The week that was (Big, Big head) –Chronicle Weekend Roundup with Telesha Ramnarine

MONDAY, 11

Cops make 154-lb cocaine-in-fish bust at CJIAHIGH drama unfolded on the West Coast Demerara when ranks from the Police Narcotics Branch came under fire from a businessman they were approaching to effect an arrest following an earlier cocaine bust at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The businessman was identified as one Mohamed who usually exports frozen seafood, mainly to the United States. The man asked one of his employees, a labourer whose name was given as Komal Ramgobin, to oversee a shipment of frozen fish that was to be loaded on a Caribbean Airlines flight at the CJIA. However, he was observed acting in a suspicious manner by Police Narcotics Branch ranks.

Bandits target Route 32 minibus
-–rob all hands on board

PRESIDENT of the Guyana Press Association Neil Marks was among several persons in a minibus who were robbed by two bandits, who were armed with a handgun and ice pick. The minibus, which was travelling from the West Coast Demerara to Georgetown just after noon, stopped to pick up two male passengers at the Vreed-en-Hoop junction. When the minibus reached East Bank Demerara in the vicinity of Eccles, the bandits began robbing those who were seated next to them and directed the driver to turn off the public road to a desolate roadway that leads to the National Milling Company, NAMILCO where everyone was robbed.

Mother, son shot in South Ruimveldt home invasion
A MOTHER and her teenaged son were shot and injured by bandits who invaded their South Ruimveldt Gardens home with intent to commit an armed robbery. A police report said three men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, broke into the home of 39-year-old Manya Valenzuela at Cadet Lane, South Ruimveldt Gardens. Valenzuela is an employee of Air Services Ltd. On entering the home, they confronted Valenzuela and her 19-year-old son, Donovan, who put up a gallant resistance but both he and his mother were seriously injured. Manya Venezuela sustained three bullet wounds, one to the chin, another in her shoulder, while the third struck her neck, grazing the esophagus. The woman’s son, Donovan, was shot in the right instep.

TUESDAY, 12

City remains a ‘ghost town’ as Guyanese await elections results
AS expected, a number of people around Georgetown remained indoors as the city appeared like a ‘ghost town’ following the General and Regional Elections, while the results of the poll were being anxiously awaited. During a drive around the city, popular businesses remained closed, and hardly anyone could be seen walking the streets. Apart from businesses being closed, some schools were closed as well.
Hope, ECD teen attempts suicide on family farm
DOCTORS at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) are battling to save the life of 18-year-old Rameshwar Samaroo of Hope Backdam, East Coast Demerara, who admitted to ingesting a dangerous substance, thought to be gramoxone. Rameshwar’s mother, Vidya Samaroo, said Rameshwar and his brother, Navin, would normally get up early in the morning and head down to the backdam to help their father, Dasraj, water plants and offer other assistance on the farm. But on Monday Rameshwar did not wait for his brother; he left on his own for the farm, riding his bicycle. After he had not been seen or heard from, his brother, Navin decided to go down to the farm. There he was confronted with the ghastly sight of his brother lying on the ground vomiting up black stuff, rolling and groaning in pain.
Civil unrest flares in ‘C’ Field, Sophia
THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) have commenced joint patrols in an effort to safeguard citizens following several incidents that occurred outside several polling stations in the city, and especially in Sophia. The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) had to retreat when they came under attack by an angry mob in ‘C’ Field, Sophia, while responding to a report of a fire outside the home of Church of Christ Pastor, Narine Khublall. His vehicle was set alight after irate villagers reacted to a misleading report alleging that he was storing ballot boxes on his premises and was operating an illegal polling station. Meanwhile, several vehicles were reportedly torched while debris was placed on the roadway and the riot police and villagers were exchanging gunfire.
WEDNESDAY, 13

Essequibians form new fishing organisation
A NEW fishing organisation has been formed on the Essequibo Coast to represent all fishermen, and develop the industry in the Supenaam-Pomeroon Region. Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Alli Baksh, and Minister of Labour with responsibility for cooperatives, Dr. Nanda Gopaul met recently with more than 80 fishermen in the Regional Boardroom at Anna Regina and discussed several issues affecting the fishing industry in Region 2. Minister Baksh, who interacted with the fishermen, suggested that they form themselves into a broad-based organisation so they can apply for funding to develop the fishing industry.

CARICOM accredits new Mexican envoy
THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Mexican States solidified diplomatic relations with the accreditation of His Excellency, Ivan Roberto Sierra-Medel, at the Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat here in Georgetown. CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque reflected on the longstanding relationship between CARICOM and Mexico. That relationship, the release says, goes back to 1974 when the Spanish-speaking country became the first with which CARICOM established a Joint Commission that facilitated the promotion of economic, cultural and technological cooperation.

