Monday 20th
Fire guts Fullworks Auto Spares building
***FIRE of unknown origin gutted Fullworks Auto Spares building on Regent Street, Bourda. The building situated east of Golyn & Sons, and two lots away from Safeway Security on Regent and Oronoque Streets, housed a Chinese clothing store. Fortunately, the caretaker of a wooden house behind the store, Rusdale Farley, 38, was rescued by firemen who broke down the door and whisked her away to safety, before it was badly scorched by the fire.

Meanwhile, owner of the virtually destroyed building, Roshan Ali, told reporters he was not immediately certain what might have caused the blaze.

GDF promotes 88 officers, 260 other ranks
***EIGHTY-eight officers and 260 other ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) have been promoted effective January 1, 2014, according to an announcement from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). The said declaration informs, also, that in accordance with the Defence Act, Chapter 15:01 of 1977, Chief-of-Staff Brigadier Mark Phillips has announced that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Donald Ramotar, has approved the 42 officers and 96 other ranks being confirmed in their positions, while 46 other officers and 164 other ranks have been elevated in rank.

Frustrated lawyer accuses authorities of protecting ASL boss
***Lawyer Gino Persaud charged on Friday that the authorities, including the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), have been “protecting” ASL (Air Services Limited) boss Ahamad Mazahar Ally from the inception, of him, being charged with five offences. Ally, of Lot 64 New Haven, Bel Air, Georgetown, had pleaded not guilty to the five charges, namely: Insulting language, assault (two counts), threatening behaviour, and calling a person a name other than his own. Persaud told the court that the authorities, including the DPP, were written to on the matter, but he never received a response from anyone. This case has been adjourned to May 6.

Aircraft spotted 2.6 miles from takeoff point
***THE Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has been able to locate the exact area where a Trans Guyana Airways 700 Cessna Caravan 8r-GHS went down along with its pilot Blake Slater and cargo loader Dwayne Jacobs, on January 18 last. GDF Special Forces were moved into the general area and were cutting their way through to reach the location where the wreck is lying after being spotted from the air by the GDF 2 Chopper. However, despite sighting the craft it was difficult to get into the location so the Special Forces were transported to a proper point of discharge from where they began making their way on foot to the area.

Tuesday 21st
Passenger attempts to carry cocaine to US in Kerrygold milk powder packets
***JERMAINE Lowe, 24, a U.S-bound passenger, was busted with 15.308 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in Kerrygold milk powder packets at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. He appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and pleaded not guilty to the charge, but was remanded to prison until January 28, when he would answer to the charge at the Providence Magistrate’s Court.

President Ramotar commissions new $50M Ptolemy Reid Rehab Centre
***THE new $50M school building of the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre at 131-132 Carmichael Street, Georgetown was commissioned by President Donald Ramotar with the authorities promising to continue looking after those who suffer with disabilities. The services of the centre currently include providing dormitory, day care, audiology, special education, vocational training, occupational speech, and physiotherapy, besides orthotic and prosthetic appliances.

Body of missing man found during trench excavation
THE decomposed body of a man who was reported missing since Old Year’s Day was discovered in a weed-infested trench at Anna Regina Saturday morning. According to reports, the body was found while an excavator operator was clearing weeds from a drainage trench. A sister of the missing man identified his body at the scene. She said that her 49-year-old brother, Jaglall, was the father of two children and lived at Bush Lot Village behind the Anna Regina Multilateral School.

Three-yr-old child killed after truck ran over him
***A three-year-old child, Josiah Persaud, was killed on a street in the Charity Housing scheme after he was ran over by a truck. Reports said the child ran out from his parents’ yard onto the street and into the path of the moving truck. The child was immediately picked up by his father, Bobby, and rushed to the Charity hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Wednesday 22nd
Reunion moving to develop a plant in Trinidad
***REUNION Gold Corporation, the mineral exploration company engaged in the exploration and development of the Matthews Ridge manganese project, announced that it is seeking to develop a silico-manganese plant in Trinidad and Tobago to process manganese ore produced at Matthews Ridge. Historical records have disclosed that in the 1960s ore produced by the African Manganese Company at Matthews Ridge was taken to Trinidad, stockpiled there and then the raw ore was taken by ocean-going vessels to processing destinations in North America and Europe. Reunion Gold Corporation said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd, setting out the terms under which the parties will collaborate to evaluate the potential development by Reunion of a silico-manganese plant in Trinidad and Tobago.

