State witnesses recalled at AK-47 court-martial
By Wendella Davidson
TWO State witnesses who previously gave evidence in the court-martial involving the State versus Lieutenant Colonel(Lt. Col) Tony Ross, will this morning return to the witness box to be further cross-examined by the defence.

At the resumption of the court-martial yesterday morning, one of Ross’s two-member defence team, Attorney-at-law, Gregory Gaskin, a retired GDF Lt. Col. made an application to the Court for the recall of the witnesses, Colonel Mark Phillips and Major Julius Skeete.

The recall, Gaskin told the Court, has become necessary in light of the now amended second charge.

State Prosecutor Mellisa Yearwood-Stewart was last week granted an amendment to have the words in the charge ‘instructed WO2 Gordon’ deleted and replaced with ‘gave instructions’.

Additionally, the Court, so as not to cause any injustice or prejudice to the defendant, had also granted the Defence an adjournment so as to review the evidence of the previously-called State witnesses and thus exercise any of the options available to it.

The State did not object to the recall of its witnesses.

LT. Col. Ross is the first high-ranking officer of the GDF to be charged in relation with the disappearance of 33 AK-47 rifles and five pistols from the Camp Ayanganna arms store in 2006.

He is, in accordance with military law Section 209 (1) of the Defence Act 15:01, charged with three counts of “Conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline contrary to Section 75 of the Defence Act Chapter 15:01” and a lone count of “Neglect to the prejudice of good order and military discipline contrary to Section 75 of the Defence Act Chapter 15:01.”

Particulars of the allegations against Ross are, that on or about February 13, 2006, without proper authority he:

* * instructed Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) Gordon to establish an arms store for personnel of the Ordnance Corps, an instruction which he knew or was reasonably expected to know he had no authority to issue.

** gave instructions to have weapon numbers assigned to soldiers of Ord. Corps for the purpose of issuing the weapons to the soldiers.

** failed to ensure that the keys to the Keys Cabinet were booked in at Defence Headquarters Operations Room, a duty which he knew or was reasonably expected to know.

** at the Ord. Corps, during the period March 2005 to February 2006, failed to manage an effective Booking In/Out system for the Keys Ledger, a duty known to him or reasonably expected to be known by him.

The military court being held in Camp Ayanganna is presided over by Colonel Julian Bruce Lovell, with retired High Court Judge, Oslen Small as the Judge Advocate.

Other members Lt. Col. Patrick West, Lt. Col. Trevor Blenman, Lt. Col. Brian Bristol (Base Commander, Camp Ayanganna) and Major Paul Arthur.

Attorney-at-law Leslie Sobers is the other member of the Defence team.

It is expected that upon completion of the further cross-examination of Phillips and Skeete by the Defence, the Court will begin hearing the testimony of a new witness.

State-of-the-art water treatment plant commissioned at Corentyne
-to benefit 15,000 persons
As part of a collaborative effort between the Governments of Guyana and Japan, the Number 56 Village Water Treatment Plant at Corriverton, Region Six, was commissioned Sunday by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Japan’s Ambassador to Guyana, Koichiro Seki, along with Minister of Housing and Water, Harry Narine Nawbatt, in the presence of  beneficiaries and stakeholders of the water sector.

The Prime Minister said over 23 villages from No. 51 through 73 are now benefitting from an improved water supply as part of Government’s dedication towards modernising the water sector and providing residents with safe potable water.

He added that the construction of the plant is yet another example of good relations and cooperation between the Governments of Guyana and Japan.

Japan’s Ambassador Seki said the provision of potable water is fundamental and now the communities will receive a safe supply of water at an efficient level.

He said the Government of Japan is pleased to contribute towards the development of the water sector and looks forward to assisting in the second phase of the project.

The Government, in 2004, recognising the need to upgrade the quality of potable water supply, indicated its plans to the Japanese Government and it was decided that two water treatment plants would be constructed between Number 51 Village and Moleson Creek.

Subsequently, the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) provided a grant of US$12M to facilitate the two projects. Of that amount, $1.1B was invested to facilitate phase one of the project, consisting of the construction of the treatment plant, transmission and conduction mains, procurement of 8,400 water meters and rehabilitation of the #57 Village well.

Similarly, works will be conducted under phase two of the project to complete the construction of the water treatment plant at Queenstown, Corriverton. When that project is completed, the two plants will provide over 33,000 residents with an improved water supply.

