DEPUTY Mayor of Georgetown, Sherod Duncan, said it is time residents and visitors rediscover Stabroek Market as the City peels back the veil.He made the comment during lighting of the historic Stabroek Market on Tuesday. The Mayor and City Council of Georgetown switched on the lights as Guyana counts down to its Independence Jubilee celebrations.

Lighting up the site is part of City Hall’s contribution to the City for the 50th Anniversary celebrations, Duncan told the Guyana Chronicle.

“We might be refining it to show the residents of Georgetown and visitors the beauty of our iconic market. The market’s iconic status was crowded out by the itinerant vending that was the Square,” Duncan said.

He also said the lighting up of the market is geared at moving Georgetown forward, while he pointed out that the City needs the support of all for this to happen.

“As we light our market, we ask residents to trust the leadership of the Mayor and City Council, and let’s move Georgetown forward to a place that we can all be proud of.”

The bazaar, which was formerly occupied by illegal vendors, is to be made into a civic square with the installation of a beautiful fountain, among other features, Town Clerk Royston King told the Guyana Chronicle recently.

A POLICE constable stationed at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court is currently under investigation for assaulting Newsroom reporter, Leroy Smith.

Newsroom reporter, Leroy Smith

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday in the court’s compound, is being investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

The Constable identified as Joel Semple had singled out Smith from a group of civilians, who was standing on the stairway.

Semple harassed, arrested and detained Smith upon instructions of Inspector Chaitram, both of whom are stationed at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The Senior Crime and Security reporter was reportedly shoved, chuck, and pulled into the prisoner’s holding area by Constable Semple.

Smith, in a statement Tuesday afternoon, said that after he was placed into the prisoner’s detention area, another police verbally abused him. “I will make you an example and pass you through the f**king court this morning if you don’t comply because y’all reporters does believe that y’all get more f**king power than police,” Smith said he was told by the officer.

His comments were allegedly made in full hearing of the police Inspector, Constable Semple and prisoners.

“The same police rank chucked me into a corner in the holding area, causing my microphone to fall to the ground; then he instructed another police to pick it up and hand it to me. I refused to collect the microphone and instead that my microphone be placed on a table, which was in the detention area at the time,” Smith said.

Shortly after, Divisional Commander Clifton Hicken arrived to deal with the issue and asserted that an investigation has been launched into the matter.

The incident has also gained the attention of the Guyana Press Association.

The allegation stemmed from instructions the police were giving to media operatives and members of the public that they needed to remove from the access areas, to the holding cell at the court so as not to be in contact with the prisoners who were arriving at the court.

However, Smith was standing on the stairway, along with several other civilians, when the police Inspector sought to instruct the Constable to go among the crowd of civilians and arrest him.

It must be noted that Smith was detained without being told why he was being held.

CHARGES are expected soon against the police constable who killed a 10-year-old schoolboy Sunday last when his allegedly speeding car smashed into the lad on the Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD) Public Road, near the area’s post office.

The police constable, of Wales Police Station, is expected to be charged after being discharged from the hospital, according to a police source.

Davin Sealey, 10, also of Sisters Village, was pronounced dead on arrival at the West Demerara Regional Hospital. A post-mortem examination is expected today.

Reports reveal that Sealey was riding a bicycle along the roadway when he was struck down by a motor vehicle that was driven by the constable, who was later found by the police to be over the limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol. The vehicle only came to a stop after hitting a parked vehicle on the roadway and slamming into a utility pole before turning turtle on the roadway.

The lad’s grandfather, Titus Thomas, 57, told the Guyana Chronicle that they need justice because the policeman is supposed to set an example and cannot be drunk and driving at such a fast rate of speed to strike down a child and kill him on the spot.

He noted that it is an indication that lawlessness on the roadway is at an extreme state and the manner in which the police deals with this issue leaves much to be desired.

One of the boy’s relatives said after the accident when they showed up at the Wales Police Station they were chased out into the rain by an officer there.

THE MAN accused of killing Owen Frederick, a/k ‘Fluffy,’ has been committed to stand trial in the High Court for the capital offence of murder.Mark Trevor Greaves (44) of Albouystown is charged with the murder of Frederick, which occurred on December 25, 2015 at James Street, Albouystown.

He appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and was committed to face a judge and jury, following the conclusion of the Preliminary Inquiry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Greaves was informed that a prima facie case had been made out against him for the indictable offence.

The case was prosecuted by Inspector Neville Jeffers, while Greaves was unrepresented.