Three rescued as trawler sinks in the Atlantic
***A trawler travelling from Georgetown to the North West District, Region 1, sank in rough seas some miles off the Pomeroon River mouth in the Atlantic Ocean last Sunday. According to reports, three men on the trawler were rescued by fishermen of Better Success and Westbury after drifting on a truck tyre for several hours in the murky waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They were brought to shore and are thanking God for being alive and for being spared a watery grave. Reports said the trawler was transporting a cargo of oil, lubricants and children’s clothing when it sank in rough seas.

Guyana, Haiti to lead economic growth in LatAm, Caribbean in 2014
***AS happened last year, the United Nations’ annual World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) Report 2014, has projected that Guyana and Haiti will take the lead in economic growth for Latin America and the Caribbean. Both countries are projected to grow by 4.5 per cent this year. According to the report, Guyana’s economy grew by 4.6 per cent in 2013, while Haiti’s was pegged at 3.5 per cent. Guyana has experienced seven years of consecutive economic growth.

60 months imprisonment for causing death
***LERON Griffith, 25, of Lot 809 Festival City, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving. The penalty was inflicted on him for having on Friday, May 31, 2013, at Mandela Avenue, also in the city, driven motorcar HC 2408 in a dangerous manner, causing the demise of Chinese national Feng Xue Fang.

Thursday 23rd
Former beauty queen remanded on same murder charge
***FORMER beauty queen Carol Ann Lynch, accused of killing her husband Farouk Razack on May 7, 2007, faced the charge, again, in court. Particulars of the capital offence said it was committed at Lot 106 Ireng Place, Bel Air Park, Georgetown, where then Swiss House Cambio managing director was found dead. Lynch had been previously charged for the same crime and the case was dismissed by then Magistrate Gordon Gilhuys on the basis of insufficient evidence.

Copa Airlines to fly Panama-Guyana route from July
***PANAMA-based Copa Airlines has announced the commencement of their service to Guyana starting in July this year. The Guyana route will begin operations with flights twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays, to Panama City, Panama, and passengers would have the leisure of booking connecting flights to a number of other destinations such as Montreal, Canada, Fort Lauderdale, Florida and New York. Copa Airlines serve at present 68 destinations in some 30 countries with over 300 scheduled daily flights in North, South and Central America and the Caribbean. It is recognised for its leadership in international connectivity, punctuality, quality of service and for having one of the most modern fleets in the industry. Copa Airlines was founded in 1947 as the national airline of Panama and is a subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A. as well as a member of the Star Alliance.

Suddie Hospital now boasts spanking new ambulance
***THE Government, through the Ministry of Health and the Region 2 Administration, handed over a brand new ambulance to the Suddie Hospital to help with the delivery of healthcare services to the region. At the handing over ceremony, which was held in the Regional Office compound at Suddie, Regional Chairman, Mr. Parmanand Persaud said the ambulance, which cost a whopping $11M, is testimony of the government’s massive investment in the healthcare sector, as well as its commitment to providing efficient and proper healthcare to the citizens of the Cinderella County.

Nothing new in Sheema Mangar murder probe: – Crime Chief
***NOTHING new has surfaced, to date, since the November 26, 2013 disclosure, by Crime Chief Seelall Persaud, that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was in receipt of the results of a DNA sample, sent to Barbados for testing, earlier in that year, to aid in the murder probe of bank employee, Sheema Mangar. The Deputy Commissioner (Law Enforcement) said, following the negative match, they do not have any suspect but, once new information is received, the investigations will continue. For now though, the probe has been temporarily suspended but they are in talks with Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack on a way forward. After the killing of the former Demerara Bank staffer, on September 10, 2010, potential evidence was dispatched overseas to be tested. Mangar was at North Road and Camp Street, in Georgetown, awaiting transportation when her Blackberry cell phone was snatched from her. The 21-year-old woman gave chase after the snatcher who entered a motor car that drove off and she placed herself in front of the vehicle, in an effort to stop it but was run over and dragged several feet before it sped away.

Friday 24th
Ganga Persaud resigns as Local Gov’t Minister
***JUST over two years since his appointment as Minister of Local Government and Regional Development by President Donald Ramotar, on December 5, 2011, Mr Ganga Persaud has announced his resignation. In a press statement, Minister Persaud cited personal reasons as the motivation behind the unexpected move. “My resignation as Minister of local Government and Regional Development is based on personal issues presently engaging my attention as well as some additional responsibilities to which I am committed,” he said.