Minister of Housing and Water Harry Narine Nawbatt explained that before 1992 the condition of infrastructure in Guyana was in a deplorable state. However, Government has invested tremendously towards the development of this, especially in the water sector, and Sunday’s commissioning is evidence of this.

Residents were encouraged to conserve potable water since it is costly to treat.

Minister Nawbatt commended the Japanese consultants and contractors for their splendid job of completing the project on time.

He said the project will be a flagstaff for the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI)  in its turn-around plan to enhance water facilities countrywide, and ultimately, to improve the quality of water for all of its beneficiaries.  (GINA)

Gilbert Harris heads Former GPF Members Association
The Association of Former Members of the Guyana Police Force held a Special Annual General Meeting on Sunday March 02, 2008, at the Felix Austin Police College, Eve Leary, to elect a new Executive Committee for the 2008/2009 term.

The newly elected Executive Committee comprises:

Mr. Gilbert Harris                    -       President

Mr. Deryck Thompson, DSM  -      Vice-President

Mr. Cyril Fredericks, DSM     -       Secretary

Ms. Lorna Isaacs                      -      Assistant Secretary

Mr. Lyndon McKenzie            -      Treasurer

Mr. Desmond Pestano             -      Assistant Treasurer

Mr. Ignatius Browne               -      Trustee

Mr. Neville James                   -      Trustee

Mr. Neville Cush                     -      Committee Member

Mr. Cecil Sullivan                   -      Committee Member

Mr. Donald Bollers                 -      Committee Member

Mr. Kerry Barker                    -      Committee Member

Accused in JFK terror plot appeal extradition
GUYANESE nationals, Abdul Kadir, 55, and Abdel Nur, 57, who along with Trinidadian Kareem Ibrahiim, 62, lost out on a bid against their extradition to the United States in the Trinidad High Court on February 18 last, have appealed the decision.

However, no date has been fixed as yet for the matter to be heard by the Appeal Court, a source in neighbouring Trinidad told the Chronicle.

Kadir, a former Member of Parliament under the People’s National Congress government, Nur and Ibrahiim are wanted in the U.S. on charges of conspiring to blow up the John F. Kennedy Airport.

It is alleged that Nur, Kadir, and Ibrahiim, as well as Russell De Freitas, a Guyanese national, performed physical surveillance, made video recordings of JFK and its buildings, and sought expert advice, financing and explosives in relation to an alleged plot to destroy the JKF Airport.

On February 18, last, High Court Judge Justice Nolan Bereaux threw out the men’s habeas corpus application in the Hall of Justice, ruling that it would not be “unjust and oppressive” for them to be sent to the US to face 13 counts of conspiracy to commit terrorist offences in relation to the John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The Judge said too, the court had received diplomatic assurance from the US Embassy in Trinidad that the men would be given a Federal and not military trial, as was being argued by lawyers for the men.

Bereaux had flatly denounced the argument that the men will not get a fair trial in the US because of the extensive media coverage on the matter.

The move by the three to the High Court resulted from an August 6, 2007 order by Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls.

PROMOTIONS AT REPUBLIC BANK (GUYANA) LIMITED
Republic Bank Guyana Limited is pleased to announce the following management appointments:
Mr. Devan Khemraj was appointed Manager, Finance and Planning on February 22, 2008. He has been with the organisation for eighteen years, and has held Managerial positions at three of our Branches in Berbice for the past ten years. Mr. Khemraj is an Associate of the Institute of Canadian Bankers, and is presently concluding studies towards becoming a Certified Chartered Accountant.

Mrs. Celine Davis took over Management of the Corriverton Branch on January 24, 2008. She has a wealth of experience with the Bank, which spans three decades. Mrs. Davis, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, has completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Development Studies, and is currently pursing a Masters Degree in Human Resources Management and Psychology. 

Mr. Sasenarain Jagnanan joined the Bank on March 4, 1985 and has acquired significant knowledge and experience over the years in many areas of the Bank’s operations. Much of this can be attributed to his extensive exposure to the functions of the Bank’s Finance and Planning Department, which he managed for fourteen years. Mr. Jagnanan holds qualifications in Banking and Finance and is an Associate of the Institute of Canadian Bankers. Mr. Jagnanan was appointed Manager, Corporate Credit on February 6, 2008.

GDF, Police heads visit troops on ‘Operation Restore Order’
Troops deployed on the Essequibo Coast and Berbice on ‘Operation Restore Order’ were, on Friday last, visited by Chief-of-Staff (COS) of the Guyana Defence Force Commodore Gary Best and Commissioner of Police Henry Green .

