Black Immigrant Daily News

Two would-be robbers were fatally shot by a licensed firearm holder in an attempted robbery on Greenwood main road in St James on Saturday, October 22.

The deceased men’s identities have not yet been ascertained.

Both men appear to be in their early 20s, and are of dark complexion.

One was dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt, short blue jeans and a pair of black slippers.

The other was dressed in a yellow shirt, short blue jeans and a pair of black shoes.

Reports from the Montego Bay police are that about 10:15 pm, the would-be robbers boarded a taxi at Bay West in Montego Bay, St James. The taxi was heading to Falmouth, Trelawny and had other passengers aboard.

The two men requested a stop on the Greenwood main road, and one of them reportedly pulled a firearm and placed it at the driver’s head.

The licensed firearm holder, who was a passenger in the taxi, saw what was happening and challenged the men.

A tussle ensued, and the would-be robbers were both shot.

They were later pronounced dead at hospital.

A Glock 19 pistol with a magazine containing five 9mm rounds was seized at the scene.

The licensed firearm holder is cooperating with detectives as they probe the incident.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

…polling day staff currently being trained

Preparation mode for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to carry out Local Government Elections (LGE) is in full swing, particularly since a date has now been set for the holding of the polls.

In an interview with this publication, GECOM Spokesperson Yolanda Ward explained that the secretariat is currently in preparatory mode. She noted that now that a date has been fixed, the next step will see GECOM advertising for contesting parties to submit their symbols.

“We’re currently conducting training and I think that the next steps will be advertising for symbols of parties contesting elections. But we have started training… for poll day staff,” Ward explained.

PRO of GECOM Yolanda Ward

An important aspect of GECOM’s preparations is training. According to Ward, they have already completed training for election managerial staff such as Returning Officers and further training is ongoing for the more junior staff.

“We would have already conducted training for management staff, which would include Returning Officers and Deputy Returning Officers and so on,” she explained, noting that the polling day staff currently receiving training number in the thousands.

On Thursday, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall, wrote GECOM Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, announcing March 13, 2023, as the date for LGE.

According to Dharamlall, Government is committed to upholding democracy and believes that the holding of local polls is an important pillar in Guyana’s democratic political system. It was against this backdrop that the date for hosting the LGE was decided.

Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall

“Please be informed that pursuant to Section 35 (1) of the Local Authorities (Elections) Act, Chapter 28:03, I appoint March 13, 2023, as the day on which elections of Councillors for Local Authorities shall be held,” Minister Dharamlall wrote to Justice Singh.

The Local Authorities (Elections) Act, Chapter 28:03, states that elections are held according to the date set by the Minister. Moreover, it was noted that an order under Section 35 shall be published in the Gazette appointing March 13 next year as the date for the LGE.

Readiness

Earlier this week, Justice Singh had written to the Local Government and Regional Development Minister, advising him that based on GECOM’s work plan, March 13, 2023, was the earliest date that LGE could be held. In fact, the Commission indicated that the elections could be held anytime between March 13 and April 24, 2023.

GECOM Chair (Ret’d) Justice Claudette Singh

The work plan in question was arrived at by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud, who was tasked by GECOM with coming up with a work plan for the holding of LGE. At first, that work plan was supposed to be limited to this year-end. However, that has since had to be extended amid successive weeks of what has been described by the Government-nominated GECOM Commissioners as delaying tactics at Commission meetings.

LGE is constitutionally due every two years in Guyana and was last held in 2018.While the polls were due in 2020, the elections fiasco that played out following the March 2 General and Regional Elections that year resulted in LGE being deferred.

It was only in December last that the Commission finally completed the appointment of a new Chief Elections Officer in the person of Vishnu Persaud. Then, only last month, GECOM appointed Beverley Critchlow as the Assistant Chief Elections Officer (ACEO).

Nevertheless, over the past months, the Elections Commission has been in preparatory mode for the holding of the local polls. More than $750 million has been set aside in Budget 2022 for the preparations to be undertaken by GECOM for the hosting of LGE this year.This money is part of an overall $4.1 billion allocation to GECOM in Budget 2022 and was examined and approved by the National Assembly during its consideration of the 2022 Budget Estimates.

Included in the $783 million for LGE is a more than $300 million increase in “other goods and services purchased”, which jumped from $250.8 million in 2021 to $575.9 million in the 2022 budget.

