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The trial into the March 2020 General and Regional elections continued on Wednesday with the spotlight on a video interview involving former Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield.

Sergeant Alwyn Jones who is attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) testified about interviews he conducted early in the investigation, which began after criminal complaints were filed.

A September 26, 2020, interview with Lowenfield was shown in court despite objections from his lawyer, Nigel Hughes.

In the recording, Lowenfield declined to respond to questioning.

When asked if he knew why he was being questioned, he admitted he wasn’t sure but wanted to know. Police informed him that he was under investigation for alleged election-related offenses.

During questioning, he was asked about receiving a letter requesting submission of the 2020 elections results report and whether he had reviewed documents from GECOM Chair, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh.

Lowenfield consistently replied with “I have no comment,” “I am not going to answer,” and “I have nothing to say.”

2020 elections fraud trial resumes, multiple defense attorneys absent

When presented with a document showing votes from contesting regions in districts 1 to 10 and asked to confirm a stamp, he again refused to comment.

During the interview, Lowenfield also declined to answer questions regarding letters requesting election result reports, documents from GECOM Chair or the methods used to determine vote counts across the regions.

He further refused to comment on how many reports he submitted to GECOM or whether he was receiving orders from anyone within the Commission, stating repeatedly, “I choose not to answer any question.”

The court also revisited an August 20, 2020, interview involving Lowenfield, Enrique Livan, and Carol Smith-Joseph.

Tensions arose as Hughes objected to the video being shown while Livan’s attorney, Eusi Anderson, was absent. Ultimately, the court admitted three discs containing interviews recorded between August and September 2020.

Aneishaw Mohamed, who is a witness in the trial joined the interview and identified Lowenfield and provided testimony on events during the tabulation process which involved Lowenfield.

Nine individuals are currently before the court, charged with conspiring to manipulate the election results in favour of APNU+AFC in an attempt to deny victory to the PPP/C.

Those charged include former government minister Volda Lawrence, Lowenfield, Mingo, and former Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers, among others.

The trial continue on Thursday.

The post ‘I have nothing to say’ – Lowenfield silent as key 2020 elections interview played in court appeared first on News Room Guyana.

A search is continuing for four Guyanese fishermen who went missing several days ago while in Surinamese waters.

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha told reporters at an event in Region Five, that Surinamese authorities have deployed patrols and helicopters in search of the missing men.

Mustapha said the government is deeply concerned about the situation.

“We are very concerned because, generally, when our fishermen encounter difficulties like these, we work along with our Coast Guard and other agencies to locate them. However, this incident took place in Surinamese waters,” he explained.

The Minister stated that he is awaiting further information from Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname regarding the incident.

Reports indicate that several days ago, the four fishermen set out on their regular fishing trip in Surinamese waters. During the trip, water began entering their boat, which eventually sank.

Minister Mustapha expressed hope that the search team will locate the missing fishermen alive and bring them safely back to shore.

 

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A Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara family is now homeless after a massive fire completely destroyed their home in the early hours of Tuesday.

The house was occupied by 42-year-old Riaz Ally, his wife, Jennifer Ally, 32, and their two children, Nazem, 5, and Azzqat, 4.

The Guyana Fire Service in a statement said it received a report of the fire at about 01:46 hrs.

The house after the fire (Photo: GFD/ October 22, 2025)

As a result, three tenders were dispatched to the scene at Block 9 ‘C’, Mon Repos, ECD. Upon their arrival, they began efforts to contain the blaze.

However, despite efforts for hours, the structure was completely gutted.

The family lost all their belongings in the fire, but no injuries were reported.

The Fire Prevention Department has since launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

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Guyana’s fishing sector has undergone massive changes with the implementation of technology to monitor fishing boats, a progression that has made surveillance simpler.

Randy Bumbury, a Fisheries Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture on Wednesday said the ministry has adopted the Vessel Monitoring system to improve the sector.

