Monday, May 31, 2010

Riddle of the week

Who struck a cord with the distinguished mad man, we mean the Attorney General Charles Ramson?
1. Speaker of the National Assembly
2. Leader of the Main Opposition Party
3. Advisor on Governance
4. Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee
5. PPP MP Anil Nanadall
6. President Jagdeo

Who rubbed Ramson the wrong way to have him resigned from all the Parliamentary Committees two weeks ago out of a fit of anger?

Who did?! Your guess is as good as ours.

He's Greene, but not Hulk (more like Bulk)


Henry Greene is now talking about retirement after he sat his fat ass in the Police Commissioner’s chair parading like a worth less puppet for the government while holding up the appointments of several police officers who were tipped for promotions.

Like another top black person in Guyana, he has allowed his professionalism to be manipulated by the Jagdeo Band of Criminals as worthy police officers were stepped upon.

As an act of friendship President Champion has extended his term as Commissioner of Police last year, an act that should have been deliberated on by the Police Service Commission. Greene’s dismal performance has not placed in the Guyana Police Force in any better light than it was five years ago.

But what Jagdeo has managed to do is to push the professional officers worthy of any political tarnishing out of the force. We understand that Assistant Commissioner Paul Slowe will have his going out Parade soon as he is proceeding on retirement.

Where does this leave the Guyana Police Force?

Ask Greene when you meet him at Pegasus, he takes his crime fighting skills there for a drink and food after which he paddles himself out to his car to have a drunk drive home.

Greene mirrors the sorts of crooks, the Jagdeo administration surrounds itself with.
Endless bribes, visa revocation, drunk car crashes, friendships with known criminals and the list goes on.

Have a good early retirement Paul Slowe! We will now have to deal with the likes of deportee Steve Merai.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

I'm feeling Raaaandy


RANDY Persaud. Who is this person?

A political scientist or mad scientist? Either, we will never know. Dr. Randy Persaud, the latest Office of the President recruit and understudy of Prem Misir has a full letter writing task set out for him for the rest of the year.

Before he adds pen to waster another piece of paper on idiotic rants we will suggest what his next topics should be.
- How about Fip Motilall’s failure to deliver that US$15 million road?
- How about the 40 plus year old President relationship with a unknowing lass ?
- How about his non-existent marriage?
- How about McKoy’s crime ?
- How about Nanda Gopaul takings at NBS?
- How about Dr. Luncheon’s listening device?
- How about the blatant racism in the Public Service?
- How about Norway lying to us about the REDD plus funds?
- How about personal investments made by the President?
- How about telling us which friend he will grant duty free concession to next?
- How about that cable he is planning to bring?

Instead of counting chairs and penning letters about who is a CAPITAL FOOL, pen letters about these.

$30million dissolving away

The promise of US$30 million from Norway could blow up in front of our faces.
What will he say to the Amerindian Villages he has promised millions of dollars to, what will he say to those communities he has promised roads and water, what about those project he has air marked this money to be spent on, what will the fool do now?
Norway’s Ambassador Hans Brattskar recently told the Stabroek News that this millions of dollars in forest protection money is months away from reaching Guyana’s coffers.

The good PPP administration has begun to stifle the Forestry Sector in a bid to get this money while a battle begun with the mining sector to place miners against a wall.

The Guyana Government has once again fooled the Nation as to what exactly is promised to Norway in exchange for funds.

We are asking the Jagdeo administration once again to release the MOU for scrutiny.
As Professor Clive Thomas pointed out in his Colum today Sunday, Brattskar simply said that Norway though the MOU is trying to ‘gain practical experiences that may give positive inputs to the NEGOTIATION on a future REDD-plus regime under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’. In fact according to Prof. Thomas column Brattskar said Norway’s ‘cooperation [with Guyana] has not been motivated by the possibilities for offsetting against any future emission targets for Norway.’
Professor Thomas Column’s raises a number of issues we wouldn’t do any justice to if we transform his words, but he highlights Norway’s disingenuous moves while pondering on government’s hypocrisy.

Now where will we get money to build this roads Jagdeo?

See Prof Thomas' article here.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Jagdeo in Newark

Yep that's right, he is in Newark... not a mention in the press as he ensured that he was out of the country for the attack on Freddie and the other Guy.

The Mayor of that city welcomed him (as if they could do differently) and Jagdeo noted that it was the "first time in 37 years that he celebrated Guyanese Independence Day outside of Guyana"...

Get real! You are never in Guyana! What do you know about our independence day or our celebrations, Mr. tourist corruptident?

Jagdeo also committed sacrilege by saying:
Both of your countries need your involvement to succeed. Be active, stay active, and be progressive”. Can you imagine anyone really getting active in Guyana? Acid pon dem face!

He who pays the piper...

The sellout is about to be finalized with a fat pay out plan. We will be sold to the Dictator and his immoral bullies for a few pieces of silver. We knew that were we never safe but we never expected this act of blatant disregard for the citizenry or the act of mistrust that lingered for years.

We have reported that the Office of the President continues to the pay several bills for the Office of the Leader of the People’s National Congress (Congress Place, Sophia) and several of the leader’s bills.

But sources are telling us that this isn’t new and he was in fact being paid via brown paper bag from a certain friend close to the New Garden Street Property.

Two people we were told are authorized to collect these payments and these include a driver and a close man who is no stranger to the law. This explains why the Champion coward pays no mind to this ‘sickly’ man.

Wonder about all the politicking?
All in the game as we are left to look on as fools. A recent meeting to discuss ‘matters of importance’ is nothing about a photo opportunity that gets us to think outside the box when inside the box they have been secretly meeting and secretly talking about deals. These include a Constitutional Reform to allow for over seas voting and secure an extension of the Presidential term and another to allow the PNC to implode using race politics within the line.

When you hear every man for him self, its no joke.

Friday, May 28, 2010

A king without clothes

We refuse to imagine Him without clothes....any person who struts their ego must be agonizingly insignificant, so Freud would tell us.

Think of the King...Hail the King.

1) Where does the filth come from?
It may take a master to analyze the psychology of the King of Guyana. Which end does the filth pour from? All over Freddie, all over the poor cricketer-guy (to put a different spin), all over the Amerindians, all over the Indians, all over black people, all over Guyana. The poop-bags like lumumba et al are but the gaseous pre or post bubbles of the rest.

1) The drivel that is Fip was used to fool the nation. So confuse the nation with US15million while tying up a US600million deal. Confuse the press into a frenzy with 15million while working out the deals of a lifetime.

Then sacrifice Fip, because the bigger deal is done. So that makes him Shine like a champion. The savior of the masses, the champion of earth. Take justice to Fip. He deserves it. he cannot finish the work. Champion's hireling Luncheon gave a clue to that yesterday.

2) Sexual offenses bill. Yeah! A pedophile works as liaison to the King. He took the king's ooze and threw it at freddie's face. Yet, the king publicly spoke of his dislike for "man-kissers". Show me your friends....

There are records, documents, public accusations of ministers who have raped, pimped and sexually harassed young (stupid) women in their offices. Sexual offense?

The King himself, lived in sin, sleeping with a woman that he told the country was his WIFE! The ooze flowed with his 'explanation'. Sexual offense?