According to reports, Fredericks, who hails from Berbice, was stabbed to death during an altercation with the accused. It was reported that Fredericks was stabbed to the neck and chest with a knife. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Both men are said to be drug addicts and did odd jobs for a living.

(Clestine Juan)

DEFENCE Counsel Bernard De Santos, S.C., Tuesday, appeared at the Demerara Assizes in defence of rape accused Intocan Santoo. When Judge Jo-Ann Barlow enquired from Prosecutor, Shonette Austin about the length of time the prosecution would take to complete its case, she replied, “Two days.”

When the said question was put by the judge to the defence, the Senior Counsel declared: “For me the matter ought not to be started at all.” The counsel, however thought he would complete in one and a half days.

The matter was adjourned to Wednesday morning when State Counsel is expected to deliver her opening address to the jury.

Six challenges were made by lawyers for the prosecution and the defence during the selection of the 12-member jury.

A FATHER of two was Tuesday sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and fined $30,000 by Magistrate Judy Latchman on a drug-trafficking charge.Lloyd Sadloo of Quamina Street, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara was convicted on the charge, which read that on October 20, 2015 at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, he had 1.452 kilogrammes of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Howard Rambarose of Second Street, Meadow Bank, was also charged jointly with Sadloo, but the matter was dismissed against him earlier in trial.

At Tuesday’s decision the 35-year-old begged the magistrate to defer his sentence, since he wanted to be out to enjoy Guyana’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

“Madam, meh isn’t feeling good, I is suffer from two type of malaria,” Sadloo told the court, as he offered to supply medical certificates from doctors.

According to reports on October 20, 2015 about 13:00hrs the police intercepted a Toyota Allion motorcar, PSS 9566 in the vicinity of Eccles, EBD during a high-speed chase.

Sadloo was found with several black bulky plastic bags between his feet in the passenger seat and told the officers, “Is three pounds of weed I just buy.”

After being questioned Sadloo, Rambarose and the driver of the car were arrested.

Magistrate Latchman, in her ruling said that she had considered the mitigating factors in Sadloo’s favor, as well as the quantity and street value of the drug. The magistrate also considered the seriousness and prevalence of drug-trafficking in the society.

The court, she said, needed to act, so as to deter others from contemplating being a part of the drug trade.

Sadloo has been in and out of court since 2008. Just recently, he was charged with three counts of robbery and refusing to cooperate with the police.

THE Civil Defence Commission (CDC), in partnership with other stakeholders has developed a Mass Causality plan to respond to any emergency during the 50th Independence anniversary celebrations at D’Urban Park.Acting Director General of CDC, Kester Craig told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that in preparation for the Jubilee celebrations, the commission has started several coordinated meetings with all stakeholders. These are intended to identify roles, responsibilities, resources, gaps and challenges that may arise. Craig said that the Mass Causality plan is the main strategy that will be implemented in response to emergencies that may occur at D’urban Park. “This is nothing new; we usually ensure that there are coordinated systems among the agencies to deal with emergencies at large events,” he said.

Training and testing in search and rescue and mass casualties will be conducted on May 21 for the representatives. This exercise will seek to enlighten the stakeholders of their roles and responsibilities, and to ensure that all equipment is functioning, “So at the end of the exercise, I think we will have a team of well-equipped persons and functioning equipment.”

On May 25 and 26, a Venue Operating Centre (VOC) will be established with stakeholder representatives to monitor the event, Craig explained. In the case of emergencies, the different representatives and their medical equipment will be in the bleachers/pavilion to transport injured persons to the advanced medical post located at Castellani House nearby, where critically injured persons will then be transported to medical institutions. Senior Superintendent of the Guyana Police Force, Whitney Bacchus, said that the Force is prepared for emergencies. “We have arrangements in place to deal with the event and we will be having the traffic department monitoring and regulating traffic around the area, because it is important that there is no traffic congestion.”

In relation to security, Bacchus explained that there will be ranks around the perimeter of D’urban Park and the entrances leading to the venue to ensure everyone’s safety and security. According to Bacchus, at the Park police will be in the stands and there will be barriers to ensure that persons do not encroach on the activities that will be happening on the tarmac. “Generally, the Police Force is prepared for the flag raising ceremony, and the float parade, and the ranks will receive briefing as to how to operate on the day to keep citizens safe.”