In 2024, the ministry procured artisanal vessel monitoring devices aimed at enhancing the security of fishing activities within Guyana’s borders. The devices were procured from Latitude Geospatial Consulting Inc. and Pelagic Data Systems.

“As usual, its normally licensed, we currently have 150 vessels that have been equipped with tracking devices, we have another 100 that will be equipped with more tracking devices, there we utilise the Pelagic Data Services for that particular management,” Bumbury said.

Boxes of the tracking devices. (Photo: Ministry of Agriculture)

In accordance with the Fisheries Act, vessels must be licensed annually.

“We have 28 vessels licensed for this particular period and all the vessels have onboard a vessel monitoring device,” Bumbury said.

He said the ministry will further incorporate the electronic single window to improve its systems. Drones are also being used by the ministry for coastal surveillance enforcement.

Additionally, Bumbury said that there has been a low up-take of women and youths in fishing but the sector remains strong with marine production maintaining its ability to meet market demands for fish, despite a ban on exporting catfish to the United States market and low catches due to climate change.

But according to Bumbury, there are still untapped areas for the sector.

“Guyana has extensive small levels of corals that can be found further out, fishers have been bringing up small or medium sized lobsters which demonstrates that there is a different potential out there,” he said.

He said research partners can assist the ministry with data to implement strategic approaches to fishing. He said the country hasn’t met its “full potential of what fisheries in Guyana can be”.

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The ‘Golf in Every School’ initiative has expanded to the island of Leguan, with the Region Three Education Department and the Guyana Golf Association (GGA) introducing the sport across all levels.

The expansion saw students and teachers at the nursery, primary, and secondary levels on the island receive instruction this week as part of the drive to broaden golf’s accessibility across Guyana.

Elizabeth Adams Petrie, Head Teacher of Leguan Secondary, championed the move and welcomed the new focus.

“The emphasis on golf in schools is refreshing,” Petrie said.

“We’ll use this as a stepping stone to continue our dominance in the sport,” referencing the school’s recent success as two-time national champions.

Akbar Chintu, Regional Education Officer for Region Three, praised the collaboration and noted the positive impact the sport is having on participation rates.

“The dedication shown by the GGA is something we embrace wholeheartedly. Golf is attracting more learners than ever and will soon be one of the dominant sports in the region,” Chintu commented.

GGA President Aleem Hussain, who has strong family ties to Leguan, confirmed the association’s long-term commitment.

He announced that the Westside Golf Course will be available for all Region Three schools’ physical education sessions.

The development programme will next focus on educators.

The GGA and the Education Department will host a dedicated Teachers’ Day on November 1 for nearly 200 staff, featuring golf instruction and celebration.

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The West Indies Women’s senior squad has commenced an intensive eight-week training camp in Antigua, marking the start of their preparation for a demanding 2026 calendar that culminates in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England.

Approximately 20 senior squad members gathered on October 20 for the foundational camp, which is designed to build the capacity required to sustain performance across a schedule featuring six international tours, 15 ODIs, and a Test match.

Head Coach Shane Deitz underlined the singular importance of this training window, emphasizing that fitness and individual development would be non-negotiable elements in the drive to secure a second T20 World Cup title.

“We only get this one opportunity to do this training period, and what we do now will determine our success next year,” Deitz stated. “One area we’ve got to get right is our strength and conditioning and team fitness. We need fast, athletic, and robust cricketers who can play the style of cricket we want, entertain the crowds, put on a massive show, and win lots of games.”

The camp is built around three core pillars: strength and conditioning, individual skill refinement, and fostering strong team culture and leadership. Small-group coaching is implemented to provide tailored attention, while Mental Skills Performance Coach Nadine Sammy oversees efforts to unify team goals.