The King took Stanley Ming's relative to Lethem as his companion - well, that is not rape, she's big - but he has to prove that the man-kissers around him does not overly affect his suspicioned fatuous insignificance - then create a scandal to ensure that everyone knows he was with this woman. The poor fool, young and silly, has disgraced her family. Sexual offense?

3) The farce of the government fiber is another master idea aimed at pushing business to B-Yong and B-rassington. The latter is owner of an island in Essequibo (with a yacht moored to boot!). B-Yong operates his "business" front in a building owned by B-rassington. The King's cable will be "managed" by B-Yong and b-rassington (remember our previous post about B-rassington's brother in ICT business in USA). Meanwhile, the "Laptop per family" contract will be given to these two to bring in 100,000 laptops that will crash in a year or with 2-hour battery life to span the blackout. Cheap, affordable will be their words - after all it is a Government contract.

4) Laws and more laws. are passed to protect the B's. The King's filth flowed at a public forum when he called on his man-friend B-rassington to educate Yesu Persaud. Next day, the legal fools were scrambling to the King's desire to put laws in place to legalize the deals that the King made with B-ubby.

The filth has flowed for so long - we are b-lind, bitten by the Bs, fed BS everyday.

Should we go on?

The king has no clothes

A "guest" letter borrowed from the Kaieteur News

Are the ministers, advisors, and ambassadors of this naked king the same species and purpose of filth?

If I am going to write an impassioned novel, I will name it “The Day of the Champion.” In this piece I will write about a filthy man with a filthy mind, a depraved hero who has fallen into the convolutions of his primitive instincts, a man who can’t contain his love and resolve to wallow in filth. This novel will not exclude beauty and exuberance, but will also talk about the fear and insecurity of a man, a weak and frightened man who drinks the wine of power to flex his muscles in a travesty of strength. In a childhood story I was told, I will write at length about this man who rides a white horse as a king, boasting his fine clothes and jewellery, with thousands of his people waving banners, throwing garlands, and singing his praise that he is the best-dressed man ever to walk this earth. Then I will write about the little boy who was both astonished and baffled at seeing the king on a white horse, a naked king in pornographic obscenity, with the hypocrisy of thousands celebrating this king in his best regal apparel. Then the little boy cried, “King, king, you have on no clothes!”

This book I will write will have a basic theme, with a question: “How can a man be a champion of decency, nature, and beauty when he is a prisoner of the lowest qualities of the human mind, a man obsessed with the crudest repulsiveness on “Earth” of a thing called ‘filth’?” I will ask another question, “Are the ministers, advisors, and ambassadors of this naked king the same species and purpose of filth?” Where is the intellectuality of these ministers, ambassadors, and advisors? Where is the shame, the sense of justice, morality, and personal decency? Has the word “filth” metamorphosed into meanings of parliaments, cabinets, family life, international diplomacy, economic strategies, cultural expositions, offices of presidents, and social justice?

What troubles me most is the overt and covert humour of a particular ethnic section of Guyana about this plot and execution of filth. I am a Hindu and East Indian. Nowhere in our Vedas, Itihaases and Puraanas our heroes and celestial deities condone this raakshas (demonic and fecal) act of throwing filth on a writer and academic to thwart freedom of expression. But I am now wondering if this king without clothes is given permission and rights to rewrite the tomes of our resplendent Hindu past, to rewrite it with the putrid and odious ink of filth.

I will certainly write this novel, titled “The Day of the Champion.”

Churaumanie Bissundyal

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Elections - 2011?

It’s close to the 2011 and you are not sure there would be General Elections- We share your pain.

If the Jagdeo administration throws a Manning fit and calls General Elections tomorrow - you have no idea who you’d be voting for- We share your pain.

It is quite obvious that voters this time around would have a difficult time choosing a leader as they have had in 2006.

The PPP record of corruption, crime, cronism and unaccountability haven’t help, neither has the PNC’s lack of leadership, indecisiveness and baggage of dismal performance has helped their image.

The AFC has practiced much of what it has preached since 2006 and opted to be a party that use to the opportunity to rebut everything that spilled from the others’ mouth.

We predict fewer voter turn out if elections is called, we also predict mass rigging- as the government may seek to allow overseas voting.

In 2001, the three main parties and two others blamed the low voter turn out on migration. None of them noted their dismal performance since 2001 and the fact that the citizenry may have been silently protesting against them by not exercising their franchise.

With a population or more than 700000 in 2006, the Guyana Elections Commission recorded a more than 350000 voter population. There was a 69% voter turn out for that Election says the Commission. It was the lowest voter turn out since Guyana’s Independence.

We see it as the year, the PPP and PNC also lost considerable votes in traditional strong holds as we will later point out.

The PPP lost Indian votes, the PNC sank lower and the AFC entered the political realm.

For the PPP Region 4 was a walk over, as President Jagdeo said publicly that he expects his party to win more black votes than the PNC and AFC combined.
We may never know, but what we know that the PPP netted only 61000 votes in 2006 a far cry from the more than 74000 it has won in 2001.

As for the PNC, that party scrapped a miserable 67000 votes that can’t even compare to the more than 94000 in 2001.

More than 217000 Region 4 residents voted in 2001 but in 2006 148000 voted, 2000 were probably unsure when they spoiled their votes.

As for Region 6, a stronghold of the PPP just about 50000 people voted, more than 80000 voted in 2006.
41000 of that more than 50000 voted for the PPP.

As for Region 10 the PNC strong hold, it lost more than 30000 to AFC and the Elections Commission averaged that more than 10000 Lindeners did not vote.

In the end, this is what happened, PPP won 36 seats, two more than it had in 2001, the PNC lost 3 and was reduced to 22 seats and AFC got 6. Two other parties got one each and the PPP fought CN Sharma and his Justice for All Party in Court for a region Ten Seat that they had already taken away.

Our prediction?

PPP will win the 2011 elections
Jagdeo will be President
PPP will lose one seat
PNC will lose more than 5 seats
PNC will struggle to be the main opposition party as it preaches
Shared Governance
AFC will gain 4 more with an alliance with GAP/ROAR
We will be screwed once again as the PPP will come up with another corny line like LET THE PROGRESS continues and we will battle with them for another five years.

p.s. Dear Mista Rohee, a corrupt goat bite the presidential seat. Let me translate: no one else can get it.

This is Guyana

Hats off to Stabroek News for this article.

Many of the shires (counties) in the UK have web portals which begin with the words ‘This is,’ and what they do is provide a wealth of information on the area. For instance, a visitor to Leicestershire would find on its ‘This is’ page, historical information, where to find what, news, links to jobs, real estate, pubs, almost everything anyone might need to know. Perhaps this may have caught on in other places in some other parts of the world. Not in Guyana, though. Here, ‘This is Guyana’ is a sentence that brings with it connotations of everything that could possibly be wrong.

For example, if one found oneself waiting at 10:00 hrs for a scheduled 09:00 hrs event to begin, the reason that would be given is that this is Guyana. It is used almost wholesale to explain practically every flawed eventuality: blackouts, corruption, nepotism, unsolved crimes, water shortages, injustice – the list can go on and on. But it’s a useless tally really, since no true Guyanese would like to see any of this on a web portal introducing Guyana to the rest of the world.