Meanwhile, Compton Sparman, Divisional Officer for Guyana Fire Service told GINA that systems are already in place, and that, “We know exactly what must be done, for this event. We will ensure that persons trained by the CDC will have refresher training.” He explained that because there are mostly wooden structures in the Park, there will be a fire service crew to deal with any fire outbreaks. There will also be a rescue crew to respond quickly to emergencies and assist the CDC and other agencies to take persons to the rescue point located at Castellani House. “We will have three alarms activated for casualties, which will aid us in our work,” Sparman said.

Help and Shelter, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and Davis Memorial Hospital are among other stakeholders on board. The CDC’s hotline telephone numbers are 226-1114, 226-1117, 600-7500, 623-1700.

(GINA)

–to launch comprehensive sexuality education toolkit today

By Telesha Ramnarine

THE Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) feels that Guyana’s ‘Abstinence Only’ approach to sex education has not been working and a deeper approach to fit today’s society is needed. Therefore, GRPA has developed a comprehensive sexuality education toolkit, which will be launched today when the organization joins members of the International Planned Parenthood

Renuka Anandjit

Federation (IPPF) in 170 countries around the world to launch the “Know It, Own It!” campaign.

According to GRPA’s Programme Director, Renuka Anandjit, in an invited comment to this newspaper, the thrust of the campaign is to ensure that the rights of youths are upheld and to motivate government and stakeholders to design programmes to meet their needs.

GRPA is hoping that the toolkit will be a resource of the Ministry of Education, Public Health, partners and other stakeholders. The launch will be at 3:30pm at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown.

Executive Director, Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth gave credit to Red Thread for helping the organization to develop the toolkit, as she noted how the GRPA is joining with the global campaign to reach as many persons and communities as possible with educational and empowering messages on why their sexual rights and health matter.

Meanwhile, a release from GRPA said: “In recent years GRPA has been calling for a shift from the abstinence only approach to a comprehensive approach to sex education, taking into consideration the urgency of the current situation, where young people are becoming sexually active at a very tender age, both forced and voluntarily, and where teenage pregnancy, sexual violence and irresponsible sexual behaviour are prevalent throughout Guyana.”

ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY
GRPA observed that in 2014, the Guyana Government endorsed the CARICOM Integrated Strategic Framework for the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy in the Caribbean, but the implementation mechanisms are still to be established. “We would be happy to support initiatives of the Guyana Government, partners and other stakeholders, with the hope that the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) will be widely introduced in schools,” GRPA said.

“The Association will seek to further engage the government, civil society and faith-based organisations to propel the Comprehensive Sexuality Agenda for the benefit of in-and-out-of-school youth. It is our hope that under the ‘Know It, Own It Campaign’, GRPA and partners will be able to meaningfully engage stakeholders and also provide access to CSE for young people in and out of school, in an age appropriate and culturally relevant manner, and that this effort will result in a healthier youth population and a healthier nation,” GRPA said.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan has charged members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to care the vehicles under their control and to abstain from driving under the influence of alcohol.

“Police drinking and driving as we have seen on many occasions is not going to do justice to the fact that we are spending millions and hundreds of millions of dollars on assets and then they are crashed, then they have to be repaired and the police are also injured in many cases,” Minister Ramjattan underscored.

He shared this sentiment as 15 new vehicles were handed over by the Public Security Ministry Wednesday at the Tactical Services Unit Square, Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.

Senior heads and officers of the GPF were present as Minister Ramjattan said that asset building is part of government’s plan to enhance the force to clamp down on crime.

Minister Ramjattan also revealed that in budget 2016, his Ministry will be negotiating for 28 more vehicles. Pointing out that this is needed for the jubilee celebrations, Minister Ramjattan said the vehicles will definitely bolster the capacity of the GPF to aid in rapid response to crime and executing of their duties in the quickest possible manner.

Assistant Police Commissioner David Ramnarine, DSM, urged the Commanders to enforce the system in place to improve vehicle maintenance.

“I want to say that these vehicles obviously are now needed and it’s once again a significant supply and I want to thank the Minister and extension the government for realizing the need and many demands we in the force have to meet in our daily operations and operational efficiency and visibility,” he said.

He explained that members of the public are always complaining about poor response to crime but it has been well publicized that the police force has been making great strides in detection of serious crimes.

According to Ramnarine, the detection and prevention of crime is hand in gloves and from a prevention standpoint, the vehicles are necessary since the police force wants to maintain a high level of security during the jubilee celebrations.