11-yr-old student stabs classmate in eye
***ELEVEN-year-old Ishmael Pollard, a student of St. George’s Secondary School on Church Street, Georgetown, was stabbed in the left eye with a pointed object by another male. The pointed object penetrated deeply into the eye, causing the wound to bleed considerably. “His eye was very, very red, and there was blood on his shirt. He was rushed to the St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital, where his mother works as a nurse,” his father, Wilfred Pollard, told the Guyana Chronicle. The aggressor was taken home from school by his father, who informed the police that it was a case of self-defence. After initial treatment, Ishmael was discharged from hospital, but his parents have been advised to return him immediately in the event of an emergency.

Teenager refused bail on illegal gun, ammunition charges
***EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Alex Mendonca, a vendor of Lot 135 Vlissengen Road, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was refused bail in court on charges of unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition. He pleaded not guilty to both allegations which said, on January 21, at West Ruimveldt, he had one .32 Taurus pistol and 26 live rounds of matching ammunition, without being the holder of a firearm licence. The cases will be called again on January 27.

Driver in recent ‘father-and-son’ accident remanded to prison
***ESSEQUIBO Magistrate, Mr. Sunil Scarce remanded Deyal Singh to prison when he appeared before him at the Anna Regina Court to answer to a charge of ‘Causing Death by Dangerous Driving’ on two counts. According to a Police report, on January 17, Singh, of Perserverance Village, on the Essequibo Coast, drove in a dangerous manner to the public, killing Mumtaz Baksh, 72, and his son, Rafmat Baksh, 44 on the Land of Plenty Public Road. Singh is due to return to Court on February 19.
Saturday 25th
Young mother and newborn baby die within hours of each other at GPHC
***A PERSEVERANCE, Essequibo Coast family is mourning the death of their 24-year-old daughter, Jaiwanti Chanderpaul and her newborn, a mere 12 hours apart. The baby was born on Wednesday morning and died on Wednesday night, while the mother died at approximately midday on Thursday, without ever knowing that her child had died, according to Jaiwanti’s bereaved relatives. Delivery was allegedly induced on the woman, who was 26 weeks pregnant, in order to save both her life and the life of her baby, since she was having gynaecological complications; and she allegedly gave birth by caesarian section. The surgery was successful, relatives recall, adding that Jaiwanti had witnessed her baby in good health, and had communicated with her mother, Jenny Chanderpaul, who was at her bedside. Mysteriously, by Wednesday night, a few hours after delivery, the newborn had passed away; and within hours of that grave misfortune, Jaiwanti had also succumbed. Relatives are hoping that post-mortem examinations would reveal the cause(s) of their deaths.

PPP sees call for shut down of Linden as an attempt to wreak havoc
***The People’s Progressive Party took note of efforts by the Opposition to instigate a “shut down” of Linden through a protest yesterday. The PPP believes such a call by the Opposition, through its henchman Sharma Solomon, is nothing short of an attempt to wreak havoc, sow seeds of discord and promote an economic sabotage of the people of Linden, and should be condemned by Lindeners, and more so all Guyanese, forthwith.

10-year old charged with robbery under arms
***A TEN-YEAR-OLD boy, along with an adult, pleaded not guilty to a robbery under arms charge before Magistrate Sherdel Marcus- Issacs at the New Amsterdam Court. The minor, a Grade Five student, along with Hubert Elgin, known as ‘Squeeks’, a construction worker of 19 Vryman’s Erven , in New Amsterdam , is alleged to have been armed with a broken glass bottle when they allegedly robbed Coretta Lewis . The virtual complainant was walking along Main Street, in the New Amsterdam Township, when the duo allegedly snatched her handbag containing a blackberry cellular phone, a silver chain, and $98,000 cash on October 25, 2013. The minor was initially remanded to the Juvenile Centre, after the virtual complainant reported that she was receiving threats. But he was subsequently released in the custody of his mother, who was ordered to post $20,000 bail for him. Elgin was granted $100,000 bail. They are expected to return to Court on February 10.

Teenagers busted with grenades, rifle and ammunition remanded
***THE two teenagers found with grenades, a rifle and ammunition earlier this week, were remanded to prison. Kevin George, 18, of Lot 21 Costello Housing Scheme and Samuel Johnson, 17, of Lot 158 Curtis Street, Albouystown, also in Georgetown, both pleaded not guilty to three charges. One charge said, on Wednesday, January 22, at South Ruimveldt, without lawful authority or reasonable cause, they had one special concussion and one fragmentation grenade in their possession. Two other charges said they also had one M16 rifle and sixty-one .223 ammunition in their possession when they were not holders of firearm licences. The case was adjourned to February 11.