$84.5M Moleson Creek Bridge to be completed by August
A SECOND bridge in Moleson Creek, Region 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne), costing $84.5M, is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by August. The construction of the bridge under the aegis of the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) began on February 27, 2015 by B & J Civil Works and is expected to be completed by August month-end. The bridge under construction will be 150 feet in length.
According to Sherod Parkinson, the Ministry of Public Works Engineer overseeing the project, works to be carried out include the replacement of structural steel and driving surface and widening of support piers.
THURSDAY, 14

Elections Day Sophia arson victim said conflagration erupted after Granger departed
PASTOR Narine Kubhlall, the key victim of the carnage in ‘C’ Field Sophia, following the close of polls along with his wife, children and relatives returned to the Lot 588 premises under heavy police guard to salvage whatever household items remained. The Guyana Chronicle was at the scene when the Khublalls arrived during the afternoon, by which time a small group had already been assembled for some time outside of the premises where burnt-out shells of a number of vehicles also lay waste. Pastor Narine, a long standing member of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), has since February of this year, allowed his property to be transformed into the party’s Command Centre for the district.
29 graduate from Board of Industrial Training in Essequibo
TWENTY-nine students have graduated after completing a one-year training programme through the Board of Industrial Training, Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security. According to reports, the training programme prepared students to work in such fields as clerical office practice, community health practice, mechanic, medical laboratory assistant, medical records, nurse aide, pharmacist, videography, welding and fabrication. The training was done under the theme: National Training Project for Youth Empowerment.
Bomb scare at GRA building in NA
A BOMB scare shut down the Guyana Revenue Office in New Amsterdam after a telephone call was received by a tax inspector. The staff was evacuated as the bomb squad searched the building at the corner of the New Amsterdam Stelling Road. Police have since given the all-clear and deemed the building safe. Thirty-six-year-old Nicola Luther, reported that on answering a telephone call from landline number 3332948, the male caller was heard saying, a bomb was in the building. The police were summoned and a team from the Criminal Investigations Department, led by Sergeant Curtis Cort conducted “precautionary safety checks” on the building.

FRIDAY, 15

PPP/C claims elections ‘rigged’
–calls for total recount of ballots

REACTING to the release of the third round of preliminary results of the General and Regional Election results, President Donald Ramotar was emphatic in stating that the process was “rigged” in favour of the political Opposition. “We are convinced that these elections were rigged,” he said at a news conference. He also made no bones about calling out the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on the question of collusion with the political Opposition, even as he acknowledged that not all of the polling- day staff acted in a manner that undermined the democratic process of May 11. “We think that these are serious issues that deserve to be investigated and done before a final pronouncement on these elections is made,” Mr. Ramotar said.

GECOM’s figures show APNU+AFC coalition wins 2015 elections
The figures provided by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield show that A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) party has won the 2015 General and Regional Elections. The results for the General Elections are as follows: APNU/AFC 206,817; PPP/C 201,457; TUF 880; URP 338; NIP 561; and IP 338. The results were taken after GECOM processed the 2,299 Statements of Poll (SoPs) which were presented to them by the returning officers who worked on May 11, during the 2015 General and Regional Elections.
Fraudulent processing of election voting results…
Fake SOPs submitted to GECOM
A MEMORANDUM to electoral observers was sent by the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), detailing incidents of fraud in the processing of thousands of votes cast by the Guyanese people on May 11, 2015. The PPP/C said influenced by fairly extensive Reports of Irregularities by PPP/C Polling Agents, it made formal requests for recounts. At the GECOM Commissioners’ meeting held on Wednesday, Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield made a startling disclosure about his findings about the Statement of Polls (SOPs). It would seem that fake Statement of Polls (SOPs) had been submitted to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from the Electoral Districts. It was disclosed that these fake SOPs had layouts and formats different from the authentic one earlier distributed by GECOM intended for use by Polling Agents. Additionally, these fake SOPs did not carry the GECOM endorsement which had been applied to all the SPOs purchased from Canada.

SATURDAY, 16

One dead, another injured in Corentyne home invasion
RAMESH PURAN succumbed to a gunshot injury during an armed robbery at his home while a relative was injured. Police reported that four men armed with cutlasses and a handgun entered a home at Belvedere, Corentyne, through an open door, and held up Ramesh Puran, 49, his wife and two other relatives, and demanded cash and jewellery. The perpetrators took away a quantity of jewellery and Puran was shot to his body, while a cousin, Devika Ramotar, chopped in her head. The bandits got away.
‘I did not concede’
– President Ramotar

NEWS Source Guyana’s reports that President Donald Ramotar has been on the phone with a number of the Heads of the Foreign Missions in Guyana and has indicated that he has made a decision to concede the elections are false. The Head of State informed the Guyana Chronicle that he has not contacted any member of the diplomatic community nor has he made a decision to concede defeat at the 2015 General and Regional Elections. “I did not concede,” he said. Additionally, a statement from the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) said, “The Party refutes reports in the media that Head of State, President Donald Ramotar is preparing to concede electoral defeat to Opposition Leader David Granger. Any such insinuation is grossly inaccurate and the agenda of such media houses further arouses suspicion.”
‘Publish data used to calculate results’
PRONOUNCEMENTS by the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Dr. Steve Surujbally himself, belie contradictions that the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) wasted no time in exposing. “We have been frustrated; more than 200,000 people voted for the PPP/C and they deserve to have their votes counted…the PPP/C has more than 200,000 people that we represent and we speak for them. We want their X’s counted, period!” said PPP/C member, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, at a news conference.

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