– Speaker receives CoI report

By Ariana Gordon

The report into the state of the Public Service was handed over to Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland on Wednesday.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon in handing over the report to the Speaker said it was laid before Cabinet on Tuesday and Cabinet is now in the process of considering the recommendations that have been made by the Commission established to investigate the state of the Public Service.

Minister Harmon said Cabinet will express its opinion on the report and the recommendations therein after it has been thoroughly deliberated upon.

“It is important that we allow for the Speaker to get a copy of the report even before Cabinet has completed its deliberations. We intend to hand a copy of this report to the Leader of the Opposition and to the Unions that have anything at all to do with the public service.”

The Minister of State said that copies of the report will be handed over to the President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) as well as the Federation of Independent Trades Unions of Guyana (FITUG) before the end of the day.

Asked why he felt it necessary to give a copy of the report to Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, Minister Harmon said, “the Leader of the Opposition is a Constitutional office holder and he is in fact Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and we felt it important enough for him to receive an advance copy too.”

He could not state specifically what has been stated in the report relative to salary increases but noted that the report provides a framework within which salaries are to be negotiated.

“I don’t think the report actually says this is what you must do because of course you know those are issues that have to do with collective bargaining and the rights of the union and the government to negotiate on behalf of the workers.”

He said notwithstanding the framework, it is important to note that it is negotiations between the government and the unions by virtue of collective bargaining that will determine the increases public servants receive.

Describing the document as a “very detailed report” the Minister of State said the media will soon have access to it when it is published online.

Last Friday, Commissioners Professor Harold Lutchman, Sandra Jones and Samuel Goolsarran handed over the report to President David Granger who called on Public Servants to relinquish “laziness” as they would receive increases based on their performance.

Public Service College

Meanwhile, asked to provide an update on the Public Service Staff College, Minister Harmon said work is in progress. He told reporters that interviews have been done and staff has been identified for the college.

“It is now a question of having the actual location. We are working on that. As you know the president did indicate when we visited Ogle that that was going to be a campus…there is some work to be done on the buildings.”

Additionally, Harmon said that some equipment inclusive of computers have been acquired for the College. “It is just now a question of dealing with the physical facilities and that is what we are working on right now.”

The Minister said government is “anxious” to have the College up and running as it forms part of the reform of the Public Service.

“This is a very important component,” he noted.

Integration of Contract workers

Minister Harmon said more than one hundred persons who were once contract employees within the public service system have been integrated into the traditional public service. While he could not provide the exact number of persons, the Minister said salary scales have been taken into consideration.

“What I do know for sure, is that once you are going to be integrated into the traditional public service it is going to be a question of interviewing people to ensure there is no loss when coming into the traditional public service.”

The Minister of State said too that the issue of integrating contract workers into the public service has been addressed in the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report.

THE GUYANA Revenue Authority (GRA) has recovered in excess of $114M in smuggled items during the first four months of the year, as efforts continue to fight smuggling of prohibited goods into Guyana.The GRA, in a press statement, noted that between January and April this year, its Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) unearthed a significant quantity of foreign imported chicken, banned mosquito coils and motor vehicles among other items that are commonly smuggled here.
The discoveries were made during a countrywide compliance campaign and while it was also observed that many of those caught with the items were first time offenders, repeat offenders have been asked to pay triple the value of the duties as penalties levelled against them.
Officers during the campaign also observed that several businesses are non-compliant with the GRA regulations, and while business owners were informed of their shortcomings, follow-up visits will be forthcoming.
The GRA statement said as the LEID operations continue, it will ensure that all businesses and individuals who are required to pay taxes comply with all necessary licensing and other requirements.
“The compliance campaign is ongoing and persons are being encouraged to visit the GRA and get their relevant documentation in order,” GRA said.
GRA Communication and Tax Advisory Services (CTAS) Division will also continue its public awareness campaign.