Head Coach Shane Deitz

The squad’s demanding international calendar for 2026 includes:

• February: Hosting Sri Lanka (home series).
• March-April: Hosting Australia in an all-format series.
• May: Tri-series in Ireland, followed by the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England.
• July: Bilateral ODI series in Ireland.
• September-October: White-ball tour against Zimbabwe.
• December: Hosting Pakistan (white-ball series).

The Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, noted that the camp represents an “intentional investment” in high performance across the regional setup.

The intensive training in Antigua is scheduled to conclude the week of December 8.

After that, players will return to their territories for the Christmas period before the busy season officially begins. (Modified CWI Press Release) 

 

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The newly established Collateral Registry is now fully operational, marking a major step in transparency and security in the local financial and business sector. This was announced by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, during his weekly ‘Issues in the News’ programme.

With this new registry, individuals and businesses can now use movable property such as vehicles as collateral when seeking loans or credit. This includes transactions traditionally executed through hire purchase agreements, bills of sale, or other forms of credit sales.

The Collateral Registry comes under the Security Interest in Movable Property Act No. 20 of 2024

“This piece of legislation introduces a modern framework for the registration of security interests in movable property and represents a significant milestone in advancing Guyana’s business and financial regulatory environment,” Nandlall stated.

Nandlall revealed that the Collateral Registry had faced initial technical challenges, but those issues have since been resolved.

“That registry was not up and running because of some technical difficulties. I am pleased to announce that as of today [Tuesday], the registry is up and functioning,” he said.

With the system now active, bankers, retail suppliers, automotive dealers, and other businesses involved in credit-based sales can register their security instruments directly with the Collateral Registry.

In addition to launching the new registry, Nandlall also revealed that the Bills of Sale Act has been repealed. He further stated that in the past, bills of sale were among the most commonly used instruments for securing credit involving movable property, such as vehicles purchased on credit. Under the new system, these transactions will now be handled through the Collateral Registry, which ensures clear registration and enforcement of security interests.

“So you have a modern framework now through which you can access financing, and the banks, auto dealers, and businesses who are engaged in these transactions now have a modern framework within which they can transact their businesses,” the Minister said.

The Registrar of Commerce has since been instructed to issue a public notice announcing the functioning of the Collateral Registry. Training sessions have also been conducted for banking and commercial stakeholders, as well as staff members of the registry, to ensure smooth implementation and use of the new system.

 

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Guyana has been handed a challenging group for the 2026 Concacaf U-17 Qualifiers after being drawn alongside hosts Honduras, Bermuda, and Suriname.

The draw determines the region’s path to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with only the eight group winners from this stage advancing to the global tournament.

Guyana will be based in Honduras for the preliminary round from February 3 to 12, 2026.

Their match schedule is set to test them across six days:

• February 6: Bermuda
• February 8: Honduras (Hosts)
• February 11: Suriname

The competition, which involves 34 Concacaf Member Associations, employs a single-round robin format across eight groups.

The stakes are exceptionally high, as only the winner of each group will secure one of the eight spots for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Matches will be played across six host nations: Honduras, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Costa Rica, and Guatemala.

In the previous edition of the qualifiers, major footballing nations, including Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, and the United States, secured progression alongside Haiti, El Salvador, and Honduras.

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See below the full statement from Region Ten Tourism Committee Inc.:

The Region Ten Tourism Committee Inc. has been made aware of the issues involving our Vice Chairman Mr. Devin Sears involving the transportation of cannabis on October 20, 2025, as reported in media outlets.

We unequivocally state that we have no association with the alleged actions of Mr. Sears. While Mr. Devin Sears is a member of RTTC, his actions in this matter are personal and unrelated to the committee’s mission of promoting eco-tourism and regional development in Region 10. Mr. Sears has since tendered his resignation to the committee pending investigation.

RTTC is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity in promoting tourism in Region Ten. We will issue a further statement after consulting with members of the Guyana Police Force (E Division) to gain a clearer understanding of the events that transpired.

In the meantime, we urge the public to refrain from speculation and allow the investigative process to proceed.

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