GECOM only recently concluded its Claims and Objections exercise, which captured more than 3000 new applicants who will be eligible to vote as of October 31, 2022, as well as a total of 18 objections to names on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE). Additionally, there were more than 1800 requests for transfers.

At the last LGE held in November 2018, the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition had secured 52 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs). This followed the holding of the LGE in 2016, in which the PPP/C also claimed the majority of the LAAs.

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the now main Opposition political party, meanwhile remains tight-lipped on its participation in the next LGE and its minority coalition partner, the Alliance For Change (AFC), is yet to communicate whether or not it would be contesting the polls together.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Police ranks in Region Three have arrested five persons following the discovery of over $7 million that was stolen from a businessman during a break-and-enter-and-larceny at his Coglan Dam, West Bank Demerara, home three days ago.

According to the police, some $10.2 million in cash and a quantity of gold jewellery valued $680,000 – property of the businessman; along with another $2.8 million and a quantity of gold jewellery valued $980,000 – property of his wife – were stolen from their home.

The robbery occurred sometime between 08:00 hrs and 09:00 hrs on Thursday.

Reports are that the victims are living in a one-flat concrete and wooden building, facing north in a well-fenced yard. The house consists of two wooden doors, one to the north and one to the south, both of which are secured internally and externally by tower bolts and manufacturer locks, respectively.

On the date and time mentioned above, the businessman’s wife secured the home by all means provided, leaving everything intact and went to the doctor’s office at Vreed-en-Hoop, WCD to take her son who wasn’t feeling well.

At about 09:00 hrs, she returned home and discovered the top half of her back door was wrenched off. Further checks in the home revealed that her bedroom alone was ransacked and the cash was missing from a bag in a wardrobe, and the jewellery was gone from the vanity.

The matter was reported to the police and the scene was processed by the police. Several persons in the area were also questioned.

During the ongoing investigations, investigators managed to recover $7 million of the stolen cash.

The police said that on Friday, between 14:00 hrs and 19:30 hrs, further investigations were carried out during which two main suspects – a 20-year-old barber and a 45-year-old farmer, both of Coldingen, East Coast Demerara – were arrested and interviewed.

The suspects took the Police to their Coldingen residence. One of the suspects pointed out two areas in his yard where he dug up and handed over to the Police $1,160,000 and $1,495,000 respectively along with a quantity of gold jewellery.

The suspect’s mother, a cleaner who also resides at Coldingen, ECD, handed over another $1,225,000.

The second suspect (farmer) then took the Police to an area on his farm, where he dug and nothing was found. However, his wife – a 47-year-old vendor – handed over $1,495,000 and a quantity of gold jewellery; while her 38-year-old adopted brother of Non-Pariel, ECD, handed over a another $1,660,000, which they all claimed were given to them.

Statements were taken, the suspects were arrested and investigations continue.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Tekst en beeld Sharon Singh PARAMARIBO — Natuurbehoud en een gezonde leefomgeving in Suriname: dat beoogt stichting d’ONS (duurzame Ontwikkeling

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Black Immigrant Daily News

A Kingston man who used the name of Cabinet Minister Daryl Vaz to fleece millions of dollars in a bogus motor vehicle auction scam last year, has confessed to the crime.

And in reacting to the news of the guilty plea, Vaz, the Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, welcomed the development and urged other persons who may have been defrauded to come forward.

Shawn Latham, a merchandiser of Knightsdale Drive, Kingston 19, appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Thursday.

He pleaded guilty to obtaining money by false pretence.

Other charges that were laid against the convict were subsequently dropped by the prosecution following his guilty plea to the main charge.

The judge ordered Latham to make restitution to his victims before his sentencing on November 18.

Vaz, who was present in court, said he was “very happy” for the persons who were defrauded and pursued the case.

“… But I’m sure there are many more out there, and I would hope they also will pursue the cases, as the matter is of utmost importance to send a signal and an example that this cannot be tolerated,” Vaz told reporters.

Detectives reported that between Wednesday, June 9 and Monday, June 14, 2021, Latham used the image and name of the Western Portland Member of Parliament (MP) to lure unsuspecting persons to purchase motor vehicles through a supposed auction at Kingston Wharf.

Through phone calls and instant messaging, Latham allegedly told the now complainants that he was Daryl Vaz and he had connections with upcoming motor vehicle auctions.

The complainants subsequently paid out over $4 million to the accused man for two motor vehicles.

After the money was paid over, the complainants became suspicious and reported the matter to the police.

A sting operation was arranged by the police on June 14 last year, and Latham was arrested.

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