Blog

General Secretary of the PPP/C, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, highlighting the number of stories on the intelligence-led operations

Dr Jagdeo noted that when the government got hold of the information, several actions were taken almost immediately to begin to uncover the major players in the illegal activities.

“Maybe six months ago or so, I said to you we are paying serious attention to gold smuggling because when the issue of decline in declarations came about, the President had several meetings with participants in the sector…and we said there’ll be consequences to people,” the General Secretary explained.

Further, Dr Jagdeo lambasted the media for their poor coverage of the fruits of the labour of intelligence officials in finding those directly involved.

“The undercover operation has started yielding the individuals now and it was a major, major operation that has gone on for nearly six months. But it goes without much notice in the newspapers because it doesn’t support the narrative that this government [has not] been looking into all of these issues,” Dr Jagdeo argued.

A little over a month ago, Dr Jagdeo in his capacity as Vice President, stressed the need for the strengthening of the gold exportation system as well as the ramping up of charges and penalties to tackle gold smuggling.

He noted that concerted efforts have enabled local authorities to pinpoint new tactics being used by gold smugglers.

Some of these efforts include the establishment of a task force and a rigorous assessment of gold declarations being made from time to time. The task force, which is comprised of the Attorney-General, the Minister of Finance, the Commissioner-General of the GRA, the Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Governor of the Central Bank and representatives of the Guyana Gold Board, have already found loopholes in the existing regulations and have begun work to tighten the loose ends. (DPI)

The post Undercover operations puts dent in gold smuggling rings – Jagdeo appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Without subsidies, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) would be forced to increase electricity rates, but Opposition Leader Aubrey Aubrey Norton Friday said he supports the discontinuation of any and all government subsidies to the power company.

His comments come one day after Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo said that subsidizing fuel costs for GPL was part of the government’s plan to keep electricity costs down and shield Guyanese from global increases for key commodities.

Utility bills were kept stable, Jagdeo reminded, with a US$70 million subsidy spent on fuel with further plans to cut current electricity costs by 50 per cent in another year.

But on Friday, Norton, while saying subsidies should be given to vulnerable citizens, also outrightly called for subsidies to agencies like GPL and the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) to stop.

He said these entities should be made to be economically viable. But Jagdeo explained that should Guyanese be asked to pay the utilities at the true cost for production, it would put more pressure on their pockets.

Norton argued it was a case of poor management.

“The objective will be to make them economically viable so they don’t become a burden on the nation’s resources,” the Opposition Leader said.

He called for a “clear plan to move the agency from being subsidized to being financially viable”, and proposed to have that plan which will at the right time be backed by the necessary studies and tests.

Norton said, however, that it is his belief that while not all citizens, the vulnerable should benefit from subsidies in their utility bills. He will not support discarding subsidies to some categories of citizens and households.

“What we will not allow is an abuse of it,” Norton said.

The post Subsidies keeping down cost of electricity but Norton wants them gone appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Akeem Fraser was on Friday remanded to prison after he was charged with the murder of transgender sex worker, Shawn Anthony Simon. Fraser, 31, a resident of Meadow Brook Gardens, Georgetown appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

He was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge and was remanded to prison until Monday, July 22.

Fraser is one of two suspects who the Police were advised to charge with the crime.

The other suspect, Shaggy Mohamed, 23, is currently on remand on a robbery charge at the Lusignan Prison. However, due to his absence in court on Friday, the charge will be read to him at the next court hearing.

Simon was killed at approximately 02:00 hrs on July 11, near King Street and South Road in Georgetown. At the time, he was accompanied by another sex worker, who goes by the name Unruly Lilwattie.

The News Room was reliably informed after investigators examined the spent shells that were discovered at the crime scene it was found to belong to two firearms, a P80 9mm pistol and an Elite Britain 9mm pistol.

During questioning, one of the suspects provided investigators with details of how the shooting unfolded.

Fraser was a passenger in the car that was used to commit the crime. The car was driven by Mohamed. However, upon further investigations, detectives established that Fraser also shot at Hooper.

Fraser said Mohamed claimed he and Hooper had a problem. He did not provide details.

The post Man, 31, remanded for murder of sex worker appeared first on News Room Guyana.

An 11-year-old boy died on Thursday after he accidentally fell off a horse he was riding and was dragged through the savannah at Hiawa Village, Central Rupununi, Region Nine.

Dead is Cansius Constance, a Grade Six student of the Hiawa Primary School. The incident occurred around 11:00 hrs.

Information reaching the News Room indicates that the child was riding his horse with a rope when he accidentally fell off the horse’s back.

Before falling to the ground, the child’s foot became entangled in the rope.

The horse then dragged him about 500 meters through a savannah before coming to a halt.

Upon being alerted, the child’s 18-year-old sister rushed to his assistance. However, he was discovered motionless.

A doctor was immediately summoned and the child was pronounced dead.

Upon examination, the News Room was told that Police observed several bruises on the child’s body.

Statements were obtained and the child’s body was escorted to Lethem Hospital mortuary awaiting an autopsy.

The post Boy, 11, dies after dragged by horse appeared first on News Room Guyana.