Just this last Monday, President Bharrat Jagdeo, as he launched what was called the third draft of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy, shed some light on the “Guyana way of doing things.” He intimated that though there had been no consensus in Copenhagen last December, Guyana was not prepared to turn away from playing a role in combatting climate change. He held out the hope that his imminent trip to Norway would bear fruit to the tune of millions of US$ to be spent over the next few years on climate change initiatives, one of which was the Amaila Falls hydropower project.

This hydroelectric project, which the President said would cost some US$450 million will, the ‘This is Guyana’ invocation notwithstanding, be ready for commercial operation by October 2014. Hardly believable it is, that Guyana will have commercial quantities of green energy in the next four years – all things being equal that is. One question that is yet to be completely and comprehensively answered is whether this hydropower will be available throughout the entire country.

In the meantime, while we await this progressive step we must continue to endure the blackouts and the high and low voltages still being supplied. We must still resign ourselves to using candles, flambeaux and kerosene lamps, especially the poor families who cannot afford the high electricity rates, or those who live in unelectrified communities, or the residents of Berbice, where periods of outage currently exceed periods of power supply.

Obviously, no one needs any alternative form of energy. Who cares if Food For The Poor in collaboration with the Roetheli family of the USA successfully built 100 houses in the Lil Red Village and supplied each one with solar power? What does it matter if smaller hydropower projects might be more feasible? After all, it’s just another four years then all will be well.

Meanwhile, we must unquestioningly swallow the drivel being fed to us by smarmy politicians; like the “one laptop computer per family” statement, dished out last week by Minister of Education Shaik Baksh, who said government is working out the modalities and costing for this initiative. Surely this cannot precede the completion of the great hydroelectric project. For while we are not all tech savvy, certainly everyone must know that laptops carry batteries which must be charged and that this cannot be done with candles, flambeaux or kerosene. And unless there are also plans to have Wi-Fi throughout the country, there will be need for other infrastructure to allow the laptops to access the World Wide Web. But why worry, this must have all been thought through. It just was not conveyed to the rest of us. After all, this is Guyana; this is the Guyana way of doing things.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Miasmic mess, acid, grenades

Another sad day has dawned for Guyana.

Freddie Kissoon
This may be an unsavory writer who rambles more than he analyzes. But, like everyone of us, deserves his space in the crazy world. He hates the PPP and is very vocal about that hate. It is a pity that he cannot see past that hate sometimes. But he is entitled to his freedom!

Months ago, the Guyana Times attacked Freddie's wife. Then the GoG's spin doctors (honorary doctorate to0), started rumours about Freddie's daughter and his bisexual traits. Bhrat Jagdeo displayed his homophobic side by calling Freddie 'man-kisser' - as if kissing a man is a crime.

He, jagdeo, is better placed to know if it is a crime, since he recently 'ass'ented the sexual offences bill. We wonder how many persons will analyze the rapes and prostitution that is done by the highest people in the land?

Back to Freddie: the attack on his family was a very low chapter in Guyana's media - all compliments of Guyana Times. However, this recent attack on Freddie is a public message - NOT to Freddie - but to the public.

Elections are approaching. The public is warned about its mouth! Journalists be warned.

To top it off, acid was thrown on a virtual unknown - making him acidly known - and telling the public again that "be warned".

What else will happen, we wonder?

Sunday, May 23, 2010

What does it all mean for Guyana?

This week speaks volumes of a turning point in the History of the Caribbean as several noted and questionable acts have occurred and as people prepare to take to polling stations to stay or remove governments.

In JAMAICA:
A state of emergency was issued for a month by the Bruce Golding administration. This action followed a 2 PM Cabinet meeting.

The genesis is the US request to extradite Christopher Dudus Coke.

In recent weeks, we saw PM Golding being forced to review his moves and even think about the leadership of his country when news broke that he sought legal help to address the extradition.

After he signed the extradition order-Tivoli Gardens and Denham City were on a shut down by criminal gangs opposing the extradition of Dudus.

What followed is unprecedented violence in Jamaica as gangs sought to protect Dudus.
Police stations burns, police cars hijacked, Kingston Airport shut down, Hospitals come under gun fire, citizens had to be evacuated and gun violence in Kingston and other parts of Jamaica.

A State of Emergency was issued at a time the United States Embassy Officials in Jamaica and Dudus lawyers are trying to get him out of the country. Dudus have reportedly waived his right to stand trial in Jamaica and wishes to be flown directly to the US.

This is one telling tale.


In Trinidad
Tomorrow, Monday, Trinidadians will turn out in their thousands to polling stations in Trinidad and Tobago to vote.

The UNM-COP grouping seems a likely winner- as Trinidadians seek a change from the Patrick Manning led PNM.

In recent years corruption had plagued the Manning government as Trinidad, the richest Caribbean Country battled a plunging economy. The UNM also a tarnished record on that topic as well but with the emergence of a promising candidate Kamla Persad-Bissessar the elections is one to keep a close eye on.


Suriname
And on Tuesday, Surinamese would take a trip to the poll.

The calls are in for the infamous Desi Bouterse of the National Democratic Party as some are suggested that the incumbent Ronald Venetiaan of the National Party of Suriname is out.


All of these events could see a change in the landscape of politics in this Region, so keep an eye on them.

Our exclusive take on the NICIL BOSS



In this photograph Winston Brass Boy must be running off to State House to meet Jaggers to discuss their next deal as the two prepare to siphoned off monies from weary and disillusioned taxpayers.

We want to ask Brass Boy some simple questions:

1) Are you prepared to take a lie detector test?
2) What is Your salary?
3) How much % you make on those deals, yes THOSE deals?
4) Why are you leaving the country every month?
5) Where do you go and why?
6) Who pays for those trips?
7) Have you ever been to Russia?
8) Serious business now, how much money NICIL makes annually?
9) Are you prepare to reveal this?
10)What about an audit?
11)How many properties has NICIL acquired and sold recently?
12)How many friends of the President have you sold these to?
13)How many deals NICIL has negotiated recently?
14)How many closely linked to the Office of the President?
15)Brassy boy what about those Guyana Telephone and Telegraph shares you spoke about selling? and,
16)In whose name did you write Fip's US$1.6million cheque?

Brassy don’t lets be enemies, speak to us.

Parcels of land given to friends

Too much wrongs in Guyana.

Land is being given away to friends of the Government. Our understanding is that Airfan,Robbie, Brat and the 5 bees are giving and getting everything.

The latest cause for concern in a strip of land on the embankment of the canal at Montrose. If one were to take a drive to that area, you will find a gated community being developed there - from the public road to the seawall, east of the canal.

Who owns that "reserve"? Who gave it to whom - and when? Was it gazetted?

With our penchant for flooding, how will that canal ever be cleaned? I guess, the poorer residents on the western side will have to have their homes bulldozed in any flooding emergency.

Friday, May 21, 2010

More to it than meets the eye. Deals and Deals!

When will the Integrity Commission lets it independence guide it to drag the Head of Staff with his ‘assets’ before it?

