Blog

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall  (Photo: News Room/November 2, 2022)

She explained that at this meeting, the vendors and the ministry agreed that the stalls inside of the market will be built according to the vendors’ request. During a previous meeting between the two parties, the vendors shared their dismay with the sizes of the stalls. Though the size has not changed from 4×5 feet in dimension, the vendors welcome the ministry’s effort to consult before construction.

With this new agreement, the vendors hope they can soon return to selling in the comfort of their stalls.

The vendors moved out of the market in February 2022 and were told this would only be for seven months. Now, they are faced with challenges such as rain and customers not being able to find them at their temporary location.

On Friday, the vendors went to the Lusignan market for the weekly ‘market day’ sales. Nanjanie Meusa said she is still frustrated with the long wait but hopeful that she can soon return to the market.

“It really, really hard on us because they promised that they will finish the market in a short time and we still out here punishing,” she complained. The woman said she has to pay $1,200 to travel to the market every day and when it rains they are very uncomfortable.

Stalls for the fish section of the market being constructed

Another vendor, Annie Samsir said she prefers to wait for a solid structure than to rush and be uncomfortable.

“We want the market done but we have to wait. We can’t hurry because they have to take their time and make it because we want everything to be okay when we go in. not when we go in we can’t be properly,” she said.

While the displaced vendors await the construction of their stalls, the western side of the market will soon be under construction. Minister of  Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall has said that the construction of the third phase will be completed in about three or four months.

Contracting firm – Mohamed Rahim and Sons – undertook the $63 million project. The contract to rehabilitate the market was awarded in November 2021.

the overseas-based Guyanese woman, whose body was found at the Leguan foreshore one week ago after she was dropped off at the airport to return to Canada, in fact never checked in for her flight.

Instead, CCTV footage seen by the News Room shows that after she was dropped off at the airport, she was seen boarding a taxi.

The taxi, the News Room understands, dropped the woman off at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.

Dead: Roma Dookeran

Dookeran, 68, was a retired manager and lived in Canada. She was reportedly in Guyana to transact business and reportedly stayed at Perth village on the Essequibo Coast.

Two Tuesdays ago, her nephew dropped her off at the airport, reportedly to board an American Airlines flight to New York and then presumably to board a flight from there to Canada.

At the airport, the CCTV footage shows her exiting a car driven by her nephew; they hugged and he pats her on the head. She waves and blows him kisses and the car drives off. The woman did not have any suitcases, just a bag in her hand.

Instead of proceeding inside the airport to the departure lounge to check-in, she proceeds to the arrivals area and boards an official airport taxi. That taxi, the News Room understands, dropped her off at the Pegasus Hotel.

Her whereabouts after that are unclear at this time, but three mornings later, last Friday, her semi-nude body was discovered at around 08:00 hrs on the foreshore of the island of Leguan in the Essequibo River.

According to Police Headquarters, the woman’s nephews, Manoj Seree, a 45-year-old driver from Essequibo Coast and Baishan Lall Kuarlall, a 45-year-old Medical Doctor of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, positively identified the body when it washed up.

An autopsy on Friday determined that the woman died from brain hemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the head and compression to the neck.

Police Commander of Region Three, Mahendra Sewnarine told the News Room on Friday that the Police are now treating Dookeran’s death as a murder but no arrests have so far been made.

declaration that the suspension of the Chairman and members of the PSC by President Dr Irfaan Ali was contrary to and in violation of the Constitution of Guyana, in particular articles 225 (6) and 210 (3).

Justice Persaud, in his ruling, reasoned that the issue should have been put to the tribunal of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for ventilation but there is no JSC in place.

In this instance, the Judge said that the doctrine of necessity would have to be invoked to validate the President’s actions.

Justice Gino Persaud

“The President does not have an unfettered discretion to suspend, as his suspension power only exists on the advice of the prescribed authority and or a decision of the tribunal.

“After the question of removal has been referred to the tribunal, it is still the independence of these constitutional office holders that they ought not be easily dismissed, removed or suspended except in the manner prescribed by the Constitution,” Justice Persaud said.

Slowe and the former PSC members were represented by attorneys Selwyn Pieters, Dexter Todd and Dexter Smartt.

“It seems apparent that the framers of the Constitution in their infinite wisdom, sought to create a mechanism which ensures due process and security of tenure, so that the membership of the Police Service Commission could not be easily subjected to arbitrary behaviour,” the Judge said.

Among other things, the Judge found that the President breached Slowe’s constitutional right for protection and due process.

The parties will have to file submissions on costs by April 14, 2023.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, had earlier challenged the naming of President Ali as a respondent since the Constitution shields him from prosecution through presidential immunity articulated under Article 182 (1) of the Constitution.

In September 2021, Justice Persaud upheld this constitutional shield and ordered that Dr. Ali’s name be removed from constitutional action.

There were attempts to get the Court to delay hearing the case pending the outcome of an appeal filed against a judgement from the Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, SC.

Justice George, in that ruling, upheld President Dr Irfaan Ali’s appointment of Patrick Findlay as the new Chairman of the PSC as well as his appointment of the Integrity Commission.

Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton has appealed that judgement, claiming that the Chief Justice erred and misdirected herself in law when she so ruled.

In March 2022, Justice Persaud dismissed an interlocutory application by AG Nandlall seeking the dismissal of the constitutional action brought by the former PSC.

Nandlall had contended that the action which was filed in July 2021 could not proceed to finality because the PSC expired one month later in August 2021.

In his ruling, Justice Persaud said it was not logical or fair to throw out the substantive case because the life of the Commission had ended.