The Criminal Justice system is being used as a political weapon to settle political grouses- attorney for Dr. Ashni Singh, Anil Nandlall

Former Finance Minister, Ashni Singh and Former CEO of NICIL Winston Brassington were today charged with three counts of misconduct in public office contrary to common law.
The matter was adjourned until May 7th and Singh and Brassington may have to appear in person since the charges are indictable.

 

 

 

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall is representing Singh, while attorney at law Stanley Moore is representing Brassington. The men were jointly charged for the sale of lands to National Hardware, Multicinemas Guyana Inc., and Scady Business Corporation without having procured an evaluation of the property from a competent evaluation officer. The lands are located at Liliendaal Patterson and Turkeyen.
Nandlall said the charges are strange and based on the information he received the sale was authorized by a board that governed NICIL and approved by the then PPP cabinet.

The charges against Singh and Brassington are indictable and Nandlall said he is unable to report what arrangements will be made for his client, Dr. Ashni Singh to be here. While Brassington’s attorney Standley Moore said his immediate concern is for his client to get a fair trial.

North Sophia man remanded for robbing a woman of $273,000 cash and other items at knife point

A 24-year-old miner was today remanded to prison for a robbery he allegedly committed in Pike Street, Kitty in February this year. Patrick Goodluck of North Sophia
appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and denied the charge.
It is alleged on February 25, 2018, at Pike Street, Kitty while being armed with a knife he robbed Felicity Carmichael of $273,000 in cash and items.
The victim reported the matter to the Police, but the suspect managed to evade capture until recently when he was arrested by the Police. He was positively identified by Carmichael as her assailant.
The police prosecutor, Simon Payne objected to Goodluck being granted bail since he is a repeat offender.
The Magistrate remanded Goodluck to prison until May 2.

Chain Snatcher to spend 4 years behind bars

There are reports that the 34-year-old man was in the habit of snatching gold chains in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market, Georgetown. Devon Holder confessed to two robbery charges and was slapped with a four-year jail sentence by Magistrate Annett Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Holder of Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara confessed that on January 9, 2018, at Stabroek Market he stole a chain valued $530,000 from Rafeek Mohammed after he was reportedly trailed by Holder.
Holder further admitted to being armed with a knife on April 5, 2018, at the Stabroek Market and robbing Pamela Gibson of her $100,000 gold chain with the use of personal violence.
 Holder reportedly attacked Gibson placed a knife at her neck while she was shopping and removed her chain. He allegedly dealt her several kicks and cuffs before he made good his escape.
Holder who has been in and out of prison dating back to 2009 for similar offences was sentenced to two years in prison for each of the charges which will run concurrently.

There is no place for corruption within the security agencies in Guyana- British High Commissioner- Greg Quinn

Quinn was speaking at the opening of a Financial Investigation and Anti- Corruption training course funded by the British Government at the Police Officers Training Center, at Eve Leary.
Quinn said if individuals cannot work with honesty and integrity then they should be drummed out, prosecuted and imprisoned as necessary. If people don’t like the sound of that then, tough luck  – security agencies cannot expect respect and cooperation from the public if they themselves are not willing to operate within (and be subject to) the law.
The course starts on Monday and will run for the next two weeks and will see the participation of SOCU, SARA, CANU, CID Fraud and the FIU. Two experts  from the United Kingdom, Tony Crampton, with over 30 years of experience of serious and organised crime and fraud as a member of the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police and Mark Dilliway, also with over 30 years in the City of London Police who spent the last years of his career also working on economic crime and fraud will conduct the training sessions.
Quinn said it is therefore incumbent on each member of the security agencies to fulfill their tasks to the highest of standards. Not only is it the right thing to do, but as the funders of this (and other) training, it is what the British Government expects.
High Commissioner Quinn used the opportunity to once again remind the participants of the UK’s commitment to supporting Guyana in Security Sector Reform.

98 years in jail for mother who killed her two children in 2014

The sentence was handed down this afternoon by Justice Navindra Singh in the High Court to the 25-year-old woman.
 Hofosawa Awena Rutherford of Supply Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara was found guilty by a 12-member mixed jury.  Rutherford was charged with two counts of manslaughter dating back to 2014 where it is alleged that she unlawfully killed her 16-month-old son, Jabarie Cadogan and her four-year-old daughter, Juliana Cadogan. She reportedly instructed the children to ingest rat poison.
The state’s case was successfully argued by prosecutors Tiffini Lyken, Abigail Gibbs and Shawnette Austin that Rutherford deliberately administered the poisonous substance to her children.

64-year-old East Coast man charged and remanded to prison with threatening the life of President Granger

Motilall Balkarran of Triumph, East Coast Demerara denied the charge which was read to him this afternoon by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The court was told that on March 20th, Balkarran made a call to the 911 emergency number threatening

to kill President Granger by placing a bomb at his office at the Ministry of the Presidency to cause public terror. The call was recorded by the 911 system at the Brickdam Police Station.
The court was also told that the accused allegedly used threatening language when calling the 911 telephone line and threatening to kill the president. He denied both charges.
Balkarran was represented by attorney -at law, Tiffany Jeffery who in her bail application told the court that there are multiple persons living in her client’s home and the police did not do any voice recognition.
Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the charge.
Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan remanded Balkarran to prison until April, 16th on the grounds of public safety. The matter was transferred to the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court.

3 in custody, guns, ammunition and cannabis found in Sophia

A release from the Police Public Relations department stated that a 16-year-old Sophia youth was among three in custody following an intelligence-led operation this morning by police ranks in ‘C’ Division. It was during that operation that one .40 caliber Taurus Pistol with six live rounds, two .32 Special Revolvers with four live rounds and seventy-nine grams of cannabis Sativa were found and seized by the Police.
The Police say the 16-year-old is also being investigated for an alleged robbery under arms committed on a resident of the Sophia community last night.
Investigations are ongoing.

 

 Tearful, Former GDF Captain charged with the murder of his girlfriend

Orwain  Sandy was emotional as he walked in and out of the Georgetown Magistrates’ court to answer to the indictable charge, which was read to him by Magistrate Judy Latchman.
Sandy was under tight security, with handcuffs on his hands and feet as he made his way into the courtroom. Family members of both Sandy and Payne also gathered in the courtroom to listen to the case.

Orwain Sandy, tearful former GDF Captain charged

 

 

Sandy last Saturday shot and killed, Reona Payne in broad daylight in First Street Alexander Village during a heated argument. The woman died from multiple gunshot wounds to her body. Sandy then turned himself into the police at the Ruimveldt Police Station and he also handed over the service revolver he reportedly used to carry out the murderous act.
Curious onlookers at the court
In the court today, his attorney, James Bond requested that Sandy be examined by a psychiatrist. He also disclosed that his client has been a psychiatric patient for the past two years.
Magistrate Latchman after listening to Bond, remanded Sandy to prison until April 24, where he will undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Bond also disclosed that he would be providing an independent psychiatrist.