A President who merely makes less than a half a million dollars a month on his day job is busy tying and knotting deals with his cronies and friends that his expected to full his pockets at some time or another.

We know that he got himself a little of the Guyana Times pie as Guyana Times TV Plan to set up a Berbice operation. A new office space is being built.

We know that he has cut himself several sweet deals and owns properties in and out of Guyana. He is negotiating another sweet deal with Russian Powers and would see a fibre optic cable coming from Brazil. This man would be making more money!!!

We were also informed of this connection to the Russian owned Rusal. Connection we say but hidden in that, word is director of the Bauxite Company.

Now as the story about Rusal’s involvement in a hydro power plant breaks we wonder about that else is not visible to the eye.

Stabroek News of Wednesday May 19 has an interesting and though provoking story. It says that a letter between a Gianfranco Miceli of Business Development of a Brazilian Company, Andrade Gutierrez and RUSAL’s General manager Alexex Gordymov talking about building a hydro power plant in the Middle Mazaruni. This isn’t the only revelation. According to SN who we will quote their article says that there are talks about two consortiums involving RUSAL, GUYANA GOVERNMENT and Brazilian owned ELECTROBRAS.

In fact, the Brazilian Company said that it is ready to go ahead.
This is despite no announcement by the government, no reports of Environment Impact Assessment and oh wait, No tendering.

There must be a Memorandum of Understanding somewhere around.

There are some pieces of the puzzle as put together by Stabroek News.

“In the letter dated May 14, which was seen by this newspaper, Gordymov told Miceli that he hoped that their meeting in Miami in March this year was productive and at least the parties could exchange their intentions and recognise how they could move the project forward. He recalled that despite efforts they could not find any amicable solution at the time. He recalled that during the March meeting it was understood that one of the crucial points for Miceli was to get Electrobras to be part of a consortium. He mentioned the building of a smelter. After numerous internal reviews and discussions, they would like to continue dialogue on the main principals, Gordymov said.

He outlined six points. According to the letter, Consortium A would be created with three main stakeholders: Electrobras, the Government of Guyana and Rusal. “This consortium would be responsible for developing the Hydropower Plant and distribution of energy”, Gordymov wrote. He said the consortium would build a 3000MW hydropower plant which would be done in three phases.

He said that the first 1000MW would be sold to Brazil “beside what is energy required by Guyana” and the second 1000MW “(probably less)” would go to the smelter. The third 1000MW would be sold to Brazil, he said.

He outlined Consortium B – which would be created between the government of Guyana and RUSAL for the construction of an aluminum smelter. “RUSAL would control the consortium”.

According to the letter, Consortium B has a right to declare an option to use energy in the second phase of up to 1000MW “in case smelting capacity will be built before commissioning 2nd phase”. Such an option has to be declared no later than six months after the commissioning of the first phase, Gordymov outlined. He said that if this option is not declared by Consortium B within that time then Consortium A has a right to use the energy of the second phase at its own discretion. In this case, the third phase will be developed by Consortium A when Consortium B decides that the smelter is needed, according to Gordymov.

He said that the Consortiums will enter into a written agreement where Consortium A will guarantee to supply power to Consor-tium B in the requested amount for smelting but no more than 1000MW at a cost basis price.

“We will appreciate your feedback on this message and would like to point (out) that we are ready to develop further this project in case you accept (the) above main terms”, Gordymov wrote. He added that any final deal is subject to contract. “

We say there is no way this could have even past our dear President’s ears.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Press Release: 'Peter' Vs Nicola Jang

POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE
Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown
Tel: 225-5401 or 227-2685
Email: propolice247@yahoo.ca

PRO: May 18, 2010

News Editors,
PRESS STATEMENT

Acting on information received the police obtained and executed a search warrant on a building owned by Mr. Peter Ramsaroop at 261 Forshaw and New Garden Streets, Queenstown, Georgetown, yesterday.

The building houses several apartments and the police were only able to access one occupied by Nicole Ming, female, 19 years, the sole occupant. The search revealed the existence of three covert cameras. One hidden in a clock on the wall that obtains a panoramic view of the apartment, another hidden in a radio in the bathroom and a third focusing on her bed.

Nicole Ming indicated that she rented the apartment about two months ago from Mr. Peter Ramsaroop and about a week ago he requested that she leave her keys as he had to fix an electrical problem and on her return she observed an instrument on the wall with a light flashing.

She also stated that about two weeks ago she had replaced a battery in the clock in which one of the cameras was found and the camera was not affixed at that time and complained that Mr. Peter Ramsaroop may have been recording her.

The police became suspicious that Mr. Ramsaroop may be in possession of pornography and may be distributing pornography and consequently obtained warrants to search his apartment as well as his office at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara. At the time he was overseas and upon his return on May 17, 2010, the warrants were executed in his presence by the police who seized two computer hard drives and a digital video recorder from his apartment and two computer hard drives from his office.

Mr. Peter Ramsaroop has denied the allegations of possession and distribution of pornography and indicated in a written statement that he once used the apartment to house an office for his employees when he installed cameras and did not remove all of the cameras when he rented it to Nicole Ming.

He is currently on $20,000.00 cash bail pending investigations.

Ivelaw Whittaker
Public Relations & Press Officer

Political conspiracy? Or plain old wickedness?

These two questions feature prominently as news broke tonite about cameras found on the premise of AFC member Peter Ramsaroop.

A woman, Nicole Ming, an employee of Guyana Times and a personal friend of a very senior official claimed that she was being spied on. She occupied a garage that was also an office owned by Ramsaroop where she paid a rent. She claims that she noticed cameras and believes that she was being spied on.

What is so tricky about this situation is that the woman at the centre of the allegations is known for her personal relationship with this very senior and influential public official.

They were in Lethem together and she recently travelled to a neighboring country to meet him and her boss, her good friend.

We have seen a police report which said that three cameras were found in the apartment as the police probe how they were placed there and by whom- Ramsaroop? well, it is his property.

But something is not right about this story. We know that the woman reported the matter to the senior official and it was him to alerted the police.

What we don’t understand is how she was renting Ramsaroop’s apartment in the first place when she was dating the said official for more than two months.

Was it a well-orchestrated planned? Were the cameras placed there at someone else?
The quick action of the police is notable like we have seen in the CN Sharma matter and wonder if this is how the PPP intends to take down their opponents as General Elections near.

State ads

Read this carefully and do as we tell you! We hope you are wearing trousers with two pockets!

Now reach into one pocket and take out that little change you have there, yes those same crummy $20 bills, now put them in your other hands and place them into your other pocket.

Done?

Well, that’s exactly the situation with the now 22% government advertising that has reached the ‘privately’ owned Guyana Times Newspapers. http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/stories/05/16/guyana-times-received-22-of-state-ads-in-april/

You get the picture yet?

Well boldly we are gonna draw that picture for you.

The Champ President has taken tax payers money once again and it putting it into his own pockets, this time under the guise of Guyana Times that he owns with his good friend and crony Bobby, the doctor Ramroop.

Nothing else could explain the sudden injection of cash into this almost dying media entity. A newspaper whose circulation is not even matched with the Guyana Chronicle!

