off being fitted for that orange jump suit in a Maimi Jail – we now have a corollary that can very well gain the same fame – “Justice rushed is justice crushed”!!
But then, to emphasise her point, the Magistrate then announced something which your Eyewitness must confess has baffled him a tad – “This court will not be controlled by any mortal within inside of this court or outside of this court. The court will never be controlled by any mortal being, only by divine intervention. This court will control its own pace”!! Well!!
His bafflement arises from the claim that the court is controlled by “divine intervention” yet that the court will “control it own pace” – when SHE is the court!! Is she gonna be receiving “divine guidance” as she makes her rulings, or is she saying she’s the “Divine One” herself??!! Now it can’t be the latter since if that were so, she would’ve been able to deliver judgements from on high to everything instantaneously – being omniscient, and all that!! So maybe she can’t be rushed because it’s gotta take time to listen to the Divine speak to her (in tongues?) and then decipher the instructions!!
But the Magistrate wasn’t finished with her verbal dexterity: she announced that it was for the “prosecution to advocate and for the court to adjudicate”!!
Only in Guyana!!

…against terror?
Well, yesterday was the 25th anniversary of 9/11 – which has become so notorious it’s easily the most recognisable date in modern times!! Every person over forty can easily remember where they were on that day in 2001 when that plane sliced through the first World Trade Center tower – and seconds later the second one!! Excluding the 19 Al Qaida hijackers, a total of 2977 victims perished in these defining suicide terrorist attacks!! And let’s not forget there were 25 Guyanese among them!!
But what makes the date more unforgettable is it was the beginning of what the Yanks launched and called “The War on Terror” – which became a kinda forever war!! By one estimate, it cost more than US$8 TRILLION and 900,000 lives – starting with the war in Iraq against Saddam Hussein and his never-found “weapons of mass destruction” and continuing in Afghanistan – long after Al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan!!
Interestingly, Al Qaeda’s still a force in Afghanistan, but we now have the “War on Drugs”!!

…with AI
After several Anthropic bots – called “agents” – were given a task by their human trainers, they broke out and hacked another AI company called “Hugging Face” on their own.
Several experts now say AI has a 10 per cent chance of ending humanity!!

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