The two were accompanied on the familiarisation visit by a party including the Commanding Officer, 1st Infantry Battalion, Colonel Enoch Gaskin, a release stated.

The Heads of Service held discussions with regional officials, were briefed by the operational commanders, and inspected and addressed the ranks, both soldiers and police, in relation to the conduct of the operation.

Additionally, the troops were reminded of the objective of the Joint Services Command which is to conduct Joint Operations in order to restore law and order by apprehending armed criminals within the communities, the release added.

‘Operation Restore Order’ was launched in early February in response to the killing of eleven residents in the Lusignan community and was further extended following the killings at Bartica.

Soldiers from the GDF and the Police are deployed in several areas in a bid to capture the perpetrators of the crimes.

Persistent, heavy rains flood East Coast areas
SEVERAL residents on the East Coast of Demerara were yesterday contemplating their next move as persistent heavy rainfall left some parts of their areas flooded.

The areas severely affected included Mon Repos, Felicity and Le Ressouvenir, with many householders finding that they had to get through between fifteen and eighteen inches of water in their yards.

Some of the residents started moving their belongings to higher ground as flood waters in some villages seeped into the kitchens of many homes.

Residents, particularly in Felicity, had flood waters on their floors and were busy making alternative arrangements in event of another disaster.

The Guyana Chronicle spoke with some of the residents whose yards had excessive water and was told that there were no significant losses.

However, the residents of Felicity expressed disgust as they blamed the drainage and irrigation authorities for the malfunctioning of the pump in the area.

They further noted that whenever it rains, the area floods and exactly two weeks ago they had the same problem.

Meanwhile, much of the flood water in the city ran off during a lull in precipitation yesterday.

Panel discusses media distortions on security sector
The many distortions that are being perpetrated in the private electronic and print media were the subject of discussion on the weekly National Communications Network (NCN) television Programme ‘Perspectives of the Week’, aired Sunday.

The panel comprised Former Chairman of Region One and Member of Parliament Norman Whittaker, Executive Member of the Women’s Progressive Organization (WPO) Sheila Verasammy, Political commentator David De Groot, and host Dr. Prem Misir.

One of the distortions discussed was the politicization of the Police Force which has led to the force’s de-professionalization.

Whittaker’s response was that since 1993 more and more resources have been allocated to the Police Force and these have immensely contributed to its professionalism.

Verasammy added that the PPP/C inherited a Police Force that was already politicized; but there needs to be some level of ‘policy’ interface by the Government in the Police Force.

Dr Misir, in response to De Groot’s query of who is to gain by politicizing the Force, stated that in Guyana’s history there has always been a Minister of Government in charge of the Police Force. Dr Misir pointed out that the Force is receiving fewer complaints through the Police Complaints’ Authority, a fair testament to its professionalism.

Another media distortion discussed by the panel relates to the statements made in Parliament by Alliance for Change (AFC) Leader Mr. Raphael Trotman.

 Trotman stated that the present crop of criminals was bred over the past 15 years during the PPP/C Administration. 

Whittaker pointed out that the Government has poured enormous amounts of funds into the training and development of young people; and asserted that Guyana is experiencing a new criminality. Whittaker noted that there is a nexus between the upsurge in crime and the number of persons being deported to Guyana.

Verasammy voiced her disappointment over Trotman’s statements and said that she believes that he has lost all credibility in his ‘take’ on the new criminality in Guyana.

The panel was also asked to respond to the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Executive Member Aubrey Norton’s comments about the recent release of the United States Government International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR). Mr. Norton, however, in the recent Parliamentary debate spoke of the INCSR’s “wounding assault on Guyana”. Mr. Whittaker stated that the Report outlined some modest successes by the Government, but the PNCR only focused on the report’s negatives.

Verasammy mentioned that the Government’s Anti- Narcotic Strategy Plan was at present being evaluated by a Select Committee which comprised representatives of the PPP/C, PNCR, AFC, TUF and Civil society.

 Dr Misir specifically drew attention to the Report’s finding on corruption in Guyana. He stated that the Report found no evidence that the Government of Guyana or any Senior Government officials encouraged or assisted in the trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances in Guyana. Dr Misir also added that the U.S. Report clearly stated, that News Operatives frequently report instances of corruption by Government Officials, but one of the Report’s conclusions is that these media reports lack any evidence to support their claims.