By Ken Danns

THE Guyana Government is in the hands of a seemingly capable and caring coalition administration. No government is perfect and missteps have been evident, but not unexpected. There are however, solid indications that this one-year-old APNU+AFC government is undertaking programmes and policies geared to restoring credible administrative rule, rebuilding trust, improving the nation’s security and in general promulgating initiatives to positively transform the country’s economic, social and political fortunes.
A particularly noteworthy achievement of this new Administration is the timely and successful restoration of local democracy by holding local government elections after many years. The real importance of these elections for local self-governance is that the new leaders trust and are seeking to empower the Guyanese people to make the decisions about their own lives and the development of their communities. The top-down rule from the capital has failed Guyana over the past 50 years of its existence as an independent nation. The confidence this Government is showing in the capabilities, ingenuity and goodness of the Guyanese people is encouraging and an essential first step in galvanising the country’s development.
What is needed now is a nation-wide dialogue on Guyana’s development. What are the key issues affecting the country’s development prospects and how can these be resolved or overcome? How do the people at the local, regional and national levels see development? What are their plans? What resources: natural, human and other resources are available and/or are needed to bring about desired development? How can these be mobilised?
The nation’s mantra should be “Development is everyone’s business. Development is my business.” If individual residents as a whole experience development, then their communities would be developed. If the communities are developing, then the country as a whole will become developed. This development orientation will induce positive nationalism and remove the malaise of negativity and hopelessness that characterise the existence of many in the nation, in particular its young people. The Guyanese people must come to see the nexus of development between “Me and Myself. Me and my Family, Me and my community. Me and my Country.”
What is required is a transformation in thought and vision about Guyana’s development possibilities. There are indications that this is currently being fostered. The Guyanese people should cease to buy in to the fatalistic view that things will never get better in the country. Think positive. Act positive. Guyana’s development is everyone’s business. Commence the dialogue on the development of community and country. (Dr Danns is a former lecturer at the University of Guyana and now Chair, UNG Faculty Senate Professor of Sociology Department of Sociology and Human Services, University of North Georgia.)

THE police are seeking the assistance of mobile phone companies to determine whom prisoners were communicating with, Clifton Hicken, the Georgetown Police Commander said Wednesday, following a raid at the Camp Street prison that unearthed a quantity of mobile phones. Saturday last, a Joint Services search unearthed 44 mobile phones and 30 phone batteries, along with a large quantity of improvised weapons.

Usually, a prepaid mobile SIM card is purchased with an ID before it is activated.

“That investigation is ongoing; the phones are with us and there is a procedure in the force where there is a documentation that passes through the policy-makers in the force, through the phone companies by way of application.

“They [telecommunication providers] will send back the application after which we will proceed with the investigation which will be in the public domain,” Commander of ‘A’ Division, Clifton Hicken said Wednesday.

The Commander said that any charges related to the phones would have to be based on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

It was also reported that the operation, dubbed ‘Operation restore order’, netted a quantity of razor blades, lighters, files and tattoo machines.

Director of Prisons, Carl Graham, had said that he is confident that measures are in place to prevent the flow of illegal items into prisons.

The search Saturday followed the March 3, 2016 riots which left 17 prisoners dead.

The riot started after prisoners protested the confiscation of their mobile phones, among other greivances.

The prisoners had complained that one phone call a week was not enough, and following the riot, the authorities have begun to allow two calls per week.

By Ariana Gordon

THE Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Public Service has recommended that there be an overhaul of the wages and salaries structure.There are 14, 466 employees in the public service, including 4,471 who are employed on contract.
While the Commissioners discovered many anomalies, it has been recommended that the minimum salary of $50,000 in the GS1 grade be maintained while mid-point differences are recommended to be set at 20 per cent between all grades.
The spread of the grades has been set at 50 per cent to allow for the movement between the minimum and the maximum to accommodate those employees at and above the maximum.
The report called for the development of a performance-driven system aimed at measuring performance and matching same with payment.
During its work, the Commission discovered that while public servants received over the past two decades a 5 per cent or 8 per cent across-the-board increase in salary by the government, allowances were never increased.
“We have noted that apart from pay increases, allowances have not been adjusted to reflect current market rates for over 25 years. This appears to be most irregular and should be corrected.”
The Commissioners noted that wages and salaries in the Public Sector “are well below acceptable levels” and the perceived growing number of contracted employees earing more pay relative to their counterparts has worsened the situation, negatively affecting job performance.
Also of concern to the Commission, was the fact that contract workers benefited from the across-the board salary increases along with additional benefits provided for traditional public servants.
“Ideally, any increases in salary should be negotiated at the start of a new specific contract,” the report said.
In the report, which has been submitted to President David Granger, the Opposition Leader and the Speaker of the House, cites the need for rationalizing the status of pensionable and contract employees and de-bunching employees, and another phase to continue that process by way of thoroughly conducting job-evaluation studies.
The bunching of salaries is deemed a common feature of the Public Service and the annually imposed across-the-board increases , without regard to merit movements, have resulted in persons who have acquired years of service to be “closely aligned with new recruits coming into the Public Service.”
That in turn creates a feeling of disenchantment among long-service employees whose years of service are not considered.
Additionally, instances of red-circling, whereby persons are paid higher than the maximum amounts allocated under their grades, were cited as an area of grave concern. Based on a random sample conducted by the Commissioners, it was discovered that a large number of persons employed within the Public Service are benefiting from red-circling.
“Red-circling is cause for concern, since this is a random sample and may well represent a case where most persons are bunched at the Maximum. This puts a heavy cost on the government’s salaries budget. These anomalies were evident throughout all grades in the salary structure,” the report states.