The sweet joys of ‘cronism’!

We wonder what explanation it will be this time?

Monday, May 17, 2010

Sugar and the Nation

The Diamond Sugar workers have no one but themselves to fight this battle against Guysuco. Its almost 4 months now since the workers having heard about the closure of the Diamond Estate asked the Sugar Company for their severance.

The Turn Around Plan (TAP) had listed the closure of that estate along with other East Demerara Estates and the Union had deliberately kept it a secret.

The workers didn’t wait on the Union to take to the streets to demand their severance and that is when the Union realized the workers were prepared to fight the company it drafted itself into the protest.

Now it is at the forefront of calling on the Sugar Company to pay the workers their severance.

Some are of the view that the workers are not entitled to their severance. These few are those who have misinterpreted the Severance Pay Act.

While the Act does say that if the employer offers alternative work to the employee, severance may be negotiated, it also says that such work much be able to pay the employees the same amount of money or more but there must not be extra labour, working hours or hazardous conditions.

By now we all know what the Diamond Workers have said, they simply prefer their severance than to work at LBI, with among their reasons being a decrease in their actual working hours.

In a most comical action recently, GAWU has announced that it will be moving to the courts, this is after Guysuco said that the Union knew of its plans to close the Diamond Cultivation and move workers to LBI, even suggesting publicly that the Union was in agreement of this move all along.

What does GAWU do? Pretend that it has exhausted all of its negotiating skills and announce it will go to court, the scenario for you? Well you be the judge of this and tell us who is really serious

The PPP Union takes the PPP run Sugar company with legal support and advice from PPP lawyer the esteem Aston Chase S.C

You be the judge and tell us who is making a mockery of the workers.

Forget the cake shops, deal with the issues

We are falling in love with the approach of Stabroek News. Not that Kaieteur News is not doing a good job.... but these last two editorials of Stabroek News are analytical, pragmatic and honest.

We think soon both newspapers will lose their Gog ads.... if only Kaieteur joined the struggle a little while back on the ads.... in unity lies strength. Both Stabroek News and Kaieteur News should join in the fight.... if the Gov't pulls ads, then they, in effect, wont be placing ads, because no one reads the Guyana mis-time and the lying-chronicle. Unite fellas!

Here is Stabroek's editorial of May 17, 2010
There would likely have been many cake shop owners and patrons who would have been bemused and taken some offence at President Jagdeo’s recent description of reportage on the controversial Amaila Falls deal as cake shop journalism. After all, cake shops not only provide heavenly fare such as salaras, sponge cakes, buns and frosty beverages on sweltering days; they are also a forum for important community discussions. Perhaps, the reporters covering the Amaila Falls shenanigans should take the president’s remarks as a solid compliment.

The President is an old hand at trying to demean valid criticism and never tires of trying. One would have thought that in the week when he was quite properly recognized by his cabinet colleagues for his UNEP award he would have been more accommodating of those who are asking important questions on behalf of the people of this country.

If one were to follow the cake shop analogy it may be the case that the President sees his government as the delicatessen or patisserie. That’s all well good but it doesn’t infer that it is any more scrupulous or vital than the humble neighbourhood cake shop. Moreover, the bar is set higher for the government; it runs the country and must be accountable all of the time to all of its people; not only the reporters and the stakeholders in the cake shop.

This brings us to the question of accountability and Guyana’s appearance before the United Nations Human Rights Council last week in Geneva. Several years ago the government gave a commitment to improve the timeliness of its reporting to the various UN treaty bodies and at the same time to extensively canvas Guyanese on all issues to be reported on. It failed comprehensively to do this. Last week its delegation surreptitiously flew into Geneva without a word to the public or without the report which was to be the subject of the relatively new Universal Periodic Review being distributed locally.

If the government thought it would have escaped piercing scrutiny of its woeful human rights record it miscalculated big time. The information that it tried to keep from the Guyanese public was readily available and so were embarrassing questions by heavyweights such as the UK and Canada and a statement to the committee by the United States.

Numerous questions were put to the Guyanese delegation including concerns about extrajudicial killings, police brutality, rights of the indigenous peoples, violence against women and children and discrimination against the lesbian and gay community but in the rarified Geneva atmosphere the bombshell would have been the recommendation in front of the committee by the United Kingdom and Canada that Guyana convene an independent probe of the abuses committed by the phantom squad between 2002 to 2006 and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

This call by London and Ottawa is what the PPP/C government has obstinately and quite improperly refused to institute. Despite numerous appeals locally and the patent need for such an enquiry the Jagdeo administration has filibustered at every turn and thrown in red herrings such as the need to investigate abuses going far back into the past. When calls were made for a forensic probe of the Clico (Guyana) collapse President Jagdeo said he would acquiesce if the PNCR agreed to one of Globe Trust. When his bluff was called there was no change in his position.

He may want to continue with his refusal to agree to an inquiry into the phantoms as his term in office is swiftly coming to an end and he doesn’t need to face the electorate again. In so doing, however, he is leaving the ruling PPP/C with an enormous burden to bear and no matter which party wins the next elections there will have to be a full-fledged inquiry into the phantoms. In the same manner that rigged elections was the albatross on the PNC, the operations of the phantom squad will be the PPP’s millstone as the present government has failed to convince the public that it had no ties or knowledge of what was going on.

For those who would immediately rebuff this argument by asking what about the other criminals who ran amok after the prison-break in 2002, we say that all of the arcane violence of that period must be properly investigated and as far as possible the masterminds, the triggermen and the accomplices brought to justice. The stupendous violence of that period traumatized the lives of many thousands of Guyanese on a daily basis. Many scars remain. Many voids have opened in many lives only to be filled by gnawing emptiness. Many questions remain about the direction of the violence and its intersections with sections of society. An inquiry would provide a catharsis that the entire nation needs, except that this government remains fearful of what could be revealed especially when it contemplates what the recent drug trials in New York have revealed about the underworld here and its connections with officialdom.

Whatever happens, the government now faces a bigger problem than the media and political parties clamouring for an investigation into that period. The clamour is now resounding in the halls of the human rights council in Geneva and the call is coming from the United Kingdom, Canada and others. As is evident Washington, London and Ottawa have become increasingly irritated by the stance of the government on human rights and security issues most recently manifested by the UK’s decision to withdraw its offer of security sector assistance. The pressure by the western countries will undoubtedly grow and could have unpleasant repercussions on aid and other forms of cooperation with Guyana.

It is revealing that many of the same human rights issues that besieged the PNC confronted the PPP/C government last week in Geneva and it was left to its spokespersons to trot out lame excuses. Responding to the questions, Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues revealingly said that in relation to the “so called” phantom squad the government wished to indicate that the “allegations are currently being addressed and investigations are ongoing…The public has been invited to assist in providing information that will aid in the successful completion of the investigations”. Really? This is the type of statement that President Jagdeo might have intended to label as emanating from those wonderful cake selling shops. It is high time that this government shrugs off the cake shop talk and deal with the substantive issues. Is it now ready to order an investigation into the phantom squad and all of the associated violence of that period?

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Adoration

We respectfully quote the entire Stabroek News' editorial of Sunday May 16, 2010.