Statements made during the Budget Debate by PNCR Deborah Backer were also discussed. Backer stated that the budgetary amount allocated to security was inadequate and the Government should use Value Added Tax (VAT) revenues to purchase boats and planes to help bolster security capacity. Whittaker emphasized that every Ministry is starved for funds and VAT funds have their own targets, while De Groot pointed out that the security sector already has good funding.

VAT funds have been earmarked to increase pensions and to assist with the vulnerable population, among other things.

PPP groups hosting ‘At home with Cheddi’ today
THE Bel Air People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) groups in Georgetown will host ‘At home with Cheddi’ today, at 18:00 h, on the lawns of the residence of Mrs Janet Jagan.

A release said the evening of reflection will span the various aspects of Dr. Cheddi Jagan’s life and work, as one of the commemorative activities in observance of his 11th death anniversary this month.

The programme is themed ‘Cheddi Jagan’s Vision, Our living guide’ and the release said the event will also feature a video show while PPP Executive Members, General Secretary Donald Ramotar and Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud are to be featured speakers.

According to the release, several other party groups across the country have already or will be undertaking other programmes to highlight Dr. Jagan’s “invaluable and indefatigable struggle for a better Guyana.”

Revered as ‘Father of the Nation’, Dr. Jagan died on March 6, 1997, in the United States (U.S.) after a brief illness.

Commonwealth Day Message from President Bharrat Jagdeo
Today Guyana is proud to join the Commonwealth family of nations in observing Commonwealth Day 2008, under the theme ‘The Environment - Our Future’.

On this occasion I would like to pay tribute to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II for her role as the Head of the Commonwealth in furthering its principles and purposes within the wider Community of Nations.

The theme this year ‘the Environment-Our Future’ is both timely and appropriate calling our attention to the dangers posed by climate change to our common home-the Earth. The Lake Victoria Commonwealth Climate Change Action Plan; which was adopted at the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala is the most recent initiative undertaken by the Commonwealth family of Nations to curb the threat of climate change to the global environment.

There can no longer be any denial of the threats since abundant scientific evidence now exists confirming the reality of global warming.

Given our terrible experience of the great flood of 2005 and more recently the heavy rainfall resulting from the La Nina Phenomenon, we in Guyana have been brought face to face with this reality.

As a small low-lying coastal state which is perennially vulnerable to changes in the weather patterns, Guyana has had to respond to these phenomena by formulating a Climate Change Action Plan that addresses our commitment under the International Convention to undertake the measures to reduce our vulnerability through clear strategies aimed at adaptation, mitigation, capacity building and public awareness. To be successful, these strategies will require the full support of all Guyanese.

Additionally, the Government has taken a number of initiatives by way of our contribution to a global response to the need to protect and preserve our national environment. As most will know the Government of Guyana has dedicated to the international community almost one million acres of pristine forest for research in biodiversity and the sustainable development of its forestry resources. At the last Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda, I announced a plan that would place our standing forests at the disposal of the Global Campaign against Climate Change while earning carbon credits for Guyana to assist with its national development.

Guyana, in 2007, had the honour to host the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting where the focus again was on climate change and on ways and means to address this issue. The Government of Guyana urges, not only our sister Commonwealth member countries but also other countries around the globe to recognise the cost of inaction and to make whatever contribution they can to diminishing the environmental dangers which now surround them.

The Government of Guyana takes this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the ideals of the Commonwealth and to working towards the common good. May the Commonwealth family long continue in service, not only to its members, but also to the world.

Guyana now full-fledged member of the Rio Group
THE Twentieth (XX) Rio Group Summit which recently concluded in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic has seen the Group’s members approving the inclusion of Guyana and Haiti as members of the Group.

Guyana, last year, chaired the Nineteenth Summit of the Rio Group and this year it was hosted by the Dominican Republic.

Heads of State at the Summit appointed Guyana and Haiti as individual members of the Group while Guyana will continue to represent the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) bloc until such time that another member is nominated by CARICOM Heads of Government to represent the CARICOM body.

Since 1998, Guyana has been representing CARICOM in the Rio Group.

Following its Chairmanship of the Rio Summit in 2007, Guyana handed over the mantle to the Dominican Republic (DR) but has remained on the TROIKA along with Mexico and the DR at the conclusion of the 20th Summit.

Meanwhile, President of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez has handed over the mantle of the Chairmanship of the Rio Group to Mexico which will, following the next Summit, relinquish this to Chile.   

President Bharrat Jagdeo on March 7 last addressed the XX Summit where he  underscored the need for peace in South America following a week of tension and conflict between some of the region’s countries, namely Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. The countries have since concluded peace agreements.