Additionally, compensation management should be accepted as a key human resource management function that will see practices such as the grading of jobs, and the computation of salary structures being managed.
Further, it was recommended that the Department of the Public Service be solely responsible for wages and salaries administration, assuming the responsibilities undertaken by the Establishment Division of the Ministry of Finance relate to fixing salaries.
The auditing of employee salaries was also a key recommendation made by the Commissioners, who noted the need for the selection of a small group of Human Resource specialists to comprise the Compensation Review and Advisory Committee. That Committee, it was recommended, should also include Permanent Secretaries, heads of departments, and Public Service Management staff and the union.
It was also recommended that all wages and salaries agreements be in existence for a period of three to five years and that surveys be conducted between both private and public sector organisations in the CARICOM Region to compare the standards here.
“We recommend that a wage and salary administration policy be given consideration for the implementation in the Public Service to provide a reasonable and workable framework within which employees can be paid fair and equitable wages and salaries, in order to promote productivity and overall performance,” the report added.
The Public Service faces ever-increasing pressure to adjust to changing global, political, economic, social and technological trends and as such it is becoming increasingly important for there to be the restructuring of the Public Service. The restructuring, the report said, needs “to be treated as a matter of priority and urgency to ensure that it delivers services with high levels of efficiency and effectiveness that must meet the expectations of the general public, the national strategic objectives and international obligations.”

Twenty – six – year old Ravinand Bissessar appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Wales Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and causing death by dangerous driving.

Dead: Davin Sealey

Bissessar, a Police Constable, stationed at Wales Police Station, was represented by Attorney Mark Conway. It is alleged that on May 15 at Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara, Bissessar was driving motor car, PLL 222 when he struck down 10 – year – old Davin Sealey, who was riding a bicycle at the time, resulting in the lad’s death.

Following the accident, Bissessar was subjected to a breathalyzer test, which revealed that he was above the legal limit of alcohol consumption.

During his court appearance, he initially pleaded guilty to driving under the influence; however his lawyer told the court that another breathalyzer test was done at the hospital, which showed that there was no alcohol in his system.

As such, Magistrate Nurse entered a not guilty plea on Bissessar’s behalf and granted him self – bail. The young man was not required to plead to the causing death charge but was granted $600,000 bail and ordered to report to the Wales Police Station every Friday, while his driver’s license was suspended, pending the outcome of the case.

The ill-fated motorcar is parked outside the Wales Police Station

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that Sealey was riding a bicycle along the roadway when he was struck down by a motor vehicle that was driven by the constable.

The car only came to a stop after hitting a parked vehicle on the roadway and slamming into a utility pole before turning turtle.

The lad’s grandfather, Titus Thomas, 57, told the Guyana Chronicle that they need justice because the policeman is supposed to set an example and cannot be drunk and driving at such a fast rate of speed to strike down a child and kill him on the spot.

[BBC] – An EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo made two sharp turns before plunging into the Mediterranean Sea, Greece’s defence minister says. Panos Kammenos said the Airbus A320 had “turned 90 degrees left and then a 360-degree turn to the right”.

It then dropped more than 25,000ft (7,620m) before disappearing from radar, he added.

Egypt’s civil aviation minister has said the possibility of a terror attack is stronger than technical failure.

Sixty-six people were on board, most of them from Egypt or France. A Briton was among the passengers.

Latest reports suggest search teams have sighted debris from the plane.

“There have been finds south-east of Crete, inside the Cairo flight information area,” Greek army general staff spokesman Vassilis Beletsiotis told AFP news agency.

The search in seas south of the Greek island of Karpathos involves Greek and Egyptian naval forces. Of those on the plane, 56 were passengers, seven were crew members and three were security personnel.

Flight MS804 left Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris at 23:09 local time on Wednesday (21:09 GMT) and was scheduled to arrive in the Egyptian capital soon after 03:15 local time on Thursday.

EgyptAir said the plane had been flying at 37,000ft (11,300m) when it disappeared from radar shortly after entering Egyptian airspace.