Public adulation, extravagant receptions, congratulatory advertisements, laudatory billboards – what head of state could ask for more? If it weren’t for those pesky, geriatric critics gulping down their bitter brew in the dark recesses of their favourite cake shops, our President’s cup would have ‘runneth’ over and left him standing knee-deep in a syrup of flattery.

Certainly no president since Burnham has been the recipient of this amount of public ‘adoration’ – and no one needs to be told how popular he was with large segments of the population, especially in his later years. Both the Jagans as well as Hoyte were very unpretentious people, and while the protocols necessary for a head of state were observed, there was none of this level of glorification. While President Jagdeo has won a UN award, for which he deserves appropriate congratulations, it appears to have gone way beyond this, and been made the excuse for a major publicity campaign to exalt him in the eyes of the populus. But why, one wonders? Has he been such a failure that his spin-doctors find it necessary to try and boost his reputation to distract from his poor image? If he had a good image in the first place, then it would hardly seem necessary to go to these lengths. After all, why gild the lily?

And what about the President himself? What does he think driving around Georgetown seeing these billboards sprouting like mushrooms bearing his own face smiling back at him? Does he not feel even a tad uncomfortable? Did he ask whose genius of an idea this was? And most of all, did he ask whether the taxpayers were footing the bill for this bit of seeming narcissism? Or is this a generous donation from one (or more) of his admirers? If it is, who gave permission for the city’s parapets to be utilized for this purpose? The Mayor and City Council?

All of this may play well with the President’s support base, and perhaps even with the Amerindians who are geographically removed from the political shenanigans of the Lower East Coast, and whose dancers are brought down to perform at the adulatory functions, but surely the spin-doctors know that this kind of saturation acclaim really convinces no one else. In fact, it may succeed in alienating them further; many will see it for what it is: an example of rank propaganda. Have the architects of this campaign forgotten so soon what it was like during Burnham’s days? How the population took all the promotion of personality and the fawning by some noisy disciples with a pinch of salt? How they picked up the Chronicle every day and read between the lines? How they watched with a cynical eye as the motorcades and outriders zipped past at full throttle?

So again, what are the spin-doctors trying to accomplish? Surely they don’t think that because the foreigners have given the President an award, the local population will be overwhelmed. Can they seriously believe that Guyanese are incapable of exercising their own judgement? Despite what they think, in the end the electorate of this country is primarily concerned about what he does now and has accomplished here, and where that is concerned elements of his record are in question and will not be erased by any number of outside awards. It might be mentioned in passing that in any case the UK only last week asked for an independent inquiry into the phantom squad at the UN meeting in Geneva.

It might be said that this whole campaign is coterminous with a sudden flurry of projects, foremost among which is Amaila Falls, closely followed by a revivified Marriott Hotel. The most problematic of the two by far is the first-mentioned of these. As was asked in SN’s editorial of April 19, for a project which has been hovering around for about thirteen years, why the sudden rush now? Amaila will involve a huge undertaking and has been promoted by a small company which has absolutely no experience with hydro facilities and at best could only act as a middleman. Mysteriously it has recently been awarded the preliminary road project for Amaila although it appears to have no experience in road-building either. Despite persistent questions asked by a variety of sources, there have been no clear answers from the government.

Is this what the hagiography campaign is all about? Distracting from Amaila? Or is it for the benefit of an overseas audience which would have to provide the funding? Is the message: here is a President who has accomplished great things on the environmental front, not just abroad, but at home as well; the Amaila Falls project forms a part of this, and he has the unequivocal support of a grateful population? Even if that were what the propagandists wished to convey, it does not answer the question of why the haste to take on Amaila at this late stage?

We have, of course, a national election supposedly coming up next year. Is this campaign connected to that – in some labyrinthine way?

An award for the forest while Guyana sinks lower

The United Nations has long and respectable history. Having replaced a failed League of Nations, the United Nations under various stewardship over the many decades have investigated some of the world’s most horrific crimes against humanity.

And, the United Kingdom has recently recommended that the Guyana government independently investigate the death of more than 400 Guyanese and asking the government to bring the perpetrators of the death squad killings to justice.

But there is an obvious double standard that the United Nations and its members have overlooked. It is with no doubt that the dictator they awarded the Champion of the Forest award, is the person who has stifled the essence of a democratic society.
We know the UN is fully aware of the existing situation in Guyana as contained in the Gay McDougal Report of 2009.

In that report, McDougal examined the racial complexity of the society and listed a number of what was believed to be racial discrimination as complaints of the violent deaths of hundreds of Guyanese were also brought to her attention.

The UN is aware that the PPP government shot down the McDougal Report and even attacking the professional who spent time in Guyana meeting officials including the government.

The existing hold of the government has on the state media is no secret either to the United Nations.

Guyana has a very poor record with the onlookers and it ranges from the withdrawal of the ads to the independent Stabroek News, closure of CNS Ch 6, the refusal to address Broadcast Legislation, the manipulation of the State Media and the constant threat to media houses by the Head of State himself. And more recently, the steady increase of state ads to the Guyana Times, well-known best friend of the president.

These are no secrets.

Several international bodies have ranked Guyana’s corruption - both government and other wise, the crime situation and the delicate investment situation but yet the double standards that exist awards a dictator with an award. On first look that award is unjustifiable - and a large part of the LCDS money is being spent to "honor" Jagdeo for his award. Yet, it has to be a cruel joke that he gets an award for the forest - trees and animals, while the people are starving and the nation sinks in a rot of corruption that the awardee is himself a part of.

It is a timely reminder that there is no helping hands - but our own to ourselves.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Great walls of China

Chinese walls have been erected - not by Beekay - but by Jagdeo.

Guyanese would remember the huge chinese wall that was thrown up by jagdeo around the GuySuCo Skeldon factory. No Guyanese has full details of the Skeldon factory (how much money was spent, what were the contract details, how much materials was sold on site by the chinese, how much was removed to ministers and businessmen's properties, etc).

That virtual wall around the Skeldon deal has never been conquered.

Then there is the Russian deal. One man flies to Miami on a monthly basis to meet with the Russians. SUVs await certain officials at Miami airport on their touchdown. No guyanese knows the full quantum of bauxite that is mined and exported by the Russians - they have collaborated with the Miami traveller and the President to build a Chinese wall around the Rusal deal.

There has been many others - stadium money, geeta knight's squandermania, huge property acquisitions in miami, the fippin motilal (US15million) etc.

Last week there was the announcement of Jagdeo's deals with a Chinese firm for his 47million cable project. No feasibility study, environmental study, long term planning is in place for this deal. Someone will obviously make millions, so the Chinese (literally) are employed to build a chinese wall around the cable project.

I wonder if this is the same company that is doing GT&T's infrastructure - and if it is, then maybe it is another chinese wall - that there is a hidden deal between GT&T and the Government.

Chinese walls are going up everywhere. We hope that one day the walls will fall like Jericho walls. But please, Savior, let it fall on their heads - and forgive us for these sinful intentions since we are surrounded by Chinese walls.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Sparks from the beekay

Seems like we should be expecting some sparks to fly between the GoG and beekay. The wharf that died is not beekay wharf but GoG wharf.... or part of it, according to beekay.