Greek aviation officials say air traffic controllers spoke to the pilot when he entered Greek airspace and everything appeared normal.

They tried to contact him again at 02:27 Cairo time, as the plane was set to enter Egyptian airspace, but “despite repeated calls, the aircraft did not respond”. Two minutes later it vanished from radar.

Mr Kammenos said: “The picture we have at the moment on the accident as it emerges from the Greek air force operations centre is that the aircraft was approximately 10-15 miles inside the Egyptian FIR [flight information region] and at an altitude of 37,000 feet.

“It turned 90 degrees left and then a 360-degree turn toward the right, dropping from 37,000 to 15,000 feet and then it was lost at about 10,000 feet.”

Egyptian Aviation Minister Sherif Fathi said: “Let’s not try to jump to the side that is trying to identify this as a technical failure – on the contrary.

“The situation may point – and I say ‘may’ because I don’t want to speculate and I don’t want to go to assumptions like others – but if you analyse the situation properly, the possibility of having a different action, or having a terror attack, is higher than the possibility of having a technical [fault].”

French President Francois Hollande said he was keeping an open mind about the cause: “We will draw conclusions when we have the truth about what happened.

“Whether it was an accident, or whether it was – and it’s something that is on our minds – terrorism.”

The Ministry of Education is expanding and improving its school feeding programme to include a nutritionally balanced breakfast so that the impact of the crucial morning learning hours is not diminished.

A release from the Ministry noted that the pilot study is intended to examine the feasibility of implementing such a breakfast programme in schools in the coastal regions that have no cooking facilities.  It will provide the essential information on cost, nutritional adequacy and community engagement to guide decisions on the design and budgetary implications of a full national school feeding programme (SFP), to be implemented in phases.

The key objectives of the  study are:

1. to examine the feasibility of providing a nutritious breakfast consisting of a sandwich and a flavoured milk-based drink to children in nursery schools and Grades 1 and 2 of primary schools in three coastal communities, ensuring the contribution of the meals provided to healthy eating habits with a sustainable approach based on the use of locally produced foods;

2. To assess the acceptability of the various breakfasts offered, and provide basic nutrition education to enhance the acceptability of healthy local food, taking into consideration cultural patterns of consumption;

3. To determine the cost per child of the programme, and the increase of the cost if utilizing local and healthy food;

4. To determine the nutritional value of the school breakfast options (and compare with home breakfasts);

5. To assess the extent of the communities’ engagement and their willingness to help and contribute facilities, time, cash or food commodities, enhancing social participation (families, PTA, and the entire community;

6. To contribute to nutrition education of school communities for ensuring a commitment on the programme for sustainability.

7. To provide the basis for the development of a detailed plan for a sustainable school feeding programme, providing young children in coastal schools with a nutritious and culturally acceptable breakfast.
8. Promote and facilitate linkages with local production with special consideration to small farmers.

Teachers serving breakfast to Pupils of Blossom Nursery, Enmore ECD

It was noted that three study sites have been selected in Region 4:  Buxton,  Friendship,  and Enmore, all on the East Coast, a little less than8 km apart.  According to the release, these sites have been selected to ensure that cultural acceptability is assessed within the two main coastal ethnic groups.

Guyana’s school feeding programme currently provides a snack of fortified biscuits and juice to all children in nursery schools and in Grades 1 and 2 of primary schools.  Additionally, in hinterland primary schools, children are offered a hot lunch, prepared by trained community cooks and based, to the extent possible, on foods produced by the community.

Domestic airline Trans Guyana Airways has acquired its second Beechcraft 1900D aircraft as the airline expands its operations to reach the regional market.The aircraft, which was sourced from New Zealand, arrived in Guyana at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport (EFCIA) at Ogle on Monday afternoon, the company noted in a release.

It was piloted by the company’s Director of Operations, Captain Andre Farinha and American ferry pilot, Captain Fuschetti.

The 19-seater pressurised, twin- engine turboprop, fixed- wing aircraft is one of the most popular 19-passenger airliners in the world and is powered by two Pratt and Whitney Canada Turboprop engines, each rated at 1279 shaft horse power and cruised at about 280 knots, about the same speed as LIAT’s ATRs.

The aircraft is certified to operate up to an altitude of 25,000 feet and can fly non-stop charter to Puerto Rico, Manaus, Belem and as far as Aruba.