I guess as a big contributor to PPP finances, beekay can sometimes say what he wants.

These monopolies

How Quaint!
A country with government owned monopolies.
1) Sugar – the sugar monopoly: beaten into submission by Burnham. Breathed under Hoyte. Boomed under Cheddie and Janet. Beaten to death by the Jagdeo-ites. A failed monopoly.
a)Jagdeo government paid million$ (management fees) to Booker Tate administration.
b) This same government collected millions from EU for the sugar industry
c) This same government took away guysuco land and paid for it with workers’ wages.
d) This same government collected SUGAR LEVY totaling more than that collected by the entire 28-years-PNC-government.
e) Jagdeo runs GuySuCo from his office, OP, since the chairman of GuySuCo (who has no business experience) operates from the office of the president.
Reason for all of this? Simple: the sugar workers are not pro-jagdeo

2) Electricity – owned by the Government, run by the Government.
Head of the GPL is:
i. The behind-the-scene-part-owner of another company
ii. The prime seller of government properties
iii. The owner of an island (really).
iv. The main broker for russkies
Another failed monopoly that cannot function even with the millions of sugar workers dollars being poured into it.
Political twist: the GPL is a black-people company.

3) Water: run by Jagdeo-ites.
Another failed monopoly that pays millions for sweet deals. Investigate the prepaid contracts handed for manufacture of pipes. See who got the contract.

Next time we will discuss GT&T, Gold board, health, etc.

Meanwhile, let us investigate how much land Lumumba really owns, how much property Brassington owns and how much contracts and $$$ are paid on a prepaid fashion to Atlantic.

PPP's track record analysis

The track record to the PPP in recent times is a cause for concern!

While the government cannot be directly blamed for some of the issues facing Guyanese, an obvious political directive in every sphere of life in Guyana plays a role in life's determination. Examples of government involvement can be found in private deals, public deals, foreign investment, policing, judicial judgment and much more.

2011 is expected to be another election year - but we wonder if this and other political parties would be judged by their almost inactivity.

For the ruling PPP the Amnesty Internation Universal Periodic Report does not say much for governance among other critical issues facing Guyanese. Here are the
Recommendations to the government of Guyana:

The death penalty
- To immediately establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty as provided by UN General Assembly resolution 62/149, adopted on 18 December 2007 and resolution 63/168 adopted on 18 December 2008;
- To commute without delay all death sentences to terms of imprisonment;
- To immediately remove all provisions in national law which are in breach of international human rights law, in particular those that provide for mandatory death sentences,
- To ensure rigorous compliance in all death penalty cases with international standards for fair trial are respected.

Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity
- To repeal all provisions allowing for the criminalization of same sex relations;
- Repeal all provisions, including Chapter 8.02 section 153 (1) (xlvii) of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, which are used to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.

Violence against women
- To expedite passage and implementation of the Sexual Offences Bill;
- To ensure the coordinated implementation of the National Domestic Violence Policy.

HIV/AIDS and human rights
- To combat discrimination and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and particularly against members of the LGBT community.

Excessive use of force by the security forces and impunity for human rights violations
- To ensure that all complaints of human rights violations by the security forces are subject to immediate, thorough and independent investigation and, if state agents are charged with such crimes, that their cases are brought to trial in an expeditious manner;
- To conduct a fully independent investigation into human rights abuses allegedly committed by a ‘death squad’ between 2002-2006, and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and that witnesses and their families are offered effective protection in all these investigations;
- To ensure that members of the Guyana Police Force are adequately trained on the appropriate use of force and firearms in accordance with international standards, including the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law enforcement officials.

Ratification of international human rights instruments
- To ratify the following international treaties: the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (and to remove reservations to its First Optional Protocol); the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; and the International
Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance;
- To ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, both of which Guyana has already signed;
- To ratify the American Convention on Human Rights.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Why we must not get old in Guyana

If there is anyone to be charged for neglect it could be the entire government - or in this case, the Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand!

We often wonder if these people have a conscience, perhaps a couple days at the Palms Institute for the Elderly should wake them up along with a monthly pittance of $6000.

It is an atrocity on our old folk, little pension from the government, little or sometimes no pension from NIS(always some computer glitch or scam there), no subsidies the Guyana Power and Light Company and little help from Guyana Water Incorporated, little medical help from Health Centres and no food stamps.

But we want to look at the care of our elderly when they are placed in the Palms.
Why?

Well because we feel that we do not need to quote any bias press reports but to look at the Performance and Value for Money Audit report that was complied by non other that the Auditor General’s Office.

From this report we understand that over $55 million was spent on this facility annually to cater for over 240 elderly folks.

While $50 million is not a budgeted sum we understand from the Report that a sum is allocated to the Home based on the budget allocated to the Social Services for the year and the sum allocated to the Palms is at the discretion of the Human Services Ministry.

In fact, donations to the Palms, would also play a part in the allocation of public funds to its coffers.

What is striking is that there is no proper record keeping at the Palms. The Auditors found that there were no annual reports, no reports on intake of members, no reports on the deaths of members and no reports on donations.

In fact, when the Auditors visited the institution they founds hundreds of walking aids and canes discarded in a mostly appalling fashion under the Palms.

In addition to this, there is no potable water, food is not readily available and staff most times have to prepare meals based on what is available and not according to dietary menu.

Don’t ask how the food is transferred and in what conditions is it given to the inmates!

The Palms buildings and compounds are hideous and requests to the Human Services Ministry for handymen, carpenters, brush cutters, demands for safety bars at windows and garbage receptacles were all turned down.

In 2009 the defects were many and included:
- Overgrowth in the yard,
- defective pipes that lead to flooding in the yard and buildings,
- discolored walls,
- defective walls and washrooms,
- presence of rodents among others.

We wonder which Minster would be willing to spend a night in this hell hole?

We sure they are making deals that would see them better off at that ripe old age as for the rest of us - good luck at getting old !

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Ashni hilding up GECOM's funding

Breaking News:

$350 Million budgeted for the Guyana Elections Commission is being held up by the Ministry of Finance and as the Minister Dr. Ashni Singh continues to dance around the commissioners and other officials of GECOM.

Latest information reaching us is that the money is available and has been available since late last year and reappeared in this year’s budget estimates to be handed over to the Guyana Elections Commission.

The government’s refusal to hand this money over to the Commission could hinder two things, its preparations of Local Government Elections and General Elections.
We were told that the salaries of the Commissioners and other staff members have been secured as those are paid through a separate arrangements.

However, the salaries of hundreds of contracted workers are still to be paid.

Sources close to the Commission told us that Dr. Steve Surjubally, Chairman of GECOM is well aware of the government plans to frustrate the commission and has informed several of the donors in the form of letters of his frustration.

We are hell bent on finding a reason for this recent hold up of government funds to GECOM we are however convinced that there is more brewing in this pot that meets the eyes and ears.

Is the government corrrupt?

I am sure that many time our readers would have been asked the question, of would question themselves as to "is Jagdeo corrupt?" We put forward the following arguments;

1) Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are. Jagdeo's friends include
- Ramroop who pays off ministers, get's contracts awarded to him - and then goes to buy the equipment to manufacture. He also resells drug for MoH.
- Brassington who has abused every bank account in NICIL. Remember that no less than 10billion dollars goes to nicil EVERY YEAR. That money is never accounted for. Brassington, like odinga, has his own island in the Essequibo. It is important to note that Ashni Singh chairs the NICIL board.
- Odinga Lumumba - need we say anything about him? (see previous posts)
- Gerry Govia who used to have deals worked out in the army with McLean. They used the army helicopter to deliver "stuff" in the private hidden airstrips in the jungle.

The List could go on an on....and we will expand this soon....but these friends of the President shows his true nature.

2) The integrity commission. Does jagdeo submit his assets? The fact that he cannot get this commission going as an independent body points to their hiding of things.

3) Fip's road for US$15million. This is just a plain payoff for which moneys would roll back into the private bank accounts.

4) The brazil cable project. Here too moneys will roll back into personal accounts in Miami.

More to come.... for now, you decide!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Mercy Hospital

Our heart goes out to the management, staff and patients of the Mercy Hospital (partly) burnt by fire.

Muddy Road Molds Debate on the Future of Guyana

The New York times has the above headlined article.

The article posits the juxtaposition of building a $315-million road vs protecting the environment. What the writer of the article does not know is that the Jagdeo has already given US$15million to Fip Motilall to build a road that will have chaotic effect on the environment (and by the way to build a road that the GGMC seemed to have built already).

What is even worse is that Jagdeo is spending $47million on a fiber optic cable that will go through the Iwokrama protected area and will see work done that will severely threaten the creeks forests and ecosystem of the forest and trail.

Obviously the NICIL handled project will be top secret and the moneys paid out will be like the cat-o-nine-tails with each tail landing in a different account.

God help Guyana!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

From professional to ugly politician - Ashni Singh

According to the Press, Finance Minister (technocrat-turned-politician) was the guest speaker to the Annual General Meeting of the private Sector Commission.

However one would have thought that he was speaking to a group of PPP supporters. His entire speech was based on his belief:
- that the press is biased against the Government
- that "mistakes" during the elections must be excused as mistakes
- that the one or two lapses of GoG must not be interpreted as 'corruption'
- that the transparency international and economic freedom evaluations are all liars
- that the auditor general reports on 'lapses' by the GoG should not be viewed as report of corruption or fraud

What a shame!

He spent one hour quoting from the Dick on criticisms of the USA government, not realizing that he was showing his Government's weakness! He tried to prove to all that Dick Morris could have said what he wanted about the US government....
NEWS FLASH to MR. ASHNI SINGH: no one can criticize the GoG!!! Jagdeo, yourself and everyone else reacts violently when criticized!

He spent another hour talking about elections in the UK - and asking all the business men to pardon any mistakes the GoG will make during the next general elections.

He spent another half hour lambasting the press about quoting from the auditor general's report - while he spent the hour quoting from various sources.

He spent an hour talking about the politics of the PPP and, reading between the lines, he begged the audience to keep supporting the PPP.

Two-and-a-half-hours of venal garbage. Rather than talk about investment, liquidity, bank regulations and topics of interest to the businessmen, he preached politics!!!

What a waste of time! The brilliance that we once knew as Ashni Singh has disappeared. In his place is a Jagdeo lackey, a PPP apologist and a corrupt politician who makes excuses for the lapses of the Government. I guess it all started with construction of the Caricom's annexe.

Meanwhile, we note that Ashni Singh holds the post of Finance Minister while his wife holds the post of Auditor General (ag).

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Fipping along

The plot thickens as the Tale of Fip continues. This is probably the most incestuous contract ever awarded in recent times, as we have learnt that Fip Motilal is related to Bharrat Jagdeo on this is father’s side.

While this is a small picture compared to the bigger painting of corruption involving NICIL, the Office of the President and several government officials, more information is flowing as we continued our exploration of the man who promises us Hydro Electricity.

If you check our archives we were the first to alert out readers to the snail’s pace in which Hydro-electricity was being dealt with when we asked Fip to slip the swith.

As we uncover more on Fip, one official told us that the man is no stranger to being awarded government contracts. In fact, the official told us that the government ought to explain who the contracts for the supply of the two generators for the Guyana Power and Light Company were awarded to Synergy Holdings. In fact, two senior government officials raised an alarm about this but these were ignored by the forces higher up.

We are told that the two officials were frustrated to the point where a major project had to be delayed several times since Fip could not deliver the products for the start of this project. We understand that the government had to step in and clean up and mess and take more money from the Lotto Funds to cover its track and get the project started.

Lets just say the project was launched last year!

As we find out more details about our friend Fip, the man is listed as a Chemical Engineer on one of his many profiles on the internet but no one could explain if this is indeed true, where he studied and when.

All we know is that nothing makes sense in this web of Synergy, the award for the contract to build the road to Amaila Falls or the Hydro Electricity but what can we say but what a tangled web we weave.

Question: Is Jagdeo exempt from submissions to integrity commission?

Sunday, May 2, 2010

More questions than answers

One of our readers posted a comment that has created some concern for our editorial board. We therefore pose the following questions with the hope that answers can be provided by those who know.

1) Is it true that Makeshwar Fip Motillal is related to Bharat Jagdeo on Jagdeo's father's side?
2) is it true that Motilal has been the real estate advisor for property acquisition in Florida for member of the Government and for the King?
3) Is it true that Brassington has his own island in the Essequibo river?
4) Can anyone name the Ministers of the current PPP Government that owns properties overseas?
5) Can someone PLEASE write to the US State and Embassy, requesting that they disclose these property acquisitions in the USA.
6) Could we start a petition to demand that the US Government disclose all the Guyana Government officials that own properties overseas?

Our integrity commission

The Integrity Commission still falls under the preview of the New Garden Street Palace. Sadly, since its Commissioners were sworn in more than 4 years ago the Commission has not investigated a single politician.

The History of the life of this recent Integrity Commission started with a sorry story of Robert Corbin challenging the Constitutionality of the Commission. This is after King Jagdeo appointed the Commissioners without consulting the dear opposition Leader.

This Court action that still lingers in the wall and halls of our bugged down High Court should not have held up the Operations of the Integrity Commission but I guess it did since daily and operational orders still come from the Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Chief Henchman Luncheon.

According to the 2010 National Budget, the Integrity Commission still falls under the Office of the President budget and received just about $1.5 million annually for its operations!

Despite this we know the Commission cannot make any independent decisions or conduct any independent investigations - Bishop Randolph George resigned (never served a purpose anyway), while Fazeel Feroze keeps following King Jagdeo on his overseas trips and the wife of a Former Gun minister serves on the Commission.

NO wonder the Commission cannot check on the integrity of our politicians and one man can be a miner, dolphin exporter and real estate mogul while a New Garden Street employee can invest in a Media entity, own shares of a supermarket outside this country and has personal bank accounts in Europe.

Given the relationship between Jagdeo and Corbin, one cannot but help concluding that the court action was orchestrated - to set up the commission and to stymie its ability to function. After all neither side can afford to have an investigation!

We wonder yet again, meanwhile Guyana continues to slide in the morass of corruption.