Last September, Trans Guyana unveiled its first Beachcraft 1900D model and it noted at the time that the aircraft will be available for both day and night international charters. The company has since introduced the Beechcraft on its Lethem service, cutting flying time significantly to the border location to less than an hour.

A new study on sexual reproductive health here has found that 12% of Guyanese girls are having sex before the age of 15 and another 15% are beginning childbearing during their adolescence years.

UNICEF Deputy Representative Paolo Marchi.

These findings are contained in a soon to be launched report by the Guyana Bureau of Statistics and United Nations Children’s Education Fund. (UNICEF) Deputy Representative Paolo Marchi has concluded that Guyana needs to address issues associated with sexual reproductive health rights.

The report, a UNICEF methodology applied worldwide and under the leadership of the Bureau of Statistics here, has data from 2014 and was done using a survey system. Providing a sneak peek into its findings, Marchi said 15 percent of adolescent girls in Guyana begin childbearing; 12 percent had sex before they were 15-years-old; and 62 percent had unmet contraceptive needs.
Marchi was speaking at the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association’s (GRPA) launch of the local leg of the “Know It, Own It!” Campaign at Cara Lodge, in Georgetown.

SEXUALITY EDUCATION TOOLKIT

The UN official lauded the fact that the GRPA took the opportunity to also launch a comprehensive sexuality education toolkit that seeks to shift from Guyana’s official “Abstinence Only” approach to sex education.
Marchi observed that the toolkit is essential because adolescents need access to such information in order to make informed decisions.

The toolkit is designed for use by peer educators, teachers, facilitators, parents, social workers and anyone working with youths.

GRPA feels that Guyana’s “Abstinence Only” approach to sex education has not been working and that a deeper approach to fit today’s society is needed. As such, it decided to develop the comprehensive sexuality education toolkit.

Programme Director Renuka Anandjit told this newspaper that the thrust of the campaign is to ensure that the rights of youths are upheld and to motivate government and stakeholders to design programmes to meet their needs. GRPA is hoping that that the toolkit will be a resource to the Ministries of Education and Public Health, partners and other stakeholders.

Executive Director Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth gave credit to Red Thread for helping the organization to develop the toolkit, and noted how the GRPA is joining with the global campaign to reach as many persons and communities as possible with educational and empowering messages on why their sexual rights and health matter.

She offered that the toolkit is user-friendly and that although many hard copies are not available, the report can be reached on GRPA’s website.
Meanwhile, GRPA said recently that in recent years the organization has been calling for a shift from the abstinence only approach to a comprehensive approach to sex education, taking into consideration the urgency of the current situation where young people are becoming sexually active at a very tender age, both forced and voluntarily, and where teenage pregnancy, sexual violence and irresponsible sexual behaviour, are prevalent. GRPA observed how in 2014, the Guyana Government endorsed the CARICOM Integrated Strategic Framework for the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy in the Caribbean but the implementation mechanisms are still to be established. “We would be happy to support initiatives of the Guyana Government, partners and other stakeholders, with the hope that Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) will be widely introduced in schools,” GRPA said.

“The Association will seek to further engage the government, civil society and faith-based organisations to propel the Comprehensive Sexuality Agenda for the benefit of in-and-out-of school youth.
“It is our hope that under the ‘Know It, Own It Campaign’, GRPA and partners will be able to meaningfully engage stakeholders and also provide access to CSE for young people in and out of school in an age appropriate and culturally relevant manner and that this effort will result in a healthier youth population and a healthier nation,” GRPA said.

Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan has relaxed the 2:00am curfew for the closure of night spots and bars to 4:00 a.m. to facilitate festivities for Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary.

In a statement, the Minister said that consequent upon an inundation of requests from businesses and the general public seeking to fully celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, “the Ministry of Public Security wishes to announce that, in conjunction with the Guyana Police Force, it will temporarily relax the enforcement of the 2:00am business deadline to 4 a.m. for bars, night clubs and other places of entertainment.”

He said it is a time for celebration and knowing the Guyanese spirit, the Ministry has seen the need for this relaxation.

“The period during which the 2 a.m. deadline will be extended to 4 a.m. is from Friday, May 20 to Monday, May 30, 2016.”

However, Ramjattan said businesses and individuals are asked to note that the Guyana Police Force will continue to investigate and prosecute noise nuisance reports, drinking and driving, and other offences during this period.

“The Ministry takes this opportunity to wish the citizens of Guyana an enjoyable Jubilee Celebration and urge everyone to be particularly safety-conscious during this busy season, especially on the roadways.”